Last Year's Summer Sky

by Brave orange blossom

While lost in Tokyo one day, Eijun meets Mei. For some reason, Mei decides to help him even though they barely know each other. This leads to the two becoming closer in a way neither expected. Set during Act I a couple of days after the round robin.

4. A Cloudy Sky

Author Notes: Here's chapter 4! Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story. I really appreciate it.

I hope y'all enjoy it!

Chapter 4: A Cloudy Sky

Kazuya felt puzzled.

And he didn't get puzzled.

It was late at night, and he found himself walking to the vending machine, hoping a drink could quench his thirst and help him sleep.

Thanks to Chris-senpai and the other senpai's help, everyone felt well prepared to take on their semifinal opponent.

But he couldn't sleep, thinking about Sawamura's recent behavior.

Sawamura never used to go off campus as much as he had been doing recently.

He knew Sawamura was a good kid.

It was impossible that Sawamura was doing something indecent or something that would harm Seidou's reputation.

So that left only one thing.

Sawamura was dating someone.

Kuramochi had told them about his supposed girlfriend, Wakana, but even Kuramochi didn't think she was visiting that often.

It wasn't as if Sawamura was letting his relationship affect baseball, and although he felt a little curious despite himself, he never bothered to ask him about it, deciding to spend time thinking about the summer tournament instead.

… Until last night.

He had thought after their reflection meeting that Sawamura understood he was an important part of their team.

And that Kantoku valued his strong heart.

But yesterday, his mood was so gloomy.

It was obvious that he was still thinking about the Yakushi game and how he did. And although Sawamura tried to act cheerful and his normal idiotic self, everyone could see through him.

The frustrating part was that nothing they did worked to cheer him up.

(Even Chris-senpai couldn't cheer him up, something that made a lot of them do a double take.)

He had stayed gloomy all day, and just as he was thinking someone (most likely Kuramochi or Jun-san) would explode and scold him, his phone rang.

To their confusion, Sawamura literally pounced on his phone, eyes lighting up a little at the caller id.

They talked a little, Sawamura trying to act like his normal self. Whoever it was on the other line obviously said something, and the annoying part was that Sawamura… immediately perked up, almost back to normal.

Sawamura had walked off to continue his phone call in private, but when he returned, he mentioned that he was going out with someone and that he didn't need anyone to save dinner for him.

It was a date.

Obviously.

They all knew it, although he didn't know if Sawamura knew that they knew.

(That guy could be oblivious about certain things. And then other times, he was surprisingly perceptive, so unlike his normal idiotic self.)

Today during practice, Sawamura was his normal self.

And although he pushed himself a little too hard, especially right before their next game, he looked happy. And determined.

Kuramochi had told them that Wakana had messaged Sawamura, telling him that she and some of his teammates from middle school were going to come watch their next game. So they knew the thought of that must have fired him up.

But he didn't think that was the only reason.

Last night, he stayed up late, studying the Yakushi game scorebook, as if that would tell him why Sawamura still felt down about what happened. And as he walked back to his room after a trip to the vending machine, he came across Sawamura.

Sawamura was coming back from his date, but what made him freeze was the look on his face.

He looked so happy, a disgustingly soft look in his eyes. His cheeks were a pretty red.

And the smile on his face… was one he had never seen before. The smile was probably one he reserved for his significant other.

Sawamura clearly didn't see him standing there, obviously lost in thought about his date. He even walked right past him, not even acknowledging him (much to his irritation) and laughing softly as he remembered something.

Sawamura had a good time on his date.

Good for him.

And it was good he was back to normal. It meant that he didn't need to step in and try to cheer him up.

(… Which wouldn't have gone well.)

So he felt happy and relieved that he managed to dodge a bullet.

And yet, he found himself wide awake, puzzled as to why he couldn't sleep.

He had already dismissed some reasons, but the annoying thing was that his mind kept thinking about Sawamura.

As he approached the vending machine, he froze at noticing the figure sitting on the bench, the light from the vending machine easily lighting them up.

Speak of the devil.

Of course it had to be Sawamura of all people.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed his flushed cheeks and sweaty face.

That idiot!

Was he practicing late at night?

He strode forward, about to tear into him.

(Because didn't this idiot realize that their semifinal game was tomorrow? How many times did they have to scold him not to overwork himself?)

"You'll watch me pitch tomorrow, right?"

He froze at the sound of his voice, thinking stupidly that he was talking to him at first. But then he noticed the phone in his hand.

Sawamura didn't seem to notice he was there, frowning at the ground as he talked on the phone. "I know. I just meant… Never mind." He bit his lower lip, almost pouting. A few moments later, he scowled, kicking the ground in front of him. "Well too bad! Furuya isn't pitching tomorrow!"

Kazuya's lips twitched at his overt jealousy.

Who was he speaking to? Especially this late at night?

Sawamura smiled, laughing at something.

And while he wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, the light from the vending machine easily lit up Sawamura's face, his eyes widening at the smile on his face.

It was the same smile from last night.

The smile he reserved for his significant other.

Sawamura rolled his eyes, but it was good-natured, his smile still on his face. "I'm assuming you're in perfect condition then. My senpai are eager to see you play tomorrow." He rubbed the back of his head. "… I am, too, of course," he admitted, cheeks flushing.

His eyes widened even more (if possible).

Sawamura was dating a baseball player? Someone who was playing tomorrow?

Why didn't I think of that?

He felt like hitting himself. He had never considered the possibility of Sawamura dating a baseball player.

Much less the enemy.

With how much Sawamura liked baseball, he didn't know why he never thought about it before.

He supposed it could be worse.

It wasn't like he was dating Mei or anything.

He nodded to himself, and although Sawamura was at fault for talking on the phone in such a public place, he found himself turning around and walking away, wanting to give him some privacy.

(For some reason, he felt irritated that Sawamura hadn't noticed him yet, hoping that by the time Sawamura finished his phone call, that feeling would go away.)

"Narumiya, wait."

He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide.

Did Sawamura just say… Mei's name?

He found himself turning around, mouth opening without his permission. "What the hell?"

Sawamura froze, looking in his direction. His mouth opened as he stared at him, shocked.

… Did he just say that out loud?

Panic (of all emotions) shone in Sawamura's eyes, but it quickly disappeared, leaving anger in its place.

"I'll call you back later, Narumiya," Sawamura said, turning to look at his phone and missing the way his eyes narrowed. "I promise I will! Give me ten—no, fifteen minutes! I'll explain everything, I promise!"

Mei apparently agreed, Sawamura giving him another promise to call him (and sounding exasperated much to his amusement) before closing his phone.

He stood up, taking a few steps in his direction, glowering at him. "Miyuki Kazuya! How dare you eavesdrop on my conversation!"

Thankfully, he wasn't yelling at him, maybe trying to keep his voice down since it was so late. He knew that if it were any other time, he would be yelling at him.

Kazuya shook his head, holding up his hands to show he didn't mean any harm. "It wasn't on purpose." When Sawamura only huffed, giving him a suspicious look, he almost huffed himself. "It's true. I was coming to get a drink."

"So?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "So what?"

"How much did you hear?" Sawamura waved his phone around, as if he needed a reminder.

His eyes narrowed at that. "I heard enough to know that you're dating the enemy."

Sawamura rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue. "So we are starting with that."

He blinked a few times, confused. "What do you mean?" He couldn't help but notice that Sawamura didn't sound surprised. So Sawamura knew thateveryone would assume he was dating someone. His eyes narrowed again, not giving him a chance to answer. "What are you thinking, dating him?"

"I'm not giving him any of our information if that's what you're asking!" Sawamura shot back.

"That's a relief," he said sarcastically. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about that."

Sawamura pointed at him. "You don't even believe me!"

"Can you blame me?"

Sawamura huffed, visibly gritting his teeth. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't date him. Especially right now!"

Sawamura shook his head. "This again?" He clicked his tongue again. "Why do you even care? It's not affecting baseball."

For once, he had a point.

Why did Kazuya care if Sawamura chose to date Mei?

But then he remembered what kind of guy Mei was.

He sighed, causing him to look confused. "I don't know why you chose to date him during the summer tournament of all times, but you should break up with him."

Sawamura opened his mouth, about to say something. But then he seemed to think better of it, his mouth closing. "You can't tell me what to do," he said mutinously. He frowned, looking at the ground. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

… What did that mean?

He took a few steps forward, not missing the way Sawamura looked at him at the sound of his footsteps. "Look, Sawamura. I know you said it's not affecting baseball, but what about the final with Inashiro?"

"What about it?" Sawamura jabbed him in the chest. "And if you're going to accuse me of throwing the game just because I'm dating him, save it!"

Somehow, he wasn't surprised Sawamura would assume that was what he was trying to say. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but a part of him felt relieved hearing that.

He also wouldn't admit out loud how he hoped Sawamura, with his penchant for proving him wrong, didn't prove him wrong when they actually played against each other, reluctant to trust him completely, as he knew what kind of guy Sawamura was.

"No, that's not what I'm trying to say. That guy… Narumiya won't be able to separate your private life from baseball. He's that kind of guy."

Sawamura let out a frustrated huff. "Why does everyone keep saying that? We can work on it. Together."

… Who was everyone?

Maybe his friends?

Did Kominato and Furuya even know about Sawamura's relationship?

He couldn't help but reach out, placing a hand on his shoulder. His pitching shoulder. "He will bring up you guys' relationship when he loses. And he will not hesitate to hurt you."

Sawamura shoved his hand off, jabbing him in the chest again. "Why do you care?"

"I don't want it to affect your pitching," he said automatically. And while that was the truth, he couldn't help but feel that that answer wasn't the whole truth, confusing him.

Sawamura let out another frustrated huff, looking away from him. "It won't! I refuse to let it!" And before he could respond, he nodded to himself, looking at him. "I won't break up with him." He held up a hand to stop him from protesting. "I like him, Miyuki Kazuya."

Anything he could've said died in his throat as he stared at him, mouth opening a little.

He… liked him?

Sawamura liked Mei?

How…?

Why Mei?

… Kami-sama, this was worse than he thought.

"Can't you see I'm trying to look out for you? Break up with him!" he said, irritated. He didn't even know why he felt so irritated, only understanding that he didn't want Sawamura to date Mei.

But that, apparently, was the wrong thing to say.

Sawamura glowered at him, stepping so close to him he thought he was going to grab him. "You, of all people, don't get to tell me who I should or should not date!"

"Oh, so you're saying you don't care if he hurts you? If he makes you cry?"

Sawamura crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I don't know if you've ever liked someone, Miyuki Kazuya, but getting hurt in a relationship is always a possibility." His frown deepened. "I could accidentally hurt him for that matter."

He would normally tease him and say that it was because he was an idiot, but he didn't care about teasing him right now.

Seriously, what was wrong with Sawamura?

It was as if he wanted to get hurt.

"Quit thinking about him and think about yourself for a change!"

How ironic. I'm telling a pitcher to think about himself.

Sawamura uncrossed his arms, stomping on the ground (and almost his foot). "Never!" He flushed, as if realizing what he just said, but he didn't take it back.

"What about the team? I'm not going to help you hide your secret."

And to his confusion, that panic from earlier shone briefly in his eyes again. But it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving anger in its place. "Then tell them! I don't care! I'm not going to hide my relationship with him from the team!"

Yeah, he could see that conversation going well.

… Oh. Now I understand.

But before he could reply, Sawamura's phone rang, causing both to look at it, surprised.

"That's probably Narumiya. That guy's so impatient," Sawamura said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

And as if forgetting they were in the middle of something, he walked away from him, smiling goofily at his phone.

"Wait, Sawamura! We're not done yet!"

Sawamura turned his head to glower at him, holding up his phone. "We are done. You've already let me know how you feel about me dating him." His voice was dangerously low, a huge contrast to his normal booming voice. And if he were anyone else, he might have shivered from those intense golden eyes, reminding him of whenever he pitched. "Don't worry. I'll prove it to you during our game with Inashiro. That I'm serious about baseball. And him."

He turned his head away, already opening his phone. "Sorry about that. You called at just the right moment, though, since I'm done talking to him."

And while he could've chased after Sawamura and demanded that they continue… whatever it was they were doing, he didn't move, mouth opening a little.

Did Sawamura just… brush him off?

For Mei?

What the hell?

ZZZ

Getting into an… argument (he wasn't even sure if that was the right word) with Sawamura the night before the semifinal game… probably wasn't his brightest idea.

In his defense, he didn't think Sawamura was actually serious about dating Mei.

But Sawamura was as stubborn as he was stupid.

And if he were honest, a huge part of him had… doubted his feelings for him at first.

Because there was no way he could like Mei, of all people.

But everything that happened recently… Even how he reacted last night…

He must really like him.

And it baffled him.

What did Sawamura even see in that guy?

A part of him worried that their already strained relationship was going to affect the semifinal game.

But he needn't have worried.

Sawamura didn't let it affect baseball, and besides glancing at the stands a few times (although he couldn't tell if he did it because of his friends or if he was looking for Mei), it was as if last night had never happened.

As if Sawamura forgave him.

(… Which he didn't understand. As far as he was concerned, he didn't do anything wrong. He didn't feel the need to apologize for how he acted, believing he was in the right.)

He still wanted to talk to Sawamura (just the two of them) and finish what they started last night, but so far, he hadn't had any chances to speak to him. One of their teammates was always around, and he couldn't ask to speak to him alone without arousing some suspicion.

(He already noticed Kuramochi regarding him with a contemplative eye, making him curse inwardly. That guy really was too observant at times. It wasn't as if he was that obvious… right?)

And Sawamura…

He had been expecting Sawamura to still be angry with him.

But Sawamura was his normal idiotic self around him.

During their game, he listened to his signs and didn't shake his head. And besides the time when he brought up what happened during the Yakushi game, he didn't glare at him. Even once.

He didn't know what he was thinking.

(… Which irritated and bothered him. He was supposed to be able to read his idiot of a pitcher.)

Maybe, just maybe, Sawamura was telling the truth when he said he wouldn't let his relationship with Mei affect baseball?

He still felt a little skeptical, though.

Sawamura was a guy who pitched with his feelings.

How would he react if he had to pitch against Inashiro?

Against Mei?

Fortunately, they had their pitcher relay. With Furuya and Tanba-san pitching, they wouldn't have anything to worry about.

Even if Sawamura seemed determined to prove that he was serious about baseball (and Mei), he probably wouldn't get his chance to.

(And right now, that was a good thing.)

It was just his luck that he happened to run into Mei (and his teammates) outside the bathroom.

To his surprise, Mei was his normal self around him.

He thought Mei would show some sort of reaction now that he knew about their relationship. But he couldn't see a hint of anything.

(Was he always thishard to read?)

Thankfully, they didn't stick around too long, Mei only wanting to tell him that Inashiro would win and that he would regret choosing to attend Seidou.

As they were leaving, he couldn't help but throw out a comment, wanting some kind of reaction out of him. "Don't you want to wait for your boyfriend?"

To his satisfaction, Mei stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at him. "What do you mean?"

He pointed with his thumb to the bathroom. "He's in there right now. You want me to tell him you're here?"

But Mei only scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Do you really think I'm that gullible?"

His lips twitched as Mei's teammates nodded, all of them (except Shirakawa) almost looking exasperated.

He felt tempted to ask, wanting some blackmail material. But unfortunately, now wasn't the time. "Well, do you? I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."

… That was an understatement, going off Sawamura's reaction from last night and when he got back from his date.

And even earlier, Sawamura had foolishly shouted that they were going to win, getting Mei's attention.

He couldn't have been the only one to notice as Mei immediately looked in his direction and smiled.

(Sure, it was his competitive and probably condescending smile. But he still smiled.)

While he hadn't looked behind him to see Sawamura's reaction, he knew Sawamura probably felt pleased (maybe even smug) at getting Mei's attention.

"Shut up, guys! I'm not!" Mei shouted at his teammates, giving them a betrayed look before looking at him. "When you say it, it makes me think you're lying."

"But I'm not this time," he said, raising his eyebrows at his suspicious look. He got off the wall, taking a step toward the bathroom. "Wait here. I'll go get him."

Mei scoffed, turning around. "Forget it. I'm not waiting around so that you can mess with me even more."

And after giving him a warning glare that he didn't understand, Mei walked off with his teammates following him, not looking back.

Even though Mei had to have heard Sawamura's loud voice when he exited the bathroom, he still didn't look back.

Kazuya led the way back to their bus, eyeing Sawamura out of the corner of his eye. "… You're not going after him?" he asked softly, not wanting Kominato or Furuya to hear him.

"So you can tell me how much of an idiot I am? No, thank you," Sawamura muttered mutinously, crossing his arms.

He raised his eyebrows. "Since when has that ever stopped you?"

Sawamura looked at him as if he were the idiot, causing him to feel offended. "I'm not going after him when we're going to face him in two days, Miyuki Kazuya."

… Huh. Maybe he's not as stupid as I thought.

"Don't you want to see him?"

Sawamura gave him that look again, huffing. "Of course I do!" he hissed, obviously trying not to yell at him. "But I'm not going to do it right before our game! What kind of person do you think I am?"

"An idiot," he said dryly.

Sawamura yelled at him until they reached the bus, making Kominato and Furuya look at them as he laughed hard enough for his sides to hurt.

Maybe he was worrying for no reason.

Sawamura didn't choose Mei over the team, which made him more relieved than he cared to admit.

Maybe it would be alright if Sawamura pitched against Inashiro.

(He refused to admit how relieved he felt at knowing that Sawamura remembered what happened last night. And was still angry with him about it.)

ZZZ

A part of Kazuya had wanted to tell the team about Sawamura's relationship with Mei right away, if only to see their reactions.

(And he had told Sawamura the truth. He wasn't going to keep his secret for him.)

But the longer he thought about it, he couldn't help but wonder if he could… get something out of knowing that information.

If he decided to keep his secret, maybe it wouldn't be as much of a pain as he thought it might be.

"Oi, Kuramochi. Did Sawamura tell you anything about his date?" Jun-san called out from his spot on the floor.

It was the night before the finals, and everyone was hanging out in his room (as per usual).

Sawamura and Furuya had just left the room to buy drinks for everyone, which meant perfect timing to gossip about their idiot mood maker.

Kuramochi looked up from his game, shaking his head. "He didn't tell me anything. I almost can't believe he's been quiet this long," he grumbled. His eyes lit up with mischief. "Come to think of it, I think he left his phone here. Let's see if we can find something."

Kazuya's lips twitched as his teammates immediately agreed, everyone crowding around Kuramochi as he opened Sawamura's phone.

And while he already knew about Sawamura's relationship, he found himself curious despite himself, invading Kuramochi's personal space to look at the phone.

(It was just for blackmail purposes. Nothing else.)

But everyone's barely hidden excitement and impish glee immediately disappeared, like someone deflated a balloon, at the most recent contact name.

"… 'White Hair'? What the hell?"

He wasn't sure who had spoken at first, a bit in shock himself.

Because what was Sawamura thinking?

Everyone knew his nickname for Mei.

Why would he choose to use that contact name for him?

He really was an idiot.

If he was the type of person to facepalm, he would've done so. Without hesitation.

"That brat is dating Narumiya?"

As expected of Jun-san. He was pretty sure that was a new record time for him exploding.

He couldn't help but remember the panic that briefly shone in Sawamura's eyes.

If he was so worried about the team finding out, why didn't he choose another contact name for Mei?

It was quiet for several moments as everyone seemingly thought over what they just discovered.

"We don't know if he's dating Narumiya for sure yet," Tetsu-san said a few moments later.

Jun-san gestured to the phone held in Kuramochi's hand. "Don't defend him, Tetsu. We can all see that guy's name on Sawamura's phone." He clicked his tongue. "Well, his stupid nickname anyway."

"Right now, we're just assuming things about their relationship. We should at least look at a few messages first," Tetsu-san said, giving him a look.

Jun-san clicked his tongue again, looking at Sawamura's phone. "… Alright. Let's check and see if Sawamura is dating him." He cracked his knuckles ominously. "Then we can get angry."

"You already got angry, Jun."

"Shut up, Tetsu! I know you're just as curious as the rest of us!" Jun-san poked Kuramochi in his shoulder roughly. "Oi, Kuramochi! Hurry up and open some of those messages!"

Kuramochi nodded quickly (much to his amusement). "Yes, Jun-san. Let's see…" He pushed a button, making the screen scroll down. He let out a surprised noise. "Sawamura's been in contact with him for quite a while. Look, this one is timestamped before the summer tournament."

"What! What's it say?"

Kazuya furrowed his eyebrows at hearing that.

Sawamura had been dating Mei that long?

… Come to think of it, Sawamura had been going off campus a lot more recently.

And it started not long after their round robin with Inashiro and Shuuhoku.

His mouth opened a little.

Didn't that mean they got together not long after they first met?

Mei was just as much of an idiot as Sawamura.

(Not that he was surprised.)

"It says 'we're having a practice game on wednesday. you should come and watch! you'll get another chance to watch a true ace in action'," Kuramochi read aloud, eye twitching. "He even added a winking kaomoji." He sounded disgusted.

Jun-san nodded, huffing. "That sounds like that brat to me!" He cracked his knuckles again. "Who's in favor of jumping Sawamura when he gets back?"

"Wait, Jun-san! We've only read one message!" Kuramochi protested. He almost sounded… reluctant.

It was strange Kuramochi didn't want to tackle Sawamura when he got back, normally taking delight in executing his wrestling moves on him. He looked after him (like a proper senpai should), but he sensed that wasn't the reason for his sudden reluctance.

Before Jun-san could yell at Kuramochi, Tetsu-san nodded, his action causing Jun-san to look at him. "Calm down, Jun. Don't jump to conclusions."

Even Tetsu-san sounded reluctant.

No, maybe not reluctant.

Maybe… skeptical was the right word?

Jun-san huffed again, but he didn't argue (or yell at Kuramochi).

Kuramochi (probably sensing another explosion was on the way) quickly opened Sawamura's reply to that message. "Let's see what Sawamura said. It says 'you're crazy if you think i'm going to skip practice for you'," he read aloud. "He even added an angry looking kaomoji."

It was so quiet Kazuya had to look around, confused why no one was saying anything. It wasn't until he caught sight of everyone's skeptical expressions that he realized what was going on.

They were starting to doubt that Sawamura was in contact with Mei, probably thinking that the contact name was a coincidence.

And he supposed he couldn't blame them for thinking that.

His senpai had seen Sawamura interact with Mei once.

He and Kuramochi had seen Sawamura interact with Mei twice, but even Kuramochi looked skeptical.

Maybe they were thinking that this person was just one of Sawamura's friends.

"Kuramochi, how much do you know about Sawamura's middle school friends?" Tetsu-san asked, as if he read his mind.

"Not much, Tetsu-san. I know that Wakana was one of them," Kuramochi said, frowning. "I also know some of them came to cheer for Sawamura during our last game."

Tetsu-san let out a contemplative noise. "And do you know about any of his other friends? If they have white hair? Or are the ace of their team?"

… Ah, that was true.

No one knew for sure how many friends Sawamura had. He could have a lot more than he was telling them.

Kuramochi shook his head, letting out a frustrated noise. "He doesn't talk much about his friends from back home. And the only times he talks about Wakana is when I catch him on his phone, talking to her."

How did this go from believing that Sawamura was dating Mei to everyone not believing it?

And it happened so suddenly.

"We could always ask Sawamura-chan when he gets back," Masuko-san said.

But everyone else immediately shot that suggestion down, clearly either not wanting to pry too much or assuming that the person Sawamura was talking to was just a friend.

Kuramochi looked through Sawamura's phone some more, reading a few more messages.

To his surprise, none of the messages seemed to even hint that Sawamura was dating Mei.

It really was as if they were just two friends talking to each other.

He could see it in everyone's faces.

No one thought Sawamura was dating Mei. Or even in contact with him for that matter.

He felt so bewildered.

How the hell did Sawamura get so lucky?

"What about the nickname?" Ono asked hesitantly.

His senpai shrugged, claiming that the 'White Hair' from these messages was probably different than the 'White Hair' they knew all too well.

… Was everyone serious right now?

Kuramochi looked at him, waving Sawamura's phone around. "What do you think, Miyuki? There's no way this guy could be Narumiya, right?"

Should he tell them the truth?

Didn't they deserve to know?

But for some reason, he found himself… hesitating.

Before he could answer, the door opened, Sawamura announcing that they got the drinks.

Saved by the bell (or in this case Sawamura).

Predictably, Sawamura was upset they were snooping through his phone.

Instead of bringing up who they actually talked about, Tetsu-san mentioned how Kuramochi was curious about Sawamura's girlfriend.

He wondered if he was the only one who noticed Sawamura wasn't lying when he said Wakana wasn't his girlfriend.

He couldn't have been, right?

Sawamura couldn't lie to save his life.

All they had to do was ask any question about Mei, or even ask the name of his significant other.

And they would know the truth.

But no one said or asked anything.

They were probably assuming that Sawamura was dating someone else.

Someone in Tokyo.

And not Mei.

How would everyone, especially Sawamura, react if he told the truth right now?

He didn't have any reason to keep Sawamura's secret, and yet, his tongue refused to work.

An image from last night came to mind, panic shining briefly in Sawamura's eyes, looking as if he wanted to run. Or cry. Or both.

He shook his head at himself.

There was no way that was the reason why.

It was for blackmail purposes.

And only that.

ZZZ

Kunitomo didn't get paid enough to deal with situations like this.

It was the morning of the finals, everyone getting ready to board the bus.

And he would join them, of course.

Only after he had a quick chat with his ace.

Some of his players had approached him a few days ago, concerned that Narumiya was letting his personal life affect baseball.

His ace's personal life was none of his business.

But it became his business if he was letting it affect baseball.

So instead of confronting him right away, he chose to observe him, trying to see if he could spot anything off with their ace.

He didn't spot anything that would concern the other players, but he also didn't want their concerns to go unheard.

Which was why he stood in his office before the summer tournament finals game, waiting for Narumiya to show up.

When Narumiya entered his office a few moments later, he looked genuinely confused. And maybe even a little exasperated (not that he would admit it). "Masa-san said you wanted to see me? This must be important if you're doing it before we leave."

"Some of your teammates have been concerned about your behavior recently," he said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

Narumiya furrowed his eyebrows, pointing at himself. "Mine? Why?"

"They're concerned that you've been letting your private life affect baseball."

To his surprise, Narumiya scowled. "Is that so? I don't know where they're getting that from. I even told them last night not to go easy on him."

Narumiya was dating someone from a rival team?

… No, wait.

It was none of his business who he decided to date.

"So you're saying their concerns are unwarranted?"

Narumiya shrugged. "I would change my behavior if their concerns were warranted."

He didn't doubt Narumiya would. Narumiya was their unparalleled ace, and he took his responsibilities as ace seriously.

"I see." Unfortunately, he couldn't just accept that. "What about if your private life does affect baseball?"

Narumiya narrowed his eyes, pointing at himself. "Have you seen any indication that I'm not taking my responsibilities seriously?"

If it were anyone else, he might've scolded them. "Answer the question."

Narumiya huffed. "I won't let it."

"But what if it does?"

Narumiya shrugged nonchalantly, giving him an easy grin. "I'll break up with him. It's no big deal."

He said it so matter-of-factly. Like he didn't even care about the guy or their relationship.

Should he feel worried?

Even if he did feel worried, it was none of his business. And while he wouldn't hesitate to listen to any of his players' concerns, it didn't feel right to lecture him about relationships.

Especially a few hours before a big game.

It wasn't as if it was a problem now.

"Then let's get going. We don't want to be late."

"Finally," Narumiya muttered.

It wasn't until much later that he learned exactly who Narumiya was dating.

ZZZ

Kazuya changed his mind.

Knowing about Sawamura's relationship with Mei was as much of a pain as he thought it would be.

They kept looking at each other.

While the game was going on.

Thankfully, it was just quick looks, so he didn't think anyone else realized what was going on.

He was aware that Sawamura didn't want to lose to Inashiro. And that he thought of Mei as his rival.

And with Sawamura's loud voice yelling his biting comments, everyone would probably think that Mei was looking over at him because he was annoyed by the noise.

But they were still looking at each other.

He wouldn't be surprised if Kuramochi (with his observant eyes) caught on to what was going on.

He couldn't help but notice that although they kept glancing at each other, Mei focused on his pitching and showed them no mercy.

Which, as far as he was concerned, was good.

Great even.

(It wouldn't be a satisfying victory if they didn't beat Mei at his best.)

Would it change if Mei had to pitch to Sawamura, though?

And he still wasn't convinced that Sawamura, if he somehow got to pitch, would focus on baseball.

And not his boyfriend.

He didn't know why he felt surprised when Sawamura did get a chance to pitch.

Clearly, the universe was out to get him for some reason.

He knew it was coming, especially with how Tanba-san was struggling, but he still couldn't believe the situation they were in.

Sawamura was pitching in the finals. Against Inashiro.

And Mei was the next batter.

Of course he is. I don't know why I'm surprised.

With how Sawamura felt determined to prove that he was serious about baseball (and Mei), he probably should've seen this coming.

To his surprise (and relief), they only gave each other a long look before seemingly focusing their attention on the game, Sawamura's eyes already on him, patiently waiting for his signs.

Before now, he felt skeptical about what Sawamura was saying.

Because it seemed like Sawamura really liked Mei.

And he wasn't sure if Sawamura could set aside his feelings and focus on his pitching no matter who he was up against.

But now…

Watching him strike out Mei and keep his focus on his pitching for the remainder of the game…

Sawamura was serious about baseball.

And Mei.

(He even noted (gleefully) that Inashiro and Mei looked surprised at Sawamura's cutter. And by the look on Sawamura's face, he knew Sawamura felt smug at surprising them. He himself had smirked at Mei's angry expression, taking great delight in seeing it. And if Mei looked angrier by his proximity with Sawamura, especially when he gave him rare praise, then that made it even sweeter.)

But like a lot of things in his life, all good things must come to an end.

He couldn't help but watch as Sawamura bowed weakly to Inashiro, unseeing and dazed.

Mei, with tears running down his face, was openly looking at him, as if he didn't care if the rest of Seidou caught him staring.

Losing was a bitter pill to swallow, but he felt determined to learn from their loss.

The fall tournament was fast approaching after all.

But as he stared at Sawamura, he couldn't help but think back to when he first found out about their relationship.

Yeah, he vehemently disapproved of it, and he wanted Sawamura to break up with Mei.

(If he was telling the truth, he still wanted Sawamura to break up with him.)

And he hadn't believed him when Sawamura said he was serious about baseball. And Mei.

But this…

This was not what he wanted.

ZZZ

Mei got what he wanted.

(Of course he did. He always got what he wanted. … Most of the time)

It felt wonderful to beat Seidou, especially when they were so convinced that they would win.

It didn't matter that it was a close game.

It didn't matter that they almost lost.

What mattered was that they won.

They were going back to Koushien.

He should be feeling happy. Ecstatic even.

But whenever he looked at Sawamura, his heart clenched, hating the dazed and unseeing look on his face.

After his interview, he quickly caught up with Sawamura, managing to snag his hand and stealthily pull him away from his team and into the bathroom.

(… Okay, maybe he wasn't as stealthy as he thought, Kazuya immediately noticing what he was up to and giving him a warning glare. But Kazuya was the only who noticed.)

Once they were alone, he gave Sawamura's hand a gentle squeeze, trying to get him to look at him.

And while he felt a little concerned that Sawamura gave him a weak squeeze back, he mainly felt relieved.

Other than the look on his face, Sawamura was doing better than he thought.

He probably wasn't even that angry with him.

"Look at me," he murmured, tugging at his hand a little.

He had to wait longer than he wanted, but Sawamura finally looked at him.

"So I won," he couldn't help but point out a little wickedly. "Like I knew I would."

Sawamura's free hand curled into a fist even as he smiled shakily at him. "Yeah, congratulations."

"Thank you," Mei said nonchalantly.

And while he was a selfish jerk and could be mean-spirited (even to Sawamura at times), he wasn't stupid.

He knew how much the game meant to him.

What it meant to lose.

So for once, he was going to keep his mouth shut and not say anything stupid like…

"Aren't you happy for me?"

… that.

Shit.

Sawamura gave him a dirty look, causing him to grin.

"I didn't mean to say that. It just… came out."

Sawamura snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course it did."

… Okay, he deserved that.

"Just… forget I said that. I didn't bring you here for that anyway."

Sawamura raised his eyebrows. "Oh, and here I thought you wanted to rub it in. Sorry for doubting you," he said sarcastically.

He huffed, tugging at his hand a little. "I won't apologize for winning."

"I don't expect you to. But if you brought me here just to rub it in, I'm leaving."

He shook his head, tightening his grip a little when it looked like Sawamura was about to let go. "I brought you here because you look awful," he blurted.

Sawamura gave him another dirty look, but instead of saying something, he only huffed, gesturing to the stadium, as if he had forgotten where they were.

And why they were there.

"You can cry. I know you're not alright."

Sawamura frowned, biting his lower lip, looking away briefly before looking at him. "That's not… I'm not… I can't."

He stepped closer, reaching out for his other hand and uncurling it. "You can. You're allowed to beat yourself up."

Sawamura's eyes watered for a few moments, as if about to start crying, but then he blinked furiously, not letting any fall. "I can't," he said, shaking his head before turning his head to glare at the wall for some reason.

"I know the feeling, you know," he said, causing Sawamura to look back at him. "I don't know if you've heard, but I let everyone down at last year's Koushien."

"That's…" Sawamura pursed his lips, looking away briefly. He opened his mouth, about to say something. But then he seemed to think better of it, his mouth closing.

Why was he being so stubborn?

And after he took the time to show that he understood what he was feeling.

"You're allowed to cry, knowing that you let your team down."

Sawamura squeezed his eyes shut, giving his hands a weak squeeze. "Stop it. I shouldn't… Not here." He shook his head, letting it fall forward.

He gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "You're allowed to feel upset. You lost."

"I said stop it."

He let go with one hand, grazing his chin before grabbing it and tilting his head up. "I'm here, you know."

Sawamura tightened his grip on his hand, almost hurting him as he shook his head, refusing to look at him.

Maybe there was another reason he couldn't allow himself to cry?

… Was it because of him?

Impossible.

But come to think of it, Sawamura thought of him as his rival.

Maybe that was why?

He let go of his chin, placing his hand on his shoulder instead. "I won't judge you. I promise."

"I said stop!" Sawamura pulled away from him roughly (much to his surprise). A few tears escaped, causing Sawamura to wipe them away hastily.

And before he could say or do anything else, Sawamura proceeded to walk away, pausing by the exit for some reason.

"Call me!" he called out. He didn't know why he stopped, but he knew he had to say something. Sawamura didn't turn around, but he nodded. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. Just… Call me in the morning, okay?"

"Okay," Sawamura agreed, voice quiet.

And then he left, leaving him alone in the bathroom.

He cursed, tempted to punch a wall.

What the hell?

All he wanted to do was check up on Sawamura, and he had pushed him away.

Literally.

But in all honesty, he wasn't worried.

He knew Sawamura would call him tomorrow morning, and he knew Sawamura would bounce back from losing to him.

He shook his head, lips twitching.

His optimistic attitude was one of his best characteristics.

ZZZ

Eijun couldn't stop his tears after seeing Leader break down in the bus.

And if he cried even harder at the thought of his boyfriend, then no one else had to know.

He would… call him in the morning.

… Yeah, he'll do that.

He'll do that and… apologize. And make sure they were going to be alright.

Because he didn't think he could take it if everyone was right, and they ended up breaking up because of this.

In fact, he refused to let that happen.

He would cry over this loss and blame himself for ending his senpai's summer.

But he wouldn't dwell on it forever.

He had to get stronger.

Especially if he wanted to become the ace.

And especially if he wanted Narumiya to acknowledge him as his rival.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Author Notes: I hope y'all enjoyed the fourth chapter.

Reviews/favorites/follows are appreciated.

So this was a shorter chapter than usual. I really wanted to write more, especially for the Seidou and Inashiro game. But I couldn't think of anything else to add. I also wanted to add some more to the Eijun and Mei moment we got after the game, but I really wanted to follow canon and have Eijun break down in the bus instead of breaking down in Mei's presence.

Writing from Miyuki's point of view is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. And I managed to add in a few things that will come up later, which makes me happy. I'm still trying to get the hang of writing from his point of view, though.

We finally got Miyuki's reaction to the Eijun and Mei relationship. Were y'all expecting Miyuki to react like that? By the way, this isn't the last you'll see of Miyuki. He'll show up some more in the next couple of chapters.

What can I say about the next chapter? All I'll say is this: yips and Mei losing in the fall tournament.

See y'all next Saturday!