rubber ducks are ducks made of rubber

part one

part one

it was the start of december; the autumn leaves had dried up and it was cold, the sort of cold that entered osamu's legs and weighed them down, making each step heavier than the last. the ice in the air somehow evaded his winter hat and scarf and brushed against his skin, pulling away the colour in his cheeks and leaving them pale.

osamu shivered as he hurried through the town centre. the time was a few minutes past five pm but it was already becoming dark. the stores would be closing soon. he scowled underneath his scarf; he had been planning to arrive earlier but atsumu had delayed him by asking for a lift to the gym. osamu knew that atsumu wasn't really interested in working out, but rather he had found one of the other gym members attractive and was intent on getting together with him.

the idea was preposterous to osamu and it was one of the reasons he hated spending christmas at his brother's house; it was always someone new every year. in a way, osamu might have been jealous of atsumu in that regard. atsumu always found it easy to meet new people and make friends, a talent which osamu lacked. it was either he spent christmas alone, or travelled across the country to meet his brother. however, temporary living with atsumu came with the small cost of his free time. today, atsumu had asked him to pick up some items that he had ordered online.

"could you not have chosen delivery?" he had asked atsumu.

"that costs extra!"

so due to atsumu's unwillingness to spend an extra seven hundred yen, osamu found himself walking up to the customer service section of a department store. it being late, there were few people in the store and there was only one employee visible, a man in his early twenties, roughly the same age as osamu. he wore an expression of boredom and sighed upon seeing osamu enter.

"uh, collection for miya atsumu please."

"order reference?"

osamu fumbled in his pocket for the form that atsumu had given him, reading off the six numbers. the employee typed them in, squinting at the screen.

"you're here to collect these?"

"it's for my brother," osamu explained. "i don't even know what he ordered."

"that's what everyone says."

"what is it?" he asked out of curiosity. the employee spun the screen around to show osamu the invoice.

"one hundred rubber ducks?" he read, exasperated. "what the fuck are these?"

"you don't know what a rubber duck is?" the employee asked, curling their lip. "rubber ducks are ducks made of rubber."

"i know what rubber ducks are." osamu grit his teeth, pulled out his phone and called atsumu. "'tsumu. explain the ducks."

"hey 'samu- ow!" atsumu sounded out of breath. "i'm- i'm at the gym- slow down, would ya?"

"are you sure you're at the gym?"

"omi- wait a second." osamu heard a muffled grunt, then atsumu spoke again, his voice clearer. "sorry, this workout is so strenuous, ya know? i might not be able to walk tomo-"

"the fucking ducks."

"my ducks? did you pick them up yet?"

osamu pinched the bridge of his nose, sending a silent apology to the person behind the counter.

"why do you need one hundred rubber ducks?"

"for the bath," atsumu said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"i can't-"

"look, i'd love to talk more but-" osamu heard a low moan in the background and closed his eyes before his mind could form an image that would haunt him forever. "i have other shit to do." a click signaled that any insults osamu muttered would not be heard and he turned back to the counter.

"i'm really sorry about all of this."

the employee shook his head, typing some more.

"there's been weirder things. hey-" he tapped the screen. "with this order, you get a twenty five percent discount off your next purchase. you want the coupon?"

"sure." osamu took the voucher, turning it over in his hands before putting it in the front pocket of his jacket. "it's better than 'tsumu using it."

the employee went into a back room and returned a few minutes later, placing a large box on the counter in front of osamu.

"your ducks, sir," he said, a smirk tugging at his mouth.

"they're not mine," osamu corrected. he lifted the box up and turned to leave. "anyway, thanks for your help..." he trailed off, realising the employee wasn't wearing a name badge.

"suna." he hesitated. "you can call me rin."

"thanks, rin."