credits to the rightful owner
~
As the morning sun cast its gentle rays through the window, Osamu stood in the kitchen, hands on his waist, patiently awaiting the soup to boil. Rintarou, having arrived early as usual, followed Osamu's instructions to chop vegetables, his mind consumed by the weight of the confession he planned to make before their return to Tokyo for the upcoming volleyball match. Etsuko's advice, given during their visit to the amusement park, echoed in his thoughts, encouraging him to take this leap of faith. Suna, initially hesitant, found comfort in Etsuko's reassurance and a touch of her candid words, ultimately deciding to give it a chance.
Meanwhile, Atsumu and Sakusa, the Men's National Volleyball couple, found themselves engrossed in a movie, their presence felt in the living room.
"Is Etsuko still asleep?" Osamu inquired, his hands resting on his hips, his eyes filled with curiosity as he waited for the soup to reach its peak.
"Seems like it," Atsumu replied nonchalantly, his focus unwavering as he continued to watch the movie.
Osamu and Atsumu found no reason to question their younger sister's absence from home on that particular day. They assumed she had ventured out to seek tranquility, a much-needed respite from her usual routine. Understanding the importance of her solitude, they chose to respect her space, allowing her freedom.
Doorbell chimes
"I'll get it," Atsumu declared, carefully removing Sakusa's legs from his lap before rising to answer the door. Sakusa remained seated, leisurely munching on popcorn.
"Atsumu, good morning," Shinsuke greeted as the gate swung open.
"Oh, Shin-kun! Come on in!"
The two men entered the house, finding Suna already standing beside Osamu in the kitchen. Shinsuke's eyes briefly flickered towards the figure sprawled on the sofa.
"Shin-kun, this is Oomi! Oomi, meet Captain Kita Shinsuke," Atsumu proudly introduced, a trace of their past dynamics still present in his words. The two men exchanged bows, acknowledging each other's presence.
"Captain, please join us for breakfast," Atsumu insisted with enthusiasm.
"Thank you, but I have some matters to attend to. I'll leave the tea bags here," Shinsuke replied, placing the paper bag on the table's surface.
"Nope! You're joining us for breakfast!" Atsumu exclaimed eagerly, exerting a gentle pressure on Kita's shoulders.
Osamu's gaze met Shinsuke's. "Indeed! Join us and partake in the meal. It's almost ready anyway. Take a seat, take a seat," he gestured, his hands waving up and down in a welcoming manner.
Shinsuke nodded, acknowledging the lack of choice in the matter. Refusing Atsumu's invitation would undoubtedly result in a tantrum, and that is something he doesn't want to deal with this early in the morning.
Shinsuke settled himself across from Kiyoomi, their eyes not meeting as they ate their meal in silence. However, a realization struck Shinsuke, a sense of someone's absence lingering in the air.
"Where's Etsuko-san?" he inquired, his gaze fixed upon Osamu.
Osamu hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps she's still asleep? Could you wake her up?"
Suna's coffee spilled, and Kiyoomi choked on his food, both men casting a glare in Osamu's direction.
Osamu paid no mind to their reactions and continued. "You know where her room is, right? It's the second door on the left."
"I'll take care of it," Suna declared, rising from his seat, only to be pulled back into his chair by Osamu's firm grip.
"He'll handle it. Just eat," Osamu commanded, leaving Suna with no choice but to comply.
Kiyoomi, too lazy to engage in any argument, simply glared at Shinsuke, a silent warning conveyed in his gaze: "Do not dare do anything strange to her, or I will not hesitate to intervene." Shinsuke, oblivious to the unspoken message, regarded Kiyoomi as a weird person.
As Shinsuke made his way down the path towards Etsuko's room, a slight uneasiness crept upon him. He knew the location of her room, yet he had never dared to venture inside. In his mind, such an intrusion should only occur after they were married, a boundary he hesitated to cross.
He knocked on the door several times, receiving no response. "Etsuko-san, it's time for breakfast," he called out, his voice echoing in the silence.
After a few seconds of waiting, he knocked again. The uneasiness he had felt earlier grew into anxiety, a foreboding sense that something was amiss. With the door unlocked, Shinsuke contemplated whether to enter or not, ultimately choosing to step inside. His instincts warned him that something grave awaited him within those walls.
Pushing his concerns aside, he entered the dimly lit room. He called out her name once more, but once again, there was no response, only the sound of her labored breathing and the sheen of sweat upon her brow.
Shinsuke gently removed the heavy blanket from her face, revealing her panting form. Etsuko was drenched in cold sweat, gasping for each precious breath.
"You have a high fever. We must take you to the hospital," Shinsuke murmured, his gaze shifting towards the door, intending to call for her brothers. However, Etsuko's feeble grasp on his hand halted him, her touch imploring him to stay. Shinsuke's eyes met hers, filled with distress.
"Shin..." she weakly called, attempting to sit up but lacking the strength to do so.
Shinsuke settled on the edge of her bed, cradling her fragile form in his arms. He clutched her hand tightly against his chest, a silent promise of support and love.
Etsuko raised her other hand, her delicate fingers caressing his soft cheek. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, her voice barely a whisper.
Those words where enough to let him know that his greatest love will never come back again. that there is no chance for their love anymore.
With those words, a heavy realization settled upon him, piercing his heart like a thousand shards of shattered dreams. The truth became painfully clear - his greatest love would never return, and the chance for their love to flourish had vanished into the depths of impossibility.
The tears that he had fought back for so long now cascaded down his cheeks, a torrent of emotions finally unleashed. The weight of unrequited love bore down upon him, a burden he had carried silently for what felt like an eternity.
From the very beginning, he had known deep within his soul that Etsuko would never be his. Yet, despite the knowledge, he had clung to a glimmer of hope, a flickering flame of longing that refused to be extinguished. But now, in this moment of heartbreaking clarity, he understood that their paths were destined to diverge.
She was the only one who had ignited his heart, the one he had cherished for countless years. And now, with a heavy heart, he found the strength to release her from his grasp.
Shinsuke, with a solemn nod, accepted his defeat, embracing the painful truth that they were not meant for each other. He had come to terms with the fact that she deserved someone who would truly appreciate the depths of her love, someone who was worthy of the beauty within her heart.
Regrettably, Kita Shinsuke was not that person.
"Goodbye, Shinsuke-san," she uttered, her voice filled with a bittersweet tenderness. "Thank you for bringing happiness into my life. It is time for you to find your own happiness."
Her words reverberated through the air, a final farewell that echoed within his soul. As she collapsed into his arms, he held her tightly, cherishing the fleeting moments of their connection, knowing that this would be their last embrace.
In that moment, amidst the tears and the ache of a love unfulfilled, Kita Shinsuke found the strength to let her go, to release her from the confines of his heart.
