"Kuramochi senpai, I think I screwed up."
"Huh. What?" Kuramochi immediately stop sipping coke out of the cup and set it down on the table with a little more force than he had intended.
The day Eijun had finally settled in the dorms and had somehow gotten into the mess of getting roomed with Kazuya, he had fled the battlefield and called his former baseball teammate to meet up in a nearby fast food chain. He thought he was ready with reporting his progress on his relationship with Kazuya, but when he saw the look on Kuramochi's face, he immediately regrets it.
Eijun flinched a little. He flashed Kuramochi an apologetic smile and said, "I… I told him I'm meeting up with a girlfriend."
The both of them stayed silent for a while, only the chatters of all the other people eating in the same fast food chain could be heard. Eijun tried to look away from Kuramochi, but Kuramochi's had face contorted into disbelief and started glaring daggers at him, both his arms across his chest.
"You are an idiot."
"U-uh.."
"Why the hell did you even tell him you're going out? You're not going anywhere aren't you?" Kuramochi raised his voice, slamming his palm on the table, smoke fuming out of his ears almost comically as he shouted from across the table. Nearly everyone in the restaurant turned to him and Eijun sat frozen on his seat, both arms raised in a defensive stance. "Now you call me out just to tell me this?!"
"Well, I was nervous! I never thought I'd be rooming with him! I tried to act normally but I'm at my limit!" Eijun exclaimed, still inching away from Kuramochi's looming stature, before he finally murmured under his breath, "I was so nervous I probably started talking too much."
"Also I wanted some… advice."
Kuramochi now had already reached from across the table, yanking Eijun's collar, making Eijun shriek, and started shouting. "ARE YOU A MAN? YOU ARE A MAN AREN'T YOU? ANSWER ME!"
Eijun, almost terrified, could only stutter out a 'yes, sir'. The way Kuramochi is right now is sucking all the consciousness out of him. When Kuramochi finally calmed down, he only clicked his tongue and folded his arms across his chest.
"Whatever, just don't break your promise."
"Yeah, I know. Wakana told me she'd go."
"That's good then!"
The next day, as promised, Kazuya cooked lunch for Eijun, but only if Eijun tags along with him to the supermarket. Kazuya, of course, didn't forget to threaten Eijun with natto if he refused.
By the time they get to their floor's kitchen, cooking was a total mess. Kazuya made Eijun help him, only to learn his lesson the hard way; never let Eijun inside the kitchen. When Kazuya told him to dice the potatoes, Eijun had nearly cut his own fingers. Kazuya had told him many times to 'curl your fingers in!', but Eijun could only get away with 'my hands refuses to cooperate'.
Kazuya might have ended having to clean up after Eijun's mess, but he didn't hate it the least bit. He loved this Eijun. He loved it when Eijun's face flush into embarrassment as Kazuya teased him about crying while cutting up the shallots. He loved having to take the knife from Eijun's hand, because when their hands lightly touch or when their shoulders bump a little, Kazuya could feel his heart flutter. No more gloves, no more catcher or fielder mitts. He loved seeing Eijun melt on the chair as he cooks, because Eijun can't resist the smell of Kazuya's cooking. He loved seeing Eijun all jittery and full of anticipation, never being able to stay still on his seat as Kazuya plated their lunch.
And when Eijun takes his first spoonful of Kazuya's cooking and hums in delight, Kazuya felt his heart grow lighter, as if that is all the confirmation he ever needs, and his whole life suddenly feels enough.
If only it'd be enough with just this...
The cans rolled out of the vending machine and Eijun bent down, picking it up, cold milk for him and for Kazuya, his all-time favourite black coffee.
"I still don't understand why you like it," Eijun said, handing the can over to the other boy, who took it with a little chuckle and a simple thank you.
They stood there silently, beside the vending machine outside the dorm, where a grassy lawn extended out before them, sipping sweetness and bitterness. It wasn't that late at night yet, but the wind gusted through the trees and it was cold enough to breeze out the afternoon summer heat off their skin.
"Say, Sawamura," Kazuya said, finally breaking the silence. Eijun lowered his can and turned towards Kazuya with a questioning look on his face. "How's yesterday?" he asked, voice cracking a bit at the end. His grip around his can tightened and clenched and unclenched his other fist inside his pocket.
"Ah, yesterday," Eijun took a sip before continuing, "I met up with Kura—"
Kazuya choked on his coffee.
"I MEAN—"
Kazuya turned towards Eijun, who was flailing his arms, almost dropping his milk, looking everywhere aside from Kazuya's direction, and blatantly raised an eyebrow.
"So you met up with Kuramochi," Kazuya said. "What happened to your girlfriend?"
"Um, well," Eijun started, but can't seem to stop fidgeting and scratching the back of his head. "She… suddenly couldn't go… and Kuramochi happened to be there."
Kazuya heaved a sigh. "You suck at lying."
"I-I-It's true!"
"And you don't actually have a girlfriend."
This time Eijun choked on his milk. "YOU!"
Kazuya only stepped back and leaned against the wall while taking his last sip of coffee before throwing it away. Crossing his arms across his chest, a wave of relief washed over him.
He doesn't have a girlfriend. All is well.
"No wonder. It felt weird for someone who's such a baseball idiot like you are to have a girlfriend," Kazuya said, a smirk tugging on the edge of his mouth. "Hmm, Sawamura?"
"I-I could say the same for you!" Eijun said, pointing a finger towards Kazuya.
"But I don't have a girlfriend."
Eijun gritted his teeth and clenched his fists almost comically, an incomprehensible string of words coming out of his mouth, not wanting to admit defeat.
"Speaking of which," Kazuya paused for a moment of uncertainty, turned his face away from Eijun, and continued, "Is there anyone you like?"
There was a few seconds of silence before Kazuya heard Eijun's slight 'eh'. Kazuya didn't believe in god, never thought of believing in god, but somehow, without him realising, he was praying right now, wishing for the answer he'd want to hear.