#but i associate it so much with suna that i can't resist

[flyingwargle]

suna week day 6: memories

“wow, you really made this place your own!”

“is that an insult or compliment?” suna remarks, joining komori on the couch, handing him a can of beer. his teammate accepts, and they crack them open, knocking them against one another.

“it’s a compliment! it just feels so lived-in, even it's been, what, three months? i didn’t have curtains for an entire year until my cousin complained.” komori takes a long sip, eyes drifting toward the bookshelf. “what are those?”

several origami papercrafts sits on the top shelf. “i folded those as decoration.” there’s a fox, magnolia, shrine, and volleyball.

“why those?”

“they each represent a memory in my life. the fox is for inarizaki, obviously. i had a shitty childhood, and i wanted to get away. moving to hyogo was the best thing for me, but it wasn’t easy…”

--

the culmination of poor habits, stress, and pressure caused him to get a terrible fever during his second year. his parents couldn’t be bothered to travel three hours to care for him, and while the dorm caretaker gave him a care package with medicine, that was the extent of it. he didn’t have the energy to take any of it, nor the stomach for any food. instead, he sweated under thin blankets, hollow coughs echoing in his room.

knocks sounded on his door. suna ignored them, but as they grew insistent, he pulled himself out of bed with a groan to throw it open. he was immediately assaulted by his masked teammates. “we’re takin’ ya ta kita’s place,” aran declared. “twins, grab his blanket an’ phone. akagi, the medicine. gin, get his socks an’ shoes on. omimi, jacket.”

before he knew it, he was shoved into a car with his teammates and then shoved beneath a futon, weighted blanket embracing him like a hug. kita wiped sweat off his forehead before placing a cold compress on it, the twins jostling each other as they brought a bowl of okayu and cup of water so he could take his medicine. “after yer done eatin’, we’ll get a bath runnin’,” kita told him. “gin brought some clothes fer ya ta wear.”

“you didn’t have to do this–“ he tried protesting.

“if not us, then who? yer parents aren’t with ya, an’ there’s only so much the caretakers can do. we’re yer teammates, suna. ya can rely on us.”

his eyes flickered toward each of them, seated in a huddle around him. he bowed his head, murmured his thanks, and took a spoonful of okayu. it was delicious, even with the splash of salt that accompanied it.

--

“yeah, you guys always seemed close-knit,” komori comments. “i don’t keep contact with my high school team, except for kiyo and iizuna-san. what about the magnolia?”

"it's my sister's favorite flower. she taught me how to fold it, actually…”

--

it was rikako’s first time visiting him in shizuoka. he showed her all the tourist destinations, and after some needling, took her to his favorite local spots. for dinner, they ate oden and gyoza before returning to his apartment.

“you need more stuff,” was her first critique of his space. at that point, he only had a couch and half-occupied bookshelf. “i thought you’d have tons of trophies and pictures.”

“i'm not that decorated.” he carried a pack of origami paper to the table. “i don’t think i ever won an award in my life.”

“it sounds sad when you say it aloud.” she didn’t hesitate to take several sheets out. “you should fold some origami as decorations! it’s cheap and looks cool.”

“sure, but i don’t know what to fold.”

“a magnolia! here, i’ll teach you.”

they sat together as she guided him through each step. origami started as a way for them to bond, folding cranes late at night while their parents argued. suna used it as a coping mechanism, and rikako used it for art. nevertheless, their love for origami never waned, both eager to expand their repertoire to include different shapes and techniques.

“do you know what magnolias represent?” rikako asked. when he shook his head, she explained, “they represent luck and stability. they're associated with female energy and used to honor women. i like them because of that, but also because of how pretty they are.”

two origami magnolias sat on the table, one misshapen, the other symmetrical. rikako laughed at him, and suna rolled his eyes, raising the two to compare. “you can use it as decoration, if you want. just a little something to remember me by!”

--

“as if anyone could forget riri-chan,” komori says with a snort. “i see her so often, i wonder if she’s even a student.”

“i wonder more where she gets the money for shinkansen tickets,” suna agrees.

“the volleyball makes sense, given you play it, but what about the shrine?”

“oh, that one is easy. it’s for my two best friends in the world.”

--

suna never thought he'd be friends with the miya twins, let alone best friends. the realization came after graduation, while he was struggling to find his place in the professional circuit. he went home with them during golden week, let mama miya ruffle his hair and cook him dinner, reassure him that he's fine. his smile was a façade that hid his insecurity, his doubts.

i’m not good enough for this. i’m not talented enough.

“hey, rin.” osamu approached him. “ya all right? i haven’t see ya so quiet before.”

he didn’t look at him. “fine. don’t you have to study? you were complaining about tests after break.”

“it can wait; makin’ sure yer all right can’t. so? wanna talk about it?”

suna was silent before he released a long, unsteady breath. “do you think i’m wasting my time?”

“whaddaya mean?”

“this. trying to make volleyball a career. i’m not as good as atsumu, or i would be in d1 by now. my grades aren’t as good as yours, so i would’ve flunked out of university. am i just destined to be mediocre? maybe i should just get a job somewhere and call it quits–“

“like hell yer quittin’.” atsumu stormed in, fire blazing in his eyes. “yer sellin’ yerself short, sunarin. yer a damn talented player that any team is lucky ta get. the bigwigs just haven’t seen yer potential. an’ don’t give me shit ‘bout bein’ dumb – ya tutored us in chemistry from first-year ta third. ya’d totally kick ass in school.”

“yer a starter fer yer team too, but ‘tsumu isn’t,” osamu added. “that counts fer somethin’, yeah? i bet once the season is over, yer gonna get a bunch o’ offers. yer hot shit right now.”

“i don’t feel like i am,” suna muttered.

“ya are, trust me. so don’t worry ‘bout it, ‘kay? if ya feel like it ain’t workin’ out, talk ta us, an’ we’ll figure somethin’ out together. what else are friends fer?” atsumu pulled him into a hug. “get in here, ‘samu.”

his twin eagerly obliged. “we’re here fer ya.” suna closed his eyes, mumbling his thanks, lost in their embrace.

--

later, suna adds a new papercraft to his shelf, one that took forever to figure out. his eyes move from the fox to the magnolia, shrine, and volleyball, and finally, he adds the olympic rings to his collection.

he can’t wait to see what else will join his shelf in the future.