Haikyuu imagines

Deserve Better- Konoha

You're standing outside the gym, waiting for Konoha to finish changing so you can walk home like always. A few girls from your friend group linger nearby, scrolling through their phones and chatting.

You're half-listening. You wish you didn't.

One of them sighs loudly. "Did you guys see how Y/N reacted earlier? Like, seriously- it wasn't that deep."

Another laughs. "That's just how she is. She makes everything a big deal."

Someone else snorts. "Yeah, she's... I dunno. High-maintenance? Sensitive as hell."

"Right? I swear you can't joke with her without her taking it personally."

"Honestly," the first girl chimes in, "sometimes I hang out with her out of habit, not because it's fun."

Your stomach drops. You go completely still.

Konoha walks out of the locker room just in time to hear that last sentence. He freezes mid-step.

He watches your face-how it barely twitches, how your jaw clenches, how you pretend you didn't hear a thing even though everyone knows you did.

Your "friends" don't notice. They keep going.

"I mean, Y/N's sweet," one adds, as if that fixes anything. "But she really needs to chill. It's exhausting."

"Exactly. She cries too easily."

"She overthinks everything."

"She gets attached too fast."

You swallow, hard, and stare at the ground. They're not yelling. They're not joking. They're just... talking like it's normal.

And that's what hurts the most.

Konoha's hands curl into fists.

He doesn't say anything. Not yet. But the look he gives those girls when he walks past them is sharp enough to cut.

When they finally leave, you force a brittle smile.

"Hey," you say softly. "Ready to go?"

Konoha doesn't smile back.

Instead he takes your wrist-gently, careful-and pulls you to the low brick wall beside the gym.

"Sit," he says.

You blink at him. "Konoha, what-"

"Sit."

You do.

He stands in front of you, hands in his pockets, breathing slowly like he's holding back a storm.

"I heard them."

Your throat tightens. "It's fine."

"It's not fine," he snaps-quietly, but with emotion you've never heard from him.

He kneels in front of you, leveling his eyes with yours.

"Y/N," he says softly, "none of what they said is true."

"It kind of is," you mumble. "I know I can be a lot sometimes, and-"

"No." His voice is firm. Unshakable.

"You feel things deeply. You care about people. You're expressive and honest and real. That isn't 'too much.' That's called being a good person."

Your breath stutters. He isn't done.

"And those girls?" His jaw clenches. "They're not your friends if they can talk about you like that when you're ten feet away."

You look at him, eyes burning despite your best efforts.

Konoha softens instantly.

He reaches up and wipes a tear with his thumb before it can fall.

"You deserve better," he murmurs. "People who actually appreciate you. People who think your sensitivity is beautiful, not annoying."

You freeze.

Beautiful?

Konoha clears his throat, pink dusting his cheeks. "Sorry. I just... I got protective."

You manage a tiny smile. "I didn't know you cared that much."

He looks away, rubbing his neck. "Yeah, well... I've been trying not to make it obvious."

You blink. "Wait-what?"

Konoha stands and offers you his hand.

"Come on," he says, eyes soft but shy. "Let me walk you home. And if you wanna talk about what they said, I'll listen. If you don't, I'll just stay with you anyway."

You take his hand, warmth flooding your chest.

And as you walk away together, you don't look back at the friends who didn't know your worth-

-but the boy beside you definitely does.