Sawamura came on the field. He was so winded that he had to lean his hands on his knees and calm his breath. He couldn't believe what had just happened in the locker room. Narumiya Mei tried to take off his pants and then... No. He couldn't even think about it. It was too shameful and too embarrassing.

"You're skittish kitten, Eijun-chan." In boy's thoughts echoed the words of Inashiro player.

Sawamura strongly shook his head. He didn't understand why, but as soon as he remembered the Narumiya's face, he felt pleasant heat in the stomach.

"It's not normal." He thought, and went to get some balls. He went to the bullpen and set up to throw.

"Don't be so shy Eijun-chan." Sawamura jumped lightly and looked scared behind, but no one was there. Why? Why all the time he recalls the situation from the locker room? Why couldn't he stop thinking about Narumiya?

He threw the ball, but it didn't even reach to the net. With second ball has become the same. Sawamura realized that both of his hands are shaking.

"Damn it!" The boy shouted and threw another ball that ended the same way as the previous one. Unfortunately, the two of Eijun's nails immediately began to bleed. "Damn it, why he had to tell me this, why did he do this to me?

Eijun stood there clutching the last ball. He was so confused that he couldn't stop his tears. He didn't even know whether they are tears of anger or joy. He couldn't just leave it like that. He had to meet with Narumiya and find out why he did all of this things.

On the same day late in the evening, Eijun sat on his bed and tried to concentrate on math homework. In one hand he held a book, and in the second pack of his favourite strawberry pocky. He began to read the task once again. He sighed heavily because he didn't understand nothing at all. And if that wasn't enough he still couldn't stop thinking about Narumiya and about what happened between them in the locker room.

Someone came into the room. Eijun lifted his head and saw Kazuya, who looked at him with his smartass smile on his face.

"Yo, Sawamura. Shall we go for a little walk?" He asked, and he nodded his head inviting.

Eijun immediately jumped out of bed. He was happy to have a reason to abandon math homework. He dressed a sweatshirt and together with Kazuya went outside.

"Did something happen Miyuki-senpai?" He finally asked when older boy had not said a word since they left.

"Yes. Wanted to ask you something." Kazuya stood at the vending machine and bought in it two fizzy drinks. The one can he took for himself and the other gave to Eijun. "Then, on the training with Inashiro, what did Mei tell you? After that, your ball flew perfectly."

Eijun stopped in half step, and a can of soda almost fell out of his hands. The catcher also stopped and looked over his shoulder at the younger boy with his eyebrows a slightly wrinkled. Sawamura wasn't sure if he should say about it to his teammate. In the end it was something what even he doesn't expected to hear.

"He said ..." Sawamura bowed his head. His cheeks grew very red. He wasn't sure how Kazuya will adopt these words, but if he really wanted to know. "He said, 'Eijun-chan, throw this ball just for me, please.' "

At first, Miyuki felt his heart is squeezed by the claws of ice, and then a wave of heat wash over him. Mei was just cheeky. By what right he said something like that to his pitcher? By what right bother his head with such nasty words? Why he had told him something so directly and suggestive? Kazuya stood and stared at Eijun with mouth open from amazement, and his hands clenched into fists.

"Miyuki-senpai?" Sawamura bite his lip because he noticed that the catcher probably didn't take it too well.

"You idiot!" Kazuya shouted, threw his can with drink and grabbed Eijun for a sweatshirt. He looked at him furiously. He started already guess what happened in cloakroom between the two and he wanted to hit Sawamura for being so naive and credulous. "He's trying to beguile you. He's trying to manipulate you. He's playing with you. He didn't want to help you."

Eijun was shocked. He expected that Miyuki can not take it too well, but to do something like that? He was scared. Kazuya must have noticed that, because he immediately let go of Sawamura and turned his head from him with dissatisfied look on his face.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away." He admitted and put his hands into his trouser pockets. "Watch out for him, Sawamura."

After these words, Kazuya turned and walked toward his room. Eijun was alone. He was unable to move for a few moments. He stared at the spot where his senpai stood before.

"What has just happened?" He asked himself in thought and walked slowly toward his room. When he got there, he immediately went to bed. He wasn't even paying attention to the Kuramochi's malicious taunts, who was unhappy with the Eijun's inert behaviour.

After two days during the morning workout, trainer Kataoka announced that after school all the members of the first team will go to the Inashiro's match. They had to be there to collect data on their strengths and weaknesses. Eijun couldn't imagine a better opportunity to talk with Mei.

For Sawamura morning workout proceeded perfectly normally. Furuya ignored him, Kominato all the time smiling at him, Isashiki yelling at him, Yuki said nothing and sent him his research looks, and Chris taught him and soothed him. Only Miyuki didn't behave as usual. He don't make jokes of him, was not smiling like he knew all in the world and most importantly, he avoided eye contact. Eijun feel with all of this really nasty, but unfortunately he couldn't do anything.

Lessons at school has never been so long. Sawamura really wanted already to go to the Inashiro's game and meet with Mei. As soon as he thought about it, he felt in his stomach crazy herd of butterflies, and at his face appears a smile. He never imagined that the meeting with the enemy off the pitch, may make him so happy.

Finally the moment has come. Main composition of Seidou team went on to a baseball field in the suburbs, where Inashiro was taking the match. When they reached the place, the first inning just started. Sawamura saw him clearly. Mei stood on the pitcher's place. It couldn't be otherwise, after all. The match started with the first ball thrown.

"Strike!" Shouted the referee, and the catcher threw the ball back to Naruymiya.

"Strike!" Another shot ended with complete success.

Eijun watched the blonde with mouth open in awe and admiration. Surprisingly, Mei looked at him, smiled, and winked. Sawamura looked away and scratched the back of his head. He was surprised that Naruymiya as soon had spotted him in the stands but at the same time he was happy because of that. However, not only Sawamura saw blonde's gestures . Miyuki clenched his hands into fists, and he promised himself that after the matches he will count with Mei once and for all.

"Strike! Batter out!" Shouted the referee when another Mei's wild ball hit straight into the catcher's glove.

"Amazing ..." Eijun thought . "Did I ever reach that level?"

The match was one-sided. The Inashiro team didn't allow their opponents get a single point. All of them played great. They seemed to have no weaknesses. They were on the national level. When everything has already over, the Kataoka coach announced the return to the dorm. Everyone went their way back. Everyone except Eijun and Kazuya. The young pitcher said to Haruichi that he must go to the toilet and soon they'll catch up. But truly he went in search of Inashiro's locker room.

He was going to wait until Narumiya comes out . He had to talk to him and he had to do it now. Unfortunately Sawamura didn't know the place a lot and it took some time before he could find what he was looking for. In the end, he walked toward the locker room. He felt that the closer to the meeting with Narumiya, the more he starts to get nervous. His hands were sweaty and his heart was beating really fast. He couldn't catch his breath. He leaned against a nearby building, and was staring at the blue door with an inscription "Inashiro's changing room".