Comfort Food

New Year

The silence that follows new year traditions brings you comfort, like sinking into the familiar warmth of your home at the end of a hectic day. For weeks, you suffered through countless temple visits, fought crowds of middle-aged housewives at shopping centers and (the most tiresome of all chores) herded the MSBY Black Jackals to promotional events.

Despite how rambunctious and enigmatic they were, you truly appreciated spending time with the team. And it was as strange as it was insightful to learn about their new year rituals. Bokuto, for example, insisted that seeing an owl was a sign of an auspicious year for the ace (when he did not see any by chance in the first week, he panicked and hauled you both to the zoo). Kiyoomi, too frightened by gatherings and the tsunami of tourists, bunkered away as you begrudgingly dropped off groceries, incense and the occasional meal. Hinata assigned you as the neutral-but-hopefully-slightly-partial third party to measure maximum jumping heights between him and Kageyama over video chat (spoiler alert: Kageyama won as usual). And though Miya was arguably one of the more zealous characters on the team, he quietly sneaked away on random days to help his brother's business (luckily for you, that was one less person to worry about).

Your boss, Kuroo, laughed when you slumped into a conference video after an unsuccessful trip to the zoo (much to Bokuto's disappointment, owls are nocturnal creatures). Though you recently relocated from Tokyo to Osaka and became the Jackals' promotions manager, their strong personalities broke all barriers of discretion.

When the excitement and frenzy of the new year subsided in late January, so did the demands of work. In the quiet suspension between the end of holidays and the horizon of upcoming projects, you found solace in the Tennoji Zoo aviary at dusk. On a random week day after a photoshoot, Bokuto towed you straight to the park (after you made him change into discrete clothing and a hat). Though your managerial duties ended, friendship extended beyond business hours.

"Ah! Right there," Bokuto yelled, alarming the couple at the exhibit's exit. He pointed at a horned owl gliding through the foliage. You congratulated Bokuto, feeling relieved that a zoo visit would be unwarranted until at least the next year.

"Bokuto-san, how did you forget that owls are nocturnal? I thought this was your new year's tradition."

"I dunno. I usually go with Akaashi," He squints his eyes and assumes a thinking position. Ah, that explains everything. You recall meeting Akaashi, who managed to turn what was supposed to be a casual greeting into a debrief about Bokuto from allergies to sleeping habits. It was reminiscent of an overprotective parent dropping off a child at daycare.

".... Akaashi would also tell me owl facts. You know, for good luck," said Bokuto, pursing his lips and averted his gaze. Though he tried not to show signs of anticipation, it was obvious he had expectations for you.

Moments like these made you understand why Kuroo said you were the only one capable of the job. You checked the boxes and had everything the team requested in a manager: patience, foresight and random facts.

"Owls are symbols of guidance," you recited the zoo pamphlet from memory (the one that Bokuto definitely didn't read), "They sat on the shoulder of the blind goddess of wisdom, so that she could see the whole truth."

"Hey hey hey!" His loud voice echoed in the aviary, "So cool! Owls guide the goddess, and I inspire my allies! That's the way of the ace!"

He was easily one of the cheesiest people you know. Who else could rattle off something inspiring without feeling ashamed? To everyone else, the Black Jackals may seem untouchable. On pedestals, even. Despite entering the park 30 minutes before closing time, the staff was more than happy to accommodate your visit. You knew you could get away with anything when the manager caught a glimpse of your friend's face and yelled, "Bokuto beam!"

But in moments like these, when you can peer into snapshots of their everyday lives, it makes you happy to know you can call them friends.

"Let's go get dinner before the evening practice," said Bokuto as you exited the park together.

Before you can ask what Bokuto wants to eat, he promptly waves a taxi over and gives you thumbs up. "I know just the place-- let the owl guide the goddess!"

You slipped through the door and the driver mumbled an unconcerned "hello." He was no doubt overworked and looking forward to the end of his shift. But when Bokuto entered from the other side and took off his hat, the slouching driver perked like a plant that needed a splash of water.

Bokuto chatted with the driver about volleyball season so excitedly, you could hear the disappointment in their voices when you arrived at the destination. The car stopped in front of a humble shop, with no sign of customers. As you step out into the cold quiet block, you could see the bright and touristy area of Dotonbori in the distance. Wherever the dinner crowd was, they definitely weren't here.

You looked at the makeshift sign of the small store and recognized your colleague's name: Onigiri Miya.