The Sun with A False Eternity

Epilogue

  "Try positioning your hands more like this," Kageyama instructed, lifting his own arms up for demonstration. "That way when the ball lands in your palms, you'll have more control over where it goes. The kid he was talking to nodded before running off to go back to practice.

It had been four years since Hinata had gone. Kageyama still remembered his dumb face every day, but he didn't mind. It had taken a long time for him to even begin the recovery process, but with the help of his team, he had eventually made it to the other side.

Kageyama had stopped playing volleyball for nearly half a year after Hinata had passed. He couldn't bring himself to step out onto the court without his best friend. But eventually, he realized that wasn't what Hinata had wanted. Plus, Kageyama had missed volleyball. It was a crucial part of his identity, and one he wasn't sure how he had given up.

Ennoshita, who had become the team captain after the third years graduated, had welcomed him back with open arms.

The team never quite regained the level of skill that they once had. In fact, Karasuno never made it back to Nationals, at least while Kageyama was still there. Before everything, Kageyama never would have imagined not going to play professionally. But when faced with the decision two years ago, he didn't feel ready.

Which is exactly how he found himself running a training program for a bunch of children. While he was never the biggest fan of kids, something about these made him happy. They shared his love for volleyball, which made Kageyama feel at home. It was the perfect way to still have volleyball in his life.

It had taken a long time, but the color slowly began to come back into Kageyama's life. He would never forget Hinata, but he had slowly begun to move on. He knew his best friend wouldn't want Kageyama to cling to him forever.

However, Kageyama flashed a glance to the side of the room, really questioning if he was ready. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but he wasn't sure about it now.

No, I'm ready. He needs it more than I do.

Kageyama kept repeating those words to himself for the rest of practice, trying to prepare himself. Soon enough, the moment came. He had said goodbye to most of the children until the only one remained.

"Coach Kageyama?" The boy asked, his voice small. "You said you had something that you wanted to give me?" Kageyama turned away from the boy, nodding.

As soon as he had begun to coach volleyball, this one kid stood out to him. It wasn't just because of his overwhelming talent, however. Though he was incredibly skilled for someone his age, Kageyama had really noted the way he treated his teammates. The boy was quick, snappy, and hard on them. Overall he reminded Kageyama a lot of himself when he was younger.

After his grandfather had died, and before Hinata had come into his life, Kageyama didn't have anyone there for him. He never had anyone to open up to or rely on. He didn't want to let the kid fall into the same fate.

So Kageyama had pulled this student aside, and slowly, very slowly, he had gotten the child to open up. About how alone he felt, and about how scared he was when he was by himself. And Kageyama had come up with a plan. Yesterday he had told the student to wait for him after practice because he had a present for him.

Kageyama quickly jogged over to his stuff, picking up the small box. He instantly noticed the object rattle inside. The second he did, he felt more certain of his decision. It was time.

Time to let go.

"Here," he handed the child the box, giving it one last longing look. "This helped me through a lot. It reminded me that even if I felt like it, I was never fully alone. That even if the world completely loses color, there's still hope for the future, and things aren't going to be dark forever. It's done a lot for me so... Take care of it, alright?"

He watched as the kid opened the box, and pulled out the night light. "Whoa, what do I do with it?"

"Plug it in when you get home," Kageyama instructed. "I promise it'll help."

"Thank you, coach!" Kageyama felt immense joy rise inside him as the kid grinned. It was the first time the student had ever smiled in front of him, and it just reassured Kageyama that he had made the right decision.

He watched as the kid left the gym, practically giddy with excitement. He didn't want to let go of something so important to him. Something that had reminded him of both his grandfather and the boy that he loved. But he knew it was time. He would never forget them, how could he?

Hinata had changed his life. Kageyama knew that. He would never be able to forget his number ten, his middle blocker, the first person to accept the dark-haired setter for who he was. But while Kageyama knew he could never forget, he also knew that he couldn't let Hinata hold him back. His best friend had told him to live his life to the fullest, and he intended to do so.

So he was moving on. Hinata would always be a part of him, but now maybe his spirit could bring light into someone else's life too.

Kageyama wasn't sure he would ever fall in love again. He wasn't sure that he wanted to. He wanted the first boy he ever loved to always have that place in his heart.

It had taken him such a long time to accept that Hinata wasn't around anymore. But even though the person he cared so much about wasn't physically there, the setter could still see him. He could see his best friend's spirit, his morals, his smile, his excitement. Kageyama saw the middle blocker in the way he spoke, he saw him in his student's awful receives. He even saw him in the way one of his students landed after every spike, with the graceful elegance that Hinata had lacked everywhere else in life.

Hinata's legacy lived on. He would never be forgotten, even if everyone let go.

Because that's just what the sun did, right?

Even when it went away, it was never truly gone.

Kageyama used to doubt that fact. Back when he thought Hinata had left him all alone, he used to think that he was lied to. That the sun really did abandon the world, encasing it in complete darkness.

Eventually, he came to realize that he was the one that was wrong.

Even when the world went completely dark, even when it seemed like hope had completely vanished, there really would always be a little bit of light waiting just around the corner.

Hinata hadn't abandoned him. Kageyama knew that now.

Because that's just what the sun did.

It would always last for an eternity.