space boy - iwaoi [rewriting]

3

3

If Oikawa had it his way, there would be no stretching. Instead, there would only be volleyball... He would be tossing and hitting volleyballs from sunrise to sunset. However, if he were to do so, he would piss off both his coach and Iwaizumi. Having one of them mad at him is manageable, but having both of them mad at him... He'd rather fight a bear. Lazily stretching his arms before moving on to his legs, Oikawa almost misses him... Almost misses catching a glimpse of the first Shiratorizawa player to enter the gym. With his height and muscle mass rivaling most present, Oikawa doesn't need a second glimpse to know who walked in. "The famous Ushijima Wakatoshi," Oikawa whispers to himself, just as he touches his toes. "I'll be glad to play against you. I'll be happy to make you taste the bitterness of defeat."

Making Ushijima "taste the bitterness of defeat" ends up being easier said than done. Ushijima's serves and spikes nearly blow Oikawa's teammates away. Additionally, Ushijima's receives, although rare, are enough to make a normally calm Iwaizumi growl. But that isn't the worst of it. The worst of it is Ushijima's intelligence and observational skills. Ushijima is quick to detect any dumps or feints Oikawa's team attempts and responds to them with surprising speed.

How the hell are you human? Oikawa finds himself wondering, as Ushijima's eyes never leave him. As his eyes seem to see into him... See into his mind, and predict who he was going to toss to next. As the game progresses, Oikawa can't shake off Ushijima's gaze. The closer that they have gotten to match point, the more Ushijima has been looking at him, and only him. In fact, in a couple of instances, Ushijima has favored looking at Oikawa over the ball.

When it was Oikawa's turn to serve for what is likely to be the last time in the match, he can't help but let a smile spread across his face. Oikawa knows it is a bit immature of him, but he is going to do it anyway. Using one of his famous jump serves, he serves the ball to Ushijima. Or rather, at Ushijima. After all, his true goal is to hit Ushijima in the face.

Smack! Oikawa smirks at that spectacular sound, expecting a thud to come signalling that Ushijima has fallen. Instead he looks up bewildered - Ushijima had caught the ball in one hand while his body had turned to leave the court. With his eyes closed, the ball was thrown out and the referee's long blow of the whistle ended the game, Shiratorizawa is the winner. At this moment, Oikawa would have broken down crying if it had been a real match but he was too preoccupied with wondering how the Shiratorizawa Volleyball captain did it. It was just not possible. Not humanly possible to have done such a thing, unless he had super senses or magical powers. It wasn't right, it was just—

"Out of this world," Iwaizumi commented, slinging a towel over Oikawa's shoulder. Oikawa nods, he loved how Iwaizumi was able to finish his thoughts. "That was just so weird," Oikawa replies, continuing to scrutinize Ushijima who sat quietly on the benches, ignoring his loud teammates's - Tendo Satori specifically - chatter. "There's something familiar about that guy and I just can't lay a finger on it. Maybe he's an alien too," Oikawa wonders aloud, earning a slap to the back of his head.

"For like the hundredth time Shittykawa, you're not an alien!" Iwaizumi shouts and the gym grows quiet at the sudden loud screech of a bench. Everyone turns to see Ushijima standing straight up, the bench behind him having been abruptly pushed back. "Meet me outside the school," Ushijima requests, a finger pointing directly at Oikawa before he hurries out the gym's doors. Shiratorizawa's coach immediately bows down apologetically but Oikawa shakes it off with a smile. It doesn't take him long to slip out while the teams sort out on their apologies.

"Ushiwaka-chan~?" Oikawa calls out playfully. If Ushijima needed something to resolve, he hoped that they weren't intending to become friends. Ushijima was definitely a skilled player, but not someone Oikawa would want to get close too with that creepy, stoic demeanor. But next thing he knows, Ushijima has come to kneeled before him, "Your Majesty." Oikawa can't help but stumble backwards - how could he know? It's been over five or six years, never would he have expected to be called something so highly ever again. Oikawa doesn't hesitate to pick up a stray stick off the ground, waving it near Ushijima's face. "W-Who are you? How did you possibly find m-me?" With his memories of Terushima's raid flashing before his eyes, he panics.

Oikawa shoves the stick into Ushijima's eye but the latter doesn't even flinch. Instead, the twig snaps as sparks fly out of the latter's orb. "Your majesty, I'm a cyborg. Terushima has sent me to kill you. I won't kill you. I won't kill you because I now know who the true enemy is."

"And who might that be? Are you honestly telling me that you refuse to work for Terushima any longer? Terushima who will kill you as soon as he finds out about your treachery... Then again, he just might hire someone to kill you. Better yet, he might have a replacement cyborg. A cyborg who has been programmed to obey his every whim." Oikawa is no longer scared. Instead, he is furious. How can Ushijima claim to change loyalties so quickly? How can he betray someone? Oikawa's parents had fought for him until the very end.

"Yes," Is Ushijima's simple response. "Yes, I am."

"Prove it," Oikawa hisses, "Prove your so called loyalty." As Oikawa gazes at him with fire in his eyes, a fire that threatens to consume him, Ushijima is able to understand why Terushima is afraid of Oikawa. After all, the fire that seems to radiate from his eyes and his body is an uncontrollable. It is a hungry wildfire that A fire burns in order to consume the guilty.

"I will, your majesty," Ushijima responds, before holding out one of his large hands and staring at it. After staring at it for a few seconds, he is able to project a video. A video that shows him unable to save Oikawa's family but able to give them a proper burial. "I know it is not much," Ushijima says in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, "But it was all that I was able to do. I should've done more."

Almost as suddenly as Oikawa's anger boiled up within him, it dissipates. With a sad and regretful look on his face, Ushijima reminds him of himself. Why did we leave them? Why, why, why? After a deep but shaky breath, Oikawa is able to respond. "We can't change the past, Ushiwaka-chan. You can't go back and save them, and neither can I. However, we can change the future. Will you help me change the future?"

With one of his rare smiles, Ushijima says, "Of course, your majesty."

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CHAPTER CREDITS

Character design & development (for Oikawa): Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Character design & development (for Iwaizumi): Kira (@nvillera)

Character design & development (for Ushijima): Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Scenario development: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Writing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera)

Editing: Nika Ravenscraft & Kira (@nvillera) 

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