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“Can you believe there’s only a week until we graduate?”
Ushijima looked over at Tendou, the older lying on the floor, stretching alongside him.
“No.”
Truly, he couldn’t.
Ushijima had recently gotten a letter from the Schweiden Adlers, asking him if he would be interested in playing for them.
And, of course, he accepted.
Tendou also had plans for after their graduation. He was planning on studying chocolate making in a culinary arts school, and had recently gotten his acceptance letter.
Ushijima had been delighted for his friend, happy that he could fulfill his passion. But, when Tendou had mentioned moving to France to pursue this dream, he felt quite uneasy.
He knew that he and Tendou couldn’t stay in contact for the rest of their lives, but the red haired boy was the first person to freely speak to Ushijima, the first person to look past his intimidating appearance.
The first person that Ushijima could call a friend.
And with only a week until their graduation ceremony, that news felt like a bomb, one that got closer to detonating with each passing day.
Ushijima must’ve looked sad, as Tendou said, “Don’t look so downcast, we’ll still be best friends after graduation!”
Despite his positive words, there was a hint of uncertainty to his voice.
“Won’t we?”
Ushijima looked at him and nodded. “We will.”
The day before graduation arrived, and Ushijima had just finished taping up the last box in his dorm room.
Reon had came in, the two boys sharing a dorm room for the past three years, and sat down on the floor next to Ushijima.
“Finished?” The younger asked.
Ushijima nodded, and looked down at the box in his hands.
“You’ve been more quiet than usual, you okay?”
Ushijima thought for a moment. It wasn’t totally strange for him to be quiet, he found speaking frequently rather daunting and felt that his voice was unneeded and unwanted.
But he will admit that he’s been more sullen as of late.
“It’ll be odd, leaving the dorms and team.”
“Yeah.” Reon agreed. “You think Goshiki can live up to your standard?”
Ushijima smiled and laughed softly. He had no doubts that the first year - second year, technically - would prove to be worthy of the title ‘Ace of Shiratorizawa’.
“He seemed to treat me as a rival when I was an ally. I always found that a bit strange.”
Reon laughed. “Yeah, he has this idea that he had to surpass you. I think that he thinks it’s the only way to be the ace of the team.”
“We could ask him about it, given that we’ll likely never see him again.”
“Well, don’t make it sound like we’re dying.”
Ushijima turned to face him, a bewildered look on his face. “That… wasn’t my intention.“
Reon covered his mouth in an attempt to conceal his laughter.
“Satori Tendou.”
Tendou walked up to the Shiratorizawa High School principal, shook his hand and took his diploma.
Ushijima watched him walk across the stage and felt a small pit form in his stomach. He was happy for his friend, but feared that this would be the last event they attended together.
“Wakatoshi Ushijima.”
He walked onto the stage and towards the principal, following the same path Tendou walked. Shaking hands, he stepped off the stage and returned back to his seat.
That was it.
The end of his high school days.
The end of his time on his high school’s volleyball team.
It wouldn’t be the last volleyball team he would ever be on, he had the Adlers’ offer to look forward to, but it still hurt to think about.
He’ll miss his teammates; Goshiki telling him how he would live up to his standards and eventually surpass him, Reon praising him after each point he scored, Shirabu and Semi’s flawless sets.
He’ll miss Saito, and even Washijō, despite the three years of verbal and physical abuse the third years had endured.
The ceremony came to a close, and the - now past - members of the volleyball team all gathered around together once they were a reasonable distance away from the location, the five of them adorning caps and gowns.
There was a strict rule that no one was to throw their hat up into the air during the graduation, so they had no choice but to reluctantly oblige.
The ceremony was over now, though.
So the five newly graduated boys all gathered in a circle and, on the count of three, threw their caps into the air, cheering slightly.
“We did it!” Tendou exclaimed.
“Damn…” Yamagata replied.
Damn, indeed.
Wakatoshi was dreading this day.
The day he and his team - namely Tendou - all bid each other goodbye to begin living their lives.
No one seemed to be taking the so-longs well, especially their underclassmen. Even Washijō seemed slightly grief stricken, and wasn’t as harsh as he usually would’ve been under different circumstances.
He had even handed each of his third years hand-written letters, each one detailing how much they had improved over the three years that Washijō had trained them for.
Wakatoshi almost didn’t want to leave the gym after their last practice had ended. It would be similar to coming to terms with a lie he had fooled himself into thinking true.
Unnerving.
But he had managed to do it, and return to his packed-up room with Reon in tow.
Wakatoshi removed some clothes to sleep in from a duffel bag he had packed and went into the attached bathroom to change. His clothes he had worn prior were folded neatly and gently put into the same bag.
He didn’t want to bother with washing them, knowing that they likely wouldn’t be dry by the time they had to leave tomorrow. So, he zipped the bag back up and waited for Reon to change before heading to the common area downstairs.
His final dinner in the school was normal enough, but there was a sense of melancholy in the air. No one dared mention the third years’ departure that would be happening the next day, but it was obvious that everyone at the table was thinking it.
Once the meal was cleaned up, Wakatoshi and Reon returned back to their dorms. They both entered quietly, that same melancholy note in the air from dinner having seemingly followed them.
The silence was broken by Reon.
“Honestly, and I’m not just saying this to flatter you, you are, were, the best ace and captain I’ve ever had on a volleyball team.”
Wakatoshi looked up at him, surprise on his face. He never knew how to handle praise, and he doubts he ever will. He’s been praised before, by his coaches, teammates and other volleyball players, but he still got flustered from it.
“Thank you. Genuinely.”
Reon smiled, and Wakatoshi found himself returning the expression.
“Remember me when you become famous.” Reon joked.
“I intend to.”
The day had come.
His time at Shiratorizawa had officially ended.
Before Wakatoshi had left his dorm room, he had hugged Reon and thanked him for the past three years, how he had managed to push him out of his shell and made him more comfortable talking to people.
“I’ll miss you.” Wakatoshi finished as he and Reon released each other. He pretended not to notice the wetness on the latter’s face.
“Let’s get going.” Reon said while attempting a smile, although it came out looking forced.
Wakatoshi nodded before doing a double take of the room, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, and just to get a final look of it before having to leave it forever.
Once Wakatoshi and Reon had entered the common area, heading for the door of the building, their fellow third years had caught up with them.
“Guys!” Yamagata called, practically running with Tendou and Semi behind him.
“I’m gonna miss you both so much.” He spoke, pulling each Wakatoshi and Reon into separate hugs. “Promise me that we’ll all stay in contact?”
“Of course.” Wakatoshi told him, Reon nodding.
Semi and Tendou joined the small huddle next, being a bit behind Yamagata due to his speed.
Tendou, similar to the libero, took both of the third years into an embrace, squeezing them tightly. It quickly turned into a group hug, with Semi and Yamagata quickly joining.
“These last three years have been incredible.” Reon said, voice quivering. “I’m gonna miss all of you.”
“We’ll stay in contact.” Semi said, but a small part of his voice sounded unsure.
Wakatoshi knew that, realistically, they would all eventually fall out of touch. But he felt the same as his other third years; unready to leave them, to move on.
Wakatoshi’s stomach felt like it was doing flips.
He was sat on a moving train, with its destination being an airport. He had arranged a small (well, not exactly small if he was leaving the country, and continent, for it) get-together with his father, whom he hadn’t seen since he was six years old.
That was the main reason as to why his stomach felt like it would betray him and expel any food digested within the last twenty-four hours.
Eventually, the train had reached his destination, and Wakatoshi left the vehicle and began the short walk to the airport’s front doors.
The security check went surprisingly smooth, giving him time to sit in a small café, nursing a cup of coffee in between his hands.
The café reminded him of Tendou’s plans for the future, which sent a small spike through his chest.
France.
Wakatoshi had looked it up prior to this, and found out that a flight from Japan to France would take around eighteen hours.
Eighteen whole hours away from the first person whom he had called a friend.
He tried to distract himself by thinking about something more upbeat, such as meeting up with his father again, playing for the Schweiden Adlers, but each thought circled back to the future chocolatier.
He decided to begin the walk towards his gate, despite his plane not taking off for another few hours.
Wakatoshi tried to pass those hours by looking around him, at the people bustling about the building, or by looking at his phone. He debated texting Tendou, letting him know he would be boarding soon, but he knew it would make him more sad on the subject of him moving.
He’s still in Japan, he thought to himself. He hasn’t left yet.
The plane ride over to California went smoothly. Wakatoshi spent the majority of the journey either sleeping or reading a book he had brought.
The nervous feeling he had felt on the train ride over to the airport began to return, but this time it was mixed with something akin to excitement.
As he walked through the John Wayne airport in Irvine, walking through the Arrivals, he could see a figure whom he hadn’t seen since he was a young child, yet he was still so familiar.
His father.
Wakatoshi smiled when he saw him, shoulders sagging in relief. He walked over to him, and his father wasted no time in pulling him into a hug.
“Wakatoshi!” He said, voice muffled in his son’s shoulder.
“Hi, dad,” was all Wakatoshi could think to say in response. After all, it’s been twelve years since they had last spoken in person.
The older man patted him on the back, squeezing him. Wakatoshi burrowed his face into his father’s shoulder, realising how much he’s missed having Takashi in his life.
Takashi pulled back and looked at his son, smiling.
“My boy, it’s been so long! You’ve grown so much, wow!”
Wakatoshi noted how he spoke Japanese with a slight accent and seemed to stumble over words, as if he’d forgotten how to say them.
Well, that’s probably what not using your first language for twelve years does, he thought.
Wakatoshi himself knew some English, but likely not enough to survive alone. He would have to use his father as a personal translator while he was here.
They both left the airport after Wakatoshi had retrieved his luggage. The car ride back to Takashi’s house was spent with Wakatoshi telling his father stories about high school, such as his teammates’s abilities, and playing for the Japan Youth Team.
His father repeatedly apologised for missing out on such a huge and important chapter in his son’s life, and Wakatoshi would be lying if he said his absence didn’t take a toll on him.
There were moments when he needed to talk to his father, but was unable to get into contact due to the difference in time zones.
There was also a hint of awkwardness in the car that refused to dissipate, regardless of how many questions Takashi asked his son.
Takashi’s house was quite American.
The exterior was similar to ones he had seen in movies or TV shows set in the states. He would watch them from time to time with Tendou.
Tendou.
The very person he tried to distract himself in order to stop thinking about him has resurfaced in his mind, just from those small memories.
“You okay?”
He turned to see his father, concern in the older’s eyes. Wakatoshi realised he must’ve been staring at the house for a bit too long, so he nodded and followed his father toward the front door.
“Wakatoshi.”
He turned around to find his father looking at him, concerned.
“Talk.”
Wakatoshi sighed and sat down on a nearby chair. He was silent for a few seconds, before eventually telling his father about Tendou, and Paris, and feeling regretful for an unknown reason.
Takashi nodded along to his son’s words. He let him speak, not interrupting him until he was finished.
“Do you wish you could’ve spent more time with Tendou?”
Wakatoshi thought for a moment, staring at his hands before answering.
“Yes.”
“And do you think that Tendou could be… more than just a friend?”
It was like a switch had gone off inside of Wakatoshi’s head. His eyes widened slightly in what seemed to be realisation.
“…Maybe.”
“Maybe?” His father echoed.
“Well… I’ve never thought about relationships, let alone my sexuality. I’ve always just assumed that Tendou was nothing more than a friend.”
Even if he did think that, would there be a chance of Tendou feeling the same way?
“Don’t think too hard about it. You’ve just came out of high school, you still have time to figure out the rest of your life.” Takashi assured. Wakatoshi nodded.
For the rest of his stay in Irvine, he tried to busy himself with tasks. But, no matter what he did, all of his thoughts seemed to circle back to that conversation with his father.
Before he knew it, his father was driving him back to the John Wayne airport. When they had arrived, the older man had hugged his son tightly, promising to keep in touch.
Wakatoshi smiled and agreed. He was worried that this visit would’ve been awkward, but there was no evidence of Takashi’s absence in their interactions.
The trip back was just as smooth as his journey over, with little turbulence and a steady enough landing.
His mother has agreed to meet him at the airport to bring him home, and he saw her as he entered the terminal.
She didn’t embrace him like his father, but she sees him much more often than he does, so Wakatoshi excused it.
“How was your trip?” She asked once they left the airport.
“It was good.” Wakatoshi replied as he informed her of small things he had done. But he decided to keep his little… revelation to himself.
Once they arrived home, Wakatoshi entered his room. He looked around the familiar space. His floor was clean, his bed was made, and his shelves were neatly lined with awards received for his talent in volleyball.
He frowned slightly at the layer of dust coating the trophies, making a mental note to clean them when he had an opportunity.
He put it out of his mind for now and sat down on his bed. Silence didn’t help with his dilemma, but it made it easier to deal with given it was the only thing on his mind.
He began to think about every interaction he’s had with Tendou. Upon realising that there were too many to remember, he opted to think back to his first day of Shiratorizawa, when they had first met.
Wakatoshi remembers how Tendou had came up to him, cheerfully introducing himself.
“Hey! I’m Tendou, I’m in class two.”
“I’m Ushijima, class three.”
“Ushijima as in…”
He didn’t have to finish. Wakatoshi knew what was next.
When he nodded, Tendou’s face lit up.
“Dude! You’re basically a celebrity in the volleyball world!”
This took Wakatoshi aback slightly.
“Well, I… I wouldn’t take it that far. I’ve only just become a high schooler, not a professional player, you know.”
Tendou laughed. “Yeah, but with your crazy talent and insane spike? You could probably go up against an actual pro right now and win!”
Ushijima felt a blush rush into his cheeks, and a small smiled appeared on his lips.
“Why did you do that?”
Another question.
“Do what?”
“Your smile. Why did you cover it with your hand?”
Wakatoshi hadn’t even realised that he had concealed it. He was so used to doing it that it was a reflex whenever he smiled at this point.
“It’s just a habit, I suppose.”
Tendou didn’t seem satisfied or pleased with that answer, but he had dropped it anyway.
Ever since then, anytime Wakatoshi had brought a hand up to cover his smile - even if he was with one of his third year teammates - he would think of that conversation with Tendou.
He still wasn’t comfortable with his smile, but had learned that it didn’t look as off-putting when it was done with his mouth closed.
Was there any indication of Tendou having romantic feelings towards him?
As though the red head could sense people thinking of him, Wakatoshi’s phone buzzed with a message from Tendou.
His stomach did a few flips at his contact name.
Tendou
Hey!
Just checking in
How’s life without me?
You
It’s manageable
Quieter, though
But saying ‘life without me’ makes it sound like you’ve passed away
Tendou
Says the guy who said ‘once Tendou’s moved on from this world’
Wakatoshi couldn’t argue with that.
You
How’s Paris?
Tendou
Vibrant
I’m still not that fluent in French yet
So it’s kinda hard to talk to people
Wakatoshi remembers how Tendou would mutter sentences to himself in French in their free time. To him, he sounded fluent. But the older would mutter corrections to himself whenever he made even the tiniest mistakes.
You
You’ll pick it up, don’t worry
A good way to learn a language is to listen to locals speak it
And you’re surrounded by them
Wakatoshi had no experience with learning languages, but it made sense. His father had said something similar when Wakatoshi asked him how he picked up English.
Tendou
You’re so right
When does training with the Adlers start?
You
Next week
Tendou
How’re you feeling about it?
You
I’m grateful that I have an opportunity like this, but I’m actually quite nervous
What if I’m the worst player there?
I’ll already be the youngest, I don’t want to stand out anymore than that
Tendou
Are we talking about the same Wakatoshi Ushijima?
The Ushijima who was Miyagi’s representative for the under nineteen world youth team?
The Ushijima who’s basically an A-list celebrity in the volleyball world, even though he’s only just left high school?
That made Wakatoshi smile.
Your smile.
Why did you cover it?
Tendou
Trust me when I say this:
There’s DEFINITELY going to be at least one person you’re better than
Heck, there could be one or two players on the Olympic team that would lose to you
You
I highly doubt the Olympic team part
But thank you
That helped
Tendou
Glad I could be of service to you
No texts came in for a few seconds, before the silence was broken.
Tendou
I miss you
Wakatoshi wouldn’t admit that he felt tears spring up into his eyes.
You
I miss you too
It’ll be weird practicing with another team
I’m so used to Shiratorizawa’s style
Tendou
I know
Text me after your first practice
I don’t care what time it’ll be here
Wakatoshi was reminded of the eight hour time difference. It was currently around three in the afternoon in Japan, so that made it seven in the morning in France. Not drastically early, but early nonetheless.
You
I will
Thank you
Tendou
Promise me something
You
What?
Tendou
That you’ll come visit me
I don’t care when
But please try and make it happen
You’d love it here
That made the tears leave his eyes and run down his face.
You
I will
Don’t worry
He didn’t know it, but Tendou was also crying on the other end of the phone.
The week had passed, and the Schweiden Adlers’s training was soon beginning.
When Wakatoshi had entered the gym, there was a heavy weight in his stomach. Any troubling thoughts that came to mind, he tried to cancel out with Tendou’s affirmations.
You’re Wakatoshi Ushijima.
I’m Wakatoshi Ushijima.
The door creaked as he pushed it open. He was one of the first players to arrive. When he walked in, an older man (who he assumed to be the coach) looked over. His face then lit up in recognition.
“Ah, Ushijima! I’ve been looking forward to training with you.”
Wakatoshi’s high school coach tainted the word ‘training’ for him. He loved the sport, but was nervous to see how gruelling this training would be.
“We know that you’re not accustomed to this team yet, so we’ll start slow. Everyone else should be here soon. You can get changed into volleyball shoes.”
Wakatoshi nodded and moved further into the gym, placing his bag on a bench and sitting down beside it. He changed his shoes, trying his best not to appear awkward or nervous. Washijō used to scold him whenever he appeared even slightly nervous.
“Stand up straight, Wakatoshi.” He would tell him. “Keep fidgeting with your hands and people will think you’re nothing but an amateur player, instead of the strong and independent one you are.”
If his high school training was as strenuous as it was, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like for a professional team.
When Wakatoshi’s shoes were tied, he heard more footsteps squeaking against the court floor. He looked up to see some more of his new teammates (well, Wakatoshi was technically the new one here) walk into the gymnasium.
They saw him on the bench, and, to Wakatoshi’s surprise, seemed to know who he was. One of them even pointed at him.
“It’s you! You were chosen to play on the world youth team, weren’t you?”
Wakatoshi nodded. His teammates exclaim caught the attention of the others around him, and they all turned to face Wakatoshi with appreciation.
“Everybody, time for warm ups!” The coach called. Wakatoshi relaxed slightly when the attention was off of him, and walked to join the rest of the team.
The warm-ups concluded, and they began some practice matches.
It didn’t take long for Wakatoshi to adjust to his teammates’ abilities, for which he was praised for. It made him happy, relieved knowing that all of his worrying was for naught.
Discovering everyone’s abilities made him remember why he loved volleyball to begin with. It was what he found fun about the sport.
He made a mental note to thank his father whenever he had the opportunity.
Wakatoshi left the gym with a weight lifted from his shoulders, despite the exhaustion he felt.
He made it to the station and onto the train. When he was sat, he remembered what Tendou had asked of him during their text conversation.
You
Hi
I just finished practice
Tendou
How was it?
You
Quite enjoyable
They recognised me, as well
Tendou
Told you!
You
I was nervous at first, though
I was afraid I’d stand out in a bad way
But they said that I was able to adjust to new player’s abilities fast
Tendou
That Shiratorizawa training is paying off
You
Must be
Tendou
Was it as intense as our old practices used to be?
You
Not really
I expected it to be, but it’s still the first season
Maybe they’re just starting light
Tendou
Or maybe Tanji was actually abusive
He used to hit us
And Shirabu, Taichi, and Goshiki are still with him 😬
Thank God for Saito
Wakatoshi winced inwardly. Washijō seemed to favour him, but he still picked up on the mistreatment of everyone else on the team.
He was thankful that his coach had made him into the player he was today, but Wakatoshi doubted that his fear of failure - a fear that the old man had given him - will ever leave.
The more practices he had with the Adlers, the more accustomed he had grown with his teammates. He had gained enough confidence to speak to them when they were off the court, though it had taken some time.
They had their first official match coming up, and Wakatoshi was both excited and afraid.
Excited as, if all went well, the team would receive a pay check each. Wakatoshi was glad as, once he had earned enough of the checks, he would be able to buy his own place.
He already had his eye on some. Nothing fancy, just apartments barely big enough for him that were close enough to the Adlers’ gym.
He loved his mother, but her attitude towards him sometimes felt rather… passive aggressive, at times. He had mentioned moving a few times to her, and she hadn’t seemed too sad.
Her attitude took Wakatoshi aback at first, but he came to terms with it when he realised that she had basically been living by herself since he was sixteen. The Shiratorizawa dorms is was his second home.
That night, Wakatoshi dreamt about Tendou. More specifically, him confessing his feelings for the redhead.
It hadn’t gone well, leaving Wakatoshi panicked when he woke up. He relaxed slightly when he realised it was merely a dream, but it could still be a very real scenario if he were to tell Tendou how he felt.
He hadn’t even told his mother about it; another factor as to why he wanted to move.
Wakatoshi opened up his text conversation with Tendou and stared at the previous messages. He thought of all the things he had wanted to say, but had cowered away from.
It was still early morning in Japan, making it too early in France. So Tendou was likely sleeping. Wakatoshi knew that there was a chance that he could still be awake, he knew the boy had a bad habit of using his phone late at night, but didn’t want to risk waking him if he were asleep.
To clear his mind, Wakatoshi changed out of his sleep clothes and quietly left the house, jogging slightly down the street. The exercise did help to distract him, but, similar to the airport, any cafés he saw reminded him of Tendou all over again.
He came back to the house and took a shower. He didn’t have to worry about being quiet, as his mother was already awake and in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee.
Later on in the day, Wakatoshi found it an appropriate time to text Tendou. The other boy replied almost instantly, as though he was awaiting the message.
You
Hey
How are you?
Tendou
Hey!!
I’m good, my French is improving
You?
You
I’m glad to hear that
I’m doing good as well
I haven’t stopped thinking of you.
Tendou
I saw online that the Adlers have a match coming up
You
That’s right
Tendou
I’ll be watching the livestream then!
You
It’ll be too late in France, though
Don’t sacrifice your sleep just to watch a volleyball match
Tendou
It’ll be fine
I’ve survived on no sleep loads of times
Ushijima laughed softly, not surprised in the least.
Tendou
This can happen any time between now and the day we die
But we need to meet up
Either you come to me or I’ll come to you
You
Agreed
Once I have a break from practice I’ll look into flights to Paris
Tendou
I’ll do the same with Japan
Anyway I gotta go
Miss you!
You
I miss you, too
Bye
Tendou
Bye!!!!!
Washijō would be embarrassed by how he was skirting around the romantic feelings question.
Speaking of, Wakatoshi received a call from his old volleyball coach the next day.
Washijō asked him about his life after graduation, and how he was handling playing on a professional volleyball team.
Wakatoshi was glad to talk to him. The old man had acted as a father figure for him during his high school years.
Wakatoshi had noticed that if someone on the team went to Washijō with a problem they were having at home, with neglectful (or sometimes abusive) parents, the coach wasn’t afraid to intervene.
He may have treated the team badly, but everyone - well, the third years - knew that he cared about them deep down.
Washijō even sounded happy when talking to him, a tone Wakatoshi had only heard when his coach told him he had been selected to play on the Japan Youth Team.
When the call had ended, the talk with the old man had reminded Wakatoshi of how strong - both mentally and physically - he was. He took out his phone and opened his text threads with Tendou.
You
Hey
Would I be able to come over to Paris soon?
Or you can come here If you have any time off work
He put his phone down, feeling both scared and relived.
Around twenty minutes later, it buzzed.
Tendou
YES!!!!
You come to Paris
I miss you
You
I miss you too
My life’s been quieter with you gone
Tendou
Geez Wakatoshi
I’m not dead
You
Sorry
Tendou
Start looking at flights
I’ll ask for time off work to spend time with you
Now that we’re both here, how’s life been treating you?
You
Fairly well
Washijō called me
Tendou
He called me as well
I was terrified when I saw his name
But he was actually nice
Maybe he’s dying
You
Don’t say that
He likely called the others too
What did he talk to you about?
Tendou
Basically just asking if I was enjoying making chocolate
We were joking with each other too
Like where was that man when we were in high school?
You
The nicest I remember him being to us was not making us run home after we lost against Karasuno
Tendou
We shouldn’t have even had to worry about running home in the first place
Hopefully he’s that nice to Goshiki Shirabu and Taichi
You
He’s probably a bit less harsh
He seems to get nicer when the third years graduate each year
Tendou
Anyways
Get looking for the tickets!
Bye!!!
Wakatoshi smiled and turned his phone off. He made a promise to himself that he would never neglect his relationship with Tendou, regardless of it being platonic or romantic.
He found a flight to Paris at a fair price, so he took a photo of it and sent it to Tendou. The flight was only two weeks from now.
You
[Image]
Does this date work?
Tendou
Perfect
I’ll put in my pto now
Those two weeks felt like the longest two weeks of Wakatoshi’s life. Similar to Tendou, he also put in some time off from Adlers practice.
Tendou had sent him an itinerary for their time together. Wakatoshi had read it thoroughly and thought about printing it out, but he resisted.
Eventually, the two weeks had passed, and Wakatoshi was sitting on a flight to Paris, France.
The flight went smoothly, and he stood in the baggage claim. Tendou had promised to meet him there, so he retrieved his bag and waited.
Suddenly, a voice called his name.
“Wakatoshi!”
People turned to stars, but Wakatoshi couldn’t find it in himself to feel embarrassed. He recognised that voice. He had heard it almost every day for the last three years.
He loved that voice.
Wakatoshi saw a tall, slightly thin man run toward him. He was almost knocked down with the force of the hug, and quickly brought his arms around the figure.
“Tendou.” He said, laughing slightly. He pat him on the back. “People are staring.”
“So?” Tendou replied, pulling back.
“You cut your hair.” Wakatoshi pointed out. He didn’t have time to notice it earlier, with how fast Tendou almost crashed into him.
“Yeah. It wouldn’t fit under the chef hat, so I had to part ways with it.” He said, rather forlornly.
“It suits you.”
Tendou smiled and grabbed his hand, almost pulling him out of the baggage claim.
Once they made it outside of the airport, Tendou led Wakatoshi to his car. They made light conversation as Tendou drove, taking Wakatoshi to his apartment.
“Take it all in!”
Wakatoshi did.
The apartment was small, but not in a way that made it feel cramped. The furniture and decorations were definitely done by Tendou, based on the colours and layout.
Others might have found it ‘ugly’, but Wakatoshi felt oddly at home. Knowing that he was with his friend again gave him a sense of comfort he didn’t know he needed.
“I love it.”
Just like I love you.
“Well, get used to it! This is where you’ll be staying for the rest of your time here.”
Wakatoshi wouldn’t have it any other way.
The two men walked around the city of Paris every day that week, visiting restaurants, cafés, and tourist spots.
(Though, Tendou had organised that last one for Wakatoshi.)
Tendou had to do all of the talking, given that the only words Wakatoshi knew how to say in French were ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, and ‘goodbye’.
The day before Wakatoshi was set to fly back to Japan, he brought Tendou on a walk to a park they had been to a few days ago.
Once they weren’t around anyone anymore, Wakatoshi pulled Tendou to a stop.
Taking a deep breath, he began speaking.
“Tendou, I never thought that we would ever become friends.”
Why did I begin with that?
Tendou didn’t seem taken aback, though. Matter of fact, he laughed.
“I made it my personal mission.” He joked.
Wakatoshi smiled, before continuing. “Even though I don’t show it, I truly appreciate you being in my life. I’m sorry I’ve never told you this before, but being apart from you made me realise how much I truly care for you.”
Tendou’s eyes softened.
Come on, Wakatoshi. You’re almost there, just get it out.
“What I’m trying to say is,” he gulped, “our time apart has made me realise that… what I’m feeling towards you may be more than just… a friendship.”
He paused, trying to gauge Tendou’s reaction. Realisation seemed to dawn on him, but he let Wakatoshi finish before speaking.
“I know that the chances of you feeling the same way are quite slim, but if there’s a chance-“
A pair of lips to his own cut Wakatoshi off.
Tendou pulled back, smiling.
“Wakatoshi, I feel the same way. I’ve loved you since our second year in high school, but never even dreamed that you liked me back.”
So they were both going through the same inner turmoil, then. Funny how it could’ve easily been resolved if either had the courage to speak up sooner. If Tendou did, maybe Wakatoshi would’ve recognised his feelings earlier than he originally did.
“So…” Wakatoshi began. He ran out his speech in his head a hundred times, but never thought of what to do after. “Would you consider us to be… dating, now?”
“I mean, yeah.” Tendou replied. “Well, we’ve never been on an actual date before, but I’d say we’re boyfriends.”
“Boyfriends. Alright.”
Dad’s going to be so proud of me.