Chapter Text
You ended up taking the gap year, while Oikawa and Iwaizumi moved onto college immediately. You found a job as a waitress, which you only sought out for the sake of experimentation and gaining experience rather than anything else. Plus, it's not like it'd be easy for a high-school graduate to find a more bearable type of job, anyway.
You thought maybe it'd help you decide on a career. Unsure how you came to that conclusion, you rolled with it anyway.
So, this is about the moment when you turn towards an imaginary camera and say, "Get a load of this guy."
Upon your first official day on the job, you come face-to-face with someone familiar during your break. He's a few feet away from you, doing nothing of importance while you simply stare at him with incredulity. There he is, Agawa, your once upperclassman and previous captain of the football team.
Football team. To be clear, you don't mind Agawa. You used to think that he's funny during your acquaintanceship, but you can't help the on spur of negative feelings churning in your stomach. Because all this time, you've been trying to get away from all this.
You might have been staring at him for way too long because he appears to have sensed it and turns in your direction. A spark of recognition lights his face up and he waves you over. You comply, though you're confused. What is he doing here? Well, obviously he's working, but... Something about it just comes off as odd.
"Yo, you might not remember me but―"
"I do," you say.
"You're in college now, aren't you?" he says, unphased by your interruption. Though, to be fair, you don't remember him being particularly phased by anything throughout the two years you knew him.
You appreciate him not bringing up the situation surrounding Masazumi, at least. He must for sure be aware of it.
"I'm taking my gap year," you explain, to which he gives a curt nod. On one hand, you want to ask if he's working part-time to help with college funds, but on the other hand, you don't want to be rude just because of mere curiosity.
You never took Agawa for someone who's intuitive, but regardless, he answers your unasked question. "I dropped out of college," he informs you, casual as ever.
"Hm? Why?" You don't sound judgemental of his decision but once again, intrigued, considering the fact that you're trying to decide what kind of career you'd like to start.
"You know, when you switch a lot of courses and you suck at all of them, there comes a point where you're like. Ah. This shit ain't for me," he explains with a shrug.
"And how do you decide what 'shit' is right for you?"
"Well, I dunno, I'm not there yet. But I get the feeling that you're not asking about me." He smirks. You do remember him being cocky occasionally, but not like this, or perhaps your memory is failing you.
You cross your arms. "Don't make me sound like some self-centred piece of shit."
"Nah, I'm just playing. But really, you have nothing that you like doing? Or at least something you're curious about?"
"No, I guess not." You shrug. "I'll have to think about it."
You soon notice that your break time has passed by in a blur. In your head, you curse these unrealistic rest expectations. Your attention returns to your job when another co-worker of yours informs you that two people sat on table eight. You hum and go to tend to your duties.
When you near table eight, you're surprised to see Iwaizumi and Oikawa there. Oikawa notices you over his best friend's shoulder and calls you over in an obnoxious, Oikawa-patterned manner. "[N/n]-chaaaan, over here!"
"Did you come just to embarrass me?" you say, lifting an eyebrow.
"Nah," Iwaizumi answers with a quick glare in Oikawa's direction. The brunette dramatically cowers. "Are you up for movie night? Shittykawa says that his roommates will be gone tonight, so."
You haven't done that tradition of yours in a while, actually, so this sounds nice. However, it also gets you thinking and recalling Agawa's words from a few minutes ago, to try something you're curious about. You give them a grin. "Sure. Anyways your orders?"
"Do you have discounts for friends?" Oikawa asks, trying his best attempt at puppy eyes.
"No."
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You pad across the floor of your shared apartment, waving around the new camera you got for your 22nd birthday like a trophy prize. Oikawa and Iwaizumi bought it for you together and you honestly didn't hesitate to accept the gift, enthusiastic about its brand. It was convenient, too, just in time to amp up the budget for your new project.
You spot Iwaizumi first, shirtless with a coffee mug in his hand. He looks sleepy. You approach him, already recording. "Yo, Hajime."
"What?" he asks groggily. "What are you doing?"
"It's for the project. Give me a smile," you command.
"No, I feel evil and will make a scary expression now," he denies before making a Tanaka-esque expression. You keep recording anyway, even when Oikawa abruptly comes into frame and interrupts.
"Hey, [N/n], are you recording?"
"Yeah."
He starts posing. It's kind of cringe but brings a smile to your face regardless (you don't know if it's one of pity or what, though). You zoom in on his nose hairs, which makes him swat the camera away from his face playfully.
Iwaizumi scoffs and pulls him by the ear. "Hey, that's expensive."
"But we bought it together―"
You record their play-fighting. Some things never change.
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You've been collecting footage for your project for a while now, which wasn't a problem. For one, the Brazilian scenery in your general area is pretty, even in the most mundane places. You suppose you have an eye for urban areas, or something like that, and the lighting makes for interesting shots.
Looking over the footage, you feel a sense of fondness. It's just a collection of happy moments, as you've decided the theme for your short film to be―though you have added a few scripted scenes to form an open-ended, abstract narrative to create the illusion of perhaps a darker twist. You have not yet started editing it all together, because you still have to compose the music, which is exactly the reason you're looking it all over.
Most of them revolve around Oikawa and Iwaizumi, since they're the people you spend the most time with, you suppose it's only natural. There is a recording from one of Oikawa's winning matches, after he had scored the final point and you remember the deafening applause that followed after. The next clip is from the same day, when the three of you celebrated. Iwaizumi was being weird about calamari, for some reason, and Oikawa forcefed him like a toddler. He ended up liking it though, so you suppose it's a win.
There's a lot of footage of the three of you just doing random shit, or admiring scenery during a road trip you went on a while ago with a sense of romance to them. A small chunk of them is also filmed at this shitty bar and most of it comprises Oikawa trying to twerk, but you like to pretend that this didn't happen. Though letting go of the past has been hard and continues to be a fight for your mental health, this film will embody the thing you strive for. Idyll, as you deserve.
Even if a majority of the videos are your antics, there are also appearances coming from the new friends you made here as well as some old faces. Once Iwaizumi was flipping through the channels on the TV and frantically called the two of you over when he saw Setsuna on some sports channel.
You sigh contently as you get to work, leaning further into your chair with your legs on the seat. Later that night, Oikawa comes home after a busy day, only to see you still working.
"You were still at this when I left," he observes, leaning in to look over your shoulder.
"Hey, no spoilers."
"Oh sorry, the sound waves are really giving it away right now," Oikawa teases.
You scoff. He backs away, his hands put up in mock surrender.
"I'll go to sleep soon," you promise, though you're not sure if you'll stay true to your word.
"Alright. When's the deadline?"
"In a month. Night." You shoo him away with a shake of your hands towards the general direction of the bedroom which makes him sigh dramatically but take his leave, regardless. He's not dense enough not to realize that he's keeping you up by wasting your time with this conversation.
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"I can't believe they agreed to have some weird parking-lot projection of your movie," Iwaizumi remarks. Though his words aren't poetic or anything of the sort, you can tell that he's impressed by the look on his face.
"Well, when I showed it to the Big Man―" Oikawa stifles a laugh at the nickname you gave your boss, "―he ended up really liking it, for whatever reason, so he agreed to help with this."
The three of you finally find a spot. Your audience isn't enormous by any means, but it's enough to satisfy you. The sun is dipping behind the horizon and the day is going dim, creating what you consider being the perfect atmosphere for your creation. A few minutes pass by, and Oikawa has already eaten half of the popcorn (which Iwaizumi scolds him for, for the record). Then the projector starts playing.
There's a shot of a grassy field during sunset, two vague silhouettes outlined in the distance. For a mere moment, it stays that way, until the title screen shows up in white. Cynosure, it reads. Your name is spelled out under it in a smaller font.
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You'd say that after your debut art project you've had a satisfactory amount of success in snobby circles who are obsessed with niche films that they declare underrated. You suppose they are received that way due to most of your pieces being a form of venting. You don't mind your audience at all, though once you're back in Miyagi, you don't expect anyone to be aware of this endeavor of yours.
Actually, you didn't expect to stumble upon Kanamori at the mall while shopping, but that's beside the point. When you two recognized each other, you decided to go for a coffee. She looks about the same, but with a mellowed-out face rather than the scowl she used to have on her face all the time.
"I'm a teacher now," she says, before lighting a cigarette. "You want one?"
You're itching to say yes, but your mouth runs on autopilot. "Nah, I quit them a few years back."
"Oh, damn, sorry, I didn't know." Her apology is sincere even if worded bluntly.
"But shit, I didn't expect you to become a teacher of all things. Do you like it?"
"Nah. I'm a high-school teacher and these kids are driving me crazy." She pinches the bridge of her nose and then scowls a bit. "But why did I bring this up? There are these three first-years in my homeroom class who are total kino maniacs. They try to make me play your movies all the time and I'm like fuck. That was my classmate. They didn't believe it when I told them, though."
You giggle a little. The thought of people spreading around and recommending your works is both flattering and surreal. "I remember we both used to be terrible students."
"Hah, I guess I owe an apology to all of our old teachers. I feel them now."
"How'd you decide to become a teacher?" you ask, curious.
She shrugs. "It just came to me one day, like some crazy, divine epiphany. Maybe because at one point I was a TA. But I wanted to ask, what are you doing back here? I thought you're in Brazil along with Iwaizumi-san and dumb-o."
"Oh, we're back here for a special occasion," you smirk before beginning your explanation. "You see, Hajime's mom found some rich dude to marry. And she called us back here for a banquet and then the wedding. We'll go back after that, though. Obviously when we heard, me and Tooru were like, get your coin queen. But Hajime told us to stop once we started coming up with ways to get rid of him once he puts her in his will."
Kanamori snorts, slightly impressed that you've kept your way of speaking even in your twenties. Though, she suddenly realizes something. "Wait, she called the three of you back from all the way there?"
"Yeah, why?"
Something unspoken goes, but she says nothing and instead observes you warily while she puts out her cigarette. "Nothing. But please don't do anything stupid with Oikawa-kun, I promise you the blood on your hands won't be worth it."
"Hmm, I can't promise anything." You give her a mischievous grin. "Hey, feel free to call me over for one of your homeroom classes these days. I'd like to meet these kids."
"Pfft, don't get cocky just because you have fans. High-schoolers are insane."
"Sure are," you agree, before looking out the window of the cafe, this time a more wistful expression on your face. "Unpredictable, really."