Adoxography | T. Kuroo X Fem! Reader

𔓘Crushed𔓘

It was in the fall of her first year that her dreams came crashing down like a tsunami.

"[Nickname], I'm sorry, but... we just can't afford it..." Her mother knew how dearly volleyball meant to her, but they could not afford the surgery that would put her back onto the court.

"W-what...?" A stutter filled with terror. Fear graced her eyes, a light dimming as her dream was now out of reach. "M-mom... you aren't..."

"I'm sorry." She apologized once again. [Name]'s mother looked at her daughter, her own heart aching at having to crush her dreams, all because she could not afford the surgery.

"No... it's fine, I can work, surely-!"

"No! I want you to focus on your studies and pursue something brighter!" Her mother cut her off, breathing heavily. "You can't play volleyball anymore, not that I don't want you to, but-!"

"But you know how much it means to me!" Her choked words were held back as she heard the stern, raised voice of her mother. "You've always supported me in volleyball, and I became a starter in my fourth-!"

"Please! Enough..." She was also emotional. She only wanted to see her daughter happy, however... She cannot let her daughter be happy. She feels as if she is stripping away her everything, and she knows that she is. [Mother's Name] quietly looked down, anguish piercing her soul. Her lip trembled, "It... you need to let go of volleyball. We can't... we can't afford it, okay, [Name]...? I'm sorry... I would if I could..." Heavy breaths filled the hospital room, considering that [Name] was recovering from an injury. "Please... can you find a new hobby to pursue...?"

Volleyball has been [Name]'s life since she was a young girl.

Now, it is not.

-

"Good work out there, Hima!" [Name] cheered happily for the other young girl running back to her. The other girl looked away embarrassingly, shaking her head in pity of herself.

"My serve didn't even go above the net, Captain..."

"So? You're young," she smiled gently, patting her head in a comforting manner. Hima looked back at the older female in front of her, a comforting upperclassmen. "Everyone isn't a prodigy at first. Nobody is. Besides, you have so much potential."

"But-"

"But, it's up to you to get better." [Name] removed her hand, placing it on her hip as she stood up straight. "I'm counting on you, okay?"

"... [Surname]...!" The young girl cried, throwing her arms around the person who comforted her. She weeped in her arms, a sense of warmth filling her as the kind captain aided her in... wisdom, perhaps.

"Ah... there there...?" [Name] awkwardly said, patting her head once again in a comforting way to try and help the girl.

She loved volleyball. The way she felt so powerful everything she hit a ball through blockers. When the ball connected with her hand, it was everything. [Name] felt as if she was flying. A white dove taking flight, spreading her wings.

However...

That white van had to be driving obnoxiously that autumn evening.

-

"Ah, no wonder you waddle when you walk sometimes-"

"Oi!" A hit in the head, and a yelp from Kuroo sounded. "Watch it, or I'm going to make sure you can't play volleyball!" She heavily sighed due to irritation caused by the one and only Kuroo. Who else could possibly anger [Name] this much?

The female looked off to the side, the trees in the courtyard swaying because of the summer breeze. It was a cool day today, and a sunny one at that. [Eye color] eyes admired the blue sky.

"Do you miss being on the court?" Kuroo suddenly asked her.

Instead of a bitter expression, she simply smiled and nodded her head.

"All the time," she gently laughed. The adrenaline she would feel after receiving the ball was something else. [Name] rarely failed to receive a ball- she was one of the best in the league back in junior high. "I was a libero."

Kuroo hummed, eating his food. A comforting silence, some would call it.

Maybe she has fully come to terms with never being able to play again.