The Crow With Broken Wings

Epilogue - Part One

[Sugawara's POV]

It was a sunny day in spring. I had arrived earlier than everyone else it seemed - not that I could blame anyone.

Today was the day of Hinata's funeral.

People soon began to arrive, not just those from Miyagi, but from all over. Not a single person looked happy. I finished offering my condolences to the Hinata family when I noticed that Kageyama was seemingly missing. Did he decide to skip out?

I searched around the area to find Kageyama quietly sitting under a tree, facing the opposite direction to me.

"Hey Kageyama! I am surprised to find you here - I figured maybe you had decided not to come."

Kageyama remained silent.

"So uhh, what are you doing over here anyway? The funeral is about to start."

He lifted his head up to the sky, almost as if he was deep in thought. I waited for a few seconds before turning around and walking to head back to where everyone else was.

"When I first started playing volleyball," he said suddenly, causing me to stop and turn back around. "Both my grandfather and sister played with me. But soon, I was the only one playing. I no longer had anyone who appreciated volleyball as much as I did and who put as much effort into practicing and matches. I thought I wouldn't ever find someone on my level."

He looked down again. "But then, when I got to Karasuno, I found out me and Hinata would be on the same team. My first encounter with him had me thinking he was just another kid who played volleyball as a joke. But I soon found out that I was wrong. The fire of passion I had for volleyball resonated in him too. He wasn't just a rival, he was a partner. And yet..."

He paused again. I patiently waited, giving him a chance to respond.

"Yet I never found the time to properly commend him, to tell him how much he meant to me. All I ever did was belittle him."

My body jerked forward, causing me to heavily plant my right foot in front of me.

"Kageyama, listen to me. No one could have anticipated what happened to Hinata. Even if you think you had a negative impact on him, you didn't - you did the opposite. He helped him to see the other side of the net, to give him the ability to push himself. That wasn't just because you were a setter that could match his abilities - it was also because you were an influential opponent that he didn't want to lose to."

I walked closer to Kageyama, who looked over his shoulder at me.

"More than that, you were a friend and a partner to Hinata. Please never forget that. Hinata wouldn't want you to sit here thinking about all the 'what ifs'. He would want you to smile confidently and move forward."

Kageyama broke eye contact with me, before closing his eyes and smiling softly.

"Thank you, Sugawara-san." He stood up and looked at me again. "I'm ready to go now."

The two of us walked back to everyone else silent, both with a strange sense of peace.

We soon arrived back to where everyone was gathered - some were crying, others didn't show their grief.

Among those was Kenma, who was stood next to Kuroo, quietly stared at Hinata's coffin with a somewhat agitated expression. I wanted to approach him, but I figured that would make things uncomfortable for him. Being at a funeral for his friend was probably bad enough for him.

Those who were talking suddenly fell silent. Everyone's attention was suddenly fixed on the same person.

The funeral had started.

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Writer's note: This is part 1 of 2 epilogue parts. I hope you'll come back for the final part of this story. ^^