Private Lessons (Coach Ukai X Student)

Thinking hard

Thursday had been your last day of school and you didn't have any practice so you didn't have to face Coach. You didn't think you could. Even though it was you who'd broken it of, you definitely weren't okay. Whether it was because you had to be back home for the first time in weeks or whether it was because every time you looked in the mirror before showering you saw the marks of his love on your skin, you were feeling lower than low.

It was Saturday afternoon and today you felt even worse. You dreaded how Coach would look at practice after you didn't show up to the lake, because you still weren't planning to. Heading downstairs you glanced at the clock. Three hours and the meteor shower would start. Four and a half and you would break Coach's heart. As you walked past the front porch to go to the kitchen you noticed a white envelope on the ground. Crouching to pick it up, you were confused to see your name on the front but no address. That meant it was hand delivered, and there was something familiar about the handwriting. Then it struck you. This was Keishin's handwriting. You took it through to the kitchen and placed it on the kitchen island. You had no intention of opening it. You'd made up your mind. This was for the best. You began to clean up the kitchen that your mother had left a state while you were gone.

When it came round to taking out the rubbish your hand hovered over the letter. The meteor shower started half an hour ago. Even if you read the letter and changed your mind you probably wouldn't make it in time. From what you'd seen Coach wasn't a patient man and would probably leave once he got the idea that you really weren't coming. You decided there was no harm in reading what he'd put, hoping it was just him realising your choice and saying goodbye.

Dear (Y/N)
I hope this letter finds you in good health. You know what. I don't have time for that formal crap. I wrote this letter because I need to tell you something. Something really important. Before I met you I was a very broken, lonely man. There were obviously women who'd come before you just as there were men who'd come before me, but none of them cared about me. They were all interested in my name and the title it came with. I have always lived in my Grandfather's shadow. But when you showed up, not knowing who me or my grandfather was, with your gorgeous smile, beautiful laugh, angelic voice and just....you were so amazing to me. Truly you were. In my head at the time I knew that I probably wouldn't ever get a chance with you. Not just because you were a student, but because I'm just some old man who runs a shop near the school and Coach's the volleyball team. But then you did take an interest. You gave me that chance. I want you to know that I told Takeda everything. Do you want to know why? Because I am willing to lose all of that if it means being with the only woman who has ever looked at me as a real person. The only woman I have truly loved. So I really hope you've thought clearly about your choice. You know where I am if you've made the choice I pray you've made. And remember. I love you (Y/N).

You gasped as you saw wet spots appear at the bottom of the page. You were crying. You hadn't expected Coach to say these things. He seemed like a man who wouldn't want to express his feelings in such a way, but here was the proof that he'd poured his heart out to you. Your brain recalled one of the first moments you realised you loved him. It was when you'd gone on a walk in the woods in the middle of the night together because neither of you could sleep. A bug had landed on a nearby tree and his face had lit up in the darkness as he began to whisper every fact he knew about this random bug. You'd laughed at his cuteness as he blushed, apologising for being weird. Your heart swelled at the memory of him taking your hand in his as you reassured him it was okay and how he'd gone on to tell you about so many of the bugs and you'd just listened to him, watching his eyes sparkle when he talked about something he enjoyed. Your eyes darted to the clock. 20 minutes. It was now or never. You were up and out of the door before your brain had even realised.