Hello there! I hope you're doing well and that you enjoyed the last chapter!
If you haven't noticed, I already uploaded the last chapter of 'Love Isn't As It Should Be.' So check it out if you haven't already!
This chapter will take a break from Kuramochi and Midori but I'll write one more chapter for them in the future.
I apologize for any grammar errors.
Thank you for your support!
As always, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.
Disclaimer: I don't own Daiya No Ace. Yuji Terajima does. I only own this plot and my OCs.
Enjoy!
"Man I have so much to do but I'm so tired," Kuramochi groaned in frustration while putting his video game controller on the floor. He was playing video games with Sawamura in Miyuki's room.
"Like what Kuramochi-senpai?" Sawamura asked in curiosity.
"Like homework and laundry," Kuramochi replied in disdain.
Sawamura flinched and then his face went pale. "I forgot that I have to do that," he said.
"Then why are you wasting time in my room?" Miyuki teasingly retorted. He was sitting at his desk with notebooks scattered around.
"Shut up you tanuki!" Sawamura yelled, turning to Miyuki.
"Yes, I bet that you also have things to do," Kuramochi said, backing up his kouhai.
"As a matter of fact," the catcher began. "I just finished my homework," he said while dramatically dropping his pencil on his notebook.
Sawamura growled at him.
"Jealous?" Miyuki teased with a grin.
"Whatever," the shortstop said with a huff and then turned to Sawamura. "Bakamura let's go. At the very least we should get our laundry done for next week," he suggested.
"That's a good idea, Kuramochi-senpai," the pitcher said with a nod as he helped Kuramochi unplug the game console from Miyuki's TV.
"While you do your laundry I'll read my score books in peace," the catcher said, enjoying the fact that he didn't have to do any chores.
Sawamura narrowed his eyes at him. "You finished your homework, but what about your laundry?"
"Yes, you didn't say anything about that," Kuramochi reminded him with a smug smirk.
Miyuki's eyes widened in confusion. "My laundry?" he whispered as he looked for his dirty laundry bin. He got up from his seat and walked towards his closet and checked out the bin next to it, but it was empty. "I guess... I don't have any."
"What do you mean you don't have any?" Kuramochi asked.
"Don't tell me that you have a maid," Sawamura said accusingly.
Miyuki scoffed. "Where am I going to get a maid?"
Then Sawamura gasped in realization. "Don't tell me that you make oneesan-senpaido your laundry you selfish bastard!" He said, pointing an accusing finger towards Miyuki.
Miyuki just rolled his eyes without saying anything.
Kuramochi shrugged. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case," he said.
The catcher narrowed his brown eyes at his best friend. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"That you use Yukimura as your personal maid," Kuramochi said.
"I knew it!" the southpaw exclaimed.
Miyuki gasped. "That's not true," he said defensively.
"Yes, it is," Kuramochi maintained. "Think about it. She makes bentos for you every day for lunch."
Miyuki scoffed. "That's a normal thing that girlfriends do," he said. "Don't be jealous just because your girlfriend doesn't do that for you," Miyuki added in a teasing tone.
Kuramochi blushed. "It's not that you idiot!" he yelled. "Besides Midori is not my girlfriend yet."
"Sure, that's why you call her by her first name," Miyuki continued with his teasing.
"We're just talking!" Kuramochi insisted. "Besides, even if she was my girlfriend I wouldn't make her do anything for me!"
"Ai-chan is hardly my 'personal maid' for making me bentos," Miyuki said with air quotes.
"No, but since the fall tournament ended she was always doing stuff for you," Sawamura said while Kuramochi hummed in agreement. "Like taking notes in class for you, cooking for you, cleaning your room, AND doing your laundry which happens to be missing now."
"I was injured!" Miyuki reminded them.
"But what's your excuse now?" Kuramochi asked him.
Miyuki crinkled his eyebrows in inquiry. "What do you mean?"
"Well, this room is spotless," Kuramochi pointed out as he motioned towards the entire space. "She obviously cleaned it. You have her here acting like your wife."
"I resent that," Miyuki said offended. "I'm a clean and orderly person and I have no qualms about doing chores."
"Then why don't you do it Miyuki-senpai?" Sawamura asked while crossing his arms across his chest. "Unless... Unless you and oneesan-senpai are going to get married and that's why she is acting like your wife!" he said in horror.
"Of course not! We're still in high school you idiot!" Miyuki replied. "You two need to stop being so ridiculous. Does Ai-chan seem like the kind of person that I can force to do anything that she doesn't want?"
"No," the shortstop replied. "But she has no problems with doing favors for you since she is really protective of you."
Sawamura shuddered. "That's so true."
"What do you mean?" Miyuki asked.
"Oh she didn't tell you?" Kuramochi asked him in an amused tone as Miyuki shook his head. "One time while you were recovering I joked about punching you because you were being annoying and she threatened to kick my ass if I ever touch you. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," he said while trying to suppress a shudder.
The southpaw nodded. "She looked really scary."
Miyuki chuckled. "Yes, that sounds like her," he said. "But she is not acting like my maid or my wife. We're just a normal teenage couple so please just drop it,"
As on cue, the three teenagers heard a knock on the door.
"Kazuya, can I come in?" they heard Ai's voice from the other side of the door.
"Sure babe," Miyuki said while opening the door.
"Thank you," Ai said while panting. "This was kinda heavy," she said as she dropped a big black duffel bag on the floor.
"What's that?" Miyuki asked.
"Oh that's your laundry babe," she replied with a small smile while his expression dropped. "I was going to do it later this weekend but my dad is going to bring some clients for dinner tomorrow night which I have to cook so that's why I decided to do it today and hence why I'm dressed like this," she said, motioning to her matching black leggings and black hoodie. "I'm sorry, Kazuya, but I can't get them out of the bag and fold them for you. I'm very busy since I have to finish my homework and plan the menu for tomorrow's dinner," Ai explained with a pout.
"T-that's okay," Miyuki said with a nervous chuckle. "I didn't even know that you were going to do my laundry in the first place."
"Is that so?" Kuramochi asked with a cocky smirk.
Ai nodded. "Oh yeah I didn't tell you," she said with a small laugh. "I just saw your clothes piling up the other day so I just packed them."
"And where was he?" Sawamura asked in an oh so innocent tone.
"He was taking a bath while I was waiting for him here so I decided to clean this room and pack the dirty laundry," Ai replied.
"Hah! Interesting," Kuramochi said with a devilish grin.
"Yes, Kuramochi-senpai, very interesting indeed," Sawamura said with the same grin.
Miyuki just glared at both Kuramochi and Sawamura.
Ai gave them a weirded out look. "So... What are you guys up to?"
"Nothing, they were just leaving," Miyuki said in a hasty tone.
"There is no rush," Kuramochi said.
"Yes, there is!" Miyuki said while pushing Kuramochi and Sawamura out of his room. "Stop being lazy and do your chores!"
"We can say the same thing about you!" Sawamura yelled in protest.
Miyuki slammed the door in his face in response.
"What's wrong with you three?" Ai asked confused.
"They're just jealous," Miyuki replied, shrugging.
Ai just gave him dumbfounded expression.
Boys were weird at times.
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After that embarrassing night, Kuramochi and Sawamura's words plagued Miyuki mind. What if they were right? What if in some way he was forcing her to do his chores for him? And what if their relationship was strange and she was acting like his wife instead of his girlfriend? The last thing he wanted was to be a bad boyfriend without realizing it. He wondered how Ai felt about it even though she never raised any concerns.
"Earth to Kazuya," Ai said in a sing-song tone while waving her hand in front of his face.
"What?" He blinked in confusion.
"I made curry for dinner," she said motioning to the plate that she placed in front of him.
Miyuki remembered that he was in Ai's kitchen, sitting on the breakfast bar waiting to eat diner with Ai.
"Oh thank you but you didn't have to serve it to me," the catcher said.
Ai shrugged. "It's no big deal," she said dismissively as she placed her own plate in front of her. "Now let's eat!"
"Itadakimasu," they both said before digging in.
Silence set in as they both ate. Ai was enjoying her meal while Miyuki was taking slow bites of his curry.
"What is it? You don't like it?" she asked with a deflated expression.
"What? No, I really like it," Miyuki said.
"You don't seem like you're enjoying it," Ai pointed out. "Is there something in your mind?"
"Well...Actually… Yes," Miyuki tentatively replied. He decided to address the issue or otherwise it was going to drive him crazy.
"What is it?" she asked in curiosity.
"Lately I've been thinking about all of the things that you do for me and I really appreciate it," he began.
Ai smiled at him. "I'm very glad to hear that."
"But don't you think is too much work?"
Ai shook her head. "Hardly."
"Really? You did my laundry, you cleaned my room, and now you're making me dinner," he listed. "It sounds like a lot."
Ai shrugged while taking a bite of her food. "It doesn't really bother me."
"That's nice but you don't have to."
She glanced at him. "What's the problem?"
"I just think it's a little too much. We're not married or anything like that."
Ai flinched at his statement. "Oh okay," she said, deflated. "I guess you're right. It's a little weird," she added with an awkward laugh.
Miyuki gazed at her with a small smile. "I just don't want to impose."
Ai shook her head. "No, it's okay. I understand," she said with a forced small smile.
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"Are you sure you wanna have lunch with me?" Midori asked, taking a seat on the wooden bench.
"Of course I'm sure," Ai said as if it was obvious while sitting next to Midori. They were having lunch outside, in the school's courtyard.
"It's just that you always have lunch with Miyuki-kun since you make him bentos," Midori said.
Ai opened her bento. "I didn't make lunch for him today."
Midori gasped. "Why not? Are you guys fighting?"
"We're not fighting," Ai replied nonchalantly.
"Then why didn't you make him one?"
"He didn't want to."
"So you guys are fighting."
Ai let out an exasperated sigh. "We're not fighting."
"Then why do you look kinda down?"
"It just feels weird," Ai said vaguely. "Not making him a bento."
Midori snorted as she took a bite of her lunch. "It's not the end of the world."
"But I always make him lunch," Ai retorted with a pout.
"But isn't that too much work?"
"Not really, I just have to cook more food than usual since it's the two of us."
"I could never. That sounds like work," Midori said dismissively. "Is that the only reason why you're sad?"
"It's not just about the bento," Ai elaborated. "I haven't done his laundry in a while, iron his uniform, or clean his room."
"You do all of that for him?" Midori asked in disbelief.
Ai nodded.
"You do his laundry… Does that mean that you also wash…" Midori began before looking around and then leaned closer to Ai. "Wash his underwear?" she asked in a whisper.
Ai scoffed. "Absolutely not. That's where I draw the line."
Midori sighed in relief. "Good!" she exclaimed. "But still… That's way too much! What are you? His wife?"
Ai sunk in her seat. "That's the same thing he said when he told me that I shouldn't be doing all of those things."
"At least he has some sense."
"But what's wrong with taking care of your boyfriend?"
"Nothing, but you're just taking it a little too far," Midori replied. "He can do all of that himself. He is a big boy."
"I know but he has a lot of responsibilities and I just want to help him," Ai said. "But I guess I was doing the opposite since he asked me to stop."
"I don't think you were bothering him."
"Of course I was! It was written all across his face," Ai said. "I was being too intense and he was getting uncomfortable which is why he asked me to stop. I don't want to be a creepy obsessive girlfriend."
"Are you sure you're not reading too much into it?" Midori asked.
"No, I did not," Ai said adamantly. "It's not about what he says. It's about what he doesn't say. You're going to learn it soon enough."
Midori narrowed her eyes in skepticism. "Sure…"
Hopefully Kuramochi won't be that difficult.
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"Miyuki? Fancy meeting you here," Kuramochi greeted the catcher in a teasing tone while standing in the entrance of the laundry room.
"Haha. Very funny," the catcher grumbled.
"I thought you didn't do chores," Kuramochi continued with his teasing.
Miyuki didn't answer he made his way into the laundry room. The room was long and narrow with both washing and drying machines aligned next to each other on both sides. At the end of the room there was a shelf stacked with detergent and soap.
He chose a washing machine at the end of the room since he wasn't in the mood of talking to his teammates. Not because he was angry that he was doing his laundry, but he just felt at a loss. He put his pile of dirty clothes on top of the washing machine, but he was unsure of what to do next. Since when Ai had been doing this for him? Miyuki had been doing laundry since he was a kid so this shouldn't be confusing but now he can't even remember the first step. How dependent on her was he?
"Here is the detergent," Kuramochi said, handing a large white bottle to him. "It seems like you're confused," the shortstop added with a smug smirk.
"Thanks," Miyuki replied in an offhand manner.
"Did oneesan-senpai got tired of doing your laundry for you?" Sawamura asked.
"It seems so and now that he has to do it he can't seem to remember the steps hyahaha," Kuramochi burst out laughing.
"Yukimura-senpai does Miyuki-senpai's laundry?" Furuya asked, confused about the topic.
"No, she doesn't! Miyuki exclaimed. "I do my own laundry!" he added while dumping his clothes into the washing machine, then added the detergent, and adjusted the water temperature. "See?"
"You want a cookie now?" Kuramochi quipped.
"Anything but chocolate chip," Miyuki retorted before storming out. "I'm getting a drink so don't mess with my clothes!"
Miyuki grumbled and growled quietly at himself while he went downstairs to go to the vending machines. He knew that he shouldn't be in a bad but he just was. It's been a week since he told Ai not to do anything for him anymore and ever since then he had been feeling… Inadequate? As if something was missing in his life. Miyuki missed Ai's bentos, having his room clean and organized by her, he even missed the way his clothes smelled because she used a better detergent than the school offered. He just knew that his laundry tonight was not going to turn out as good as her's. Miyuki felt guilty for feeling like this because it just confirmed what both Kuramochi and Sawamura told him. That he was just using her. But in his defense, he didn't realize that he was doing that. At first, she started helping him because he was injured and he obliged her and then just stopped telling her not to do it.
"I guess… It just felt nice,' he thought as he got his black coffee from the vending machine.
Ever since his mother died, Miyuki learned how to be self-reliant. At home he always did all the chores and cooked for his father and himself. He never complained about it and never thought anything of it. He figured that at least he learned to be independent and didn't need anyone. But when he got injured and Ai started taking care of him it just felt so nice to have someone take care of him for once.
'But that's really no excuse,' Miyuki thought while taking a sip of his drink. 'I need to stop being a burden to Ai-chan.'
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"This episode is kinda boring," Miyuki said with his eyes glued to the TV. He was watching one of Ai's dramas with her.
"Kinda," Ai nodded in agreement. "But even if it wasn't you don't seem that engaged anyway. Is everything okay?" she asked in concern.
"Yes, I'm just a little tired," he replied while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Is that it?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure that you're not mad?" Ai asked in a timid tone .
Miyuki turned to her. "Why would I be mad?" he asked confused.
"You know… Because I'm on my period," she replied with a knowing smile.
Miyuki chuckled. "No, I'm not mad," he said reassuringly while wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing her against his chest. "I'm fine with just this."
Ai smiled and cuddled with him. "I'm fine with just this too," she said, inhaling his musky scent. "Also, I made dinner earlier so you can have some if you're hungry," she offered.
"Thanks! That sounds good since I've been missing your cooking," Miyuki said.
"You have?" Ai asked in an excited tone.
"Yes."
"If you want I can make you a bento for tomorrow," Ai said, hoping that he was going to accept her offer.
"I mean… If you want…," the catcher replied as he averted his gaze. "I don't want to trouble you."
"You won't!" Ai exclaimed hastily. "I kinda miss cooking for two, so you don't have to worry about that," she admitted.
"Really? I just didn't want to be selfish," Miyuki asked.
"You selfish?"
"Yes, I didn't realize it until Kuramochi and Sawamura pointed it out saying how I was using you as my maid."
Ai gasped. "They said that?"
Miyuki nodded. "At first I didn't want to admit it but then I thought about it and they were right. I just let you do all of that stuff for me because frankly… I liked it y'know? I know it's bad but I liked having someone taking care of me. The last person who did that was my mom," he confessed feeling mildly embarrassed.
Ai softened her gaze as she cupped his cheek with her hand. "You're not using me. Don't listen to them. They're idiots!" she said. "I wasn't doing that because I felt forced to do it. I just do some of your chores for you because I love you and I care about you," Ai explained before kissing his cheek.
"Really?" Miyuki asked in an incredulous tone.
Ai nodded. "Yes. I know it sounds weird because it's extra work but I like taking care of you because I know you need it," she began. "And also I like it because I feel like it's my calling. I want to be a trophy wife."
Miyuki shot her a confused look. "A trophy wife? I thought you wanted to go into the medical field."
Ai let out a dramatic sigh. "Well… That too. But that's a lot of work and I don't need a degree to be a trophy wife. I'm already pretty," she said while flipping her hair.
Miyuki burst out laughing. "You aspire to be two completely different things."
"I know," she pouted. "You see my dilemma?"
"Yeah, I don't know how can you live with such a problem tormenting your existence," he deadpanned.
She lightly hit him on the arm. "Don't be mean!"
"Hey! Is that a way of a trophy wife treating her husband?" Miyuki asked in a teasing tone.
"Only when he misbehaves," she teased back. "But does that mean that we can go back to the way we were?"
"Well, I guess you need to practice since you have terrible manners," the catcher quipped.
Ai squealed in delight as she hugged him. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I thought you were mad when you asked me to stop because I was being too intense and creepy," Ai confessed.
"Why? I never said that," Miyuki said baffled.
"No, but you implied it."
"How?"
"It was in your body language," she argued. "It's not what you say but what you don't say."
Miyuki laughed. "You sure need to practice."