Chapter Text
Daichi stood in front of a door. More specifically, a door to a small, antique resale shop tucked away in a neat corner of Miyagi. His hand rested on the handle, not quite ready to enter yet. What if someone he knew saw him in the antique shop? He tried not to care about what anyone would think of him if they saw him here. Anyway, his mother’s fifty-fifth birthday was in two days and he had to get her a gift- something that showed his care and appreciation, but not too big or expensive. He had not the time or money to order anything online. Besides, his mom adored antiques and a gift like this would really mean something to her. What the hell? Why was he even thinking about his reputation at a time like this?
He peered through the glass that covered the wall facing outside. The shop was packed full of (probably expensive) antiques. It looked as though no one was actually inside, not even somebody running the store. There was a car parked outside the shop, but it looked like it was the owner’s, not a customer’s. The shop itself was small, probably not receiving a lot of attention. Flower pots adorned the outside of the building, giving it a homey feel with the colorful hues of flowers bursting from seemingly every direction. Daichi sighed, and after another moment’s hesitation, finally pushed open the door.
A small bell attached to the door rang as the door swung open and closed when Daichi entered. He was right- no one was in the shop, but there was a closed door in the back, behind sprawling shelves full of old clocks, tea sets, plates, silverware, lamps, and other odd items like locks and mirrors.
“Coming!” A voice, coming from behind the back door, yelled. A moment later, a guy stepped out, shutting the door behind him. Daichi was stunned; he was expecting an elderly lady to be working there, not him. The guy seemed around his age with airy silver hair, rich hazel eyes with a mole just below the left one. He was wearing a white button up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, along with a gray apron which hugged his chest. The guy looked at Daichi for a moment before smiling gently.
Daichi realized he was staring at the male. He cleared his throat, taking a step further into the shop. “Hi, I’m looking for a gift for my mother, it’s her birthday in a few days, and I need to buy something.”
The male walked away from the back door and towards Daichi. Now that he was closer, Daichi realized he was a few centimeters taller than the owner of the shop. “Alright, what does she like?”
“A-antiques.” Daichi stuttered as the (rather pretty, although Daichi wouldn’t admit that aloud) male approached him. After a moment, the guy started laughing, and Daichi’s breath caught in his throat. He felt heat creep up into his cheeks. Did he say something weird?
“Of course!” The guy laughed, punching Daichi on the bicep. “You wouldn’t be at an antique shop otherwise.” Daichi laughed nervously. “Hey, don’t be so anxious, this is just a shop. I totally understand why you’re here.” The male held out his hand. “My name’s Sugawara Koushi, but my friends call me Suga. Or, my customers, rather. I’m afraid I don’t ever do much besides run this place.” Suga gestured to the shop around him. Daichi had been so focused on Suga that he wasn’t taking in the sights or the smells of the place. It smelled faintly of rosemary and fresh trees. A few lamps were on, casting a yellowish glow, but the natural light which seeped through the windows washed out the yellow lamplight.
Daichi took Suga’s hand in a handshake. It was warm and soft, like his smile. In fact, the whole shop radiated warmth and kindness. He smiled in response, both lowering their hands. “I’m Sawamura Daichi, it’s nice to meet you.” He peeled his eyes off Suga and glanced around. “You run this place? By yourself?”
Suga put a hand on his hip. “Yeah. It’s really not that hard, though. I don’t get many visitors, but I collect enough money to keep things going.” He turned back to Daichi. “So what did you have in mind as a gift, Sawamura?”
“Oh, Daichi’s fine,” he said, looking back at Suga. “But, I don’t know. I was hoping you’d have a small selection and I’d just pick something that wasn’t too expensive.”
“If you need something cheaper, that’ll narrow it down. How much? About ¥2,000?”
Daichi nodded. “Exactly, it’s like you’re reading my mind.” Suga chuckled, beginning to walk around the store, glancing at price tags. Daichi followed as if he was Suga’s shadow. Suga moved the items around, trying to find something that would fit Daichi’s needs.
“See anything you like?”
Daichi had to bite his lip to keep from saying, You. Instead, he said, “She always says how she could use a new reading lamp, or maybe that’d be too big of a gift?”
Suga shook his head, glancing back at Daichi. “I think it sounds fine,” he replied, moving to where most of the lamps were located. He ran the pads of his fingers over the wood on a lamp, tracing the delicate designs etched there. “This one is only ¥1,999. And it’s really pretty too.” Suga tilted his head, almost as if he needed to look at it with a better angle. “Made back in the 18th century…” He looked at Daichi, raising an eyebrow. Goddamnit. He’s hot. That eyebrow nearly gave Daichi a heart attack. “...it has a rococo style, which I like. Not to mention these light brown and tan colors can fit anywhere.”
“Uh, yeah, it looks great.” Daichi scratched the back of his neck. Suga smiled. “You really know your stuff, don’t you?”
Suga plucked the lamp up off the display table and brought it over to a corner of the store, where an old cash register sat. Suga slipped behind the counter. “Hm? Oh, yeah, I kind of got into this during my third year in high school. I wasn’t really doing any club activities, and I was unsure of what I wanted to do in my future. My mom, she used to love antiques. She passed down many of them to me. Others I bought myself. But I have no real use for them, so I’m selling them. Well, choice items I keep. And I want others to experience them, too, y’know?” He shrugged. “Like I said, this place isn’t popular. I’ve placed a few ads around, and I make enough money to sustain myself.”
“What’d you do before this job?” Daichi asked, curious in the silver-haired boy’s life. It was odd, when he first saw Suga, it was like a switch in his head just went off. Now he couldn’t stop blushing and thinking unreasonable things around him. He never really had any interest in dating before- volleyball crowded Daichi’s teenage years, and he even still played it at 23, five years after he graduated from Karasuno. But he never met anyone so attractive as Sugawara, in both looks and personality. He felt drawn in, like a moth to a campfire: Suga seemed to be a special light in a world full of darkness. He wanted to know more about him. He could stand here all day and stare into those hazel-brown eyes, richer than the color of melted, dripping caramel. He could listen to Suga’s gentle voice fill the shop, encircling his mind and throwing him into a strange trance. He longed to feel his smooth skin again, under his own. This can’t be love at first sight. Well, Daichi had to admit that he really didn’t know a thing about love at first sight, or love in general. But it was possible: Suga was just so entrancing and beguiling. Okay, this is probably love at first sight. Damn it.
“Like, in high school? I was in the volleyball club for my first year.”
Daichi’s eyes widened. “No way! I still play it now!” He grinned. “Why’d you stop?”
Suga looked away from Daichi’s eyes, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt at his elbow. “I was overshadowed. I never got to play.”
“Really, where’d you go to school?”
Suga met Daichi’s gaze again, muttering something Daichi couldn’t hear.
“I didn’t quite catch that…”
He looked away again. “Aobajohsai.” Suga said louder, bitterness tracing his words.
“Outshadowed…” Daichi put two and two together. “By Oikawa?”
Suga nodded. “In my first year.” He then suddenly shook his head, wiping at the corners of his eyes. “God, I’m so dumb. I can’t dwell on this.”
“Sorry for bringing it up if it really hurts you to think about, Suga.”
“No, it’s fine… just… I never did anything. I was so happy in junior high, and I played it back then, too. But as soon as I entered Aobajohsai, I…” he trailed off. “Well, Oikawa immediately outclassed me as setter. And I quit after my first year. I don’t really want to play it again. I never have wanted to.”
Daichi nodded. “We beat Shiratorizawa at the Spring Tournament in my third year. Karasuno made it to nationals.” Suga’s eyes widened, his mouth slightly open.
“No way!” He grinned. “I heard about that from Oikawa, he was in my class that year. He was talking to some girl about their loss to Karasuno… you really went there?”
“I was captain.”
“No. Way.” Suga repeated. “You must’ve had girls crowding you wherever you went.” He laughed. “I mean, you’re so handsome,” neither noticed the other blush at that statement, “and probably popular after going to nationals.”
Daichi’s eyes widened in embarrassment. “Thanks,” he chuckled, “but not really. It was mostly the other guys who received all the attention.”
“You’re lying,” Suga rolled his eyes, poking Daichi in the stomach.
“Am not.”
“Am too.”
“Am not.”
“Am too.”
Daichi sighed, obviously letting Suga win the ‘game’. Laughing at Daichi’s exasperation, Suga pressed a few buttons on the old cash register. “Alright, your total is ¥1,999.” He slid the lamp slightly closer to his customer.
As Daichi fished the money from his wallet, Suga continued talking. “But thank you for stopping by, and here of all places. There’s probably some other antique shop close by, and they probably are more top-of-the-line, but I try my best here. And I usually don’t get customers as dynamic or interesting as you.” Suga smiled sweetly. Daichi tried not to blush, but he felt his cheeks heat up. The silver-haired boy’s cheeks began to turn pink. The two made eye contact again when Daichi handed Suga the money, the backs of his fingers brushing against Suga’s palms. Then the owner pushed a few more buttons on the register, and it made a sound as a receipt was ejected from the side. Suga plucked it out, but instead of handing it over to Daichi, he grabbed a pen and began writing on the back.
“That’s probably the nicest thing I’ve heard in a while.” Daichi chuckled. “Thanks, Suga- uh, what are you writing?”
Again, another sweet smile crossed Suga’s lips, and the pink blush remained on his cheeks. “Oh, nothing.” Suga folded up the paper with one hand and grabbed Daichi’s with the other, thrusting the receipt into his hand and closing his fingers around it. “Open that later. It was nice to meet you, Daichi! Good luck with the gift!” He said.
Daichi smiled in response, grabbing the lamp and waving as he walked toward the exit. He really didn’t want to leave. The shop felt so warm and cozy and he could sit there for hours, just talking to Suga- no, he didn’t even have to talk, they could just sit within each other’s presence and he’d be content. “It was nice to meet you too, Suga, and thanks again,” he called on his way outside. Suga held a grin as Daichi pushed open the door and walked outside. Then he sighed, and held his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes.
“Why does talking to attractive guys have to be so draining?” Suga whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, Daichi was standing outside the small shop, the light spring breeze flowing around his body and winding its way through his hair. He stowed the antique lamp in the backseat of his car, making sure it would be okay during the drive back to his apartment, then he took the folded up receipt into his fingers. Slowly, he opened it up to the back side, scanning Suga’s beautiful handwriting, reading what he had written.
I enjoyed our conversation a latte, call me tomorrow and we can go have coffee? :)
Followed by a set of numbers that was, unmistakably, Suga’s number. Daichi, a ridiculous blush coating his face and his hands trembling, punched Suga’s number into his contacts list. He took a deep breath, opening his car door and sliding behind the wheel.
“You’re too good for me, Sugawara,” Daichi mumbled to no one in particular.