deciphered

only time can tell I

"Who are you...?"

Iwaizumi could not properly feel any stable sensation in his body—his throat was dry, his vision was blurry, and his head was spinning. He tried his best to focus on the clock across the room, but there were several human-shaped figures standing along the edge of his hospital bed. It almost frightened him; he thought they were demons haunting part of his sleep paralysis.

Iwaizumi didn't even realize he was awake. For so long, he was stuck reliving the same nightmare for months on end, replaying the accident at the Daikokufuto race. He remembered the moment his car flipped over and the way his body froze while it was up in the air. His hands were searching to unbuckle his belt, hoping to jump out before the crash; but it was too late. His body collided with the asphalt, feeling himself ricochet and tumble against the hard road divider.

He remembered the taste of blood filling his mouth, choking on his own fluids. He remembered the metal from his car tearing through his clothes and the shards of glass slicing through his skin. He remembered smashing his head against the road, knocking him fully unconscious. He remembered his life flashing through his eyes, recalling all the memories he kept close to him.

He reminisced his life passing through his mind—the first time he fell in love with cars, the day he was initiated into the Seijoh Brawlers, and the moment he finally reunited with you again after all these years—in fear of passing away, he deemed those moments close to his heart, and was frightened of forgetting them in the afterlife.

Despite all of that, the one person he kept seeing in his ongoing nightmare was the man who caused all of this in the first place—Thrasher of the Inarizaki Bois, Atsumu Miya. Iwaizumi kept reliving the scene where it first started; his car flipping over from Atsumu thrashing against the side of his.

He remembered the menacing smirk on his face, watching him lick his lips twice before shoving his steering wheel to the left. He remembered the maniacal laughter erupting from his mouth, the sense of fear overwhelming his body the minute he realized what was going to happen. He remembered watching Atsumu drive away, untouched and unjust, never receiving the consequences of his actions.

It drove him insane to the point he could describe detail by detail of what he felt, the emotions he was going through, and his desperate attempt to flee from the memories haunting him. Until the thousandth time, reliving the same treacherous memory over and over again—he felt something physically pull him out of the deep waters.

The first thing he sensed was a soft-feeling hand caressing the inside of his palm, tickling his skin. It reminded him of his mother's touch, gentle and embracing. Despite not feeling the rest of his body, he was somehow able to only move his fingers, slightly flexing them in place before fully wrapping them around the hand that was on his.

Next, he regained the ability to hear again, but only ever so slight. Faint sounds began to surround him, yet it was muffled like he was placed under water. He was aware people were speaking in front of him, but he was incapable of joining their conversation. Sooner or later, the chatter became clear to his mind, picking up words here and there.

Finally, Iwaizumi finally felt the ability to open his eyes, slowly lifting his eyelids up. His vision was blurry as expected, only seeing the faint shape of people surrounding his bed. One person in particular was holding his hand and petting his head, whispering out soothing words that almost sounded like a lullaby.

"Hey, Hajime," the figure spoke softly, all while their touch helped him regain complete consciousness. "Hey, are you with us?"

Iwaizumi was wondering how this particular person knew his name as he was unable to fully recognize who she was. He was able to hear loud and clear, recognize objects within the room, and acknowledge the doctors and nurses surrounding his bed. Of the details of his surroundings, all but the identity of the woman before him was crystal clear. His eyes trailed up to her face, seeing a sparkle of hope within her eyes.