The Third Miya: Isuma

LVIII

August 27th, 2022

<<Several Weeks Later>>

Interning at the training center was similar to what Isuma had visioned it to be.

The trainees mainly kept to themselves and avoided the interns whenever possible. Iwaizumi, however, had been around them for months and the trainees relaxed around him (except for a few who glared at anyone who wasn't American, but that wasn't important).

Utsui Sensei had revealed himself to be the opposite of his stoic son. Originally, his relaxed methods had surprised Isuma, but she grew to appreciate them. If it were any other person, they would have piled endless tasks on the interns, who were technically VOLUNTEERING to be given work. Utsui gave them short assignments and was known to forget they existed for hours at a time.

It took several days, but Isuma adjusted to their new schedule quickly and enjoyed going to the training center. Finally being able to use everything she'd learned in the past four years felt amazing. However, she did secretly agree with Takahiro and preferred to avoid the trainees outside of their working hours. Her first bad encounter happened a week after she'd arrived.

It may have been partially her fault for not being more helpful- and Takahiro's fault for getting so worked up- but they both preferred to blame the trainee, Kate. Takahiro had warned Isuma that Kate could be bossy and rude and to stay clear beforehand, but in this case, Kate found HER.Isuma had been reviewing diet plans for several of the trainees at Utsui's office when Kate walked in. "Is Mr. Utsui not here?"

"He left a few minutes ago," Isuma said. Kate frowned at her. "I need to check out. Do you have my new diet plan?"

"It should be here." Isuma drew a stack of folders close to her and flipped through them. "What's your ID?"

"27304," Kate said in a curt tone. "Could you please hurry?"

"Sorry, give me a moment." Isuma singled out a folder and flipped through it. "I don't see anything recent; are you sure you had a new one?"

"What? Of course, I'm sure. Mr. Utsui said it would be ready today!!" Kate insisted. Isuma answered, "I'm sorry, it's not here."

"Are you kidding me? It's your first week here and you've already screwed something up? Where's Mr. Utsui?! Go get him!" She demanded. Isuma stood up, doing her best to maintain a calm tone. "It's probably just been misplaced. And I apologize for being so blunt, but I don't work for you. Nor do any of the other interns; please don't order us around."Kate looked up from her phone in disbelief. "Excuse me? I PAY to be here. Do your job, intern-"

"What's going on here?" Takahiro entered the office, holding a stack of books. He cast a look at Kate in disdain before speaking to Isuma. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something's wrong! I'm late for my date downtown and she can't find my new diet plan!" Kate shot back. Isuma replied, "I've told you, it's not here! I'm not responsible for keeping track of it, and I DON'T work for you."

"Move over; I'll find it myself." She yanked the papers out of Isuma's hands so forcefully they tore. Takahiro snapped, "She said they're not there!"

"I'll find it for you, but please give those back!"

And yeah, it had not ended well. The details weren't important. Isuma would rather forget about the encounter altogether.

***

"Hey, Nee-chan." Takahiro made sure the door to the office was locked before leaning against the window, letting the breeze stroke his face. "Hi, Takahiro. I just talked to Isuma; everything seems to be going well!"

"Yeah, everything's good. How's Onii-chan?" He hurriedly asked. Hishari sighed. "He's not well. I don't know what it is, but he's really, really weak. He's still staying with me for now. I'll take care of him, though, so don't worry!! You and Isuma need to enjoy yourselves!!"

"I know, I know. I just..." Takahiro sighed, resting his forehead against the side of the window. Hishari said, "Shinsuke's going to be okay. It's probably just a cold or something; don't worry yourself, Takahiro."

"Alright. Also-" He hesitated. "Have you heard from Tamiko-kun?"

"About that..." Hishari's voice was suddenly concerned. "I have no idea where he is. I went to his apartment a few days ago, just to check on him, and he wasn't there. None of his friends or professors know anything either. It's right after exams, so he should be on break."

"He won't answer my texts," Takahiro said. "What about Hinosa-san?"

"I think he knows but is keeping it a secret." Hishari took a deep breath. "If Hinosa-kun isn't worried then I think we don't have to be either. He must be safe."

"Yeah. He has to be." Takahiro replied, trying to convince both of them. His phone pinged with a notification: it was Iwaizumi, reminding him of their short trip to the ocean for the afternoon. "I have to go, Nee-chan. Could you tell Onii-chan I'll call him later?" Takahiro asked, grabbing his books and stowing them in his bag. Hishari answered, "Yeah, of course. Bye!"

***

The ride to the beach took a surprisingly short amount of time. Whenever Takahiro went, it took him at least an hour. Iwaizumi cut it down to thirty minutes with his driving. He had been meaning to take them both ever since Isuma arrived, but their schedules had never lined up. Even Tuesdays, their day off, ended up crowded with errands. After a lot of moving around, all three of them managed to be free for an afternoon at the same time.

"Oh, wow! It looks different!!" Isuma exclaimed, gaping at the ocean. The crowds were thinning out, and many people were preparing to pack up and drive back into the city. The only other people near them were a family with two small children.

Takahiro stopped a few feet behind Isuma, inhaling the salty air. He could almost taste the ocean in every breath.

Iwaizumi had stayed behind to park the car, so Takahiro took advantage of the precious few seconds of privacy they had. "Isuma-san, what are you going to do after this internship?"

It was a question he'd been wanting to ask for weeks, preferably not around anyone else. It was a strange topic even when alone, let alone around other people.

Isuma turned around to look at him, slightly frowning as she thought. She didn't question him, though, something he'd always appreciated about her. She was content to let small things slide. "I want to apply for med school. I've been thinking about it for a while, and to be honest, I don't want sports science to be my permanent career. I still see it as an option, but right now med school is more appealing. It's more certain of a future."

"Oh," Takahiro said, fidgeting with one of his rings. "I understand."

Back in an even worse mental state :))

But back! I missed you loves <3 and I'm sorry for taking so long! I want to finish this story by it's 2-year anniversary in late November. According to my outline, we should be done in 10-11 chapters! 

Love you all and thank you for being here <3