hometown - ushijima wakatoshi [hq]

fairground

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Ushijima Wakatoshi is taking his little sister, who just turned eleven, to a fair in Tokyo, while their mother and grandmother prepare a meal. The family was visiting the grandparents, as Ushijima's sister and his grandmother's birthday fell on the same day. The siblings can hear their grandmother insisting her husband that she can manage well without his help, thank you. They smiled the entire train ride here.

Ushijima's eyes trained on a familiar head of blonde hair. His sister is spending her tickets trying to knock over a clown bozo that never falls. He had set a budget for both of them, and a lesson for careful spending was due. So, Ushijima had entrusted his sister with his roll of tickets, and told her he will be close by at the food area.

The ace approached the person who was lounging in a steel chair with a bowl of jelly in front of him, preoccupied by his phone.

Ushijima is glad that the sun was hiding behind the tall buildings in the distance, because having a shadow loom over you is not pleasant. He spent the next few seconds going over his name so he won't make a mistake.

Tsukishima. Tsukishima. Tsukishima.

"Tsukishima."

The blonde turned, and Ushijima refrained from wincing as a face he's never seen before turn towards him.

"Yes?" The blonde asked, though he had a hint of recognition painted across his face. Curious, too.

"I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else."

The man laughed. "I bet you did! The Tsukishima you're looking for is getting cake. Why don't you sit down?"

Ushijima complied, pulling back the chair and taking a seat.

"Do I know you?" He observed the dirty blonde on the man's head, the same light brown eyes as the middle blocker was on his mind, the broad shoulders.

Oh, I see.

"Unlikely, but I definitely know you. You're Ushijima Wakatoshi! I'm Akiteru Tsukishima. My brother Kei in Karasuno played against you in the finals match." Akiteru held his hand out, and the two shook.

"I apologize for disturbing. You and your brother look alike."

Akiteru flashed a kind grin. "No problem at all! And I get that a lot. My brother does not understand the resemblance. If you and Kei want to chat, I can just sit here on my phone not paying attention at all."

Ushijima ignored any implication of a lie. "That would be nice."

The two spent the remaining seconds of charming small talk when Akiteru brightened, looking over Ushijima's shoulder.

"Kei! Little Bro! Look who I found!!"

From what he recalls of Kei Tsukishima, Ushijima imagines the middle blocker making a vexed face at his brother's evil grin and thumbs-up.

The boy himself came into view and sat down across from Ushijima.

"Hello," he said, merely out of civility.

"Hello," Ushijima reciprocated.

A silence settled, and judging from Akiteru's funny face, it was awkward. Ushijima hadn't discern it.

"So, what brings us here today, Kei?" the blonde starts.

The younger brother poked at the powdered sugar on his dessert.

"That's not exactly a question for me."

Akiteru fixed a look on his brother, and Tsukishima sighed.