I'd been watching from the balcony the first time I saw him. They had been up against Dateko's Iron Wall, the team working to save the ball time and again, him setting the ball for the teams Ace every time he called for it. But finally, the calls had stopped coming and they had suffered a crushing defeat.
My heart had clenched painfully that day, watching them walk off the court a broken team.
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The next time I saw him, it was a year later and I was once more in the balcony. The biggest differences this time was that his team was not only united again, but stronger than ever, defeating the Iron Wall that had once stopped them cold. That and I was sitting on the balcony behind their portioon of the huge court, instead of my usual area watching my cousin play on his team. I watched them celebrate amongst themselves as they walked off the court this time.
Sadly, they were not able to celebrate the same way after loosing the match against Aobajosai. It had been a good game, the boy I was most there to watch getting to play as setter for a bit to help turn the tide for a while, but their opponents were just too strong that day.
When they began leaving the court, I hurried to get down to the first level, wanting to do something for them to let them know they had done well. I almost didn't make it in time, running to catch up to them. When I finally came to a stop in front of them, gasping for breath, they were staring at me with wide curious eyes.
"I.. I just wanted... to tell you.... that you did a great job in there!" I tried to catch my breath as I spoke, my face flushed slightly as I felt their eyes on me.
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After that day, I found myself visiting their school from time to time after classes ended, sometimes bringing snacks for them to keep their energy high and other times just coming to cheer and support them. Especially the grey-haired setter, Sugawara. At first, they seemed curious about why I was coming, especially when they found out my cousin played for another team.
I quickly assured them that they had nothing to be concerned over, as I refused to act the spy for my cousin and his teammates. IF they even found out I was coming here, since I did not feel the need to share that information before he asked. And I doubt he would be asking any time soon.
In time, I found myself growing closer to all of them. But only one of the boys could ever make my heart start to race with just a single smile. It took everything I had to stop myself from confessing to Sugawara every time I saw him.
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Sadly, as school exams came closer, I was able to spend less and less time visiting the Kurasuno boys. The few times I was able to visit became very precious to me. I would have spent more time visiting, but I had promised my cousin that I would help him with his studies.
Something I explained to my newest friends when they had asked why I wasn't coming as much as I used to. It was at this point that they finally asked me who my cousin was and what team he actually played for.
"Umm.. My cousin plays for Aobajosai... He's a 2nd year wing spiker, Kentaro." Shuffling my feet, as I knew they would likely not care for my answer since they had lost the InterHigh to them not that long ago. Lowering my gaze slightly, I waiting quietly as silence grew heavy in the air.
"I don't think I've heard him mentioned before. Has he played in any of the official games this year?" I raised my eyes when I heard Sugawara's voice casually asking me the question, like it didn't even matter to him.
"No, the team believes he is to much of a wild card to safely allow him to play in matches. They barely let him play in the practice matches. I've tried talking to him about it, but really, I can barely get him to listen to me during our study sessions. And that is when he's actually putting in an effort to do so." Smiling gently at Sugawara in thanks, I continued answering the teams questions, as long as they were not about team secrets and similar things.
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In the following months, I continued to support the team, but most of all I supported Sugawara. Soon I found myself calling him by his first name, him doing the same with me. And by the end of the school year I had finally gotten the courage to confess to him, only for him to beat me to it.
As we both entered university together, we both grew closer to each other, spending time studying for tests in each others company, even if if was for completely different subjects. As the months passed and slowly turned into a year, then two years, we found ourselves moving in together.
The time we spent together increase drastically, staying up late into the night watching movies, taking turns cooking dinner for each other and finally, after being together for so long already, sharing the same bed. Even if we didn't do anything more than cuddling, it was a joy to fall asleep in the arms of the man I loved.
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A few years later, we had both graduated from the university and went to a restaurant that was much fancier than we usually would go to, to celebrate our new found freedom from the schooling system. It had taken many years, but we knew in the long run it would be worth it when we each entered our chosen career path.
Sitting on the balcony of the quiet restaurant, enjoying a view of the stars that seemed to almost shimmer in the late evening sky, I almost jumped when I felt a warm hand gently grasp mine. Turning my attention back to the young man I was sitting with, I gasped when I found him crouching down on one knee, a small box resting open in his other hand.
"After spending so much time with you, there is still so much about you I don't know. I've found that the more I learn about you, the more there is left to learn. (y/n), I would gladly spend my whole life learning everything there is to know about you. Will you let me? Will you do me the honor of marrying me (y/n), let me spend my future with you and give you all the love I hold in my heart for you?" Hands pressed against my chest, almost as if to keep my heart from bursting out of me, I could barely force myself to answer.
"Yes Koushi, a thousand times yes!" Sliding from my seat, I soon found myself with his arms wrapped around me as I cried happily in his lap.
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Several years later, we reminisced over the past we had shared together while planning a picnic with our two young children, a cheerful girl who was a sweet as her father and a small boy who was almost a miniature clone of the man I loved.