Best I Ever Had (Iwaoi) [CANCELLED]

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Iwaizumi was so immersed in the book he was reading. For some reason, he just couldn't put it down. The guy in the library was right, it was a good book, and it was a page-turner to say the very least.

He found himself smiling and frowning and sighing as he was sprawled on his lazy boy chair, his right leg on a higher position than the left as he propped it on the armrest.

Iwaizumi was now on Chapter 5, the part where Tristran had asked the star why she fell. She said she was hit by something, and pulled out a large yellow-looking stone, saying that she now had to lug the thing around with her.

He loved every moment of it, every line and every scene.

The new paper smell of the book was strangely at odds with its old fashioned and battered paperback cover, the gilded lettering faded and tatty. He knew he had to handle the book with care, not just because it wasn't his and it was library property, but because he knew every book in that library was special.

He flicked through every page softly, like the pages were brittle and they were the most delicate thing in the world. He loved the way the pages felt in his touch, their snowy whiteness speckled with a flurry of black ink in poetic lines tumbling down each page.

"Hajime-kun!" He heard his mom yell from downstairs. "It's time for breakfast!"

Iwaizumi let out a soft grunt as he dragged himself out of the chair, and slid in his pair of moccasins. "Coming, Mom!"

With heavy heart, he let the book fall to a close. It made an exhausted sound, like a padded door shutting by itself at a distance. He let it rest on top of his bedside table underneath his lava lamp, before padding downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning mom!" He chirped, planting a soft peck on his mother's cheek and hugging her tightly.

"Good morning son." The woman replied, flashing her signature smile at him. "You look so happy today."

Iwaizumi sniggered as he sunk down in his seat, drumming his fingers lightly on the table. "Well, I found a good book from the library in town."

"Oh, that's good!" His mother settled on the chair opposite to him. "I didn't know there was a public library around here."

Iwaizumi just smiled in reply. However, the smile disappeared as soon as it came when he saw what was on his plate. It was the usual, the kind of food he needed to eat for his own good. It was frustrating for him to eat the same kind of food every day at every meal: sliced apples, minced carrots, bell peppers, grapefruit, and an orange juice with a pinch of turmeric.

"Mom? Can I have chicken and tofu this time?" He asked, almost pleading as his mother flashed an emphatic smile.

"Hajime, you know your condition." She reprimanded. "As much as it hurts me for seeing you like this, I'd rather have you mad at me than risk your health."

He sighed in defeat as he helplessly munched on his food. He knew his mother was right, it was for his own welfare. Iwaizumi had to eat foods that aid in proper respiration, because if there was one thing he totally sucked at, it was breathing.

He was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis since he was a child. It was a genetic disorder that he inherited from his father. Though it mostly affected his lungs, some of the symptoms he encountered insinuated that his genetic illness had also taken its toll on his liver and kidneys.

"Can I go for a walk outside after eating?" He smiled, looking at his mother with the most innocent expression he could manage.

The woman, who was still radiantly beautiful despite being in her middle ages nodded lightly and smiled. "Of course, but don't forget to bring your inhaler, just in case."