Matsukawa was supposed to die. Now, he's playing volleyball. That is pretty much all you know about your neighbor and now classmate, Issei Matsukawa. You've known him for a long time now, but after witnessing the "accident", you can only see him as that ghost of a little boy shrieking tirelessly for someone to help him before he dies. But no, he's no ghost. Matsukawa is flesh and blood and that's what terrifies you the most.
You remember that day vividly. It was your first field trip in Miyagi prefecture after all. Your family had moved from Tokyo to Miyagi because your father had found a job at one of the local companies. Your mother, a black woman raised in Tokyo, had assured you that school in Miyagi would be just as good, if not better than your beloved school in Tokyo. Still, you couldn't shake the hurt you felt leaving all your dearest memories behind. It would have been your first year in Middle school there, but now you'd have to start over in a new environment where you didn't know anyone.
"You'll be fine" you remember your mom saying as she tugged and twisted your curls into two corn-rowed braids, "They'll love you. You have my brilliant smile you know!". She was right for the most part. That year had gone smoothly enough, and you had made a decent couple of new friends. Your classmates even planned a little welcome party for you on your first day of class. They were surprised by your appearance at first (something you had grown accustomed to as a black girl in Japan), but soon enough you settled into your new school and home in Miyagi. Little did you know that that new sense of normalcy would be shattered once again in a much more horrific manner.
It was the day of your class trip to see Akiu falls in Sendai and you felt pure excitement . Being from the city, you had had little exposure to anything "wild" aside from the squirrels and strays you'd seen scattered across town. From what your friends had told you, Akiu falls was a beautiful waterfall surrounded by a vibrant and lush forest. Even more fun was that you would spend 5 days taking tours through the wilderness, learning survival skills, and spending the night in a cabin fully prepared with a campfire area and outdoor equipment.
"Now we're going to assign each of you a partner to stay with throughout the trip. Once your
name is called, follow your partner to the back of the class to wait until the busses arrive" you remember one of the chaperones saying. Instinctively, you eyed your best friend in class, Fuyuki Nanase, and she gave you a quick nod. You two knew the chances of getting paired were slim, but it couldn't hurt to hope, right? You both persevered as the chaperone went down the list until one of your names had been called.
"Nanase Fuyuki paired with Sawamura Midori" You heard an exasperated whine as Fuyuki got up to join Midori at the back of the class. At this point you didn't care who you got paired up with. You were already on good terms with everyone in class, but it still hurt not being able to spend the majority of the trip with your closest friend.
"F/N L/N paired with Matsukawa Issei."
Not too bad, I guess. You remember thinking to yourself. At the time you thought nothing much of the brown haired boy. As a child, Matsukawa could be considered nothing more than average, or at least that was what he wanted people to think. From what you had heard, he transferred to your school a year before you had. He wasn't particularly quiet, but he wasn't a social butterfly either. Sometimes you would catch him playing volleyball with some of the other students, but you weren't sure if he was part of any club or sports team. He also had a knack for dry humor, making him a favorite for many of the teachers who saw the young boy's comments as charming. Easygoing and mild-mannered, Matsukawa was the type of person who went with the flow of whatever was going on at the time. Looking back, his maturity and ease of adaptability could be considered odd for someone his age, when boys were usually at their rowdiest, but for many people that was just who Matsukawa was: A simple, dependable boy.
"Are you excited for the trip, Mattsun?" You asked as the two of you entered the bus.
"Mattsun?" He gives you a surprised look.
"Oh, yeah. I thought I'd give you a nickname since we're partners, right? Sorry, Is it too weird?"
"No, I like it. It's just..." He pauses a bit as if trying to find the words to say "If you wouldn't mind, Could you please keep calling me that name: Mattsun. Even after the trip, too"
For a brief second you saw a side of him you had never seen before. He looked melancholy, as if some burden was looming over him and he couldn't escape from it no matter what. You had seen that same look in the eyes of drunkards that littered the streets of Tokyo at night. Your mother would pull you close to her, but you couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor men who toddled aimlessly through the darkness, mourning over whatever it was that could never be returned to them. There was no light in their eyes and for a second you saw Mattsun's own eyes dim before returning to that state of forced contentment he was so used to displaying. Was Mattsun suffering, too? Would he end up like those dejected victims in the street?
"Ok!" you remember grabbing his hand and molding it into yours, forming the style of a handshake, "Only on one condition!"
"What do you mean? Are you trying to extort me or something" Mattsun eyed you dryly, half expecting this interaction to be some type of joke.
"No, dummy. My dad calls this a 'business deal'. He said that once you make one of these, you become partners and you can't leave the other behind."
"I'm not sure that's how business deals work. Don't we both have to offer something up for it to work?"
"That's right! Hmm, what do I want?" You thought for a bit, going through the different options of what a simple middle-schooler could offer you "Oh, I know"
"Don't ask for anything gross or illegal, ok!" You remember Mattsun's face as you brought out your proposal. It was a mixture of shock, gratitude, and curiosity.
"As long as I continue calling you Mattsun" You give him a brilliant grin, "all you need to do is watch out for me. Deal?"
Mattsun grasped your hand firmly and you both gave a single firm handshake.
"Deal!"
YOU ARE READING
94 hours (Matsukawa x black Fem Reader)
FanfictionMatsukawa was supposed to die. Now, he's playing volleyball. That is pretty much all you know about your neighbor and now classmate, Issei Matsukawa. You've known him for a long time now, but after witnessing the "accident", you can only see him as...
