It was in the middle of the game. Edogawa Dragons vs. Akagi Middle.
A certain catcher had a suspicion that something just wasn't right. Sure, the team he's playing against is weak and it's obvious that they'll lose but… their pitcher is just yelling out encouragements to his teammates like he's just getting started.
When Sawamura, the ace and captain, is at bat, Miyuki asks him what was on his mind, "Why are you holding back?"
Sawamura looks at him with cat eyes, startled before just glaring at the pitcher as he readies his bat, "Well… I don't have much of a choice in the matter."
'No choice?' Miyuki blinks, 'Ah…' as he remembers how Sawamura's teammates basically want him to hold back for their sake.
Sawamura pulls off a beautiful bunt before running to first.
"SAFE!"
Sawamura just smiles, pumping his fist up. Miyuki couldn't help but compare him to the sun.
However, Sawamura's teammates just couldn't pull through for him.
In the fifth and last inning, which was most likely going to be a called-game, Sawamura was on the mound, Miyuki at bat.
Miyuki glares at the sunshine pitcher, silently saying, 'Don't you dare go easy on me!'
This causes the pitcher to flinch before glaring right back, accepting it as a challenge. He winds up, and pitches with his best…but his catcher failed to catch it, and even Miyuki couldn't see where the ball was going and missed.
"PASSED BALL!"
This surprised Miyuki, and apparently Akagi too.
Re-positioning himself, Miyuki pays close attention to the ball this time.
"BALL!"
Miyuki smiles, a bit excited now. 'An idiosyncratic pitch?'
On the next pitch, he hits it by pure luck before running.
Akagi lost in the end.
After bowing and thanking the other team for the game, Miyuki hears his teammates insult Akagi. But Sawamura just ignores it, letting the words roll off his back like water on a duck's back.
'I want to catch for him,' Miyuki muses as he imagines what that would be like. To catch pitches that even the pitcher doesn't know where they'll end up.
Coincidently, both teams would have lunch nearby. With Akagi staying a fair distance away from the Dragons.
With Miyuki's interest in Sawamura peaked, he walks up to him.
"Mind if I sit here?" Miyuki asks.
"Why aren't you sitting with your teammates?" Sawamura asks, his eyebrow raised.
"Eh… I wanted a change of scenery," Miyuki shrugs.
"…you're weird," Sawamura mutters as Miyuki smiles, sitting down beside him as the pitcher didn't say no.
It's silent as they eat before Sawamura sighs, "You're actually the first person outside of my team to notice that… and probably the only one if I'm being honest."
Miyuki knows what he's talking about, a smirk on his face as he's slightly proud of being the first, "I am, huh?"
"Uh-huh," Sawamura nods meekly.
They two chat, making small talk as they finish lunch before having to part ways.
Of course, when they meet again…
'That voice…where have I heard it before?'
"AH! MIYUKI KAZUYA!"
Miyuki blinks, "…I honestly never thought I'd see you again. Sawamura, right?"
"Yes…" Sawamura's eyes narrowed, lowly growling, "I never thought I'd see you again either, you infuriating tanuki."
Miyuki smirks, "Well~ let's slay this monster, shall we?"
"I was going to do that anyway!" yell Sawamura.
"Hahaha," Miyuki laughed, knowing that catching for Sawamura will be fun.
As Sawamura warms up, Miyuki curiously asks, "Have you held back for all of middle school?"
It took a pause before Sawamura answered, "…I didn't hold back on the last pitch of my last game."
'So other than that, you've basically held back the whole time,' Miyuki muses, his smirk disguising his thoughts.
Before they went out, Miyuki sighs, "You better not hold back on me, idiot."
"OF COURSE NOT!" Sawamura yells back before muttering, "I'm tired of doing that anyway."
Their meeting goes as it should.
After Sawamura leaves, Rei talks to Miyuki…
"You know him?"
"I played in a match against him before," Miyuki shrugs, smiling so as to not give anything away.
"Uh-huh…" Rei's glasses flash, "Then what was that about Sawamura not "holding back" with you?"
"Well…" Miyuki sighs, "He told me that he created his team by himself, leading as both ace and captain, and all without a coach to speak of."
He smiles at Rei's shocked face.
"Sawamura only told me that because apparently, I'm the only one who noticed he was holding back the whole game he played against my team…and that I'm the only one who asked."
Miyuki walks off, "If that idiot does come here…well," he smiles, "It'll be interesting times~."
For once, he's excited about the future.
When Sawamura predictably comes to Seido…
Miyuki smiles as he sees this loudmouth pitcher, his interest peaked once again. Of course, Miyuki being Miyuki, he messes with him like he does everyone else… but maybe a bit less than usual.