The Voicemail

Dear Best Friend, 

Tsukishima Kei, Tsukki to those closest. Best friends with Hinata Shoyo, the living embodiment of the sun. They weren't really friends in the beginning, quite the opposite really. But during their second year, they managed to get along. Of course, he still had to throw in a few petty insults here and there, or else he wouldn't be himself.

I hope you're good, genuinely good.

Yea...me too Shoyo.

Since you've been gone, it has not been easy, but I want to say thank you, even though it broke me into a million pieces when you left, I want to say thank you.

The four of us splitting up after Karasuno wasn't easy. You to Brazil and then the Black Jackals, and Kageyama to the Schweiden Adlers, and then both you and Kageyama straight to Japan's national team. Me to college, and then to the Sendai Frogs, and Yams now works for a home electronics company. Yachi now works in her moms company. Funny how that happened.

Even though I miss you everyday, I want to say thank you.

No...thank you.

Thank you for inspiring me, inspiring me to face my fears, You make me want to be better, You make me want to work on myself, and even though doing this without you by my side is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, I'm doing it.

Hinata...you changed me as well. You, Yams, Yachi and the king all helped me so much. Getting over my insecurities and making me want to be better. To step out of my shell. I know we aren't together anymore, and I hate that we all separated. I know we haven't really stayed in contact, and I guess part of that is on me. It takes 2 to balance a relationship, no matter what kind. But even if I'm not there, even if WE aren't there, you've got this.

And I wish you could see me, I wish you could be here, to see me transform into this new person but you're not here. And I just hope you are proud of me. 

I am. I really am so so proud. It's hard watching from the sidelines sometimes, knowing I'll never make it as far as you, but I am proud. I'm proud I got to be your friend. I'm proud I got to help you write a chapter in your story when I had that opportunity.

I'm not mad, I'm just...in pain. 

I understand. Not every day we get through will be a good day.

But what's the sun without a little rain, right?

And then comes the rainbow at the end. You'll make it through, and you'll be even stronger.

I once told you I could conquer the world with just one hand, as long as you were holding the other. 

Yea, we may have never won Nationals, but we became a family. We conquered every struggle life threw at us and made it back in one piece every time. We may have not won every battle, but we lived through the war. And I watched you get us through every time with a smile on your face.

Now all I have is the thought of you holding it, but I will still conquer the world, no matter where you are. 

Even though I'm not there to fill your shadow, to be your moon, I believe in you. You can do this.

I will stay strong and stand tall, because I know you wouldn't want to see me fall.

Right. You wouldn't be the Hinata we know if you gave up so easily.

Whatever success I am celebrating I will always think of you first, because you are my biggest inspiration and I want you to be proud of me...I just want you to be proud of me.

No, Hinata, you inspire me. You inspire me to keep going. To keep moving forward, even on the bad days. And I am so so proud of how far you've gotten.

And I want you to keep going too, I want you to win even though I can't be there to celebrate with you. 

I will. You helped me to know how good it felt to win. I'll think of you like you think of me every time.

I want you to love yourself, I want you to be yourself, be the light you want to see in the world.

Haha, you always have to be everyone's sunshine, no matter where you are, don't you? That's what I love about you. You always make everyone around you want to do their best.

 You have everything that you need inside of you, but you know that, I told you more than enough.

As long as it took for me to believe you.

But I want you to always remember, I hope you remember my words when you feel alone. 

I'll remember every word.

I hope you remember all the words I told you when you were down on yourself.

Yea, my past wasn't the easiest to get over. It took time for me to trust you. Especially since you were so different. But you always knew how to bring everyone back to normal. You told me "I know. (actual manga quote time) It's painful. I want to stop. When I feel that way, I take a step forwards.(okay no more actual quote just me)  You told us to keep moving forward, keep pushing through the hard days, and we will make it through.

And I hope you find the strength to pick yourself back up if you ever fall.

You helped me do that. You helped the entire team learn what it meant to grow.

I know you can, I know you will, the person I saw inside of you can handle it well.

Thank you for helping me grow strong. Thank you for helping me become that person you saw in me.

You're strong, You're intelligent, You're wonderful.

You're passionate, courageous, amazing.

You can move mountains if you want to.

But you Hinata, You could change the world with that smile of yours.

You should believe in yourself because I believe in you.

Take those words to heart sunshine. I'll believe in you like you believe in me.

And no matter what happens, no matter what you do or where you are in the world or where I am.

No matter how much time passes, I will never forget the time I spent by your side. As your fellow blocker, as your moon, and as your friend.

I will always love you, and that will never change.

I will love you as you love me, and just like the sun and moon, it's a love that will last billions of years.

Maybe I am the sun, and you are the moon, but even they can be seen together in the same sky sometimes.

Just as we shared the same court. And we will meet again. Maybe not on opposite sides of the net in a traditional match, like you and Kageyama. But I will take that step. We will reconnect.

Until we meet again, Take Care.

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