apotelesma - o. tooru

deux.

Three months later

"Are we seriously the first people here?" Hanamaki asks in disbelief, looking up from the map and at the others. "Where the fuck is their bus?"

Oikawa had always imagined he'd be in Tokyo surrounded by his teammates, with their coach right beside them, ready for nationals. There'd be other schools here, schools from all across the country. Students, loved ones, scouts. They'd be in their sports uniforms, buzzing with energy and excitement, powered with determination.

Instead, he's with his fellow third years, Iwaizumi Hajime, Issei Matsukawa, and Hanamaki Takahiro, standing in front of Fumon Hall, dressed like they were here for a ceremony.

"Traffic is really bad on the interstate highway," Matsukawa quips, folding his arms and tucking his program schedule into the crook of Iwaizumi's elbow as he does so. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, which earns a smirk from Matsukawa.

"So? They could take the train like we did!" Makki exclaims, clearly annoyed. Oikawa lets out a chuckle. "You sound like such a dad, Makki-chan," he quips, earning a smack on the head from Makki's map.

"That hurt," he whines, half-pouting. Now it's Hanamaki's turn to chuckle.

Iwaizumi mumbles something inaudible under his breath before pulling out his phone. It's lit up with a text notification.

"She says we should go inside, they're already there and about to start," Iwaizumi reads, looking up at them with wide eyes. He gets three pairs of widened eyes back, before he sees Oikawa literally zoom past him, his shoes whacking against the pavement, Matsukawa and Hanamaki in tow. "Move Iwa-chan, we're late!" he cries out, like he's about to miss the delivery of his first child.

"I know, you fucking idiot, I'm the one who got the text!" Iwaizumi yells back, taking off after them.

*

He's never seen her that focused before. Not once has she looked up from that piano to look up at the audience as she usually did. Her shoulders extremely tensed up; if he were to sit next to her and breathe he's sure she'd smack him.

This is their final stage, before the last voting and judging takes place. Oikawa glances at the program clenched in Iwaizumi's hand. He's got a really strong grip on it, for something as small as a piece of paper.

He can hear his rhythmic breathing, and sees that his shoulders are tensed up as well. He's stressed for her.

"You're gonna pop a blood vessel if you don't relax, Iwa-chan. You're not some fifty year old with hypertension," Oikawa whispers, nudging him with his shoulder. His best friend snaps out of it, his shoulders sagging back. He mumbles a thanks while Makki pats him on the back.

Their performance ends, the violins lowering to a halt while Mitsuha plays the last chord. She releases a sigh of relief as her hands leave the keyboard and she slumps forward, almost collapsing. Stumbling to her feet, she picks herself up as the rest of the band club watches her with adoring eyes, standing up along with her and bowing simultaneously.

The crowd stands up too, as waves of applause echo around the hall. Mitsuha drops to her knees, bowing with her head to the ground, and Oikawa can see her body shake as she struggles to hold in tears.

She eventually lifts herself up, bowing one more time before the judges before the rest of the band escorts her off the stage. Oikawa can't help but smile proudly. Regardless of the conflicting emotions he harbors inside, he pushes it aside with the elevated sense of seeing her achieve her goals.

He turns to smile at Iwaizumi, to tell him how proud he is of her. Oikawa's taken aback when Hajime instead buries his face in his shoulder and sobs.