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starbvrr · 1 year

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𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

bokuto koutarou x akaashi keiji

𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑠𝘩𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝘩𝑖𝑔𝘩 𝑠𝑐𝘩𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑦. 𝐴𝑘𝑎𝑎𝑠𝘩𝑖 𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑢𝑒 𝑤𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝘩𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑜𝑘𝑢𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒. 𝐴𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝘩𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑡𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑦 𝘩𝑎𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐𝘩 𝑜𝑡𝘩𝑒𝑟.

warnings : CONTAINS SPOILERS, internalized homophobia and implied/reference to homophobia.

Akaashi hates the power that Kotaro has over him. After so many years he still thinks of him and yearns for his touch. He couldn’t hate him though, how could he? Bokuto had no knowledge of this of course. Akaashi made sure to cut off all contact with Bokuto after he graduated highschool. He ignored the text and when his friends would bring him up he would simply brush it off. He couldn’t be mad for something that he chose to do.

It’s the summer before Bokuto leaves for college. They both avoided the ‘talk’ about their relationship and what would happen now. Bokuto breaks the silence

“Kaashi promise me something.” Bokuto stares at akaashi.

“What Ko?” akaashi turns to face bokuto on the bed.

“Promise me nothing will change, promise me that you’ll always be by my side.” Bokuto brings akaashi closer to him.

Akaashi knew he couldn’t promise Bokuto that. He knew that things were bound to change. But with the way Bokuto was looking at him, he couldn’t deny him. “I promise nothing will change Bo.” he leans in and gives Bokuto a kiss.

It was a lie. He shouldn’t have promised him that. He wants to believe that a part of him and Bokuto knew that things were going to change. For christ sake they never even established a relationship. They were best friends who also went on dates, kissed, held hands, and did what lovers do. But they both hid it, scared of what people would say. Bokuto wanted to tell people and shout from the top of the world that he loved Akaashi. But he wouldn’t allow it, how could he. He saw the way that Bokuto would let go of his hand in public or how he would move his hand away when he would try and grab it.

The first time he realized it was when he thought that it was only him and Bokuto left in the gym cleaning. He went into the ballroom and went to give Bokuto a kiss. “ Hey guys, did you want to WOAH?!” Konoha quickly covers his eyes and turns around. Bokuto quickly removes his hands from Akaashis waist and takes steps away from him.

“Hey , hey , hey Konoha I thought you went home?” Bokuto says walking towards Konoha.

“Um, yeah no I forgot my bag in the gym and came back to ask if you guys wanted to go get ramen.” Konoha scratches the back of his neck.

Akaashi was stuck in his place. This was the first time that they were ever caught, by someone they knew. Akaashi was always careful making sure that no one would know. This was something special between him and Bokuto.

“My moms waiting for me at home, but we can get some on Friday.” Bokuto puts his arm around Konoha and gives him a big smile. He turns back to Akaashi giving him a nod to head home.

He wasn’t going to lie but he was hurt. He just remembered how quickly bokuto pushed himself away from him. Was he ashamed of him? Was he just using him? Is it because he wasn’t good enough? Akaashi spiraled onto the reasons why bokuto acted the way he did. The one thought that stung the most was that Bokuto didn’t love him anymore. Akaashi quickly grabbed his bag and rushed out of the gym. He shouldn’t be upset. He didn’t have the right to be upset, he was the one that told Bokuto that they shouldn't tell anyone. Akaashi didn’t realize that there were tears already streaming down his face. He stopped in front of his house. This was usually when Bokuto would kiss him goodnight. That was when he knew that it wasn’t just him anymore.

Akaashi sighed. He stares at the picture of him and Bokuto which was taken at Bokuto’s graduation. He grabs the photo and places it down on his desk. Akaashi didn’t want to go to the game today. He’s avoided him for years, and has to face him. All the years and effort he put into it… gone. He rubs his hands on his face, wondering if there was a way that he could get out of it. He could say that he came down with something or that he has a deadline that he had forgotten about. But he knows that it won’t do any good. Tenma had invited him along with Kenma, he knows that they’ll be suspicious if he suddenly tells them that he can't go. Maybe he can pretend that nothing ever happened . He can forget the nights they shared together, the way his lips felt, his arms around his, his touch, and all the memories. He’s kidding himself. He couldn’t do that, no matter how hard he tried.

He decides to go, a part of him wants to see bokuto again. He wonders if Bokuto thinks about him as much as he thinks about him. He gets onto the train to the stadium. He wonders how much Bokuto has changed since he last saw him. Maybe him going to the game would spark something and rekindle their broken relationship.

“Akaashi, why can’t you understand it wasn’t like that?” Bokuto rubs his temples in frustration.

“It wasn’t? Really? It’s not like you took Yukie to dinner with your parents?” Akaashi throws his hands in the air. This is what he canceled their date for?

“So, what is it then? Why is it that Yukie is with your parents at dinner? Are you affectionate with her ? That’s what you canceled our date for?” Akaashi raised his voice.

Bokuto looks to the side and sighs. “You want to know the truth. I��m not out to my parents and i’m pretty sure that they’re fucking homophobic. Yukie knows that and when my parents ask if I'm in a relationship, she usually covers for me and takes my ‘girlfriends’ place saying that she can’t make it.”

Akaashi looks at Bokuto in disbelief. Why wouldn’t he share this with him?

“Bokuto I, I didn’t know” Akaashi reaches out to him.

“Don’t, Don’t look at me like that. This is exactly why I don’t tell people. Especially why I didn’t want to tell you. I’m supposed to be the son that does volleyball, gets a good house, and after college goes pro. Then after that I'm supposed to settle down with a wife and kids. Live in a nice house and that's not what I want.”

“I'm pretty sure that my mom knows. But I know what I want and I know what I'm going to work for. And in my future you’re in it.” Bokuto looks up at Akaashi, tears welling up in his eyes. Akaashi pulls Bokuto into a hug, that’s how they end their night. Cuddling in Akaashi’s room and Akaashi reassuring him that everything will be alright.

They both had reputations, Akaashi was the smart and quiet volleyball player who would make it far after highschool. While Bokuto was the social, loud, and future pro-volleyball player who has a bright future ahead of him. From what everyone says they were best friends, and the quiet one was the one who kept the energetic one in check. No one would’ve guessed that it was anything more than that, he wished people knew more now.

“Akaashi.”

He was brought out of his trance and turned and saw that it was Kenma.

“Oh. Hello, Kenma, how've you been?”

He just nods his head, “Good, have you talked to Kuroo or Bokuto recently?”

Akaashi feels like there’s something stuck in his throat. “Oh no, I haven't.”

Kenma hums and goes to his seat. Akaashi makes his way towards Tenma.

“Akaashi, I’m so glad that you came!” Tenma smiles at him.

“Ah, thank you for inviting me.” Akaashi bows his head.

“No, No , don’t it’s fine.”

Akaashi looks at the court and sees him. The one person he’s been avoiding for the past couple of years. He feels a weight on his chest. He looks just like he did in highschool, even more ethereal. He remembers when he told him that he didn’t plan on continuing volleyball after highschool.

“What?” Bokuto misses the set that Akaashi set for him.

“I- yeah . I thought you would’ve known.” Akaashi shrugs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“But Kaashi, it's supposed to be us against the world.” Bokuto pouts.

“I know Ko, It would be nice but i think that we both know that I wouldn’t make it far.” Akaashi says while fidgeting with his fingers.

Bokuto grasps akaashi’s hand. Holding them so gently scared that if he doesn’t he’ll break,“Keiji, don’t say that. You’re an amazing setter, you’re my setter. I know you and I know that you can do amazing things.We are the protagonists of the world remember”

Akaashi looks up at Bokuto like he’s the one who hung up the stars. No one in his life has ever made him feel this special. He never thought someone would ever love him as much as he has loved others. Akaashi looks down at their intertwined hands and backs up at Bokuto.

“Thank you Kōtarō,” Akaashi gives him the brightest smile.

Akaashi looks back down at the court and is hit with a wave of reality. He’s down there, but with someone else. Hands wrapped around the other. Smile so big, something that he couldn’t give him. He remembers why he was so persistent to not be open about their relationship. He didn’t want to disappoint him, he didn’t deserve that. He knew that it was a mistake to come to the game. He should’ve listened to his gut feeling to not go to the game, to close off all contact and remove himself from who he was in highschool. Just like the ballroom incident he let his guard down. He excuses himself and makes his way towards the exit.

Little did Akaashi know that Bokuto was watching him leave, praying and hoping that the universe would bring him back. He’s waited years for him to walk back into his life and in less than five minutes he’s lost it.

His partner squeezes his hand and stares at where Bokuto was staring at. “What’s wrong Ko?” they ask.

Ko, the name sounds weird when it's not coming out of Akaashi’s mouth. He wanted to reach out and see Akaashi again and ask what happened but he seemed to disappear into thin air.

He puts on his biggest smile “It’s nothing, just thought I saw someone from highschool.”

His partner seems to buy it and continues to talk to Hinata. He’s used to putting on a fake smile to make sure his partner doesn’t catch on. It’s not fair to his partner to be used to filling the hole that Akaashi left, but it’s also not fair for Akaashi to have this type of control over him. Yet they both subconsciously know that they can never go back to what they had. Akaashi’s a well known editor and Bokuto is the outside hitter for the Black Jackals.

No matter how badly they wanted to be together, they both had reputations .

#haikyuu #haikyuu fic #akaashi #akaashi keiji #angst #bokuaka #bokuaka fic #bokuto #bokuto koutato #haikyuu time skip #hq #kenma kozume #udai tenma #starbvrr.writes

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kaen-ace-of-diamonds · 2 years

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Justice and Duty

Word Count: 3000 (oneshot)

[AO3]

Genre: Crime/Angst

Characters: Hinata Shouyou, Udai Tenma, various Karasuno characters

Summary: Udai Tenma was the legendary heir to a yakuza clan: cold-blooded, terrifying, and everything that new recruit Hinata Shouyou wanted to be. Now, Tenma is going straight, abandoning home and family, and destroying any chance his juniors have of being acknowledged by their hero. Shouyou is having none of it.

Warnings for gang violence, murder, possessive behavior, and brief harm to children.

Written for the HQ Black and Blue zine

~0~

People didn’t like to look Hinata Shouyou in the eyes.

They noticed him, of course, despite how small and slight he was next to his much bigger brothers, but then they very quickly wished that they hadn’t. They tried to pretend that they hadn’t, but they still couldn’t get him out of their heads.

There was an energy around him, a danger, like a live wire. Getting near him felt like creeping towards some wild thing on a frayed tether: those who hadn’t seen him in action felt their skin tingle and their guts start to swim without knowing exactly why. Those who had seen what happened when the tether snapped never forgot it.

Only the truly strong or the truly stupid had no fear of being caught in his line of sight, more terrifying than staring down the barrel of a gun. While once they had been a light, possibly even warm and friendly brown, now the light caught them and turned them amber. They were bright, too bright, always a bit too wide, and his perpetual smiles never quite reached them. Nobody could ever recall seeing him blink.

Likewise, nobody would peg Shouyou as being used for protecting people instead of destroying them. Which was exactly why the head of the Udai family was sending him to Tokyo to do just that.

Shouyou had met Udai Tenma fist-first.

It was his own damn fault; he’d been a pretty dumb thirteen-year-old. He’d known since he was little that there was something shady going on in that little electronics store; there had to be a reason his mother would always cross the street to avoid it, after all. It was a too-ordinary place on a too-ordinary road, whose interior was blocked by the assortment of TVs in the front window, all playing different sports, where plenty of men went in and out but never seemed to buy anything.

He’d been curious. He’d wanted in. And so he’d been skulking around the back, looking for a vent, a basement window, a glimpse of something that had not been his to see yet. Tenma moved on cat’s feet, but it was still amazing that Shouyou hadn’t realized he was there until he was being yanked bodily around by his unbuttoned uniform shirt and punched square in the jaw.

The blow rattled his skull and knocked him off his feet, straight into the trash cans against the back wall. Dazed, he’d looked up expecting to see a hulking beast of a gangster. Instead, he’d seen an older boy who looked a lot like him: only a couple inches taller, hair short and spiky over his round face. He certainly hadn’t been smiling, though.

“Who are you? What do you want with my father’s business?”

Tenma’s dark eyes had burned, and the growl of his voice had sent shivers down Shouyou’s spine. It had brought a grin to his face, despite the blood gushing from his smashed nose.

“To help out with it, actually.”

~0~

Shouyou wasn’t sure yet whether or not he liked Tokyo.

It could just be the weather. Winters in the city were decidedly unpleasant, cold and full of freezing rain. But he knew he was kidding himself if he thought it was really something that minor.

Being cut off from his brothers and boss was bad, no two ways about it. Nobody here knew who he was, though their eyes still flicked away if they chanced to meet his own: they knew they didn’t want to look any deeper or see any more of him. He would take his scraps of pride where he could get them, he supposed. And then there was the near-complete lack of things to do...

No. No, not quite. He had a job to do, like it or not.

Tenma was the worst part of Tokyo.

He followed in the footsteps of his favorite brother, just like always. But Tenma would never see him, never acknowledge him again, and that was the hardest pill he had ever had to swallow.

In the dusk, in the rain, Shouyou stalked down the sidewalk, black raincoat covering his suit. His hood did the job for now, but he was starting to amass quite the collection of hats to hide his telltale orange hair. If Tenma realized that he was here and what was really going on, Boss Udai would have his fingers.

The rain fell on Tenma’s thick mane of black hair. He never used to let his hair grow out. Shouyou almost hadn’t recognized him when he first tracked him down here. But he could never mistake his brother’s face. Just couldn’t understand it.

Why, after everything they’ve been through together, was he reduced to still chasing Tenma��s back? Never to meet him, let alone surpass him?

His beloved brother was becoming a different person; the long hair wasn’t the half of it. Instead of a box cutter or lead pipe in his hand, there was an increasingly well-worn leather portfolio. He spoke unfailingly politely to everyone, instead of simply demanding what his bloodline entitled him to. Whoever he was speaking to on his new cell phone, Shouyou didn’t know them; he had not only his father but every one of his old friends and younger brothers blocked.

Sometimes he wanted to run up behind Tenma, grab his shoulders and shake him, demanding to know, What did I do wrong? Why did you leave me behind?

As far as Shouyou was concerned, the organization and himself were interchangeable. Tenma might say differently, were Shouyou selfish enough to actually confront him, but Shouyou made no mistake: it was very personal.

~0~

Tenma had been impressed with him: not by his brazenness, but by the surprising maturity with which he carried out the sharing of sake, first with Tenma’s father and then with Tenma himself. The fact that he had worn his broken nose like a badge of honor, he tells Shouyou later, certainly helps. As does the fact that Shouyou will do anything to follow him.

Tenma directs him to collect protection money from bars and restaurants? He does it quickly and efficiently; despite his size, the weight of the Udai family behind him means everyone takes him seriously.

Teaches him through a school of hard knocks how to fight, with fists and blades? He’s a wildly eager learner.

Orders him to hunt down one stubborn shop owner who thinks he can refuse them their due, and remind him otherwise? However — and with whatever — he likes?

Oh, he’ll do it. Happily.

“Aniki,” Daichi remarks one night, “you should be proud of yourself.”

Five of them are gathered in Sugawara’s chilly but clean-smelling basement, watching Suga’s needle patiently poking the last sections of a samurai on Daichi’s back. Shouyou sits in the corner, playing Oicho-Kabu with Nishinoya and hoping that the lighter flipping around in their resident arsonist’s free hand won’t send their card game up in flames. Their jackets are off, and Shouyou’s bare skin itches for a needle in it too, to make him match his proudly decorated brothers.

Tenma sits cross-legged between each pair, his back straight and expression stoic, save for the single eyebrow raised at Daichi’s remark.

“Oh? What for?”

Daichi’s smile is tense (the traditional tattooing process is slow and painful) but genuine.

“The way you’ve trained Hinata. I overheard some of those street thugs complaining about him downtown. Apparently they’re the friends of that guy whose arms Hinata broke. They’d love to get revenge, but they’re too afraid of him to try on their own. And if they brought more of their friends in to overwhelm him, then you would be after them, and nobody wants that.”

Sugawara doesn’t take his eyes off his work, but gives a slow nod of approval. Nishinoya snickers, still flipping the lighter in his hand, the spinning circle of flame gleaming eerily off his grin.

“I’d like to see that little bastard try and pull a knife in one of our pachinko halls again!” he crows. “Must be hard, with your bones sticking out!”

Shouyou tries not to preen at that, but Daichi snorts anyway. “See what I mean, aniki?”

A smirk plays on Tenma’s lips as he looks over at his youngest brother, like a king regarding his heir.

“So I might’ve created a monster then, huh?”

Shouyou holds his head a little higher, and the glint of satisfaction in Tenma’s eyes feels like a lighter flicking on deep in his chest.

“I think I like that.”

~0~

He kept his head up high now. Ears pricked, like a dog on the watch for predators. Tenma was young, and he might be trying to go straight, but he’d been in the business long enough to build up a reputation to beat, and to make plenty of enemies.

It didn’t take him long to catch sight of some. They wore matching suits — sharp, but ill-fitting on their brawny frames — and dark sunglasses, and their hair was slicked heavily back. They strode down the street like they owned it, and maybe around here, they did. But Shouyou was here now, and the usual rules didn’t apply to him. No matter what opposing group they belonged to, he wouldn’t let them do as they pleased.

Shouyou watched the men’s hands more than any other part of them: the way they drifted towards pockets and waistbands as they followed Tenma, too. Clearly the threat of Boss Udai’s retaliation if his son was harmed mattered less to them than paying Tenma back for however he’d offended them. And they certainly didn’t give a damn who was on the other end of his phone call to hear them, when they finally reached him.

If they reached him.

With the rain still falling and night slowly coming on, none of them noticed the others as they made their way off the streets proper down to the path by the river. It was quiet; their footsteps made no sound. The streetlights were few and far between. And they were alone there, entirely alone.

Shouyou had already been tensed to strike, an arrow in a bow pulled back as far as it would go. He watched, unblinking, letting the fire inside him build and build until it suffused his whole body. Maybe he was angry and resentful. Maybe he had a right to be, maybe he didn’t. But he was going to put it to good use now.

The instant he saw a flash of metal emerging from one of those pockets, Shouyou was running, his sneakers soundless on the wet pavement. They were fifteen meters away from Tenma, but he had no doubt that with their bulk, they were one hundred percent capable of making that sprint. Though Tenma could react in time to counter them, probably even fight them off himself, that wasn’t the point. It was Shouyou’s responsibility to protect him.

Most of his brothers didn’t carry knives, viewing them as too big a liability in case the police caught them with it. (They were all willing to go to prison, but in service of their group, not out of their own carelessness.) Shouyou was just a little bit more reckless and he was glad of it now.

Five inches of stainless steel slid through the back of the bigger man’s neck, with the soft, quick sounds of tearing tissue and clicking vertebrae that Shouyou only heard because he’d been listening for them. Directly through the cervical section of the spine, enough to paralyze him from the neck down with one quick and clean stab. It was a high part of the body to reach, but Shouyou sure could jump when he put his mind to it.

The man dropped to the pavement like a wet sack of skin, and his buddy, to his credit, reacted well. He pulled his weapon so quickly it seemed to just materialize in his hand, and if his nerve were just a bit steelier, he might have actually landed a blow on his attacker. He might have, if he hadn’t had the bad luck to look straight into Shouyou’s eyes.

He was never sure, exactly, what everybody seemed to see there. But whatever it was, it was an icy part of him, a part not quite human, and it froze anyone in his gaze to the bone. Like realizing the moment of your own death. For once, he wasn’t smiling, and he didn’t know whether that enhanced or lessened the effect. Then again, he didn’t exactly care.

The man only froze for a second, maybe less. It was more than enough. Shouyou wasn’t afraid of the claw hammer in his meaty hand, not one bit. The sight of it, and the thought of what it was meant to do to Tenma, were like alcohol thrown on a fire. His fury renewed, Shouyou lunged, underneath the faltering swing of the hammer at his temple.

He had never felt his hand move so fast before in his life. Splashes of red seemed to appear on their own, all over the front of the man’s white dress shirt, in a matter of moments. To finish up, Shouyou put all the strength in his small, slight body behind burying the knife up to the hilt in his sternum and twisting it hard.

The man’s eyes bulged behind his sunglasses, and dark blood dripped over his lip. He might have made a choked gurgling sound, but the blade Shouyou left stuck there made that impossible. He lunged like a wounded animal, frightened and wild, and Shouyou crouched down, lifting his hands. It was one of the first things Tenma had taught him about hand-to-hand combat: no matter how big his opponent was, he could always win if he used their weight against them, in exactly the right way.

So with a twist of the arm and a mighty push upward between the hips, Shouyou hurled the man over his own head and into the water. His death throes propelled him for a few seconds, his hands flailing for the edge and his chin jerking breathlessly up above the surface.

Shouyou looked down on him with an expression of flat disgust. With one decisive kick in the face, he sent him under the water for good. He turned to the first man — still immobile on the ground, face bone-white and tongue twitching, unable to make a sound from shock — and with his other foot pushed him into the river, too. He, at least, wouldn’t be trying to swim.

He was incredibly thankful for the rain, so torrential it drowned out all the sounds and washed away all the blood, both on the path and on Shouyou’s hands. He started up a nearby stone staircase back up to the street, where he could watch Tenma from a less conspicuous vantage point, pulling his hood back up over his head.

Tenma seemed to be done with his call, and if he had noticed anything amiss, he hadn’t let on, his attention devoted instead to shielding his phone and portfolio inside his jacket. The water plastered his hair down and ran in rivulets down his face and the side of his neck, making the large bandage stuck on the latter peel at the corners. Shouyou knew that it hid not a wound, but the tail of the great black dragon tattoo that dominated Tenma’s chest.

It still stung to see such a beautiful thing covered up in such a way, as if it was shameful. As if the men he had once called brothers were shameful things as well. Shouyou hadn’t cried since he was a small child, but...it had made his chest seize up something awful the first time he’d realized it.

Aniki...do you really understand what you’ve done? How you’ve hurt us?

Tenma was in his own world now. A world that not just didn’t include Shouyou, but that actively shut him out. He wanted to surpass his brother one day, to be acknowledged by him; he had never been satisfied with simply chasing Tenma’s back. But now it seemed that that would be the rest of his life.

Aniki...

He could hear his heartbeat thumping in his ears. He could feel the resentment and hurt like red-hot needles, along every line of the dark tattoos he now boasted on his torso. He could give in to the urge: run back down there himself, take his brother down now that his skills were rusty, with nothing but his fists, force him to come back and — and —

Aniki!

Just before passing under the bridge, Tenma stopped, as if hearing his thoughts, or just finally sensing the eyes on him. He looked around: suspicious at first, then puzzled when his gaze landed on Shouyou. They were too far away for Tenma to recognize him, especially with the hood obscuring his face, but Shouyou could see Tenma’s face clearly. He hadn’t looked directly into his eyes since before he had left for the city.

What he saw in them drained him dry of his fury. They still burned, but with passion instead of ferocity. They were brighter, stronger...full of life and pride.

(His opposite. Naturally.)

Shouyou realized with a jolt that he had never seen his brother like this before. Maybe...he had never really seen him at all.

...Well. There was no point in standing around and staring until his cover was blown; Tenma wasn’t stupid, after all. Shouyou turned and hurried the rest of the way up the stairs, and watched Tenma shrug and move on from a better hidden vantage point on the street. At that moment, his phone buzzed in his coat pocket, and he was surprised to find his hands trembling as he pulled it out.

A text from Boss Udai: Hinata. How is he doing?

Shouyou’s thumb hovered over the phone for a moment, before typing a simple reply.

He’s happy.

#haikyuu #hinata shouyou #udai tenma #kaen's fics

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educatedsimps · 3 months

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HEYA THERE POOKIE BEARS🔥🔥 the voices told me to req for my wife akaashi “What are you doing?” “Striking a sexy pose.” “Well, sit down before you pull something.”

just for shats and giggles ( >o< )/!! i miss my akaashi fics so this will guarantee to fix my crippling depression !!!!

i also might pop in again for an osa fic hehe :33

xoxo,,, saku!!!🌸🌸

≪ back to fics masterlist

akaashi keiji x f!reader

a/n: i’m stupid i thought akaashi was the one striking a sexy pose HAHAHAHA i mean it's possible ... but unlikely 😂 anyway thank you for requesting sakuuu <3 hope this one's okay :,))

cw: timeskip spoilers, STRESSED akaashi, mostly humour, petnames (love, darling, babe), reverse comfort fic?

Akaashi rubbed his eyes as he yawned, feeling a throb of pain right behind his eyes. With strained eyes, he squinted at his laptop screen, and staring back at him were the words "page 206/632". Glancing at the clock on his desk, it read 1:56am. He sighed heavily, laying his head on the table for a second.

His boss' voice echoed endlessly in his head. "Keiji-kun, I hope you won't be too busy this weekend, 'cause I need these editions of the upcoming manga thoroughly checked and edited by Monday morning. I know you've already done a ton of work this week but this is just a little extra, I'm sure you'll be able to meet your deadlines." And with a dismissive wave, his boss had left the office.

The "little extra" Akaashi's boss was referring to was a folder of documents, each one a few hundred pages long. It wasn't the worst Akaashi had ever seen, but it was still a lot.

Don't get him wrong, Akaashi loved his job and he absolutely adored the mangas that they release, alongside the Tenma Udai. But recently, he'd been hounded by so many of his executives as well as the various departments of the company that he could hardly get a breather.

He wasn't a stranger to dark circles - they'd been a constant in his life ever since his third year of high school. Except they'd become deeper and darker than the abyss these past few weeks. He was stressed and exhausted, to say the least. Which was exactly why you decided that it had to stop today.

You had been encouraging your boyfriend to be more assertive at work, especially if he knew he couldn't meet - according to you - the "ridiculous and unreasonable" deadlines set for him. You had been looking out for him even more these few weeks too, taking over more of the house chores so he'd have time to complete all his work, taking over all the meal preps so he'd be fed while he did his work. Most importantly, you had been trying to drill it into his thick skull that his brain and body need a break, and so does he.

Unfortunately, your efforts hadn't been as effective as you had hoped, so you came up with the brilliant idea to order a massive, blow up Patrick Star costume online.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Walking into the office room the two of you had set up in your apartment, you saw him tiredly rubbing his eyes and laying his head on the table. Strutting up to him, you planted your feet in a wide stance with one hand on your hip, and the other reaching towards your leg such that your body was bent at the waist.

Your poor boyfriend looked up to see you striking said pose in the blow up Patrick Star costume, a corset around your torso, rocking 6-inch stilettos with fishnet tights down your legs. To top it all off, it wasn't even your beautiful face that greeted him, it was the bright-eyed cheery face of the damn pink starfish.

Akaashi was absolutely sure he was hallucinating. Probably going insane. Deranged, even.

"Y-y/n?" his voice cracked.

"How do I look, babe?" you asked from inside Patrick Star, voice slightly muffled.

"What... What are you doing?"

"Striking a sexy pose," you replied nonchalantly, still in position.

Dumbfounded, Akaashi's brain was short-circuiting. "Ohmyg- Well, sit down before you pull something..." he facepalmed.

"HEy! I'm not that inflexible, okay? I'm disappointed you think so low of my athleticism," you scoffed, crossing your arms - which were still in your puffy costume - and turning your nose up.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, darling," Akaashi chuckled, amused. You hummed in acknowledgement, satisfied.

"C'mere," he said, rolling his chair over to you before pulling you down onto his lap. Unzipping your costume at the neck, you pulled it back to reveal your face, smiling gently at him. He looked even more haggard up close, and it made your heart squeeze seeing just how spent he looked.

"What's all this for, darling?" Akaashi laughed quietly, puling at the ends of your costume.

"Well," you drawled, hooking an arm over his shoulder. "Since someone hasn't been taking my advice, I decided to take matters into my own hands and resort to more... extreme measures."

Letting out a breath, he relented, "I know... I'm sorry, love. I just get really caught up with work and I don't really know how not to stress about all of it."

Placing a hand on each side of his face, you planted a kiss on his forehead and murmured, "It's okay, Keiji. It's not your fault your bosses have unreasonable expectations of you. You're just too good of an employee." You joked. "But I'm serious, you need rest. This has been going on for way too long. It's already 2am and you know you can't finish all this by tomorrow morning, so let's just go to sleep already, okay? I'll even help explain to your boss why you couldn't finish this last document. Like, I'll literally call him up right now and tell him he's crazy if he seriously expected you to burn your weekends just for his stupid-"

"No- babe, please don't. I'll handle it, I promise," Akaashi interrupted, gripping your waist as if he could physically stop you from getting agitated.

"Good," You said, content. "You can talk to me if you're feeling overwhelmed, you know that, right?" When he nodded, you placed a small kiss on his nose.

"Now, I don't wanna see any more overworked, underpaid, stressed and exhausted Keiji. I wanna see my well-rested, de-stressed, happy Keiji. Okay?" You continued, pouting.

"Yes, ma'am," your boyfriend replied before standing from his chair with you in his arms. "Now, let's get you changed into your comfy pyjamas and we'll both get some rest, yeah?"

"Yeah," you smiled as his lips pressed against yours.

a/n: the term wife akaashi is gonna be stuck in my head for the rest of this week HAHAH

#educated.simps #haikyuu x reader #simps.write #lyssa.writes #haikyuu!!#yves.edits #hq #hq akaashi #haikyuu akaashi #akaashi keiji #keiji akaashi #akaashi x reader #akaashi keiji fluff #akaashi fluff #hq fluff #akaashi x reader fluff

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bluestarjay · 5 months

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Guys, I actually need Dad Ukai so bad, especially with Hinata 🙁🙁🙁 there are NO fics of Ukai being a dad, and istg I've read them all!! Theres I think like a 3 part series where Hinata's mom dies and Ukai takes him and Natsu in, and then there's a, like, 15 chapter fic in which Ukai acts like a dad to every member on the team, including Kiyoko and Yachi, and it's so sweet, but aside from those that's it!! Like Hinata is fr so fatherless!! Give him a dad please!! And make it Ukai!! Or Takeda!! Bc Takeda comforting Hinata after Komemadai (idk if I spelled it right) and saying "it's still volleyball" AHHHHHHHH. NO NO NO NO. I am ripping my hair out and violently sobbing. I am a sucker for found family tropes, and yes, Hinata has the Karasuno volleyball team as his family, but we're NOT including Ukai or Takeda????? I need them like fucking Irondad and spiderson. Like, tell me why there's only like 5 fics under the "Ukai Keishin and Hinata Shouyou" tag???? Not even dad Ukai or anything, just the two of them?? You're telling me /nobody/ uses that tag??? I saw a tiktok (@v3lleityy on tiktok) where Ukai tells Hinata he's proud of him and then Daddy Issues by The Neighborhood starts playing and IT SO REALLLLL Like this is what I need!!!!! Omg I also read this one fic, and it wasn't really Ukai or Takeda, but it was FUCKING TENMA UDAI TAKING CARE OF HINATA LIKE AN OLDER BROTHER AND ISTG IT WAS SO GOOD. Basically Hinata was jealous and upset when Kageyama was invited to the camp and he wasn't getting any better and he was just kinda stuck, so he punched out a window in Ukai's shop, and so he was taken to the police station, and when Ukai comes to take him home he's not angry, and when Hinata asks him why, he apologizes for not noticing his feelings earlier 🙁🙁, and then later he meets Tenma during a storm, and he begs Tenma to train him, so instead of sneaking in, he trains with Tenma. It's such a sweet fic and if anybody wants the names to any of the ones I mentioned just lmk and I'll see if I can find them!!

#Ukai and Hinata #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#hinata shouyou #hinata shoyo #hq hinata #kageyama tobio #ukai keishin #dad ukai #hinata shoyo angst #natsu hinata

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fawn-eyed-girl · 11 months

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It Was You the Whole Time: A BkAk birthday story for @tenma-udai

Happiest of birthdays to my friend, @tenma-udai!! My dear, you always feed BkAk nation so well, and so it's my pleasure to offer you a not-so-little, Rated very-E!, birthday gift. I really hope you enjoy, and it features gorgeous comm'd art from @kalcia, but if you want to see it, you will have to venture over to the other place to do so 🔥

Story Summary:

When Atsumu finds Bokuto/Reader fanfiction, he can’t help but read it. What he finds, though, shocks him so much he has to have Bokuto read it, too!

When Bokuto reads the fanfiction, he’s shocked, yes… But for a completely different reason.

Because when Bokuto reads the stories, all he’s reminded of… Is Akaashi.

Sneak peek below the cut; I hope that you all enjoy!

Bokuto’s face immediately took on a dreamy look. “Yeah,” he said softly, a smile on his face so silly it made Atsumu gag, “he’s got the prettiest blue eyes. And his ears! They’re like elf ears, and the tips get red when he’s nervous. And his hair is so soft and curly. And his hands…”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, they’re great, he’s perfect,” Atsumu interrupted. Honestly, if these two weren’t fucking already…

Bokuto scoffed, and crossed his arms over his chest.

“If you’re gonna be so mean,” Bokuto started.

“No, Bokkun,” Atsumu said, “not mean.” He shoved the tablet screen in Bokuto’s face. “Look.”

Bokuto narrowed his eyes and stared at it, hard. “The Idle, Fleeting Thought,” he read aloud. His eyes went from narrow to wide as he took in the tags. “Bokuto slash Reader,” he continued. He looked up at Atsumu, gold eyes blinking in confusion. “What does that mean?” he asked.

“It means that, in this story, you’ve been paired with the reader of the fic,” Atsumu explained.

“What???” Bokuto’s mouth dropped open. “But…Tsum-Tsum I…how does that even work?”

Atsumu couldn’t help it; he reached over and ruffled Bokuto’s hair. It was gelled, but the tips were soft and Atsumu always did like to muss it up, if only to tease Bokuto. But today Bokuto didn’t even care that his hair was now falling over his forehead, the strands brushing across his forehead. “Just…I want you to read this,” he said carefully. The realization that Bokuto might not read hadn’t been something he’d taken into account; Atsumu was so convinced that he would, just like Atsumu had, that he hadn’t even stopped to consider…

“But Tsum-Tsum," Bokuto wailed. “I don’t wanna be paired with anyone in a story! I don’t wanna read about…”

“Just…” Atsumu took a deep breath. “I want you to read this, for me,” he said, “and I want to know if the Reader character reminds you of anyone.”

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! fanfic #bokuaka #bokuto x akaashi #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji #miya atsumu is a menace #bokuto reads fanfic #happy birthday gabs

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chameliyun · 3 months

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Fic Rec Friday - #42

Intro post | tag

Rec #42: a life in your shape - nourishment Fandom: Haikyuu!! Rating: T Pairing: Tanaka Saeko/Tsukishima Akiteru/Udai Tenma Word count: 2,319 Summary: A series of lovely vignettes of the relationship and Akiteru's thoughts on them all together. Other notes: honestly it's just basically Akiteru being sappy and I love it bc I too am sappy <3

#fic rec friday #fanfiction #ao3 #fandom: haikyuu #rating: t #pairing: akisaeten #word count: 2-3k

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ao3feed-iwaoi · 1 year

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Camp Kozakura / Haikyuu Slasher Camp Fic

Read this masterpiece on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QjeSq5P

by prowlrsurge

Camp Kozakura is newly reopened, after closing mysteriously in 1968. It's now 1987, and students from several highschools were invited for up to two months of activities and bonding time. Little do they know, there is a haunting fate after them. Who will survive? Time will tell. Characters in main focus have no promise of staying alive till the end.

Words: 5052, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Haikyuu!!

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/F, M/M

Characters: Semi Eita, Shirabu Kenjirou, Miya Atsumu, Komori Motoya, Hanamaki Takahiro, Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa Tooru, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Terushima Yuuji, Shimizu Kiyoko, Yachi Hitoka, Goshiki Tsutomu, Tendou Satori, Kozume Kenma, Kuroo Tetsurou, Udai Tenma, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tanaka Saeko, Tsukishima Akiteru, Other Character Tags to Be Added

Relationships: Semi Eita/Shirabu Kenjirou, Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added

Additional Tags: Character Death, Minor Character Death, Murder, Serial Killers, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, 1980s, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Summer Camp, How Do I Tag, Cross-Posted on Wattpad

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/QjeSq5P

#iwaoi #iwaizumi hajime #oikawa tooru #ao3feed-iwaoi #haikyuu!!

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hellobunny044 · 1 year

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Panels. | Series

panel. in manga art, panels refers to the frame that wraps around one moment in time.

********************************************************

an original Haiky AU pairing Udai Tenma (the og little giant)

warning!!: containing some manga content.

word count: 5914

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Panel - 7

Sendai City Gymnasium, Miyagi Prefecture, Nine years ago

The crowd was roaring in anticipation as the final match of the Prefectural Volleyball Tournament of Miyagi Prefecture between Karasuno High School and Shiratorizawa Academy was on the edge.

It was a neck-to-neck game that had been ongoing for hours, and no one knew who would emerge victorious. The score was 22-21 in the final set, a match point for Karasuno after one hell of a catch me if you can deuce battle with Shiratorizawa Academy.

The players were drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, but their spirits were still indomitable.

As Udai stepped onto the court, he could feel the weight of the crowd’s anticipation, and the stakes were higher than ever before. The tension was palpable, and each player could feel the weight of the game on their shoulders.

The game was no longer just about winning or losing, but it was about the pride and joy that came with being the best team in the Prefectural Volleyball Tournament of Miyagi Prefecture.

Udai knew that being the ace meant he had every right to lead his team to victory, and with that thought in mind, he took a deep breath and waited for the ball to come his way.

Shiratorizawa’s blockers were a formidable barrier that Udai had to blast through. He had to overcome them, and with only a split second to react, Udai rose to meet the challenge.

With all his power, he smashed the ball, soaring it through the air towards the opposing team, aiming for the perfect spot.

Shiratorizawa’s defense was tough, but Udai was determined to push through. He had been preparing for this moment his entire life. And then, as if by magic, he saw an opening in the blocker’s defense. He aimed his shot carefully towards the open gap with pinpoint accuracy. His strike was like lightning, and the ball crashed downwards onto the opponent’s side, past their defense.

Udai’s teammates watched in awe as the ball soared towards the gap, and with a loud crunch, it hit the ground. Karasuno's supporters erupted in joy, and the sound echoed through the stadium.

He had scored the block out, securing their victory over their rivals.

Karasuno players ran to Udai, their adrenaline pumping. They hugged him, and celebrated their win with great exhilaration. With Udai’s efforts, they had become the Prefectural Volleyball champions. Shiratorizawa’s blockers looked down in dismay, unsure where they went wrong.

As Karasuno team lifted the trophy, the entire stadium erupted in applause. The win was a moment of triumph, and Udai had proved his mettle once again. He had proven that size doesn’t always matter, and that a player’s heart, passion, and skill were all that mattered.

Karasuno High School had won the Prefectural Volleyball Tournament of Miyagi Prefecture, and with Udai’s contribution and the team’s dedication, they had become legendary in the game.

For Udai, it was a moment he would cherish forever, and he knew that it was much more than just winning. It was about the love of the game, the camaraderie of the team, and the joy of triumph.

As Udai basked in the afterglow of Karasuno’s win in the Prefectural Volleyball Tournament, he noticed some people from his school approaching him.

He had always been an aloof and hostile character, and he wasn’t used to random people trying to talk to him.

Udai felt a wall rise up within him, and he didn’t know how to react. He was so used to being on his own and not letting anyone get close to him.

People from his school tried to congratulate him and bask in the win together, but Udai wasn’t having any of it. He dismissed their attempts to talk with icy silence, immediately excluding himself from the crowd.

He wanted to be alone and process everything that had happened. He was proud of his team, and was grateful for those people’s support and sentiment, but alone was ten times better.

So, Udai excused himself and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the people from his school looking disappointed and confused. He just needed to be alone.

********************************************************

As Udai walked away from the crowd, his heart was heavy with conflicting emotions. He was proud of Karasuno’s victory, but he was also struggling with the attention and recognition that came with it.

He… just didn’t know how to share his joy with others.

As he continued to wander aimlessly, he became aware of someone calling his name.

“Udai Senpai!”

He turned, seeing a particular, familiar girl approaching him. Sasaki Tsubasa. He knew her, remembered. It’s just, this time, he didn’t know that one other girl tagging along with her, looking like she was being dragged and completely helpless about it when she was pulling her in her iron grip.

A moment there. What’s with this continuous encounter with this girl? When did it start to feel like a habit rather than just a coincidence? And since when did this girl had become so familiar with calling him around, stopping him like they know each other, Udai wondered. He wondered if he ever made her feel that way before. And he just wondered what she wanted from him now.

“Thank you for the great play during the match, senpai! We’re having a great time watching from the cheering section.” She greeted, “And congratulations on your victory.”

Should he… respond to that?

Well, he technically had turned everyone down with his hostility, the aloof brat that he was.

“Thank you.”

Just a little thank you won’t hurt, right?

Then he was staring. Like… staring and just waiting whilst asking himself, what there is to be pondered about that he stayed still and not yet walked away.

He watched the way Sasaki Tsubasa cautiously looking at him, studying everything, whilst distractedly turning to her friend, acting so weird.

She was mumbling something about whatever. That’s enough to make him linger in his defense.

Studying everything that’s currently going on before him, Sasaki Tsubasa’s friend was holding a small box of homemade cookies. She looked nervous and jittery, and Udai could sense her discomfort as Tsubasa pushed her forward.

“This— my friend has something for you.”

Udai’s gaze shifted to the glasses girl beside her, stammering in her words, looking nervous.

Why would anyone be scared to give something to him? He was just a member of the Karasuno volleyball team, albeit one of the shorter ones— no. Why would anyone ever give him something in the first place?

“I m-made you this.” She said, handing some cookies to him.

Udai blinked, couldn’t comprehend what’s coming for him.

Sasaki Tsubasa explained that her friend just wanted to give them to him as a token of appreciation.

Udai felt a twinge of guilt as he watched the girl nervously clutching the cookies. He knew how hard it was to put yourself out there and offer something to others with your own hands. But at the same time, he didn’t want to create any false expectations. He couldn’t promise anything.

“She made them herself,” Sasaki Tsubasa said, adding one more pressure in his guilt.

Like he can unheard what the girl previously told him about it.

Sasaki Tsubasa then continued, her voice insistent. “She had always been the fans of the club—“

“Sasaki…”

She turned distractedly to the girl to tell her, “leave this one to me—“ then shifted to Udai to continue, “and you’ve been the one working really hard right there to do all the hard tasks blasting through for a point that leads the team to get to this point. You’re the Little Giant of Karasuno. She admires you—”

“Sasaki… you’re being too loud about that…”

Sasaki Tsubasa turned, “Datte, you admire him, don’t you?”

The girl was fighting for dear life to utter the word, redness dusting on her face, “W-well, I-I do, but…”

“Then, there’s nothing wrong about that. He’ll listen.”

Sasaki Tsubasa turned briefly at him and said, “He’s still here, isn’t he?”

Her friend also turned briefly to look at him, but when she met his gaze, she immediately looked away.

Instead of helping her out with whatever admiration she has towards him, Sasaki Tsubasa was actually torturing her friend. Almost really clueless about her bluntness being so overwhelming for that girl to handle.

“Then, Giant Senpai,”

Udai turned, meeting Sasaki Tsubasa’s gaze.

“Thank you for that, but I’d rather not have this.”

He tried to politely refuse, but Tsubasa was having none of it.

“You would be a terrible Senpai if you turned her down, Giant Senpai.”

“I don’t go well with—”

“You know how much she admires you and your team.”

Udai sighed, “Look—”

“Are you really down to be seen as a bad senpai? That’s gonna be so harsh of you to turn her effort down, you know.”

Udai frowned. Why isn’t she listening?

He tried for another attempt to explain himself. Opening his mouth, he was about to say something appropriate to make these girls understand that he just won’t go well with such gifts, especially cookies. But the girl beside Sasaki Tsubasa spoke.

“That’s enough, Sasaki. It’s alright…”

Udai shifted to the glasses-girl instead of the brown-haired Sasaki.

“Why, though? You’ve spent quite some time making the cookies.”

Udai’s gaze shifted to the cookies.

“And because of the effort you pour to make this specially for him, we should try harder to make him accept this. You’ve worked hard for this, right?”

“B-but…”

“Suzuki wa, you’re the best baker. You should be more proud of your hard work instead of being a wimp.”

Sasaki Tsubasa sighed.

“Leave this one to me.”

Udai felt cornered. He felt really bad for ever wanting to refuse the gift, being slapped with everything that Sasaki Tsubasa said.

Of all the things… why does this have to end up being an unnecessary drama?

“Senpai, you know—”

Sasaki Tsubasa playfully threatened him with dire consequences if he turned down the gift, and urged him to show some kindness and support.

He took a deep breath and decided to compromise.

“I’ll take it.”

He agreed to eat the cookies, but he made it clear that he would do it on his own terms.

“T-thank you so much, Giant Senpai!”

Yeah. That giant calling is just a troublesome one.

He hummed, and was convinced to finally excuse himself or at least that they are excusing themselves now.

Tsubasa, however, had other plans. She insisted that he should eat the cookies there and then, in front of her friend. She argued that it was the proper way to receive a gift, and that it would make the girl happy.

“She warned him, her eyes flaring with a possessive light. “If you don’t eat those cookies, you will regret it. I promise you will,”

“Sasaki—”

“H-hey, that’s—” he halted midway.

“This is probably our last chance to talk with you in person, Giant-san.”

Udai could see the determination in her eyes and knew that he couldn’t refuse her.

Just a little more push and he was done for.

“Just a bite won’t hurt, right?”

Udai sighed, finally relenting.

“Fine.”

The glasses-girl, and of course Sasaki Tsubasa, both lightened up when Udai took one of the cookies from the box. It was a small, round, chocolate chip cookie, with a crumbly texture and a sweet aroma. He examined it for a moment, feeling slightly uncomfortable under the gaze of those two presence before him. He wondered if he should say something, or if he should just start eating it.

In the end, he decided to opt for the latter. He raised the cookie to his mouth and took a small bite.

As he ate, Tsubasa watched him like a hawk, making sure he ate every last bite.

The taste however, was surprisingly good. The chocolate chips were rich and creamy, and the cookie had a subtle sweetness that was very pleasant. He took another bite, and then another, feeling the anxiety and the pressure slowly dissipate.

“How’s that?”

Udai almost choked, feeling embarrassed that he almost forgot that he was being watched. He coughed, feeling there was a certain portion of the cookies that wasn’t chewed properly stuck somewhere in his chest. He coughed, trying to be cool about it so as not to look stupid while distractedly peering at the two girls who were looking at him expectantly.

Clearing his throat, he trying to sound nonchalant about it when he look at the glasses-girl. “It’s good.”

He saw something flushed in her eyes as the redness dusting on her cheeks, face brightened than before, as if life wasn’t there before.

“Thank god!”

Udai hummed nonchalantly. His fingers resting on the box full of cookies, tempted to take another bite.

“See?”

Udai shifted, returned to Sasaki Tsubasa.

“Wasn’t that good?”

To his surprise… she was smiling triumphantly.

“I promised you that you’ll regret not eating those cookies right away, didn’t I?”

He…

Sasaki Tsubasa’s friend, the glasses-girl, looked positively ecstatic, her eyes gleaming with happiness. “I’m so glad you liked them!” she said.

She was smiling triumphantly.

Udai smiled, trying to be polite. “Y-yeah, they were really good. Thank you for making them for me.”

Sasaki Tsubasa smiled at him, nodding approvingly. “See? Just a little bite won’t hurt, right?”

No, he guess.

Finally, they excused themselves, bowing politely.

As they walked away, Udai couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. He had survived the whole ordeal and had come out the other side unscathed.

Still, though, he could hear them muttering something like, “Suzuki, you finally gave him the cookies! That one’s to be celebrated!”

“I was able to give it to him because of you. The Little Giant is scary.”

“Hm? He is?”

“Not that he had some kind of scary face or something, though.”

“Though?”

“I mean, just everything about him is scary.”

Sasaki Tsubasa turned and Udai was still there to meet her gaze, just very briefly.

“Indeed.” She muttered to her friend, “But he’s not that little.”

There was something else there too, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Tokyo, Present Day

Udai stared out of the window as Akaashi spoke, his mind wandering into the past, staying quite a while right there to recall past events that slipped past his fingers. Nine years ago, that was a lot.

He knew he shouldn’t be daydreaming, especially not when Akaashi, his editor, was discussing a serious issue about the next volume of his manga. But he just couldn’t help it.

Akaashi sighed, interrupting Udai’s thoughts. “Udai Sensei? Are you even listening to me?”

Udai blinked, suddenly brought back to reality. “Oh— ah, Akaashi-san? I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

Akaashi’s expression softened, and he sighed. “I said that there’s a serious matter with your manga that we need to discuss.”

Udai felt a sense of dread fill his stomach.

Mr. Task-focus Akaashi didn’t take his work lightly, and any criticism or suggestion for improvement was always met with a stern reality check.

He braced himself for what was to come as Akaashi launched into a tirade of criticism. But as he spoke, Udai struggled to focus. His mind kept drifting back to his own world, to where the leaking of his past was flashing.

He caught the occasional word, "plot holes," "character development," "story pacing," but it all seemed like a distant blur. He nodded and muttered responses when necessary, but all the while his mind was elsewhere.

“We have a deadline to meet, and you’re here daydreaming. You need to focus, Udai-san.”

Udai felt a twinge of guilt deep in his chest. He knew Akaashi was right. They had a lot of work to do, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted like this. “I’m sorry, Akaashi-san.“

Akaashi sighed then nodded. “Good—”

His phone rang. “A minute.”

Akaashi was about to get up but halted midway, “While I’m gone, I want you to finish up those panels we discussed earlier. I need them done by tomorrow, no excuses.”

Udai felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. He knew those panels were going to take a lot of work, and he wasn’t sure if he had the energy to do them all overnight. “Can’t you give me a little more time? Tomorrow’s a bit too much, Akaashi-san~”

Akaashi fixed him with a stern gaze. “No can do, Udai-san. We can’t afford to miss our deadline.”

Udai groaned inwardly, knowing there was no way out of this. He was going to have to pull an all-nighter, again. He watched as Akaashi left the room, his mind racing with all the things he still needed to do.

He opened up his computer, the screen of which was filled with the unfinished panels. The characters were only halfway drawn, their expressions and movements stiff and lifeless. He knew he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to make them come alive.

He worked tirelessly for hours, the only sounds in the room being the scratching of his pencil on paper and the occasional beep of his laptop. He didn’t have time for breaks, for food, or even for sleep. He was determined to finish these panels, no matter what it took.

Hours passed, and the clock on his laptop showed that it was already early in the morning. His eyes burned with exhaustion, his body aching from sitting at the desk for so long. But he couldn’t stop. He had to finish these panels.

He could feel his fingers began to shake with exhaustion, his mind becoming more and more foggy as he continued to work. But he couldn’t give up. He had to keep going.

As dawn started to break through the window, Udai finally finished the last panel. He slumped back in his chair, his breath coming in short gasps. He had done it. He had finished them all.

He sat there for a few minutes, his eyes closed, trying to recover from the long night he had just endured. But he knew he couldn’t rest for long. Mr. Task-focus would be calling soon, asking for an update on his progress.

Sure enough, his phone rang, interrupting his moment of peace. He groaned, knowing he had to answer it. “Moshi moshi. Good day today, Akaashi-san.” his voice groggy and tired.

———————————————————————————

Akaashi’s voice was tense as he spoke. “Good morning, Udai-san. How’s it going? Did you finish the panels?”

———————————————————————————

Udai nodded, even though Akaashi couldn’t see him. “Yeah, I finished them all. They’re all done.”

———————————————————————————

Akaashi sounded nonchalant. “Congratulation on successfully doing an overnight, Udai-san.”

———————————————————————————

Udai laughed bitterly over those words, and ended it with a long sigh.

As he hung up the phone, he looked out the window again, it was still early in the morning. He couldn't help but think about the way his manga would be received by readers, wondering if they would appreciate all the hard work that went into it.

His eyes trailed what’s on the last page. The blank page is now alive with lines and words in panels.

The world was still too quiet, only the ticking of clock was in the room, but to Udai, those panels on the last page were speaking to him, thanking him for hanging there for another good work this time.

Good job hanging right there to birth us alive, they said.

Udai smiled, feeling a sense of pride washing over him. Nothing felt better than knowing he had completed his task, and he had done it well.

He knew it didn’t matter, though. He had done his best, and that was all that really mattered. He closed his eyes, feeling a sense of calm wash over him.

When the sun finally rose, casting its golden light through the window, Udai once again looked at the last page with a sense of satisfaction.

He remembered why he had started drawing in the first place, why he had felt that spark of creativity that had led him on this wild and difficult journey.

********************************************************

It was on the 10th volume that Udai started to go undercover and do a little field research about public reaction to his manga, eager to witness it first hand to gain some new motivation if he ever stuck.

A month later, after the publishing of the 24th volume of Zomb’ish, Udai decided it was time for him to conduct a little field research.

Dressed incognito in a faded hoodie and a worn-out beanie that partially obscured his thin-framed glasses, Udai stepped into the first bookstore on his undercover journey. It was a bustling place, with high schoolers perched in every corner, their animated conversations weaving through the air like playful spirits.

This sight brought back a flood of memories for Udai, reminding him of his own rebellious days when he used to cut class just to read manga without buying it.

He meandered among the bookshelves, like a shadow drifting in the twilight. The colorful spines of various mangas lined the shelves, each one beckoning him like a siren’s whisper.

His heart swelled with pride as he caught sight of his own masterpiece nestled cozily amongst the crowd. It felt surreal to witness his creation in the hands of others, to see their eyes devouring each page with an insatiable hunger.

Udai decided to strike up a casual conversation with a group of high schoolers huddled near the manga section. Their excitement was palpable, their discussions echoing in animated pitches.

Engaging them was like stepping into a time capsule and being transported back to his youth. Their camaraderie, their passion, and their unwavering loyalty to the world of manga sparked an ember of inspiration within Udai's soul.

The group of high schoolers laughed and exchanged manga recommendations as Udai listened intently, their words carrying a certain melody that resonated deeply within him. Their glowing faces as they spoke about their favorite characters and thrilling plot twists made Udai realize the true impact his manga had on their lives. It has always been awe-inspiring to witness the magic weaved within the pages of Zombie Knight Zomb'ish transform into tangible emotions and connections.

As the conversations grew louder and more enthusiastic, Udai caught whispers of his work amongst their discussions. The realization hit him like a tsunami of gratitude, washing away any lingering doubts. It was, once again, an affirmation that his art had found a place in the hearts of these young souls, as it had done with him so many years ago.

He was so lost in thought, wandering through the bookstore’s shelves, that he didn’t notice the group of high schoolers clustered together until too late. He collided with one of them, causing that one girl to stumble backwards and her books to scatter across the floor. Udai quickly bent down to help her, and amidst the chaos, he noticed a small keychain dangling from her bag in the shape of a volleyball.

The sight of it stirred something within him, transporting him back to his own high school days.

He remembered the countless hours spent on the court, the sound of the ball smacking against his palms, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. A flood of emotions washed over Udai, the memories mingling with his present circumstances, making him feel both young and old all at once.

“Are you okay?” he asked, handing some of her books back to her.

The girl nodded shyly, her eyes lingering on his beanie-covered head. Udai could feel her gaze on him, his incognito disguise seemingly fooling no one. He offered her a comic from his pile, and as she reached out to take it, he noticed the keychain again.

For a moment, Udai wished he could go back in time, to relive those days of infinite freedom and limitless potential, to play volleyball and to just go back to where reading manga was ten times better than being in class. But then he realized that he didn’t need to go back; those memories and those joys were still with him, embedded in his soul, reminding him of the power of storytelling and the import of connection.

Udai’s nostalgia was interrupted by the excited chatter of the other high schoolers nearby, talking about the new volume of Zombie Knight Zomb'ish. Their enthusiastic conversation pulled him back into the present, reminding him why he was here in the first place. He gathered himself and focused on observing the reactions of the group.

He watched as they leafed through the pages, their eyes widening with each new twist and turn. The sound of their laughter and exclamations filled the air, banishing any lingering doubts from Udai’s mind. He had created something that touched the hearts of his readers, something that he could be truly proud of.

Udai continued his little incognito field research at the bookstore, his eyes scanning eagerly through the shelves, a special display of his very own Zombie Knight Zomb’ish. As he picked up a copy, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a call from Akaashi.

“Moshi moshi, Akaashi-san,” Udai answered, his fingers lingering on the cover of his latest volume.

———————————————————————————

“Udai-san, good afternoon. I was just checking in on the rough sketching progress. How’s it going?”

———————————————————————————

“Ah, that? It’s coming along well.” He smiled, scanning through the red cover of the copy he had in his hand.

———————————————————————————

“That’s great to hear,” Akaashi replied. “where are you? It sounds pretty noisy.”

———————————————————————————

He grinned, “Oh? I’m elated to have you unexpectedly care about another thing than about work. Where do you think I am right now? Give it a try, Akaashi-san.”

———————————————————————————

“No. Thank you. Probably just another day of slacking off and procrastinating the deadline it is.”

———————————————————————————

“What do you mean slacking off and procrastinating? Didn’t I tell you? This is research.”

———————————————————————————

“Better be some research, Udai Sensei.”

———————————————————————————

“Akaashi yo, didn’t we agree that I’ll be teaching you another lesson everytime you underestimate me about things like this?”

Udai glanced around him, noticing a group of high schoolers approaching the display shelf where his manga being displayed.

Udai promised to send the sketches and hung up the phone, watching as the high schoolers swarmed the manga display. He felt a sense of pride and joy, seeing his work in such high demand. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel like an outsider, removed from the throng of young readers who had embraced his creation.

He wondered what it would be like to be one of the high schoolers once more, to spend all afternoon immersed in the world of manga, bonding with friends over the latest releases.

He quickly judged that it would be better to excuse himself and not expose his identity.

Udai tucked the manga back onto the shelf and made his way to the exit, determined to complete his undercover research before the day was over.

By the time Udai returned home, the sun had already surrendered to the twilight sky, casting a purplish hue across his apartment. He took off his beanie and let his tousled hair fall freely. Thoughts and emotions surged within him, ready to be immortalized in the form of ink and paper.

The drawing swept Udai away, transporting him to a realm where the line between reality and fantasy blurred into kaleidoscopic hues. It was a dance of prose and scratches, a symphony of emotions told through the tale of a young hero fighting against an army of undead. Udai poured his heart into every word, weaving a tapestry that would resonate with the souls of his readers, just as he connected with his own youthful spirit that fateful day.

********************************************************

Udai sat at his desk, phone pressed to his ear as he discussed the plot of the next volume of his manga, Zombie Knight Zomb’ish. His mind raced with ideas and possibilities, his creative vision already taking shape in his mind’s eye.

“Akaashi-san, listen…”

———————————————————————————

“What is it, Udai-san?”

———————————————————————————

“I’ve got some major plot twists that I think we can work with. What if the zombies aren’t the only villains in the story? What if there’s a human organization behind the outbreak?”

———————————————————————————

Akaashi’s voice crackled over the line. “That’s brilliant, Udai-san. It adds a whole new layer of complexity to the story and raises the stakes for the characters.”

———————————————————————————

Udai felt a thrill of excitement coursing through him, the validation of his editor and friend lending him a sense of confidence and inspiration. “Right? Right?”

———————————————————————————

“But how can we link this new twist to what’s already been established in the story?” Akaashi asked.

———————————————————————————

Udai thought for a moment, the gears of his mind turning.

“What do you think if one of the characters is secretly working for the organization that’s behind the outbreak? It would add a layer of betrayal and conflict that we can use to fuel the story.”

———————————————————————————

“Well, yes, that’ll do, I guess.”

———————————————————————————

“Geh!” He grumbled, “Can you be more enthusiastic, Akaashi-san? I am working very hard right here.”

———————————————————————————

“Congratulations on working very hard for your manga, Udai-san.”

———————————————————————————

“Geh.”

As he and Akaashi continued to brainstorm, Udai’s mind wandered back to his time spent observing the public’s reaction to the release of his manga’s new volume. He remembered the faces of the readers, the way they laughed, cried, and cheered as they devoured the pages.

He felt a sense of pride and gratitude, knowing that his work had touched their hearts in profound and meaningful ways. But he also knew that success was not guaranteed, that the creative journey was fraught with obstacles and challenges.

********************************************************

Udai rubbed his bleary eyes, staring at the rough sketches he’d drawn the night before. He had spent another restless night, his mind consumed with the plot of the next volume of Zombie Knight Zomb’ish, his pencil scratching frantically against the blank pages of his sketchpad.

He couldn’t help feeling a sense of frustration and desperation, knowing that his work was still not where he wanted it to be. He traced the lines of his drawings, seeking some kind of inspiration or insight that would help him unlock the creative puzzle that had been eluding him for so long.

With a sigh, Udai got up from his desk and left his apartment, heading straight for the convenience store in his neighborhood. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow over the streets as Udai made his way through the quiet morning stillness.

As he entered the store, he reached for an instant breakfast, his mind still consumed by thoughts of his work. He paid for his purchase and sat down at a small table, sipping his coffee and staring out the window at the passing cars and the city as it stirred to life.

But even as he ate, Udai couldn’t shake the restless feeling that consumed him. He knew that he had to find some way to break through the creative blockage that was preventing him from realizing his vision for his work.

Udai left the convenience store and headed back to his apartment. He sifted through his laundry, looking for a fresh shirt to wear, but his eyes were drawn to the ocha-stained shirt that he’d worn on the day he’d accidentally bumped into Sasaki Tsubasa for the second time.

As he stared at the shirt, memories of that day flooded back to him. He thought of Tsubasa’s smile, the way she had looked at him warmly.

Then Udai was immersed a little further into everything that happened that day. One thing that made him reluctant to leave his reverie was about Tsubasa surprisingly being one of his manga readers. Well... even though it wasn’t supposed to be that surprising. The bottom line was what her co-worker, Hatakeyama Jiro, had said about Tsubasa’s interest in his manga.

Udai still remembered everything:

“You know, Udai-san, this kid sometimes steals time to read manga in between her work breaks. She has a stock of manga in her desk drawer to read every break.”

“Oh, come on!”

“I don’t know about the details, but, clearly it’s something about Zombies…”

“This is your last warning, Hatakeyama.”

“Hora, something recommended to me, Sasaki.”

“What?”

“That manga you recommended— was it called Zombie Knight or something else?”

Tsubasa sighed, her eyes glancing at Udai before she said, “You know, we should talk about your timing next time, Hatakeyama.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Hatakeyama-kun, let me introduce you once again to Udai Tenma-san; the creator of Zombie Knight Zomb’ish manga that you were talking about.”

There was silence after Tsubasa introduced Udai to Hatakeyama Jiro once again.

Udai glanced at Tsubasa before he returned to Hatakeyama Jiro, deciding to lower his hand again after raising it awkwardly to greet Hatakeyama Jiro. Waving was certainly not a good choice. His laughter was thin and awkward, almost insincere.

“Ah! So, Udai-san is the mangaka of Zombie Knight?”

“Well…”

“And what?” Tsubasa replied, “After this you’re still going to say that manga is only for kids?”

“Hey, come on! That one’s because you’re childish.”

“Ha!? Don’t make so many nonsensical excuses for your insulting claim!”

“Exactly.”

Hatakeyama Jiro turned to Udai, “Speaking of manga, it’s an honor to know that you’re the very author of Zombie Knight, Udai-san,”

“A-ah... thank you.” Udai said awkwardly.

Hatakeyama Jiro turned back to Tsubasa, “That’s why you’ve been reading Zombie Knight so diligently, apparently.”

“This kid,” Hatakeyama Jiro’s hand pointed at Tsubasa as he turned to the stunned Udai, “she really likes your manga.”

The world stopped.

“Not only that she kept it in her drawer, one day, she wouldn’t stop talking about your manga and gave everyone the hassle of having to listen to everything she said. Not to mention how every week she would go to the bookstore just to buy the latest edition— ah, last time you, remember? She also got the latest series of your manga to bring to the office.”

“H-hey! What’s so wrong with that? I have taste, you know! Besides, the story is that good!”

That’s right. About Tsubasa liking his manga is something that should be normal. However, it was different because it was Tsubasa. He had no problem with anyone—anyone, even perhaps his former Japanese Literature teacher was one out of the million of his readers—but it was a different story if it was her.

Because it was her, everything that was normal in his sense, became unusual.

For one thing, though, his hope has been broken because the heart he once put a scar on has found a healer. The door that he had left open that time, had found someone who politely entered in and locked it tightly. And here, Udai was just an uninvited guest of the story, a merely side character of Hatakeyama Jiro and Sasaki Tsubasa’s blossoming panel.

Udai felt a pang of jealousy, unsure of his own feelings and motivations.

He folded the shirt and placed it back into the hamper, his heart heavy with unanswered questions and unresolved emotions. He knew that he had work to do, that he had to focus on his art and pour himself into his creative vision.

But even as he re-immersed himself into his work, Udai couldn’t shake the memory of his last unexpected encounter with Tsubasa.

With a heavy sigh, Udai pushed those thoughts aside and threw himself back into his work.

—

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