INSIDE. II

photograph

CHAPTER TWO.

            Iwaizumi couldn't sleep. He couldn't even close his eyes knowing he saw that photo outside. Should he call the cops? Would it be stupid? Is he just going crazy..?
            He stood up and called Makki. He walked back and forth between walls, three steps to each side.

"Hey? Iwaizumi? What are you doing up?"

"Why aren't you home yet?"

"Oh, haha, I'm out with Mattsun. We decided to drive around and buy a few drinks."

"You guys are stupid. It's midnight! You should come home now while you guys are still sober."

"Who says we're still sober?"

After Makki said that, Iwaizumi heard both of their laughs through the phone and sighed. "Fine. Have a fun night." He then hung up the phone and sat on the couch. Come on Hajime.. Get it together. You're better than this.

but are you?

No. He's not. Oikawa knew what an actual wreck Hajime was. Everyone saw him as the always angry, indifferent, and mean guy. No one stopped to think, 'Oh, maybe Iwaizumi is hurting.'

No one.

After a few hours of thinking and pacing around, he finally got sleep, even if it was only two hours.

•••

2am.

Iwaizumi arrived at work. He worked the night shift at a gas station. He had another person there with him but it really was unnecessary, no one really comes during the late night, unless it's some teenagers looking for gas and alcohol. The other guy with him there is named Kuroo. He always made these jokes at random and Hajime never laughed, if he did it was probably because of how stupid he was.
Nonetheless, it was nice to have company during his shift.
"Yo, Iwaizumi!" Kuroo called him over and the other walked towards him with a groan escaping his lips. "Take a look at that, isn't that weird? Who just leaves that here.." Hajime almost collapsed. It was a camera. A literal camera on the floor. It wasn't digital, it was one of those that printed as soon as you took the photo. It was too coincidental.. and in one night? Someone had to have been warning him, a sign..? Maybe someone is coming for him.
Kuroo sighed. "Man, you look as pale white as the tile. What's up with the camera? Is it your moms or something?" He laughed and patted Iwaizumi's back. "Pick it up and take it to corner over there, maybe someone will come to retrieve it." Hajime nodded, he's just overreacting. People lose stuff all the time.
He put it in the corner just as Tetsurou said and walked back to his place behind the counter. Kuroo played games on his phone as usual. Iwaizumi sat there on his phone as well, wondering what could satisfy his boredom. Suddenly, someone entered the gas station. Long hair in a bun, a hat, and a hoodie on top. Jeans were baggy but not so much, and his sneakers were red.
The guy got two black coffees from our machine and walked towards Iwaizumi. His total came out to $1.15. We had cheap coffee, it wasn't the best quality or absolute shit. This mysterious person pushed the coffee towards the other and whispered ever so softly, "Thought you needed it." He then walked out with his change and left the area.
"What the fuck?" Kuroo said while staring directly at his co-worker. "I know right? Why would he buy this for me.." Iwaizumi said as he looked at the cup of coffee, eyebrows furrowed. Kuroo scoffed. "Yeah and not for me? Am I not cute enough to earn a coffee from someone? This is outrageous!" Hajime rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. I guess you meet all kinds of weirdos during a night shift.

•••
6am.

Iwaizumi was driving home, so happy that his shift is over and he can sleep for the rest of the day. He wondered when he could get a job outside of this. His trauma and unstable emotions prevented him from working properly anywhere so he settled on something like this. Maybe one day, with these therapy sessions, he can live a full life just like his friends wanted him to. He felt happy just thinking about living out his dreams and finally healed. It gave him motivation.
              It also reminded him that his next therapy session is today at 6pm. He groaned and suddenly his excitement and motivation vanished. Iwaizumi didn't find sharing to strangers about his life ideal. Though, Sugawara isn't exactly a stranger. Hajime wondered, just how did Makki know his contact information? Probably got it for
some joke to play on Oikawa, he did find the silver haired one quite irritating.
                As Iwaizumi pulled into the driveway, he saw Makki and Mattsun slumped in their car. 'Total idiots.' He thought. He got out of his car and decided to pound on Mattsuns window for shits and giggles. "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!" Mattsun yelled as he backed into Makki, acting on instincts. When he recognized his friend laughing on the other side he rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. "God, you're so fucking annoying man." Iwaizumi laughed even harder as Makki woke up just as shocked as Mattsun but a much later reaction. "WHAT?? WHATS WRONG??" Hajime just sighed with a smile
and opened the car door. "Waking you guys up is like playing with domino's."

•••

Iwaizumi had to carry the two inside the house, being too drunk to form a coherent thought or walk on their own. "For someone who never leaves the house you're so built." Makki says while slurring his words just a bit. The hangover is intense. Mattsun tries to hit the pink haired man's head while yelling angrily. "You idiot! Don't you know our dear Hajime works out here at home? If you weren't so invested into your dramas you would have noticed!" Hajime just throws them both on the couch out of annoyance and the fact that they were bickering in his ear. "Can both of you just shut up? I just got off of work and I'm fucking exhausted."
Makki and Mattsun shut up quietly and made their way to their respective rooms. Iwaizumi finally let out a deep sigh and walked over to the kitchen counter, looking down in deep thought. The camera at work today... it was too much to think about. The paranoia only worsens for Iwaizumi everyday, feeling as if he's constantly being watched every moment of his life. He decides to stop dwelling on it for the sake of his sanity, and go to bed. Hopefully there won't be any screaming in his sleep this time.

[POV CHANGE]

"We still can't let you leave." A man with a white coat spoke to me, voice indifferent. I gave up on yelling back, they only gave me worse punishment every time I resisted. The man walked closer to the glass and crouched down in front of it, tapping the glass as if to taunt me. "You're so obedient..." He said with the same smile on his face. It was a gorgeous smile, but it was covered in malice. I looked down, trying to keep my temper in check. I was already battered and bloody, most of my limbs are broken and I'm chained to the wall of this stupid box.
"You'll never guess who I saw today though!" The man spoke again, with a cheery voice. "I really had thought my ears were deceiving me when he had said his name.." I looked up immediately, scared of where this was going. "Hmm, I guess you still care for him a lot..." He opened the door to my cell and stood in front of me, looking down as he towered over my pathetic self. He hummed again, examining my current state, swiftly moving his eyes all over my body. "Don't fret! You know I wouldn't hurt him right? It was apart of our agreement." I had finally lost it at that point. "What fucking agreement?! I'm here against my will!"
Before I could open my mouth again, he kicked my side, making me cough up blood. "Don't be so aggressive. You wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to your beloved right?" He used the same bloody shoe he kicked me with to lift up my chin, making direct eye contact as the blood kept spilling from the corner of my mouth. "So be patient and keep your mouth shut,

Oikawa Tooru."

CHAPTER END.
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it's been literally like two years since i last posted lol... will this chapter get attention?? maybe, maybe not! but i do plan to write here again and finish the book at least. thank you for reading <3

-K.