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Chapter Text

Miyuki didn’t realised when exactly it happened but the sight of Sawamura’s back as he left his room left a nagging feeling behind; though buried deep in the pool of his stomach.

He’s never seen the guy act out in this way before. Sawamura was a loud guy and he had his moments; a pitcher who was defined by his mood swings. But he was painfully honest to a fault and always wore his heart on his sleeves. He should’ve guessed something was off when Okumura asked him to talk to the guy, concern laced in his usually cold eyes.

And yet, when Miyuki probed - not once but twice - Sawamura merely dismissed him, saying there was nothing else to talk about. It was confusing, and yet, not really unlike him.

He hadn’t planned to think much of it when Sawamura first stormed out of his room last night, but it was the sight of Okumura’s anxious gaze always fleeting towards the pitcher that made him feel uneasy all over. Miyuki likened the feeling to be of dutiful worry, like how a captain would to a fellow teammate. Being a captain and having these extra responsibilities were really tough. And hell, it had been a really tough year since he took over. But the closer Okumura got to Sawamura, the more restless Miyuki was.

Before he could even comprehend what he was doing, his lips had already blurted out the words he longed to say since last night.

“Is there anything you want to talk about with me?”

There it was, that silence again. A guarded wall put up again by the guy who always wore his emotions freely on his face.

When Sawamura had asked him earlier to catch some of his pitches, Miyuki was relieved; happy even. It felt like the second year had gone back to his usual self after his strange behaviour yesterday. And yet they continued their training in silence, earning the subtle looks and attention from their other teammates. It was unnerving.

It was suffocating.

Miyuki definitely knew something was wrong by then. And yet, Sawamura dismissed him again.

He knew it was a lie but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to ask him why he was lying.

Why couldn’t he?

Was this fear?

And again, when Sawamura merely walked past him after, Miyuki couldn’t bring himself to stop him either. His eyes, however, noticed how Sawamura walked straight towards Okumura. The two walked side by side, going for a short break before the team’s field practice later.

Was this… jealousy? Not wanting to be replaced as Sawamura’s only catcher? Envious that Okumura still had more games left with the pitcher, when Miyuki could potentially be playing his last game of his final year?

No, that was not it either.

He felt this before, just once, sometime last year. It was when Sawamura was in one of his depressed moods, and he couldn’t do anything to help him either. The resigned feeling of having to watch Chris-senpai do what he failed to do as a catcher.

A catcher?

No. A teammate.

His heart stirred at the word that had flashed in his mind. That wasn’t it either.

His friend… or more.

Miyuki winced at that thought. His unspoken worries had begun to take shape, though still as blurry as ever. But he knew, deep down, that this was definitely the reason why Sawamura’s silence had been bugging him.

His hands balled into a fist, tension caught in his jaw. This was no time to think about the unspoken feelings. They still have one more match tomorrow. And as captain, that should be of his utmost importance. Though he wished he’d just be his usual selfish self to do as he wanted.

But when they do win tomorrow…

Then perhaps fate would have given him some more time to selfishly be Sawamura’s favourite catcher.

Chapter Text

Eijun, Furuya thought, was someone like the sun. He was everything he was not. Bright, unyielding, warm and sometimes too out of reach. Their rivalry was not strange for they competed for the same ace position since their first day in Seidou.

But he was also someone fragile. Furuya was always watching him, you see, so he knew everything about him; down to the way Eijun’s eyebrows would crinkle when something someone said bothered him. But Eijun never said anything. The guy always knew how to pick himself back up, and it was something Furuya idolised, though he never said it out loud.

It was natural for the two to start hanging out together more often, along with Haruichi. They were the initial first years who made it to first string. They were also both pitchers, so they shared ideas amongst themselves often.

Eijun was a firecracker, and Furuya was drawn, like a moth to a flame.

He wasn’t good with feelings, and wasn’t good with making friends; not after what happened in Hokkaido. But Eijun did it all so easily. He was naturally charismatic, that’s why. Not once did Furuya felt envious, because to him, being beside Eijun itself was a privilege.

They had been talking about Eijun’s new grip, when his world changed in that second.

“I’m telling you, Satoru. Miyuki-senpai banned this new one.”

Satoru?

His heart beat a little faster. It was the first time he ever called him that. Did Eijun even realised what he called him? He tugged his cap a little lower, ears pink from the casual mention of his first name as though he hadn’t called him Furuya in the last two years. Eijun merely moved on, acting as though he hadn’t just rooted his world upside down.

Furuya wasn’t good with feelings, sure, but he knew he felt good at that moment. He knew that looking at Eijun’s determined gaze made his heart swell up but also ached in all the right places. He knew that he wanted to reach out and hug him; thanking him for always being by his side and yet continue to push him to do better.

“… I’ll work hard too.” Furuya’s soft voice took his company by surprise. “Watch me.”

He meant that seriously. He wanted to earn his approval so that he could be someone Eijun could rely on too. And if he did, would he want to hug him too?

Eijun was flabbergasted, not realising the nuances behind the former’s words. “Huh?! Just so you know, I’m the ace-”

Furuya wouldn’t listen, instead giving a sleepy smile and a soft nod. His usual tendencies. He tuned out, pleased that he worked out his little thoughts so well.

He would continue to work hard to be by Eijun’s side and have his back when things get tough; in the ways that Eijun has been doing for him since day one.

That would be the best way to his heart.

Chapter Text

Koushuu didn’t know when exactly he had spiralled but the fact was that he already did.

It seemed to be a recurring scenario, with him always staring into Sawamura-senpai’s back. In between breaks during innings, occasional batting practices, or even at times in the bullpen. And there was always a common denominator in all of this.

Sawamura-senpai would be staring elsewhere. His gaze was always fixed on one person and one person only. And that was Miyuki-senpai.

When uneasiness first bubbled in his heart, Koushuu had likened it to his ego being challenged. Miyuki-senpai was someone he reluctantly looked up to. Most of the things that helped him through his gruelling baseball practices in high school had been advices from him as his fellow senior catcher. He was someone Koushuu always chased after as he was the team’s regular catcher, and it helped that Miyuki-senpai was always so eager to share his expertise with him. It was natural to feel a sense of competitiveness with someone he idolised, and that extended to wanting to work with the main pitcher; Sawamura-senpai.

And yet, Koushuu’s feelings extended beyond uneasiness. It was also envy, yes, but it was also jealousy. There was a clear difference between the two. He was envious that Miyuki-senpai’s the  one person Sawamura-senpai always looked towards to, and he was jealous it wasn’t him instead.

Perhaps the difference was just that, a word so simple; feelings.

When had he began to yearn for Sawamura-senpai’s affection? When had he become so possessive of the pitcher that he wanted to monopolise his entire attention? There were many times Koushuu wished he’d just been honest instead.

“Look at my mitt, senpai. Look at me. Look at me instead of him.”

What right did he have to say those words to him when he wasn’t the one starting the matches? Deep down, however, Koushuu was secretly ticked off whenever Sawamura-senpai went to Miyuki-senpai instead, even though he clearly asked him - Okumura Koushuu - to catch his pitches first.

And it stung even more when Coach Kataoka dropped both him and Yui from the bench as Koshien only allowed a mere 18 players instead. Watching Sawamura-senpai’s back from the stands was frustrating, as though he’d reverted to his junior high school days instead.

“Your condition seems good today.” Koushuu muttered once the day was over, the team lounging in the hotel’s ballroom to gather. “You pitched a good game and Miyuki-senpai seemed satisfied with most of the pitches just now.”

Sawamura merely grinned as usual. “Wanna check it out for yourself?”

“Huh?”

“You know you want to.” Sawamura slung an arm over Koushuu’s shoulders. “I saw that flicker of desperation in your eyes earlier from the stands, young Okumura!”

Koushuu frowned, trying to shake out off his grasp but to no avail. “There is no desperation here. And did you just admit you weren’t paying attention to the game while you’re on the mound?”

“Hahaha! Tomato, tomato! Come onnn! Catch some of my pitches tonight!”

“I’m very sure Miyuki-senpai warned you not to throw tonight-”

And yet, Koushuu found that he didn’t quite hate it as Sawamura-senpai continued pulling him away to practice with him. His hand was firmly gripped onto Koushuu’s wrist, head slightly turned back as he made sure he followed. His grin was far too wide, as though such a small thing made him so happy.

Koushuu’s lips were upturned for just a little bit but unfortunately, Sawamura-senpai caught on.

“Oh?! You’re on husky mode today!!!”

“… Don’t be ridiculous.”

Koushuu pushed down the surge of feelings threatening to spill over, the warmth from his senpai’s hands vividly remaining on his skin. He trailed after the guy wordlessly, still watching his back like he usually was.

But this time… this time, Sawamura-senpai’s gaze is fixed on his face instead.

Chapter Text

Seeing both Sawamura and Miyuki playing so flawlessly on the field stirred something in Chris’s heart, his hands balled into a fist from how excited he was at their improvements. He barely even noticed Yuuki smiling knowingly at him, too drunk in the sight he’s seeing of the Ichidaisan match.

Chris watched on as the team passed cups of water for Sawamura to drink. Even from where he’s sitting at, he could tell the guy was sweating much more than usual, a sign he’s been going all out with his pitching from the very first inning. His heart did a little jump as they somehow met eyes, and before he could overthink, Sawamura grinned widely and waved in his direction. He was probably going to say something too if it wasn’t for the fact that Kuramochi had given him one of his usual thai kicks, earning a yelp from the poor guy as the two continued to bicker.

“He’s really grown into himself, hasn’t he?” Yuuki’s eyes crinkled knowingly. “I bet you’re proud of him.”

“… I always am.”

Nobody else would know, but pride wasn’t the only thing Chris felt for Sawamura. It was admiration, idolisation and gratitude.

Feelings too complicated to merely be categorised into different words.

It was clear to everyone else that Chris had been the one to help Sawamura be someone who was ready to be on the first string, but the fact remained that it was Sawamura who saved him instead. His boundless optimism was contagious - though sometimes riddled in dumb antics - but Sawamura was like sunlight reflected off the crevices of his moon-cratered heart. He made him have hope again.

And as cheesy as it was, he made him looked forward to tomorrow again.

“Master!!” Sawamura somehow had resorted to circling around him, grin too wide for his face. “Did you really mean it when you said you wanted to try catching my splitter?!”

Chris sighed fondly. “Again with the master…”

“But Chris-senpai, you are my master!”

Chris hesitated, wondering why he couldn’t just shrug off Sawamura’s antics today. It wasn’t the first time he called him master either. His gaze rested on a bespectacled face right behind Sawamura, the latter busy talking to Yuuki.

It finally made sense. He was jealous of Miyuki, who caught most of Sawamura’s insane pitches.

“Chris-senpai…?” Sawamura tilted his head in confusion when he took too long to answer.

“… I hope one day I’ll have the opportunity to catch all of your pitches, Sawamura.”

He watched as Sawamura’s once confused face slowly lit up, the corner of his lips reaching out to meet his ears. He looked far too happy, making Chris’s heart beat faster with just how mesmerising he now looked. Chris could barely contain himself, his own hand unconsciously reaching out to lightly ruffle the guy’s hair affectionately.

This earned a blush on Sawamura’s face, as he leaned into Chris’s touch, too pleased at being praised.

“All right!” Sawamura suddenly shouted, pumping his fist into the air and earning everyone’s looks, not that he cared. “Chris-senpai just patted my head!!! I’m gaining so much energy!!! I’m going to do my best for the finals!!!”

His teammates had begun to gather towards him at his screams. The group, led by Kuramochi of course, all told him to shut up as he was too loud. It was an all too familiar scene.

But when Chris looked away, he noticed Yuuki’s thoughtful eyes resting on him knowingly again and he froze.

Looks like he’s not the only one to know of the depth of his feelings for Sawamura anymore. The tip of Chris’s ears burned crimson as he turned his gaze back onto the sunshine incarnate instead.

Chapter Text

Kuramochi had been playing games with Asada in their room when Sawamura finally came back from Miyuki’s room. Okumura had dropped by earlier, saying that Miyuki had been calling for him. He noticed right away that the guy’s eyes turned cat-like and intuitively made the deduction that the reason Sawamura had been acting weird was because of Miyuki.

He was watching Asada play when he connected the dots. Sawamura had been going off in one of his weird rants about how the team would only be able to exist for another two dozen weeks. Was the guy sad that he wouldn’t be in a battery with Miyuki any longer? That particular thought soured him, as the third years had been hell bent on not thinking about how there’s only one game left to decide if the team can exist for longer anyway.

“Oi, Sawamura. Come take a walk with me.” Kuramochi got up and stretched, walking towards the door where the former was already standing. “Asada, we’ll be right back.”

Sawamura protested loudly. “Huh?! I’m tired! I wanna go to sleep!”

“Tch, just come with me for a bit.”

“No way!” The guy made a cross sign with his hands. “You’re the one who told me to go to sleep earlier, Kuramochi-senpai!”

“I said just come with me, damn it!” Kuramochi growled, kicking the guy in his butt. Poor Sawamura stumbled outside, clutching his butt in pain as he glared at his attacker. “… Tch. Why do you always make things so difficult?”

Sawamura begrudgingly followed after his senior, the latter bringing him to where the vending machines were. He was mulling over what to get him but eventually settled on what he assumed was his favourite, which was orange juice.

“Why are you being so nice?!” Sawamura grumbled, though he still accepted the juice quickly before his senior could take it back. “It’s scary! Sca-ry!!!”

Kuramochi didn’t even flinched, muttering dryly. “Anyone ever told you you’re really rude sometimes?”

“But it’s true! You’re always the one stealing my juice instead?!”

“Oi.” He took a seat beside, facing straight towards the light which the vending machines emitted. “… You’re being sad over Miyuki right?”

Kuramochi watched as his company froze, fingers that were about to open his juice can remained in place. His jaw hung slightly open, face turning maddeningly red really quickly.

“Don’t even try to deny it.” Kuramochi gazed directly into his eyes this time. “You went on about the team only existing for a bit longer and you had those weird cat eyes when Okumura brought up Miyuki earlier. Are you sad or something, that you have little time left to play with Miyuki?”

Sawamura shut his mouth close, pursing his lips as he turned his gaze towards the ground instead. “… That’s not it… but kinda…”

“Then what is it?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

“You being cold now?” Kuramochi tilted his head curiously but Sawamura merely kept mum. “… Tch. You’re our ace, you know that right? Don’t think about useless stuff right before the finals-”

“I know!” He uttered out a little too loudly, but upon realising how loud he was, he softened his voice. “… I know. You don’t need to worry, Kuramochi-senpai.”

Kuramochi kept mum. He wondered if Sawamura even knew why he was worrying.

He had been in denial at first; and by denial, he meant vehemently denying it with his entire existence, but Kuramochi noticed how he’s begun to care for Sawamura from afar. Unlike last year, where everything was all cool senpai looking out for his annoying roommate, this year was different.

Perhaps it was because he was in his third year, and that he’s the only one to see Sawamura up close when he’s having one of his off days, but Kuramochi thought that the guy sometimes worked himself too hard and took too much responsibility concerning things he could always rely on others on. It was sad but also something he quite admired about the younger guy. Kuramochi had always liked resilience in a person and Sawamura embodied just that.

“… This about your unrequited feelings for Miyuki?”

Kuramochi might have been an observant person but Sawamura noticed that sometimes his guesses were really off the mark for some reason. The young man fumbled in sheer embarrassment, mouth opening and closing a few times at how random his words were.

“H-H-Huh?!?!?” Sawamura’s cat eyes did nothing to save his reputation. “Why do you even think that?! How did you even come to such a conclusion?!”

“…. I hit the mark, huh.”

“In what world?! Also, what do you mean by unrequited?! Do you think I’m such a sad puppy?!”

“Well, it’s good news to me if it is.”

“What do you mean-”

Kuramochi sighed, stretching his arms upwards as he stood up, somehow feeling like his guess had been wrong. Knowing Sawamura, there was absolutely no way the guy would even open up about why he was being all emotional just now after this little stint. He internally groaned, wondering why he just had to care so much for the most troublesome person on the team.

“Unrequited or not, or whatever is eating at you, I hope you know it ain’t over until it’s over. Let’s concentrate on the finals first.” Kuramochi towered over the guy, gaze serious as he stared him down. “… Besides, you’re not the only one who’s worrying about how long more they’ve got with someone, you know. Some of us are also thinking about it too.”

Sawamura flinched when he heard those words but as Kuramochi continued fixing his gaze onto his face, his nerves felt fuzzy for a different reason all together.

Kuramochi suddenly stepped closer, flicking his forehead. It was different. Sawamura could tell right away because of how gentle it was, as though he was being affectionate. It wasn’t one of his rough kicks or violent chokeholds.

“Don’t dwell on things alone. I’m right here if you still wanna talk about it.”

Sawamura watched as his senior turned away, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked ahead. He couldn’t tell properly as the area was dimly lit, but he was sure he could see the tips of his ears turning red.

Kuramochi ran a hand through his face, cringing at how he approached the whole thing. He was supposed to lessen Sawamura’s burdens, not add on to it, damn it! He secretly hoped that the guy was dumb enough to not understand what he had been talking about.

But when Kuramochi slightly peeked back to see if Sawamura was following him, all he could see was a blushing mess frozen in place, and he immediately knew that Sawamura had already caught on to his feelings.

So much for being the cool senpai.

Chapter Text

It was a surprise when Kuramochi had found him out that evening by the fields. It was an even bigger surprise when he had vented about his frustration from their loss to Ichidaisan. Miyuki listened patiently as the former laid out his worries about Sawamura potentially being angry at the team.

He thought the same, though he didn’t shared his thoughts with anyone else. Watching Kuramochi’s back right now as he ranted made Miyuki realised once again that the two really thought similarly sometimes. He also noticed how much closer they’ve gotten in the last two years, especially this year. Was it because he was the captain and Kuramochi was his vice captain? Or was it because they’ve been in the same class since their first year?

“Oh, so you really came here to vent huh?” Miyuki couldn’t resist the urge to tease. Kuramochi’s reactions were always so interesting to watch when he was flustered. Even right now, the latter was quick to turn around on the flight of stairs, glaring and saying that there was no way in hell he was doing that. “Be my guest. I’ll put my captain hat on and hear you out!”

Kuramochi growled, swinging his bat in Miyuki’s direction. “Okay, can you drop it now?! And wipe that smirk off your face!”

“Oh come on.” Miyuki laughed annoyingly. “You totally came to see me right? I’m telling you I’m listening.”

“You’re always like this you jerk!”

To be honest, Miyuki knew deep down why it was always fun watching Kuramochi flounder about. The guy was easy to tease and his reactions may be fun, yes, but there was always a lingering warmth after everything was said and done. Miyuki found that comforting, like he also had someone he could fall back on.

Someone who always kept his eyes on him but was never too pushy to force things to work out when things went south. It was a familiar kind of warmth that he was all too used to growing up.

“… Then, I’ll listen as a friend.” Miyuki softened, clearly catching the guy off guard. Though his eyes still crinkled with amusement. “Or do you want my attention in other ways?”

“Huh?!”

A look of confusion quickly spreaded across Kuramochi’s face but when Miyuki teasingly moved a step down to move his face closer to his, Kuramochi blushed badly. His face looked even brighter than the setting sun in the background. He almost stumbled too, and would have, if it wasn’t for Miyuki’s quick hands grabbing his own before anything could happen.

Miyuki chuckled. “You clearly wanted my attention if you’ve come here to find me. So go on. I’ll listen.”

“Who the hell wants your attention?!” Kuramochi groaned. “Why would you even come to that conclusion?”

“Why? Cos you’re blushing now.”

This time, Kuramochi blushed even harder, if that was even possible. He clicked in disapproval before turning his face away. He felt cornered, as though he’s been found out for something he was trying really hard to keep hidden.

“… You’re infuriating, you know that?”

“But you like me anyway.” Miyuki plainly pointed it out as Kuramochi flinched. He internally smirked when he realised his intuition to be true. “Come on, let’s go. We don’t wanna be late for the meeting. We can talk about your feelings later.”

“… Again with that.”

Miyuki laughed out loud, pleased that the guy wasn’t even denying it anymore. His gaze did softened, though Kuramochi wouldn’t have seen it as he slowly walked away. Miyuki wondered if he went too far, though his own heart was beating far too quickly as he carefully pieced his next words together.

“Don’t look so sad. Don’t you want to hear about my feelings too?”

This earned Kuramochi’s pause, and Miyuki watched as his entire figure froze. Though Miyuki couldn’t quite see the expressions his company made, he was very sure he saw his lips slightly tugged upwards into an unnoticeable smirk.

“… Smug bastard.”

“Confident bastard.” Miyuki gently corrected him, laughing as he felt heat creep up his own neck. He also playfully nudged Kuramochi’s shoulders as he walked down, leaving the latter to shake his head at the ridiculousness of it all again. “… Come on. We really should go before Coach kills us.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

And yet, his words were contrary to his actions, as Kuramochi walked on fondly beside his infuriating captain. Miyuki didn’t meet his gaze, merely humming cheerfully, letting that familiar warmth linger once again between them.

Chapter Text

Miyuki have always thought that life was unpredictable. He also always thought it was fun for that very same reason. But never in his entire life would he imagined himself to be standing side by side with Mima of all people here in the mall.

They were currently window shopping in a baseball equipment shop after finishing their lunch together earlier. As to why Mima was actually here in Tokyo right now, the reason was entirely unpredictable.

Having lost to Inashiro in the Kanto tournament, Miyuki had congratulated him on getting second place and the two had continued emailing each other back and forth for a bit. It was to Miyuki’s surprise when he suddenly emailed that he was heading to Tokyo for the weekend for a short getaway before practice for the Summer Koshien resumed. Mima didn’t even asked if the latter was free. He simply stated a time and place and Miyuki couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

And that was how he got here; standing side by side with Mima as he sipped bubble tea, wondering why he was here in the first place.

“You know,” Mima’s voice shook him out of his thoughts. “you still haven’t answered me if your lineup could hit off Narumiya Mei’s pitches. Or Amahisa Kousei’s for that matter.”

Miyuki recalled their back and forth and realised it was true. “… We’d hit it.”

“… Confident.”

“We have no choice but to do it.” He laughed, turning his gaze back onto Mima’s expressionless face. “What about you? Are you still hung up over that last at bat with Mei?”

Mima’s face didn’t change but Miyuki could tell the guy slightly flinched when he said that. Up close, his eyes were dilated just for a short second, but he would’ve missed it if their faces weren’t so close right now. Mima eventually sighed, ignoring him like he always does. Miyuki noticed he tend to do that a lot when he couldn’t have his last say.

“Are you still hung up over that last at bat-”

Mima finally groaned, running a hand through his face. “Why do you like to repeat yourself? You did this back then too, when you kept asking how many scouts have reached out to me.”

“Because you never answer!”

“I don’t want to talk about Narumiya Mei right now.”

“Eh?” Miyuki tilted his head in confusion. “Why not? Didn’t you asked me out cos you wanna talk about his pitching?”

Mima paused, looking at Miyuki in disbelief before he realised the guy really believed that. “Let me get this straight. You think… I came all the way from Gunma… to Tokyo… to see you… to talk about Narumiya Mei?”

“Didn’t you?”

“No.”

“Huh?!” This time it was Miyuki who was confused. “I thought we were gonna share and trade secrets.”

“… For someone they call a genius catcher, you’re hopeless outside of baseball.”

Mima rolled his eyes, the most Miyuki have seen of him today. He was still trying to understand what Mima was trying to imply when the former shook his head, suddenly grabbing onto the sleeves of his jacket as he pulled him away. Miyuki allowed himself to be dragged, though he was still simmering in intense confusion.

“Where are we going?”

“The movies.”

“Huh?! Suddenly?!” Mima looked back as Miyuki flailed about. “There’s nothing interesting screening now anyway.”

“It’s a date activity though, right?”

“Huh? W-W-Wait-”

Miyuki shook out of his grasp and Mima let him, merely staring at him with a deadpan expression. His face was still as stoic as ever, as though he hadn’t just dropped the craziest line on him.

“D-Date?!”

“This is what this was. I thought you knew.” Mima pinched the bridge of his nose as he realised the guy didn’t actually knew. “Why the hell would I come all the way to Tokyo to see you if it wasn’t?”

Miyuki raised his hands in defeat. “I don’t know?! To talk about Mei?! Why do you even wanna go on a date with me?!”

“Because I have feelings for you, isn’t that obvious?”

“No?!”

Mima seemed thoughtful. “Strange. I thought they were reciprocated since you always message me right away.”

“T-That’s-”

“Well, it is a date.” Mima had a talent for quickly brushing things over as though he was merely speaking about what they’ll have for dinner. “So are you in or are you out?”

Miyuki sighed as he could already foretell the chaos that came with Mima Soichiro. The guy was stoic, deadpan and expressionless most of the time, but he was also pretty straight forward when it mattered. Miyuki admitted that the reason why he’s been replying so fast to Mima, or even reaching out to him first, was because the guy had been interesting.

Mima was the one who wanted his contact first anyway. But he had thought the guy meant it in a “healthy-competitors way”, not in the “hey-I-actually-like-you way”. Miyuki didn’t even realise that Mima had feelings, much less had feelings for him!

“… You should really stop glossing things over and start saying things properly, you know.” Miyuki huffed at long last.

Mima raised an eyebrow. “You complaining? Then, I’ll start saying it now. Simple.”

“… Why do I always attract these loser types…”

“Says the hopeless loser himself.” Mima shrugged nonchalantly, though he extended a hand out towards his company. “So?”

Miyuki groaned before suddenly shaking his head in frustration. This was what was so infuriating about these straightforward types! They’re all so selfish!

He stomped past the poor guy, ignoring the quick beating of his heartbeat. Was this from anger or was this from something else entirely?

“… You’re paying for the tickets, though.” Miyuki muttered in frustration. “And the popcorn. And the drinks.”

He turned around just in time to see the small, victorious smirk that had formed on Mima’s face. “Cold. Making a guy travel all the way here to pay for everything.”

“Excuse you? You’re the one who suddenly sprung it on me that it’s a date???”

“Yeah, I did.” Mima lightly skipped over to match Miyuki’s speed, their shoulders gently brushing each other’s. His gaze was fixed on the blush that had formed on Miyuki’s cheeks, from how intensely he had been staring at him. “… Worth it.”

Chapter Text

If you asked Okumura when exactly had he begun tailing after a certain infuriating senpai, he wouldn’t be able to tell you a specific time. It just naturally happened.

Miyuki-senpai was his roommate, and sure he was a difficult person to understand, but there were many things Okumura actually learned from him. It wasn’t only with how he dealt with most of Sawamura-senpai’s pitches but he also relied on the guy for the more nitty gritty aspects of baseball like the game calling or pitching sequences. Things generally went well, except for Miyuki-senpai’s constant smirks and laughs. That, Okumura tried to tolerate.

He always thought the guy had everything under control. Was it his strong captain image? Or was it because Okumura realised that the guy genuinely enjoyed playing baseball that everything always went in his favour? Either way, he could never imagined a frustrated or even a serious version of the guy but when it was his question that set him off earlier, Okumura felt guilt.

It was a straightforward question for a straightforward guy. He genuinely wanted to know how Miyuki-senpai calmed Sawamura-senpai down earlier. What did he say to make sure Sawamura-senpai still tried to play well under pressure? Unfortunately, his reluctant admission that he didn’t managed to bring out the best in Sawamura-senpai and felt frustrated as he couldn’t as his partner, made Okumura realised that Miyuki never showed his frustrations outwardly.

In fact, Okumura felt guilty. With Kimura-senpai still not back yet from the showers, Okumura hesitated to say something to the oldest there. But he knew it must be done.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Huh?” Miyuki turned around from his desk. “Did you say something?”

Okumura’s feet shuffled closer, though hesitance seeped through his entire body. “I’m sorry for earlier. My question was a little rude.”

Confusion lingered on Miyuki’s expression for a good minute before he realised what the former was talking about. The guy was surprised his junior would even apologise at all, but it was not as if it was anything that was worth apologising for in the first place.

“Don’t apologise.” Miyuki rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Makes me feel like a jerk. And besides, it’s not a big deal.”

“But-”

“You were just curious. No harm in asking. Besides, I like hearing your questions.”

Okumura’s eyes widened in surprise. “You… do?”

Miyuki’s gaze uncharacteristically softened, tapping his pen on the desk. He wondered when it was that he began letting down his walls with Okumura. Sure, they were roommates, and they were both catchers, but that didn’t necessarily meant they’d have gotten close right away. It was definitely related to Sawamura but that wasn’t the entirety of it either.

It was about time he accepted that he saw himself in Okumura, and wanted him to be well prepared before summer eventually ends for all the third years.

“You’re always so grumpy.” Miyuki laughed, leaving Okumura to stiffen and growl at his antics. “But it feels nice when you rely on me sometimes. You said that you’re taking my starting spot, right? Isn’t it cute, a junior relying on his senior that he’s gonna steal his spot from? Haha!”

“Grrr….”

“I don’t wanna disappoint my cute junior, you know!”

Miyuki pushed it further, standing up to ruffle poor Okumura’s hair. The latter shook out of his grasp, a little weirded out at how different Miyuki was behaving. Was he being sentimental? Or was he just simply teasing him again? Okumura internally frowned as he realised he never knows with Miyuki.

It was frustrating.

“Miyuki-senpai,” Okumura’s glare was still intact. “Did anyone ever told you that you have personality issues?”

Miyuki fake gasped. “Don’t you think the call’s coming from inside the house?”

“Exactly why I can say it.”

His answer made Miyuki snort out loud, all too entertained at the agreement. He ruffled Okumura’s hair again, though this time the latter just let him do what he wanted. Miyuki could still tell that he was internally seething, though.

“I think we’re similiar, you and I.” He admitted after a bit. His fingers grazed downwards to Okumura’s forehead, resting there for a good three seconds before he suddenly flicked it. Meanwhile, Okumura narrowed his eyes in contempt, already plotting murder in his mind. “So ask whatever you wanna ask and don’t hold back. I’ll answer everything.”

Okumura froze at the rare honesty in the end. He was about to say something when Miyuki suddenly brought his face closer, staring cheekily into his eyes. The smirk he wore was far too annoying but the distance between their faces were far too close for comfort. He shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze but this merely encouraged Miyuki to move his face even closer.

“Huh… you’re blushing.” Miyuki pointed out and Okumura turned even redder. “Cute… really cute.”

Okumura growled again, quickly stepping back, hands cautiously by his side like a wolf cub anticipating danger. “D-Don’t tease me.”

“Then don’t be so cute! Haha!”

Nothing Okumura did would have fazed the older guy, merely taking him in as he observed him carefully. Miyuki tried to ignore how his heart skipped a little at the blush that had formed earlier, wondering if he had a thing for when people went all shy on him. And yet, even through Okumura’s glares, Miyuki realised that he did not want to stop teasing him.

What was this feeling?

And then he himself froze, as though he got an answer. “Huh… I could get used to this.”

“You’re plotting something.” Okumura accused him with that same glare in his eyes.

Miyuki snorted again. “Definitely plotting your demise.”

“What do you even mean-”

Strong fingers pulled onto Okumura’s soft cheeks as the latter tried - but failed - to swat them away. He growled again but Miyuki merely grinned far too widely for his liking, this time patting his head before he headed back to his bed.

And when Miyuki slipped under his covers, Okumura immediately strategised on how to actually kill someone in their sleep. Meanwhile, Miyuki slept peacefully, hoping the nights won’t pass so quickly.

Playing with Okumura might just be his new favourite activity.

Chapter Text

Jealousy was such a strange emotion for Miyuki to process.

As he watched Sawamura listening attentively to a certain older senior, he realised that life was a little bit unfair sometimes. Sawamura’s the type of person who always bursted through any awkwardness with all of the optimism he stored inside of him. His open and bright personality was something Miyuki greatly admired, especially after seeing what he could do for Chris-senpai in a span of a few weeks. The latter’s once expressionless and dead eyes seemed to be brought to life whenever Sawamura was around and it was something Miyuki struggled to accept in the beginning.

He too, was like Sawamura, following Chris-senpai around in his first year, determined to make the guy acknowledge him. Though Chris-senpai never put him at arms length, Miyuki always thought that the older guy never opened up to him fully. He taught everything Miyuki asked of him, answering his questions patiently, but there never was a moment where his gaze would softened just like how it would with Sawamura.

Realising that made Miyuki jealous, and also envious.

Even now, he’s caught in between the reverse, feeling jealous of Chris-senpai himself since Sawamura refused to listen to him as he’s recovering from the yips. Miyuki had apologised for involving him but Chris-senpai reassured him that he wanted to help Sawamura himself.

His heart twinged at that thought as he realised once again he could never win against him.

“Don’t look like that.” Chris’s voice shook him out of his thoughts. “Sawamura depends heavily on you, whether you realise it or not.”

“O-Oh.”

Miyuki’s stutter earned a raised brow. He was always so sure of himself that Chris found it strange when he wasn’t. He observed him for a few seconds, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Wanna tell me what’s on your mind?”

Miyuki’s eyes widened in surprise, a small blush forming on his cheeks. Chris-senpai’s watchful gaze always seemed to see right through him.

“It’s just… I wished I was more like you, Chris-senpai.” He pieced his words carefully. “Take Sawamura for an example. He listens to you more than me.”

“Hmm…”

Miyuki pursed his lips together. “… And I guess I’m envious of Sawamura too. That you’re always looking out for him in your own way.”

This admission seemed to earn Chris’s attention as he shifted to fully face Miyuki head on. Miyuki had unconsciously averted his gaze to the ground instead, afraid of meeting the former’s eyes for judgment. Seconds that felt like hours passed, each one excruciatingly long as silence lingered.

And then, he felt it; a head pat.

Miyuki froze, startled from the sudden affection, now hesitantly meeting Chris-senpai’s gaze who looked like he was laughing softly.

“I’m always looking at you too, Miyuki. Maybe you just didn’t realise it.”

“You… do?”

Chris softened. “Always.”

Miyuki felt heat creeping up his cheeks, realising that Chris-senpai’s big hands were still firm on the crown of his head. He felt his heart beating a little quicker from the embarassment and he scratched his nose sheepishly, slightly turning his face away so that his company wouldn’t see him blushing. Unfortunately for him, they both knew he did.

He felt disappointment coursing through his veins as the heat from Chris-senpai’s palm disappeared from his head, the latter staring patiently at him instead. He wished it stayed for a little longer.

“Come on.” Chris suddenly stretched that same hand towards him. “… Let’s go talk about it.”

Miyuki blinked in confusion. “About what?”

“Your feelings.” Chris chuckled as he saw Miyuki stiffened up. “You need someone to vent to as the new Captain as well, don’t you?”

“Oh… that.” Miyuki laughed awkwardly. Somehow, the disappointment seemed to sink in deeper. “Well, yeah-”

“After that, we can also talk about how oblivious you are to everything outside of baseball.”

“Chris-senpai?!”

Miyuki’s throat bobbed as Chris-senpai reached out for his hand, pulling him along the dorm’s hallway. He found himself following with no protest, entranced by how comfortable his hand felt clasped to the older guy’s hands.

Chris slightly turned, making sure he was still following him, but the teasing smile on his face now was far blinding to look at.

“Seriously… putting me in this difficult position during finals… you’re more troublesome than Sawamura, Miyuki.”

Miyuki gulped. “Difficult position? What do you mean, Chris-senpai-”

Chris said nothing but Miyuki felt his fingers laced together around his, holding his hand tighter than before. And then, a brush of his thumb on his skin. It was so subtle but it said so much more than words ever could. Miyuki swore he could feel his own heartbeat eating him whole.

“…. Do you really have to ask? Or should I make it more obvious?”

Miyuki’s only answer would be a small, soft squeeze on Chris’s hand, as though telling him that he finally got it. Chris hadn’t even realised he had been holding his breath the entire time, shoulders slumping in relief as he turned his gaze back forward.

“… I’ll look at you more closely from now on, Chris-senpai.”

Chris’s hearty chuckle echoed through the empty hallway, the tips of his ears matching the blush on Miyuki’s cheeks. “I’ll look forward to that.”

Chapter Text

When Coach Todoroki had informed Sanada that Raichi was taking a short break after their devastating loss to Ichidaisan, he admitted he was a little surprised.

Sanada recalled how badly Raichi had cried, unable to even stand up properly as he was supported by both himself and Mishima off the field. He was still crying when the team freshened up in the locker room, repeating that he was sorry over and over again. And when he met eyes with Sanada again, who also looked shattered from losing, Raichi cried harder.

“Nada-senpai…” His sobs didn’t once stopped even as Sanada patted his head to comfort him.

He felt too guilty at everything. Raichi had wanted to go to Koshien again with his favourite senpai in the entire world, and yet, their dreams were cut short. Sports was always so cruel. There were clear winners and there were clear losers. But that day, Raichi felt like he didn’t only lost that match, but also lost his favourite senpai in the process as well.

Sanada had thought of dropping a text to Raichi after everything to reassured him that he was feeling better now. And then he quickly remembered that Raichi didn’t owned a phone. He joked with Coach Todoroki into buying the guy one, but the latter said that he couldn’t possibly afford to pay the bills. And that’s the story of how Sanada patiently waited for Raichi to returned, to check if he was doing ok. Raichi could still go far and he still had an entire year left to prepare for the next summer koshien. He didn’t want the guy to be held back just because the team lost this time.

But days passed and the wait turned to yearning. Sanada knew he was yearning. The sight of Raichi’s tearful face always made his insomnia worse. If he had just held Raichi a little tighter that day, would the latter still needed to take a break and went with his mother? The what-if’s drove Sanada crazy, eventually forcing him to realise that although he initially felt responsible for Raichi, these feelings extended beyond what he was aware of. Without Raichi, his baseball experience in high school would not have taken him far either.

He owed his hope towards him, and after days of contemplating, Sanada wanted Raichi to know that he’d be waiting for him.

He was on his way to meet Coach Todoroki again to discuss new offers when he saw a familiar face practicing with the team again. Sanada visibly lit up, waving in their direction.

“Raichi!”

His easygoing calls earned the team’s attention, and Raichi grinned as he saw who it was. He quickly ran closer to greet him.

“Nada-senpai!!”

Up close, Sanada saw how starkly different Raichi looked as compared to a few days ago. Light returned in his eyes, and he looked genuinely happy now. His body moved before he could overthink further, and Sanada patted Raichi’s head as soon as the guy stood close to him. Raichi blushed but leaned into his touch all too happily.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes!” Raichi pumped his fist energetically. “I realised that the earth is round!”

“Earth… round? Huh?!”

“Nada-senpai! Are you going to watch us practice?!”

Sanada laughed at how quickly Raichi changed the topic of conversation. It was so him, so pure about baseball that he should’ve at least expected it, yet it still surprised him all the same.

“Not today. I have finals to study for.” He saw how quickly Raichi deflated. “But I came here to see Coach. There’s a couple of new offers for my future scholarships.”

“… Scholarships…”

Raichi’s eyes widened momentarily, letting it all sink in. That’s right. Sanada already graduated from the team. That fact still hadn’t yet fully sunk in until today.

Seeing that he looked a little out of it, Sanada added thoughtfully. “Wanna take a look at it with me?”

“Me…?” Raichi pointed to himself in disbelief.

Sanada beamed brightly. “I still wanna play baseball with you after high school, Raichi. It’d be fun if we were still in the same team, wouldn’t it?”

Raichi slowly grinned as he felt his heart swell. Even now, Sanada still thought of him, and he blushed again as the former ruffled his hair affectionately. He wanted that. Playing with Sanada again would make him really happy.

“I… I want to be in the same team with you too.” Raichi softly mumbled but Sanada heard him just fine. His feet shifted awkwardly in place. “I want to do everything with Nada-senpai… always…”

Sanada tried so hard not to make it obvious but the grin on his face was far too wide to hide. He admitted his heart skipped a beat at Raichi’s casual but bashful confession.

Was it even a confession?

He realised it didn’t matter for now, as these were Raichi’s true feelings deep down. Sanada wouldn’t know until much later, that Raichi meant every word he said.

“Then let’s do everything together!” Sanada softened, resisting the urge to hug to him from how cute he looked. “Let’s promise to always be together, Raichi!”

“P-P-Promise!”

Sanada chuckled, extending his finger out to do a pinky promise. It was childish but it was also very effective to make things seem more real. Unfortunately, Raichi wouldn’t take his pinky.

Instead, he suddenly leaned in, hugging Sanada tightly and hiding his face in Sanada’s chest; trying his best to hide the embarassment that had formed. Sanada froze, before chuckling dryly to himself. This was utterly and superbly dangerous for his heart.

And yet, his hands were careful to wrap around Raichi as well, ignoring the gawks and stares from the rest of the Yakushi team who had begun to look on. Sanada was sure Raichi could hear how fast his heartbeat was at the moment but the guy didn’t pulled away either. And so, he tightened his hold, so subtly that only Raichi would be able to notice it.

He felt Raichi smiling against his shirt. “Always… with Nada-senpai… forever…”

Chapter Text

Eijun’s phone buzzed again for the fifth time that minute, and the guy groaned, tossing around in his bed to see who it was that was messaging at midnight. A quick peek had him groaning out loud; and also earning Kuramochi’s threats to shut him up if he didn’t slept soon.

Ever since Amahisa created that weird group chat for themselves and Raichi, the two would continuously spam non baseball related memes at the most uncanny timings. Hell, Raichi didn’t even owned a smartphone but Amahisa was too happy to accept Yakushi’s Mishima’s offer to be the middle person for the three of them. Eijun still thinks that some of the messages came from Mishima himself, though.

He was about to mute the group chat when he received a personal message from Mishima himself, though the sender definitely made it known it wasn’t him.

Sawamura!

It’s Raichi! (For real, but I’m typing this out for him)

I’m = Mishima

Are you awake?

Wanna practice together?!

“Who the hell practices at midnight?!” Eijun hissed, fingers quickly typing out a reply. “What’s… wrong… with you guys… go to sleep already…”

He’s about to send them another text when his phone suddenly rang, this time definitely waking up his other two roommates. Eijun yelped as he quickly answered it, not letting the rings go on for too long. It took a few seconds before he realised it was actually a video call.

“Huh?!” Eijun somehow adjusted his phone to fit his face on the screen. “Why the hell are you guys video calling me?!”

On screen, Mishima’s face took up the majority of the screen. Raichi was behind him, grinning as he hovered excitedly to see what was on screen. Eijun even spotted Yakushi’s catcher, Akiba, looking sheepish in the background beside Raichi.

“What is this?! The entire Yakushi team?!”

“Woah, it’s really Sawamura.” Raichi exclaimed in awe. “I hear him but I can’t see him. It’s kinda dark.”

Akiba’s voice cut in. “You guys… he was probably sleeping. Come on, don’t be a nuisance…”

Meanwhile, in Eijun’s room, Kuramochi had already gotten up to switch on the lights. Asada had also gotten up, and the two stood up to peek at Eijun’s phone too.

“Woah!! It’s really Sawamura!!” Raichi’s voice boomed loudly. “Your hair’s all funny!!”

Mishima didn’t hide his awe either. “And that’s Seidou’s short stop! And… some guy with glasses.”

Kuramochi held back his initial plan to scold Eijun for waking them all up, curious to why the Yakushi team was calling him. Heck, he didn’t even knew his roommate had their contacts in the first place.

“Why the hell are you guys calling me?!” Eijun groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Asada noted that he’s still answering the Yakushi team seriously though. “It’s midnight! Mid-night! People are sleeping!!”

Mishima interrupted. “Well you see, we were practicing… then Raichi said he really wanted to hit your pitches… so I thought we could ask you, but then he wanted to call you now, so-”

“Huh?! Why would I even pitch to you guys?! We’re rivals! Fated to play each other for this summer’s Koshien! You can play against me later!”

“That’s what I told Raichi too after thinking about it but-”

“Sawamura!! It’s too long to wait! I want to hit your pitches soon! Kahaha!”

“And then Raichi kept talking about it so I thought we could arrange a play date-”

Eijun almost choked on his spit as he yelled out. “Date?!?!”

Behind him, Kuramochi snickered, all too entertained at what’s going on. This was definitely a good turn of events that he sacrificed his sleep for.

Raichi grinned all too happily and innocently behind the screen. “Yeah! Let’s go on a date, Sawamura!!!”

“Huh?!?!” Eijun was definitely flabbergasted. “Do you even know what a date is?!?!”

“Yeah! Miss-shima said it’s where two people spend time together!”

“Yeah, but two people who have feelings for each other!!!”

“F-Feelings…?” Raichi blushed a little as he turned to Akiba. “For a date…?”

Akiba sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Why the hell didn’t he took up Hirahata-senpai’s offer to go home together earlier? He took a deep breath in, explaining to Raichi what Sawamura meant by feelings but his voice was too soft to hear for the three Seidou players to listen. They watched as he got more red by the second, frozen in place and behaving very much differently than the Todoroki they were used to seeing during games.

Mishima’s face was too up close and personal to his phone camera. “What’s the big deal? Raichi likes you, anyway. Right, Raichi?! You’re always talking about Sawamura!”

“Mishima!” Akiba hissed. “Don’t just be going around saying it!”

“But it’s true?!”

“L-L-Like me?!?!” Eijun yelled out, face turning red as well. “What the hell?! Don’t joke around like that?!”

Before he could try to end the video call in a rush, Kuramochi sweeped in, taking the phone from Eijun’s hands. His grin was far too villainny and Asada made another mental note not to cross him ever.

“Nyahaha! So Todoroki has a crush on Sawamura?! Then they should definitely go on that date!”

Mishima interrupted again. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys?!”

“Ok! Let’s set up a date for these losers! How does this Saturday evening sound? We can go to that batting cage near Jingu stadium!”

“Oh… as expected of Seidou’s short stop! Wait, are we all going???”

“Duh! They’ll need chaperones!”

“Good idea!”

“Hello?!” Eijun flailed about, finally getting his phone back from Kuramochi after much difficulty. “We’re right here?! Don’t just set it up without our permission?! Hey, Todoroki! Say something!”

Raichi blushed harder at being singled out, and he quickly hid behind Akiba. His voice was still loud as he shouted his next words loudly and proudly.

“I l-l-like you, Sawamura! I can’t wait for the date!”

“Huh?!?!?!”

Kuramochi chuckled out loud, all too pleased at the development. “Damn, I gotta tell Miyuki and Shirasu and the others. This is too good to be true.”

“I guess we’re all going?” Even the sane Akiba that Eijun secretly relied on looked thoughtful. “Then, sorry for calling you late at night, Sawamura. We’ll make sure to bring Raichi to you this Saturday.”

Eijun still looked flustered at everything that’s happening. “What about my opinion? Hello?!”

“Sawamura-senpai,” Asada’s gentle voice calmed the conversation for a quick moment. “Why don’t you just go and see how it goes? Seems like Todoroki-san is really serious about meeting you.”

Eijun made a face, before running his hand through his hair in exasperation. How the hell did things even come to this?! But as his eyes averted back to his phone screen and met Raichi’s nervous gaze, Eijun softened. It was rare to see him this nervous and though he can’t see it well through the screen, Eijun was positive that the guy was full on blushing.

“… Urgh… fine…” His words earned the grins of everyone on call. “Since he’s saying it so nicely…”

Kuramochi interrupted. “Nyahaha! You’re weak to cute requests!”

“Nobody asked you, Kuramochi-senpai?!”

Mishima’s voice interrupted their bickering. “We’ll text you again, Sawamura! Sorry for waking you up!”

“Isn’t it too late to apologise?!”

Behind Mishima, Raichi finally braved himself to step closer to the screen, one hand shyly waving at him. “… Night night, Sawamura.”

Eijun blushed, turning his face away as though it’d help lessen the pink forming on his cheeks. “… Tch. Goodnight.”

As the call ended, Eijun lied flat on his bed, ignoring Kuramochi’s teasing and Asada’s love-struck gaze. He still didn’t know what the hell he’s gotten himself into but he guessed it wasn’t that bad. Watching Raichi bat would help them for the upcoming games too.

And yet, Eijun frowned recalling the guy’s blush earlier. How the hell was he to focus on his batting when he’s sure he’s gonna focus on his expressions instead?!

That question would continue to linger in Eijun’s mind until Saturday came.

Chapter Text

When Sachiko had first informed him that Yakushi’s ace was waiting for him near their practice fields, Miyuki had thought it to be a lie. That was until he saw the Sanada Shunpei actually standing there in his school uniform, of course.

He didn’t missed the way the entire team had immediately stopped training, curious stares practically piercing through his back as he made his way to the guy. Sanada looked far too relaxed and casual, using his phone as he waited patiently. He didn’t even realised Miyuki was nearby until he actually reached him.

“Hey!” Sanada immediately straightened himself, not missing Miyuki’s judgy stare. He expected as much. “How’s it going?”

Miyuki merely tilted his head curiously. “Do you… need something?”

“Oh, uh, nah! I mean, kinda, that’s why I’m here but not really?”

“Ok… Is that a yes or a no?”

Sanada scratched at his nose sheepishly. “I know you’re surprised but… I don’t know why I’m here either. One thing led to another and my legs suddenly took me here.”

“Right. Did you need something from us? Or did Coach Todoroki sent you to arrange another practice game? It’s a little soon, though, considering we just played against each other seriously.” Miyuki blinked in surprise when Sanada merely gave him an awkward smile. “… You really came here for no reason?”

“Kinda? I was just… curious. About your injury.”

“… You noticed my injury?”

Sanada winced. “More like I didn’t noticed it until the very end. I felt bad actually. I was really observing you closely the entire time but I only realised you were injured when we did our greetings.”

“Oh…” Miyuki nodded thoughtfully. He didn’t want to say it out loud but he still didn’t understand why Sanada was here. “Uh…”

“Look, I know it’s weird,” He raised his hands up defensively. “but I was really curious how you were holding up. I guess I’m trying to work through my feelings of having played against you for real while you were at half strength. And still lost. And I thought I was looking at you really closely the entire time too.”

Seeing Sanada being upfront with his feelings lowered Miyuki’s guard for a tiny bit. The poor guy didn’t seemed like he was lying. In fact, if anything, he looked like a kicked puppy right now trying to justify why he was here when he didn’t know the exact reasons either.

“Well, I guess I’m ok?” Miyuki wondered why his answer came out more as a question instead. “The doctor told me to rest for a few weeks. I’d be good to go before the actual season starts.”

“So it’s nothing serious?”

“Nope. But I don’t think I should’ve shared that with you…”

Sanada grinned awkwardly. “No no, don’t worry. I’m not gonna tell anyone. I was simply curious. I noticed you were in a lot of pain after all.”

“You seem to look at me rather closely, huh?” This time it was Miyuki who was grinning awkwardly instead. “That time too… when we were choosing our tournament brackets. It felt like you bored through a hole in me the entire time.”

“Oh that?” Sanada vaguely recalled that happening. “You’re a pretty interesting guy so I was kinda curious.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sanada realised that they could be taken wrongly. He guessed right, seeing Miyuki raised an eyebrow as his mind raced to clarify things properly. And then it hit him all at once; he does find Miyuki interesting.

The guy was renowned to be the best catcher in their generation. Sanada has seen his plays up close many times, and each time it was better than the previous one. One can’t help but be wary of his tactical mind and that made playing against him all the more fun. Unfortunately, it didn’t helped that he was also a pretty good looking guy to boot. Sanada barely noticed at first but Coach Todoroki always made sure to talk about it when they got bested by him a few times, saying they had their own ikemen pitcher as well.

And then it hit him again; was Sanada actually interested in Miyuki?!

“Holy shit.” Sanada covered his mouth in embarrassment as the realisation sunk in mid-way. “… This is one hell of a way to find out.”

Miyuki, oblivious to Sanada’s inner thoughts, looked concerned. “You okay?”

“Yeah, cool. Great!” Sanada was in fact not great. “Just realising some things about myself. Uh, hey. You wanna go grab something to eat together sometimes?”

“Huh?!”

Miyuki looked appalled as he sees Sanada pacing back and forth, cringing to himself as he muttered something under his breath. The easygoing and carefree image he once had of the Yakushi pitcher went completely out the window as he realised the guy was having a meltdown. Miyuki contemplated if he should asked Coach Kataoka to contact Coach Todoroki to collect his player right now.

Sanada didn’t backed down, as he pointed to himself and then Miyuki. “Me, you. Lunch?”

“Huh???”

“You don’t want to?”

“I-I didn’t say that? But why-”

“Ok cool! It’s a date!” Sanada grinned, whipping out his phone before freezing. “I mean, not a date. I mean, it totally could be. If you’re down for it. Crap, whatever. Here, give me your LINE.”

“Huh?!??”

He refused to answer, his hands merely holding his phone as he nudged for Miyuki to take it. He still had that same stupid smile on his face and Miyuki found himself unable to say no, caught up in his antics.

He eventually sighed and gave in. “Just so you know, I don’t have LINE as I don’t have a smartphone. I’ll save my email address for you though.”

“Woah, really? You’re pretty old school huh?” Sanada looked shocked but eventually shrugged it off. “At least you have a phone. Raichi doesn’t even have one.”

“Todoroki doesn’t?”

“Something about it being expensive.” Sanada grinned again when Miyuki passed him back his phone. “Thanks. I’ll email you. Let’s grab something before you guys fly off to play at Koshien.”

“Sure, I guess?”

“Great! Then it’s a date!”

Miyuki winced, making a face again. “Suddenly it’s a date?!”

“Let a man shoot his shot! Haha!” Sanada made a peace sign with his fingers. He stiffened when he looked past Miyuki, and the latter turned, wondering what he saw. Sure enough, the entire Seidou team had gotten close enough to hear their conversation. “… Your bodyguards are scary, sheesh.”

“Captain!” Sawamura’s loud voice boomed. “So you are a traitor after all! Going on a date with Yakushi’s ace!”

Zono annoyingly chipped in. “Hear hear!”

“Woah, I still can’t believe someone would like Miyuki willingly…” Kuramochi looked stunned.

Meanwhile, Kawakami held out a fist pump. “Hang in there, Miyuki!”

“You guys…” Miyuki groaned, running a hand through his face before glaring at the cause of his problems. “This is your fault!”

Sanada chuckled heartily. “I guess it is. I’ll email you, okay? Don’t push yourself too hard!”

And just like the wind, Sanada disappeared and ran off, though turning around for a short bit to wave one last time towards Miyuki, his carefree grin still plastered on his face. Miyuki sighed, reluctantly waving back, which earned the yells of his teammates behind him.

“Traitor!” Sawamura shouted again.

Furuya somehow joined in. “… But somehow, Sanada-san’s kinda cool.”

“Tch, I really hate these pretty boy types.” Asou crossed his arms in disapproval.

Sachiko and the other girl managers gave Miyuki a thumbs up. “He’s hot! Don’t let him go, Miyuki!”

Miyuki pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed again, before accidentally meeting the inquisitive gazes of both Coach Kataoka and Takashima-sensei. The two were admittedly curious to why the Yakushi ace was on Seidou’s grounds, and even more curious when the team had gathered to observe him during their break.

“… Don’t date too much that you’d forget about baseball.” Was all Coach Kataoka said before he walked away.

Miyuki could’ve sworn the two adults were silently laughing, but right now, it was the least of his problems. He cannot get Sanada’s handsome face out of his mind.

And somehow, Miyuki secretly didn’t mind.