The Crow With Broken Wings

Epilogue - Part Two

[Kenma's POV]

It hasn't been that long since I met Shoyo, but somehow he had a profound impact on me. He left an impression on me that I could never shake.

I was hoping to get the chance to play him in an official match one day, but cheesy as it sounds, real life wasn't like some video game. Things don't always wrap up neatly in a bow, the hero doesn't always get to fight the final boss.

I don't care for funerals much. The atmosphere is always so gloomy, which makes me feel uncomfortable. I wanted to go home, but I also wanted to show support for those who cared for Shoyo. Plus, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I didn't come. Something as important as this - it would be rude of me not to put myself out there for him.

All through the funeral, I stared at Shoyo's coffin, almost zoning out of the atmosphere around me. All I could remember was what happened that day, the image of him laying their, not moving. I told Shoyo I'd be there for him, that I'd see him soon.

But I was too late. By the time I arrived, Shoyo was already gone.

I had all the typical thoughts you would have at times like this. "If only I'd gotten there sooner", "I shouldn't have gone home", "I should have been with him". But as Kuroo had already said to me, there was nothing I could have done. These things just happen.

After the service, people scattered, breaking off into smaller groups. Kuroo remained stood by my side.

"You okay, Kenma?" He looked at me with a mild concern in his eyes. He was probably a bit concerned due to how quiet I'd been, but was also aware that I wasn't the type to express grief openly.

"I'm fine, Kuroo. Don't worry." I said, smiling up at him softly.

"You sure? I mean, this is Shrim- I mean, Hinata we are talking about here."

"I know. Shoyo was my friend, so it seems reasonable to conclude that I should be devastated right now. But knowing Hinata, if he saw us all here crying, don't you think he would get a bit mad?"

Kuroo looked up, smiling a little. "I could totally see him going off at everyone. He isn't the type to let himself get down for too long."

I looked away from Kuroo, closing my eyes before speaking. "Exactly. Shoyo was the type to lift people's spirits. He had his moments of despair, but it didn't take long for him to bounce back. When I think about Shoyo, I don't want to think about all of my regrets, about all the times he couldn't smile. I want to remember the strong, driven person I became friends with. The one who melted away my social barriers, who continued to face every challenge with 120% of his abilities, who smiled gleefully in the face of danger. That's the Shoyo I grew to admire, and it would be unfair of me to forget all of that."

I looked back up at Kuroo. "Shoyo may not be physically here anymore, but the memories and lessons he taught me will continue to have a positive impact on my life. I want to be like him - to give my all, even when things seem bleak."

I stepped away from Kuroo, walking towards Shoyo's grave. Kuroo walked up to me, looking down at the ground with me.

I crouched down, gently digging at the ground and moving dirt away.

Kuroo panicked, looking around frantically to make sure no one was looking. "Kenma, what are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, I already okay-ed this with Shoyo's parents."

"Okay-ed what?" Kuroo still sounded somewhat sharp with his voice, but I ignored him and kept digging. I then reached into the pocket of my jacket, pulling out a seed.

I placed it in the hole before covering it back up again. I then stood back up, brushing my hands together to get rid of the dirt. Kuroo quietly pulled out a tissue and handed it to me.

"What...was that?" He stared at me with a shocked expression, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. 

"Relax, it was just a seed."

He calmed down a little. "What kind of seed?"

"A sunflower."

Kuroo tilted his head. "A sunflower? Why'd you plant that?"

"Shoyo was always bright and beaming. And no matter what set backs he may have experienced, he kept looking at his goal, never turning away from it. I wanted to plant a sunflower to remind people of that."

Kuroo was in a stunned silence, seemingly bewildered by what I just said as though I was incapable of doing anything so thoughtful.

"What?" I said in a slightly agitated tone.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just..." Kuroo smiled, looking upwards. "I wasn't expecting you to say something like that about someone. I'm glad he was able to have such a strong positive impact on you."

I wanted to be mad at Kuroo, but I couldn't. I smiled, staring at the freshly upturned dirt where the sunflower seed was planted.

"I hope this flower grows to be tall and strong. I want people to continue to be inspired by Shoyo's warmth, courage and tenacity."

"Me too, Kenma," Kuroo said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

[X]

It had been a while since I'd visited Shoyo's grave. I took some time to properly grieve and move on with my life.

I stood in front of his grave. The sunflower I had planted had grown - Sugawara-san must have taken care of it like I asked him to.

The sunflower stood tall and its petals glew vibrantly. Years had passed, so it would have had to endure a flurry of varied weather conditions. But, just like Shoyo, it stood the test of time and continued to flourish.

I thought back to when we first met. Shoyo was so energetic and outgoing, talking to me enthusiastically, even though I was so quiet and reserved. At a first glance, he seemed the total opposite to me, the type of person who would wear me out. But he somehow tore down any defensive walls I had up almost instantly and gave me a renewed sense of motivation.

I smiled softly at the sunflower. I closed my eyes before speaking aloud.

"Shoyo, thank you for everything."

[END]