Aeonian - Oikawa Toru x Reader

Ch. 02 - Steady Progression

I was just about to figure out the last (and most difficult) question on my math homework when my phone started to ring. It caught my attention right away, but not just because it was ringing.

No, I was no stranger to spam calls and I had on more than one occasion been interrupted from my homework by accepting a call from Toru where all he did was gush about something or other or whine about Hajime pushing him around at practice or something.

In those instances, I could usually count on Hajime calling shortly after - as though knowing that Toru would call to complain to me, and so he would explain his side of the story.

He honestly didn't need to do that much. I knew Toru was dramatic and would, on occasion, over-dramatize a story or an event to try to trick me into coddling him. And it had worked, but only once.

I'd long since learned my lesson regarding that sort of thing.

Anyway, none of that is the point. The reason that this call in particular stole my attention away from my homework was because it was a very specific ringtone, one that would only ever be assigned to one contact, and one contact only.

I picked up the phone right away, letting the solution to the problem slip away to the back of my mind. I'd try and pick this up again later. It wasn't important right now.

"Hi, dad," I said as soon as I pressed the phone to my ear. A smile bloomed on my face as I waited eagerly for his response. As though able to hear the excitement in my voice clear as day even over the phone, I could hear him chuckle warmly.

I directed my eyes to scan the environment just outside Miwa's window, because that's where I was staying while here. Her room was big enough for the two of us, and realizing who it was that was on the other line, Miwa stood and left the room, closing the door behind us to give us some privacy.

My eyes took in each detail of the world beyond this room, but I did not focus on it. How could I? There was no point in even trying, because I didn't care to look at the sun's dying rays of light dance across the rooftops of the neighborhood, of the birds heading to and fro in their merry flights.

"Hey, sweetheart," my father finally replied. "You sound like you're in a good mood - are you doing something fun?"

"No, not really," I answered honestly, looking down at my homework. "Just my math work."

"Oh," dad said, sounding surprised. "Then why do you sound so happy?"

I giggled lightly, leaning back in my seat. "Because I'm talking to you, obviously."

Dad chuckled again. "Obviously," he agreed. He'd known the answer from the start - there was no denying that. He just liked giving me a hard time. "Is your homework giving you any trouble?"

"Kinda," I answered honestly. "We started a new topic today and it's hard."

"That's how math tends to be," dad said. "Let's see if I still got it, though. Read one of the questions to me."

"Ok," I said. "Here, let me read the last one I need to do."

I leaned forward in the seat and took my pencil in hand, running the eraser along the line as I read it aloud to him. When I was done he hummed contemplatively, then started to work through it. What he figured was what I had, and I felt a distinct sense of pride light up in my chest as I realized it. He always had been good at math, so this was surely a breeze for him.

"Let me just grab something to write with... Ah, there we are. So, if we take this..."

Together, we worked through the problem together, all three parts. Sometimes, he trailed off and I would fill in the intentional blanks he left, and he would praise me with so much pride in his voice it warmed my heart and that it felt like he was in the room with me.