AUTHOR'S NOTE: Heyya! Another update! Have fun reading!
*** Chapter 6: Best Friend ***
It has been a week since the game between the seniors and first years happened. Miyuki did not get any opportunity to meet Erika alone after that. Whenever he caught sight of her at the hallways, or anywhere in school, she is either with her best friend, her brother or the classmates. She is easily surrounded by people. It still surprises Miyuki that she does not know how popular she is in school.
There are times Miyuki is urged to grab Sawamura's phone and copy her phone number but that will be breaching his privacy. Although he would have exploited his junior in anytime of day, he still holds respect towards personal belongings. He just needs that slightest chance to just bump on her without anyone else around.
Is that really too much to ask?
Miyuki huffs and puts away the manga he reads in class. Like always, the extra free time before practice is extended. Apparently, his homeroom teacher is expecting a child so she is not very fit to make use of every minute of the last period. Hence lessons end early. Before he met Erika, he would just return to his room and sleep. But with her in his mind all the time, his body feels heavy to leave school so soon.
The pain of waiting. Miyuki could have sworn he has no patience.
"Oi, Miyuki!"
His classmate calls him out from the corner of the classroom and walks towards him. The lad with tucked out shirt and unbuttoned blazer is not making any effort to hide his past Yankee habits. After all, the way he waxed his hair like some hurricane just blew in, Miyuki starts listing what he can do to tease him.
"You look awfully lost these days. Are you out of DVDs to watch or something?" the green haired lad jumps on the next empty table and sits, swinging his legs. "I can teach you how to play that game I bought yesterday."
"No thanks, Kuramochi," Miyuki refuses, folding his arms.
Damn, when you have an observant teammate in the same class.
"Lame! Just when I thought I could use you as a game partner!" Kuramochi grumbles. "Masuko-senpai is seldom in since he returned to the first string. Though I'm really happy he made it back. Third-years are really serious this year. They are not letting a second go without touching their bat or being in the field."
Miyuki leans back and nods.
"Are you even listening?" Kuramochi yaps, irritated with Miyuki's daydream mode.
Miyuki draws a long breath. "Yeah, yeah. I heard you."
"Is that monster rookie keeping you occupied? Too much to handle?"
"Well," Miyuki recalls practice with Furuya. "Apart from his speed and force, he sucks big time."
"Hyahaha! You really don't know how to mince your words, Teme!" the green haired lad slaps his own knee.
"One thing is certain," Miyuki grins at Kuramochi. "He is definitely playing in the summer tournament. The coach has high expectations for him. Just like Tanba. That didn't sound convincing at all, did it?"
The two lads chuckle among themselves, amused at their pitchers' personality issues. There is also another pitcher that grabs both their attention.
"That brat keeps on complaining about Chris-senpai, though," Kuramochi tells Miyuki with irk in his expression. "He keeps on nagging about the training menus given to him. If only he can just shut up and obey, I don't have to waste my energy wrestling him."
"You just want to jump on him, Kuramochi. There was no need to in the first place."
"Don't say it like that! It sounds wrong."
"Wrong? Hey, what is wrong with you jumping on that brat? Ah, you want it to be someone like..." Miyuki looks at the corner of his eyes. "Misawa-chan?"
Kuramochi leaps on Miyuki that their foreheads smash on one another. "Do you want me to kill you, brat?!"
Miyuki laughs bubbly. "I thought you're over her."
"I am!"
"Then why are you still hyped up about it?"
"No, I'm not!"
"Really pathetic, Kuramochi. You didn't even confess and you just gave up."
"Uruse! I regretted even asking you for your advice! Just forget it, will ya?!"
Miyuki has his collar grabbed and his body shaken by Kuramochi's anger. The boy with glasses continues laughing his heart out, not dismissing the red cheeks of the former gangster boy. After what feels like an hour of arguing, Miyuki decides to head to the library for a change. Kuramochi refuses to tag along, not fancying books and the studious atmosphere. He rather runs around the field than to be buried with books.
When Miyuki disappears into the library, Kuramochi intends to proceed down the hallway. Something about that girl passing by him is too hard for him to ignore. He turns sideways, noticing her long mocha hair settling nicely on her back. She also enters the library. Kuramochi furrows his brows, blinking his eyes and recalling the brief moment of her.
Did she look like someone he knows?
Kuramochi enters the library, totally defeated by his curiosity.
Like a ninja, he slips in between students and makes his way into a maze of bookshelves. His eyes are still fixed on the brunette. She found a book from a shelf and brings it to a nearby table. No one is seated there. From the distance Kuramochi is standing, he cannot figure out her face.
As though she knows he is watching, she decidedly sits facing her back at him.
The green haired boy grunts, thinking that his attempt to see her close has failed. If he pushes himself to cross pass her, it will be obvious he is stealing looks on her. With his mind made up to give up, Kuramochi straightens his posture and steers away.
"Erika-chan?"
Kuramochi spins around in a heartbeat, hearing Miyuki call on a girl.
Miraculously, it is the brunette Kuramochi is eyeing on.
"Miyuki-senpai," she stands up in surprise and bows elegantly. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," Miyuki chuckles at her abrupt show of respect.
Kuramochi's face whitens. What is wrong with this picture? A girl with good etiquette and flawless beauty talking to the rude mean poker face Miyuki?!
"Am I disturbing you?" Miyuki asks, putting up his poker face that implies friendliness.
"I just got here," she replies with a soft voice.
"What a coincidence. Me too," Miyuki adds. "I came here for reading materials on my upcoming science project. Are you doing the same?"
Erika hesitantly answers. "I think I am. It's a History project, actually."
"Then it's not coincidence. We are fated to meet each other here, Erika-chan."
Kuramochi is about to puke. There is definitely wrong about them being together. Someone, anyone! Save her!
"So how's tennis going for you?" The carefree senior takes the seat next to her, like a boss.
Kuramochi swore he saw the girl flinch and carry her chair a few inches away from Miyuki.
"I like to read this book, please," she politely insists on doing what she comes here for.
"What about the game?" Miyuki is being stubborn and forward. "When are you going to invite me to see you play?"
Kuramochi smirks. This must be the reason Miyuki is distracted. He is falling for this tennis girl.
"I will tell you when I will have one," Erika forces out those words until her shoulders tremble. "Can you please leave me alone?"
Miyuki clicks his tongue, a sign of rebellion. "Come on now. Not that you enjoy being alone. You are always surrounded by people. You'll be bored if I go."
"Says who?" Erika stiffens. "Don't accuse me as such, Miyuki-senpai."
The glasses boy chuckles. "Eh? Did I make you angry?"
"Leave me alone."
Kuramochi senses resistance between them. Just as he expected, they are not good for each other. Thinking he should intervene, he makes a step forward. Miyuki notices someone's stare and when he turns, he sees across two tables, a lad jumping onto a seat with a book hiding his face.
That was bloody close! Kuramochi sweats behind the book.
A white smirk curves on Miyuki's lips.
"How's Sawamura?" Miyuki shoots a question.
"Ei-chan," the girl mutters the name with full of worry.
Kuramochi grips the book tightly. What? She knows that brat too! And calling him Ei-chan? How close are those two?
"He's been training hard. I thought that when he makes it to second string, he will focus on pitches," Erika explains what she learned. "But his catcher is making him do the menus. I've seen them. They are not easy. Not even a high school standard."
"Yeah," Miyuki slacks alittle. "That's Chris-senpai's method. But look at the bright side. Because of that game that day, he is somewhere other than the perimeters of our field."
"It's no good, Miyuki-senpai," Erika hums, shaking her head. "I don't think Ei-chan can take this treatment any longer. There must be something I can do for him."
Hold it a second! Why is she helping Sawamura?! Kuramochi silently bites his tie. Didn't he have Wakana already? He has to flirt with another brunette here! Not to mention, a pretty kind loving sweet brunette! This is unacceptable! She needs to know Sawamura is taken! I'm single right here!
Taking things to a higher level, Miyuki wraps an arm on the back of Erika's chair. Kuramochi feels something drop inside of him.
Where are your hands going, dumbass?!
"Miyuki-senpai," Erika notices his advancement.
"Is that why you're studying breaking balls?"
"Eh?"
The arm that lengthens behind her reaches a magazine that Erika hides under her other arm. She thought she is quick enough to put it away when Miyuki approached her. Too bad the genius catcher notices it way before he knows it is Erika. Miyuki cannot have mistaken a baseball magazine when he sees one.
In one pull, Miyuki steals it from her and leafs through the pages. He tries not to stare at the blossoming cheeks right next to him.
"Oi, oi," Miyuki smirks with bright eyes. "You have the latest edition. This has everything a baseball player wants to see. An intensive collection of recognised plays and pitches from the pros. Erika-chan, how did you get your hands on this?"
"I borrowed from Takashima-sensei," Erika hushes impatiently, wanting the book back.
Miyuki looks at her in surprise. "Ri-chan? I can't believe she let you have this!"
"Please keep it down, Miyuki-senpai," Erika places her finger on her lips.
"Why didn't she tell me she has this? I could've borrowed this from her."
Erika takes the turn to smirk. "Considering your passion, you might just lie that you lost it and you'll keep it under your pillow. I also heard you don't return her scorebooks on time."
"Horrible..." Miyuki growls lowly yet his eyes devour the contents of the magazine. "She really trusts you that much to let you have this. You're lucky, Erika-chan."
"I can let you read it for an hour," Erika proposes, having Miyuki look up at her. "I promised her to return it today."
Miyuki raises a brow. "Eh? If I read it, you won't get the chance to read."
The brunette chuckles. "I think it's impossible to understand everything in the magazine within an hour."
"Erika-chan," Miyuki says her name, somehow needing to confirm that she is not holding back.
"It's okay," Erika smiles. "Seeing you so excited for a magazine, you must really love baseball, right, Miyuki-senpai?"
"Yeah," Miyuki raises the book over his face.
Kuramochi snorts. What an atmosphere. And that kid can blush like a doll!
"Erika-chan."
"Hmm?"
Miyuki grabs her wrist and pulls her close. "Let's go somewhere we can be alone."
"What-" Erika cannot manage to finish her question when she heard the noise of falling chairs.
She turns to see the table at where Kuramochi stands up in a jolt.
"Teme!"
Kuramochi reacts shocked as he heard his own voice in sync with someone else. Little did he realise, he is sitting next to a orange haired girl. She too stands up in spur of moment, shouting the exact same curse. When her brown eyes lay on Kuramochi, the boy whitens and takes a step back.
"Eh, Kuramochi," Miyuki giggles. "Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?"
Kuramochi bristles at Miyuki. "Don't casually say that!"
"You've been sitting with her all the time."
"I didn't even know!" Kuramochi cannot even look at the orange haired girl until he notices she is moving awkwardly.
"Wait, Megumi-chan!"
A tennis ball flies up in the air and drops just in time to be hit by the racket. The green ball fires at Miyuki who has his eyes hardened. Erika pulls him quickly out of the ball's path, thankfully missing Miyuki's face but the ball hits the wall with a rebound and shoots at the back of Miyuki's head.
"Ouch!" Miyuki screams as Kuramochi rushes coming over to the lad.
"What is going on here?" The librarian arrives, admonishing the four students.
...
At the school garden where benches are available, Miyuki continues flipping the pages of the magazine, doing his best reading and scrolling to every picture and word on it. Erika who is sitting across him checks on her watch.
"Ten more minutes, Miyuki-senpai."
"I'm almost done," Miyuki huffs, staring at an article. "It would be alot of fun if I don't have vulture looking eyes on me."
"Suck it up," groans Megumi as she is sitting next to Erika and plants a glare on Miyuki. "As long as I live, I will not allow you be alone with my Eri!"
Erika sighs. "Stop saying such things, Megumi-chan."
"I don't know why you are even talking to him! He sounds like a pervert. That glasses is just a disguise, a mask of his evil intentions!" Megumi states loudly.
"Oi, I'm still here," Miyuki grumbles. "I can hear you."
"Hyahahaha!" Kuramochi who sits next to Miyuki and facing Megumi laughs. "Nice knowing you have both a girl that respects you and the other does not respect you."
Eyes not lifting from the magazine, Miyuki hisses. "Why are you even here, brat?"
"It's rare to see you with girls, so I'm going to see it till the end," Kuramochi chuckles. "Besides, this is the first time I met Sawamura's twin sister. As his roommate, I'm just looking out while he is not around."
Megumi folds her arms. "I'm enough to protect Eri-chan."
Her words silence Kuramochi who replies with a nervous smile.
"What happened to you going home and play with Mizumi-chan?" Erika wonders, as she asks Megumi.
"Mom just called that she is bringing him to visit Granny. I will be home alone if I go home now. So I thought I wait for you after you finished your errands with Takashima-sensei," Megumi explains. "When this pervert came to your table, and had the nerves to touch you, I was planning to hit more than one tennis ball."
"And here I thought that we are old enough to differentiate the library from the tennis court," Miyuki grumbles, still feeling the pain at the back of his head.
"I don't want to hear that from you!" Megumi replies blithely.
Erika pulls her back from attacking Miyuki. "Please calm down, Megumi-chan! I'm okay. I could have handled it on my own. What you did back there was clearly dangerous. You could injure Miyuki-senpai and be banned from tennis."
Megumi blinks in surprise and hangs her head low. "Sorry, Eri."
"Though it will be hilarious if you really hit him," Kuramochi laughs. "That ball was intensely fast. His glasses could break into pieces."
"Are you seriously my teammate, Kuramochi?" Miyuki glares at him for a second.
"I was hoping you can catch it," the green haired lad teases. "You obviously couldn't, huh, famous boy?"
"Don't even try to," Erika warns the two lads. "A ball thrown by the hand and by the racket are different in speed and impact. Megumi is a power-hitter. It won't be just his glasses that will break but he can suffer a concussion."
"That serious?!" Kuramochi gasps. "Are you for real?"
"Yeah," Megumi smiles proudly. "You can ask Eijun how it felt like."
Kuramochi bursts into laughter. "No wonder he is an idiot!"
"He's not!" Erika defends her brother.
Miyuki closes the book and rests it on the table. "Thanks so much guys for staying quiet while I read this."
Erika grins with guilt while both Megumi and Kuramochi give him disgusted looks for his token of sarcasm.
"I guess my ten minutes is up," Miyuki pushes the book towards her. "Thank you for letting me read this."
"You're welcome, Miyuki-senpai."
"In return, I will entertain a single request," Miyuki offers with a grin.
"Really?" Erika's eyes brighten.
Kuramochi chuckles. "That's something new."
"Forget it! She doesn't need anything from you," Megumi blurts but gets silenced with Erika's hand.
"Please, Miyuki-senpai, hear my request," Erika asks, followed by Miyuki's nod. "Can you help Eijun and practice his pitches?"
"No."
Erika stiffens. "But-"
"I can't go against Ri-chan's orders, obviously," Miyuki states his reason. "I have Furuya to work on. It won't be fair to Chris-senpai if I oblige to your request."
Kuramochi nods, understanding Miyuki's rejection. Erika appears upset that her seek for help in Eijun's behalf is rejected.
Miyuki sighs. "If you continue spoon-feeding that kid, he will not learn and be independent. Sawamura has to find his own way of becoming a full-fledged pitcher. It all begins from him. So first thing he needs to do is to listen to his catcher and senior how to improve himself."
"But all he does now is just more form of exercises than running," Erika argues back. "I admit Ei-chan's pitching technique is amateur. Isn't that why he came to Seido? He wants to be better at pitching, not to become strongly built."
Seeing Erika fired up, Kuramochi is impressed. The twins are pretty similar when it comes to getting what they wanted. Eijun is lucky to have a sister who comes all the way to Tokyo with him and still supports him no matter what. There is no doubt that anyone can find her attractive. She has beauty in her features and her heart. She is perfect.
As perfect as Miyuki, if Kuramochi is being generous.
Perhaps that is why Miyuki is interested in her. Kuramochi also remembers that Miyuki is eager to watch her play too. Kuramochi feels the same way as Miyuki now. He really wants to see her play tennis. It must be awesome.
"Why don't you ask something for yourself?" Kuramochi proposes with a small grin. "I'm sure Miyuki can do something you can't do."
"What are you saying?" Miyuki looks at his pal, not getting what Kuramochi means.
Erika looks at Kuramochi for a moment before looking at Miyuki again. "Well, there is one thing."
"Eh? There is?" Megumi looks at Erika with shock.
Miyuki can only blink his eyes.
It is late at night yet Sawamura is still out at the field. Finishing his routine exercise, he falls back on the soiled ground and stares up at the stars. His muscles are feeling numb, his sweat leaving a cooling sensation on his skin. He wonders if he is overworked himself.
When it was his first time doing the menu, he was pumped up and boasted in front of his catcher. Chris told him off to do it for a year and that just pissed him even more.
What is this? Why is it that he thought he got better and things are still not in his favour?
He wanted to complain to his sister, telling her everything of what his heart feels right now. That very idea is forgotten when he sees Erika working hard as chairman. Eijun cannot ignore her efforts doing something she is not used to. She is never the type to do leadership roles back in middle school. She has always been the quiet and shy girl that sticks to either Megumi or Eijun all the time.
Erika is now surrounded by her classmates almost everyday, as they are assisting her in student affairs. At one point of time, Eijun is proud that Erika is starting to evolve into a braver person, mingling with her peers. But in another point of view, Eijun is worried she will be harmed or bullied due to her small frame and vulnerable face. Although Megumi will be around, Eijun still worries about her.
The right thing he can do now is not to make her worry about him. Eijun is prepared to bring her good news next time he sees her. For now, he should concentrate in getting better with his pitching and support her behind her back. She deserves her own space to grow on her own.
"Yo!"
Miyuki' s head pops over him as Eijun rolls away in fright. When he sits up, he yaps at his senior for surprising him like that. The glasses senior crouches with a bat resting on his shoulder.
"I thought you passed out after that last set of burpees," Miyuki giggles. "We don't want this field to be haunted by an idiot."
"Don't joke around, Teme! What are you doing here so late?!" Sawamura shouts back.
Miyuki tosses a bottle of Pocari Sweat and a box of chocolate flavoured Pocky. Sawamura struggles catching them and looks at them in awe.
"These for me?" Sawamura blinks at Miyuki.
"Yeah," the glasses senior nods. "For the hard work and training."
"Disgusting," Sawamura gets creeped out.
Miyuki blasts him with a loud laugh. "I feel more disgusted than you are."
"Then why are you giving me these?" Sawamura groans. "It's my favourite snack and drink. How did you even know?"
"I can read minds," Miyuki holds the frames of his glasses, playfully examining Sawamura.
The brat flinches. "Who would believe that?!"
"Whatever!" Miyuki stands up and starts walking. "Hurry up and get a bath. Don't stay up so late."
"Hey!" Sawamura stands up and runs to block Miyuki's way. "Since you are out here, let's play catch."
Miyuki groans. "Did you see my mitt on? No, right? So forget it!"
"Oh come on! Chris-senpai won't do it! You won't do it! And I can't possibly play with Ri-chan! Who else will play catch with me?!" Sawamura blurts his anger at Miyuki.
The senior pats his shoulder and steers away to his original path, walking away. "Figure that yourself, mate."
"Everyone here is just selfish," Sawamura says lowly, though Mjyuki can hear him.
The glasses boy stops in his tracks for a moment and looks at Sawamura's back. "You better hurry and improve yourself. Furuya is improving faster than you can ever imagine."
"What?!" Sawamura pierces him with a hard look.
Miyuki stretches his white grin. "Yeah. I can see him being the ace in no time."
"I make you swallow those words back, stupid megane!" Sawamura yells at him and stomps past him. "I will be much much much better than that droopy eyes!"
The senior lets his laughter echo in the field. Riling Sawamura up is becoming a habit. Miyuki cannot resist to fire him up. In any case, at least he replenishes the confidence in Sawamura.
"So good!" Sawamura munches on his chocolate snacks. "Where did you buy this?"
"At the convenience store nearby school," Miyuki answers. "Though I only intended to buy strawberry flavoured ones."
"Eh, I never thought you eat this kind of snacks."
"Who said I do? I don't fancy sweets."
"Then why did you buy it?"
"Because I owed someone a favour."
Sawamura has his eyes twitched. "Don't tell me."
"Weird habit, don't ya think?" Miyuki shakes his head in dismay. "Everytime she buys strawberry, she will buy chocolate ones too. So I have to do the same. Coming in pairs sure is pain in the ass."
"Teme!" Sawamura jolts into a chase, as Miyuki runs for his life. "Come back here! How many times I tell you not to disturb her, baka!"
"Hahaha!"
Thank you for reading! I have all my characters that I'll be using for this story. So the drama will start next chappie bahaha! Cant wait! Im excited lol! See ya next chapter!