A/N: Song recommendation for this chapter: Take Me Home by Bebe Rexha. If you want to feel all sorts of emotions, read this chapter while listening to the song. I linked it above! Enjoy ;)
Chapter 65:
Mizuki stared anxiously at the door in front of her.
She didn't know what had possessed her to fly all the way back to Japan after Mateo proposed to her at the beach just two days ago. Everything that happened afterwards was a hazy blur, and she found herself buying a ticket back to her home country with one clear purpose:
To find out the truth.
Mizuki took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Her heart was pounding furiously, and although she tried to calm herself down by thinking about her happiest memories, it didn't work.
After all, her happiest memories were with Kei.
Yamaguchi opened the door frantically, as if he had been expecting someone else to be in front of him.
"Tsu- Toma-san?!" His mouth hung open in disbelief, "What are you doing here?!"
"Yamaguchi," Mizuki murmured breathlessly, "I know that you weren't expecting me but-"
"Wait! Hold on...What is going on?!" Yamaguchi bit his fingernails apprehensively.
"What do you mean? Is everything okay?" She asked worriedly, "Is Kei here?"
"Is that Kei?" A voice from inside their apartment exclaimed.
Hayashi came sprinting from the kitchen and her hopeful expression turned to shock when she saw Mizuki standing by the doorway.
"Hayashi..." Mizuki greeted warmly, "Hey..."
"Toma..." Hayashi bit her lip, "What are you doing here?"
"W-well..." She stammered, staring down on her feet, "I... Um..."
Mizuki didn't quite know how to explain to Hayashi that she was there to talk to Kei and confirm what Iwaizumi had boldly stated about him two days ago. Yamaguchi urged her to come in and they quickly recapped what had happened with Kei.
"Kei's missing?" Mizuki exclaimed exasperatedly, "What... Are you sure?"
"I woke up yesterday and he wasn't here," Yamaguchi explained, clearly troubled by his best friend's sudden disappearance, "I thought that maybe he was at Hayashi-san's but he wasn't answering my calls or texts so I got really worried... I called Akiteru-san and he has no clue where he went either..."
"Kei wouldn't just disappear..." Hayashi shook her head solemnly, "There has to be an explanation."
Mizuki couldn't believe what she was hearing. If something had happened to Kei, she wouldn't be able to keep sane. If he really was gone...
"Suzuki-san did have a theory..." Yamaguchi avoided their inquisitive gazes, "But it's probably not what happened..."
"Rina?" Mizuki asked softly, "What was her theory?"
Yamaguchi cleared his throat and faced Mizuki, "When you were in Argentina... Hinata was video-calling us and well, we saw and heard what happened between you and Eiji-san..."
"Oh..."
"Tsukki... also heard." He revealed faintly.
"What happened?" Hayashi asked slowly.
Mizuki pursed her lips together anxiously as her stomach churned. She didn't even care about finding out the truth now - all she wanted was for him to be safe.
"Mateo proposed to me." Mizuki stated, causing Hayashi's eyes to widen in surprise.
Yamaguchi nodded and continued, "Suzuki-san thought that maybe... That... Uh..."
"He went to Brazil, to find you." Hayashi finished the sentence for him.
The three stood there in deafening silence. Mizuki held her breath as she processed Hayashi's puzzling declaration. There was no way...
Mizuki's phone rang abruptly, interrupting the tension and silence that engulfed the room. She took out her phone and noticed one of her roommates calling her. She excused herself and answered the call.
"Olá?"
"Mizuki! Tem um homem aqui te procurando! Não é Mateo!" Her roommate exclaimed loudly.
There was someone looking for her and it wasn't Mateo? She swallowed apprehensively, trying her best to remain calm.
It couldn't be Kei. It couldn't be.
"Quem é esse?" She asked softly.
"Seu nome é Kei."
Mizuki froze, every fiber in her body burning with exhilaration and bewilderment.
Kei.
He was in Brazil.
He was looking for her.
Why?
"Ele está aí agora?" Mizuki bit her lip nervously.
"Mhm! Ele é bonito..." Her roommate replied instantly.
"Ele é meu amigo. Vou ligar para ele agora mesmo. Muito obrigado!" She exclaimed, ending the call right after.
"Who was that?" Yamaguchi asked curiously.
"It was my roommate," Mizuki cleared her throat, "She said that... Kei's there..."
Before anyone could say anything else, he video-called her. She pressed answer instantly and was greeted by an exhausted Kei, standing in her dorm room in Brazil.
"Mizuki, where are you? I'm-" Kei trailed off the second he saw Yamaguchi and Hayashi beside her.
"Are you in Japan?" He asked slowly, his eyebrows narrowing in confusion, "What... Why are you there...?"
"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi grabbed the phone out of Mizuki's hands, nearly in tears, "You stupid jerk! Why didn't you tell anyone where you were headed?! I was so worried!"
"Yamaguchi..." Kei sighed guiltily, "Sorry... It was a last-minute decision and..."
"Kei, what are you doing there?" Mizuki mumbled nimbly.
Yamaguchi gave the phone back to her as they waited patiently for his response.
"Well... I..." His gaze darted around her room, avoiding the camera.
"I know why he's there." Hayashi finally spoke up.
"Ayumi..." Kei pursed his lips together.
Hayashi faced Mizuki quietly, and said, "You're still in love with Toma, aren't you, Kei?"
Mizuki's eyes widened, unsure of what to say. Meanwhile, Kei remained silent, uncertain of how to respond to his girlfriend.
"I told you I loved you, and you couldn't say it back..." Hayashi smiled sadly, "In a way, I think I've always kind of known. It was never going to be me."
"That's... That's not true, right, Kei?" Mizuki defended her childhood friend, "He cares about you, Hayashi! I'm sure of it!"
"Not in the way that he cares about you..." Hayashi laughed softly, "I mean, he ran to Brazil the second he found out that you were proposed to. I don't think he would ever do that for me."
"I'm sorry, Ayumi..." Kei murmured tenderly, "I do care about you but..."
"In the end, it will always be her," Hayashi declared thinly, "I know."
"Hayashi..." Mizuki mumbled faintly.
"If I'm being honest, I'm jealous of you, Toma..." She chuckled darkly, "You're lucky to have someone who loves you the way Kei loves you. I wish I had someone like that."
Hayashi took a deep breath and faced him, "Bye, Kei."
She headed towards the door and although Mizuki tried to stop her, she insisted that it was fine.
Hayashi realized a long time ago that she could never compete with someone like Mizuki.
After she slammed the door closed, Mizuki sluggishly walked back to the sofa where Yamaguchi was awkwardly sitting after witnessing the whole situation.
"I think you two have a lot to talk about..." Yamaguchi cleared his throat as he stood up, "I'll be in my room..."
He quickly sauntered to his room, leaving Mizuki alone on the sofa to talk to Kei.
"Are you okay...?" Mizuki mumbled gently.
"Me?" Kei murmured, "I... I guess I am."
"Kei..." She spoke softly, "You should call Hayashi... Clear up this whole misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?" He asked.
"The... You're still in love with me... misunderstanding..." Mizuki answered as she looked away, flustered.
"Oh."
Silence befell the both of them, and although Kei wanted to admit his true feelings to her, he didn't know whether or not it was appropriate because of Mateo.
"Why did you go to Brazil, Kei?" She broke the silence.
"Why are you in Japan?" He retorted back playfully.
"I asked you first!" Mizuki huffed, blushing slightly.
"Fine..." Kei cleared his throat, "I wanted to... say hi."
"Really?" She answered flatly.
"Alright..." He sighed defeatedly, "I heard Eiji propose to you then Hinata's phone died. I... I just needed to know what you said."
"You went all the way to Brazil just for that?" She bit her lip, "Kei..."
"Are you marrying him?" He asked straightforwardly as he braced himself for her answer.
Mizuki took a deep breath as she pursed her lips together. She twiddled her thumbs, recalling the memory of her, Mateo, Hinata, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi in Argentina. Mateo got down on one knee and asked her if she would marry him after their college graduation.
To her own surprise, she said no.
"No... I'm not marrying him..." She confessed faintly.
Kei's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering if it was because of him that she said no. Probably not, he thought to himself.
"You're not...?" He repeated skeptically.
"I told him that we were too young to get married..." Mizuki explained, "He got angry right after I said no and broke up with me..."
"Oh..." Kei frowned, agitated by Mateo's actions, "I'm sorry... You didn't deserve that..."
Kei's own guilt and shame for breaking up with her resurfaced, instantly making him feel regret and anguish. Mizuki shouldn't have to go through so much heartbreak in her life, he thought to himself.
"It's okay..." She reassured him, "I did like him so it kind of sucked being broken up with, but... I guess it wasn't meant to be."
"Mizuki... I really am sorry..." He repeated apologetically.
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." She insisted.
"This might be inappropriate for me to bring up but..." Kei's eyebrows furrowed in wonder, "I thought you didn't mind getting married early..."
Mizuki paused and held her breath, avoiding his gaze. She recalled telling him that when they were second-years in high school, and she couldn't believe he still remembered that.
"I guess..." Her lips curved to form a small, subtle smile, "It depends on the person..."
He blinked a few times before letting out a tender chuckle, "Right..."
"I think Mateo got mad at me because I said yes when you proposed but not to him, and keep in mind, we were a lot younger then..." Mizuki added sheepishly.
She only said no to him because saying yes somehow didn't feel right. She felt like Mateo wasn't the one she was destined to be with. So, did that mean that she was supposed to be with... Kei? Fate seemed to have other plans for them so maybe not. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be with Kei either.
"His loss." Kei declared coolly.
Mizuki didn't know how to respond to that. All she could feel was her palms sweating and her heart fluttering in a startling way.
"So... Care to explain why you're in Japan?" He asked inquisitively.
"I wanted... to say hi." She mumbled, her face burning with heat from the embarrassment.
Kei laughed softly, causing her to smile a little.
"Um... About what Hayashi said... Is it true?" Mizuki brought up as she played with the hem of her shirt nervously.
"What?"
"Is it true that... you're still in love with me?" She asked gently.
At this point, her insides felt like they were convulsing from nervousness. She didn't know what answer she wanted from Kei but...
"I... Mizuki..." Kei sighed, interrupting her trail of overwhelming thoughts.
"Please, Kei... Tell me the truth." She mumbled.
He took a deep breath as he fixed his glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. He clutched onto his phone tightly, knowing that once he professed to her how he really felt all these years after their breakup, there was no going back. There was also a chance that he was going to get rejected, and he wouldn't be surprised, given the amount of emotional pain he inflicted Mizuki the night before she left for Brazil. However, he knew that if he didn't tell her, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He wanted another chance to prove to her that he was truly sorry, and for them to be friends again.
He missed her so much, damn it.
"It's true." Kei revealed with conviction, his eyes gleaming with sincerity.
Mizuki was incredibly speechless and she felt lightheaded from his unforeseen declaration. She didn't expect for him to still be in love with her after all these years. She thought that he had moved on. Iwaizumi was right.
"I know I hurt you, Mizuki..." He continued tenderly, "What I did to you 3 years ago was the worst mistake of my life. I'd do anything to take it all back."
Mizuki was silent as he confessed his tumultuous feelings that he had been hiding and attempting to ignore for the last few years.
"For 3 years, we didn't talk to each other much..." He mumbled, "I understand that it was my fault but... It was like hell not hearing your voice or seeing your face."
She stared at him, trying to process everything he had said. There was a lot to take in, and she felt as if her brain had malfunctioned.
"I care about you and I want to be in your life," Kei declared earnestly, "If it's only as friends, I don't mind. Just... If you'd let me, I want to be by your side."
He paused, searching for any hints of acceptance behind her dazed expression. She hadn't said anything for a while which made him feel even more anxious than ever. Maybe she couldn't forgive him after what he had done. Maybe he was too late. Should he even bother asking for another chance? He was just humiliating himself at this point.
Why should he even try?
Kei, from out of the blue, remembered something that was said to him years ago when he was a first-year in Karasuno High.
"Maybe for yourself, for your own pride."
Kei took a deep breath, determined to push through and to say everything that he wanted to say. He wanted to live a life with no regrets, and to be more specific, he wanted to live a life that had Mizuki in it. Even though he was still irrevocably in love with her, he didn't care if all she wanted was to be friends.
Being her best friend was a blessing and a privilege.
"I promise I'll do better," Kei stated resolutely, "I'll be better. You're my best friend... I need you."
He sat on her bed and declared, "Please give me a second chance, Mizuki."
A few minutes had passed, and Mizuki finally spoke out.
"You... are so cheesy..." She shook her head, smiling affectionately.
Kei chuckled tenderly, relieved that she had finally said something. It wasn't what he was expecting though.
"You're my best friend, Kei..." She murmured fondly, "I'll always need you."
He chuckled as he shook his head happily in disbelief. Hearing her say that made him feel warm and pleasant inside. What he was experiencing could be described as butterflies-in-the-stomach type of feeling. It was almost like that for Kei, except so much more chaotic.
"Thank you for telling me how you feel but..." She pursed her lips together thoughtfully, "I think that maybe we should stay as friends for now... We both just got out of a relationship, after all..."
"I understand... And you're right..." He nodded in agreement.
Additionally, Kei took note of the fact that she said for now.
It meant... There was a chance.
He might have a second chance.
"But... I would like that." Mizuki smiled softly.
"What?" He asked slowly.
"For you... to be my side." She admitted, blushing slightly.
He stared at her in bewilderment, unable to fathom what he was hearing.
"... Who's the cheesy one now?" Kei teased, chuckling.
"Shut up!" She huffed.
They both paused for a few seconds before bursting out in laughter. Everything felt right again, somehow.
"Now will you finally tell me why you're in Japan?" Kei asked curiously.
"Okay... Um... It was to find out the truth." She admitted timidly.
"The truth about what?" Ha waited for her to continue.
"Iwaizumi-san said that... Actually, never mind." Mizuki dismissed quickly.
It was too embarrassing to admit that Iwaizumi told her that Kei might still be in love with her so she came running back to Japan with hope that it was true.
And, it was.
Kei was still in love with her.
"Oh come on... You promised you would tell me after I told you why I'm in Brazil..." He grimaced.
"Fine..." She sighed defeatedly, "But, I'll tell you only in person."
"Alright... Should I wait for you to get back here?" He asked, his excitement increasing at the thought of seeing her in person again.
"I'm on spring break!" She grinned, "You, on the other hand, are missing classes, work and volleyball practice! You have to come back!"
"Okay, I guess you're right..." He smiled.
"You know, we could've avoided this whole thing if we just called each other..." Mizuki stated bashfully.
"Yeah... We could've saved money..." Kei pointed out, "It was worth it though."
"What? Spending thousands on a plane ticket?" She inquired.
"Yeah..." He nodded, "It was worth it because it was for you."
Mizuki's face flushed a bright pink color, flustered by his pathetically mushy statement, as she said, "Just... You're so... Ugh! Just come back already!"
"Alright, alright... I'm coming home." Kei smiled affectionately.
She stared at him as she tried to calm her nerves and palpitating heart.
"I can't wait to see you." Mizuki revealed, her eyes shimmering with exhilaration.
"Me too, princess." He replied instantly.
"Kei!" She squeaked, "Don't... call me that! You... stupid..."
"Sorry..." He blushed, mortified by what had automatically come out of his mouth, "Force of habit..."
"It's fine..." She mumbled, trying to hide the fact that she actually liked it, "Be safe, okay?"
"I will. I'll call you before the flight back." He assured her.
"Alright..."
"By the way, before I hang up..." Kei cleared his throat apprehensively.
"Yeah?"
"Remember when you got drunk at the party after the Jackals and Adlers match a few months ago?" He murmured gently.
"Oh... Yeah... That was not my finest moment..." She shook her head shamefully.
He laughed softly, causing her to pout.
"Anyway... I don't know if you remember this but I drove you back to your hotel and you said something to me then." He explained.
"Oh no... What horrible thing did I say?" Mizuki shivered, clearly distraught, "I'm sorry! I was-"
"You told me you loved me." Kei revealed.
Mizuki bit her lip, embarrassed and shocked that something so daring came out of her mouth when she could barely speak to Kei the night of the party. She didn't remember saying that to him, but he would never lie to her. It wouldn't surprise her if drunk Mizuki had lingering, unresolved feelings for Kei. Even now, she knew she loved Kei.
Of course she did... How could she not?
The real question was... Was she still in love with him?
"Oh..." She managed to say.
"Yeah..."
"Listen, Kei-" She began, only to be interrupted by him.
"I'll see you soon, Mizuki." Kei smiled tenderly.
"What- Kei!" She panicked, "Don't hang up yet! Let me explain! I was-"
"Bye, stupid." He smirked, ending the call.
Mizuki gawked at her phone, irritated by his actions. She exhaled, slumping back against the sofa. She stared at the ceiling, smiling to herself.
See you soon, Tsukishima Kei.