Gone?

6

Bokuto plays well during the tournament, not having thoughts of you at all. It was almost as if things returned to normal. And, for him, he was acting just like he did before he has even met you. Yes, Bokuto was pretending like you didn't exist. And maybe, to him at this point, you didn't exist in the first place. For all he knew, he could've been imagining meeting the girl of his dreams, the very girl that had been best friends with his baby sister when she was alive as a kid. And now, Bokuto was trying to push all of the dark memories, of you and Kiku, to the depths of his mind. Somewhere they will never be found again. This was how he was doing so well since the new year began. He didn't have any problems, and this seemed to improve the mood of everyone around him.

Finally, after months of sulking, the loud ace was back to his normal self. Almost like he never met someone he fell in love with. Almost like he didn't spend almost half a year with someone that made him happier than he's been since he was a child.

Bokuto was fine. Or, so he seemed to everyone else. Deep down, somewhere hiding inside of him, he was empty and in pain. Nothing hurt worse than not knowing what happened to you. He still had no clue, but he wasn't being given the time to really think about it. He had to move on with his life, or he would never be happy. And so, he made volleyball his priority. Maybe if you show up during this tournament, then he would consider making you the number one of his life.

During the spring nationals, Bokuto had been keeping an eye on the Karasuno team. He wanted to see how well Hinata and Tsukishima were doing. He had swelled with pride at their every victory, and shared the pain they felt when they got taken out of their match against Kamomedai. He saw the fall of Karasuno as two of their key players could no longer play due to unfortunate circumstances. But he didn't let that affect how he played. He continued giving it his all.

Even during the final match of the nationals. Fukurodani was paired against Kamomedai. And neither team was willing to give up this win. They beat all other contenders of this tournament, and victory was what they were fighting for. Only the strongest team could stand at the top.

And none other than Bokuto Koutarou was the one to score the final point of the game, earning the win for his team. "Hey hey hey!" He pumped his fists into the air, the biggest smile on his face.

From the shadows, a certain boy was watching the ace. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, clenching them into fists. He knew what he'd have to do. He might completely ruin Bokuto's mood, but he had to do it. For your sake.

But you weren't even on Bokuto's mind. "Akaashi, that was the best! You should send me a few of those before I retire from the team."

Akaashi nods, wiping the sweat from his face. "Of course, Bokuto-san. You were at your best during this tournament. You worked things out, I'm guessing?"

The ace had no clue what he was implying. "What? I was just playing with everything I had. Since this is my last tournament, I wanted to win. Ah, now I feel satisfied, knowing I ended as the best in my final year of high school. I can graduate with no regrets now."

The setter blinked a few times, surprised that his ace didn't try mentioning you at all. He smiles faintly, happy to see the older boy moving on. "That's good to hear, Bokuto-san. I'll miss you once you're gone."

Bokuto slaps his back. "I'm not gone yet. We still have the awards ceremony and some extra practices when we go back to school. This isn't the end yet. We're just getting started with the rest of our lives. I bet you'll still be a great setter without me. If I'm free, I might just go to see your future matches."

Akaashi chuckles, holding a water bottle in his hands. "I'd like that, Bokuto-san. I think your support means more to me than anyone else's."

***

When the awards ceremony drew to a close, the teams in the building start leaving. But three teams met up just outside of the gym. Nekoma and Karasuno wanted to congratulate Fukurodani on their win. This would be the last time some of them would see each other for who knows how long. They were going to make the most of these final moments together.

Kuroo slaps the owl like boy on the back. "Great job, bro. I'm proud of you. I think I was rooting for you to win ever since I lost, then watched Karasuno lose. You were amazing out there!"

Bokuto chuckles, hugging his friend. "Thanks, bro. I'm glad you supported us, even if it wasn't for the whole tournament."

"Hey, I wanted to win this with my team, just like you. Can't blame me for that, can you?"

He shakes his head. "No. I totally get that. I was only rooting for you and Karasuno whenever I was able to watch your matches. I wanted to win no matter what."

A hooded figure walked up, approaching the group from behind. "Bokuto-san. It's been a while. Mind talking with me for a bit?"

Bokuto turns, finding the scarred up face of a boy he hadn't seen in months. "You. Why are you here?"

The pink haired boy maintains a neutral face. "We need to talk. There's something important that you should know about. I came to tell you everything."

Bokuto looks suspiciously at the boy, but walks towards him. "You guys can go without me. I'll talk to him for a bit. I'll catch up with you in no more than half an hour."

And so, the two boys walk to a private area of the building, somewhere no one followed them to. No one else would be able to hear what was about to be said between the boys.