Chapter 6
The phone on his bedside table buzzed, waking him from the longest stretch of rest he had gotten in days. Daichi groaned and rolled as far away as he could. It was Thursday, his one day off before weekend, and the last thing he wanted to do was open his eyes. The phone buzzed again and he buried his face in his pillow. More buzzing. Daichi wondered how bad would it be if he ignored it, but then the image of Tanaka carrying Hinata over the burning rubble of Sports World with flags made of athletic socks and rain jackets flashed through his head. Daichi flung his covers off with a defeated sigh.
From: Unknown Number
YO daichi! Got ur books. Workin?
From: Unknown Number
Sorry man. Its noya.
From: Unknown Number
Tell hina i say hiiiii if u see him
Daichi sat up and squinted at the screen. He could ignore it, go back to sleep, and respond later. It was his day off, after all, and he would be back at the mall first thing the next morning. Noya would understand. Daichi glanced over to his laptop, open on his desk. He had no luck with his research the night before, either, and to think that Noya was sitting on Suga’s books just a short drive away made Daichi unreasonably anxious. He tapped out a response.
To: Nishinoya
Thank you! See you in a half hour?
Not even ten minutes later, Daichi was fully dressed and in the car, on the way to the mall, on his day off. He recognized the absurdity of the situation, but couldn’t find it within himself to lament it. He was entirely absorbed by the anticipation of getting his hands on Suga’s books.
Careful to avoid Sports World and whatever issue he would inevitably get sucked into there, Daichi parked in the lot on the other side of the main entrance. He checked the time. Ennoshita would be there in thirty minutes to take care of whatever trouble his employees caused and Daichi sent yet another prayer of thanks into the universe for his beleaguered and supremely patient assistant manager.
On the second story escalator, Daichi celebrated his escape from the first floor one second too soon. He felt someone push past him, so he moved, but the person stayed. Daichi made eye contact and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
Tanaka leaned on the railing. “Goin’ up to get a smoothie quick. Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?”
Daichi prayed that, if he kept it short and sweet, Tanaka would get bored and leave him alone. “Had quicks errands to do.”
“Errands? On the third floor of the mall? The very same mall you can’t wait to get away from at the end of the day?” Tanaka quirked his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest.
Daichi only nodded and restrained himself from smacking the smug grin off Tanaka’s face. They reached the third floor and he waved when he thought they would part ways, but Tanaka was having none of it and followed him closely. “Weren’t you getting a smoothie?”
“Eh, not thirsty anymore.”
“Perfect,” Daichi muttered as they approached Noya’s store. He would just be in and out quickly, so quickly that Tanaka wouldn’t get a word in edgewise and he could escape without interrogation.
Noya greeted Daichi with a gleeful yelp and, as soon as his eyes met Tanaka’s, Daichi knew he was doomed. He swore he saw sparks fly between them. And, as much as he wanted to ignore Tanaka, grab his books, and leave, he knew he’d feel bad if he didn’t introduce them properly. He also knew that he’d never hear the end of it if he didn’t. “Noya, hey, thanks for the text. This is Tanaka, he works with us at Sports World.”
Tanaka raised his head proudly and Noya jumped over the desk to shake his hand. “Hey! Hinata tells me all of your stories. You guys have epic times, dude.”
“You don’t even know,” Tanaka laughed. He looked around. “You the only one here?”
Noya snorted. “Yeah, boring as fuck. But at least I don’t really have a boss to suck the fun outta everything.”
“That’s a sweet deal, man,” Tanaka jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m stuck with this wet blanket.”
“You really don’t value your job, do you?” Daichi said darkly. Tanaka and Noya slowly turned to Daichi with the same pallor and wide eyes. He was glad he was still able to inspire a little fear. “You said you had some books for me?”
Noya ran behind the register and, a couple seconds later, he popped up with two well-worn books and a few paper booklets. Noya handed the bound books to Daichi, but gripped the packets of paper.
“Asahi had a bunch of copies of both books lying around his place, so no worries about returning them. These, on the other hand,” Noya smoothed the booklets out on the counter, “are a super special treat. Even I had never even seen them before. It was a zine Suga did with the heavenliest of heavenly bodies, a sick, sick mind in a beautiful, amazing, perfect bod-”
Daichi interrupted Noya’s gushing to see the covers. “Ah,” Daichi pointed at the name under Suga’s, “I saw her at the con, too. She was at the panel.”
Noya stared at Daichi without blinking. No one said anything, so Tanaka glanced at the name and plugged “Shimizu Kiyoko” into his phone. When the google image search revealed her face, he dropped his phone and grabbed Daichi’s shoulders. “You met an actual angel and didn’t think to tell me? I can’t believe you would betray me like that! Does our friendship mean nothing to you?”
While Tanaka shook Daichi’s shoulders, Noya rushed around to join the party. Daichi smacked their hands away so hard his own hand stung.
“Fine, fine. Hey!” Noya chirped at Tanaka. “We can look at pictures of the perfect and almighty Kiyoko while Daichi drools over his own super crush. Whaddya say?”
Tanaka’s eyebrows hit the ceiling and Daichi’s previous transgression faded into the background. “Daichi has a super crush? Well, well. Ladies come first obviously, but,” he turned to Daichi, “we're going to talk about this.”
Daichi clutched the books and zines to his chest. Couldn’t he just like a guy’s work? And the guy’s face? And his bright laugh and honeyed eyes? Tanaka and Noya occupied themselves behind the register counter, so Daichi flipped open one of the zines. He opened it up to a full-page illustration of a person that looked like he was forcibly turned inside-out.
Noya perked up when Daichi coughed to cover his gag reflex. “Told ya it was sick.”
Daichi ignored him, and the zines for the time being, and opted for flipping through the books. The pages were dog-eared, words were underlined, and there were faint pencil markings in the margins. Asahi, Daichi assumed, had taken great care with Suga’s books. It made him smile for reasons that weren't entirely clear.
“I know this is sudden,” Tanaka purred to Noya, “but wanna come get a smoothie with me?”
Daichi looked up to see Noya with his hands under his chin and his eyes sparkling with delight. “I thought you’d never ask!” He grabbed Tanaka’s arm and pulled him out of the store. Tanaka turned around to salute. “We’ll be back! You’re cool, right? Thanks Daichi! You’re the best”
It took a full minute for Daichi to react. He blinked slowly and looked around the store, at the shelves of books, tables of boxed figurines, and wall racks lined neatly with the newest issues of at least fifty different comic series. “What?” Daichi said to the empty store.
Well, he thought, at least the store was deserted. And even if it weren’t, he was a damn good manager! He had a Captain America pin, safely tucked in his wallet, to prove it! And he went to the comic convention that weekend. He cracked his knuckles and braced himself in front of the counter. How hard could it be?
As soon as he asked himself the question, a large group of girls walked into the store and went straight for him, like eagles descending upon an unsuspecting mouse.
“So I freakin’ caught the ball before it fell into the display, but then I rolled into it anyway!” Noya clutched his stomach in tears while Tanaka jumped to imitate the move.
Daichi heard them come back, but he was too busy getting a colorful earful from the terrifying girl in front of him. He sweated bullets as he frantically scrolled through the search results on his phone for some bizarre indie comic that he wasn't even sure he was spelling right. He was going to ask her to spell the name again when Noya swooped in to save the day.
“Yukie! Whatta coincidence! I’ve got the second volume aside for you special. Just came yesterday!”
“Thank god.” Yukie pointed a painted nail at Daichi. “This guy doesn’t know shit. You should fire him.”
“Daichi, you’re fired!” Tanaka bellowed between peals of laughter.
Yukie huffed out of the store, comic in hand, and Tanaka wiped tears from his eyes. Oh, he could have his fun, Daichi fumed, but he would get his. Daichi thanked Noya for his help and pulled Tanaka out of the store by the collar of his Sports World polo.
Tanaka didn’t seem the least bit fazed and let out a blissful sigh. “That’s one awesome dude. So, boss man, you got the hots for this Suga guy or what?”
“I just like his writing,” Daichi replied curtly. It wasn’t a lie. He did like the little that he read of it on the internet, even if it made him squirm. Tanaka did not need any more ammunition than that.
“Interesting,” Tanaka tapped his fingertips together like a villain in a James Bond movie. "That’s not what Hinata told me about your little comic con adventure.”
“Shut up, Tanaka.”
He side-eyed Daichi. “You do see why I’m curious, though, right? You’re here on your day off and, honest to god, I’ve never heard you talk about books before.”
“I read books,” Daichi grumbled, reminded yet again of his conversation with Michimiya earlier in the week. What exactly did everyone think of him?
“I know you CAN read.” Tanaka tried to dodge the punch aimed at his head.
“Don’t you have work to do?”
Tanaka checked his phone. “Crap! Yeah. Ennoshita’s gonna be pissed. See ya this weekend!” He ran off with a sloppy salute.
Daichi texted Ennoshita to ask him to make Tanaka mop the office floor, dust every square inch of the back room, and spray each tester shoe individually. He hummed on his way out of the mall and swung his car keys on his finger, books and zines safely tucked under his arm, feeling triumphant despite his failed attempt at managing the comic book store.
A couple days later, on Saturday morning, Daichi yawned as he priced a new shipment of tennis balls and absent-mindedly watched Tanaka help a kid with new sneakers. Tanaka tied them up and told the kid to take a lap around the shoe area, which the kid did with reckless abandon. While he ran around the store, Tanaka shamelessly flirted with the poor woman that accompanied the kid. Customers came streaming in and out of the store and the hours passed quickly, Tanaka's attention on the customers and Daichi's on the weekend ordering report. Daichi thanked the universe for this small mercy and stifled another yawn. He was especially tired that morning because he cracked open the first of Suga's books as soon as he got home on Thursday, read it late into Thursday night, spent the day after, Friday, tapping his fingers anxiously on the register desk, rushed home and dove into the book, not putting it down until he turned the last page, just a couple hours before he had to go to work that morning. A smarter man would've paced himself, Daichi admitted, but he had forgotten how much he loved reading, and he had fallen specifically for Suga's prose.
Suga had a strange knack for violent imagery and biting dialogue, which made him wince more often than he’d ever admit out loud, but he didn’t think the violence was gratuitous, or the dialogue too harsh. In fact, through Suga’s words, the brutal became tender, somehow. It was amazing. Daichi had trouble understanding how Suga wasn’t more popular, or why he hadn’t published anything in years. Michimiya texted him while he was on his break about going out - because it was Saturday! - but he was anxious to get home and start the second book. And maybe even work his way up to finishing one of the zines. Daichi chuckled to himself.
He heard his name from the last person he expected to see that day and it brought him out of his head and back into the world. “Hinata?” Daichi cocked his head. “Why’re you here? I thought you were meeting Kageyama today, oh.” He recognized the tall, grumpy man that stood a few steps behind. Tanaka appeared out of thin air and peered around Daichi’s shoulder with interest.
“Yeah! We already talked a bunch at the food court, so I wanted to bring him by to meet you guys and see my store!”
Kageyama took a couple steps forward to stand next to Hinata and looked between Daichi and Tanaka. He did a double-take at Daichi and nodded in recognition.
“Kageyama, it’s good to see you again. Sawamura Daichi.”
“Good to see you too,” Kageyama echoed. Hinata introduced him to Tanaka and dragged him all over the store. He pointed out his favorite merchandise, made gestures, and acted out a few of his and Tanaka’s escapades. The corners of Kageyama’s mouth lifted when Hinata turned away, and he watched Hinata intently. It didn’t seem like any detail was lost on him, no matter how mundane or outrageous. It reminded Daichi of the other guy at the panel, Tsukishima? They hadn't seemed to get along, as Daichi remembered, but they seemed to have observation in common. It made him wonder if all writers were like that.
He heard Tanaka greet a customer at the same time that a family approached the register for a big purchase, so Daichi refocused on the interaction that he was actually being paid to handle. When the transaction was over, however, Daichi looked around the store for a head of red hair, but found no one. He made eye contact with Tanaka and mouthed Hinata’s name, to which he pointed toward the back room.
Daichi walked over to the backroom door, pulled it open and blinked. He stared at the skin on Kageyama's back, his shirt pushed up by small, tattooed hands and orange Converses wrapped around his waist. Hinata was ground against the wall, his head thrown back in pleasure and as Kageyama kissed down his neck.
Tanaka, appearing from out of nowhere, whistled from the doorway. “Yeah baby!”
Kageyama froze and Hinata lazily opened his eyes. Kageyama immediately dropped Hinata on his butt and whipped around, two hands covering the crotch of his pants. Daichi noticed Kageyama was half-hard and he took a deep, fortifying breath. Through gritted teeth, as calmly as he could, Daichi hissed, “Is there any way you two could go elsewhere to relieve your urges?” He pointed to the security cameras.
“Hinata!” Kageyama shouted. “Dumbass! There are cameras?!”
Hinata dusted himself off and bit his lower lip. “Yeah, but, it’s kinda hot, though, right?”
Kageyama’s face was so red that Daichi was afraid he would spontaneously combust. He turned to scream at Hinata, who hopped up and gave it right back. Daichi pushed Tanaka out and shouted over his shoulder, “you two better be out of there in two minutes!”
Outside the door, Tanaka had his hands crossed behind his head. “Dude’s hot. Hinata was not kidding around. Yo, they should totally film themselves doing it.”
“Tanaka. Shut. Up.” Daichi said icily.
“What? You stood there and watched like a creeper. Didn’t know you had kinks, daddy,” Tanaka cooed.
“Don’t ever call me that again,” Daichi spit.
“What? Daddy?”
Daichi whacked Tanaka over the head, and he whimpered. "But seriously though, I’m happy for him.”
It wasn’t what Daichi had expected to hear and he wasn't sure how he felt about the situation, apart from the impending dread of regional management finding out what his employees did in their back room. “Why? Because they made out in a public place? They barely know each other.”
Tanaka seemed taken aback by the comment, like it was unreasonable. “So?”
“So? They were practically fucking in the back of a store. Kageyama had never been here before, and Hinata, I assumed, wanted to keep his job?”
Tanaka took Daichi’s words into consideration. “I love you, my brother-manager, but you need to chill. They’re both adults. Hinata’s just a shop guy and Kageyama is some sort of nerd celebrity. Let ‘em have a little fun?” Tanaka snorted suddenly. “And wait, that’s your idea of practically fucking?”
Daichi let the last comment go because he had a point. Damn it when Tanaka made good points; they snuck up on him out of nowhere, in between dancing to the Justin Bieber that blared at them from the corporate playlist and wearing shoes on his hands and trying to walk on them. Daichi rested his chin in his palm and tried to ignore the real reason he was put off by the whole thing. He could think of another write he wouldn't mind pushing up against a wall. Jealousy was an ugly, invasive creature.
Hinata and Kageyama came out of the back room exactly two minutes later. Poor Kageyama couldn’t make eye contact, reiterated that it was nice to meet them, and that he was sorry, and that they had to leave. Together. Hinata shouted something about putting words in his mouth as Kageyama pushed him out of the store.
Another, more welcome, voice interjected and Daichi felt the tension ease from his shoulders. “Did I miss something?”
Tanaka clapped his assistant manager on the back. “Hey, hey, Ennoshita! You’re early!”
“I’m right on time,” Ennoshita deadpanned.
“Yeah, man. Just messing with you,” Tanaka joked.
Ennoshita smiled back, but his eyes shone like a blade. “Mess with me some more and I’ll find even more unpleasant work for you to do."
Daichi patted Ennoshita on the shoulder with a smile that reached his ears while Tanaka prostrated himself on the floor and begged for mercy.