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"PUT THE TIRES AWAY AND HIT THE SHOWERS, YOU IDIOTS!" Hikari claps her hands together loudly and glares at them. She scowls as they scramble to put away the tires, "Honestly, you would think they would learn by now."
A snicker comes from the left of her. She glances sideways and notices that it's the new to-be Captain of Seido's baseball team. Miyuki with his stupid eyeglasses and his even stupider smile—she wishes for a moment that he can be ugly so she can hate him more honestly. "They never do, which is why they will always be idiots."
"You're one to talk with the extra practice," she can't bite back her retort, and rolls her eyes as the two first-years walk up to her, looking mildly chidden, "What did I tell you about overextending yourself after a game?"
"Not to do it," they say in unison.
"And what did you do?"
"Overextended myself," they harmonize.
Hikari rubs her face and points to the building, "Go and if I find you back here, I will bench you—don't think managers don't have the authority to do that! We do and you should be grateful that they are much nicer than me."
Sawamura sweats nervously and Furuya nods rapidly.
"Now go!" she claps her hands, and they take off to the locker room.
"Managers don't have the authority to bench players," Miyuki points out mildly irritated.
"Who told you that?" Hikari snorts and grabs her clipboard before leaving.
He blinks rapidly and jogs up to her, "Well, none of the previous managers present and past have done it."
"You haven't had a mean manager," she rolls her eyes again and glances at the empty bullpen, "I'm not as nice as the rest of them, because when you do something stupid, they'll watch and hesitate. I actually do something about it."
"You sound like you resent the rest of the managers," Miyuki doesn't know what tone of voice he's using, mostly because he doesn't know exactly how to feel about it.
"I don't," Hikari shakes her head and grabs a spare baseball from the field, "They're a cheerful bunch, I admire them for it. But none of them were athletes so they don't know how crucial it is to take care of your body."
"What sport did you play?"
"I—" she pauses and then turns to look at him; she narrows her eyes at his smirk, "What makes you think that I played a sport?"
"You're too knowledgeable about their possible and present injuries," Miyuki shrugs and grabs the baseball in her hand, "Only someone who's an athlete knows first-hand how it feels."
"I've seen Tanba get injured," Hikari remarks flatly and grabs a spare water bottle, "I've seen Chris-senpai's injury worsen—what makes you think that I'm too knowledgeable about possible and present injuries?"
He agrees, "I'll concede to that one, Ito-san.'
She almost smiles, "You almost sound upset, Captain."
"I am, but that doesn't change the fact that you somehow differentiated yourself from the rest of the managers," Miyuki debates shrewdly and watches her put the rest of the bottles in the sink of the grounds, "What makes you so different?"
Hikari huffs an amused chuckle and grabs the baseball he took back, "I guess, you'll have to find out."
Golden eyes widen with excitement and a grin curls on his lips when he feels the rush of electricity that he normally gets when he plays baseball, at her.
.
Hikari instantly regrets sparking Miyuki's interest.
No, seriously.
"Well, well," Miyuki starts off pleasantly and the entire table turns to look at him, “If it isn't our favorite manager, Ito-sama."
Yoshikawa looks at Hikari with wide eyes.
"Ito-sama?" Hikari asks with a thin brow and points to the rest of the managers, "You have more managers, Captain."
"Ah, correction," he leans in closer and smirks, "My favorite manager."
Natsukawa gapes.
"Well, my favorite Captain isn't here, so I guess I'll have to settle for you," she sighs exasperatedly and inwardly smiles at Kuramochi's snicker, "Coach wants you all to line up in the track field in a half-hour."
"Ouch," he says brightly.
Hikari stares at him blankly and says flatly, with no regard to the peanut gallery, "Freak."
Jun, Kuramochi, and Zono burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter as she walks back to the manager's table and grabs a slice of toast before walking out of the cafeteria. Sawamura wipes a tear away as he pats Haruichi on the back, "What are you trying with Hikari-senpai, tanuki? She nearly stabbed Himura for trying to play with her hair."
"Stabbed?" Miyuki makes a noise of interest.
"With her chopsticks," Kanemaru nods.
"Hm..."
Kuramochi looks at him oddly, "What?"
"Just thinking," Miyuki shrugs and eats his rice, "What do we know about her?"
Tanba stares at him, "About Ito-san?"
"Why?" Kuramochi narrows his brows.
"She said something yesterday," Miyuki decides to tell them a bit awkwardly, "About injuries and how only athletes know how bad they are to them."
Chris gives him a long look before answering, "Ito-chan used to play baseball before coming to Seido."
"Not softball?" Haruichi asks in surprise and Miyuki blinks rapidly that piece of information.
"No," he shakes his head and leans into his table, "Ito-chan...was very rough as a player and the girls weren't."
"Rough?" Furuya asks.
"Aggressive," Chris corrects and misses the gleam of excitement that glazes over topaz's eyes, "She was a clean-up batter. A neighboring team took her in, and she did better with them. She went to school at an all-girl private school, so playing with guys was a better fit for her. She never had to hold back, but I think she stopped playing after middle school."
"Hikari-senpai's amazing!" Sawamura practically had stars in his eyes as he babbles to Haruichi about his conversations with the upperclassman.
"Is that why she dresses like that?" Jun asks after a moment and waves his hands in a you know matter, "Like, a guy?"
"She wears Seido sweats," Kuramochi points out with a raised brow, "You know. The uniform."
"But even the managers dress cuter," the third year says obnoxiously.
"I don't think we should talk about Ito-san like this," Yuki retorts blankly and then glances at Jun, "Unless you want to fight off her chopsticks."
He pales.
Miyuki absorbs this information like a sponge. His glasses hide the wild-eyed expression, and he presses his lips together before chuckling to himself, "Aggressive, hm?"
.
"What?"
"You heard me,"
"I've temporarily gone deaf," Hikari gives him another chance and narrows her eyes at him. She puts a finger in her ear and wiggles it around before demanding, "Say it again."
Miyuki can't stop grinning—his tongue hides behind his teeth. She's so fun. So much fun. More entertaining than Sawamura and his antics. She's dangerous with those eyes, her threats and her overall body language. "I said that you're never going to get a boyfriend chasing after those first years."
"What are you saying, Miyuki-senpai?" Kanemaru inquires horrified.
Masuko stares at him, "That wasn't nice, Miyuki."
"I don't want to hear that from a guy that still believes in cooties," she remarks point blank and just as snarky; he almost smiles.
Sawamura cackles in the background.
"If I believed that I wouldn't have sat next to you during our practice match."
"It was the only seat left," Hikari rolls her eyes and looks out at the field.
She doesn't know what Coach Kataoka was thinking about inviting Yakushi for a practice game at their school. Well, technically she did know, but that doesn't mean she has to be happy that Miyuki is making a scene about it an hour after they finished practice. As a treat, the school was treating them to a small barbecue.
Still, they should encourage inter-team mingling despite them being enemies.
Hikari inwardly rolls her eyes.
"It's true, despite your boyish style and rough personality, I have a hard time believing that someone would willingly ask you out," Miyuki just keeps talking and the temperature drops more and more until Furuya sighs in bliss.
"Miyuki," Yuuki warns.
She stares at him blankly; his audacity reaching new heights.
"Even Kuramochi agrees with me," he adds in for flare—because he's a dick and he finds that he loves pushing her buttons.
Kuramochi gapes at the blatant lie and shakes his head almost hysterical, "That's not true, Hikari-chan! Don't listen to this bastard! He's just trying to get back at me for our last gaming session—the one he lost!"
Yoshikawa gapes and comes to her senpai's defense, "Hikari-chan wears sweats because she works out every day and—and helps the no-string students with their training!"
Miyuki suddenly feels horrible, he didn't realize there were players helping the students who still wanted to join the baseball club—well, the first-string players don't really interact with them, and this sounds worse in his head. But still, he must hold his ground firmly because Hikari's twitching is starting to look more like buffering. Because she probably was giving them horrible advice and that meant he had to say something—
—and then she smiles.
Hikari smiles a gentle, angelic smile that rivals the intensity and wrath of the older Kominato sibling. Haruichi startles and hides behind Furuya and Ryousuke makes a sound of approval. Miyuki shivers in delight at the sight, his eyes widening as she steps closer to him, and he stands up tall—electricity running up and down his arms. She says sweetly, her eyes sparkling with rage, "I'm going to get Sanada's number—you know Sanada Shunpei? Ace and one of the hottest pitchers that Japan has ever produced? And you're going to stay here and watch me bag him like the little bitch you are," she tilts her head, "Okay?"
The dugout has gotten so quiet that everyone can hear Masuko's stomach grumble while Chris nearly has a stroke at the venomous words and Sawamura gapes at her language.
And Miyuki—Miyuki is too turned on to think properly.
.
"Do you have lipstick?" Hikari asks Sachiko as she tightens the strings of her sneakers. Her track parents were white and baggy as they hung off her ankles, hooking onto the back of her shoes. Satisfied with her pants, she tugs it down a little, so it rests just under her navel.
"Y-Yes!"
"What colors?"
"I have a few!"
"Excellent," she hums and removes her sweater—tossing it at Sawamura's head.
Tanba stammers when he sees her just in a sports bra.
"Ito-san!" Yuuki flushes and asks her to cover up.
"It's a sports bra, Yuuki-senpai," Hikari rolls her eyes, "I'm sure you boys have seen worse things."
Yoshikawa blushes brightly.
Hikari loosens her hair until the thick waves roll down her back, free from her bun and the pressure from her scalp lessens. She messes it up a bit, ruffling it so it looks fuller, and hugs the curve of her waist. She turns around and faces the team—biting back her grin when they take in the strong muscles that cord her arms, the lines of her stomach, and her chest that's banded by a high-end sports bra.
With her hair messy and cheeks, burnt red—she looks more alluring than anything.
"A red lipstick if you please, Sacchin," Hikari doesn't look at her, but opens her hand so she can drop the lipstick in her hand. When she feels the tube in her hand, she walks over, grabs Miyuki's face – Sawamura shrieks in surprise and grabs Haruichi who gapes – and uses his glasses as a mirror as she smears lipstick on her lips, "One thing to remember Yoshikawa-chan, boys are pretty dumb—they are simple creatures, you see."
Miyuki can hardly breathe with Hikari hanging over him like that, his golden eyes take in her face—the sharp features that soften from the curtain of her hair, midnight against a starless sky, her eyes dark and heavy as she stares into his glasses. Into his eyes, it feels like. Electric screaming and sparks crackling at frayed edges.
She's strong, he notes.
Her arms are toned, her stomach has lines running parallel to her ribs, and there's a certain grace in how she holds herself. She smacks her lips together, so the red flush looks more natural, more bitten, and swollen. He wants to lean in and taste the red of her lips—wondering if her mouth will taste like fire or sweet like cherries.
"And especially baseball players," Hikari leans back to grab a helmet and bat, "If you play baseball with them while looking like you just rolled out of bed, they very will listen to you, right Ei-chan?"
"Yes!" Sawamura blinks and retracts, "Wait. What?"
She winks at her managers and turns to side-eye Miyuki, "I'll be waiting for an apology, Miyuki."
And Hikari walks down the field with a small sway in her hips.
"And just where did she learn to walk like that?!" Jun snarls.
.
Hikari thinks that she might be in over her head.
There was no plan to seduce Sanada.
She grits her teeth, but she'll be damned if she goes back empty-handed. She hangs the bat over her shoulder as she walks over to the center field, she can feel her team watching her, but what's better is that she can also feel Yakushi looking at her. She drops her helmet to the ground and tightens her grip on her bat.
Now that she successfully holds their attention, she flickers her eyes over to their section of the field, and when she grabs Sanada's eyes, and does something that a main lead would do.
Hikari lifts her hand, points two fingers up, and gives him the come-hither sign.
Kuramochi sputters.
Sanada's eyes widen and he points to himself in question.
Hikari smirks and nods.
She hates and hates herself because the closer Sanada gets to her, she realizes just how handsome the pitcher is and it makes her even more aware of her state of undress. She's going to kick Miyuki in the throat when this is over. She swallows thickly once he's in hearing distance and asks, "Want to pitch for me?"
He only pitched three innings, she remembers, so it shouldn't be too bad.
"You want me, to pitch to you?" Sanada asks with raised brows and glances at her team.
"Yes," Hikari nods and glares at her team, "I need to hit something and I rather it was not my classmates; they're already stupid."
Sanada grins and looks at the cart of baseballs, "You sure?"
"Are you?" she raises a brow and puts on her helmet. She shakes her head so her hair curls around her skin and tightens her grip on the handle of the bat that's resting over her shoulder.
"Well," he pauses and grabs a ball, "I mean, we did just get our asses handed to us by your team."
"I could hand your ass over to you, instead, if you want," Hikari grins and removes her bat from her shoulder, "I am prettier, so it shouldn't feel too bad."
Sanada laughs joyfully at that and she almost—almost flushes. She brushes the side of her cheek, a wave hugging her skin and he eyes the wayward strand intensely. If she doesn't focus, she's going to lose her composure.
"I'm not going to disagree," he replies with sparkly eyes.
Dear Gods, she prays for mercy.
"So, will you pitch for me?" Hikari takes a step back.
"Sure," Sanada shrugs and turns to look at his team who is watching them like a hawk, "What kind of pitches do you want?"
"Anything," she smiles and gives him some space, "Just don't hold back."
"Don't...hold back?" Sanada says slowly and tilts his head; his eyes go all shimmery.
"I'll get pissed if you hold back because I'm a girl," Hikari says with dark eyes and smiles sharply, "I don't work with amateurs, so give me that cutter."
His mouth parts and then he grins maniacally, "How interesting, manager-chan."
Hikari puts on her helmet, tightens her hand around her bat, and gets in position, "Call me Hikari, Sanada. Try to impress me, will you?"
Sanada sucks his teeth and throws a sharp cutter.
Hikari slams it into the center field without hesitation.
"HOLY HELL!"
"DID YOU SEE THE SPEED ON THAT BALL?"
"SHE DIDN'T EVEN FLINCH!"
Hikari smirks at his shocked expression and tilts her head, "Is that it?"
Sanada laughs and grabs another ball—he pitches without thinking. Hikari stuns him, stuns her team, stuns his team, she doesn't miss. She can foul out, and hit a dead ball, but she doesn't miss. Most of her hits are from the center field and right field. There are a few home runs in there, but what makes it so fun is that she doesn't hesitate when the ball comes to her. She'll adjust her footing, open her stance, close her back, and slam the ball up.
Hikari uses her entire lower body to slam which changes the trajectory of the ball, as long as she brings her arms up, and Sanada with his unhinged face makes everything better. Because he's laughing and smiling at her when she swings and swings and even Raichi is yelling because he wants a turn.
Eventually, they run out of balls, and she leans back into her hips. Sweat ran down her neck and glistened off her skin. She wipes her forehead and removes her helmet. Grimacing at the number of balls on the field, "I'm going to have to clean this up later."
"I'll help you," Sanada smirks and puts his hands behind his head, "You're amazing. I can't believe how many hits you got and with my strength?" he whistles and walks closer, "That's some nice batting, Hikari."
"Your good practice," Hikari chuckles and removes her helmet, "I was a clean-up batter when I used to play."
"You don't play anymore?" he asks surprised.
"No," she shrugs, "I used to play on the men's team anyway, since I left it hasn't really been the same. My plays are a bit too strong for the softball team."
Sanada hisses – with something like disappointment and excitement – behind clenched teeth and grabs his phone from his pocket, "Here, give me your LINE. I wouldn't mind playing with you again."
"How sweet," Hikari sighs dramatically, but takes his phone and hands him hers, "Coming from Yakushi's Ace."
He chuckles, "So, did I?"
"Did you what?" she takes back her phone and grabs her helmet from the ground.
"Impress you?"
Hikari blinks at that and smiles, "You always do."
Sanada blushes lightly at that and scratches the back of his head, "Thanks, I, uh—"
"NADA-SENPAI, THE FOOD IS HERE!"
"You better go eat," Hikari smiles and takes a step back; the sunset a halo around her form, "You deserve it after today," she starts to walk back to her team and says, "I'll see you around, Sanada."
"Hikari!" Sanada calls out as she's nearing the dugout.
She spins around, bat on her shoulder, hair blowing in the wind and her helmet hanging off her hip.
"It's Shunpei," he beams.
Hikari turns around and smiles girlishly, her teammates are baffled beyond belief. She drops her helmet on the table, gives her bat to Haruichi, and grabs her phone from her pocket. She taps the phone on and points it to Miyuki, "I win."
Jun tosses her sweater back at her and yells, "You aren't allowed to date Sanada! This is the law and you have been overruled."
"But he's just so pretty," she giggles girlishly at her fellow managers and slips on her sweater, "And fun! So fun."
"VETOED!"
Kuramochi whirls around the glare at the main catcher.
Miyuki drops his head in his hands and wonders why he didn't shut up in the first place.