Underheard

Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Title: bystander
Pairing/Character Focus: Ennoshita Chikara/Futakuchi Kenji
Author: harklights
What makes this a gem: You know when a fic leaves such a lasting impression on you that it gives you chills each time you reread it? This is one of those fics. Playing off Ennoshita's canonical interest in film, this fic takes it to the next level and makes him an art student and filmmaker, with Futakuchi simply someone who's wandered off the street and into his exhibition. The ensuing conversation between two people who've just met is one of the most powerful pieces of dialogue I've ever read, full stop. It's intelligent without being too academic, challenging without being overwhelming. Just... really clever writing.

Fandom: Haikyuu!!
Title: One Gray Morning
Pairing/Character Focus: Datekou gen
Author: SterlingLee
What makes this a gem: I don't even know where to begin with this fic, because I've read it so many times, I've rec'd it to so many people... I think, ultimately, I have to say this is an all-time favourite. It's a genfic short story, which makes it almost the very definition of underappreciated, and if that's not enough, it focuses on Datekou, one of the least popular teams in the Haikyuu!! fandom. But even if this isn't what you'd normally go for, please give it a chance. The humour is incredible, the narrative is told in an immensely clever manner, and the writing itself flows wonderfully and keeps you hooked throughout. The fact that such a vivid story of such complexity is told in so few words is really masterful. And this is the kind of fic you can read over and over, and it never gets old. It's just that much fun.