Chapter Text
Chapter One: The Magazine That Broke the Internet
The issue dropped at 8 a.m. Tokyo time, and by 8:03 a.m., Twitter was on fire. By 8:07, Tumblr had collapsed under the sheer weight of gifsets. And by 8:15, even Oikawa’s mother had texted him, asking why he was trending worldwide with the words “partner collector.”
Because there they were: Toru Oikawa, Kotaro Bokuto, and Wakatoshi Ushijima, now in their thirties, gracing the cover of Haikyu Magazine’s most ambitious reunion issue yet. Furudate himself had overseen the special interviews, something that sounded prestigious on paper, but in reality only ensured maximum chaos.
And chaos arrived promptly on page twelve.
(The Infamous Interview Excerpt)
The interviewer, who clearly underestimated the dangers of letting Oikawa speak freely, had asked, “Oikawa-san, in your career, which teammates or opponents did you consider your closest partners?”
A simple question. Safe. Neutral. Foolproof.
Oikawa, of course, leaned forward in his designer coat and devastating smile, and declared, “Oh, everyone. All spikers are my partners. Ushijima, Bokuto, even Hinata-kun. A setter must cherish every spiker, right?”
It sounded noble, almost romantic, until he gestured with his hand and added dramatically, “They are all my partners. I claim them.”
Cue fandom meltdown.
(Internet, Three Minutes Later)
By the time the magazine reached international fans, translations were already flying. “Oikawa, the Polygamous Setter” trended worldwide, accompanied by fanart of him in a tux marrying an altar full of spikers. Memes were born. One showed Oikawa holding a leash with every spiker attached. Another photoshopped him onto a Pokemon trainer card with his “partner collection.”
But the true nuclear bomb detonated when Hinata Shoyo, now a professional in the Japanese league, gleefully added fuel to the fire.
@hinatashoyo: lol kags remember how oikawa-san always says “my partner”?? even to u?
To which Kageyama, notoriously unable to resist truth-telling, replied,
@kingkageyama: he said it to EVERYONE. He even called Ushijima his partner once in the middle of a game.
The internet, predictably, lost its mind.
(Meanwhile, in Seijoh’s Group Chat)
The Seijoh alumni chat, rarely active beyond birthday greetings and the occasional Iwaizumi gym selfie, suddenly buzzed with thirty unread messages.
Yahaba: bro explain the internet thinks you’re dating like six guys
Matsukawa: not six, more like… everyone who ever spiked a volleyball
Hanamaki: congratulations, Oikawa, you’ve ascended to Pokemon Master of Spikers
Oikawa: I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS A PROBLEM
Iwaizumi: IT’S A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU SOUND LIKE A CLOWN
Oikawa: excuse me??
Iwaizumi: also, we literally only talk in this GC. stop pretending we’re “partners” when you don’t even reply to my LINE messages for weeks
The chat screencaps, of course, were leaked within an hour. (Nobody ever found out if it was Yahaba or Hanamaki, but suspicions remain.)
(Fandom’s Response)
Fans immediately latched onto Iwaizumi’s line. Memes bloomed.
“We only talk in the Seijoh GC” printed in bold across IwaOi fanart.
Oikawa edited into Pokemon GO, desperately throwing Pokeballs at Iwaizumi.
An entire 10-minute TikTok compilation of IwaOi moments set to Adele’s Hello.
The collective fandom reaction could be summarized in one word. Feral.
(The Follow-up Shoot)
Haikyu Magazine, sensing an opportunity for free publicity, immediately organized a follow-up shoot featuring Oikawa and Iwaizumi together.
The result? Possibly the most awkward photo set in sports media history.
“Okay, can you two stand closer?” the photographer asked, adjusting the lights.
Iwaizumi shuffled half a step forward. Oikawa moved two steps back.
“Closer.”
They edged toward each other, shoulders barely brushing.
“Now, can you put your hand on his shoulder?”
Iwaizumi sighed like a man reliving fifteen years of regret. Oikawa smiled, but the kind of smile that said ‘I’m only doing this because I look flawless in every photo anyway.’
Somewhere in the background, Bokuto yelled, “WHY DO YOU TWO LOOK LIKE DIVORCED PARENTS AT A PTA MEETING??” while Ushijima simply nodded, as if this was the most normal thing he’d ever witnessed.
(Aftermath)
The final photo spread broke the internet again. Fans zoomed in on the one shot where Oikawa was clearly side-eyeing Iwaizumi’s hand on his shoulder. Someone captioned it, “He collects partners but refuses commitment.”
Even Furudate admitted in the editor’s note: “I did not expect this to spiral. But maybe this is fine.”
And thus, in the span of twenty-four hours, a magazine meant to celebrate volleyball legends became the spark of the largest fandom meltdown since Karasuno beat Shiratorizawa.
The internet would remember it as, The Magazine That Broke the Internet.