"Sidelined Hearts"

Prompt: Fandom: Haikyuu!! Pairing: Rintarō Suna x Piper Wurzbacher (Original Character) Rating: Teen and Up Warnings: Emotional angst, sports injuries, team conflict, cultural adjustment, mental exhaustion Categories: Gen | Slow Burn | Friendship | Sports Characters: Piper Wurzbacher (OC), Rintarō Suna, Shinsuke Kita, Haruka (Hockey Captain), Nao, Mio, Inarizaki Volleyball Team Additional Tags: Foreigners in Japan, Realistic Hockey, Realistic Volleyball, Team Drama, Slow Burn Romance (Not Yet), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with Hope, Athletic Injury, Social Isolation, Cultural Adjustment, Silent Support, Unspoken Feelings, Sports Rivalry, Leadership Pressure, Friendship Between Piper and Kita Word Count: ~50,000+ (ongoing) Summary: Inarizaki High is a volleyball powerhouse, but Piper Wurzbacher is the only varsity hockey player — a foreigner struggling to find her place on a fractured team. The pressure to perform and belong is crushing, and connection feels impossible. Rintarō Suna, a quiet and observant member of the volleyball team, watches from the sidelines, distant and silent. Meanwhile, Shinsuke Kita quietly becomes Piper’s steadfast friend, a rare source of calm in a storm of exhaustion, pain, and isolation. There’s no instant romance, only the slow, agonizing burn of two worlds overlapping — sports, school, and the fragile hope of finding where you truly belong. very angsty