Yellow | Daisuga

Drifted Apart

unedited
warnings: none

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The stars had always seemed to shine a little brighter when he was with him. He remembered the way his friend's smile shined just as brightly when he'd look up at them, admiring the way they looked against the night sky. After every volleyball practice or game, the two would walk side by side, making their way towards a hill only minutes away from the gym. The two claimed it as their spot after the first volleyball match they played together. The younger male stared up at the stars, exhaustion clear on his face. The older male sat next to him, watching him from the corner of his eyes. He enjoyed the way his teammate would excitedly point out a constellation, his voice growing louder by the second as he spoke about each one's origin. He listened to the stories each night, enjoying them just as much as he did the first night. The older male noticed how his friend would speak about one more than the others, The Big and Little Dipper. For three years, he'd hear the tragic story of Callisto and her son, Arcas.

On the day of graduation, Sugawara Koushi walked over to Daichi Sawamura, a small box held tightly in his pale hands. His best friend flashed him his signature smile when he noticed his figure walking his way. Sugawara returned the smile, his hands becoming sweaty as he grew closer.

"Suga! Can you believe it's already graduation day", Daichi exclaimed, clasping a hand over his friend's shoulder.

"I thought this day would never come", Sugawara joked. Daichi let out a chuckle. Sugawara noticed Daichi's eyes glance down towards the small box, his eyebrows raising. A light shade of red formed on the older boy's cheeks, thrusting the box in his direction.

"This is for you", he spoke quietly with his head hanging low out of embarrassment. He wasn't like this normally. They'd known each other for years and would give each other gifts. It wasn't the idea of giving his best friend a gift on the day of graduation that embarrassed him, it was the item inside the box that did. Daichi's smile never left his face as he grabbed the box, quickly taking the top off to reveal what was hidden inside. Daichi picked up the small item and held it up, revealing a keychain of the Little Dipper. Sugawara pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a similar keychain of the Big Dipper.

"I know no matter where we are or what happens after today, you'll always be watching out for me the same way Arcas does for his mother", he stared at Daichi, searching his face for any negative reaction but one wasn't present. Instead, the former captain pulled him into a large hug and whispered a 'thank you' into his ear.

Sugawara's college years weren't as eventful as his high school years. He kept in contact with a few of his former teammates, but most of them had stopped talking to their seniors. Daichi and him would occasionally talk, not as much as he wished. Their schedules just interfered too much with one another, making it difficult to maintain the status of best friends. He would find himself staring at the keychain attached to keys, wondering if Daichi still had his. The thought of him no longer having the small gift saddening the male. He couldn't blame his high school friend if he had thrown it out or lost it. The two didn't talk often and never had a chance to meet up. It was just a small, cheap gift that he saw one day that reminded him of their nights on the hill speaking about the stars. He could feel tears form, quickly blinking them away. Crying wasn't an option, he knew this would happen one day. It always happened with high school friendships. Their lives were just too different now.

Graduation day approached for the second time, this time being for college. Sugawara graduated and went on to become an elementary school teacher. His family was there to cheer him on. He was thankful for them, but he only wished one person could have been there with his smile as bright as the stars ready to pull him into a hug and congratulate him. Of course, it wasn't possible. Sugawara had learned that his former best friend had become a police officer at Miyagi Prefecture , his schedule now too indefinite to make plans to go see his friend. Daichi had called instead, it only lasting for a few moments before it ended.

Sugawara let out a sigh when the call ended, falling backwards into his bed. He closed his eyes and images of his high schools flashed in his mind. He missed those years. He missed his friends. The short phone calls and random texts every few months weren't enough for him. He was a people person, and he needed his people more than ever now that was he alone.