Chapter Twenty-Two: The Foreigner

THIS ISN'T THE SORT OF NEWS THAT Joji had thought his mother wanted to tell him today. It is surprising, to say the least. Any twelve-year-old would be a bit dumbfounded to be told that they were suddenly moving. Not only that but moving to a completely different country!

Here he sat, comfortable at the dining room table staring at his angelic mother who smiled apprehensively. Her crystal blue eyes were swimming in worry about the reaction of her son. The perfect smile on her thin lips was strained slightly and started to droop the longer Joji stayed quiet. She knows that this isn't exactly exciting news for her son to hear, but there wasn't much Eliza could do about it.

For all of Joji's life, he has lived with his mother in the heart of London in a posh apartment. The lavish lifestyle is all Joji has ever known. As well as a bit of an isolated one since he never really did anything a normal kid would. He's homeschooled, which in itself is not that strange for a child to go through, however, Joji has no friends. At least, no friends his age, since he would consider his elderly nanny his friend. That aside, Joji didn't have the normal life of most other children. Thanks to the fact that his parents were a part of the elite of the world, Joji was just about always spoiled by the best life can offer a little boy. However, Eliza's husband, Hideaki Endo, had practically demanded that she and their son move to Japan by the end of the month. 

To have his life suddenly upended like this was a bit jarring for a young boy. Though there really wouldn't be anything too drastic with the move besides the change of scenery. It's not like the Endo family was unfamiliar with traveling around the world. Joji wasn't exactly new to the idea of going through customs and flying all the time thanks to his parents' work. Also, the fact that his mother likes to spoil him with lavish and exciting vacations for her little boy. However, moving was something entirely different. 

"Japan?" He asked with a tilt of his head. "But why?"

Eliza sighed slightly, though her blinding smile barely faltered, "Daddy wants us to be closer to him. Especially now that his business is getting busier."

Joji has only ever lived in their home in London. While he's also been to Japan to visit family out there, he's never lived there before. He loves London, especially since it's Joji's and his mother's birthplace. Though Japan was his father's home country, so he also liked it quite a bit. Though moving there… That's going to be strange. His eyes then became alight with wonder and excitement as the idea really sunk in, "are we going to be living with daddy now?!"

Eliza laughed lightly at the obviously giddy child, "yes, of course."

Joji jumped up from his seat at the dinner table, "So we get to see more of him!" 

His mother giggled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, dear. We'll be living with him permanently after this." Eliza loved the fact that her boy idolized his father, it's all she would have wanted for her children. After all, she knows what an amazing man her husband is, so it isn't much of a surprise to see her son so excited to get to see him more often. She doesn't like the fact that Hideaki is away almost all the time for business. She would argue with him about it most of the time. Though she knows it's a losing battle. He's a very, very busy entrepreneur. He's always traveling for work and has very little time to stay with his family. Hideaki visits them of course. If he didn't, then she'd have an even bigger issue with it. Though he never stayed in London long enough for his family to really be together. However, they found a solution!

Joji gasped, breaking Eliza from her thoughts, "Are we going to live in a big Japanese temple, like the ones we saw!" His electric blue eyes were sparkly as he daydreamed about the large temples that he had seen on his last visit to Japan.

"I'm afraid not." Eliza said while brushing a delicate hand through her son's hair, "We'll be staying in Daddy's old family home in Miyagi."

"Oh!"

"I know that it'll be tough to move away from London," she said softly, "but you're a strong boy. I have no doubt that you'll adapt quickly."

He pumped his fist, "If I have my mummy and daddy then I will." Joji then giggled with a large, bright smile

Eliza cooed, "You're such an adorable boy." The two dissolved into laughter as Joji started to babble about their future in Japan. They weren't necessarily sure how things were going to be with this sudden change. However, they did know that they would be an entire family and together. What more could they want?

---

The move from one county to the other was a normal affair. The entire time, Joji was vibrating in his seat on the plane, in the car, and eventually even as he entered his new home. It was a nice western style home, though it still had plenty of traditional Japanese aspects to it. Joji liked it quite a bit. Honestly, he liked the idea of living in an actual house since his mother and he has only lived in an apartment. It was much bigger than his previous home which meant he had more room to do plenty of fun things.

The two settled in quickly with their things already moved into the house. Joji had already had his adventure around the house, finding any and all of the little nooks and crannies of the home. It was magical in his perspective. The house may have been quite sterile and empty, but he'd soon take over and add his special touch where he can. After all, he was an excitable little boy who had quite a lot of energy.

After moving all of his toys and such into his room all by himself, like a big boy, he hurried downstairs. The sound of the front door slamming shut definitely piqued his interest. It was most likely his father coming home! So he just about sprinted down the hallways and hoped down the stairs to find him. Though his mood dampened slightly when he saw it was just his mother closing the door after the movers left.

Eliza turned at the rushed footfalls to find her son skidding to a stop in front of her. She sighed happily, "well, looks like we're all moved in, dear! Isn't that wonderful!"

"Yea!" Joji smiled while jumping down the last steps, "though when's daddy coming home? I wanna see him!"

She sighed at the bright, impatient expression on her son's face, "Soon. He still has some work to do, but he'll be home by dinner."

Joji nodded his head, though he was still slightly disheartened. He has been looking forward to seeing his father ever since they started to move. Though he's waited weeks for this, so he can wait a little while longer.

Eliza then held out her hand to him, which he grabbed right away, and started to lead him out of the foyer. "Speaking of dinner, what would you like tonight? I was thinking of making some soup."

"Soup! Soup!" Joji cheered while hopping after her.

The two then set out to the large kitchen where Eliza would start making some delicious soup. While humming a light tune, Eliza worked her magic in the kitchen and ended up making a delicious miso soup. While the family has had plenty of maids, private chefs, and butlers at their home, Eliza loved to take it upon herself to cook her family meals. For special occasions like a party or such, she wouldn't interfere in the kitchen and let them do their work. However, she loves doing these things for her son and husband.

Once Eliza was done, she glided into the dining room and put a steaming hot bowl of soup in front of her impatient boy. Joji greedily slurped on his dinner while babbling with his mother about anything that came to his mind. Their conversation ranged from some of the new toys that Joji had gotten recently to what they wanted to do now that they were living in Japan. Joji made it quite adamant that he wanted to see his father's office since he was quite fascinated by Hideaki's work in the field of biomedical engineering. 

Joji admires his father's work. After all, his father designs and creates prosthetic limbs for people who needed them. He's heard all his life about how brilliant and innovative his father is. Joji sees his father as a hero for everything he does. He even talks about wanting to be just like him. Though Joji is still a bit decisive about what he wants to be when he grows up, as are most other children. Through working with his father is definitely in the top three!

The clinking of their silverware against their bowls and the obnoxious slurping of soup was the only sound in the room currently. Joji was enjoying his soup wholeheartedly while his mother watch him with a fond smile. "So, Joji," Eliza started, "what do you think of school?"

Slurping up some of the delicious noodles, Joji looked up, "I think that you're a really good teacher, mum!"

Eliza smiled softly, "Oh, thank you, honey." Her son could say some of the sweetest things. "But I was thinking more of public school."

"Public School?" Joji questioned through his mouthful of soup. He slowly chewed his dinner while staring at her with big eyes, "Like with other kids?"

"Yes."

He furrowed his eyebrows and pouted, "Oh, well, I don't know, I've never been."

"Would you like to?"

"Hm, I don't think so," he shrugged his shoulders, "I like just being homeschooled by you and my tutors."

Eliza nodded her head, "Well, daddy and I thought it would be a good idea to enroll you in the nearby school."

Joji froze, "Huh?"

Already seeing the shock starting to settle on her son's face, Eliza quickly tried to explain. "I know that you might not want to, but mummy and daddy will start to get busy with work and other things. Not only that, but we think it's time for you to try and make friends."

"But Tabby is my friend." Tabatha, the lovely elderly lady that's a nanny for Joji. Really, she basically a grandmother to him whenever she'd look after him when both Hideaki and Eliza were busy. In Joji's mind, he didn't need other children as friends. He has his mummy, his daddy, and his Tabby. Perhaps he would also count the other limited family members he has in this, though he rarely ever sees them. So what need did he have with befriending other children?

"Yes," Eliza broke him out of his thoughts, "and I know that she's your best friend, but it would be good for you to make some more."

Joji thought about it for a moment. A small amount of anxiety crept upon him, but he pushed it away for the time being. "Hmm, okay, if you say so, mummy." He wasn't going to argue that much about it. After all, whatever his mummy says, he's going to believe wholeheartedly. Going to an actual school is a completely new concept to him. He's been homeschooled all his life, so he didn't know any different. His curiosity was going to get the better of him. Public school in Japan is bound to be interesting, right?

Breaking Joji out of his thoughts, the sound of the front door opened earned his attention. "Tadaima!"

Joji's eyes sparkled as he took off towards the front door. The deep voice that Joji has come to recognize easily caused him to sprint in the direction of the new arrival, "Daddy!" Once he caught sight of his tired father taking off his jacket, Joji launched himself into Hideaki's arms for a hug. Hideaki chuckled deeply and allowed his son to latch himself onto his waist.

Eliza laughed at the sight as she followed her son into the foyer. She softly smiled and gently took her husband's jacket, "Okaerinasai!" She kissed the dark-haired man on the cheek which seemed to get rid of all the tension in Hideaki's shoulders.

"I'm sorry I was late, we were designing a new prosthetic arm for a well-known volleyball player." He explained with a tired sigh, "It takes a while to figure out how to make a strong enough prosthetic that can withstand him spiking and blocking."

Eliza nodded her head, "Sounds tough."

"Daddy can do it though!" Joji cheered, still hanging onto his father, "He's a superhero!"

Hideaki looked down at the adoring eyes of his son and smiled slightly, "Thanks, my boy. Now, what amazing food did my lovely wife make, hm?"

"Mummy made Miso soup!"

"Oh, sounds good," Hideaki exclaimed and swung Joji around while they headed towards the dining room to resume their dinner. The blond boy giggled as he excitedly enjoyed this moment with both his parents. Now the entire family was together to enjoy a meal together for the first time in a long time. It was moments like these, getting to have his mummy and daddy together to do something, no matter what, that Joji loves the most. After all, he doesn't get to enjoy both of their company that much. So he'd savor this for the time being. 

---

The large, ominous building that stood before the two blondes scared Joji just a bit. He surely is intimidated at this moment. While he had been curious a few days ago about what school would be like, staring at the place now, Joji wasn't sure if he wanted to go through with this.

His mother didn't seem to really catch onto his emotion at the moment. She actually seemed happy for her son. She knelt down to his height and fixed his black school uniform with a soft smile, "Alright, first day of school. Are you excited?"

"I don't know…" Joji gripped his backpack tightly, anxiety starting to creep upon him, "There's a lot of people." They observed all of the families dropping off their children. Most of the kids laughing as they met up with their friends and said goodbye to their guardians. Others moped about having to go to school as most normal kids would act. There were so many people! Joji's been around quite a few people before. Due to his parents' professions, he's attended a few art galleries and business parties which usually had quite a few attendants. Though this was going to be different…

Eliza ruffled his hair, "No need to be nervous, dear. Your first day will be fun!"

Joji pouted and lightly pushed her hand away, "Why couldn't daddy come with us?" 

His mother sighed heavily, "He's busy. Too much business for him to take care of at the office this morning. I'm sorry, dear." Hideaki had been called into the office again, and as much as he wanted to stay, he was needed elsewhere. Eliza tried to object to it, but she couldn't pull him away from his work. 

Joji smiled sadly, "It's okay… He has more important things to do."

It broke Eliza's heart to hear her son say that. Joji shouldn't think that his father values his business more than his own child. Though Joji idolized his father far too much to see that Hideaki should put his family above work. Eliza dreads the day he realizes that.

"You have a good day, okay?" Eliza said softly and caressed Joji's cheek, "I know you'll have lots of fun, and make plenty of new friends. When I come back to pick you up, you better tell me all the fun you had, okay?"

Joji brightened at his mother's warm expression, "Sure thing, mummy!" His mother sure knew how to cheer him up with her soft words and loving nature. So he said his goodbye and put on a brave face while waltzing into his new school. Soon enough, Joji found himself being introduced to his new classmates. All of their eyes were staring at him, and he quite liked all of the attention pointed at him. They all gazed at him in curiosity and eagerness that gave Joji a boost in confidence.

His teacher, a nice man with bushy hair and green eyes, gained all his students' attention by clearing his throat. He brought Joji before the class and presented him like a new toy, "Class, meet your newest classmate, Endo Joji."

Joji bowed to all of the other children, "It's nice to meet you all." He flashed them all the brightest smile he could. After all, he wants to make a good impression.

He was told where to sit and happily sauntered over to his seat. As soon as he sat down, plenty of the kids sitting around him started to crowd him. Their inquisitive stares were all pinpointed on him as they started to strike up a conversation with him.

One of his new classmates walked up to him, "You're Japanese isn't that good, is it?"

"Well, no." Joji said with a nervous laugh, "I've lived in England all my life! So I didn't really practice it that much." It's not like Joji couldn't understand or speak Japanese at all. His father made it important that Joji is fluent in the language. Of course, because he didn't get to practice it that much, he had a little bit of trouble with certain words and pronouncing them a bit weird. Though other than that, Joji was about completely perfect.

"England." Another kid marveled, "that's why you're hair's so yellow, huh?"

"It's just blond." He said in confusion since he didn't find it so weird since he's seen plenty of other blonde people around. Sure, all the kids in his new class either had black hair or brown hair, but he wasn't that strange for having blond hair. 

A girl peered down at him with wide eyes, "My mom says that your dad is rich. Is he really?"

"Yea!" Joji said proudly while puffing out his chest, "He owns a big business and my mum's a really good painter." Any chance that he could get to boast about how cool his parents are, he would gladly take it.

That definitely got their attention. His new classmates all bantered between themselves at the news. Their new classmate seems to be really interesting with stuff like that! The other kids then started to fire even more questions at him, "So you have a bunch of money?!"

Joji tilted his head, "Hm, I guess."

All of the kids leaned in closer to get a better look at the new rich kid. "Do you get all the toys you want?" A different kid asked eagerly.

Now feeling a bit overwhelmed at the attention, Joji stuttered, "N-not really-"

Someone else asked, "Then why do you have so much money if not to buy toys?"

"Oi, don't crowd him!" A sudden voice exclaimed over all the questions. The crowd of students parted slightly to allow an intimidating boy to walk up to the desk. At the sight of the boy, most of the students scurried away, either scared of the boy or uninterested in the new student for now.

Joji felt like he could breathe now that he wasn't surrounded by people. He could hear all of the others whispering and muttering to each other about him, but he focused on the boy walking up to him. He smiled, "Thanks."

The boy had spikey hair, dark green eyes, and quite a scary expression on his face. Joji could understand why the kids all listened to him now. The boy gruffly said, "You've got everyone's attention today, huh?"

Joji nodded, "Yea, I guess so." He expected to gain most of the attention for the day, since he is something new and different for the class to see. Though to have them crowd him like that was a bit overwhelming.

"Don't worry about them so much." Another boy bounced up to the pair. This boy had blue eyes and soft-looking brown hair. "They're a bit annoying sometimes. I'm Oikawa Toru!"

The spiky-haired boy spoke, "Iwazumi Hajime."

"I'm Endo Joji."

Oikawa giggled, "We know. Say, why don't you come play with us."

Joji's face just about split with the smile that was on his face, "Sure!" Hopefully, this would lead to a happy friendship between the three.

The rest of the school day went by quite quickly for Joji. He enjoyed some more of the attention that he got from some of his classmates. As long as they kept themselves out of his personal bubble and weren't too overbearing with the questions. There were a few who were like that, but Iwazumi and Oikawa were there to help him out. Truly, Joji knows that he's at least made two friends today, and that felt amazing.

Eventually, school came to an end and every student was reuniting with their guardians. Joji was easily able to spot her in the crowd and made his way towards her. "How was your day, dear?" Eliza greeted her son once she saw him come running out of

Joji tilted his head, "It was… okay. Kids are weird."

"Yes, I suppose they are." Eliza chuckled, "So tell me all about it."

"Can I do it later?" Joji yawned, "I'm tired."

The excitement of his first day of school had seemed to tire him out. "Oh, sure thing," Eliza said softly and started to lead her son to the car waiting for them, "When we get home, why don't you have a short nap while I get dinner together."

"Okay."

---

Being the center of attention in his class obviously gave Joji quite the confidence boost. For some time, Joji was happy with the fact that he was attending school with other kids. A few more days passed and his class was still somewhat abuzz with his presence. Everyone wanted to know about him and he was happy to oblige. He played with them, learned quite a few new things in his class, and was overjoyed with his experience. Honestly, he didn't think that he would like it as much as he did.

However, things started to turn…

It started when a few kids kept pointing out that his hair was a funny color. It was only a small group of kids, so it didn't bother him at first. Sure, he was the only one in class with blond hair, but it wasn't that strange. So why was he being teased for it so much? Why was it such a big deal? Eventually, it started to spread. 

More and more kids started to call him silly names and ask if his hair color was real. He wasn't sure why they constantly questioned him about it. It shouldn't bother him that much, but… For some reason, it hurt. They laughed at him behind his back. At first, Joji didn't think anything of it, but he soon realized they weren't being that nice. The attention that he had been getting started to turn sinister in a way. Joji couldn't really pinpoint when it happened, but he could just feel that the air in the class had started to suffocate him. 

There were murmurs and whispers behind his back. He heard snippets of them and wanted them to stop. What had he done to now deserve snide comments pointed in his direction. Unbeknownst to him, it was because some kids started to become jealous. The other kids saw what wealthy things Joji was able to get due to his parents. It didn't help that a few of the kids' parents spoke badly of Eliza which effectively trickled down to Joji's classmates. All around, there was quite a bit of gossip and rumors floating around Joji no matter what. No matter what he even tried to do, nobody seemed to want to be that friendly with him anymore. There were a few who downright disliked him and others who put on facades around him, pretending to be his friend only to go behind his back and whisper.

Eventually, the only ones who seemed to be genuine with him were Iwazumi and Oikawa. Not that Joji would question that, they're really good friends. Even after only a short while, they became an inseparable trio. Joji got to play with them and learn about volleyball, a cool sport that interested him just a little bit, and they didn't even question him about his wealth like many others constantly did. They spent their school days laughing and joking around, making fun of Oikawa from time to time, practicing volleyball, and getting ice cream at the nearby convenience store together. They were the only good part of Joji's school days. 

Though the comments about his hair eventually got to him. One day, after a tiring school day, Joji approached his mother as she sat in her study. Her dainty hands held a paintbrush as she expertly painted a beautiful scenic painting of a beach. Joji watched her work for a moment, not wanting to interrupt her.

"Mummy?" He finally said after a few minutes of watching her brush strokes.

Eliza glanced over her shoulders at him, "Yes, dear."

"Can I…" He trailed off.

Eliza paused her work and turned to give Joji her full attention. "What was that dear?"

Joji took a deep breath and rushed out, "Can I dye my hair?" He squeezes his eyes shut tightly, expecting his mother to shout.

Which she did. "Dye your hair!?" Eliza exclaimed in shock, "Why on Earth would you want to do that?" 

Joji shuffled his feet, "I want my hair to look like daddy's…"

She stared at her son's sheepish demeanor. Eliza felt as though that wasn't the entire truth. From the way that he wasn't looking at her and how he sway on the heels of his feet, she had a feeling that there was more to this. She eyed him, "Are you sure?"

"Yea."

The sheepish way that her usual confident boy spoke didn't rub Eliza the right way. How the idea of dying his hair came to him, she wasn't sure. Had someone mentioned it to him? Perhaps he didn't like his blond hair anymore? "Well, um…" She cleared her throat after a long while of just staring at him, "I'll find something alright? This isn't a definite yes, I'll look into it for you."

"Thank you, mummy," Joji said, grabbing his mother by her waist in a sudden tight hug. He let out a small sigh of relief at that. Joji honestly didn't think that she'd get anywhere close to agreeing to the idea. Though perhaps she did it because of how insecure he appeared. He may have tried to 

So, even though Eliza wasn't completely on board with it, she set up an appointment to get Joji's hair dyed. Sure, she didn't really like it, but it seemed to make Joji happy. He hasn't been himself lately and she figured that if doing this could make him happy, then maybe he'll become his normal self. He now sported dark black locks, much like his father and plenty of his classmates. The day after he got it dyed, Joji went to school in high spirits. He believed that now the names would stop. After all, he had changed the one thing that had been the focal point of their teasing. 

However, things didn't go in his favor. As soon as he walked into the class, he was swarmed by the other children curious about his hair once again. They asked him why he changed it, how he did it, and if he'd change his hair back. His classmates then started to speculate on why he would do this. Some rumors started to go around about him, most of them not that nice. One that Joji was able to hear was that he dyed his hair just for attention, which wasn't the case. He did it to take the attention off of him. Whatever he thought was going to happen after he dyed his hair certainly didn't happen. If anything the teasing just got worse!

At this point, Joji didn't know what to do. So he turned to the one person he knew could help him. After all, his father is extremely smart and strong, he'd know what to do.

Cautiously, Joji walked into his father's study one day after he got home from school. Hideaki was actually home before it was dark out since he tends to stay at his offices for hours on end working on projects and was barely home. He was buried deep in his paperwork and laptop, so he barely seemed to notice that his son had walked in. Joji cleared his throat lightly, "Daddy?"

"What is it, son?" Hideaki droned out, almost uninterested in the boy. He seemed to be more focused on his computer than anything else. "I'm a bit busy at the moment." The seeming frustration about whatever he was working on seeped into his words. 

Joji swayed back and forth on his heels, "Oh, I just wanted to ask about school."

Hideaki didn't even look away from his work, "If it's about school, ask your mother, she knows more than I do about it."

Joji frowned, "But I thought that you could help-"

Finally tearing his gaze from the screen for just a moment, Hideaki pinpointed Joji with a harsh stare. He gruffly said, "I'm busy."

Joji looked down at the ground and mumbled out, "Sorry."

That wasn't what Joji had hoped to happen. Honestly, he thought his father would help him out, or at least hear what he had to say. He's his idol, his father is his Role model, his hero. So who else did he think of going to? Perhaps going to his mother was a better idea. After all, she does know more about his schooling and such. So he shuffled out of the study and up to his room to wait for a good time to ask his mother.

Later that Night, Joji heard his parents in the living room. Joji couldn't see them since he was standing outside of their line of sight, but he figured that his mother was sitting on the couch and his father standing by the fireplace. The same blank expression on his face that had been present for the past few days. He didn't know what had been bothering his father, but he wish he knew. Joji would like to help him out!

Joji was able to hear a part of their conversation, it seemed like they had been talking for a bit. "He's having trouble at school," Eliza said, concern dripping off of her words.

Hideaki huffed slightly, "Did he tell you that?"

Eliza sighed, "Well, no. But I know our son, and he's upset every day he comes home." She took a moment, staring at her husband with her emotion-filled eyes, "He's just like you and too prideful to admit that there's something making him sad." Joji didn't necessarily think he was too prideful. Sure, he tried what he could to make friends but that ultimately failed and he was now going to his parents for advice on how to fix it.

He stared back, unwavering under her soulful stare, and shrugged his shoulders lightly, "If he's like me, as you say, then he can fix his issues on his own."

"Hideaki, he's just a boy," Eliza said, not believing what her husband was saying. Doesn't he care about his son's well-being? "Whatever is happening at school is affecting him."

Hideaki took in a deep breath, "It can't be that bad. He's a strong boy, he'll be able to handle it." The look that Eliza was giving him clued him into the fact that he most likely didn't say the right thing at that moment. Though he didn't retract his statement at all.

In the hallway, Joji nodded his head. If his father didn't think that he needed help, then he most likely didn't need it. As his father said, he's strong, so he can do this on his own. Unbeknownst to him, his father wasn't sure what to do with his son. Even after all this time, Hideaki doesn't know how to be a father. Yes, he and Eliza had Joji years ago, however, Hideaki hasn't been around to be a father like normal. So to suddenly have his family around him at all times was strange. Though whatever was happening at school was nothing too important, they are just grade-schoolers, it couldn't be that imperative. As long as Joji kept good grades, then there wasn't that much to be worried about in Hideaki's mind.

---

Joji went back to school and did just as his father said. He stayed strong. He went through his school day ignoring the bullying and waiting until it was break time when he could hang out with his real friends. "Hey, guys!" Joji called out as he came over to his friends once class let out for lunch. He ran over to them with a large smile, and he barely noticed the way that Oikawa and Iwaizumi shared a look with each other.

Oikawa sighed, "Oh, Endo…"

He seemed to be buzzing in place, "So do you guys wanna play volleyball again?"

The two boys shared a look, noticing the stares that they were getting from their other classmates. Oikawa took it upon himself to clear his throat, "Well, Iwazumi and I wanted to practice together today. Without another person to play with, we don't have another team to play against. So we just wanna work together, uh, by ourselves."

"Oh…" Joji's smile dimmed slightly as he took that in, "Could I watch you guys?"

"If you want," Iwaizumi said before he and Oikawa took off to pass the volleyball to each other. Joji just sat on the sidelines, hoping that at some point they'd tag him in to play a bit as well. Though they didn't.

This went on for a few more days. Iwaizumi and Oikawa didn't seem interested in being around Joji anymore. It hurt him. A lot. He wasn't sure if it was because of all the rumors and bullying that he got or they just didn't like him anymore. Though he kind of got it. They just didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of his bullying. Joji ended up giving up then, their friendships seemed to be gone at that point. Soon enough, it felt like he was alone. Those who did try to talk to him just pretended to be his friend, and it was sickenly obvious.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi officially stopped talking with him, which broke his heart. Though he's strong, so he pretended that it didn't affect him. Still doesn't mean that it didn't hurt him deeply, but he kept it to himself. If his father didn't want to hear about what troubles he was having, then most likely no one else would.

Being lonely was not fun for a little kid. He didn't have anyone to play with or hang out with after school. His mother questioned if he had friends, and he just lied. Said that he does have good friends, not to worry her or anything. He's strong, he can handle it.

Eventually, nearly halfway through the school year, Joji ended up finding out that money talks. If he bribed people with new toys, got to play with some of the state-of-the-art gaming consoles, and went to expensive amusement parks, Joji could get as many friends as he wanted. So that's what he did. 

He figured out how to fix his school experience, just like his father thought he would. Though Joji doubted his father imagined it going like this. Joji doesn't have friends anymore. The people that surround him with faux smiles and condescending compliments were just using him. It's not like he was blind to it. Though how else was he to fit in? No one wanted to hang with the rich kid unless he used his wealth on them. The bullying and gossip didn't stop, but it calmed down when kids got what they wanted from him. Joji learned to hide it whenever he was upset. Either by smiling or brushing off his emotions with a distraction or snarky remark. Though he came to the conclusion that public school wasn't that fun anymore.

---

Joji just couldn't take it. Too many nasty things were said about him today, and he was sick of it. As soon as school let out, he had taken off. He needed to be alone for some time, just to calm himself down. Joji didn't want anyone to see him crying, lest they bully him even more for being a cry baby or something. He ended up finding himself in a park, one that he hasn't been to before. Joji might have gotten himself lost, though he'll deal with that later, right now he needs to calm down enough to go home. The last thing he wants is for either of his parents to see him like this. Then they wouldn't think that he was strong.

He found a bench in the park to take a seat on and quickly threw his school bag on it. He brought his knees up to his chest and burrowed his face in them. The blond sniffled a couple of times as his mind raced with quite a few thoughts about school, his father and mother, and 

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice suddenly asked from behind him.

Joji quickly whipped his eyes and tried his best to compose himself. He looked over his shoulder to see that it was a boy who had approached him. Taking in the appearance of the boy, Joji found that he was quite tall. With a head of short brown hair with dark brown eyes, Joji could tell that he was around the same age as him. Joji sniffed, "Hm, yes, I'm fine."

The boy who had questioned him didn't leave him alone, to Joji's dismay. "You don't look fine." Joji harshly shot the poor boy a menacing glare that caused him to jump. "Sorry! It's just… you're out here alone and you look really sad so I thought…"

"Why would I tell you, you're a stranger!" Joji back spun around and rested his head on his knees, "So go away!"

The boy was silent for a bit before walking around to stand in front of the bench Joji was sitting on. He said in a small voice, "Well when I cry, I don't like being alone."

"How bold of you to ignore what I just said," Joji said snarkily. He huffed harshly, "Whatever, I can't tell you what to do. No one listens to me anymore. Not unless I bribe them." He then snapped his harsh, accusatory gaze back at the boy, "Do you want something? Huh?"

The boy jumped, obviously quite the skittish boy, and frantically waved his hands, "W-what, no. I don't want anything from you."

"No money? No new toys? Hm?" Joji continued to push. All of his "friends" always wanted something when they hung out. The only way that Joji could feel less alone was when he bribed people to be around him. Even then he didn't really like the kids he was around anyway, though what else was he to do?

"Nothing at all." The boy sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "You look sad! I want to see you happy!"

Joji scoffed, not believing him in the slightest, "Yea, sure." Why would this boy want to see him happy? It seems like no one wants to see Joji happy. So why would this random boy want that? He truly didn't believe that this boy didn't have some sort of ulterior motive.

The boy moved to sit on the bench with Joji. He made sure to keep some distance between them, though he seemed to make it clear that he wasn't going to just leave. He cleared his throat slightly, "So why are you sad?"

Joji let out a bitter chuckle, "Just because." He glanced at the boy from the corner of his eyes,, "Don't you just feel like being sad sometimes for the hell of it?"

"Not really?" The boy said in confusion, "Being sad isn't fun. So I wouldn't want to be sad just because."

Joji scoffed, "Yea, well, try it sometime."

The other boy blinked, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Joji just huffed and shrugged his shoulders. He buried himself further into his knees, trying to hide from the boy. "So what? I shouldn't care what you think. I shouldn't care what anyone thinks! What those friends of mine say to me, about me, shouldn't bother me." He then paused and took a shuddery breath, "So why does it hurt so much?"

The boy watched him for a moment. His expression morphed into one of sadness for this blond boy. It was obvious to him that he was hurting a lot, and he hated seeing people like this. "I'm sorry that happens."

Joji glanced at him with narrow eyes, ignoring the fact that he was close to tears again. "Are you though? The only person who seems sorry is my mum. Dad doesn't even care." That probably hurt the most. The fact that his father didn't seem to want to hear about him was disheartening for him. Joji thought his father was the best, his hero. Yet Hideaki doesn't even talk with his son unless made to. Joji gets that he's at work all the time and has an obligation to help others, but how could he just brush his son to the side every chance he could?

"That doesn't sound too good." The boy replied, not really knowing what else to say.

"Why am I telling this to a stranger." Joji rolled his eyes, "Who even are you?"

"I'm Azumane Asahi!" The boy introduced himself, "What about you?"

Joji hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Endo Joji."

"Nice to meet you!"

"Sure."

The two didn't talk much after that. There wasn't much else to be said. After all, Joji was still quite depressed after his day at school. Though Asahi seemed to make it his mission for the time being to make him feel better. Joji didn't know why he would do that. Though, deep down, he appreciated Asahi's effort. 

After that one day, Joji continued to come back. He went to the park wherever he could and sat on the same bench. In the beginning, he was hesitant with the idea of going out to see that boy again. Though he talked himself into it when he realized that no one else was being nice to him. Joji liked that boy, while he couldn't be certain if Asahi was genuine or not at the moment, he was at least nicer than Joji's classmates. 

They met a few more times and slowly but surely their friendship was blossoming beautifully. Even if they didn't go to the same school, they were eventually each other's best friends. A couple of years went by and soon enough both Joji and Asahi were heading to junior high the next school year. To Joji, Asahi was his saving grace at the end of his days. One of the only good things in his life at the moment. His mum is the other, obviously. Not only that, but he found that Asahi enjoyed volleyball quite a bit. As much as it hurt at the reminder of his old friends, Joji decided to say that he also likes to play volleyball. The two bonded a bit over that. They learned a lot about each other. While in the beginning, Joji was far more closed off than Asahi, the brunette was able to break down Joji's walls.

Currently, only a short time before the two were to decide their junior high for the next year, the pair were at the park after school as usual. They were a bit tired after having run around and passing their volleyball around.

"So did you decide on what junior high to go to?" Joji asked as he and Asahi lay on the grass. They stared up at the bright blue sky as an occasional cloud passed over them.

Asahi hummed, "I was thinking of Sekodai. My parents think it's a good idea too." He looked over at his friend, "What about you?"

"I don't have a choice." Joji scoffed, "I'm going to attend Mustafa no matter what. Father says it's a good school, so I shouldn't fuss about it." The relationship between him and his father had deteriorated quickly. Joji had thought that living with his father would be amazing. After all, he'd get to see his hero every day instead of just once every few months. Though he's realized now that what he imagined was just a fantasy. His father wasn't the great man that Joji had made him out to be. Perhaps it was because Joji used to see him once in a blue moon that he thought his father was the greatest. Though he's learned now that he is cold, strict, and downright mean. Joji had started to question why he ever looked up to the man.

"He's not even considering what you have to say about it?" Asahi asked him with furrowed eyebrows. He knows how rocky the relationship between Joji and his father is. Joji was a bit vocal about how his father is a terrible person sometimes. Asahi knew about Joji's issues since he confided in him almost all the time.

"Of course not!" Joji exclaimed in irritation, "He's making my life choices from now on, I guess."

Asahi furrowed his eyebrows, "What about for high school?"

"Most likely Shiratorizawa or something." Joji clicked his tongue, "I don't know why I'm not going to Shiratorizawa for junior high. Maybe he just wants to show off that he can send his son to an even more expensive school just because." That definitely would be something that his father would do. If there was one thing, Hideaki is definitely boastful. Showing off that he can send his son off to these expensive private schools and such is something he'd gladly do.

Asahi sighed, "Well, I'm not totally sure what school I want to go to for high school."

A brilliant idea then popped into Joji's head. His bright blue eyes widened as he sat up slightly to get a good look at his friend, "Why don't we go to the same school, huh?"

"I doubt I could go somewhere like Shiratorizawa." Asahi laughed, making a joke of the situation.

"Obviously." That earned Joji an offended scoff, "I mean, we could go somewhere closer." He racked his brain for the name of any other schools in Miyagi. Then he perked up, "Say… Karasuno! They're nearby! They also have a pretty good volleyball team, right?"

Asahi tilted his head in thought, "I think so."

Joji smiled brightly, "There we go! A school close by and with a volleyball team that we can play on!"

"You want to play volleyball?" He asked in confusion. Asahi likes to play volleyball, especially with Joji. However, he knows that Joji isn't the most enthused about playing though

"Well, I hear about it enough from you, I might as well as see about playing on an actual team." Joji chuckled loudly and gazed at Asahi, "Especially with you."

Asahi flushed slightly at Joji's declaration but smiled nonetheless. "Yeah, it would be cool to play with you."

"Then it's settled," Joji jumped on his feet and put his hands on his hips, "for high school, we'll go to Karasuno and play on their team together! We'll be the best wing spikers they've ever seen!"

Asahi laughed, "If you say so, Joji!"

---

Joji ended up coming home a little bit later than usual. He and Asahi just got too invested in talking about their future that they lost track of time. They thought about being wing spikers on Karasuno's team was the greatest idea that they could have. After all, they've never been to the same school, so getting to go to Karasuno means that they could be together a lot more than they already are.

He was looking forward to high school. The only problem was that he had to convince his parents to let him go to Karasuno. His father was adamant about picking the schools that Joji would be going to, so high school was definitely not going to be on the table for him. Joji found that his father wants to mold him into the perfect heir for his company. While a few years ago Joji would have been ecstatic with the prospect of working at his father's company, it's definitely different now. Joji has come to resent his father's work for a few reasons. For one thing, his work kept Hideaki away from his family for so long and he prioritized it over them. All Hideaki seemed to ever care about his work and his standing within the medical community. Joji didn't want his father to dictate things for him. How could he do that when he doesn't even know anything about his son?

"Have fun?" An angelic voice called out as Joji came into the house. It was Eliza who had been waiting for his return home. She was alone as usual. Another thing he hates his father for. Constantly leaving his wife on her own for days on end and barely talking to her, it's terrible in Joji's opinion.

"Huh?" Joji jumped at her sudden appearance but nodded his head, "Yea."

She was currently sitting in the living room on a chair, reading a book. Though as soon as Joji walked through the door, she eagerly leaned forward to hear about what Joji had to say. "So…" Eliza coyly started, "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Lucky lady?" Joji asked in confusion, "Pft, for what?"

Eliza pursed her lips, "Well you've been going out to the park to meet with someone nearly every day, you come home with a giant smile all the time, and you usually come back with a new obsession."

He blinked at that, "I do?"

"Of course. I suspect the reason you've come to like volleyball so much now is that you want to impress her, huh?" Eliza smirked as she stared at her son expectantly. She was quite happy with the fact that Joji was able to find someone to make him happy. Eliza knows that he's not happy at school and hasn't been for a very long time. However, he won't talk to her about it, and whenever she tries to get him to speak about it he dismisses it. She lets it go after that since it upsets him whenever brings it up. Though if there is someone out there who can make him happy.

"No. No." Joji shook his head vigorously, "I'm not trying to impress anyone let alone some girl!"

Eliza chuckled as she watched her son with amusement dancing in her eyes. "Well, whoever it is, thank them from me, will you!" She called out to him and giggled after him, "They're making my boy quite happy!"

Joji just hummed noncommital as he marched upstairs to his bedroom. He started to mutter to himself as he walked into his spacious room. "Impress a girl? Ha! What does mum think?" He walked over to his bed and plopped down on it, "It's like she thinks that I've got some crush or something!" He rolled his eyes, "I'm only hanging out with Asahi and we talk about a lot of things. He likes volleyball so that's why I want to get into it. He's my first real friend…" He then smiled softly, "I love getting to hang around with him. I look forward to every day that we see each other. Does that…?" Joji's eyes widened as he thought it over. His cheeks heated up as it finally sunk in. He definitely wasn't trying to impress a girl, but he was certainly trying to impress Asahi… Oh boy. He threw himself on his back onto his bed in realization. He liked Asahi!