through cali or tokyo.

they called him iwaizumi

[sanchez house, cali]

after a long way to go, akira arrived at her dad house. for years she haven't meet him in proper way, so when he said she can go to california to pursue the campus life, all she think was University of California, Los Angeles. so here she is, standing in front of her dad house, knocking the door, greet her step mom, brother and her dad. 

[2017]

to spent time in another part of the earth is something new to akira, she never knew that she'll get the chance, so she really enjoy the time in cali. she was having fun and she didn't realize all she did was making memories. she got a new best friend called vanessa, the same major from her, and ambitious as her. both are literally from strangers to soulmate, they went everywhere together even brave enough to ask their professor to join lots of conference together... just to achieve their dream. 

akira got step brother. his name is anthony sanchez, or probably he got middle name, dunno. currently he's a sophomore at University of California, Irvine. get inside the sport science major, and his love towards volleyball instead of girls (or even boys) is bigger. all he think everyday are... volley and science. the fact that he have that chance, he's taking it. he looks pretty different from akira since anthony is a pure united state baby, not a half japan-half US like akira, so he got the height, and he got the looks. even vanessa probably falls for anthony... and that's the stupidest idea akira ever heard of. 

so this summer, anthony decided to bring almost the whole volleyball club to the sanchez's, dad was giving the green light means the whole summer will be very... very... noisy. the fact that akira used to be a loner, doesn't mean change that she wants another strangers in her house. that's stupid, that's annoying, and that'll interrupt her study and conference, means it'll affect her final score. she told anthony to not doing something stupid for at least a week or two and all he was saying, 

"akira, this is my house too, so i can do whatever i want"

"dad... please"

"well, it's summer akira, supposed you to stop study and have some fun?"

"oh god, please don't do this to me"

dad and anthony knew about the conference she's going to, all the preparation made her missed lots of family dinner, then it's time for them to stop akira, and let her have some breathe for a while. 

"lord help me get through this summer..."

few days later, while she's working on her paper, the noisy sound came, like she's been estimated since few days ago. she's shutting her mouth, but the noise isn't gone, thought it was from anthony, so she went outside her room, and yelled,

"for the love of the god anthony, please don't play THE FUCKING BALL INSIDE THE HOUSE. we got the backyard and you can play there for hours"

no answer from anthony. 

"ANTHONY SANCHEZ???"

she looked downstair, it wasn't anthony, it was someone else. she petrified, and scared. it was the strangers that her brother was telling about. 

"oh i'm sorry, i didn't mean to interrupt you"

"no-- no, i'm sorry for yelling at you, i didn't mean--"

then anthony came from the kitchen, "oh, you met seina already?"

"se... who?"

"she's my sister. from japan. like you. and oh, this is iwaizumi, from japan, like you too. so, seina or akira this is iwaizumi, and iwa this is seina or akira" 

"yeah, hi iwaizumi"

"hi"

then akira take a thousand step back her foot to her room, pretend that nothing happened, but actually that introduction was the only beginning of every haunting memories she's going to make with him. 

***

this are her first dinner with the volleyball club her brother brought, mom and dad was buying dinner tonight because there are probably four or five strangers (akira called them) inside the house, anthony feel delightful since his team are going to spend the summer in the house. then, as a good host, dad started to ask them one by one, and the only person akira wants to hear is iwaizumi. 

"so you're from japan?"

"yes sir"

he talks while he eats, how come? 

"tokyo?"

"no, miyagi"

akira close her eyes, taking a breathe, and accidentally asked, "so you're from karasuno?"

"you know that school?"

"i went to the nationals twice"

"you play?"

"being a supporter is enough" 

"ah i see, seijoh, the one that never had the chance to the national" he smile, a pretty sad smile. probably it remind him of his team back then? dunno. 

akira nodded, she stop the conversation, but looks like this young man have the guts to ask her another question, "and you are?"

"tokyo, nekoma"

"i see"

for real, dad suddenly hopped inside the conversation and say, "it's good right to have someone to talk to? i mean, both of you came from the same place so you can catch up with each other" 

"no dad, i'm just gonna finish my paper and straight to bed. and oh, thank you for the chitchat, iwaizumi"

"iwa is fine" 

"alright, iwa it is"