Upon feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, Akaashi pulled out his phone and sighed, reading the message. Even through the screen, Bokuto managed to be show the same energy level as a child.
[ 1:32 pm ] Bokuto: hey hey hey !!!
[ 1:33 pm ] Akaashi: Hi.
[ 1:33 pm ] Bokuto: :0
[ 1:33 pm ] Bokuto: that was fasttt
[ 1:35 pm ] Bokuto: anyway, i was thinking there's not really a whole lot of stuff to do around here besides swimming and you've probably done a lot of swimming already sooo i was wondering if you wanted to go to the arcade or something loll
Akaashi took a moment to process the message. Usually, the lack of punctuation and capitalization would have unnerved him badly, but he didn't care as much when it was Bokuto. He typed a response quickly, standing up from the couch as he did. His sister grumbled at him to sit back down, but he brushed her off and sent the message without a word.
[ 1:36 pm ] Akaashi: Sure. I'll meet you at the arcade at two.
~~~
Bokuto let out a loud cheer as the screen flashed "VICTORY!" at him. He had made it his personal goal to beat every game in the arcade, and he was on the eighth (out of thirty). Around him, few games were actually being used, which was surprising, considering it was a Friday afternoon in the middle of summer. Perks of being in a small town, huh?
"Did you see that? That was so cool!" Bokuto shouted.
"Yes, it was." Akaashi's voice was so monotonous that his statement could have been taken either sarcastically or genuinely, and Bokuto decided to believe the latter. (As did Akaashi, though he didn't admit it.)
At Akaashi's words, Bokuto flashed him a bright smile and punched his fist up in the air. "Yes! I'm the best." Even though the arcade was dark due to the black walls and dark floor, Bokuto's grin seemed to light up the room.
He practically jumped over to the ninth game, so eager to continue his streak of eight straight wins that he accidentally left Akaashi to pick up the tickets he had won. This next one was a racing game, and Bokuto knew he could get first place. . . . Or so he thought.
Three races and three loud "Last Place"'s later, Bokuto stepped away from the console, his head low and his shoulders slouched. He turned away from Akaashi, posed dramatically with one hand on his chest and the other on his forehead, and said, "I can't do it. Don't let me play anymore, Akaashi. Find someone better to win."
Akaashi just sighed and crossed his arms. "You're the only one playing right now, so you're automatically the best at it. I can't find someone better since there's no one—"
With wide, surprised eyes, Bokuto turned back around to see Akaashi, sudden realization dawning on him. "You're right! I am the best!" He went to the console again. "Watch, I'll win this round!" His hair even seemed to stand taller as he pressed the play button.
Sure enough, Bokuto won, getting first place by a long shot. He beat the next three games with ease, shouting about his greatness and, unsurprisingly, getting louder with every victory cheer. Even though Bokuto was being incessantly noisy, Akaashi was glad he was back to his usual, energetic self.
Suddenly, Bokuto paused when he reached the next game. It was a giant claw machine, one that was taller than him by at least a foot. Inside, giant stuffed animals were lounging about, covering the walls and floor within the cube. Smaller toys were hidden in between the larger ones, staring up at the ceiling as if watching for the claw to choose them.
YOU ARE READING
𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨 (𝖻𝗈𝗄𝗎𝖺𝗄𝖺)
FanficA forgotten swimsuit had never been so life-changing. Akaashi Keiji never thought he would miss a small town so much. He had seen so many towns, so many beaches, so many people. So why did this place stick out to him? The answer was simple: The oth...
