in the other life. (Bokuaka: in another life series)

chapter 8

“HEY HEY HEEEY!” Bokuto grinned and jogged over, waving eagerly. Then, he dropped himself onto the picnic mat, taking up an empty space between Akaashi and Oikawa.

“Yoohoo! What’s up, buttercup?” Oikawa greeted Bokuto, tossing him another wrapped onigiri, which Bokuto caught with joy. “Aw man, salmon’ nigiri! You know me the best man!”

Kageyama nodded, acknowledging Bokuto while turning to pick a bunch of meat off Oikawa’s bento, stuffing it into his mouth while Oikawa gasped in shock.
And Akaashi...well…

“Bokuto, you shouldn’t run around like that. As a patient you-” Akaashi cut himself off, slapping a hand to his mouth. He screwed up. Bokuto was NOT a patient at all. Shit- he’d gotten mixed up.

Kageyama and Oikawa were both looking at him with a strange expression, momentarily freezing in their fight, but Bokuto looked absolutely thrilled.

“AKAASHI! That’s the most you’ve ever said to me so far!” Bokuto exclaimed, eyes gleaming.

Akaashi nodded, and smiled weakly. He made a mental note to stick a post-it to the surface of his bed: DO NOT MIX THEM UP.

“Uh...sorry about that. I had a mix-up for a second.” Akaashi apologised.

“No worries. Hey, before practice I wanna do something. Let’s all share what we want to be in the future.” Kageyama said.

Oikawa stares at him. “That sounds so lame, Tobio-Chan!” But he agreed anyway.

“I wanna be the best volleyball player in the world!” Oikawa announces smugly, confident it’ll happen.

“HONK! CRASH!” Akaashi jolted as he heard a car horn and screams. He looked around, but everyone looked normal, not noticing anything.

“Overruled- too vague and unrealistic.” Kageyama rolled his eyes. Oikawa swats at him, angrily grinning.

“HMPF, then what about you, Mr Unrealistic?” Oikawa pouts.

Kageyama pauses to think.

“The number one setter in the world.”

“UNREALISTIC. NOT HAPPENING.” Oikawa yells. Kageyama laughs out loud, rolling his eyes at him. Akaashi chuckles, before turning to Bokuto. “What about you, Bokuto?” Akaashi is going to make his wish come true.

Bokuto ponders for a second, “I guess…I just wanna be healthy and happy!” He smiles, eyes gleaming.

Akaashi’s heart stops. Oh Bokuto…if only you knew…
“Very vague…but realistic! What about you Akaashi?” Kageyama asks, swatting Oikawa’s hand away from his own bento box.

“I….” Akaashi pauses. He has no idea what he wants to be, actually. What was he in the other world, anyway?

Oh, right. He was an editor , but got fired for skipping out on his shifts after Bokuto’s death. He never liked the job anyway.

“I’ll probably want to be a doctor or a sci- wait, what occupation invents medicine again?” Akaashi asks, laced with uncertainty.
Oikawa stares at him for a second, before replying.

“Well…you would want to get a degree in medicine, or biology and chemistry. From then on, there’s not really an exact occupation, but I would suggest going for the science path.” Oikawa answers, to Akaashi’s appreciation.

“Well…then I probably would become a scientist. And find a cure for Fatal Familial Insomnia.” Akaashi clarified.
“Oh gosh Akaashi- do you know someone with that? Is that why..?” Kageyama frowned.

“Ur…something like that, yeah.” Akaashi shifted.

“Well I think that’s super nobel. I’m sure whoever you’re trying to help appreciates it a lot.” Bokuto smiled gently. Akaashi nods, thanking him.

IT’S YOU BOKUTO IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU, IT’S ALWAYS-

“-Anyway, ah. Practice is starting soon, let’s change and start soon! I need to talk to you guys after this, alright?” Oikawa grinned. Everyone nodded, heading to the changing rooms to change for practice.