When The Timer Hits Zero. ~Iwaoi~

~Part Four~

My name is Oikawa Tooru. I am eighteen years old, living alone with my dad, and in my last year of high school. Through the last six years, I have seen countless of people with timers, slowly counting down. There're also people without timers, like my dad, a few teachers, some random people... But most people do.

Currently, my timer is at 24 days. I don't know what will happen. Iwaizumi's timer is at 27 days. I'm afraid what will happen. Apart from my dad, he's all I have left. Even though I am popular, I often feel lonely. Luckily, Iwaizumi always knows how to chase away the feeling.

It's been a little over six years since my mom left. I still miss her every day. Although I never heard from her again, I dream of conversations, I imagine she's proud of me. Even when I turned eighteen, she kept quiet.

Iwaizumi and I are in the volleyball team. I am the captain, thanks to my amazing setter skills and my ability to bring a team together. I live my happiest moments with them. Happy, but empty, nervous, scared. All of them have timers. All of them are counting down.

Lost in thought, I stare in front of me. 'Hey, Shittykawa, ready to go?' Iwaizumi's voice immediately gets me back to the present. He's not the shy, little, quiet boy he used to be, but he can read me like a book and is very understanding.

I can feel his eyes piercing right through my fake smile. 'Yeah, let's go! What was taking you so long anyways?' I say, still trying to convince him that my smile is real. He frowns.

We walk out of the gym. Iwaizumi keeps frowning. 'Iwa-chan, if you keep that up, you'll get permanent wrinkles!' I poke his forehead. His frown deepens. I can see the worry in his eyes, but he keeps quiet.

We keep walking in silence for a few minutes. I look at him. He's definitely what every sane, not blind person would call handsome. But that frown is ruining it! I sigh. 'Iwa-chan. What's wrong?' 'I should ask you that. You've been nervous for the past couple days. What happened?' he looks back at me, scanning my face.

I never told him about my ability to see timers. I'm not planning to. I look at his chest. 26 days and 23 hours. It will be vacation again by then. I stay silent, not knowing what to say. He sighs again. 'You're not comfortable with saying it?' I nod.

In a few days, whatever Iwa and I have will change. Everytime I see a timer go down to zero, terrible things happen. My aunt commited suicide just a month after. My cousin (not Tama!) got abducted just a week later, but luckily she was found alive. The only happy thing that happened is my cousin, Tama, who will marry her lover in just a few weeks.

My heart sinks as I realize that this is one of the last times I will normally walk home with Iwa, spend my time with him. And here I am, worrying him. I stop walking and grab his sleeve. He turns around. 'What's wrong?' 'Iwa. Whatever happens in the next few weeks, please promise me we will stay friends. That everything will stay like this. Please..' Tears form in my eyes. He pats my head softly. 'Of course. I don't know what's going through your head right now, but I'm not planning on changing anything about this.' He smiles softly. I smile back, rubbing my eyes. 'Thanks, Iwa-chan.'

Little did we know that I would be the one to break that promise.