Ifs (Haikyuu Oneshots)

Pictures

"Hey, Iwa-chan!"

"What?"

"Smile!"

Aoba Johsai's #1 and #4: they were in perfect sync. For a mere stranger, it was hard to believe such statement since one of them looked like he would murder the other any time soon if it weren't for his teammates. The other guy seemed like he wanted to get on the vice-captain's nerves and was amused by it. However, despite the occasional mischief and beatings, they found strength in each other and it was enough to keep their friendship going.

Iwaizumi frowned once he was caught in a candid photo, courtesy of Oikawa. The duo had just finished school and was walking home together. As usual, Oikawa was being annoying so Iwaizumi had to buy the captain milk bread in hopes that he would shut up. It worked, until the brown-haired male finished the treat and resumed with his tricks.

"Would you cut it out, Shittykawa?" Iwaizumi snapped. "Stop taking pictures of useless crap!"

Oikawa gasped dramatically. "Iwa-chan! How could you say that!? You're one of the pictures here, you know!"

"I only meant you..." The vice-captain grumbled.

"So mean, Iwa-chan!" The brown-haired teen pouted childishly before he went back to his usual disposition. "Say, Iwa-chan?"

"What is it now?"

"We'll still see each other again, right?" Oikawa asked. "Even in college, we'll find time to hang-out, okay?"

"I was kind of hoping to get away from you..."

"Iwa-chan!"

Iwaizumi chuckled at his dejected friend before he smiled that rare smile of his. "Idiot. I was only kidding. Of course we'll hang-out!"

Upon hearing so, Oikawa grinned and proceeded to take a picture with his best friend.

"What was that for?" The ace asked.

"Just something to remind us of this day." The other replied nonchalantly. "I want to be able to look back on these moments."

Deep down, Aoba Johasai's #4 couldn't help but be amazed by his captain's gentler side. "Such a sap...is that why girls are fawning over you?"

Oikawa feigned an offended look. "Of course not! I am liked for who I am!"

"Pfft. Whatever." Iwaizumi smirked. "You're still trash to me."

"HEY!"

The two continued their way and came across a highway. It wasn't as busy as it usually was so Oikawa urged his companion to cross it.

"Are you insane!? We could get run over!" The other exclaimed.

"There aren't any cars or trucks around! C'mon!" Oikawa said as he pulled the teen's arm.

Sighing in defeat, Iwaizumi complied with the bubbly captain's request.

'I swear – he's going to be the death of me!' The ace miserably thought.

As they were crossing, Iwaizumi (being the one with better eyesight) spotted the outline of a vehicle heading their way. It was a truck – and it was fast approaching. He forced his companion to walk quicker and he even signalled the truck to stop, but to no avail. The ace noticed that the driving was unsteady so he concluded that the driver might be drunk.

'Damn this highway!' "Hurry up, Trashykawa!"

The truck was nearing and just as he thought they were in the clear, the vehicle swayed at their direction in one fast motion. Instinctively, Iwaizumi pushed Oikawa to safer grounds as the vice-captain faced what could be his early departure from the living.

"HAJIME!"

At the shout of his name, everything played like a video set in slow motion and Iwaizumi's life started to flash before his eyes. From the time he celebrated his 4th birthday, to the time he first joined the volleyball club, and to the time where he found himself walking home from school and crossed the damn highway despite his better judgment. More memories played in his mind and in each of it, of the many who came and went, he found one person who managed to stay as a constant in his life regardless whether the situation had been good or bad.

And that person was his best friend, Oikawa Tooru.

'Sorry, Oikawa.' Iwaizumi thought. 'I guess we won't be hanging out after all.'

Funny how they had been talking about spending time together despite going to different universities and the next thing they knew, one of them was going to die young.

"Sorry..."

Life was full of unexpected twists and turns, which was why Iwaizumi found himself visiting the grave of his dear friend a year later. He sat across the tombstone while he narrated the events that took place for the day.

"I visited our high school today and the volleyball club got new recruits. The first years seemed promising and Kindaichi's a good captain." The former vice-captain exclaimed. "College isn't as bad as we used to think, although I feel like it's missing something."

It's missing you.

No response as expected. No loud mention of 'Iwa-chan!' either.

"Why'd you have to do what you did, Tooru? Why'd you have to play the hero?" Iwaizumi said softly.

He could still remember the day of the accident and how Oikawa reached for his hand and traded places with him at the very last second. The former ace's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed his best friend – whom he thought would stay a constant in his life – being taken away for good. If it were the opposite, where Iwaizumi was safe and Oikawa was in peril, the former would do the same and switch their places. After all, they were in sync, even in their way of thinking.

Sighing, Iwaizumi stood up and left. As he was walking the path he and Oikawa used to take, a small smile managed to form on his face upon passing a certain spot. It was as if he could still hear the elated voice of Oikawa as the brown-haired male took out his phone to capture a picture of the other.

"Hey, Iwa-chan! Smile!"

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This hurts my heart :( I love their relationship. . It's bad enough that these two are going to different unis, but for me to write a fanfic about the other dying takes it to a whole new level. Why am I even doing this? I knew there was something off with those cinnamon rolls I ate! :O

Well, anyway here's the If scenario for Iwaizumi and Oikawa. I was actually deciding between two scenarios for these guys and I ended up with this one. Unlike the first two where I gave you, my dear reader, the chance to imagine what happened, I mentioned the cause of the other person's death/disappearance.

Thanks for your time! Don't forget to leave a review! Until the next one! :)

If I owned this anime, I would let Iwaoi go to the same uni. Oh, and this fanfic is now in AO3 :)