Haikyuu!! Oneshots (2019)

if I could tell him -repost- (UkaTake)

Ukai smothered his cigarette, tossing it into the trashcan before returning to the hotel. The club has already fallen asleep, they lost Nationals, but they played great. He reached his room, noticing Takeda who was standing at the balcony, looking out to the sky. The city lights overpowered the stars, it was a contrast to Miyagi's sky.

"Sensei, it's late," Ukai calls out to him, noticing Takeda jump slightly at his comment. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he exhales, a bitter smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. "About what?" Ukai asked, joining Takeda to rest his elbows on the cold railing.

"About them," Ukai gazed at him, a hint of sadness lingering in Takeda's eyes. "I barely knew about volleyball from the start, but this journey with them, is one I will miss," he grips on his shirt's long sleeves, sighing. "My colleagues, they think I'm trying too hard at something that I'm not familiar with," Ukai listens quietly, but Takeda lifts his head swiftly and said with a bright smile, "Even if it's difficult, this was worth it."

Ukai smirks, turning his head to look at the road where cars pass by occasionally. "It's far from over." Yes, the irreplaceable third years are graduating soon, but they still have a long road ahead of them. Though it must be hard for the second and first years, Ukai knows by observing them, they've formed a really close bond.

"And, about your colleagues," Ukai inhaled, hesitating before continuing. "They think you are awesome," Although he knows Takeda needs more appreciation, and how much he means to the whole team, and to him. But, somehow, he couldn't tell him. "They think I'm awesome? My colleagues?" Takeda laughs softly in disbelief, his hands rise to his face as he exhaled to warm them up. "Yeah," Ukai breathes, he felt his face heats up, his heart races in nervousness. "How?" Takeda turns his head, frowning with a bitter smile. He stares at Ukai who was scratching his nape with parted lips, but no words came out, yet.

"Well, they said," he speaks shakily, here goes nothing. "There's nothing like your smile, sort of sincere and perfect," That didn't sound so bad, he didn't think he had let anything slip. Takeda smiles gently, he seems to be listening closely, great. ukase had been dying to get this message across, but he felt too embarrassed to do it personally. "You never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel," Ukai spoke as he saw Takeda's expression. His mind quickly slams on a brake and stood straight up before correcting himself, "I-I mean, to the students and your colleagues. Never mind I-" He waves his hand, feeling the cold air piercing at his esophagus when he sucks in the cold air through his mouth. Takeda chuckles silently, but he hasn't advert his gaze.

"And they knew, whenever you get bored you scribble stars in a diary you kept," he continues with a quieter tone. He caught a glance on Takeda's diary once when he passed by Takeda's seat in the office, the page that was opened was filled with simple stars to constellations, doodles of his favourite food, and lines of his favourite songs. Unconsciously, he was looming over Takeda's table and smiling to himself. Takeda raises his brow, his eyes widen slightly behind his black-rimmed glasses while his cheeks flushed.

"And they noticed, that you still leave nice comments in the student's notes since the first day of your work," through small talks with the club members, he learned that Takeda always left encouraging words and small tips for his students. That was one of the reasons he was popular among the students. Takeda noticed that he was staring, he snaps back into reality and turned his head to look at the building in front of the small, tiny hotel they were staying at temporarily.

"But they kept it all inside their head," Ukai chuckles, that part also included himself, he couldn't tell him everything he saw. "What they saw, they left unsaid," Takeda looked down at his arms, he bit the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from smiling too much. He definitely felt bad, even hurt, when he overheard his colleagues's conversations about him. But looking at where he is, where the students are, he knows that he was doing the right thing.