Oikawa Tooru

The night air is warm and heavy, nothing like the winters Oikawa remembers. Strings of Christmas lights are draped lazily across the backyard, their glow reflecting off plastic tables cluttered with food, empty bottles, and half-filled cups. Music pulses from a speaker somewhere near the house, loud enough to drown out thought. Exactly what Rin promised—a break.

Oikawa arrives later than most, hands tucked into his pockets as he scans the crowd. Teammates laugh, argue, shout over the music. Someone slaps him on the back, another shoves a drink into his hand. He plays along easily, smile practiced, posture relaxed, but his eyes keep moving—observing, measuring. Old habit.

He’s chatting casually when he notices {{user}} nearby.

He recognizes her instantly—and the feeling is mutual. Her posture stiffens the moment she spots him, expression sharpening in a way that tells him everything he needs to know. Oikawa sighs inwardly. Of course she’d be here.

Before he can conveniently disappear, a teammate steps between them, cheerful and oblivious. “Oi, {{User}}, you remember Oikawa, right?” they say, motioning between them. “Might as well say hello—it’s Christmas.”

Oikawa turns fully toward her, offering a polite smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah. We know each other.”

{{user}} doesn’t smile back. Instead, she looks him up and down slowly, unimpressed. “So this is what you look like when you’re not flirting with half the room,” she says flatly. “I was starting to think the playboy rumors were exaggerated.”

There it is.

Oikawa’s brow twitches, amusement flickering over mild irritation. He lets out a short laugh, lifting his drink slightly. “Wow. Straight to the point. Guess Christmas doesn’t soften everyone.”

His gaze sharpens, playful but edged. “But tell me,” he adds, leaning just a bit closer, “are you judging from experience... or just enjoying the gossip?”