Work Text:
“B-brazil?!”
The orange-haired boy beside her nodded enthusiasticly.
“Beach volleyball is a big thing there! I’m gonna learn from Coach Washijou’s former student, can you believe he’s also coaching a team now? Isn’t that cool?!”
His chatters went on and on about his future plan once they graduated from Karasuno, seemingly unaware of the subtle crestfallen look from the girl beside him.
Brazil...
I know we’re all going our separate ways, but to think he’d be so far away...
“...Yachi?”
His voice calling out to her, startling the girl as she got pulled out of her spiraling thoughts.
“You okay? You’re kind of silent the whole time,” Hinata asked with genuine concern, making her heart fluttered right there.
“Eh?! Um, yeah!” she put on her best smile, hoping the boy didn’t notice the drop of her mood just now. “I’m just a bit shocked, that’s a lot to take on! You really have everything planned already.”
“I have no time to waste if I want to be better,” his gaze was pointed forward, filled with determination. “Beside, I promised Kageyama I’ll catch up to his level. I won’t lose to him! Just wait and see!”
She stared at his side profile in awe. Even after 3 years of being in the same club, watching him grew and evolved, his conviction never failed to mesmerize her.
You’re amazing, Hinata...
The boy suddenly turned to face her, his cheeks dusted with a subtle shade of red. Hitoka realized then that she had just accidentally said her last thoughts out loud. The silence between them only lasted for a second as Hinata’s sheepish laugh rang.
“Really? Thank you!” he beamed at her. At this rate, she didn’t know if she’d still be alive at the end of their conversation for how much her heart skipped a beat in the past 5 minutes.
“How about you, Yachi? You’re going to college after graduation, right?”
She nodded at his question and proceeded to tell him about her intention to move out to Tokyo and pursue a design degree there—all while trying her best to ignore the heaviness that started to fill her chest.
That night, she laid down on her bed wide awake, mind reeling with realization.
The past three years, she was too caught up with the ever-so exciting dynamics of the team. The once flightless crows had now soared high and she couldn’t help to feel a sliver of pride for being a part of the journey.
However, only now did it cross her mind that this journey would eventually come to an end. It should had dawned on her the moment her third year seniors graduated, the vacant positions filled with new faces of freshmen, or when Yamaguchi finally bore the number 1 on his chest at the beginning of the year. They’re not going to be high school students forever. This was all going to be over soon.
Maybe she had taken the comforting sense of belonging towards the team for granted all this time.
And maybe, she had taken the constant presence of a certain tangerine-haired boy for granted, too.
Albeit reluctantly, she had to admit that she’s more than aware of how her feelings towards the little middle blocker had flourished. From admiration it grew into the tiniest bit of crush (yep, tiny and silly, not a big deal at all, she used to tell herself that). Before she knew it, that tiny silly thing had taken over her heart.
Yes, Yachi Hitoka had fallen for Hinata Shoyo...
...but he’s going away.
Like two parallel lines, they had walked down the same direction, side by side. There are moments when they drew closer than usual but a space, no matter how small, always seemed to stretch between them.
Now, the other line was gonna take a sharp turn, taking on a whole different road.
And she didn’t knew what to do about it.
(Or maybe she did, only she wasn’t sure if she’s brave enough to do it.)
It was just like another normal day after school. He would walk her to the bus stop from which she took a ride home. The only difference this time is that they’re not going back to school tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after.
This was her last chance to take the leap before the gap spread wider.
“So... When are you leaving for Tokyo?” Hinata initiated the conversation between them.
“Oh! Um, in two weeks,” she replied, suddenly too overconscious of her own nervousness. She had carefully arranged her feelings into words in her head, awaiting the right moment to let it all out. The anticipation was killing her (figuratively, though by the way her heartbeat had gone erratic, it might as well be in the literal sense).
“Too bad I wouldn’t be there,” his voice sounded apologetic. Right, three days from now Hinata was bound to leave Miyagi to start his two-year beach volleyball study in Rio. He’d been busy in the past few weeks preparing for his departure.
She let out a good-natured laugh. “Don’t worry about it,” she reassured him. “At least I get to see you off, that will do for our farewell.”
Farewell... she repeated the word bitterly inside her head.
The familiar sight of the bus stop was getting clearer. She’s running out of time.
The wooden bench at the bus stop was empty but they both remained standing next to one another, Hinata holding his bike steady and Yachi entwining her hands behind her back. She took a deep inhale, getting herself ready to pour her heart out.
“Hinata...”
“Yes?” came his quick reply. His eyes, brown and big and bright, met hers. She felt her palms turned cold, words slipping off her mind along with her courage.
“Hinata, I...” panic started to grew within her and suddenly she caught something on her peripheral vision.
“I—My bus has arrived!” she pointed at the vehicle approaching their way. Hinata turned his head to see the familiar bus Yachi always took to go home every day.
“Oh, right!” the front door of the now stopped bus slid open.
“Thanks for walking me here,” she could feel her curved up lips trembled a bit but she hoped he didn’t notice it.
“No problem! I’ll see you on Thursday?”
Right, Thursday. Three days from now, the day he departed.
She nodded at him. “Yep! See you!”
He threw her his usual wide grin and waved her goodbye like he always did.
It took all her willpower to keep herself from crying at the bus the whole way home.
The complete ensemble of team was there, even Takeda-sensei and Coach Ukai.
The small crow of Karasuno was about to fly far away and everyone wanted to see him took off.
Hugs and farewells were exchanged, loud laughs mixed with sniffles and well wishes.
It took everyone by surprise when Kiyoko-senpai gave Hinata a brief hug, especially Tanaka and Nishinoya who wouldn’t shut up about what they’d just seen.
Finally, he arrived in front of the last person of the team he hadn’t bid his farewell to. The blonde girl smiled at him, her eyes a little misty.
She didn’t know where the surge of bravery came from (probably from seeing what Kiyoko-senpai did) but with no hesitation, she threw her arms around the boy before her, engulfing him with her smaller body.
He felt warm and smelled warm too—like the scent of sun with a hint of citrus—and she could no longer hold back her sobs.
“Yachi...” a pair of hands snaked around her, patting her back gently. She stayed in the crook of his neck for a little while before pulling herself back, frantically wiping off the tears on her face.
“A-ahahah, sorry if I surprised you!” she said in between sniffles. “I’m not sad, okay? I’m just... really happy for you! I mean, this is a huge step towards your dream, right?”
She then rummaged through her bag and retrieved a neatly wrapped small box with orange ribbon tied into a bow on top of it.
“This... this is for you,” she gently shoved the present into his hands. “Please open it only when you’ve arrived in Rio, okay? Promise me?”
“I promise,” his tone was firm but his expression gentle towards her. “Thank you, Yachi.”
She drank the view in, making sure his sunny smile was etched into her mind so she could remember the warmth of it while he was away.
“Until we meet again, Hinata.”
“Yes, see you, Yachi!!”
The sun had set when Hinata finally got to sit down his freshly made-up bed with a tired but satisfied huff. He had spent the whole day unpacking his stuffs and settling into his new home for the next couple years.
Home... he mustered. He hadn’t even spent 24 hours in Rio and he already thought about his family and friends back in Miyagi, wondering what they were doing at the moment.
His drifting thoughts suddenly recalled the gift a certain petite girl had given him before he left. He dug into his backpack and found the box with now slightly crooked ribbon.
He unwrapped the box, his heartbeat quickened for reasons he couldn’t comprehend. When he opened it, he found a plush keychain of a crow with a tuft of tangerine-colored hair. At the bottom of the box was a yellow envelope with his name written on it.
He picked up the plush, admiring the cuteness of it. He wanted to hang it on his bag but worried that it might get dirty or lost, so he decided to just stash it. His hand reached to the envelope to read the letter inside.
As he unfolded the matching yellow paper, he could instantly recognize the small, neat handwriting he often read from the notes Yachi lent him.
Dear Hinata,
How are you? I hope you aren’t suffering from jet-lag and have settled in just fine. I can’t believe you would read this thousands miles away from Miyagi!
When you first told me about your plan, I’m not gonna lie, I was so surprised. I even had to check the map to see where Brazil is. It’s amazing how far you’re willing to go to pursue your dream... but then again, you’ve always been amazing.
The thing is... I wanted to tell you that I like you, Hinata.
I like your spirit, how you always push yourself to surpass your own limit. I like how you face every challenge head-on, not cowering in fear. You know how weak I am, you’ve seen the part of me that I’m not particularly proud of, yet you shed a light on me and encouraged me to break through my own doubts.
I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to tell you all of this directly. I was too overwhelmed with how fast life is changing. Thinking about the future scares me, I’m not sure what I want to do and I’m afraid of making the wrong decisions. That’s why I admire your devotion to volleyball and how much faith you have in yourself in pursuing you dream. So these two years, I will do my best as well. I’m going to figure out my dream and chase it without hesitation just like you do.
This may be a selfish request for me to make, but I ask you not to give your answer or talk about this now while you’re away. When my heart has grown stronger, I believe I will be able to see directly at you. That’s when I will tell you my feelings once again, in a more proper way. I hope you don’t mind giving me the chance to do it.
Oh, and I made the crow plush as a good luck charm for you! I gave it an orange hair so it looks like you, teehee. It’s a homage to Karasuno’s number 10 who now soars high in the sky. Fly higher, Hinata! I will be rooting for you!
Yours,
Yachi Hitoka
He slowly folded the letter back, careful not to crease the paper or smear the handwriting. After storing it safely in the bottom drawer of his desk, he plopped himself to the bed and raised his right hand where the crow plush dangled from his finger.
It was his first night alone at a foreign country and he kind of expected to be hit by loneliness but instead, he felt content. His lips curved up into a small smile.
“Thank you, Yachi,” he whispered.
That night, he slept peacefully with an orange-haired crow beside his pillow.
The airport was bustling with people moving briskly to all directions like they got not even a second to waste. Among the crowd was a young woman with blonde hair tied into a low ponytail, making her way to the arrival gate she was told to wait at.
“Attention, flight number XY104 has landed...”
She perked up at the announcement, swiping her phone screen to unlock it and checked the last message sent to her. It was indeed his flight. She picked up her pace to a half-run, eager to meet the person whose mental presence never left her mind in the past two years.
A swarm of arriving passengers emerged from the gate. She inspected each and every passing person, trying to find the familiar tangerine mane she hadn’t seen for so long.
When her gaze finally landed upon the shade she’d been looking for, her breath hitched in her throat.
He obviously had gained more height, his stature broader and his skin more tanned. The round, boyish face was now replaced with chiseled cheeks and sharper jawline.
The wide grin he threw at her when their eyes meet, however, remained all the same.
“Yachi!!” he approached her, dragging his suitcase behind him. It baffled her how he seemed to move with ease, carrying that huge luggage with a rucksack filled to the brim on his back.
He stood before her and the thousands of miles that separated them had now shrinked to just less than an arm’s length.
“It’s been a while, isn’t it?”
She laughed at his greetings, the familiar warmth that she got every time he’s near started to spread within her.
“Yeah, it is,” she nodded with a smile. “I see you’ve gotten taller!” she tiptoed and raised her arm up, trying to reach the top of his head. This time he’s the one laughing.
“I’ve reached 172cm now! Can you believe it?”
“Whoa, you’ve grown so much, Hinata!”
He let out another chuckle, enjoying the lively interaction between them. When was the last time he shared a conversation with her like this? They used to talk about anything all the time back in high school. Those days seemed so far away now that he thought about it.
“I missed you, Yachi,” he softly said, sending butterflies to her stomach.
“I missed you too, always,” her reply surprisingly came easy. Suddenly everything felt so right—the mood, the moment. This time she wouldn’t let the chance slipped away like the last time.
“Hinata... Will you hear me out now?”
His eyes widened for a fraction of second before he gave her a slow nod.
“I like you,” she breathed out the words she had been holding back for two years long. This time she hold her gaze straight at him, like she said she would. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled warmly at him.
“I like you, Hinata Shoyo. All this time while you’re away, nothing changed this feeling I have towards you.”
The next second her face was buried in his broad chest, surrounded by his warmth and his scent. Somehow he still smelled like the sun and citrus with a faint heady note that wasn’t there before. She relished in it nonetheless.
“Thank you, Yachi,” he whispered into her hair, nuzzling his cheek to her soft blonde locks. “I... I’ve been thinking about this, too. You were always there to help and support me. I don’t want it to ever change.”
He pulled back a little from their embrace to meet her eyes once again. She was blushing prettily and he found the sight of it endearing.
“Yachi... I like you too. I want to be by your side to support you, just like what you’ve done for me,” he offered her an apologetic smile. “Sorry it took me this long to figure out, thank you for waiting for me.”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” she told him sincerely.
And that moment, the gap between those two parallel lines finally shut close like the way their arms brushed as they walk side by side.