𝒯𝓌𝑜 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇
"Thanks for coming with me Kenma." Kuroo grips tightly on the steering wheel. Kozume quietly looks out of the window, a blank expression on his face. Of all days, it rains just today out of the week.
"He was my coach too. It would be rude of me not to show up." Kozume quietly speaks up. His eyes cast up towards the grey skies.
Kuroo nods his head, faintly laughing. He was more stressed about seeing Y/N and her family. He's unsure what they've been told after their falling out.
"Are you going to behave yourself?" Kozume speaks up again, his attention now towards Kuroo who's stiff as a board in the driver seat. He slows his car down at a red light. Jaw clenching and lips tight.
"I'm a bit nervous."
"For the funeral or...?" Kozume doesn't utter Y/N's name. After the call he received from Kuroo the night of the reunion, he's wary to say her name aloud. Kuroo never fully explained what happen to the two to Kozume. But Kozume never bothered to pull the details out of him.
His best friend was hurt and he didn't want to further cause him pain by forcing him to speak up on something he didn't want to.
"Y/N." Kuroo says her name weakly with a slight frown. His eyes seem a bit glossy when he thinks about her. "I've put her out of my mind for years and to see her again...everything felt like it was in slow motion. Adding the news of her grandfather passing away, I can't help but hate myself for walking out on her."
Kozume silently listens. His curiosity about their relationship resurfacing.
"Is it safe to ask what happened between you two? Since it's been years?" Kozume speaks carefully. Kuroo presses on the gas pedal again, his speed slow as he's careful of the rain that drizzles on the car.
Kuroo's chest tightens when he tries to recall their relationship. But there's missing pieces to the memories. Those pieces being the most important. He had banished them out of his thoughts and if he didn't force himself to forget, his anger had made him forget about them.
Gripping on the steering wheel and exhaling deeply. Kuroo parts his lips to speak up. "To be honest, I just remember her crying a lot and the two of us shouting words on the last day of our third year. We were going to separate universities after graduation...and."
Kuroo wracks his brain. The reason lied somewhere there in that sentence. The two were going to different universities for their different majors.
"Don't strain yourself to remember Kuroo. It'll come back to you." Kozume notices the scrunched expression Kuroo makes. He looks irritated and troubled all at once.
"Y-Yeah...maybe." Kuroo mutters under his breath.
🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.
"Do you need anything to drink? I can go get it for you." Azumane kindly keeps you company at the front of the funeral home. The slight wind and drizzle of the rain really sets the reminder that today is one of the most heartbreaking days of your life.
Shaking your head, you form a small smile. "I'm alright. Thanks Asahi." Azumane furrows his brows together, not completely accepting your answer but he doesn't press further.
"Make sure to come inside." He gently squeezes your shoulder before going back in. The door softly closes after Azumane slips inside. Several members of the volleyball team, family, and friends, have arrived and are paying their respects inside.
You've glued yourself outside the entire morning. You don't have the courage to see your grandfather right now.
Inhaling deeply, you smell the rainy air with closed eyes. The soft pitter patter of the rain hitting against the roof of the funeral home eases your nerves slightly. But the bitter feeling of the wind on your skin reminds you of how lonely you feel right now.
"Ah, hello Y/N." A low voice speaks up to you. You slowly open your eyes to see a familiar pair of cat-like golden eyes under a black umbrella. Kozume closes his umbrella and sets it to the side with the other umbrellas. Kuroo steps up next to Kozume a few seconds later.
You meet Kuroo's eyes briefly before bowing to the two.
"Thank you...for coming." You force a small smile. "Everyone else is inside if you want to see them."
Kozume nods his head, he looks over at Kuroo before walking in. You half-expected Kuroo to follow after Kozume but he idles in front of you. You cast your eyes to the side, feeling his hazel eyes on your face. "Do you need something?" You speak curtly.
Y/N's cold tone sends goosebumps down Kuroo's arms. He clenches his teeth, trying to form the right words to say. But his words fail him and he's left standing there. Watching Y/N pretend to be strong.
He notices the goosebumps on her arms and the lack of proper warmth covering her frame. Quietly, Kuroo takes his tuxedo jacket off but Y/N raises a hand to stop him.
"You should go in. Your parents are in there with mine."
Kuroo lowers his eyes to the jacket in his hand. He unwillingly puts it back on and nods his head. "Are you going in too?" After being silent, Kuroo speaks up towards her. She doesn't react to his words and he's left feeling helpless in his situation. Even now, he's only causing her trouble.
The sound of the door opens, catching Kuroo's attention.
"Y/N, your parents are about to give a little speech. Do you want to come in now?" Azumane calls out to Y/N. His eyes glance over to Kuroo and he forms a gentle smile. "Oh, Kuroo. You should come in too." Seeing as though Y/N is glued to her spot, Azumane leaves from the door to walk over to her.
"Let's go, okay?" He whispers softly to her, easily lacing his fingers with hers. Kuroo watches the two walk past him. His eyes narrowing in on their intertwined hands.
Are they really dating like Yaku predicted?
Kozume emerges when the two slip past him. "Kuroo." The soft voice of Kozume pulls Kuroo inside. There's too many questions swirling in Kuroo's mind and no answers given. Kozume leads Kuroo to his parents who stand off to one side of the room.
The amount of people in here is more than Kuroo expects. He should not be surprised by how many people Coach Nekomata's been special to. The man was incredibly energetic and kind. A grandfather to many and a loyal father and friend to others.
Kuroo's too distracted in his own thoughts to hear the speech Y/N's parents give. But he can predict the gist of it from the watery eyes and sobs in the room. A large photo of Coach Nekomata stands in the center of the room with an urn of his ashes right in front of it. Beautiful flowers surround the two items.
"Tetsurō." Kuroo's mom wraps her arms around his tall frame for an embrace. "He was a grandfather to you too, wasn't he?" Her soft shaky voice seeps directly into his heart. He's been too focused with the current events around him that he's forgotten the real reason he's here.
Coach Nekomata, better known as Yasufumi Nekomata.
He's gone.
The shock stabs Kuroo and now he's like the others in the room. A deep frown on his face and a shadow casting over his eyes. He slowly raises his arms around his mother, hugging her tightly. His father squeezes a hand on both him and his mother's shoulders.
Kozume hangs his head low, sadness eating at him.
One by one, everyone walks up to his photo to bow and whisper whatever they want to say to him. The room begins to empty after an hour or so. The only ones who stay back are close family members and friends who idle outside to talk to one another, not wanting to interrupt anyone who's still mourning inside.
After standing frozen in his spot for an hour, Kuroo finds the strength to walk over to Nekomata. Kozume himself didn't have the strength to go up there. "I'll be in the car Kuroo."
Kuroo nods his head, handing Kozume the key to his car.
"I'll be out there shortly."
"No, take your time." Kozume cuts Kuroo off before leaving the room.
Kuroo finds himself alone in the room with Nekomata. He kneels down before him, head hanging low. There's so many things he wants to say but to find his voice, is the difficult part. The sound of the door opening softly grabs Kuroo's attention and his eyes focus on the person.
Y/N freezes in her spot when she realizes that Kuroo is still in here. She lowers her eyes down to the ground. "Sorry, I thought everyone left. I'll go."
"Wait!" Kuroo speaks louder than he anticipates in the quiet still space. "You...you haven't had the chance to say anything to him yet, right?" He scoots over despite there being plenty of floor space for the two of them to kneel on.
Clenching your teeth, you fight the urge to turn back around. Azumane's voice faintly rings in your ears. His advice about you sharing your memories of your grandfather with Kuroo.
Putting aside your indifferences, you find yourself kneeling next to Kuroo.
Your wavering eyes nervously look at your grandfathers smiling portrait. But you tear your eyes away quickly.
"It's surreal, right? I swear it doesn't feel like Nekomata is gone." Kuroo speaks up into the silent room. "I feel like he'll open that door and laugh at us saying this whole thing was a prank for us to meet again." Kuroo stifles a dry chuckle. Y/N doesn't join in the laughter. He looks at her from the corner of his eyes.
Tears drip down your face when you recall your grandfathers laughter. It was full of warmth and gusto. The tears splatter onto your hands that clench your dress tightly. You wouldn't be able to hear that laughter anymore and one day you'll forget how it sounds.
The thought terrified you.
Your lips tremble and you try to hold back your loud sobs. A hand rests on the small of your back, reminding you that you aren't alone. You turn to look at Kuroo who wears a frown. His eyes glossed over and tears falling against his cheeks.
"It's okay Y/N. Let it out." His gentle voice is your biggest weakness. You feel your heart ache again at his beck and call. No matter how much you try to hate Kuroo or how you try to ignore and brush him off...your emotions speak louder. But you didn't want to give in. You're way too stubborn.
You weakly push his hand away from your back but Kuroo only fights back.
"Let's not do this in front of your grandfather Y/N. He'd be upset that we're acting like children." Kuroo envelopes you in a tight embrace but you try to push off of him. "He'll put us in time out no matter how old we are."
You feel Kuroo's strong arms tremble. He chokes back on his tears. You aren't the only one pretending to be strong. Your hands that press against Kuroo, fall to your side. Kuroo closes the small distance by hugging you closer.
Your face buries into his chest and the woody spice smell of cologne engulfs you. You feel one hand stroke the back of your head. His voice rumbles in your ear when he speaks of old memories. "Remember when the two of us thought it was a good idea to camp outside one summer? We made makeshift tent out of a bedsheet and brought out pillows and blankets for the night. We thought we prepared everything but food slipped past our minds. Your stomach growled so loudly in the middle of the night." Kuroo lightheartedly laughs at the memory.
"Nekomata came to the rescue later that night with sandwiches and juice boxes. He even brought out a proper tent that he bought earlier that afternoon. We wondered where it came from and he lied saying it was hidden deep inside his closet. In actuality, he went out to buy one while we prepared. We were saved that night and avoided the bloody thirsty mosquitoes of the summer."
You calm down after listening to Kuroo. That memory was one of your favorites. The two of you planned out so many adventures that summer. Camping being one of them. Despite your silence, Kuroo continues to recall old memories. He stops short after he realizes he's talked for too long.
You take the moment to slowly pull yourself away from Kuroo. He doesn't hold you back when he feels you doing so. The two of you look at one another with tear stained faces and frowns.
The two of you probably could go on for hours talking about your memories with your grandfather. But reality slowly settles in and you both know they will be the only memories you have left of him.
"Sorry for not telling you about the funeral." You softly whisper to Kuroo. He shakes his head and slowly exhales. His large hand wiping his tears away. "I get why you did it. I wouldn't have invited me either if I were in your shoes."
What Kuroo says surprises you.
He looks directly into your eyes, a gentle expression. "I only wish we would've met on better circumstances. I also wish I made a better effort in the past to reach out to you."
You break eye contact. Your eyes casting to the side. "The past is the past. We just have to learn from it." Getting up on your feet, you thank Kuroo for coming today. Before you could turn around to leave, he grabs onto your wrist.
"Wait Y/N, please." Kuroo's voice is strained. "I don't want this to be the last time we see each other. Let's catch up. There's so much that's changed between us these last ten years."
Nibbling your bottom lip, you gently pull your wrist back to your side. "How would I know you won't walk out again Tetsurō? I'm still upset at you for leaving me years ago."
You hear Kuroo shuffle to his feet. He easily towers over you. "I've changed Y/N. Let me prove that to you."
"And if you did change...what do you want out of this Tetsurō?" You turn around to look up at him directly. Your lips quiver and the corner of your eyes sting. "Do you think we'd just go back to how close we always were? As friends? As lovers? Because if I remember clearly, you said you wanted to see other people. That you didn't want to commit in a serious relationship. That we were too young for the thought of being together forever."
Kuroo's eyes widen when he hears Y/N's outpour.
Those are the reasons why they broke up.
Not only was it about their different careers and universities, he apparently was too afraid for a serious relationship. His immaturity and fear lead him to run away.
"What is it Tetsurō? Please tell me." Y/N's face reddens and her nostrils flare out when she's drowning in her own tears. Kuroo's frozen into silence and that answer alone hurts Y/N. She turns her heel to walk out of the funeral home.
Kuroo's legs give out from under him and he falls onto the floor. He runs both hands through his hair, grasping them. The one thing he wants now in life is the very thing that his younger self ran away from.
A serious relationship with someone he loves.