Pt. 2 of Eyes Mini-Series
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"Hey, are you awake?" You were curled up in your bed with tears still wetting the pillow, "I am going to work, (Y/n)." He didn't knock, knowing you were awake and didn't want to pester you. Your best friend was so sincere and patience, making you feel guilty for not answering, "I made you breakfast and lunch. Do you want something for dinner?"
There was no light in the room with how the curtain never moved an inch. It was dark and cold, and it had been like this for almost a month now. It's been days after the event when you take off the rose gold wedding ring from your finger. Somehow, you will linger your nails there, tracing the now empty space.
"I-I want onigiri." It's something that you and the editor enjoyed since high school, "I am okay with any brand." He chuckled as he heard your voice. You are trying to say something but too abashed to ask for it.
"You want Onigiri Miya, isn't it?" You pouted a little. He knew you like the back of his palm, "Alright, I will buy you some. I will take my leave now. See you tonight." But he didn't leave yet, waiting for you to answer.
He remembered how your eyes were blurred with tears when you stood in front of his house. You were shaking all over your body as you dropped your bag to the ground. He couldn't think at all, but the only right thing to do that time was to pull you in his embrace.
You didn't know where to go that night, and your family live on the different side of the country after all. When you share the news with your parents in the morning later, they are devastated. They knew how caring Bokuto was for you, and they knew how much you love him. So the fact that you two are not meant to be, shocking everyone who knew the two of you.
But then, no one could do anything to change the tragic reality.
"See you tonight, Kaashi." A smile emerged on his face. After days trying to make you talk more, a simple parting feels like a vast advanced.
You could hear the sound of the door closing, meaning that the black-haired man finally leaves for work. With that, you sat down on your bed, trying to accumulate every last piece of the will to live. You want to reach your phone and searching for information about your ex-husband.
"If I found you scrolling the social media to find Bokuto-san, I wouldn't hesitate to change your smartphone into a telephone."
Remembering what Akaashi said when he saw you moping on his living room, you shuddered. He usually calmed and composed, but he sure could be scary sometimes. You throw your phone back to the bed, decided to just grab some breakfast instead.
Three weeks had passed when you were no longer a Bokuto. It still made you frown as you think about it since you love that owl so much. Even now, you still love him dearly. You shook your head and grabbed the breakfast that Akaashi prepared for you. Sliding down on one of the chairs, you just realised how quiet this house is.
"Itadakimasu." You murmured, frowning at the lack of voice. Since married, you never eat breakfast alone. It's something that you two wouldn't miss, not even when he already falling out of love from you. You just stuffed your mouth with the delicious food, moaning here and there because Akaashi's cooking is like from a Michelin star restaurant- not that you have ever been in one.
After having a lonely breakfast, you cleaned the whole house as a token of gratitude. You need to get back to the real work as fast as you can so you didn't bother your best friend anymore. Even though he said that he didn't mind the company, you were still feel bad about it.
Somehow, you couldn't face Akaashi. It feels like you have failed him for getting a divorce with Bokuto. After all, you knew how Akaashi was the one who pushed you and the ace to have a relationship. He even cried at your wedding because he said that you two looks perfect together.
Maybe it's finally time for you to take back your life. You were given a chance to found a new path to choose. It didn't have to be about finding a new guy, but at least you need to work hard and become the independent woman that you always want.
So you started small. All-day long, you occupy yourself with work at home, doing all of the assignment that your boss gave to you. The digital company that you worked in was just full of considerate people. When they knew you are getting a divorce, they immediately told you to take a rest and get back to work until you were ready. Something that you were really grateful of.
Too focused on your work, you didn't realise how the sun was long gone and replaced by the moon.
Akaashi was back from his work, and he blinked to see your room opened wide. You were not there, and it made him frantic for thinking about your whereabouts. He was trying to remain calm and search his house first. When he walked past the office room, you were there sitting with your legs crossed, fingers typing on the keyboard.
He smiled at the sight. It's the first time he saw you out of the room without him nagging at you. You were too absorbed with your work and flinched when you heard a soft knock on the door that was opened wide. You turned around and found Akaashi, a smile appeared on your lips.
"I brought the onigiri." That's the only thing he said, and it made you jumped from the chair. In seconds, you were already stood in front of him, "You really love this onigiri, huh?"
"How could I not?!" You grabbed one from the plastic bag, "You bought me my favourite flavour! Thank you!" With the onigiri in your hand, you smiled and really looked like a child. The gunmetal blue eyes staring deep at your expression, "What is it, Kaashi?" You just realised that he didn't respond to your gratitude.
"It's just-" He gulped down and gave you a smile, your heart skipped a bit at the sight. But with just a blink of your eyes, it's back to normal, "I just miss your cheery personality. It feels good to have you back." You chuckled at this, Akaashi was always the best man that you want to keep in your life. He's mature and thinks about everything through.
"Well, glad to have you here and be patience to me!" Akaashi patted your head gently and told you to sit down before eating the onigiri that he brought. After three weeks dominated with silence, he was glad he could gradually saw the real you coming back, something that's forcibly taken away from your life.
"When is the first time you buy this onigiri?" The taste hooked your best friend since years ago, so it's only natural that he brought up the overly famous onigiri as the topic of your conversation.
"I didn't buy it actually," You were just done munching on one and grab another from the plastic bag, "Miya Atsumu, the twin brother who owned this, is Bo's teammates and he bought it for me." His black eyebrows raised a little, "I usually brought them bento for each member. He said it was a little thing to say thank you."
You moaned a little at how delicious the onigiri is, it's rich with flavour, and the stuffing is overflowed, "But, here's the tea," You tried to wipe the filling out of your lips. Akaashi noticed this and helped you instead, brushing his thumb on your side lips carefully.
"There, you were clean now." He said it with his usual calmed voice. You blinked and gulped down before faking a cough, trying to calm down the nagging feeling that prevailed in your heart. Something odd, something familiar yet you couldn't pinpoint what is it. Or rather, didn't want to explore it again, "So, the tea?"
"Ehem," You smirked, and Akaashi already regretting it, "The Miya Atsumu, is having a crush on lil' old me!" A triumphant smile appeared on your voice, "Since I still belong to Bo, Kaashi! Imagine that! How could someone have a crush on me? Someone's married!"
You were saying that with a playful tone, but Akaashi knew you too well. In every word you said, there lay insecurity that you always tried to hide. Since you knew you would spend the rest of your life with Bokuto Koutarou, you haven't think about what will you do if you ever get a divorce.
And now, it's when everything becomes real. Your shoulder slouched immediately, Akaashi noticed the drastic changes and put down the onigiri back. You were silence, didn't say a thing. It's like your mind and body wouldn't work properly anymore. So he did what he always does since the two of you were still teenagers.
He crawled beside you, wrapping his arm on your shoulder and pulled you to his embrace. You let out a loud gasped like your soul was finally back to your body, clenching at his shirt as you silently sobbed on his chest. He cooed you, fingers tugging your hair away from your face.
Akaashi Keiji is a martyr.
He was the one who introduced you to Bokuto that day, but he didn't expect the two of you to fall in love at the process. The ex-setter has been in love with you way before you met the dual-coloured hair. But with how you clicked with the said man, Akaashi couldn't help but just loving you from the sideline as you were married to the man of your dreams.
And it's something that he regretted after knowing what his best friend has done to you. He hated the thought of someone could have hurt someone like you. You were so delicate and only wanted the best for the others, never been selfish in your life. And look where it brought you.
"Let it all out, (Y/n)." It pained him every time you emitted a sob, it feels like someone just stabbed him again and again, "I'll be right by your side, you don't have to go through this alone."
He couldn't do anything except holding you on his embrace. Something that he always did but yet, his arm has never become your last destination. He was so used to be the transit, and he didn't mind it at all, as long as there's the glimpse of you in his life.
***
Akaashi was now waiting for you to get off from your work. It has become a routine for the two of you ever since you were back to work on the office. Three months had passed when you were no longer a married woman. It was starting to get better, and every day seems like you were unstoppable.
But then he realised, it was all because you never met him. For three months, you never get face to face with the rowdy ex-husband of yours that you really love. It's possible that you were just hiding the pain away, like what he always do his entire life.
Locking all of the love inside. Didn't let anyone to find it.
The sound of familiar heels knocking at the ground woke him up from the deep thought. There you are, walking towards him with a smile like it's plastered permanently on your face. You were gorgeous; you have been gorgeous in his eyes for his entire life.
This new routine made him enjoy his day more. He is always looking forwards to this moment, and even his coworker seems to notice this positive change that occurred in his life. Both of you will walk home together and past the grocery store, buying things for the house.
After talking about it, he decided to ask you to be his roommate. Since the house is his already, you agreed to help him with house chores and buying some things for the house. The thought of you living alone scared him. He didn't want to wake up in the middle of tonight, thinking about your wellbeing, afraid that something will happen with how fragile your heart currently is. That's why he wanted you to live with him instead.
Akaashi wouldn't lie, this is what he always imagine if you were his from the start—going home together, appreciating your presence without even once leaving his gaze away from you. So when he knew his best friend was falling out of love from you, he just wanted to dash and reach you—confessing about the secret feeling that he harbours for you since the first year of his high school life.
You stopped in the middle of the walk all of a sudden. Akaashi realised this and turned his head to face you. You were looking at something, eyes full of adoration. He clenched his fist and followed where your gaze falls, knowing exactly what could possibly make your gazes looks like that.
There on the side of the road, a massive digital billboard was lightening the night. Bokuto Koutarou smiles so brightly as he jumped to spike a ball. It was a sight to behold, how he looks so happy and feel like everything is on his hands.
Everything, and you used to be one of it. You bit your lips, all of the walls that you build carefully seems to get teared down little by little as your eyes never leave the bright screen. Akaashi walked towards you and wiped the tears that already strolled down on your cheek, tears that you didn't even realise still poured because of the feelings that you have for the ace of MSBY.
The state you were in, didn't hurt just one heart. But you didn't know that at the time,
"Hey, Kaashi." You called out to your best friend who answered you with his usual hum, "Do you want to watch a volleyball match?" Akaashi blinked at your request. Eyebrows twitched with confusion.
"What do you want to achieve here, (Y/n)?" He didn't know what will happen if you encounter Bokuto in real life. You have already let down the tears with just a sight of him in the billboard, Akaashi couldn't imagine the scenario that will unfold if you saw the man you love that slipped between your fingers.
"I would never move on if I didn't see him after all of this time, Keiji." You were rarely called him by his given name. It must be serious if you used it, "I need to see him one more time, I need to part ways with him properly." You gulped down, "But I couldn't do it alone, I—"
"I will be there." Akaashi caressed your arms that went rigid the second you watched the billboard, but it relaxed a little when his touched fall on yours, "You can count on me, (Y/n)."
After all, Akaashi Keiji will do anything for you without hesitating even for a second.
***
The gymnasium was so crowded today, it's the semifinal of the tournament right now, and you were actually hyped for this moment. You always love the lively energy from the spectators that you could absorb, and even though you were no longer Bokuto's wife, you will cheer on his team without a doubt.
"Oh, Akaashi-san." You heard a familiar voice from the side. It's Miya Osamu, the owner of Onigiri Miya. He looked at your best friend and talked to him like they were old friends. Akaashi decided to buy some to eat at the tribune.
Sometimes, the twins would steal a glance towards you. And it didn't go unnoticed by Akaashi. His eyes twitched a little, annoyed by how the man in front of him looked like he has something on his mind while looking at you. Then there you were, standing beside Akaashi looking as oblivious as ever.
"What is it?" Your best friend asked the tall man, "Do you have something to say?" Miya Osamu blinked at the sudden possessiveness that lingered on your best friends' voice.
"My apologies, miss. But—" You were now looking at the man, "Are you perhaps Bokuto Koutarou's wife?" Your hand unconsciously cling to Akaashi's wrist.
"What—"
"I am sorry, but I am not anymore." You answered him with a little more confidence in your voice. Trying to calm down your best friend that somehow like he was ready to go berserk, "So if you are friends with Kaashi, just called me (L/n) from now on, thank you."
You two take your leave after that, finding the best spot to watch the game. It was lucky for the two of you to find a place on the front row. The host calling out the starting line up, you were so hyped and screamed at the top of your lungs once your ex-husband teammates were being called.
"GO, GO! BOKUTO!" You looked so free when you cheered on him. It's been months since the last time you saw him with both of your eyes after all. Pride engulfed your body as the game started and MSBY looks like they own the match already.
Akaashi stole some glances towards you, and he was sure you were still in love with his best friend by the look on your face. Your eyes may didn't shine as bright as it used to. But it's still there, lingering on your orbs as your gaze fell to the man who wore number twelve in the team.
If someone would ever ask him is it hurt or not, he would say it used to be so hurt. That at the one point if there's a surgery to remove these feelings, he will pay for it even though he will live with debt for the rest of his life. But as the years pass by, he started to get used to it. He began to feel numb because he already been through all of the hurt. And on your wedding day with you walking down the aisle to his best friend, was the day when he finally cracked.
His gaze on you was split when you stood immediately and roared. He looked to the court because of your outburst. And you were right, MSBY won the first set with ease. After that, Akaashi will observe the play and told you about what actually happened on the court as you frequently cheered when someone from the team made a score. Mostly, it was your ex-husband, though.
"Oh, look who finally decided to show up on our game." Miya Atsumu found your figure on the front row, smiling excitedly with how the game's work, "Guys, that's our mom." This sentence brought everyone attention to you. All of them widened their eyes when they realised it was you.
Bokuto dropped his water bottle, too shocked to see you there. Does she cheer on me? Will she still want to cheer for me? As if to know what's crossing his mind, Miya wrapped one arm on his neck, "Whoa! Our mom looks like she brought someone along!"
That's when Bokuto noticed the man who accompanied you. Miya Atsumu expected the ace to go emo and whined. But no, he just smiles at the sight. He was happy to know that Akaashi will take care of you. He knew how close you to are, like a brother and sister who couldn't leave each other side.
Though, the entire team could see something that their ace couldn't grasp. The black-haired man beside you gazing at you with eyes full of love and adoration. They knew it because it was how you always look at the ace every time you came to bring them food. The entire team wanted to tell him that,
But maybe making him realised it by himself is the best option that they could offer.
The match has ended with MSBY as the winner. Enjoying the game and cheered at the top of your lungs feels like you were just pouring all of your problems out from your system. You were so excited and told your best friend about how happy you are today. Akaashi listened to every word you said as he held your wrist gently to prevent you from being lost in the crowded place.
Both of you were already near the exit when a familiar voice roared behind you,
"HEY HEY HEY!!!" You jolted when you heard the famous line from Bokuto. The sound that you couldn't get tired of actually, no matter what the circumstances is, "Are you two going to watch me play without saying hi?" He pouted, the same expression that he always wore when he felt neglected by you, and it still works.
"We are sorry, Bokuto-san. We thought you were busy after the match." Akaashi said calmly as his gunmetal blue eyes locked with the golden one, "Good game today." He was ready to turn around and just pulled you out. Your eyes showed how you were longing for the loud man, and it didn't go passed his gaze unnoticed.
"H-Hey, wait!" Bokuto ran out to you, cutting the gap between you and him. This action made Akaashi stood in front of you, shielding you from the closeness of the someone you love. The tug on his shirt startled him. He turned to look at you, your eyes gazing at him with reassurance.
At this time, you are ready. You slipped your hands away from Akaashi and took a step towards Bokuto, a smile adorning your cheek, and it something almost made Bokuto cry. His golden orbs were glossy with tears already, but he held everything back, remembering the promise that he made to his best friend and teammates.
"You really play a good game, Bo!" You patted his shoulder as Akaashi eyeing the interaction between you and the ace, "Win the match tomorrow, okay?! Tell the others that I miss them all!"
"They really miss you, (Y/n)." Even if you were now calling him by his last name, it's weird for him to call you with your family name too. After all, for three whole years, you were known to be a Bokuto, "I miss you too, you know." He scratched his neck a little, "And uhm... I-I really wish that someday you will be loved by someone too, as much as you love them." And someone who didn't waste your love like I did.
You remember the wish that you gave to him the night where you two saying goodbyes for each other. This time, you didn't know either to cry or just smile at him. He looks great and healthy, like nothing actually impact his life. With volleyball trailing on his days, he was happy enough. At least that was shown from the outside. And his happiness is the only thing that you need to know before closing this one chapter of your life.
He used to love you, and that's the only fact that you need to hold. So you took a step forward and wrapped your arms around his torso. Engulfing him on one last hug as your feeling still burst with love. He was a little bit shocked by the action, but he holds you back without a second doubt, "I wish you the best in your life, (Y/n)."
"And I wish you the best too, Koutarou." You two parted ways, smiling and grateful for choosing to come to this match. Maybe your love for him wouldn't begone entirely. But it will, one step at a time.
You walked beside Akaashi, who still has a worried look on his eyes. But when your eyes met him, he knew that you will be fine from now on. Bokuto looked at the two, and happy to found that you were not alone in your journey.
He was aching for you, for your attention. Thank his teammates that he at least have a considerable amount of food. He wanted you, but he didn't love you anymore. Like what Akaashi said, he needed to stop being selfish.
His finger patted his pocket, hiding there was your wedding ring. Maybe he wouldn't have you anymore, but it will always remind him the best three years that he ever have. One good thing in his life that he needed to let go.
So he turned his head, walking back towards his team. He missed how your smile never leave your face as your hands were wrapped around the arms of someone. Your eyes shone with hope, something that you lost three months ago. And now, you started to find it in the form of the black-haired man.