Chapter 4:
Team Outing
"No, you can't Kunimi! This seat is reserved for Oikawa!" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at the rookie for the nth time that day. The freshman was convincing Iwaizumi to let him sit beside him for fifteen minutes already.
"Oikawa senpai is probably not coming! It's thirty minutes past 9:00, and we're supposed to be here by 8:30. He's an hour late already!" Kunimi twiddled with his fingers and stared aimlessly at his feet, as if there was something interesting down there.
Iwaizumi pursed his lips at the thought as his eyes fluttered close in frustration. Where the hell is that idiot?! He thought, slightly massaging his temples.
"Iwaizumi-senpai! Please let me sit beside you!" Kunimi's voice faltered as tears brimmed his chinky eyes. The sight made Iwaizumi feel guilty, but he was adamant that Oikawa is coming and that the seat beside him should only be reserved for him.
"For the last time, Kunimi: no!" Iwaizumi snapped, making Kunimi cringe a little bit. "Oikawa is coming, and he's sitting beside me!"
The freshman just sighed in defeat as he trudged his way towards the end of the shuttle, sitting beside Kageyama Tobio, another first year student in Kitagawa Daiichi.
"What happened back there?" Kageyama asked as he eyed Kunimi, who was embarrassed in front of his teammates a while ago.
"Iwaizumi-san won't let me sit beside him. He still thinks Oikawa-senpai is coming." Kunimi replied in a faint voice, but it was still audible enough for Kageyama to hear.
Kageyama scratched his nape as he arched his brows at Kunimi, "Why don't you want to sit at the back anyway? Do you have a problem with me?!"
Kunimi's eyes widened as he shook his head vehemently, "No! It's nothing like that Kageyama-kun, I just get dizzy when I sit at the far-end of the shuttle. I might throw up on the way."
Kageyama's expression was distorted at the thought of Kunimi throwing up. He immediately stood up and shouted at Iwaizumi from the back, "Oi! Iwaizumi-senpai! Please let Kunimi sit at the front. He says he gets dizzy when he sits at the back and might throw up!"
Indistinct chatters filled the atmosphere of the shuttle, repulse was evident in all of their faces because of what Kageyama said.
"Fine! You two, transfer here! Oikawa and I are sitting in the back!" Iwaizumi grabbed his backpack as he headed towards the back of the shuttle. He was already cursing Oikawa mentally as of the moment.
"Is everyone here? We're about to leave in a few minutes!" A tall yet slouchy guy entered their ride. He was already in his tank top and Hawaiian shorts.
Kitagawa Daiichi's team manager took out his notebook and started checking the team's attendance. "Oikawa Tōru? Is Oikawa Tōru here?"
"Not yet sensei..." Iwaizumi replied through gritted teeth as he rested his head on the headrest.
"What do you mean 'not yet' Iwaizumi-kun? It's almost 10:00, if he's not here in fifteen minutes, we're leaving him!" The manager exclaimed firmly, making Iwaizumi jump off his seat.
"Fifteen minutes you say, Sensei?" He asked, and the slouchy man nodded his head in response.
Iwaizumi ran as fast as he could off the shuttle and headed out of the campus. It's a weekday, Oikawa's probably in his apartment right now, and not in their house. He thought to himself as he focused his attention on the road.
Oikawa's apartment was six blocks away from the school and Iwaizumi arrived there in a jiffy. He took the key from under the doormat and hastily shoved it inside the keyhole, unlocking the door, and headed upstairs to where Oikawa's room was.
Iwaizumi barged in without even knocking and what he saw enraged him more. Oikawa was still in his nighties and under his duvet, sleeping.
Iwaizumi fumed red as he dove into the bed, strangling Oikawa, finally waking him up. "HOW COULD YOU NOT WAKE UP EARLY, YOU IDIOT?!" Iwaizumi snapped as Oikawa tried to get Iwa off of him.
"I-Iwa-chan...I-I can't..." Oikawa was having difficulties in finishing his sentence as Iwaizumi's well-toned arms tightened around his neck.
Iwaizumi finally loosened his arms around Oikawa as the chocolate-haired lad started to turn faint purple. Both of them were panting and catching their breaths already.
"ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME?!" Oikawa exclaimed as Iwaizumi threw dagger looks at him.
"You're lucky I didn't." He replied coolly as he stood up and placed his arms on his waist. "Why are you still in bed, Shittykawa?"
"So? Why should I be out of bed early, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa cocked his brow as he crossed his arms in front of him, but his expression softened when he saw Iwaizumi glare at him madly.
"It's the team's outing today, you idiot!" Iwaizumi grabbed the pillow nearest to him and threw it to Oikawa, which he was able to evade.
"Oh..." Oikawa's brows arched as he thought deeply, "...that's today?"
"Yes, you idiot!" Iwaizumi threw his signature dagger looks at Oikawa, who seemed very much affected by it. If looks could kill, Oikawa would have been dead by the moment.
"Give me a moment. I'll just pack my things and take a shower." Oikawa said calmly, as he searched for some beach attires.
"No! You freshen up, I'll pack your clothes, and be quick!" Iwaizumi exclaimed as he reached for Oikawa's favorite backpack on top of the cabinet.
Oikawa was glued on his feet as a wide smile crept up his face, feeling ecstatic at what he just heard. "You'd seriously pack for me, Iwa-chan?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes, so you better hurry!" Iwaizumi checked his wrist-watch, and let out a huff of annoyance. "We only have seven minutes left to catch the shuttle. They'll leave us if we don't get there in seven minutes."
"Yes, sir." Oikawa rushed to the bathroom and took a quick shower. He was humming a mellow tone and enjoying his bath when he heard Iwaizumi shout from the other room, telling him to shower faster.
Oikawa changed into clean clothes and went downstairs where he found Iwa sitting impatiently on the couch. "Let's go!" The spiky-haired guy exclaimed as Oikawa grabbed the bag of chips nearest to him.
The two made it on time and climbed aboard the shuttle, going to their seats in the back. Oikawa was clearly enjoying the view while Iwaizumi was busy playing his favorite game on his phone; Oikawa noticed this after a short while and he nudged his arm faintly.
"Can I play?" He asked politely and Iwaizumi remained silent, eyes still focused on his phone. "Iwa-chan!"
"Don't talk to me." He emphasized every word he uttered, which annoyed Oikawa a bit.
"I'm sorry that I forgot about all of this." Oikawa pouted, playing with a few strands of his hair. Iwaizumi chose to ignore him, which made him gloomy for the rest of the trip.
They arrived at their destination and the whole team shrieked in delight. Most of them scrambled out of the shuttle and into the bay.
The second-year players, the team's troublemakers were already submerged in the cool waters. Some of them were playing, and some were paying close attention to the girls in their summer bikinis. They looked like psychotic perverts as a matter of fact.
The first years, namely Kageyama, Kunimi and Kindaichi were just observing the place and appreciating the ambience and the fine weather they had for the day.
"Let's go, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa shrieked as he pulled Iwaizumi by his wrist, his eyes still glued on his phone.
Oikawa felt a little bit of disappointment when Iwaizumi took his hand from his grip, giving him cold glares. "Don't touch me Tōru!"
Oikawa figured that he might be serious about this 'silent treatment' thing because Iwaizumi rarely calls him by his first name. He sighed as his eyes became watery.
"Oy! Team! Place your stuff in your respective rooms. I already checked us in!" The team manager shouted from afar, and the volleyball team rushed into the beach house, except for the second-years who had to change into dry clothes first.
"Iwaizumi-kun! Since you and Oikawa-kun are the seniors, you two get a separate room, the room smaller than ours, the rest of us will be staying together in the bigger one." The team manager beamed as he gave the key to Iwaizumi who was a bit hesitant in accepting it.
Oikawa who overheard the conversation smiled. The smile faltered however when he saw Iwaizumi who looked disappointed.
"Can't I stay with you guys? Oikawa will be fine in the other room." Iwaizumi replied nonchalantly as he averted his gaze from their manager to Oikawa, who was twiddling with his fingers, pretending that he didn't hear a thing he just said.
"No, the decision's final and irrevocable." The team manager said with finality, as he turned his attention to the rest of the team.
Iwaizumi headed upstairs with Oikawa following close behind. There was an eerie silence between the two of them, not one of them uttering a single word.
Iwa-chan is just so mean! He picked me at my house personally just to give me this silent treatment. He's just so mean! Oikawa thought to himself, swallowing the lump forming in his throat and trying his very best not to shed a single tear.
He was busy thinking what he did wrong that he tripped on one of the steps and fell forward, knocking Iwaizumi who was in front of him.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Iwaizumi fumed red, engulfed in rage, as he pushed Oikawa aside.
"Gomenasai! Iwa-chan! I'm too clumsy!" Oikawa's eyes fluttered to a close as he quivered in fear.
"J-Just be careful next time." Iwaizumi, who was caught off guard at the sight of Oikawa shaking, just shrugged his anger away and continued to trudge his way up to their room.
"Iwa-chan, do you have sunblock?" Oikawa asked nicely, as he looked at Iwaizumi, who was placing his stuff inside the closet.
"Why would I bring sunblock?" Iwaizumi asked nonchalantly and Oikawa realized that Iwaizumi can be very stupid sometimes.
"To protect your skin from the sun?" He replied, a hint of sarcasm evident in his tone.
"I said no! I don't have sunblock!"
"Why are you so mean? Why are you not talking to me?" Oikawa pouted like a child, as Iwaizumi started to change into his beach clothes.
"H-Hey! Don't strip in front of me!" Oikawa remarked, covering his eyes with both his hands.
"You're a guy! Stop reacting like a sissy!" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at him for the nth time and Oikawa started with his childish antics again.
"Why are you so mean?" He asked one more time.
"Why do you talk so much?" Iwaizumi trudged his way to the door and outside the beach house. He dove into the sea himself and had fun with his other teammates.
Oikawa was left at the shorelines, playing with the sands.
The day went by fast for the recently crowned champions of the Junior League. A week had passed since they bagged their championship, but the thought of it still hasn't sunk in for most of them.
The day went by with Iwaizumi not talking to Oikawa, despite the latter's efforts to reach out to the other boy.
It was already dark outside and the team decided to build a bonfire, sing camping songs from their camping experiences and share a few good jokes and stories with each other. Oikawa, on the other hand, was very sad as he stared blankly at his marshmallows, which almost melted because of their close contact with the heat.
A few moments later, he stood up and dusted the specks of sand off his shorts. He went to Iwaizumi's side who noticed his presence and started giving him mean looks.
"What?!" Iwaizumi snapped, irritated by Oikawa's presence. "Let's go get some ice cream!"
"Why don't you go get ice cream yourself?" Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and Oikawa hung his head low.
"Can you at least come with me?" Oikawa spoke softly, but it was audible enough for Iwaizumi to hear. He scratched his nape as he patiently waited for Iwaizumi's answer.
"You can do it. You're big already." He said nonchalantly, and Oikawa was left with no choice but to go by himself.
He turned the knob and opened the door of the freezer room. He let out a faint 'woah' when he found out how big and cold it was inside.
It was his first time in a freezer room and he couldn't help but feel giddy. He grabbed a few pints of ice cream. All their expenses will be shouldered by the school as a reward for them, anyway.
Oikawa's jaw dropped at the sight of the door knob knocked off its place. It was lying on the floor and Oikawa immediately dropped the pints and grabbed the knob, trying to attach it again.
His actions were to no avail and he started panicking. He is trapped inside a spacious room, for Pete's sake, and the temperature probably dropping to zero degrees.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!" Oikawa started screaming in panic, but it seems that no one from the staff was in the vicinity.
He continued to shout for help until he finally gave up. His whole body shuddered as the cold started to bother him.