Chapter Text
A string of grunts, and many plays later, the first set ended. The whistle blew with the shrilling noise frustrating the already exhausted Karasuno, meanwhile Aoba Johsai pumped their fists in the air.
“Goddamnit…” Karasuno’s alumni player, Coach Takeda, muttered to himself, tapping the clipboard as his players jogged up to him.
“Damnit, Hinata! I told you to stay in your lane! How many times am i gonna have to say it? You’re the decoy— not the fucking ace. Without my sets you’d hardly be—!”
Another one of Kageyama’s useless lectures.. couldn’t he realize he was tearing the poor kid down?
That was when they met eyes. Ukai.. Takeda’s former teammate, and Aoba Johsai’s very own coach. He’d grown up nicely, hadn’t he? Takeda couldn’t believe the news a few months back when he heard Ukai would be coaching— let alone coming back to volleyball. Nobody could believe it. Not after— his expression faltered— snap out of it! Christ..
As Hinata cowered at Kageyama’s harsh speech, and Nishinoya of course defended him, shouting back with equal fervor, Takeda caught a glimpse of a small smirk from Ukai. What a team we look like..
“Hey, boys! Circle up, c’mon!” Takeda entered coach mode again and rounded up the boys, readying them for the second set.
“Yes, Sensei!” The team bowed and circled him, straightening up shortly after.
Across the court, Ukai’s eyebrows couldn’t help but raise. Quite the authority, Take.
Both teams encouraged their players, and as soon as they knew it, the second set had begun. The players took their spots, and the whistle blew, signifying the beginning. Karasuno started with the ball, their server bouncing it a few times. The moment the player struck, Coach Ukai felt his hands shake. That was his serve. The one he’d taught Takeda himself all those years ago. Had he really passed it on to another student?
“Point for Karasuno!” The announcer belted out.
At the end of the set, Aoba Johsai had been declared the winners of the match, but the passionate Karasuno was still seen cheering and celebrating their own minor victories. The students filed into a neat, single-file line, the coaches trailing at the rear.
“Good game, good game..”
When it came time for the dreaded, yet exciting handshake between Ukai and Takeda, both froze momentarily.
“That serve..” Ukai hardly was able to breathe out.
“Mhm. It’s yours, isn’t it? The one you taught me our second-year?” Takeda offered a warm smile and nod.
God, he looked just like he did in high school. Those glasses making his eyes adorably large, the barely noticeable freckles coating his cheeks.. I wonder if he still has seventy-four of them?
Takeda’s smile faltered as he noticed Ukai just staring at him dumbfounded.
“Keishin? You in there?” he giggled sweetly, the familiar sound snapping Ukai out from his daze.
“Ha?! I mean.. yes—? My serve, good job remembering it. You make a good teacher,” he admitted, head slightly hung.
Takeda appeared taken by surprise by the honest remark. “Really, you think so? Means more than you know, Kei. Y’know, I was surprised when I heard you’d come back to volleyball. Thought you let all your talents go to waste when you.. quit,” he grit the last word out.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry yourself too much, Ittetsu.”
As the two departed, they both exchanged one last look over the shoulder at each other, meeting gazes, at which they both flushed and immediately averted their eyes.
“Rough past, huh, Sensei?!” Tanaka ran up from behind Takeda, obnoxiously exclaiming and slinging an arm around his shoulders. Of course— Nishinoya himself wasn’t far behind.
“Tanaka hurry it up you bastard!” he kicked the back of his knees, causing the boy to stumble forward and proceed to chase Nishinoya in revenge.
A small smile cracked at Takeda’s lips, rolling his eyes at the playful pair. He shook off the reminiscent feeling of seeing Ukai once again. After all, it wouldn’t become a common coincidence… would it?
Once he was back at his hotel room, he threw his bag down, beginning to unpack. After pulling out various “just incase” items, he found a small slip of paper lingering at the bottom. He read it, slipping his glasses on and off repeatedly, making sure he hadn’t misread.
“Call me. —U”
With that, a string of numbers lay next to it, which could only be assumed as a phone number. It couldn’t be.. Ukai..? No, there’s no way in hell he’d have the audacity to ask him to call him after ghosting him way back then. The asshole!
He slammed the slip onto the bedside table and huffed as he dived into bed. Getting comfortable, he shut his eyes in a worthless attempt to sleep. He stirred and whined endlessly before submitting and just staring up at the ceiling above him, illuminated by the quiet light emitting itself from the television.
“Who does he think he is.. keeping me up like this?” he muttered to the dark, to which expectedly, he got no reply.
Maybe in another universe he would’ve called him. In a universe where he wasn’t such a selfish fuck, maybe?!
That was all it took for the memories stored on the worst day of his life to come flooding back. Like an endless rain he couldn’t stop.