heavy content, viewer discretion advised

Anime4us

Chapter 27

"You seem upset."

Miyuki felt his annoyance boiling at his father's nonchalant tone.

"My pitcher just potentially broke his wrist, why wouldn't I be?" The catcher snapped.

"It's your own fault." The older man stated with a sigh.

"Excuse me?" Miyuki practically growled.

"Watch your tone with me."

Miyuki resisted the urge to step back as his father sent a cold glare in his direction.

"You panicked out there, didn't you Kazuya?" His father stated before raising a brow.

"What are you talking abou-"

"You panicked when faced with loaded bases. How pathetic." Miyuki's father had the gall to chuckle lightly.

Miyuki clenched his fists, anger radiating off of him in waves.

"You rushed that call. Instead of assessing the many different plays that you could have called for. Even if conceding a point was the end result, you could have walked the Teito batter. Your pitcher wouldn't be in the hospital right now."

Miyuki felt as though his father's words were piercing him with each syllable.

"But instead of doing your job as a catcher, and assessing every aspect around you, you not only failed in calling the right play, but you failed as a captain as well. Look at you. Standing out here while the second string catcher has to clean up your bloody mess."

Miyuki's eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to block out his father's words.

"You're team put their trust in you and look where it got them. A member in the hospital and a useless catcher on the bloody side lines. What a joke. What am I even paying for?"

"Shut up." Miyuki hissed, his temper boiling.

"What did you say to me?" His father demanded, pushing up off of the small equipment shed.

"I said shut up!" Miyuki growled. "I'm so tired of trying to impress you! Why are you even here!?"

"I have the right to see what I'm paying for. Apparently it's not even worth it."

Miyuki started to laugh, watching as his father's gaze turned from anger to scrutinizing him.

"What's so funny Kazuya, do enlighten me."

"You're hilarious dad." Miyuki spat, his laughter falling flat as he fixed his father with an unamused expression. "To see what you're paying for? Is that all this is?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Kazuya."

Miyuki's fingernails were digging into his palms as both he and his father exchanged words.

"Why are you here? You've never cared before."

"I'm a busy man Kazuya."

"Right. How could I forget that I wasn't worth your time?" Miyuki scoffed.

"You know this isn't what we're talking about right now." His father stated while narrowing his eyes.

"Why not, if you can state my flaws, why don't we start listing yours off shall we? You're a horrible father. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't remember my birthday."

"You better stop talking boy. This is extremely disrespectful."

Miyuki scoffed at his father's words before continuing.

"Ever since mom died, I've lost both my parents. I had to practically raise myself on envelops of money you left on the bloody counter. Eventually those stopped to, didn't they? Did you think I would just disappear because you wanted me to? That I would just stop coming back?"

"Kazuya. Enough." Miyuki's father said warningly.

"Oh, have I hit a sore spot dad? Something I shouldn't have said? What you don't seem to get is that when mom died, so did you." Miyuki spat. "And not only did you lose her, I lost her to."

Miyuki stumbled back, his sports glasses hitting the gravel before his father's angry pants became distinguishable.

"Unbelievable." Miyuki stated, a smirk with no humor behind it painting itself across his lips. "That's the one thing you had left going for you and you just threw it away. I had a sliver of respect left for you… and you just shattered it in thirty seconds flat."

Seido's catcher wiped his cheek with the back of his hand before turning his back towards his father.

"Get back over here." His father demanded.

"What, so you can hit me again?" Miyuki asked as he bent down to pick up his sport's glasses. "Ah… I'm going to need a new pair." The catcher mumbled to himself.

"What the hell?"

Miyuki glanced back to see Seido's second string third baseman.

"Kanemaru."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to put the scene in front of them together, especially with how red the right side of Miyuki's face was.

Kanemaru could cut the air around the three of them with a knife as he walked towards Miyuki.

"Let's head back to the dorms." Kanemaru said before forcing a smile.

Miyuki's father looked less than ready to agree, though unfortunately for the older male, Miyuki had nothing more to say to him.

0_0_0_0

"Are you ok?" Kanemaru asked as Miyuki walked along him silently.

"Why wouldn't I be ok?"

Kanemaru's eyes did a quick once over, noticing just how tense his captain still was.

"Rei is gonna head to the hospital in an hour."

Kanemaru didn't miss how Miyuki's jaw clenched at the mention of the hospital.

"She wanted me to tell you."

"Thanks." Miyuki stated before heading towards the stairs.

His reply was terse, though Kanemaru was expecting it. Almost everyone was aware of the relationship that the pitcher and catcher shared, so it was no wonder Miyuki was so stressed.

0_0_0_0

Kuramochi wasn't in the best of moods. He was barely focusing on the game as the ball passed him by and flew towards left field. It was something he could have easily fielded had his mind been in the game. Not only had Sawamura gone and gotten himself put out of commission, Miyuki had been a zombie the second the pitcher had been directed off the field.

The inning was over when Seido managed to get the third out, though Teito had a four point lead that Kuramochi couldn't bring himself to care about.

"I don't want to continue playing anymore…"

The shortstop glanced towards the petite second baseman. Haruichi was staring at the ground, face grim as the team's aura wafted around them.

"It's no fun anymore… What if it's really bad?"

"Stop that." Haruichi looked up in surprise as Kuramochi snapped at him. "They would want us to continue playing. Don't you think Sawamura would be upset to see the bloody slump we've put ourselves in right now? Not to mention Miyuki would kick our asses."

The whole team was staring at Kuramochi as he spoke.

"Miyuki has it worse than any of us do.." Someone muttered.

"Then why are you moping? Why don't we try and win this game, bring the good news to both him and Sawamura instead of a loss."

0_0_0_0

"I'm very sorry that this has happened… And in a practice match no less… I do not believe there is much to gain out of finishing this game…"

Kataoka listened to Teito's coach speak before nodding.

"I understand. I do not blame you. Baseball is a sport played at a very quick pace. Unfortunately, our pitcher learnt that the tough way today… Either way, the first four innings were very good game experience for my team, I appreciate you making the commute to come all the way here."

Kataoka put his hand out to shake the Teito coach's hand, small smile in place.

0_0_0_0

Miyuki's catcher's equipment lay all over his dorm room floor. He'd discarded them in half rage half annoyance as he slammed the door behind him. The room was a blurry mess in front of his eyes and he couldn't help but laugh.

This is fucking great. My whole life is a bloody sad metaphor.

Seido's captain grabbed the small, hand held, black case that sat on his nightstand, opening it before putting the black rimmed pair of glasses on. His vision cleared immediately, allowing him to locate his bathing stuff before leaving the room.

Miyuki's mind was in a dark place as he opened the doors to the boy's bathing area. He set his stuff down before pulling his shirt off. He finished undressing, placing his glasses on top of his clothes before stepping into one of the showers.

It's your own fault.

Miyuki's hands found the cool wall as the shower rained down on his head and shoulders.

You panicked.

Seido's captain fingers curled in against the wall.

Even if conceding a point was the end result, you could have walked the Teito batter. Your pitcher wouldn't be in the hospital right now.

Miyuki pulled back and punched the wall in front of him, trying to release some of the pent up frustration he had built up.

I did rush that call. It's my fault that he's in the bloody hospital… what was I thinking?

"Damn it!" Miyuki hissed as he shut the water off.

The catcher wrapped a towel around his waist before heading back to where he'd left his stuff. He put his glasses on before grabbing his toiletries and heading to the washroom area of the bathing house.

He stood in front of the mirror as he spread shaving cream along his jaw line and lower neck. Seido's catcher pulled out his razor, slowly beginning to shave away the cream, along with the whiskers under it.

Get back over here.

Miyuki flinched as the memory of his father's hand flashed across his eyes. Once he was focusing on his reflection once more, he couldn't help but notice the small cut he had inflicted on his cheek. It was nothing serious, it was barely even bleeding, a small slip of the finger. But even as Miyuki rationalized with himself, he couldn't help but yearn for more. Yearn for the feeling of the blade slicing across his skin, cutting flesh instead of the gentle pace he kept up to shave his face.

Miyuki's fingers seemed to twitch with anticipation as he forced himself to finish shaving his face before washing it.

What are you waiting for?

Miyuki paused as he dried his face, looking at his blurry image in the mirror.

You want to do it don't you?

Miyuki could feel his arms tensing up with anticipation.

Kazuya!

Images of the catcher's southpaw flashed through his mind. Times they had spent. The rough times that they had overcome. The smiles they had shared. The secret kisses and then the not so secret ones.

Even if conceding a point was the end result, you could have walked the Teito batter. Your pitcher wouldn't be in the hospital right now.

The images of Sawamura smiling and calling out to him shattered, only to be replaced with the tear stricken face that Miyuki had seen seconds after he'd made the call for the moving fast ball.

It wasn't small. It wasn't one. It wasn't shallow. Miyuki felt his arms going numb, reveling in the feeling that followed. It was nothing. He stumbled slightly, his legs given out on him. The catcher found himself on the floor, the sound of the running tap coming in and out of focus as his vision darkened around the corners.

This is the best anyways. I didn't deserve the happy act that I was playing. Dad was right… I fucked up… What I failed to tell him was that… Even though he died alongside mom… So did I…

0_0_0_0

Haruichi had his toiletries under his arm as he made his way towards the bath house that the Seido baseball team shared. He hadn't been the least bit surprised when the coach had called the game, though perhaps he was a little disappointed.

Kuramochi had managed to not only turn his determination back on, but turn the team's momentum around with a couple words alone.

His words still have such a heavy effect on me…

The pinklet thought as a sigh left his lips. He pulled his shirt off before his stomach turned unhappily.

Damn… I don't think I've eaten anything today…

Haruichi put his shirt beside his toiletries before making his way towards the washroom, his stomach fairly upset. The pinklet turned to walk into the bathroom, not expectation the scene that unfolded in front of him.

Haruichi couldn't stop the bile that clawed its way up his throat as his eyes landed on the scarlet that ordained the bathroom.

0_0_0_0

Kuramochi nearly jumped out of his skin when Haruichi threw his door open.

"Yoichi!"

Kuramochi was about to snap at the pinklet when he saw his ashen face stained with tears. The shortstop quickly crossed the room, grabbing Haruichi's bare shoulders as the boy caught his breath.

"What happened? Where's your shirt?..." The second question came out a little more awkward.

"Miyuki…" Haruichi couldn't speak, he was panting too hard.

"Kazuya what, Haruichi? Talk to me!" Kuramochi demanded, his annoyance leaking through.

"Bath… so much blood…"