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“Oh my gosh, are you really friends with Oikawa-san?” your friend shrieked as soon as she sat down at the seat right in front of you.
You couldn’t help but droop your head and sigh at the question. You’ve been asked this question one too many times even though it’s still early morning, and she just hit the last straw. “Even you?” you asked back in disbelief. Apparently, some of Oikawa’s fangirls saw you talking casually with Oikawa and Iwaizumi when you met them at the shoe lockers this morning, and the word spread faster than wildfire.
“Well, you never told me!” she replied. It’s not that you didn’t want to tell her, you just never thought your friendship with Oikawa was an interesting topic to talk about, especially that you know about her feelings towards the princely school idol. Well, Oikawa just practically proclaimed that you two are already friends despite only knowing of your existence very recently, and your mind just hovered around the proclamation, never really agreeing to it.
She took your silence as an answer and processed it in the way that highly correlated with your thoughts. “Oh, I’m not offended that you didn’t tell me, nor am I mad at you for being friends with him. Don’t worry!” It was this part of her that you’re friends with her.
You scratched your head. “It was a funny story.”
And it was.
You met Oikawa when your nephew started taking volleyball classes with Lil Tykes, and he happened to be the coach. You were so surprised that he liked children and got along with them pretty well that you didn’t see the stray volleyball coming your way, and it smacked quite hard on your face. As the one in charge, Oikawa came to help you treat the bruising area of impact. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t hold back his laughter when he saw the faint contours of the volleyball now etched on your face.
You pouted, silently wanting to let Oikawa know that he was being mean.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Oikawa tried to calm himself down. “I didn’t mean to laugh but—“ and he was bursting in laughter once again.
Seeing this kind of annoyed you. With the icepack in hand, you reached up to slap it gently on his face. He shrieked at the coldness of the ice, scrunching up his face – the ugliest you’ve ever seen of him so far. You also couldn’t help but laugh at him.
"So mean!” he pouted like a child while looking down at you.
The sight of his childish pout sent a shiver down your spine as you thought it was incredibly cute, but you shrugged it off. Of course, you won’t tell him that.
" I’m sorry,” you apologized between fits of laughter, the scrunched up beautiful face of Oikawa kept replaying in your head.
You were too busy laughing that you hardly noticed he was staring at you, studying your features. You stopped abruptly when he said, “I think I’ve seen you before.”
“We’re in the same year at Aobajousai High,” you replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “We were never in the same class, so you probably don’t know me.”
He scratched his head, racking his brains for any memory of at least a short encounter with you, but there isn’t any. He pointed at himself, “Ah, I’m—“
“Oikawa Tooru. 3rd year, class 6, the ever-so popular captain of the Aobajousai High Boys Volleyball Club. You have a nephew here too, right?” you smiled, informing him.
His eyes widened, and then he grinned. “You sure know a lot about me!”
You rolled your eyes. “All the girls, especially my friend, talk about you non-stop, my ears are ringing so much from hearing your name.”
He snorted. “I can’t help it if they are fond of me!”
You copied his snort, but more triumphantly. “Iwaizumi-san was right, you really are a kingly character.” You stood up and made your way back to the gym. “Thanks for the icepack, Oikawa-kun!” you said, while waving the icepack near your face.
While you made no effort hiding from him, it still took him 2 weeks to find you. Your student council duties ran until late and on your way home, you saw the volleyball club coming out of the gym as you passed by it. You caught Oikawa’s eye and he hollered at you, his arms outstretched into the air, waving vigorously.
“Geh!” you exclaimed as you turned to the source of the voice.
“What do you mean, ‘geh!’” he almost yelled back. “Hey, don’t turn back! Don’t you want to see me, (f/n)-chan?” he cried out, as he saw you changing your route.
You stopped in your tracks. “How did you know my first name?”
He was about to run to you when Iwaizumi appeared behind him and grabbed a hold of his forearm. “I’m sorry, (l/n)-san,” Iwaizumi apologized. “He was bugging me about you.” He turned to Oikawa, who’s trying to get out of his death grip. “Would you stop trying to attack her?”
The scrambling Oikawa looked too funny in your sight, and for the second time, you laughed at the face he’s making. “It’s okay, Iwaizumi-san!” you assured the ace. “And you did it again! I told you to drop the honorific already. We’ve known each other for these 3 years.”
“You too, (l/n),” Iwaizumi replied back, emphasizing on your last name. “Drop the honorific, I’m not much older than you,” he smirked at you.
Oikawa looked like a fish with his mouth agape and his head turning back and forth as you and Iwaizumi spoke to each other casually.
As Iwaizumi bid you goodbye and dragged the brunette with him, you heard the captain grumbling about how the ace didn’t tell him anything about you when you two had known each other almost your whole time in high school.
“We hadn’t known each other for a long time,” you told your friend. “It’s only been about a month, I think.”
She moved her upper body closer to you over your desk, putting you in the hot seat. “Do you see him often?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.
You constructed a barrier in front of her with your hands. “With my club duties, I never see him unless I talk to Iwaizumi and he happened to be there,” you said, and there’s hardly any lie in your answer since your duties as library council member during lunch and student council after school keep you quite busy, but sometimes you see Oikawa with a flock of girls in the hallways, and he goes over to you briefly just to bug you.
Your friend sat back at the seat properly. “That’s true,” she sighed. “But it’s surprising since you didn’t really seem interested in him.”
It’s not that you weren’t. It just puzzles you how he manages to make all the girls shriek when he isn’t even doing anything special.
She propped up her head using her hand with a bored face. You saw her lighten up, and this meant that she probably have a crazy idea in their head.
“Hey, hey,” she began. “Would you set me up a date with Oikawa-san?” She brought her hands together in a clap. “Please, please, please? Even just one date! Just one is fine!”
You threw your head back against your chair’s backrest. “Gimme a break.”
---
Your high school life suddenly got noisier since you became friends with Oikawa, constantly hearing buzzing everywhere you go even though he isn’t even around to bug you. With your library council duties, you somewhat found a refuge in the quiet library, away from the buzzing and strange looks some girls throw your way. Even though you have the skill to completely ignore them, it’s still very taxing for you.
You’ve also been seeing Iwaizumi a lot recently studying in the library during your shift. He too must be very busy, being in the university pathway along with you and his volleyball club duties as vice-captain and practices. Dealing with Oikawa must be hard for him too, you thought.
He had his own spot in the library, where everyone knew that’s where he sits when he comes to study, and also where everyone sneaks a quick glance at as he studied, admiration towards him all over their faces.
You too were usually in awe, thinking about how hard it must be for him to be juggling sports and studies at the same time, when he could have retired from the club already. Today, you saw creases deeply etched on his forehead. You decided to come by to offer your help. After all, that’s basically half of your responsibility as library council.
You’ve known about his strong concentration ever since meeting him, and your mischievous side can’t hold back but tease him a bit. “Need help, Iwaizumi?” you whispered in his ear and emphasized his name.
He jumped, and earned a snicker from you. “Geez, (l/n), I’m trying to study!”
“Well, I’m here to help!” you announced. “You’ll get wrinkles at a young age if you stare at that too hard with a scowl.”
Iwaizumi scratched his head. “Well, I’m not too good in science, but I’ll be called today so I want to be sure my answers are right,” he said, turning his book and notes towards you.
“Let’s see,” you said as you turned the book towards yourself and checked his answers over. “Ah, look here…” you bent down but you found it uncomfortable. “Move over a bit,” you said to him nonchalantly.
He moved as you said. You sat at the now empty half of his seat and began teaching him.
Meanwhile, Oikawa has been watching you two at the window not very far from Iwaizumi’s usual spot, your backs facing his shocked expression. He’d been strutting around the school to find Iwaizumi and ended up in the garden when girls gathered and fawned over him. The spiky black hair and the ace’s broad back caught his attention, and he was surprised to see you approach him and even sat on the same chair as his bestfriend’s, your skin only separated by your uniforms.
He placed his hand over his left chest. He felt something aching there and it wouldn’t go away.
---
“Please, Oikawa-kun!” you pleaded, with your hands clasped together. “Just go on a date with my friend once! Please?”
It’s been 3 days since you started bugging Oikawa about this. You didn’t want to, but your friend started teasing you with Iwaizumi, especially whenever you talk to him, and she said that getting her a date with Oikawa is the only way to stop her. And so, you started visiting Oikawa in his class.
Oikawa looked uninterested. “Tell me why should I go on a date with her.”
“Umm…” you honestly weren’t prepared for this. “S-she likes you! Yeah, and I think you’d like her too! I think you two suit each other!”
“Do you really think that?” he asked coldly.
You cocked an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m lying?”
He looked straight into your eyes, as if trying to read your feelings. When he realized you weren’t really lying, he said, “Okay, but only 1 date,” and then scribbled the details with his cellphone number at the bottom of the page.
“So you have a phone!” you said, as you read his scribbled note. “How come you never told me?”
Oikawa saw the opportunity, and took it. “Are you jealous?” he smirked.
You smacked him in the back. “You’re so funny, Oikawa-kun!”
That last one almost felt like a lie, because you weren’t exactly jealous, but you definitely felt weird that Oikawa willingly gave his number to your friend whom he hasn’t even met. You pondered about this even as you returned to your classroom and handed the paper to your friend.
You were also wondering why he sounded a bit cold when you were setting him up on the date with your friend, as if he was dropping a hint. You thought that it was not like him to act like that.
Iwaizumi saw you when you stepped in the room and was concerned about your serious expression. “Did that stupid Oikawa say something unnecessary?” he asked as you sat on your seat beside him.
You turned to look at him, and you crossed your arms over your desk to place your head on it as a cushion. “No,” you answered. “Rather, it was like he was trying to tell me something but didn’t say it out loud.”
---
The next day, you’re helping Iwaizumi again with his science homework during your shift in the library, seated at your own seat beside him this time, when girlish murmur from a distance started to become more and more audible from inside the peacefully silent room.
“Hey, do you hear that?” you asked, tapping Iwaizumi’s shoulder, interrupting his concentration.
“Hear what?” he asked back, and as the murmurs got louder, he clicked his tongue. “Damn it. He found me.”
As soon as he said that, the doors opened, and girls pooled in, with Oikawa somewhat in the middle of the crowd, his height towering all the girls around him. He scanned the room and locked his eyes on you as soon as he saw you. He asked the noisy girls to leave the room and apologized for the scene he just made, as he approached you and Iwaizumi.
“So this is where you were, Iwa-chan~” he said.
You sighed. “We’re trying to study.”
Iwaizumi half-whispered. “She’s helping me with our homework.”
“Ohhh really~” he didn’t sound like he was buying it though. “I guess I should leave you guys to your study date then?”
Iwaizumi tilted his head to the side, as if trying to examine the captain while Oikawa proceeded on his way out.
You watched him walk away with a worried expression. ‘Hasn’t he been acting strange lately?’
---
It’s already Friday and your friend’s date with Oikawa is only 2 days away. For some reason, you can’t shake off the weird feeling you get whenever you think about this.
And as you thought, Oikawa’s still acting strange towards you. The only time you see him now is when he comes to see the ace and you happen to be there, but he never sought you out personally.
You decided to consult Iwaizumi about it during a self-study period.
“You think so too?” he asked back. “He’s fine during practices though…”
On the other hand, Oikawa decided to bother Iwaizumi by going to his classroom. As he opened the doors of your classroom, he saw you two together, with your chairs side by side at your desk, and Iwaizumi hovered around you, barely any distance between you two. Chocolate brown eyebrows knitted at this sight, and the owner started to strut into class 3-5, directly to your desk, making you both look up at him.
“Study date even here huh?” he said in a teasing tone.
For some reason, this irritated Iwaizumi. “Oikawa—“
You interrupted him by putting your arm just in front of his chest.
“Don’t get mad in front of your girlfriend, Iwa-chan. You’ll scare her more,” Oikawa teased, and was laughing even as he left the room.
“I’m sorry about him,” Iwaizumi apologized. “I’ll talk to him tonight.”
“What did you apologize for?” you asked him.
“He was being disagreeable to you?”
You laughed. Iwaizumi can be really gentle to others who aren’t Oikawa, and it catches them off-guard due to his intimidating appearance and aura. You nudged him playfully. “Don’t worry about it, silly.”
---
From: Iwaizumi:
Subject: Sunday
Oikawa’s going on a d8 with ur friend?
You cocked your eyebrow. This message was weird to you because Iwaizumi never talked about Oikawa on dates, the girls he’s dated, much less being curious about it. You shrugged it off as something Oikawa probably said and was just asking you for confirmation. You began typing your response.
To: Iwaizumi
Subject: Re: Sunday
Yes, I set it up =)
You placed your phone beside your textbook and continued doing the task at hand: your homework. You weren’t waiting for a response, but you were kind of curious about what he would say.
When you didn’t get a response, you mailed him again.
To: Iwaizumi
Subject: Re:Re: Sunday
Do u wanna spy on them? ^^
You were secretly hoping that Iwaizumi would agree to come spying with you. As the date you set up comes closer, the weird feeling in the pit of your stomach is getting more irritating, so you’ve been busying yourself enough in order not to spare any time thinking about it. You got stuck on a question when you heard your phone rattled against the wooden table.
From: Iwaizumi
Subject: Re:Re: Sunday
No.
Can we meet up this Sunday though? At the public library, is around 11 am fine?
I need science help
You didn’t hesitate to say yes. After all, you also had math questions you left blank and need to be answered.
---
Sunday, 11 am
You wanted to be there first, but as you expected, Iwaizumi came earlier. “Sorry!” you waved, as you ran towards him. “Have you been waiting long?”
Iwaizumi shook his head. “No, I just got here.”
You two quietly scanned the studying area for a table to yourselves, preferably a booth seat so you can hear each other while explaining without bothering others. You ran as soon as you saw one, completely taking over of the spot to let others know you’ve already taken it. Iwaizumi placed his things sprawled out, taking the whole seat and sat in front of you.
After making yourselves comfortable, you two took out your studying materials: science homework for him, and math homework for you. You two alternated asking the other a question, exchanging nods and digesting each other’s explanations. After 2 hours, both of you exhaled in relief as you had finished your homeworks, and the growl of Iwaizumi’s stomach made you realize that it’s already past lunchtime. He turned red in embarrassment, and you chuckled, “Let’s pack up and have some lunch then.”
As you got out of the library, you both asked each other in unison, “What do you want to eat?”
You laughed, and said, “Well, take your pick. You’re the one with the growling stomach.”
Guessing he was too hungry to even think about a place to eat, you knew he’d just pick the nearest food establishment in sight. You hummed in agreement but the creases on his forehead formed and he asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” you waved your hands, as if shooing his unnecessary concern away. “I don’t have anywhere I want to go, and I’m a bit hungry too,” you assured him with a smile.
---
Iwaizumi ordered a lot of food, including his favourite agedashi tofu, while you ordered omurice. As soon as the food arrived, Iwaizumi said his thanks for the food and immediately began eating. You too started eating – your pace a lot slower than his.
You watched as he ate and found viewing this side of Iwaizumi too amusing and endearing to watch that he became really conscious and took a pause upon seeing the wide smile on your face. You noticed this, and apologized, “Oh no, I’m sorry, please keep eating! I just found it fun to watch you.”
You went back to eating your omurice, hinting that it’s okay for him to continue eating like earlier when you heard a familiarly snobbish ‘Hmph!’.
You almost choked on your food. ‘Oikawa-san?’
You looked around, but the booth’s dividers are a little too high for you to be able to scan the whole restaurant without invading other people’s privacy by looking in.
Iwaizumi looked up from his food and noticed the alarmed expression you had. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Oh, no, it’s just…” You contemplated a bit before telling Iwaizumi. Though he is your friend, he is also Oikawa’s best friend, and you simply can’t show to anyone that you’re a little uneasy about today. “I just thought I heard Oikawa-kun’s voice, but it might be just my imagination,” you replied, your voice going calmer by the second.
He glanced at his watch. “Say, wouldn’t he be on his date right now?”
“Mhm,” you answered wordlessly as you sip your oolong tea.
“It’s unusual for you to set him up on a date,” Iwaizumi said, and started on his agedashi tofu, which he purposefully left for the end.
You lazily stirred your oolong tea. Your eyes were a little too focused on it so Iwaizumi can’t read into your (e/c) orbs and so they wouldn’t give any clues about how you feel about it. “My friend convinced me to set one up for her.” You scratched the back of your right ear, a habit you unconsciously do whenever you’re quite hesitant about something.
Iwaizumi knew of this habit of yours. “You don’t have to tell if you don’t want to.”
Your eyes widened in surprise. You didn’t realize he’s been watching you carefully. “Oh no, it’s not really that complicated. She just said that setting her up a date with Oikawa-kun will get her to stop teasing me with you.”
Iwaizumi cocked his head to the side, and you explained more, “She told me she was going to tell everybody that I like you.”
You thought that this might have sounded confusing to Iwaizumi, so you tried making yourself clear. “I-I do like you—“
Out of nowhere, a familiar chuckle from the same voice you swore you heard earlier was louder this time that even Iwaizumi heard it clearly. From the seat behind you, Oikawa sprung up and approached your table.
“Wow, Iwa-chan, you just got yourself an official girlfriend!” he said in a mocking tone. “I’m glad for you two!”
“Oikawa-kun, how come you’re here?” you asked, while trying to look behind him in case your friend is standing with him. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a date?”
“Yup, but then she said she didn’t realize you would actually do it, and she confessed to me as soon as we met.” He huffed. “Well, I guess you can tell what my answer was.” He turned to Iwaizumi, and patted him in the back rough and hard. “Aren’t you a lucky man?”
“Oikawa…” Iwaizumi had his dark eyebrows knitted together and casted a sharp glare at his chocolate brown haired friend. As if sensing a bad omen, Iwaizumi took you and Oikawa by the forearms along with your belongings and paid the whole bill on your way out. He dragged you two until you got to the nearest deserted park. He released your arm first, then Oikawa’s after he positioned himself partially in front of you.
“I don’t like your tone, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said, calm yet firm. “If you’ve got something to say, then this is your chance.”
“Ohh~ Trying to be the knight in shining armour, huh?” Oikawa said in his playful but dangerous tone. “You’ve always been nicer to girls.”
The black haired male clicked his tongue loudly.
The scared you clung to Iwaizumi’s shirt. You peeked at Oikawa, then looked up at the male right in front of you. “What’s going on, Iwaizumi?”
Iwaizumi looked straight into your worried eyes. “Don’t worry.”
Oikawa balled his fists in anger upon seeing this, finally erupting. “Stop it! Stop being lovey-dovey in front of me! I won’t be able to hold back this ugly jealousy!” His chest heaved up and down.
You were shocked. “Jealousy?” You tried to think any reasons as to why Oikawa would be jealous. “Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve been spending a lot of time with Iwaizumi lately that you must feel like I’m taking him away from you.”
Oikawa was surprised and frowned. “Are you kidding me… Am I so out of your radar that you don’t even see me as someone other than Iwa-chan’s friend? Oh that's right, you even set me up with your friend...”
Iwaizumi fully covered you with his body as Oikawa threateningly took slow steps closer to you in the mode he’s currently in. You two witnessed Oikawa’s lips and fists quivered even more.
“Just tell her directly!” Iwaizumi commanded. He grabbed Oikawa by the shoulders and shook his friend violently as the brown haired male came closer to the both of you. “People won’t know what you’re thinking unless you tell them!”
As Oikawa saw your frightened eyes behind Iwaizumi, he slowly calmed down and tears welled up in his beautiful brown eyes. Iwaizumi stepped aside, giving a light pat on the back of his friend.
Oikawa Tooru didn’t even know how to begin, and how to even stop himself from shaking. He breathed in deeply, preparing himself and hoped that he won’t mess it up.
He shut his eyes in attempt to hold his tears back, and held his head low, not wanting to show you his face. “How did I come to like you this much? To the point that I got so jealous of my best friend? To the point that I almost lost my mind when you two got so intimate? I think about you so much that it’s making me crazy. I like you, so please give me a chance.”
You looked up at the tall male in front of you, your eyes wide in surprise that you were speechless. He slowly opened his eyes to look at your expression. “I guess it’s a no, huh?”
He faked a smile on his lips while his eyes told you just how broken he felt inside. He exuded a melancholic sigh. “Iwa-chan’s a great guy, and you’re—“
He was interrupted when he saw tears in your eyes. “(f-f/n)-chan?” he stuttered.
“You can be such an idiot, Oikawa-san,” you sniffed, and wiped your tears with the back of your hand, spreading it on your face. “Learn to be patient and wait for people to finish talking. Yes, I do like Iwaizumi as a friend. He’s a great person to be around with, and I’m really comfortable with him. But I didn’t think of him any more than that.”
You stepped closer to him and slammed your fists on his chest. “But you – you who just walked into my life recently – you turned my quiet school life upside down effortlessly and how dare you to make me feel like this – at least let me say ‘I like you too’ before you jump to conclusions, Shittykawa!”
Oikawa, surprised, had his mouth gaped open and he blushed profusely. “O-Okay, (f/n)-chan, please stop crying!” He flailed his arms aimlessly, trying to get you to calm down because he can’t handle tears of girls.
He frantically searched Iwaizumi’s pockets for a handkerchief and handed it to you as soon as he found it. Iwaizumi glared at him. “You’re the boyfriend, Shittykawa. Learn how to comfort a crying girl.”
He pulled you in to hug you (and so you won’t see his embarrassingly red face) while you tried to dry your tears. “I don’t want to hear that coming from you,” Oikawa stuck his tongue out at Iwaizumi.
---
Monday, lunch break
“You guys, I’m so bored~” Oikawa complained, his head propped lazily on his free arm. He knew he can’t be jealous because you already happily let him join your study time with Iwaizumi, but there’s barely any space between you and the dark-haired ace.
“Yeah, just use this formula to get the answer for this, so you multiply this by this number…” Iwaizumi’s unbroken focus concentrated on teaching you, completely ignoring the captain, who was seated in front of you two, while you were too busy scribbling the steps down as he taught you.
After Iwaizumi finished explaining how to answer your question, you started solving another similar question to try it out on your own when you felt two large hands cupped your face and your lips met with Oikawa’s – who was bent over the table – before you even realized what was going on. “Stop monopolizing my (f/n)-chan, Iwa-chan!” he childishly told his friend off.
“I’m sorry if I’m too close to her, but don’t blame us if you fail the math test, Baka-kawa,” Iwaizumi said. “Oh yeah, I’m not going to teach you, so you should at least try to study a little bit.”
Oikawa gasped. “Iwa-chan, help me too!”
“NO.”
“Iwa-chaaaan!” he cried out.
“I said no,” Iwaizumi busied himself by solving his share of unanswered questions.
Oikawa pouted. “(f/n)-chaaaan, Iwa-chan is being mean—“
The brunette’s abrupt silence caught Iwaizumi’s attention and he looked at the two of you: Oikawa was staring straight at you, who buried her pink face with both of her hands.
The captain took both of your hands and moved them away from your face, but you quickly covered your mouth with your left hand. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked in a soft voice.
“T-that was my first kiss!” you blushed, your face turning crimson.
Oikawa flushed and was unable to hold back his grin, and it spread from ear to ear. He stood up and came right behind you, wrapped you in a hug and showered you with butterfly kisses. “Here, I’ll be really glad to give you more! Just tell me and I’ll give you so many kisses~” he said in between the light kisses he planted on your cheek.
You cupped your boyfriend’s lips and pushed him away. “Do it when we’re alone and not in front of everybody, stupid Oikawa!”