One Last Time // Iwaoi.

three

Iwaizumi and Oikawa were walking home from volleyball practice. It was 7 PM, and the sun had long set, leaving them to the quiet of the evening. The silence between them was comfortable, though Iwaizumi couldn’t shake the lingering thought about Oikawa’s off performance that day. His tosses had been off, and it wasn’t like Oikawa to let something affect him so much that it disrupted his game.

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa called, breaking the silence. Iwaizumi hummed in response, waiting for whatever was on his mind.

“Uh... well, earlier today, when we were walking in the hallway, that girl stopped me, remember?” Oikawa’s voice sounded hesitant, making Iwaizumi glance over at him. He nodded, his curiosity piqued by Oikawa’s unusual nervousness.

“Yeah... what about it?” Iwaizumi shrugged, feigning indifference. He didn’t think much of it at the time, but now he felt an unease creeping in, wondering what that conversation had really been about.

Oikawa hesitated before speaking again, his voice barely above a whisper. “Iwa-chan, is it true that... you’re into guys?”

Iwaizumi’s heart sank. His chest tightened, and for a moment, he froze. Of all the things he’d been prepared to face, this wasn’t one of them—not now, not like this. How had Oikawa even found out? Was it that girl? He felt a rush of panic but forced himself to play it cool.

“Hah... what? Don’t ask stupid questions, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi said, keeping his tone light, though his mind was racing. He wasn’t ready. He couldn’t let Oikawa know, not yet—not when everything between them could change in an instant.

But Oikawa remained silent, and the weight of it was suffocating.

“Don’t lie to me, Iwaizumi.”

Hearing his full name, cold and firm, sent a chill through him. Oikawa never called him by his full name, and that alone made it clear—he wasn’t messing around. Iwaizumi could feel the pressure mounting, and slowly, he gave a small nod, unable to look Oikawa in the eye.

He turned his head, hiding the fear in his expression. Why now?

Iwaizumi nodded, albeit hesitantly.

“You could’ve just told me, Iwa-chan. I won’t judge.”

The familiar nickname washed over him like a wave of relief, and Oikawa’s words were exactly what he needed to hear. Yet, doubts still gnawed at him. Would Oikawa really not judge? Would he stay by Iwaizumi’s side? Or would this change everything between them?

These thoughts crowded Iwaizumi’s mind so much that he realized too late he hadn’t even responded.

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa’s voice snapped him back to the moment. Iwaizumi cleared his throat, trying to steady himself before speaking.

“Yeah... thanks,” he finally said, the words coming out softer than intended.

Oikawa smiled, the kind of smile that always said, It’s okay. It was reassuring, a silent promise that things were fine. Feeling the weight lifting from his chest, Iwaizumi managed to return the smile, his heart a little lighter.

++

It had been a week since Oikawa found out, and to Iwaizumi's relief, nothing had changed between them. Everything was going just fine—better than he could have hoped.

But lately, Oikawa had been a real pain. Every morning, Iwaizumi had to drag himself to Oikawa’s room to wake him up, reminding him they had school. And each time he walked in, the scene was always the same: papers strewn everywhere. Oikawa was obsessed with two things—volleyball and music. He loved singing, writing song lyrics, and he'd told Iwaizumi he was working on something special.

Iwaizumi was genuinely happy for him; Oikawa was doing what he loved. But he was also concerned. His friend was looking more run-down than ever—skinnier, with dark bags under his eyes and redness from lack of sleep. Yet somehow, Oikawa managed to appear perfectly fine at school, especially around his fangirls. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but roll his eyes every time Oikawa flirted with them.

That evening, they were at their usual spot—the park. They often came here at night to sit on the swings. Sometimes they’d share ice cream, other times just chat about whatever came to mind, which usually meant listening to Oikawa ramble.

“Ugh, Iwa-chan... we’re graduating in seven months,” Oikawa groaned after they had sat in silence for a few minutes, gently swaying on the swings.

“Yeah… graduation,” Iwaizumi muttered in response, the thought alone making him feel uneasy. The idea of everyone going their separate ways, especially Oikawa, was something he tried not to dwell on.

“Where are you planning to go?” Oikawa asked, his tone eager but laced with something else.

“I haven’t really thought about it yet,” Iwaizumi replied. They still had seven months left, no need to rush. “What about you?”

Oikawa sighed, and this time, Iwaizumi couldn’t quite tell if it was a sad one. “I talked to my mom, and she thinks I should study abroad. For volleyball and music. She even said I could become a singer someday,” Oikawa chuckled, though it sounded more uncertain than amused.

The idea of being a singer seemed almost ridiculous to Oikawa. He didn’t think his work was anywhere near good enough, but he knew better than to say that around Iwaizumi—his biggest supporter.

“Study abroad? Like… out of Japan?” Iwaizumi asked, his heart sinking at the thought. If Oikawa went abroad, it meant they would part ways. He frowned slightly, but Oikawa didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah...” Oikawa’s voice mirrored Iwaizumi’s—quiet and sad. He didn’t want to study abroad either, but with his mom’s insistence, he knew there wasn’t much he could do to change her mind.

“But hey, Iwa-chan! We’ve still got seven months left. Let’s make the most of it, yeah?” Oikawa suddenly stood up from the swing, flashing a bright smile at Iwaizumi, trying to lift the mood.

“You bet,” Iwaizumi said, standing up beside him. He returned Oikawa’s smile as they both looked up, the night sky scattered with stars, twinkling like the possibilities ahead of them—even if they weren’t ready to face them yet.

++

Oikawa walked Iwaizumi home, despite Iwaizumi’s initial reluctance. Oikawa reassured him that he’d be fine—he lived just two houses down, after all. There was no way he would sneak out or anything.

“Goodnight, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa called, waving as he turned to leave. Iwaizumi yawned and waved back, watching as the brunette slowly disappeared from view. Once Oikawa was out of sight, Iwaizumi slipped inside his house and quietly locked the door behind him, careful not to disturb his parents.

He tiptoed upstairs to his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed. He was exhausted but content after spending most of the day with Oikawa.

It frightened him, really. He knew he was falling deeper, and no matter how much he tried to resist, he couldn’t help it. He was all too aware that the brunette would likely never feel the same way, yet Iwaizumi found himself falling in love over and over again.

“Oikawa, what have you done to me?” he sighed, before surrendering to sleep.