Conquering the Great King

𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 6

At work, Iwaizumi was restless.

He flipped papers around his desk, picked up and dropped paperclips, shuffled through old emails he had already read. He had work to do but he just couldn't concentrate. He stared down at a document given to him by Sales early that morning. He stared down at it for 10 minutes straight and wasn't able to read a single word.

Iwaizumi sighed, leaning back in his chair and covering his face with his hands. He couldn't explain why he was so listless. His editors were all working around him at their desks, eyes narrowed and focused. He was a bad lead. A bad boss. He threw his arm over his face and listened to the click of keyboards. It was white noise to him; a comforting static that made his mind lull into nothingness.

A distinct ding interrupted his calm, alerting Iwaizumi that he received a new email. He laggardly lifted his head and drug his eyes to his right monitor, clicking heavily on the notification.

>> I'm having a bad day. Let's have coffee and a quickie during lunch :D

Iwaizumi glared at the screen. Oikawa. Of course.

>> What is wrong with you

The email was replied to immediately:

>> Me? Anyone who doesn't want coffee and a quickie has something wrong with them.

Iwaizumi covered his face with his hands, squeezing his eyes shut.

>> Do you have my coat?

Almost no hesitation.

>> ;P

That's a no. Iwaizumi sighed, then sent a response.

>> It's fine, I don't need it back anyway.

He stared at the screen, knowing.

>> I drove today. Let me pick you up.

Iwaizumi frowned.

>> No.

>> Iwa-cha~~n, pleeaaase.

Iwaizumi stared at the blocky font for a long time. He wanted to go grab coffee and a quickie with Oikawa. But the problem was, he wanted to go grab coffee and a quickie with Oikawa. Iwaizumi let his head bob to the side, huffing inwardly at his own stupidity. Out the corner of his eye he noticed one of his editors staring at him. Iwaizumi shifted his gaze.

"Something wrong, Kindaichi?"

Kindaichi blinked in surprise, "No, no, Iwaizumi-san. You just look..." he thought for a moment, chose his words, "troubled?"

Iwaizumi leaned forward and put his face in his hands. "Do idiots know they're idiots?" he asked, palms pressed against his eyes. "If I catch myself being idiotic, if I realize I'm doing it, then does the self awareness mean I'm not a total lost cause?" Iwaizumi looked up from his hands. Kindaichi and two other editors were staring at him, blank faced, unblinking. Kindaichi's mouth was slightly agape, unsure how to respond. "Never mind," Iwaizumi breathed heavily, swatting away their gaze with a flick of his wrist.

>> Fine. But just coffee, no quickie.

He typed succinctly. Then before sending he thought to add,

>> That new Italian cafe is a few blocks from my office. Is that okay?

>> Yay! Yes! 13:00 good?

>> That's fine.

Iwaizumi closed out the emails, standing up to leave his office. He didn't need to do anything really, he just needed air.