Golden [BokuAka]

Chapter 6

"Akaashi-san?" Akaashi blinks at the sound of his name, he realizes that he's been totally zoned out. He's sitting in his office with Tenma Udai. They were supposed to be having a meeting about his upcoming special chapter.

"I'm sorry Udai-sensei. I'm a bit out of sorts today," He admits. He's exhausted actually. He's barely slept since Tuesday, a week ago. He'd been having all sorts of weird dreams and then Shouyou had gotten a fever and Akaashi had been too worried to sleep. He didn't want to have to take Shouyou back to the hospital again.

"Mm, it's okay. How are the kids?" Udai was the first artist that Akaashi had been assigned when he took this position. He'd seen how bad things got while Akaashi adjusted to being a single parent. Akaashi had often had to bring the kids to work with him then and Udai was always happy to see them.

"They're good. Kei has joined a volleyball club that he really likes. Shouyou's been sick recently though so we had to miss his practice on Thursday," Akaashi looks at the notes he's taken so far and sees that the page is mostly blank. He can't believe he let himself zone out so much again.

"Aww, poor Shouyou. You should bring them with you when you come to my place."

"So you can fill them full of sugar again?"

"Yes exactly... anyway did you hear what I'd asked?"

"No sorry..."

"It's all good. Actually, I was wondering if you could get me another interview with that volleyball player. The one we met last time." Akaashi freezes. He doesn't remember interviewing a volleyball player.

"Um... sorry when was that? I don't really remember who..." He's got a bad feeling about this.

"You don't remember? Ah that was back at the beginning. You were in a total zombie mode then. But I thought you'd remember. You seemed close to him. You'd said you were teammates back in high school. Do you remember when we went to that game in Miyagi?"

Akaashi closes his eyes and he tries to remember. It's there when he really thinks about it. He remembers the trip, he didn't want to go because he didn't want to be that far from the boys but Daichi and Suga had insisted that they could handle it, that Akaashi should spend the night in Sendai and enjoy himself for once. They'd recommended a restaurant for him to try. Akaashi had been so exhausted that he didn't even really register what the trip would really mean.

He opens his eyes again and turns to his computer screen. He's saved all his old emails and he knows that any interview requests should still be saved. He scrolls through to the beginning and there it is. The first interview he'd ever requested for this job. Sent to the one person Akaashi didn't want to think about. How could he have forgotten about that? About seeing him again. Of sitting in a room with him, talking to him like nothing had happened between them.

"Oh... I see it here. I'm afraid that I've lost touch with him... We don't speak anymore. But um... one of Kei's coaches is Ushijima Wakatoshi. Maybe I can ask him for an interview..." It would be annoying to have to talk to Ushijima again but it would be better than trying to reach out to him.

"Ushijima? Isn't that the one they call the canon?" Udai asks. He spins the chair he's sitting in around.

"Yes, that's the one."

"He's huge... doesn't he scare the kids? I'd be scared around him." Akaashi laughs at that.

"He's definitely intimidating. But the kids seem okay with him. Kei's not scared of him at least. I guess I didn't pay as much attention to the others."

"That makes sense I guess. But yeah if you think he'll agree to an interview that'd be great. I want to get it done as soon as possible so I don't fall behind."