Epilogue

10.4K 484 466
                                    

! Contains minor manga spoilers !

[Two Years Later]

"So, Tokyo huh?"

"Mh. Are you mad?"

"Mad? Of course not. I'll miss you though."

"I'll miss you too Tadashi, but I won't be away for that long."

18-year-olds Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had just graduated from Karasuno high school and had just waved goodbye to Hinata, Kageyama and Yachi with promises to keep in touch.

"You're going to the same school as Kuroo-san and Bokuto-san, right?" Yamaguchi looked towards Tsukishima as they walked together, side-by-side as they had for the past however many years they'd spent with eachother.

"Yeah, they're letting me room with them."

"It's a triple?"

"Yeah. They just didn't want to room with someone they didn't know in the university and a triple was the cheapest they could find nearby."

"Huh. Cool, cool."

A comfortable silence fell over the two as they walked with Tsukishima casting glances at a seemingly troubled Yamaguchi. His friend was usually so good at hiding himself, something must really have been bothering him.

"Tadashi? What's wrong?"

Yamaguchi paused and sighed, making Tsukishima stop in turn and look to him. All of a sudden, Yamaguchi flung himself onto his taller friend, hugging him tight. Tsukishima hugged back by instinct, not saying anything for a moment.

"I'm scared, Tsukki." Yamaguchi admitted after a moment. "What if we lose touch? What if you find someone better as your best friend? What if-"

"What if you stop talking for a moment." Though his words may seem harsh, Tsukishima's eyes had a warm glow to them that instantly made Yamaguchi relax into the hug. "I'm not letting you lose touch with me, you're stuck with me forever you know. And I'd rather shoot myself than replace you, stupid Tadashi."

"Sorry Tsukki." Yamaguchi chucked back, not meaning it whatsoever.

They parted and walked along, Tsukishima fiddling with his fingers with a roll of his eyes.
"Can you believe Kuroo and Bokuto showed up to the ceremony?" He huffed. Over the past two years, Kuroo and Bokuto had insisted to Tsukishima and pestered him night in, night out until he'd dropped the honorifics, so by that point he'd just gotten used to it.

"They looked like two wine aunts."

"Sober wine aunts."

"Is that possible?" Yamaguchi cocked his head in amusement.

"With Kuroo and Bokuto, anything is possible."

Both newly-graduates chuckled comfortably, the breeze slightly warm as it passed by them.

"Hey Tsukki..? What are you going to do about volleyball?" Yamaguchi asked at last, glancing to his friend. It was no lie that Tsukishima, after that good block back in their very first year, had gotten more and more into the sport. He'd fully taken advantage of the height and intelligence anyone would envy so that he could finally battle against Hinata, that unstoppable force. Yamaguchi had been named captain in his third year so he'd had go deal with the constant squabbles along with the first and second years learning the ropes. It had been difficult and messy, but overall a fun experience. Tsukishima...

"I want to continue."

Of course. Yamaguchi gave a smile, followed by a short laugh.
"Isn't it 'just a club'?"

Tsukishima chuckled faintly, looking back to Yamaguchi in amusement.
"It was to grumpy and unapproachable first-year me."

"You're still grumpy and unapproachable."

"Shut up Tadashi."

"Sorry Tsukki."

There was a beat of silence after that before both of them started laughing, looking to eachother and only laughing more. This lasted for a good few moments before dying out, both boys wearing matching happy grins on their faces.

"Really though, I want to continue playing through college and when I graduate I want to come back to Miyagi to play with the Sendai Frogs alongside working at the Sendai City Museum." Tsukishima nodded at last.

Yamaguchi blinked to him, rubbing his neck with a faint chuckle.
"You got it all planned huh? ...I'm going to stop playing volleyball. Who knows, I might pick it up again someday, but for now I want to focus on university."

"You went local right?"

"Yeah, we'll be quite far away from eachother..."

There was a pause.

"But you're always going to be my best friend Tadashi, no matter what." Tsukishima averted his gaze as he spoke, still embarrassed to say anything obviously sappy. Yamaguchi stared at him for a moment before breaking into a smile.

"Look at you, getting all mushy. You'll always be my best friend too Tsukki. That's a promise. A pinkie promise?"

Yamaguchi offered his pinkie out, grinning a confident grin at Tsukishima, who stared at it for a moment before chuckling and grinning back. He linked their pinkies and gave Yamaguchi's a slight squeeze.

"A pinkie promise."

The two gave eachother a hard look, as if wanting to say something on the split second that their pinkies were locked together. Nothing came out though, nothing at all. They just gave eachother smiles and nods before turning and walking their separate ways to their separate houses on their separate streets. They both knew they couldn't look back, or else they'd want to stay in the other's company forever. Because that's just what your soulmate best friend does to you.

Yamaguchi.
He had so many things he was going to say to Tsukishima, so many 'I love you's and so many 'please stay's. Instead, at the point where their fingers locked, at the perfect moment where he could've confessed everything, poured his heart out... He didn't. He remained silent, because he'd found he had nothing to say. He had nothing to admit to Tsukishima that he hadn't already said.
Tsukishima was his best friend, and that's all he'd ever be. Yamaguchi could bitch and whine and cry 'why me?' but he knew he could never blame Tsukishima for something he couldn't help. And so, to save them that stress...
He remained silent.

Tsukishima.
He had plenty of things to say during their pinkie promise, but none of it slipped past his lips. He wanted to gush to Yamaguchi about how they were definitely soulmates and how they'd never truly be apart, even if they were just distant. He couldn't place why exactly he'd walked off without telling him, but if he really had to narrow it down it would probably be embarrassment. What loser thinks about how connected he and his best friend are anyway? Plus, it sounded stupid when said aloud. He'd practised. And so, to save him that embarrassment...
He remained silent.

Some feelings are just one-sided and there's nothing to do about that.
In the end, Tadashi Yamaguchi's feelings were completely unrequited, but that's okay. It's okay because Kei Tsukishima was still going to be his friend, further relationship or not and really...

He couldn't ask for anything more.

End.

Unreadable. Unreachable. Unrequited. | TsukiYama ✓Where stories live. Discover now