one step further // haikyuu x OC

goodbye // 1

EDIT FOR NEW READERS!!

Hey lovelies! Just wanted to pop in and give some thanks for all the support! My story has been getting tons of attention lately and it truly means so much to see everyone enjoying the story! The conclusion to this journey isn't too far away, so I hope you'll see it through with me!

If you'd like to read more of my content, be on the lookout for my new upcoming MHA Fic. I've put a year's worth of work into it, so I'm pretty proud of this new project!

Also, for those of you who like to have some music playing for the fics you read, I have a Spotify playlist specifically for this story! There's a link in my profile bio if you want to have music that I associate with the vibes of this fic.

Playlist: One Step Further: a sort of soundtrack

See you readers later on!

<3 Lemon

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This was the hardest experience in my life. Even though I had been preparing for the move since middle school, no amount of preparation could've helped with saying goodbye to all my friends. I cried as I stood outside the airport saying goodbye to my aunt, Angie.

"T.J. honey, I'm going to miss you so so much." Her words garbled in my hair as she hugged me tightly, strongly. This was the woman who taught me to be strong.

"I'm gonna miss you too." I choked out through the sadness. Angie pulled back with a hand on my shoulder, the other wiping away tears.

"Well, looks like I need to start calling you by your government name now, huh?" We shared a giggle and ceased the crying some. I shook my head with a sniffle.

"Only you get to keep calling me T.J. Angie. It would be weird to hear you call me by my full name..." There was a slight distaste in my voice that I couldn't help. I was feeling spiteful now for having to move all the way across the world.

"Keep your head up, darlin'." She reassured as she brushed her aging blonde hair out of her eyes. "This is such an amazing opportunity for you, and you are going to do great things, I know you will. You did research on your new school like I suggested? And you were able to contact them? Did they tell you that your dad took care of your enrollment stuff?"

"I did. I'm hopeful about it, like they're gonna bounce back. At least that's what the captain says, and she also said that with my arrival it might stir up some motivation for the other players. The school said they'll work with me since I'm enrolling late."

"It was nice of them to let you get in contact with the captain of your future team. So she's excited to see you?" Angie smiled warmly and I laughed with a nod. "I'm relieved to know you have a friend waiting for you there, but I don't doubt you'll make a lot more." She gave my bicep a squeeze, I wasn't so sure that was to reassure me or herself.

"It's okay if I don't have a lot of friends. As long as I can get along with all my teammates and be their companion... that's the most important." My cheeks warmed with excitement just thinking about meeting the team that Yui Michimiya has talked so much about. A honk from a nearby car broke us both out of our state, suddenly the hustle and noise of the airport bringing me back to my senses. And painfully reminding me that this would be the last I would see Angie in a long, long time.

I wrapped my arms around her again for a long, almost desperate hug. Nerves suddenly punching and twisting my gut. Moments passed before she pulled back, cupping my cheeks in her hands and squishing them. Her blue eyes surrounded with smile lines searched my face before finally speaking.

"I have never been more proud of someone in my life. I love you, darlin'." More tears threatened to spill in not only her eyes but my own. Missing her was going to HURT hurt. "Now go be great. I'm always here for you." And then I stood outside the airport doors watching her drive away, not quite ready for her to leave. Not quite ready for me to leave. Taking a deep breath I walked away and lugged my suitcase behind me, not willing to back down from a challenge. This was the biggest challenge of my life so far.

After dropping off the luggage and navigating through security, I sat and waited for the 16 hour flight to Japan to take off. My reflection stared back at me from the airplane window as I adjusted and tightened my long ponytail, then put on my headphones as I left my previous life behind - hopeful for the new start in a new place.

Karasuno High School... here I come...

~Notes from author~

Hey everyone! It's me, ya boi. Just wanted to give a thanks to anyone who reads the story, leave comments and junk so I can interact with you! I hope everyone enjoys the story!

I wanted to address the point of view perspective on this particular story... I had plans to make this into a (y/n) fic, but I have trouble writing in that style. *Previously I attempted to write this in 2nd person perspective, but hated it. So now I'm going back and redoing the story to be in the 1st person perspective of the OC protagonist.*
And I think later down the road I want to experiment with switching perspectives between the other characters of the story.

Hope to see you readers later on!

From Yours Truly,

Lemon :)