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This is, by far, one of the stupider ideas that Hanamaki has had.
In his defence, he was curious. Curiosity is a terribly dangerous emotion—some say it's the number one reason for cat deaths in a year. And forgive him, but he's quite fond of cats. Therefore, his wonder needs to be satiated, to save as many cat lives as possible.
Plus, when Hanamaki brought the idea to the table, the only answer he was met with was a resounding yes.
(Technically, Iwaizumi said that they probably shouldn't do it, but suggestions are just suggestions!)
"I see him," Matsukawa says, lifting his sunglasses above his eyes to squint in the distance. "I think he's on the phone. Should we get closer?"
Hanamaki nods as he peers through the lenses of the hot pink toy binoculars he stole from his younger sister. It actually works, which is pretty cool. Through the binoculars, he is able to catch Oikawa's lovestricken expression just before he disappears around the corner.
When their friend group found out that Oikawa was going on a date, it was only natural that they wondered who the other party was. However, when questioned, Oikawa was really secretive about it, even refusing to tell them a name, which led Hanamaki to believe that this mysterious date is somebody they already know.
It was a bit surprising at first. Oikawa doesn't usually withhold things from them—quite the opposite, actually. He likes to lament about all his problems in the clubroom before practice starts, making it everyone's business, especially when it comes to the more frivolous things like his love life. But this time, he kept his mouth zipped, and in an effort to figure out the truth, it was time to take drastic measures.
Iwaizumi said that this was stalking. Hanamaki would rather call it friendly detective work.
And, hey, anything can happen, right? What if Oikawa's secret date is someone he met online and has bad intentions? It'd be good for Hanamaki and Matsukawa, as his best friends, to ensure that he's safe throughout the duration of the date.
"Quick, let's follow him," Hanamaki says when he puts his binoculars down, letting them hit his chest. He shares a nod with Matsukawa before they're crossing the street, rounding the same corner that Oikawa was at earlier.
They're still a healthy distance away, though Oikawa's frame is getting smaller and smaller as he continues walking down this path. He's speaking to someone through his earphones as he's looking around at the shops lining this street. Probably figuring out where to meet up with his date, then.
At one point, Oikawa comes to a stop, leaning against a streetlight. He taps at his phone for a bit before his head is tilting up, scanning the crowds, and Hanamaki freezes.
Luckily, Matsukawa is quick to think, grabbing onto Hanamaki's bicep and dragging him behind a tree, keeping them out of Oikawa's line of sight. Hanamaki's shoulder bumps against the tree trunk, and he mutters a curse at the sudden, unexpected impact.
"Shit, sorry. Are you okay?" Matsukawa asks, brushing his fingers against Hanamaki's shoulder. Hanamaki shudders at the contact.
"Yeah, it's fine. Do you see anyone with him yet?"
"Nope." Matsukawa tilts his head, looking around the tree. From this perspective, he actually looks quite silly—dressed suspiciously in sunglasses and a cap, with a thick black hoodie too. Hanamaki is in similar attire. He's realising now that they're attracting quite a few stares, which is not ideal, but as long as Oikawa doesn't spot them…
"Oh, wait." Suddenly, Matsukawa taps Hanamaki's shoulders a few times, his eyebrows flying up. "I see someone. He looks a bit familiar, but I'm not sure…"
Hanamaki decides to take the risk and poke his head around the tree too. Using his trusty binoculars, of course. He brings them to his eyes, trying to focus on the other person that's currently talking to Oikawa—a bit shorter, with light hair that's practically glittering under the sun. The mysterious stranger turns his head just slightly as he points at something, and Hanamaki catches the briefest glance at his features—
It clicks. "Dude!" he exclaims, hitting Matsukawa's chest frantically. "That's the guy from Karasuno! The, um, their substitute setter. The one Oikawa couldn't stop talking about after our match!"
Matsukawa raises an eyebrow. "Sugawara?"
"Yes! Wait, how the hell do you know his name?"
"I saw it on the roster. He's vice-captain." Shrugging, Matsukawa jerks his head in the vague direction of Oikawa and Sugawara. "It looks like they're leaving. Let's go."
Hanamaki nods, practically bouncing on the heels of his feet in excitement. Oh, this is so good. The last time he checked, Oikawa was claiming that he hated Sugawara and wanted to destroy him and his team. No wonder he refused to tell them about their date—he'd lose all of his dignity if he admitted that he's ended up falling for a member of Karasuno.
"We need to get a picture and use it as blackmail," he says, looping his hand around Matsukawa's elbow and tugging.
Matsukawa chuckles next to his ear. "Bet."
On their totally subtle, extremely discrete not-stalk of Oikawa and Sugawara's date, they end up at a café.
It's definitely a cute place for a first date. The interiors are a mix of cosy brown and soft green, and there's plenty of plants as decoration. There's cheerful music playing in the background too, keeping the vibes gentle but lively. Hanamaki has to admit that Oikawa has good taste in date spots.
When Hanamaki and Matsukawa enter the café, they're careful not to be spotted, avoiding the table that Oikawa and Sugawara are currently sitting at. They hide themselves in a booth seat at the very corner of the café, and Hanamaki drags a tall potted plant closer so that they're a little more obscured, though he leaves just enough space for the other two to remain in his line of sight.
There doesn't look to be anything incriminating so far. They're just talking, and they're not loud enough for Hanamaki to be able to eavesdrop. Maybe they should have taken the risk and chosen a seat closer to them…
"What are you getting?" Matsukawa asks, snapping Hanamaki out of his staring.
"Huh?"
"To drink." Matsukawa pushes the menu across the table, and it takes a second for Hanamaki to register what he means. Right. They can't just sit here and hog the table. They need to order something if they don't want to be kicked out.
Hanamaki ends up settling on a glass of iced tea and a hot bun pastry. Once he voices that out, Matsukawa nods and gets up to order for them. Meanwhile, Hanamaki pulls out his phone and sends a frantic text message to Iwaizumi, updating him about their findings.
Iwaizumi's reply comes pretty quickly: I thought it might have been him. Ah, don't ruin their date, though.
Rude. Hanamaki would never mess up a friend's chance at scoring a second date. Contrary to popular belief, he's a thoughtful guy. Plus, he may not know Sugawara, but just by looking at him from here, he can see that Sugawara is very handsome. Definitely Oikawa's type, and judging by how smoothly things have been going so far, a second date certainly isn't out of the question.
Just then, Matsukawa returns, holding a tray of two drinks, Hanamaki's pastry, and two slices of cheesecake.
Two? "Are you that hungry?" he teases as Matsukawa slides back into his seat.
"Nah. There was a 2-for-1 discount going on, so I bought an extra for you. We can share, though, if you want."
"Sure," he agrees, taking the fork that Matsukawa passes him with a smile.
For the next few minutes, Hanamaki busies himself with eating. He hums, pleasantly delighted at the taste of this café's food—from the outside, this café seemed like a typical, overpriced place that only prioritised their aesthetics, but their food is surprisingly homey. He might come back here some other time to try more of the menu. Maybe he should ask Matsukawa if he wants to, actually.
Like he was reading his mind, Matsukawa pipes up, "This place is nice. We should come back another time."
Hanamaki grins, joy bursting in his chest. "We're always on the same wavelength, dude. We definitely should."
It's one of those things he really likes about Matsukawa. Not to wax poetic about his best bro, but meeting Matsukawa in their first year totally changed his life. They click easily, often making the same jokes or understanding each other with just a single word.
They spend a lot of time together, too. Not just to do stupid shit like stalk a friend's date, but also simply to study or hangout outside of school. Even though they have an ulterior motive today, Hanamaki doesn't find it so unusual to be sitting in a café and chatting with Matsukawa over some snacks.
Oh, wait. Their mission! They're supposed to be observing Oikawa's date, not hanging out!
Hanamaki turns his gaze back to the subjects in question. Sugawara is in the midst of saying something, and Oikawa has his chin resting on a propped up hand. Hanamaki can't exactly see his expression from this angle, with Oikawa's back facing him, but he can imagine the gooey, lovestruck sparkle in his eyes anyway. Romcom of the century.
Just then, Sugawara's gaze flickers to the side, making direct eye contact with Hanamaki. It's only for a brief second, but Hanamaki jumps like he's been struck by lightning, whipping his head to the side. When he dares to chance a glance again, he finds that Sugawara's lips are tilted up in amusement even as he continues talking to Oikawa.
"Fuck," he says with a grimace. "I think Sugawara saw us."
"Should we abort mission?" Matsukawa jokes, though he shuffles a little closer to the wall, like that would somehow hide them better. Hanamaki knows it's belated, but he's realising that having the both of them be over 180cm is not helping them stay covert very well.
"Nah. I don't think he's going to snitch on us. He might not even recognise us, actually." Just in case, though, Hanamaki also shuffles a little closer. His knees knock against Matsukawa's under the table, and his stomach does a weird flip at the contact. Or maybe he's just nervous about being caught.
In order to find something to distract himself with, Hanamaki eyes the two cheesecakes on their table, still untouched. One has chocolate drizzle over it, and the other is raspberry-flavoured. He picks up his fork, wondering which one he should try first.
"They had plain cheesecakes too. And also something with… lemon, I think?" Matsukawa pipes up when he notices Hanamaki debating. "I know you really like raspberry, though, so that's what I ended up choosing."
It's only a casual statement, but Matsukawa stating so plainly that he kept Hanamaki in his thoughts the whole time makes Hanamaki's heart flutter. The feeling barely registers in his mind as he replies, "Aw, dude. You love me. How much was it, by the way?"
Matsukawa waves a dismissive hand. "It's okay. I'll pay."
"...I can't let you do that." Friends should always pay each other back. Hanamaki hates owing money.
Matsukawa just laughs. "Seriously, it's cool. You can pay next time, if it'll make you feel better."
"Fine…" Hanamaki reaches for the raspberry cake, grabbing a piece with his fork. Matsukawa follows suit, and the tips of their forks accidentally graze in the process. Instantly, Hanamaki's brain goes, Hah. Indirect kiss.
He flusters almost immediately, shoving the cheesecake too far into his mouth and choking in the process. Matsukawa rushes to pass him his tea, patting his shoulder at the same time while Hanamaki nearly dies on the spot. When he manages to recover, there are slight tears beading at the corner of his eyes.
Matsukawa is still watching him, his eyebrows knitted together in concern, and heat crawls up Hanamaki's cheeks at being subjected to that intense stare. When Matsukawa passes him a napkin, their fingers brush, and Hanamaki blushes harder. Like a schoolgirl on a first date or something.
Actually, now that he's thinking about it, this is a really date-like scenario, isn't it? Going to a café together, Matsukawa paying for his food, sharing a cake and chatting over the table… Even though they came here with a different purpose, Hanamaki can't help but feel like he and Matsukawa are also on a date.
Wow. That's weird. He should clarify with Matsukawa right now to clear things up—this is totally platonic, right?
Unfortunately, Hanamaki has a talent for putting his foot in his mouth when it really matters, so he chooses to phrase his question in the worst way possible, and ask, "Mattsun, are we on a date?"
Matsukawa blinks back at him. Silence ensues.
Great. Hanamaki groans, burying his face in his hand. When a few seconds pass and he doesn't receive a reply, he says, "Never mind. This cheesecake is really good, by the way—"
"Do you want it to be?" Matsukawa blurts out, interrupting him mid-sentence.
Hanamaki stares back, the question echoing in his head over and over like a broken radio. He considers the idea—it doesn't sound too bad, in all honesty. If they were to go on proper dates, Hanamaki imagines that it'd be pretty much the same as what they already do, except maybe they'd also call each other their boyfriend and other sappy shit like that.
He finds that he doesn't dislike the idea. Quite the opposite, actually.
"That would be dope," he squeaks out, and in doing so, tosses all his dignity out the window for a second time today.
Thankfully, Matsukawa doesn't seem to mind at all. He breaks out into a smile, and it takes Hanamaki's breath away. It's not that Matsukawa never smiles, but he's usually more stoic, such that sights like these feel all the more special.
"I'm glad," he whispers.
"...Dude, you're totally making me blush right now. Stop smiling at me like that."
"I am?" Matsukawa rests his chin on his hand, his sweet smile morphing into a more wicked grin, and Hanamaki kicks him in retaliation.
"Yeah, you— Wait!" Hanamaki slams his hands on the table. "They're fucking gone!"
Matsukawa cranes his neck. Indeed, the table that Oikawa and Sugawara once occupied is now empty, their finished plates and cups left stacked together. Hanamaki's gaze snaps towards the large glass windows, just in time to see the other two taking their leave. Right before they disappear from sight, though, Sugawara turns his head and meets his gaze once more, and this time, the edges of his lips tick upwards as he directs a wave over, to Oikawa's oblivion.
"Yeah, we're totally busted," Matsukawa mutters, noticing as well. "We're going to hear all about it at the next practice."
Hanamaki barks out a laugh, slumping in his seat. "I guess there's no need to follow them anymore, then." He pauses, swallowing down the flutters in his throat, before adding, "Should we continue our date, then?"
Matsukawa snickers, pushing the half-eaten slice of raspberry cheesecake closer to him. "Definitely."
("Hey, Oikawa. You and Sugawara should go on a double date with me and Mattsun some day."
"I don't– How do you know about that?!")