Silent Affection

One-Shot: Silent Affection

Kita Shinsuke had always been known for his discipline and reliability, traits that earned him the captaincy of the volleyball team and the respect of his peers. His childhood friend, Y/N, admired him for these very qualities, and since the fourth grade, she had been expressing her feelings for him in the form of anonymous love letters and thoughtful gifts every Valentine's Day.

Kita had figured out it was Y/N by the time they were in eighth grade. The handwriting, the small details in the letters that only someone close to him would know, and the familiar items she gave him all pointed to her. But he never mentioned it, choosing instead to savor the anonymous affection while pretending not to know the truth. It was a quiet secret he held dear, one that brought warmth to his heart every year.

Now in their twelfth grade, Kita and Y/N were still close. They often saw each other either in the gymnasium, where Kita led the volleyball team and Y/N practiced badminton or even when they shared classes like English and Biology.
They had introduced each other to their teammate thus had mutual friends among the third-year badminton and volleyball players .
Y/N's best friend, Maori, often joked about the volleyball team, and both found Atsumu and Osamu's antics particularly amusing.

On the morning of February 14th, Kita opened his locker to find the familiar sight of a small, beautifully wrapped box and a letter. He carefully unfolded the letter, reading the heartfelt words that had come to mean so much to him:

"Dear Shinsuke,

Watching you grow and lead the volleyball team with such dedication has been a privilege. You inspire me every day with your hard work and kindness. I hope these chocolates bring a smile to your face.

With all my love,
Your Secret Admirer"

Kita smiled, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. He placed the chocolates in his bag and headed to the classroom, where he found Aran.

Aran noticed the chocolate hearts peeking out of Kita's bag , when he install himself at his table, and grinned. "You're lucky, Kita. Every year, you get some girl giving you chocolates. I bet you have quite a few admirers."

Kita chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's just a tradition now."

"Yeah, right," Aran teased. "But seriously, it's nice to have someone think about you like that."

"Yeah," Kita agreed, his thoughts drifting to Y/N as they take out their history textbooks , waiting the teacher to come.

The gym was alive with the sound of volleyballs hitting the court and the shouts of teammates. Kita took charge, leading the warm-ups and drills with his usual precision.

"Come on, guys, let's keep the energy up!" Kita encouraged, clapping his hands.

Ginjima rinned as he jogged past Kita. "Always the motivational speaker, eh, captain?"

"Someone's got to make sure we all stay focused," Kita replied with a small smile.

Atsumu joined in, laughing. "Yeah, otherwise you'd be slacking off all the time."

The team laughed, the camaraderie evident as they continued their drills. Kita felt a surge of pride for his teammates, knowing they had come a long way together.

After practice, Kita watched his teammates leave the gym, will he was still doing his clean up routine, his thoughts once again drifting to Y/N. He wondered how her practice was going and whether she had enjoyed giving out her Valentine's Day gifts.

On the other side of the gym, Y/N was focused on her badminton practice. She rallied with her teammates, her movements swift and precise.

"Nice shot, Y/N!" Maori called out, giving her a thumbs up.