Author Notes: Here's chapter 6! Thank you to everyone who followed/favorited/reviewed this story. I really appreciate it.
I hope y'all enjoy it!
Chapter 6: Overcast Sky
Itsuki huffed, rolling over and closing his eyes.
He didn't know why he couldn't sleep.
Was it because of their loss?
It was the night of their loss, so it made sense he couldn't sleep right way.
(Or was it because of something else? Or more specifically someone else?)
He finally got up, deciding to grab a drink from the vending machine outside.
His footsteps and the low hum of the air conditioner were the only sounds he could hear as he walked down the hallway.
Turning the corner that led outside, he blinked, watching through the window as a familiar figure darted away from the dormitory.
He rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times.
Was that… Miyuki-san just now?
Miyuki-san from Seidou?
His eyes widened.
He dashed outside, moving in the opposite direction of Seidou's main catcher.
And sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the vending machine, he caught sight of his ace sitting on the bench.
Mei-san looked up at the sound of his footsteps, raising an eyebrow. "Itsuki? What are you doing here?"
He gestured to the vending machine. "I… couldn't sleep. I wanted to get a drink."
Mei-san snorted, patting the front of his hoodie and pulling the bottom of it to straighten it, causing him to look at it.
He didn't know why he didn't spot it earlier.
The front of his blue hoodie looked wrinkled around the collarbone area.
As if someone had grabbed him.
"What, same as me? That's strange."
It wasn't that strange.
What he found strange was that his ace didn't have a drink beside him.
Maybe he already drank it?
Somehow, he didn't think that was it, though.
But instead of saying something, he let out a small hum as he stood in front of the vending machine.
"Kazuya was just here."
He froze in the middle of placing money into the machine.
Mei-san scoffed from behind him. "Can you believe the nerve of him? Easily trespassing unannounced on our home grounds?"
He turned around, unsurprised to see his narrowed red and puffy eyes or the scowl on his face. "What did he want, Mei-san?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Mei-san raised an eyebrow. "He came to threaten me. Telling me to stay away from Sawamura," he spat, standing up. "The nerve!"
Now that he got a better look at him, he could see that despite the wrinkling of his hoodie, he didn't have any marks on his face.
(He wasn't sure if that made him feel relieved or not.)
"He knew what happened?" he asked, confused.
Mei-san huffed, glaring at him. "He didn't know all the details, but knowing him, he probably figured out what happened by just looking at Sawamura."
Ah.
He could see that.
Eijun was quite… expressive for a pitcher.
Mei-san seemed to take his silence as agreement, kicking the ground in front of him. "He doesn't have the right to threaten me when it comes to Sawamura." His hands formed fists. "Not when he left him alone."
Mei-san had told him (and the rest of the team) that Eijun had the yips. And how his team quickly ignored him, as if they gave up on him.
But it wasn't as if he couldn't pitch.
From what he heard from the scout who watched the game with Teitou, Eijun threw some good low and away pitches.
And he knew Mei-san had heard about it, especially the way he waved off their concerns, casually telling them that he didn't plan on going easy on him either way.
… Not that it mattered anymore since they lost to Ugumori.
"He also wanted to update me on how Seidou was doing."
Itsuki blinked a few times. "He wanted to rub it in that they won?" he guessed.
From what he had heard of Miyuki-san's personality, that made sense.
Mei-san's clenched fists tightened, his whole body tense. He was starting to worry he might hurt his pitching hand. "That and more. He thought he'd tell me how their starting pitcher did."
Itsuki's mouth opened a little. "Wasn't Seidou's starting pitcher…?"
Mei-san's body shook at those words. "Yeah, he wanted to tell me what a great job Sawamura did." He scoffed, shaking his head. "And he's not the type to freely hand out compliments to people."
His eyes widened, watching as his eyes darkened.
He had thought it before, but was it possible…
Was Mei-san feeling threatened by Miyuki-san?
Was he afraid Miyuki-san would steal Eijun from him?
"He even had some delightful news to tell me," Mei-san spat, taking a few steps forward.
Itsuki had a feeling he knew what was coming. "What was it?"
"Sawamura did it. He threw to the inside again. He conquered the yips," Mei-san said, laughing hollowly and shaking his head for some reason. "Just like I knew he would."
… Ah.
He could see why that would anger his battery partner.
Despite claiming Eijun wasn't his rival and that he needed to get a lot better before he acknowledged him as a real pitcher, Mei-san… believed in him. Kept tabs on him. And… practiced even harder.
It was never to the point of overworking himself, but it was obvious to everyone their ace was practicing now more than ever.
As if he didn't want Eijun to catch up to him.
And while he felt incredibly happy for his friend, he managed not to show it, getting the sense that showing his happiness would only make things worse. "That's great, isn't it?" he asked tentatively.
"He had the nerve to tell me that I wasn't a very good listener!" Mei-san snarled. But just as quickly as his anger appeared, it disappeared, as if a rain shower put out the flames in his stomach. He suddenly looked exhausted, laughing another hollow laugh. "You know what the worst part is?"
He shook his head, almost gasping at seeing the guilt in his eyes.
"He was right," Mei-san spoke in a low hoarse voice, as if he had been yelling a lot. Or crying. Probably both in this case. "Sawamura tried to tell me, but I…" He clenched his fists. "I refused to listen. I was too arrogant… I was too caught up in my own self-loathing that I… lashed out at him." He took a few steps backward, sitting on the bench again with a loud sigh. "Everything Kazuya said about me tonight… They were all true."
He stood there almost in a state of shock, gaping.
Was this guy really his battery partner?
Mei-san actually… regretted what happened?
An image of a crying Eijun telling them that he wouldn't allow Mei-san to stop here came to mind.
He found his mouth opening of its own accord. "Are you going to apologize?"
And instead of scoffing and saying he didn't do anything wrong or even saying that he didn't apologize to people, Mei-san almost looked… contemplative. He sighed several moments later, running a hand through his hair agitatedly. "I don't know," he admitted.
That was better than what he used to say. So it was a slight improvement.
But he also knew that it wasn't enough.
Eijun wanted an apology.
He deserved one.
If some of their teammates were here, they would scold him about what he did, yelling that he didn't deserve Eijun and that he owed him an apology.
(After Eijun left, Mei-san refused to leave his room. And while the rest of the first string wanted to tear into him for what he did, it was late, causing them to reluctantly put it off until the next time they saw him.)
But he… couldn't bring himself to do it.
Normally, he didn't have any trouble scolding Mei-san (even at the risk of starting an argument with him).
Now, though…
He didn't have the heart to.
Not when Mei-san was so obviously suffering.
But he deserves it, especially after making Eijun cry like that, his traitorous mind whispered.
He shook his head furiously to get rid of that thought. "Mei-san… He's hoping…" No, that didn't sound right. "He knows you'll apologize."
Mei-san clicked his tongue. "So impertinent." A few moments later, he grinned a rueful grin. "But that's Sawamura for you."
He blinked a few times before nodding. Having said what he wanted to say, he decided to give him some space, walking back toward the dormitory.
"Itsuki."
He paused, turning his head around to look at him questioningly.
Mei-san stood up, frowning at the ground. He let out a frustrated huff before looking at him. "I don't think Sawamura… wants to talk to me right now. And until I figure out what I'm going to do, I probably shouldn't try to talk to him." He gestured to the dormitory. "If he texts you, tell me. So that I can know how he's doing."
And even though Mei-san tried to make it sound as if he was ordering him, it came out a lot weaker than he probably intended.
He almost sighed.
Mei-san clearly liked Eijun.
Did he like him enough to drop his pride, though?
(He really hoped that Mei-san realized his feelings for him. Sooner rather than later. For both their sakes.)
"Of course, Mei-san. I'll let you know as soon as he texts," he promised without hesitation.
Mei-san nodded, sitting back down and frowning deeply at the ground.
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but even he could see the relief shining in his eyes. It was only there for a few moments, but it was there.
It wasn't until he made his way back to his room that he realized he never bought his drink.
And that a large part of him felt… lighter, as if he wore his catcher's gear for a long period and finally took them off hours later.
Eijun will get his apology.
And he wasn't the only one who thought that anymore.
ZZZ
Mei clicked his tongue as he watched Ugumori score.
Again.
Everyone could see the dark circles under his eyes, but what they probably didn't know was that he… didn't sleep at all.
He was too busy thinking.
About what happened last night.
And about Sawamura.
(And every time he closed his eyes, Sawamura's teary and hurt golden eyes and the way he cradled his… bruised hands came to mind, causing him to grit his teeth and clench his fists.)
Despite not sleeping, he still got up early to perform some field maintenance (read: only the mound), lips twitching when his teammates expressed their surprise at seeing him.
(He had foolishly thought that he could run some laps then make his way to the Seidou and Ugumori game without speaking to his teammates about what happened last night.
But, of course, he was wrong.
Almost immediately after he finished the field maintenance, those on the first string (at least those who were already awake) marched up to him, glowering.
For the most part, he remained quiet as everyone tore into him, scolding him for what happened and yelling that he didn't deserve Sawamura. And that he owed him an apology.
The worst part was that… he agreed with them.
He didn't deserve someone like Sawamura, especially after what happened.
But he was too selfish to let him go.
He didn't want anyone else to date him. And he would only let Sawamura go if Sawamura chose to break up with him.
When he told them that he didn't know if he would apologize yet, they got even angrier. And for a few scary moments, he almost thought a few of them would hit him.
But instead of hitting him or even scolding him some more, they turned their backs on him but not before ordering (he couldn't believe they were trying to order him) that he hurry up and decide.
They hadn't said anything about it, but he had a vague idea what would happen if he chose not to apologize to Sawamura.
The thought of it almost caused him to shiver.
He was their ace.
And yet they were choosing Sawamura over him.
They had only known Sawamura for a couple of months, and they already grew attached to him enough for them to feel protective of him and threaten him to do the right thing.
And if it were anyone but Sawamura, he wouldn't be able to believe it.
But because it was Sawamura, he wasn't too surprised, especially whenever he remembered his teammates trying to persuade Sawamura to break up with him.
They looked out for him from the very beginning. Even when they didn't know him that well.
And honestly?
He couldn't blame them for choosing Sawamura over him, as he knew he deserved it after what happened.
They had run laps in silence, Mei muttering that he would be back later as soon as he finished.
And while they had to have known where he was going, they didn't stop him, giving him dirty looks, as if they could intimidate him into choosing the right choice.)
He had reflected on their loss. And why everything would be different going forward.
He felt ready to practice hard and prove that despite his selfishness, he still deserved the ace title.
(… Not that there was anyone else more suited for the title than him, of course.)
But he couldn't help but think of Sawamura.
He had to see him.
Even if he couldn't speak to him.
Even if it was from a distance.
He wouldn't admit out loud that a part of him felt worried that what happened might affect Sawamura's pitching.
And that was the last thing he wanted.
As he watched him, it became obvious that Sawamura… was trying to act like his normal self. Knowing him as well as he did, though, he (and probably his teammates) weren't buying it.
Would it be alright if Sawamura pitched?
What about his hands, though?
Did his left hand still hurt?
Could he wear a glove and catch a hard baseball with his right hand?
What was he thinking, hurting his hands like that?
He was an idiot.
Much more of an idiot than Sawamura ever could be.
Everyone else probably thought he was bitterly watching Ugumori play.
He could feel eyes on him.
He was wearing his practice uniform and his red Inashiro jacket, but he knew everyone could recognize him without it.
(Of course they could. He was Inashiro's ace, the guy they called 'Prince of the Capital' after all.)
Thankfully, everyone gave him a wide berth, watching him cautiously, as if he were some wild animal threatening to bite anyone who came too close.
(Although that could be because of his icy blue eyes, his intimidating and unapproachable aura, and his arms crossed in front of his chest. And every so often, a snarl escaped his mouth, causing everyone around him to scatter like scared rabbits.)
But he was here for only one person.
A guy who… wasn't even pitching right now.
His lips twitched as he watched Sawamura warmup.
No one caught his attention quite like Sawamura.
He still couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly that drew him to him.
It wasn't that they were both southpaw pitchers. Or that they played baseball.
Sure, both those reasons were part of why they met, but they weren't the reason why he felt drawn to him over someone else.
Sawamura had told him that he wanted an apology. And that it had to be a good one.
And he couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it.
Was it really worth it to drop his pride and apologize to him?
Was he worth it?
And the answer he was surprised to find was… yes.
His heart clenched at the thought of Sawamura crying because of him.
Because he hurt him.
He shook his head, lips twitching as Sawamura yelled encouragement at Furuya.
Sawamura… deserved an apology.
Because he… liked him.
He couldn't bear the thought of them breaking up.
Couldn't bear the thought of causing Sawamura more pain by not apologizing.
Besides, Sawamura believed in him.
He knew he would apologize.
And it was his job to live up to that faith.
Even he didn't know why Sawamura liked him or why he gave him his full trust.
But he didn't want to trample on that trust… or his feelings anymore.
This was the same guy who trusted him enough to tell him that he was suffering from the yips.
The guy who kept forgiving him and believing in him even when countless people told him he should break up with him. The guy who didn't have any trouble teasing him or flirting with him.
The guy who refused to give up no matter what fate threw at him. The guy who laughed at seeing ice cream on his nose, and instead of wiping it away with a napkin, he had the nerve to lean in and wipe it away with his tongue, grinning that devilish grin of his.
The guy who came to him and offered to stay with him during one of his darkest moments. The guy who still believed he would do the right thing even as he cried. Even as he cradled his bruised hands to his chest.
So he will apologize.
He didn't want to make him cry anymore.
He wanted those brown eyes to sparkle with happiness. He wanted to see that bright smile on his face.
He wanted to see… that smile.
The one that was meant for him.
And only him.
A small part of him wanted to approach Sawamura after the game and apologize to him.
But a larger part of him felt… unsure.
Maybe even afraid.
And while he wished he could say that he didn't know why he felt that way, he wasn't stupid.
He knew why.
What if he apologized, but it wasn't enough?
What if Sawamura finally decided that he was done giving him second chances?
What if he broke up with him?
What if he apologized, but Sawamura never acted the same around him again?
He supposed he would deserve it.
After everything he did, even Sawamura had to have a breaking point.
All those times he never apologized were coming back to bite him.
Painfully and without mercy.
Some confused voices brought him out of his thoughts, causing him to look around, eyebrows furrowing.
It wasn't until he looked at the field that he realized what the commotion was about.
Sawamura… was about to pitch.
His eyes narrowed as he watched him speak to Kazuya.
It seemed… alright so far.
Sawamura wasn't letting what happened affect his pitching.
Halfway through, though, he started struggling, causing him to clench his fists.
… Or it could be because Sawamura was trying to strike out Ugumori's ace.
Even he remembered how that guy provoked him. How he taunted him and easily got him to do what he wanted, as if he were some villain mastermind.
The thought was a ridiculous one, but even he could see from his spot in the stands that Ugumori's ace was provoking Sawamura's instincts as a pitcher.
And Kazuya… encouraged it.
Instead of running away or asking for another pitch, Kazuya asked for an inside pitch. Not only was it an inside pitch, but it was a cutter.
Of course he did. That's Kazuya for you.
Kazuya was a terrible guy who didn't understand people. Or feelings.
(And that was probably partly why he disliked him and his relationship with Sawamura.)
But he was a good catcher (most of the time). He had to be, considering he invited him to come with him to Inashiro.
And unlike him, Sawamura listened to his catcher, which ultimately helped them win.
After the teams bowed to each other, he stood up, missing the way everyone around him flinched.
As the Seidou players made their way back to their dugout, he managed to catch Sawamura's eye, brown eyes widening as he recognized him.
Sawamura froze, causing some of his teammates to scold him for not moving.
But Sawamura's attention remained on him, gaping at the sight of him.
And while normally he would feel smug that he managed to surprise him, he didn't care, keeping his eyes on him and trying to let him know how he felt about last night.
Sawamura gave him a glare, clenching his fists as he continued looking at him.
He couldn't help but clench his fists. He couldn't say he felt surprised by his reaction, as he knew he deserved it.
But as quickly as his anger appeared, it disappeared, leaving a contemplative look instead. Sawamura raised an eyebrow at him, asking something.
He knew what Sawamura was asking.
And he… hesitated for some reason.
He wanted to apologize to him. Knew he had to.
But those doubts from earlier came back, causing him to almost gulp.
Could he face Sawamura right now and apologize?
Was he ready for his reaction?
He shook his head, waving his phone to indicate that he needed more time.
But Sawamura only let out a loud huff, turning around and ending their silent conversation.
He felt ashamed and angry at his weakness.
Since when did he let his fears and doubts stop him?
Since when did he become such a coward?
Kami-sama, he was so uncool.
(His heart clenched, knowing that he had hurt him again. He was such an idiot.)
Unfortunately for him, Sawamura wasn't the only one who noticed him.
Kazuya, who was frowning at Sawamura's sudden mood change, looked in his direction, eyes widening once he spotted him. He shot him a warning glare, which he reciprocated, before turning to Sawamura and draping an arm around his shoulders.
And the infuriating thing was that… Sawamura actually let him.
He didn't shove him off or complain.
Almost as if he were… comfortable with Kazuya's arm around his shoulders.
He snarled as he kept his eyes on Kazuya. And that arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.
He missed the way everyone around him flinched at the dangerous aura surrounding him.
He refused to let his fears and doubts stop him for long, especially when Kazuya was so close to his boyfriend.
Losing Sawamura because of his mistake was one thing.
But losing Sawamura to Kazuya was a different matter.
And he refused to let that happen.
ZZZ
Kunitomo really didn't get paid enough to deal with situations like this.
It had been almost a week since they lost to Ugumori, and while a part of him did think about the possibility of his ace sulking in his room and blaming himself for the loss, he felt surprised and almost relieved when Narumiya proved him wrong.
Since the loss, Narumiya practiced harder than ever, clearly wanting to prove that his performance during the last game wouldn't happen again.
(Not that he doubted him. He believed in his ace. Knew that he would get back up and practice hard so that he could get stronger.)
He knew the rest of the players didn't doubt Narumiya and knew that he was the only one who could be their ace.
Everything seemed to be smooth sailing.
At least during practice.
It was obvious even to him that Narumiya was acting strangely since their loss.
Whenever he wasn't practicing, he stared gloomily at his phone, as if waiting for someone to contact him.
He hadn't said anything about it, but he had caught Narumiya wandering the halls late at night a few times, running a hand through his hair agitatedly. And even then, he had his phone with him, clenching it so tight he thought Narumiya might throw it against the nearest wall.
Surprisingly, none of his other players had come up to him with their concerns like they did last time.
(And judging by the way the rest of his players shot Narumiya glares, he concluded that it was on purpose.)
This was just a hunch, but he had a feeling it had something to do with his boyfriend.
The southpaw pitcher from Seidou, Sawamura Eijun.
(He didn't even know his team was so close to the Seidou pitcher. Narumiya he could understand, but the rest of the team acted as if they were… protective of Sawamura for some reason. He had heard rumors about what kind of person Narumiya was outside baseball, but he had always thought they were just rumors. And even if they weren't just rumors, it really wasn't any of his business.)
It wasn't right for him to get involved with his ace's personal life, especially since it was none of his business, but he couldn't help but feel a little worried about him.
It wasn't affecting baseball or even school, but if this continued any longer, he feared that it might affect both.
And he knew that was the last thing Narumiya wanted.
So the night before their practice game with Kokaidai Sagara, he called Narumiya to his office, getting the sense that he needed to speak to him about it sooner rather than later.
When Narumiya entered his office several moments later, he looked exhausted, still holding onto his phone.
It was obvious from the dark circles under his eyes that he hadn't been sleeping much. Some of the cafeteria ladies who adored Narumiya had confided in him that Narumiya has had trouble eating lately. That he still ate, but it was nothing compared to how much he ate before. And how much he was supposed to eat.
Narumiya walked over to him with a lethargic gait, so unlike his normal cocky one. He stopped a couple of meters from where he sat in one of the chairs. "Fuku-chan said you wanted to see me?" He narrowed his eyes, looking suspicious. "Is this about tomorrow? I don't know what you've heard, but I can still pitch. I will pitch tomorrow."
"This isn't about tomorrow." Narumiya relaxed a little, no longer looking suspicious, but he still looked tense. "This is about your personal life affecting baseball."
Narumiya huffed, shooting a dirty look over his shoulder. "Those guys complained to you again?"
"They didn't need to." Narumiya furrowed his eyebrows. "It's obvious even to me that your personal life is draining you."
Narumiya bit his lower lip hard enough that he thought it might bleed. He clenched his fists, tightening his grip around his phone.
"It's not affecting baseball now. Or even your grades. But what if it does?" He watched as Narumiya's body started to shake. "You told me before what you would do if it started to affect baseball."
Narumiya's head shot up from where he was glaring at the ground to glare at him, even taking a few steps closer. But to his confusion, he only muttered something he couldn't hear.
"What did you say?"
Narumiya clicked his tongue, although whether it was at himself or him was debatable. "I won't do it."
He raised his eyebrows. "You won't?"
"I said no! I refuse to break up with him!"
He couldn't help but stare at his ace, surprised.
Was this really the same guy who told him that he would break up with the Seidou pitcher a couple of months ago?
Back then, it was as if he didn't care what happened to the Seidou pitcher. Or their relationship.
But now, he was glowering at him, yelling that he refused to break up with him. Even though he knew as well as he did how much it was affecting him.
"I refuse to break up with him! And I refuse to let it affect baseball!" Narumiya took a step closer. "I will make things right between us!"
He couldn't help but remember the same question from before. "But what if it does affect baseball?"
"We'll work on it! Together!"
He got the sense that if he continued this conversation, all they would do was go in circles.
It was none of his business anyway.
All he could do at this point was trust his ace.
"Fine, I suppose that's good for now. You better make things right soon." He gave him a serious, almost threatening look. "I expect the ace to set an example for the rest of the team. And I won't put you on the mound if you're just going to collapse."
Narumiya huffed, turning around to head out of his office. "You don't have to tell me twice. I won't let things end between us." He shook his head, pausing in the middle of opening the door to give him a serious look. "Not this way."
And then he was gone, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he stomped away from his office.
He didn't know the situation or Sawamura that well. All he could do was guess what happened.
But he knew Narumiya.
So when Narumiya told him he wouldn't let things end this way, he believed him.
ZZZ
Harada hadn't wanted to believe it at first.
He knew Mei was the type to cry in bed and sulk whenever they lost, especially if it was his fault, so he had been surprised to find out that Mei didn't spend any time in bed wallowing in self-pity.
And at first, he thought it was a good thing.
He even came to check on him, wanting to see how he was doing after the Ugumori game.
He felt relieved to see that Mei was looking forward and not dwelling on the past.
… At least regarding baseball and the team.
He felt like rubbing his temples.
Because of course Mei got into a huge fight with Sawamura after that game.
Since he didn't live in the baseball team dorms anymore, his ex-teammates had to tell him what happened, looking so furious with their ace that he was a little worried someone would hit him.
(That was if they hadn't hit him already.)
While he felt angry with and disappointed in Mei, he couldn't help but wonder if Sawamura was doing alright.
He had heard that what happened didn't seem to affect Sawamura's pitching, which made him feel a little relieved.
And Mei didn't seem to let it get him down, practicing harder than ever.
Until he got a close look at Mei.
Mei… was obviously not doing well.
It was a little amazing that he managed to hold on for so long and not let it affect his grades or baseball.
And while he tried to act like his normal self around the team, he seemed… subdued now.
What did Mei plan on doing?
From what he heard, Sawamura was expecting an apology. And he wouldn't talk to Mei until he received one.
But this was Mei.
Would he drop his pride and apologize to him?
Did Mei like Sawamura enough to do that?
He thought he would have to bring up the topic himself, but to his surprise, Mei brought it up.
"Masa-san, I… got into a huge fight with Sawamura."
He nodded, looking at him. "I heard. You're such an idiot."
Mei huffed, shooting a dirty look in the direction of the dormitory. "Those guys are so nosy. They never cared about my previous relationships, but suddenly, all they care about is Sawamura and my relationship with him."
His lips twitched. "I think it's because you've been acting weirder than usual."
"How rude, Masa-san! I don't act weird!" Mei shot him an offended look.
He shook his head fondly. "Rather, I think it's because you haven't been sharing information about your relationship with him."
"Eh? But I've told you guys about him," Mei said, confused.
He gave him a slight exasperated look. "Normally, you'd be telling us everything that happened. Even if we didn't ask."
Mei let out an understanding noise before humming. "I guess it's because I was trying to respect Sawamura's wishes."
Mei respecting someone's wishes?
That was news to him.
"How so?" he asked curiously.
Mei tapped his chin with a finger. "When we… first got together, we agreed not to tell our teams just yet." He let out a huff, shaking his head. "I didn't see a problem with telling you guys about him, but he was rather insistent. Such a stubborn and impertinent guy."
He wondered if Mei knew that he sounded somewhat… fond when talking about Sawamura.
"Hmm, that reminds me of someone I know."
Mei's eyes lit up with mischief. "Yeah, he's just like Itsuki. Did you know that they became close friends?"
"I was talking about you," he said dryly, causing Mei to give him another offended look. "And no, I didn't know that. I'm not surprised, though."
From what he remembered from Sawamura's first visit to Inashiro, they seemed to get along well. He even remembered that they had a lot in common.
So he wasn't surprised they managed to become close friends.
Mei nodded, almost looking relieved. "It's nice that they became such close friends. It means that I can ask him for information about Sawamura and not Kazuya."
To his surprise, Mei scowled at the mention of Miyuki's name.
Was he missing something?
Mei always seemed to get along well with Miyuki (despite being on rival teams), but now, it seemed as though he disliked him for some reason.
Maybe he got into a fight with Miyuki, too?
He let out a contemplative noise before looking at the field. "You must like Sawamura a lot then."
Mei was quiet for so long that he had to look over at him to make sure he had heard him.
His eyes widened at the sorrowful look.
Mei nodded, clenching his fists. "I do. I really… like him, Masa-san."
Like everyone else, he had suspected that Mei liked Sawamura.
And that if he ever broke up with him or hurt him, it wouldn't be as easy as he thought it would be. But he didn't think Mei had realized his feelings for him.
Until now.
And if he needed more proof that Mei liked Sawamura, all he would need to do was look at Mei's current state.
Mei, the guy who was obsessed with his hair, had disheveled hair. It stood up all over the place. And while he could somewhat hide it under his baseball hat, it was still quite noticeable.
He wondered if Mei had slept at all since his fight with Sawamura, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
And after the practice game was over and everyone left, Mei had walked over to him with a lethargic gait, causing him to raise his eyebrows at the noticeable lack of cockiness he usually exuded.
He looked like he was barely hanging on.
And he wouldn't be surprised if Sawamura was in a similar state.
Or worse.
"What do you plan on doing? Are you going to apologize?"
Before now, he could never imagine Mei apologizing.
To anyone.
But if Mei really liked Sawamura…
Mei surprised him by immediately nodding, almost causing him to stare. "I'm going to apologize to him." He clenched his fists even tighter, causing him to worry about his hands. "I don't know how he'll react, and that's… scary," he admitted. "But I don't want things to end like this between us. Not this way." He gave him a determined look. "I still want him in my life, Masa-san."
He probably didn't know it but admitting that to him was one of the bravest things he had ever done.
(And he liked to think he knew Mei quite well.)
"You'll be alright." Mei blinked a few times, confused. "You'll both be alright."
Mei gave him a suspicious look for some reason. "But my apology…"
Ah.
Now he understood.
"As long as you tell Sawamura the truth and show that you're sincere, he'll listen. And forgive you."
Considering Mei didn't apologize to anyone, he wasn't surprised Mei felt uneasy about how Sawamura will take his apology.
He wouldn't tell Mei, but he had a feeling that Sawamura would accept any type of apology from him.
As long as it was a sincere one.
Mei hummed contemplatively. He huffed a few moments later, causing him to blink, especially at the scowl on his face. "I hate that I have to ask for his help with this," he spat.
He felt a sense of foreboding. "You can't mean…?"
"I have to ask Kazuya for help."
ZZZ
Kazuya clicked his tongue as he stared down at his homework.
He couldn't concentrate.
This was all Sawamura's fault.
Today, they beat Oya High School. And it was thanks to Sawamura.
But he wasn't annoyed about that.
In fact, he would go as far as to say he felt somewhat… pleased with Sawamura's performance.
It wasn't perfect, of course, but he did a good job, considering his state.
What he was annoyed about was how Sawamura had been acting lately.
And it was all Mei's fault.
(Seriously, what did Sawamura even see in that guy?)
He had felt tempted to tell Kantoku about Sawamura's bruised hands, not wanting it to get worse if Sawamura had to pitch.
(And he felt even more tempted when Kuramochi came up to him before the game started, asking about Sawamura's bruised hands. He had tried to act like he hadn't known about them beforehand, but Kuramochi's sharp eyes easily noticed, ordering him to tell him what happened. He somehow managed to distract him by teasing him about how worried he was about Sawamura, but the conversation only served to remind him of his temptation to tell Kantoku.)
But he didn't, and Sawamura ended up pitching during their game with Ugumori.
And while Sawamura looked uncomfortable and in pain, he hadn't let it affect his pitching. The pitching did aggravate his bruises (like he feared it would), and Sawamura made sure to reassure him that he would ice them and rub some ointment on them once they got back to Seidou.
But he didn't buy it.
Sawamura probably didn't know it, but he had seen Mei sitting in the stands.
The sight of him sitting there watching them… Watching Sawamura… Especially after what he did…
It made him furious.
He had already confronted Mei, though, choosing to give him a glare and mess with him by throwing his arm around Sawamura's shoulders.
And to his surprise, Sawamura didn't shrug him off.
He didn't even glare at him.
At first, he felt pleased with his reaction.
But it wasn't until he got a closer look at him that he realized Sawamura wasn't paying attention. Probably thinking about Mei.
Instead of taking his anger out on Sawamura, he helped him with his hands, knowing Sawamura might forget about it, especially after his silent conversation with Mei.
Sawamura was quieter than normal, only huffing when he came over to help.
And he had thought (optimistically and foolishly) that maybe that was it. And that Sawamura would go back to normal (or almost normal) the next day.
But he didn't.
If anything, he only seemed worse.
Sawamura had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept. Whenever he wasn't in practice or school, he kept his phone with him, staring gloomily at it. And although he tried to act like his normal idiotic self, no one seemed to buy it.
The whole team knew that their southpaw pitcher wasn't doing well.
And they were worried.
He had even seen Sawamura not eating as much, and it only seemed to get worse as the week continued.
With every day that passed with no word from Mei, Sawamura seemed to fall deeper.
Deeper into his depression.
And away from any help.
Everyone tried to reach out and help him, asking what was wrong.
But Sawamura barely responded to them, and if he did, he gave some flimsy excuse and tried to reassure them that he was alright.
None of them bought it, of course.
Amazingly enough, Sawamura hadn't let it affect baseball. Or school.
(In fact, Kanemaru shared with the rest of the team that their whole class (and even some of their sensei) were worried about him. That the sensei who would normally feel happy that Sawamura was awake during class hoped he managed to get some sleep soon. Even if it was during their class.)
He wasn't sure why he felt surprised, but this was worse than when he suffered from the yips.
And that was saying something.
Once again, he couldn't help but curse Mei.
And Sawamura.
He had thought something like this might happen.
He had even tried to warn Sawamura.
Did he listen?
Of course not.
Sawamura never listened to him when it came to Mei.
It was as if Mei was some dark lord who had enthralled Sawamura with a love potion.
As weird as that thought was, it was actually pretty accurate, although he wouldn't go as far as to say that Sawamura was in love with Mei.
He had thought at first that Sawamura would get over Mei.
The sooner he did, the sooner he would go back to normal.
But when he asked Sawamura if he was having trouble getting over Mei, Sawamura… exploded at him. Furiously telling him that they didn't break up. And that it was just one fight.
(No one else was around, so Sawamura didn't have to worry about the team finding out about his relationship with Mei.)
And he couldn't help but gape at him.
Was Sawamura serious?
He still wanted to date Mei.
After everything that happened.
After how much he hurt him.
It almost made him want to shake him.
Why was Mei worth it?
Sawamura could be dating someone much better for him. Someone who treated him right.
Why did he insist on staying with Mei when he could've dated someone else by now?
And the craziest thing was that Sawamura expected an apology.
From Mei.
Did he really think Mei would apologize to him?
Mei never apologized. For anything.
But Sawamura was as stubborn as ever, claiming that an apology will come.
He didn't understand.
Why would Sawamura go through all this trouble just for Mei?
It was as if he enjoyed getting hurt.
Enjoyed crying as each day passed with no word from Mei.
He had enough.
He refused to argue with Sawamura about Mei any longer.
… Not that Sawamura cared what he thought.
He never listened to him (even when he was trying to look out for him).
So why should he care if Sawamura continued to date Mei? And kept getting hurt?
He shook his head, ignoring the way his heart seemed to almost… clench at that thought.
Maybe if he backed off, these strange… feelings would disappear.
His phone buzzed, bringing him back to the present.
And even though he was supposed to work on his homework, he found himself reaching for his phone, eyebrows furrowing at the thought of someone texting him this late at night.
… Ah. Of course.
He felt both surprised and unsurprised to see that Mei texted him.
He scowled, tempted to ignore him.
He was still furious with him, and it would serve him right if he got a taste of his own medicine.
He didn't even know why Mei texted him.
(Of course that was a lie. He had a hunch… No, he knew why Mei texted him. Without even looking at his text.)
Somehow, he wasn't sure what he expected when he opened his message only to find a four-word message.
We need to talk.
Mei wanted to talk now?
Was he an idiot?
His phone rang, caller id letting him know Mei was calling.
What, so Mei only sent that message to be… polite?
What was wrong with him?
It really would serve him right if he ignored him.
He didn't want to talk to Mei at all. And he knew why Mei wanted to talk to him.
He found himself picking up his phone and answering the call, feeling curious despite himself at what Mei had to say to him.
Maybe it would even be amusing and give him some blackmail material.
"What do you want?"
"… Hi to you, too, Kazuya."
He rolled his eyes, stepping out of his dorm room to get some privacy. "What do you want? I'm busy."
"Oh, you're busy, huh? Busy enough not to speak to me?" Mei's tone was infuriatingly light, as if he normally called to talk with him after hurting one of his pitchers.
"Well, we are still in the middle of the fall tournament." He felt vindictive satisfaction at hearing him click his tongue. "You know? The one that you lost for your team?"
To his surprise, Mei didn't immediately retort. He was so quiet that he had to pull his phone away from his ear to make sure he didn't hang up.
While waiting for his response, he walked in the direction of the baseball fields, knowing no one would be out there at this time of night.
"We need to talk."
He huffed, almost rolling his eyes again. "What about? I don't have all night, you know," he said impatiently, as if he didn't already know.
"About Sawamura…"
He tightened his grip on his phone. "We've got nothing to talk about."
"Oh, so you enjoy seeing him suffer? Don't you want to help him?"
His free hand formed a fist. "I don't want to hear that from you."
"Look, Kazuya." He had the nerve to sound exasperated. "I know I hurt him, but—"
That did it.
He glowered at the phone, clenching his free hand. "What were you thinking?" he hissed. He knew that if Mei were in front of him right now, he would already be grabbing the front of his shirt, resisting the urge to punch him. "Hurting him wasn't enough for you? You just had to hurt his hands!" His voice was dangerously low. "And you call yourself the ace."
"Are they… alright?"
Now he acted as if he was concerned.
He was starting to regret picking up the phone. "They're alright thanks to me. I helped him take care of them," he said, feeling smug at his offended noise.
Mei let out a frustrated huff. "Look, I didn't call to argue with you. I want to… help him."
He had the nerve to say that he wanted to help him after hurting him like that?
What was wrong with this guy?
"What, finally going to break up with him?" he snarked.
To his surprise, Mei growled at him. "No! I refuse to break up with him!"
He blinked a few times before giving his phone a suspicious look. "I thought you said you wanted to help him."
"I do!"
He let out a huff. "Then why won't you break up with him? It seems to me that would be the best way you can help him."
"You would think that."
He resisted the urge to rub his temples. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"… Forget it. I'm trying to help Sawamura. Not you."
What did that mean?
He almost huffed again. "If you're not going to break up with him, how do you plan on helping him?"
"By talking to him, of course."
Much to his annoyance, Mei spoke to him as if he were the idiot. "How do you plan on doing that? From what I remember, Sawamura doesn't want to talk to you."
Serves him right.
Mei didn't reply immediately, causing him to blink. "That's why I called," he finally said a few moments later.
His eyebrows raised despite himself.
Was Mei… asking for his help?
He shook his head, almost snorting. That was impossible. "You want my help," he said suspiciously.
"… You're the only one who can convince Sawamura to meet with me."
He couldn't help it.
He let out an incredulous laugh. "You think I can convince Sawamura? Sawamura refuses to listen to anything I say."
Mei didn't respond at first, letting out a sigh several moments later. "It's frustrating to admit it, but he… looks up to you. He values your opinion."
Did he really expect him to believe this?
While it was true Sawamura listened to him regarding baseball, he refused to listen to him regarding anything else, especially whenever he talked to him about his relationship with Mei.
"Even if he did listen to me, what makes you think I would help you? After everything you've done to him?" he spat.
"… This is so annoying," Mei muttered almost to himself. "If you help me…"
Oh?
He felt himself becoming curious despite himself.
Maybe Mei did want his help?
"Continue."
"If you help me, I'll… owe you one," Mei said through gritted teeth.
His eyebrows raised.
Mei actually wanted his help?
And he was willing to owe him a favor in exchange for it?
Interesting.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you," he teased him, making no effort to hide his pleased tone.
Mei let out a frustrated huff, but surprisingly, that was the only thing he did to convey how he felt. "If you help me, I'll owe you one."
He snickered.
This was too good.
He would've never thought Mei (of all people) would ask him for help.
"Hmm, I suppose I can help you," he said, grinning at the huff he received. "But what exactly do you mean when you say that you'll owe me one?"
Mei let out an aggravated noise (much to his amusement). "Exactly what it means. You can call it in whenever you want."
"About anything?" he asked curiously.
Mei hummed. "Well, not anything. I'm not going to throw a game for you or anything like that."
"And I wasn't expecting you to," he said seriously.
Mei knew how much he wanted to beat him, especially when he was at his best.
He would never ask him to throw a game.
And quite frankly, it was insulting he felt the need to bring it up.
As if he didn't know him that well.
Mei hummed. "I had to make sure. I know how nasty you can be."
… Which he supposed was fair.
If they weren't talking about baseball.
"Oi, you shouldn't be insulting me when you're asking for my help," he teased, taking delight in the way Mei let out an aggravated noise.
Mei clicked his tongue. "Are you going to help or not?" he asked impatiently.
Well, if Mei was so serious about helping Sawamura to the point of asking him for a favor, who was he to refuse?
"Alright, I'll help."
Mei let out a confused noise (much to his amusement). "You will?"
His eyebrows raised. "I thought you wanted me to?"
He laughed at hearing a thudding noise and a loud curse. "Everything alright over there?" he asked, amused.
Mei let out another curse. "Stupid tree," he muttered almost to himself. "I thought you didn't want me around Sawamura."
Did he… walk into a tree?
Oh, this was too good.
He felt so happy he picked up the phone now.
"Well, I don't. But it sounds like you really want my help," he teased, snickering at his curse. "And I would be a fool to not accept when you're giving me such a precious gift."
Mei was quiet for several moments before sighing, his eyebrows raising at how… tired it seemed. "Convince him to meet with me, and I'll owe you one. I have to speak to him."
Was it possible Mei wasn't doing well?
He inwardly scoffed.
That was impossible.
Because that would imply Mei really liked Sawamura.
… Then again, Mei had to know Sawamura would only agree to meet with him if he agreed to apologize.
Mei was going to apologize?
That seemed even more impossible than Mei not doing well.
"I'll make sure to speak with him. In fact, I'll even do it tonight," he said, grinning at his surprised noise. "Oi, I can be nice. Just don't forget that you'll owe me."
Mei let out a noise he couldn't make out. It almost sounded… relieved? "Of course I won't forget. How could I when I know I'm asking for your help?" he said, irritated.
He snickered, but he decided not to tease him.
Just this once.
"Listen, Mei," he said, his serious tone causing him to let out a confused noise. "You better not mess this up. I'm not convincing him to meet with you just so you can hurt him again."
Mei scoffed. "I don't want to hear that from you." He let out a huff. "But I know, okay? I won't mess this up," he said, sounding determined.
Kazuya couldn't help but gape at his phone.
Mei sounded… serious.
Maybe even sincere.
Did he really like Sawamura that much? That he was willing to drop his pride and apologize to him?
If Mei was telling the truth, then Sawamura would be happy.
Because he knew Sawamura would forgive him.
(He shouldn't care about Sawamura's relationship with him. And yet, why did he feel irritated at the thought of convincing Sawamura to meet with Mei? It didn't make any sense.)
"Good. Then I'm glad," he said a few moments later.
Mei let out a huff. "So overprotective," he muttered.
O-Overprotective?
Where did he get that from?
He wasn't overprotective.
Especially of Sawamura.
"By the way, Mei. I should warn you," he said, smirking as an idea came to him.
Mei let out a confused noise. "Warn me? Since when are you so nice?" he accused.
"As I'm sure you know by now, Sawamura's capable of a lot of things. Including holding grudges," he said, almost snickering.
"So?"
He smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "He probably won't want to speak to you even if I talk to him. But if he hears about how you're doing, he'll change his mind."
Mei let out a low groan, causing him to snicker. "You wouldn't…"
"I'll make sure to tell him all about how you begged me to help you," he said, grinning at his furious noise. "Oh, and I'll tell him about how you walked into a tree."
"Kazuya, don't you dare!"
He laughed before closing his phone, hanging up on him.
While a part of him felt tempted to hold off on talking to Sawamura (so that Mei could suffer some more), he decided not to do it.
Not for Mei's sake, though.
For Sawamura's.
He didn't want to watch him suffer for a moment longer.
And, he thought gleefully, Mei would owe him.
Oh, the possibilities…
He would need to think about how best to use this power.
After all, it wasn't every day Inashiro's ace owed someone a favor.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Author Notes: I hope y'all enjoyed the sixth chapter.
Reviews/favorites/follows are appreciated.
I really wanted to write some more about the Mei and Miyuki confrontation that I mentioned during the first scene, especially since I knew so many people were looking forward to seeing how I would write it. And I felt tempted to write the actual confrontation that takes place before Itsuki talks to Mei, but I really wanted to show y'all the Itsuki and Mei scene. And it felt as if I would just be repeating stuff that already happened if I left the confrontation in there. I did think about adding some more to their phone call at the end, but I couldn't think of anything.
I really liked writing this chapter. Got to spend some time in Mei's head, and I got to write some more from some Inashiro characters' point of view. And I enjoyed writing from Miyuki's point of view, although I wish his scene could've been a bit longer.
Were y'all expecting the fight to affect Mei that badly? Y'all saw a little bit of how the fight affected Eijun in this chapter, but you'll really see it in the next chapter.
The next chapter will have Mei's apology and Mei confessing his feelings to Eijun. And we're going to get it from Eijun's point of view. There will be some angst, but that will happen after they kiss and make up. Next chapter is also the end of Act I, as the chapter will end a little bit after the fall tournament finals.
By the way, I feel like I should warn y'all that there are only two chapters left in this story. It feels like I've been posting this story for a long time, so I'm a little happy it's almost over. Especially since it means I'll get to start on a new story soon.
See y'all next Saturday!