Note: Sorry for the delayed chapter update. I came down with writer's block. The plan is to have two chapters posted every week. This one was kind of rushed. This chapter, Chapter 3, and Chapter 5 are all connected about a single plot. I hope you enjoy.
"The road most traveled"
After class I began to think back to the day before. According to Futaki, I said something about Kana. Masato saidI had slept for the whole night. And I even was late to classes. Already my day was going horribly wrong. I felt light headed.
For some odd reason, Rin wasn't in class. I was worried until Kyousuke reminded me that she might just be with local cats. That didn't eliminate my worry completely though. A part of me was still worrying about guys from her past showing up and hurting her again.
As I walked towards the old baseball team's locker room, I noticed a boy with light red hair watching me. I felt a little disturbed, but I knew that if anything really happened that everyone on the Little Busters would help me.
When I finished changing into gym clothes for the first practice in months, I glanced over the now dusty bats and gloves. So many memories were now covered in dust, as if it were a horrible foreshadowing of us abandoning each other like we had baseball.
The first to arrive for practice was surprisingly Nishizono. She was only our manager, but she still showed up to practices. Usually last though. The next was Kurugaya, followed by Kud. I couldn't help but to pity Kud, since she seemed to attract Kurugaya almost as much as Rin and Komari did. Saigusa had said she couldn't make it to practice since she and Futaki were spending the day with their mom.
Kyousuke had come earlier to pick up the balls. For some reason, he had disappeared with them. Masato and Kengo were arguing when they arrived, as usual. The only ones missing without an excuse was now Rin and Komari. Worried even more, I texted both of them.
But when I didn't hear back from them, I decided to go ahead and take everyone to the field. Kyousuke was waiting there for us. He had a faint smirk, as if he had planned something. That sent shivers running down my spine.
"So Riki," Masato was swinging three bats with one hand, "Why did you call us here?"
"Oh right. It's been months since we've been on this field. I think it's time for us to have another game," I announced nervously.
"Perfect!" Kyousuke exclaimed, "It'll be something refreshing for once. I like it."
"But that's not all," I noticed the red haired kid from before now walking over towards us next to Kana, "We'll be trying out a tenth player."
"But I'm the tenth player," Nishizono sounded serious.
"Manager doesn't count," Masato explained.
"Oh. Really?" Nishizono asked.
"How did you even become manager anyways? You know nothing about baseball," He dropped his bats, "Anyways Riki. Who are they?"
"Soujiro Akina," I pointed towards the two coming our way, "He's right there."
The boy seemed to hide a little behind Kana when he noticed my pointing. He reminded me a little of Rin, which scared me a little. I'd have to build up this guy's courage. The same way that Kyousuke had done for Rin and me.
"Riki~!" Kana had a sing-song tone in her voice today, "I brought him! Surprise! You'll be joining these guys' team! Isn't that great Souji?"
"Y-Yes! I'm Soujiro Akina! Nice to meet you!" The boy bowed as if this were a formal occasion.
Everyone laughed at his strange behavior. But it wasn't like a laughter to insult him, more like to help him relax.
"I'm Riki Naoe. You're going to take a test. What's required to play baseball?" I asked the same question Kyousuke had asked everyone else.
"Required? You mean it's not skill? In that case…determination, hard work, passion…and…um…teamwork!"
"That's pretty lame-" Masato started.
"Amazing! I'm moved! Brilliant! You're in!" Kyousuke was in tears by the boy's answer. Typical him.
"He's so simple…" Everyone whispered in unison.
"All right! Now then, let's start practice. Akina…Can you pitch?" I asked, realizing that our star pitcher was absent.
"Yeah. And please just call me Soujiro."
"The goal of this exercise is for you to get a feel for your teammates' strengths. I'll bat second. Masato, you're going first. Then Kyousuke, Kurugaya, Kud, and then Kengo. On your bat, announce yourself and one thing he should know about you," I announced.
Everyone took positions. Kyousuke was the umpire, and I was the catcher for the first bat. Masato did a practice swing, "My name is Masato Inohara! And I believe muscles make the world go round!"
Soujiro wound up his pitch, and threw a pretty quick fastball. But Masato managed to hit it and scored a double base, before being tagged before reaching third. I switched positions with him, and tried to calm myself for my bat.
"My name is Riki Naoe. I'm the leader and peacekeeper in the Little Busters," I prepared myself for the ball.
Soujiro hesitated, but he threw the ball. It zoomed right at me. But it wasn't a strike. It wasn't a ball. It was a walk…If I had been able to walk. The ball nailed me in the face, knocking me unconscious for a few seconds. When I regained consciousness, I was lying on the ground. Kyousuke was checking me over, and applying pressure to something that stung badly on my head.
"Riki? Oh thank the heavens you're awake. Are you OK? You took a pretty nasty hit. You're bleeding from your forehead," Kyousuke seemed relieved.
"I'm fine…I'll take another swing."
"What? Are you crazy?!" Masato tensed up.
"Maybe. But I want to try again," I admitted, and then I forced myself onto my feet.
And so I took position again. It was hard to focus on Soujiro. But this time when he threw it, I managed to hit it at least. But it went foul. So we tried again. This time I messed up and let the ball hit my fingers, which stung. On the fourth try, I hit a single. But it became too hard for me to even think, so Kyousuke took over practice and told me to go rest.
But I couldn't. I left them of course, but I didn't go straight back to my dorm room. I went to see if I could find Rin where she usually played with the cats. But she wasn't there. I finally decided to just sit down and rest for a minute. When I checked my phone, I had a message from Komari.
Sorry Riki. Komari's sick and my phone is gone. Can't make practice.
I replied telling her I needed to talk to her. And after a few minutes, she said she'd meet me in the library. So, after waiting a minute to try and ease my now throbbing head, I headed to the library.
Upon getting there, I saw Rin and Komari sitting at a table. I hesitated, but went over to them. When I sat down across from Rin, she looked instantly at my forehead.
"You're bleeding," She stood and checked me over, "What happened?"
"Huh? Oh…Batting accident. Our pitcher threw a walker and hit me in the head-" She pressed hard into the wound, which made me realize she was angry, "Ow!"
"I'm the pitcher. Who did this?" She ignored the fact that she had hurt me worse than the ball ever did.
"Soujiro Akina…Our new member."
"I'm going to go have a talk with him," Rin slammed her hand down on the table, "You are staying here with Komari."
"No don't RIn. Please. It was an accident," I insisted, but even I sounded like I was trying to believe that myself. Something had been off. He had hesitated, and then threw a fastball. I normally wouldn't question it, but then he had no arguments to us trying again. And then he injured me again on the third try.
"For now I'll let it go…" She sat down glaring at me, "I haven't seen you outside of class for a week and you come back injured. You're worse than a curious kitten!"
I laughed at her obvious joke about her obsession, "Sorry sorry. I'll be more careful. That reminds me…Here. I got this for you when I was out with Futaki the other day."
She took the box and looked at it curiously. She clenched it hard and then asked, "Why were you out with Futaki…?"
"Huh?"
"Why were you out…With Futaki?" Rin wasn't trying to hold back any anger at this point.
"Rin…" Komari tugged on her sleeve, "Calm down…"
"No I won't calm down! I leave him alone for a week and he goes out with another girl?!" She was in tears as she ran away from us.
I reached out my hand to stop her, but it was useless. She was gone. She had completely misunderstood. No…That's not it. I misunderstood. I had said the wrong thing.
"I'm sure she'll calm down eventually," Komari tried to pass it off with a smile.
"I'm a horrible boyfriend…" I let out a sigh, "I was out with Futaki present shopping for Saigusa. I got something for Rin too when I saw something she'd love. I worded that wrong didn't I Komari?"
"A little bit…" She admitted, "Don't worry though…She'll understand. I should…I should go back to the dorms. Will you be OK by yourself?"
"I think I'd prefer it that way."
"Okay. Bye then. I'll explain everything to her for you," Komari stood weakly.
"No…I'll do it. I'll give her space, and I'll explain it when she's calmed down and ready to talk," I decided, "Are you sure you don't need help?"
"I'll be fine."
I watched her wobble away. Then I punched the table, Dang it! I screwed up with Rin. What's going on here anyways?! Kana showing up…Then Soujiro 'accidentally' injuring me…Something isn't adding up. But what? What am I missing?
Part of me blamed rescuing everyone from the bus that day. But I didn't regret it. If having all my friends alive together means that I have to endure some pain, then by all means I'll make pain my drug. It was worth it.
I decided that tomorrow I would talk to Soujiro and find out what happened to make him hit me with the ball. And when I stood up, everything turned to darkness around me.
Was it Narcolepsy? No. I wasn't falling asleep. I was falling unconscious. Again. My injury must have been more severe than we thought. I landed with a thud, and the last thing I recall was hearing, seeing, and feeling nothing. It was a scary feeling.
