Fly (Keishin Ukai) - COMPLETED

17 - Surprise

Yuki has been grinning from ear to ear all night and the following morning. After the match had finished, the team went out to get something to eat to celebrate the win, and the team did everything they could to make sure she felt included. She spent most of the evening bright red as compliments about her were thrown left, right and centre. Hanging out with the Karasuno team was nice but being with the Neighbourhood Association team was even better. They were all around her age, or a few years older, and it felt like she was with a group of friends.

Most of the evening, she stole glances at Keishin, and she found herself liking him even more. It was nice seeing him with his friends, more relaxed, and she could tell many of them had been friends for a long time. But the main reason she could not stop smiling was because Keishin and the rest of the team said if she wanted, she could be part of the Neighbourhood Association Team. Yuki - of course - said yes, and all she could think about since was playing volleyball with them again.

Yuki stared down at the drawing she had just finished. It was the final part of the series of pictures she had started when she first joined as the assistant coach. It was an open cage, a crow flying off into the distance. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked to the corner of her desk. She reached over and grabbed a hairband, she stared at herself in the mirror before pulling it over her forehead and pulling her fringe back. She pulled her shoulders back and held her head high. She would not hide anymore.

"Morning," Yuki sang as she made her way into the kitchen, grabbing herself some food and joining her family at the table.

"Morning..." Her parents answered, both raising an eyebrow at her. They had never seen her so chirpy before.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" her mother asked. Yuki shrugged her shoulders as she started to put food into her mouth. The last thing Yuki wanted was her mother finding out she was playing volleyball again. "I know that look," Yuki's mother smirked. "What's his name? Is it the guy that came by the other week?" Yuki's eyes widened in horror, and her cheeks flared up.

"W-w-what, no! H-he is just a f-friend!" Yuki tried to answer, but if it was not her red face giving away her lie, it was her stuttering, which was worse than usual.

"Are you talking about Coach Ukai?" Yú said - his mouth full of food.

"YÚ!"

"Ah, Ukai. Does he have a first name? I'm sure you know it." Her mother teased, and Yuki wished a black hole would swallow her up. Weren't families meant to be against their daughter getting a boyfriend, not teasing her about it?

"You should see them in training mum, always laug-"

"YÚ!" Yuki threw her hand over his mouth, to try and stop her little brother from saying anything that could embarrass her even further, but it seemed the family enjoyed teasing her.

"What it's true! He makes you happy!" Yú defended as he was able to remove her hand from his mouth. Yuki wanted to argue back, but he was right, Keishin did make her happy, and if someone as clueless as Yú could see that then she wondered how obvious it truly was. "I always thought that when you got a boyfriend, I would be mad or overprotective because I did not want you getting hurt. But seeing you smile like you do when you're with Coach Ukai, it makes me happy; I miss seeing you smile like that." Yuki had to stop herself from sobbing and wrapping her arms around her little brother. Not many people saw that side of Yú, the sweet sensitive side, it rarely came out unless he truly cared, and Yuki was lucky she saw that side of him often.

"He is not m-my boyfriend," Yuki stated, her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "But he does m-make me happy. He's a r-really good friend, and he has h-helped me a lot."