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“It sure is December.”
Akaashi’s eyes slightly moved to his left, where a certain blonde was casting a long, soft blow to the air, a thin steam then followed his breaths. “Were you not sure that this was December?”
“A bit, maybe,” Konoha laughed, his pupils almost hidden behind his eyelids. “I don’t know. It just feels so fast, you know? I swear it was still October yesterday, and April the day before.”
“Hmm,” Akaashi’s reply was short, but thoughtful. Konoha peered. “I don’t really understand when people say ‘time flies’. Alright, I might understand it a little, but the thing is—it doesn’t. Time doesn’t really ‘fly’. We live every second of it, and that’s how we’re able to reach this moment.”
Konoha had his eyes widened for a second, but chuckles followed afterward. “You always have something interesting to say, huh, Akaashi-kun?”
The setter looked vaguely confused and perhaps a tiny bit offended at the remark. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing, just that this is the first time I’ve heard anyone says that. It’s nothing bad,” Konoha grinned, and the younger looked at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows. He glanced at the taller, a drop of snow on Akaashi's nose caught his eyes. He took a deep but short breath. “Hey, Akaashi.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sure you have, but I’ll ask to confirm anyway,” he said, lightly kicking a pebble near his toes. “Have you ever enjoyed something in your life?”
Akaashi wasn’t sure what to make of Konoha’s question. Was his senior being serious, or was it a trick question? He’d known the blonde for a little over a year—quite closely, if he may—but he was never sure of what lay behind that smirking face. “Umm, yes, I have…?” he tried to answer. Konoha nodded, looking satisfied for some reason.
“Then you probably—nah, then you should know the feeling,” he replied, this time kicking the pebble a little too hard that it rolled into the road. He shrugged, then continued, “Like when we’re on the court, having a match or even in practice. Don’t you ever think, ah, it’s this hour already?” He paused, gazing at Akaashi. “When you have so much fun that you just forget to pay attention what time it is.”
“Hmm…” Akaashi looked down at the ground. Konoha couldn’t see his face but could tell the younger was agreeing silently. He smiled.
“That’s a… what do I say, a small example? It’s a similar but bigger case for me—this year has been so much fun that before I knew it, it’s already the end of the year.”
“Somehow,” Akaashi spoke up. “Somehow, it feels like I understand, but at the same time, I haven’t gotten there yet.”
“It’s okay,” Konoha laughed. “It’s okay, you’ll understand when you understand.”
“What’s that,” Akaashi expressed, Konoha replied with more chuckles.
“Well, if I were to take an example,” Konoha grinned, his hand reached Akaashi’s nose, wiping a single drop of snow that had stubbornly stayed in place even when the heat of his face had had it melted. Akaashi took half a step back in surprise, but not fast enough before Konoha reached his hand and slipped his slender fingers between his. The younger blinked. “When I do this, time flies.”
Akaashi was about to mutter something in protest, but stopped as he sunk half his face under his beige muffler, an unfortunately mundane attempt because Konoha had already caught a glimpse of the barely visible crimson on his cheeks.
Konoha felt a squeeze on his palm, and he grinned (though he’d rather not admit,) a little sheepishly. He knew he'd said it himself, but sometimes, he wished times like this didn’t fly.
Sometimes, he wished time was forever.