Italics - thoughts

After lessons that day, the team was once again gathered at the practice room, all changed into their practice shirt and pants. They were almost ready to go off when Mikoshiba finally realize they are short of one player, Shinjo.

'Hey everyone, has anyone seen Shinjo since yesterday?' Mikoshiba asked across the room. All he received is puzzled looks and negative shakes of head, indicating no one was in contact with him after yesterday's display.

Kawato walks into the room, 'Alright everyone, today you will have practice as usual but tomorrow, you all will be having a change in schedule. Ok now, all of you out of the room!' he commanded with a big silly grin on his face.

Everyone slowly shifted out of the room and into the pitch for warm-ups. Mikoshiba walked slowly beside Kawato and informed him about the situation with Shinjo. But Kawato merely smile and reassure the former that there is nothing much to worry about and instead went ahead to look over the baseball practice. Mikoshiba frowned in concern about how Kawato shrugs the matter away, but decided perhaps he already got something up his sleeves regarding Shinjo's matter.

'The next match's winner will definitely be us!' exclaimed Sekikawa after changing out of the dirty muddy clothes. It's understandable why he was so excited since he had broken his sprint record yet again.

'That's of course!' 'Hell yeah!'

Cheers broke out across the room.

'Remember to study tonight okay?' Yagi reminded them before going off with Aniya.

Mikoshiba eyed the two who left together and said his goodbye and wished the rest a good night rest before leaving as well.

'I'm gonna get my hot milo can drink~' sings Hiratsuka as he went off with Imaoka in tow.

'Okada, coming over for dinner at my place nya? No cat food, no cat food!' asked Yufune with a silly grin. Okada hides a smile and nodded, pushing Yufune to the door.

Hiyama and Wakana packed up, shared a look and went off as well. Leaving Sekikawa to lock up the room and head off alone in the cold chilly night.

'Should I go over to Shinjo's tonight? Nah, I doubt he wants to see us yet. Think I'll just grab some fast-food meal as dinner for bro and me.'

Back home, Aniya was greeted by his uncle with a scoff. Aniya nodded and went to take a can of beer and settled down at the sofa, relaxing.

His uncle glanced at him and said off-handedly, 'I think I saw that blond-black stripped punk friend of yours working as delivery boy just now.'

Aniya choked, surprised by the sudden statement and the contents of it. He stared at his uncle and corked an eyebrow, 'Really?'

'There's no reason for me to lie now is there?' came the slightly irritated reply.

Aniya looked down at his can of beer and pondered a while before putting it down and going into his room to change. Few minutes later he was out of his house, with a bag filled with a few cans of beer in his hand.

Walking down the familiar path which he used to take frequently back then before they all got busy with baseball and the drama-mama in school, Aniya started feeling guilty.

'I knew. This was going to happen sooner or later.'

He had said that to Shinjo during the first match. Yet after that they were all so caught up in baseball practice ('and Mikoshiba' his brain haughtily added) that he had no time to stop and check up on his used to be close friends nowadays.

Well yes, granted they spend everyday together, in class and in practice, they encouraged each other every time but those interactions were as a close-knitted baseball teammates.

Yet as a friend, he haven't been talking to Shinjo, he didn't even bothered to check up on this guy who he knows faces more family problems than he does.

'But I wonder why is he working now?' Aniya pondered on as his feet led him to his destination; the houses opposite a wide green patch of field or rather, more specifically this blue painted house, also known as Shinjo's home. From Aniya vague memory of the house, he can tell that only the lightings of Shinjo's sister's room and the living room is on so he guessed Shinjo is not home yet.

Shrugging, he decided to lean against the fence of the house and drink his beer while waiting.

It was nearly midnight when Aniya was already half drunk that he notice the tall blond-black head walking towards him or rather, his own house.

'Aniya? What on earth are you doing here?!' Shinjo had a priceless shocked expression on his face when he noticed the shorter guy outside his house.

'Baka, to find you of course!' He signaled to walk to the grass patch to continue the conversation.

The both of them sat down on the grass, Aniya placed the leftover cans of beer in between them and proceed to open another one and offered it to Shinjo. The latter raised an eyebrow questioningly but took the offered can anyway.

'Nah, I'm just curious about how you and your family are lately. Since practice started again, I haven't got the time to talk to you much huh?'

Shinjo looked at him and snorted. 'Not your fault too really, with how much time you spend eyeing Mikoshiba, it is not exactly surprising.'

'…You're sprouting nonsense and it's only your first can of beer. Getting tipsy a bit too fast aren't you?' Aniya was grateful for darkness that hid his blush.

'Whatever you say, man. Anyway, my family is as usual. The two supposed adults are off screaming their heads off every night when they reach home. It's surprising how we haven't gotten any complaints from my neighbour yet. Oh and that guy got sacked. Not surprising really, considering how much of a trash he is.' Shinjo said as he finished his first can and was halfway through the second.

'So that's why you're working now? My uncle saw you doing delivery work today.'

'Yup, not much choice I have right? I have to ensure that my sister is able to continue going to school as usual and eating as healthily as possible. She's still a growing kid after all. And that woman has been asking money from me instead of giving me allowance. Pathetic really.' He smiled bitterly, recalling the scene he goes home to see every night.

'Find me if you need help yea? Heh, I'm as broke as you are but I can sneak some food for you from my uncle's store.'

Shinjo glanced at him and smirked, 'It's ok. I'm still surviving well enough on how much I earn.'

The two of them fall into a comfortable silence that only old friends share.

'Anyway, I don't think I'll go back to school for now. I'll just try to study with what I have at home.' Shinjo said, breaking the silence.

'With what you have at home? Do you even have anything related to studies at home?! You're troublesome.'

'Hey, I do have some reading materials in my room now. I think I'll have to work from there.' Shinjo fall silent after that, staring at the beer can it's easy to tell he's still troubled about something.

'Whatever, just try your best for now. Just know that you're on the team no matter what.'
The black headed teen said while standing up, 'Think I'll get going now. Seeya.' He waved and went off, leaving the taller teen sitting and thinking about his words on the grass.

Aniya was glad that night that he brought the cans of beer.
It's a secret but he had to exploit Shinjo's weakness to loosen his tongue and take down his walls;in another words, to make him slightly drunk and relaxed is the only way to make him talk.

Reviews reviews? ((:

I hope I didn't write them OOC!