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Eijun flopped onto his desk. It was break time before they started their second set of classes for the day. Haruichi looked at his friend in amusement and Eijun let out a large sigh.
“What’s the problem, Eijun-kun?” asked Haruichi. He hadn’t heard Eijun this dejected before.
“Chris-senpaiiii….” He whined. Haruichi should have guessed. Lately everything was about the third-year.
“What is it now?” asked the second baseman, a bit exasperated.
“He doesn’t like me anymore,” Eijun said sadly. Once they lost the summer tournament and the third years retired from the baseball team, Eijun had hardly seen any of the previous first-string. It was odd to see the grounds empty of their presence, but what was more telling was the absence of Chris at the bullpen. They would sometimes practice late into the night, just the two of them. They would even talk about themselves and their hobbies outside of baseball and now their shared special moments never happened.
That wasn’t exactly what Haruichi expected to hear. “What makes you say that?” he asked, intrigued despite himself.
“We don’t talk anymore, we don’t practice and he just ignores my existence!” cried out Eijun as he flopped more heavily onto his desk, the tears just pouring out of his eyes.
Haruichi thought that his friend was exaggerating just a bit. It was true that the third years were not on the training grounds anymore, but they were busy with their school assignments and trying to decide their futures now that the season was over for them. Haruichi knew how it was since his own brother was going through the process and he hadn’t caught wind of him either. It was more likely that Chris-senpai was simply too busy, not that he was purposely avoiding Eijun-kun.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” assuaged Haruichi, “he’s probably just busy with his work and future. Besides, I know for sure he isn’t ignoring you. He stares at you every time you look away.”
Immediately Eijun stopped crying and wiped his tears on his shirt sleeve. “Really?” Haruichi simply nodded. It was true after all. He sometimes caught sight of Chris-senpai walking the grounds and it didn't seem as if the catcher was purposely avoiding Eijun-kun. He he would always look the pitcher’s way whenever Eijun-kun was around. It was as if he was keeping his distance a bit, but he definitely didn’t hate him.
“Yosh! Then I’ll make sure I see him looking at me next time!” shouted Eijun as he threw a fist into the air. Haruichi just shook his head at his friends’ antics.
After practice that afternoon Sawamura ignored everyone who tried to rope him into extra practice. He was already having a hard time since he wasn’t able to pitch to the inside anymore, and they had a game with Yakushi on the weekend. He wasn’t sure if anyone had caught onto his problems, but he knew that something wasn’t right. The harder he tried, the more his control slipped away from him and his pitches went wide. He just knew that he wasn’t going to be able to pitch the way he wanted.
Eijun tried to ask Kanemaru as nonchalantly as he could if he had seen his roommate anywhere. Since this was per the course before the summer tournament his friend volunteered the information easily. That was how Eijun found himself by the supply shed. Eijun wasn’t sure what Chris-senpai was doing there, but he wasn’t about to let that bother him. He peeked around the corner and sure enough Chris was there with a baseball. It looked as if he was analyzing it or something, Chris looked deep in thought.
Nearby Eijun saw Shirasu-senpai. They never really talked much, but this was the perfect time to test out Haruichi’s words.
“Shirasu-senpai!” called out Eijun as he stepped past the wall and in direct line of Chris. Sure enough as soon as his voice reached the catchers’ ears Chris immediately turned to look at him. Eijun stared at him out of his periphery and he could see Chris’ eyes track him, a smile on the catcher’s face. Eijun felt his chest grow warm. This was all he wanted. He just needed to know that Chris didn’t hate him, didn’t blame him for the summer tournament loss against Inashiro.
“What is it, Sawamura?” asked Shirasu as Eijun caught up to him.
Crap, he forgot to think of something!
Eijun didn’t know how he ever thought that Chris hated him. At his lowest point, after the match against Yakushi, Chris was there to catch for him, teach him, and support him. When Eijun off-handedly confessed that he had thought Chris hated him the catcher actually seemed a bit angry.
“Why would you think that?” he asked. Eijun just shrugged his shoulder. He had gotten over that brief pain and firmly believed that Chris had always cared for him.
Chris had then looked a bit sad that Eijun had even thought that. “I couldn’t hate you,” confessed Chris, “I actually…” he trailed off as he leaned down and placed his hands firmly on Eijun’s shoulders. He then leaned even further and kissed him on the lips.
Eijun’s eyes brightened and he kissed Chris back.
Seriously, how could he have ever thought Chris hated him?
end.