NOTE: This is after Inashiro Vs Seidou Match.
Narumiya was not in pleasant mood as they travelled back to Inashiro. He was constantly stamping his foot like a restless kid, occasionally resorting to yelling out his complaints about the coach.
"Why didn't you let me play Kantoku?? What is the point of having a pitcher like me decorating the bench?"
Shirakawa and Carlos who sat next to him manifested completely contrasting facial expressions. One had a wide grin amusement shining in his eyes. The other glared with his usual hatred for anything and everything including himself.
"No first-year ever plays in the spring tournament. Get it through your head." Shirakawa deadpanned not wanting his peaceful evening to be disrupted by Narumiya's silly rants.
"I'm not just any first-year. How can you say that to me?" Narumiya said feeling appalled.
After that, Shirakawa gave up and returned to staring through the window to soothe his chaotic mind.
"Coach will definitely put you in on the summer tournament" Yabe consoled him.
"Yeah king. You will be fine. The coach cannot resist your charm." Carlos agreed.
"What cares about that? Of course he has to use me in summer. Who is he gonna use if not me? The problem is he didn't use me today." Narumiya passionately ranted.
Even though Carlos could tell Narumiya is just playing around, he continued the consoling game.
"King-"Carlos started.
"Shut up" Shirakawa commanded having enough of Narumiya's attitude.
"You are too cold and heartless, Shirakawa. Is that how you speak to your future ace?" Narumiya smirked.
Shirakawa proceeded to ignore him.
Narumiya changed plans and started to indulge on a new topic.
"You know who I met in the bathroom today Shirakawa?" Narumiya questioned with a enchanting grin.
"Who?" Shirakawa deadpanned hoping a certain someone would shut up already.
"Sawamura." Narumiya's grin widened.
"What? Where?" Shirakawa's monotonous tone turned into a high-pitched yell. His normally icy cold exterior cracked the tiniest bit.
Shirakawa blinked many times trying to process this piece of information.
"On the bathroom. Where else? What did you think I was doing there for so long?"
"Ohh right." Shirakawa gained back his lost composure knowing very well what Narumiya is trying to getting out of this. He made sure his face was indifferent even though he was super curious about what they had talked about.
"Who is this Sawamura guy?" Carlos enquired having no clue who he was.
"You remember that guy who was yelling today?"
Carlos nodded as it was quite impossible to forget someone who could yell like that. He had wondered if the guy was actually a baseball player or a member of cheering squad.
"He is an acquaintance of mine. But I would say he is friends with Shirakawa." Narumiya exposed.
"Huh? Friends with Shirakawa?" Carlos's bulging eyes were proof of his disbelief at the existence of someone whom Shirakawa considers his friend.
That block of stone? Has a friend really? That too that loudmouth?
Shirakawa glared intensely at Narumiya at this betrayal but Narumiya simply giggled at getting the reaction he had wanted out of him.
"Is that true, Shirawaka?" Carlos pried without a tinge of hesitation.
Silence was his response.
This silence might as well as be Shirakawa screaming a gigantic yes at the top of his lungs.
Carlos understood that.
"No way. Shirakawa. You. You have a friend?" Carlos gave a dramatic expression of his surprise.
Shirakawa rolled his eyes.
Now that it has come to this.
Shirakawa sighed.
"What did you guys talk about?" Shirakawa went along with Narumiya's wish.
Narumiya chuckled as he answered.
"Just the same old. About pitching and stuff. Ahh. Even Kazuya was there and he seemed shocked by how Sawamura and I knew each other. You should have seen his face. It was so fun. Such a shame. You should have come with me when I asked you." Narumiya smirked like the troublemaker he was.
"Are you guys ignoring me? How did Shirakawa even acknowledge someone to be his friend? I knew it. This must be an hallucination of my tired brain." Carlos insisted still staring at them in confusion.
Shirakawa sighed once more.
"It is hard to say no to a rabbit if it follows you everyday." He spoke as if that explained everything. A mental image of Sawamura innocently following him everyday and gazing at him like a lost little rabbit popped in his mind.
The bus stopped.
"Huh? What the hell? What do you mean by a rabbit? Hey Shirakawa don't run away. Don't you dare.." Carlos rambled as Shirakawa went out of his field of vision exiting the bus.
When he looked at Narumiya for an answer, Narumiya just laughed like a mad man with waterfall of tears flowing down his cheeks.
"I cannot believe I got to him." Narumiya spoke through his laughter.
Only one thought coursed through Carlos's mind.
What the freaking hell?
"Get moving already Mei." Harada scolded as he moved from the back of the bus.
"What are you spacing out for Carlos?" Harada moved on to the next target.
"Rabbit." Carlos mumbled.
"Huh?" Harada frowned.
Sawamura was highly distracted when he finally accomplished siting next to Chris which he had been hyped up about the whole day.
The image of Chris kneeling, holding his shoulder didn't leave his mind.
"You had so much to tell me? Are you bored talking with me?" Chris softly teased him.
Sawamura jerked towards his left on hearing that before shaking his head ferociously.
"Of course not, Chris-senpai. How could I? I'm just worried about you."
"I told you I'm fine. I really am fine. Or do you think I'm lying to you?" Chris continued his teasing. Chris had indeed hit shoulder against the door last night and explained the pain and tightness he felt. But he couldn't understand why Sawamura was so out of his mind with worry.
"Nooo. Senpai. I just felt really concerned since you didn't look well." Sawamura confessed.
Shaking his head, removing unwanted thoughts, Sawamura went head first into blabbering before Chris could say anything.
"I really had fun today senpai. Your catching was great. Azuma-senpai and Tetsu-senpai were amazing….." Sawamura went on as his eyes finally recovered their usual glowing spirit.
"You shouldn't have spoken to the coach like that. " Chris interrupted in a seemingly disappointed voice while holding back a smile.
"It was a spur of a moment kind of thing. I was just… It was just.."
"Sheer stupidity" Miyuki answered for him from the behind.
"Shut up you damn Tanuki." Sawamura bit back.
Kuramochi and Chris just cackled at Miyuki's timing sharing a weird connection.
"Where was I Chris-senpai?" Sawamura continued ignoring his catcher in the process.
"Haa. Right. I won't act carelessly in the future Chris-senpai." Sawamura resolved in front of Chris.
"Good Eijun." Chris smiled.
"So please catch for me." Sawamura pleaded once again.
Someone hit Sawamura right on the back of his head.
"Ahhhh."
"Yoichi, you too?" His eyes widened.
Kuramochi grinned back showcasing his true nature.
"Don't trouble Chris-senpai." That was his response.
"Thank you so much Kuramochi." Chris too joined in.
"Chris-senpai, you too? So unfair." Sawamura pouted with his lips curving downwards.
Chris just patted his head ruffling his hair by running his fingers through it.
"We are just joking Eijun. But seriously, stop asking me. You have to get to first string which you definitely can and I will catch for you anytime." Chris specified making sure Sawamura understood.
But sadly it didn't reach Sawamura's dense head.
"Catch for me Shishou." Sawamura beamed at Chris.
Chris sighed and tried to change the subject, "What don't we talk about Narumiya? Miyuki told me you guys meet in the bathroom."
When did that Tanuki talk with Chris-senpai?
"Yes senpai. We met him. He was just as arrogant as before if not more." Sawamura mumbled.
Upon hearing that a spectacular idea formed in Miyuki's mind.
"How does Sawamura know Narumiya Chris-senpai?" He decided to question a reliable source seeing that Sawamura is too dense to answer him.
"That was when Sawamura came to Tokyo."
"Tokyo? Didn't Sawamura go to middle school in Nagano?"
"Yes but when he was in his second year, he spent three months in Marugame Senior League with me. We had a golden training week with Kita Senior League (Narumiya's Senior League.)" Chris said like it was no big deal.
Kuramochi didn't understand much about elite Tokyo baseball stuff but even he knew joining a senior league for only three months out of nowhere was very difficult. Almost impossible.
He frowned as he tried to make sense of it.
Miyuki just exclaimed without reservation, "You were in Marugame Senior League?"
How is this possible?