America's Greatest Pasttime
Later, at the stadium
When we got to the stadium, there were already people in line for tickets, with some already having bought the tickets beforehand and are just waltzing into the gates past the line. Monika and I got off at the curb where our chauffeur dropped us off. Monika told the chauffeur beforehand to have some free time while we were at the game, but said to be ready to pick us up at any time. He didn't want to go to the baseball game and we didn't have an extra ticket for him anyway, so I would assume he would spend his time probably doing something else for fun. And I am sure there is something for him to do since we were in this part of Tokyo.
In Shinjuku, Tokyo, where the stadium is, there are many things aside from the sports complexes here. There are a few historical sites and shrines, as well as museums in the area, so I doubt that the chauffeur would have trouble finding something to pass the time. Meanwhile, Monika and I entered the gate that led into the ballfield.
A representative was wearing a dark blue polo with the word Yakult on the front as well as khaki pants waiting for us inside. From the looks of it, he recognized the two of us immediately and went over to introduce himself.
"Hello, are you Takeuchi-sama's daughter?" the man asked when he approached us.
"Why yes indeed," said Monika, "Just call me Takeuchi-san. I would assume that my father has told you guys about me?"
"That would be correct, yes," said the representative, relaxing a little as if he was getting nervous or something. "And I am going to guess that you are accompanying Takeuchi-san?" he said, looking towards me.
"Yeah, I am," I said in affirmative, "The name's Lee-san."
"Well, nice to meet you, Lee-san," the man said, "And you too Takeuchi-san. That being said, shall we get started with the tour?"
The representative led us around the entire stadium, showing off the history behind these walls. According to the guy, this stadium is the second oldest baseball stadium in Japan, being built in 1926, almost a hundred years ago, around the time baseball started booming in the US.
He brought us to the historical displays where history was written in the walls of this place. He explained the twists and turns throughout the history of the stadium and baseball in Japan in general.
"And here is one of the baseball bats that Babe Ruth himself used when he played here in Japan, along with other famous MLB players such as Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx," he explained as he showed us a bat that was enclosed in a glass display. I was pretty shocked when he told me that.
"Wait, did you say Babe Ruth?" I asked. "The Babe Ruth?"
"Yep!" he said, "The American superstar in the first half of the twentieth century played here in this very stadium."
"Well, ain't that dandy," I murmured to myself. Monika smiled as she saw my sudden excitement. Even if you don't play baseball, the name Babe Ruth oughta ring a bell, right? The guy's a legend.
"You wanna know something cool?" asked the representative. "It's a pretty dark detail that happened before the game, so I'm asking if you want to know or not."
"Sure," I said, shrugging my shoulders, curious as to what he had to say.
"Well," he started the little story, "The first game that Babe Ruth and company had played on their 22 game tour here in Japan was played here in Meiji Jingu. Now, the person who masterminded the whole tour was a man named Matsutaro Shoriki, who was called 'The Father of Baseball' in Japan. Now, before the game, which took place in 1934, tension between the US and Japan started increasing a little, right? Since it was a few years before the start of the Second World War. But, might as well have a friendly ballgame between the two countries."
"A ballgame amid a growing threat of war. That sounds rather poetic," Monika commented.
"Hey, even if two people hate each other, a ball would bring them together," I added to her comment.
"Well, right-wing Japanese nationalists didn't want Babe Ruth and company to play. So you know what they did?"
"What?" I asked.
"One man decided to take matters in his own hands and attacked Matsutaro, leaving him with a 16-inch scar on his body. The weapon? A broadsword." A broadsword? That… sounds very ridiculous.
I started laughing at the fact that someone tried to attack a guy with a broadsword. Like seriously? In the age of guns, some guy takes out a sword? "That sounds very absurd," I said, "Like, why did the guy have a sword of all things?"
"I know, right?" said the representative, "In retrospect, I wonder how no one even thought that the assassin was looking suspicious."
I looked over to Monika, who had a sort of expression that probably said "Boys are so weird" or something like that. I guess she doesn't get why we're laughing.
After the tour, the representative took us out to the dugouts where the Swallows were practicing before the game. I saw some guys waiting in line to bat, with one dude on the home plate with the number 28 on his back smacking one far into the center field, but it still wasn't enough for the center fielder who was standing there with his glove to catch it.
The man shook his head in disappointment and went to the dugout where we were watching. The representative introduced us to the man, whose name was Tetsuto Yamada. I introduced myself and Monika too.
According to what the representative told me beforehand, Yamada was a person of interest. He's relatively new to the Swallows, playing his first game in 2011, but according to the rep, he had a very high batting average, being able to hit a good amount of runs.
After being introduced to him and the rest of the team, the game was about to begin. The representative who was giving our tour escorted us to our seats, which was just to the right of the huge scoreboard. Now, during the game, I can't see the score, which sucks. Luckily, Monika was smart enough to get an app that told her the scores in real-time so that we'd be able to see it on her phone.
Our seats were closer to the field, but not too close if you know what I'm talking about. From where we sat, we were able to see the whole field. There was no VIP section at this stadium, but that's even better in my opinion. The original experience at a baseball game is in the stands with the general public. It doesn't matter if you're watching an NPB or MLB game, it's all a classic and grounded experience. Even if I wasn't a fan of baseball, both American or Japanese, I would still have a very good time here today.
Much later
It was soon the second half of the fifteenth inning. It was almost nine o'clock and the crowd was even more riled up than ever. Both Giants fans and Swallows fans were screaming their hearts out, cheering on their favorite team. Hell, even Monika of all people was starting to lose her voice from all the cheering. Even my own throat was aching as I cheered.
Nightfall has descended on us, leaving the open-air stadium illuminated by the huge lights that were suspended from the outside. The office buildings around the stadium had lights on and I was gonna assume the workers inside were watching the game from their buildings.
I tried to look to the scoreboard to my left, only to be reminded by my view being obscured from where I was sitting. All I saw was the bright red Coca-Cola advertisement. And then I remembered the score from Monika's phone.
Now, the reason why we were so riled up was that the score was eight to five, with the Giants having eight runs and the Swallows being behind at five runs. The Swallows already have two outs. One more out and the inning is finished and the game will end with the Giants winning. The bases were all loaded. Even if the next batter gets a triple, the game will end in a draw. The only way for the Swallows to win once and for all is to get a home run, resulting in the Swallows getting four runs and winning the game. It's all or nothing and it's all up to the final batter.
The batter stepped up to the plate and the crowd cheered even louder. I saw the number on his back from a big screen. It was number 28 going up to bat. It was the batter that I had met before the game. With a large smile, I cheered him on.
Here comes the pitch and a second later the sound of a metal bat cracking against the ball sends the ball flying high into the air. Higher and higher, it looks like it could touch the clouds above. The entire crowd stood up to look, and then it started coming back down.
A whistle was blown. Officials started screaming for everyone near us to watch out. It looked like the ball was heading towards the stands. A home run. And it looked like it was headed right for us.
"Sawyer, look out!" cried Monika.
Without a second thought, I raised my left hand, which was gloved, and waited for the ball to come down. If I caught it, it would be an awesome moment. I braced myself for an impact, either the ball will hit my glove or my face.
The sweet sound of leather catching the ball filled my ears one second, and the sound of a roaring crowd the next. I grabbed the ball in my right hand and raised it up into the sky in a sort of victory celebration. The crowd screamed and all runners started running.
One passed the plate. And then another. And then another. And finally, here comes Tetsuto Yamada prancing up to the plate, his arms outstretched in victory as he stepped his cleated foot onto the base. His teammates ran up to him in celebration and the final score was tallied up. The Swallows had won.
Monika leaped up and hugged me tightly, taking me by surprise. I almost dropped the baseball but held on to it tightly as I stumbled back. Monika tried to tell me something, but I couldn't hear her from the noise. The crowd was wild and I couldn't hear Monika's voice in the chaos. I just grinned and nodded.
Soon, the game ended and everyone started leaving. Some of the people around me who saw the catch congratulated me. To be honest, I've never caught a baseball before, so this one felt even more special.
As we were following the crowd to the gate that leads out into the street, Monika stayed close with me. I, on the other hand, was examining the ball that I had caught. I felt proud that I caught that.
"You know," I said to Monika as we were walking, "I've never caught a baseball before."
"You serious?" she asked. "Not even back home in Hawaii?"
"Nope," I answered her question, "Not even in Hawaii. Baseball's not that big over there."
"Hm," said Monika, "I guess you got very lucky today."
"Yeah," I chuckled as Monika stepped a little closer. By now, the crowd has dispersed and on their way back home. I looked around for Monika's black Infiniti, trying to see if the chauffeur remembered to pick us up. After a few minutes of walking around, we ended up finding the chauffeur waiting for us, leaning against the car with a smoke in his mouth. He saw us and dropped the smoke on the ground, where he stepped on it, snuffing out the fire and opened the side door for Monika to get in. I got in myself and the chauffeur hopped in and sped away without a word.
Monika closed her eyes for a little bit, kind of tired from the events of today. I looked at her and smiled. Honestly, I had fun today. I'm still not calling this a date with Monika, but I had a lot of fun. I've never been to a ballgame before, largely because there's not an MLB team in Hawaii, and, well, you know my situation. Never thought my first ballgame would be in Japan. I wonder how many first-times I'm gonna have here. Kinda makes me wonder if I'll find love here. A first girlfriend, a first kiss, a first date.
"Did you have fun, kid?" asked the chauffeur, looking into his rear-view mirror to see me.
"You bet I did, sir," I replied, "Monika too."
"That's good," said the chauffeur, nodding his head. "You know, you were on TV. You know that, right?"
"R-really?" I asked, "TV?"
"Yeah, man," he said as he made a right turn. "I met up with a friend of mine at the bar while you guys were at the game. Don't worry, I didn't drink anything. You showed up at the last inning when you caught that home run."
I looked down at my hands that held the glove and the ball. "Well damn," I said, "I just got my five seconds of fame."
"Haha!" the chauffeur laughed, "When I saw you show up on TV, I did a double-take. I was like 'Wait a minute, I know that kid!'"
"Dang, I should've tried to celebrate a little more," I joked, "Maybe do a little dance."
"Ha!" he said, "You should've."
The drive back home was mostly quiet. No one talked, not even a peep. The road wasn't as jam-packed as earlier. Getting home was a breeze. We spent around 15 minutes on the freeway before getting off. We passed a few blocks and that's when we ran into a problem.
I heard the chauffeur curse under his breath as he guided the car to the side of the road. We ended up stopping by the side of a little shopping area, the lights still bright against the night sky. The city lights illuminated the streets up and down the road with the occasional car every now and then, so I wasn't particularly worried we were in a bad area.
Monika stirred from her little nap and rubbed her eyes. "Are we home yet?" groaned Monika as she stretched her arms and back.
"Uh, I'm so sorry, Monika, but it seems like we've run out of gas," explained the chauffeur through the divider, "I wasn't paying attention at the gas levels and didn't realize we're out until it was too late. I apologize, Monika. I'll see if I can find a taxi."
"N-no," said Monika, "It's alright. We're just a few blocks away from my apartment anyways. I can walk home."
"But you can't go by yourself, Monika," said the chauffeur, "And someone has to stay with the car."
"I can walk Monika home," I interjected, shrugging my shoulders. Monika looked at me and smiled in thanks.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's no problem," I assured him, "I'll just take the metro on the way home. There's something I gotta do before that anyway, so that's fine."
"Okay," said the chauffeur, "Just take care, alright? I don't want anything to happen to the young lady."
"Roger that, sir," I said, "I'll protect her."
"Mmhm," said Monika in a sarcastic voice, "If anything, you're the one who needs protecting."
"Oh, quiet," I said jokingly. Monika laughed as I rolled my eyes.
I hopped out of the car and went over to Monika's side, opening her car door. "M'lady," I said, bowing as I held the door open. Monika smiled and stepped out.
"Thank you, my knight in shining armor," she said in response, curtsying like a princess once she got out. I shut the door and leaned forward to see the chauffeur one last time.
"She's all yours," he said when he rolled down the windows.
"I'll take good care of her, don't you worry," I said, "Just make sure you get home safe, alright?"
"Will do!" he said.
Monika stayed close right next to me while still leading me along. I would assume she knew the area quite well since she lives here after all. For all I know, she might've bought her clothes at the shops and boutiques that we passed on the way there.
The city street was still brightly lit. It was only about 9:45 if I recall correctly, so people are still going around probably having a night out with friends. I think I got enough energy to go out still. Monika on the other hand was fighting to keep herself awake. She may not show it, but she looks very tired. I know when she's tired because I end up watching her at school sometimes when we're both bored. Monika's not the type to snooze during school. She's quite attentive, which is why she gets high marks on tests. But I could tell.
Every time she blinks when she's very tired, I notice that she closes her eyes for a second longer. I've noticed that she would kind of struggle to keep a rigid posture to keep herself awake in class. It's kinda funny.
I glanced over to her and noticed that she had her arms crossed. She was rubbing her forearms as if she was trying to create friction for heat. I noticed that she was shivering slightly. I mean, it was sort of her fault. With what she's wearing, she'll get cold quick.
I took off my jacket, but Monika didn't notice. All she did was keep her eyes forward. I paused for a second, thinking about what I was just about to do. After all, isn't this something a boyfriend would do? Relax Sawyer, I told myself, We're just friends. This is just out of good faith.
I draped my jacket across Monika's shoulder. That was when Monika stirred a little and looked up at me, a happy yet dreamy expression on her face. "S-Sawyer?" she stammered.
"You look cold," I said, shrugging my shoulders like this gesture was just nothing, "So I gave you my jacket." Monika grabbed the collars of the jacket and pulled them closer so it doesn't fall.
"Hmm," muttered Monika under her breath. "You know, you are quite the charmer. What's your plan? Are you trying to get me to fall for you?"
"N-no," I chuckled nervously, putting my hand to the back of my head awkwardly, "Just being a friend."
"Oh?" she asked imploringly, leaning in as if she was about to make fun of me for the millionth time. I felt like running away now from embarrassment. Thank God she just decided to back off, saying "Ah well, whatever you're trying to do, I'm cool with it."
"No probs," I said as we passed a building that looked rather luxurious, with potted ferns flanking the entrance to a building. There was a carpet leading to the entrance, protected by a canopy.
"Well, this is me," said Monika.
"This your place?" I asked. "Crap, this place looks nice."
"Yeah, well," shrugged Monika, "It's gonna be cold inside though. I accidentally set the AC on low." Monika started taking off the jacket that I had lent her as if to give it back to me.
"Oh, just keep the jacket then," I said, which stopped her from taking off the hoodie, "Might as well keep you warm until the temperature in your apartment goes back up."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said, "Just give it back to me later, alright?"
"Th-thanks," said Monika, who started awkwardly approaching the entrance. I chuckled a little when I watched her. "Well, I'm, uh, gonna go up now," she said, "I'm tired from today. It was fun. Thanks for going with me Sawyer."
"No, thank you for inviting me," I said, grinning before turning around to walk away. I ended up walking a few steps and then stopped and pivoted. "Oh Monika, before you go," I said. Monika paused as she held the door handle, about to open the door to go inside. "Do you know where Natsuki's house is? I was gonna visit her today but I didn't get the chance to."
"Oh yeah, go down three blocks and make a right, and then make another right, you'll see it. You know what it looks like?"
"Yeah, I've been there before," I said, "Thanks, Monika!"
Following Monika's directions, I proceeded to walk alone. Two blocks later, I ended up spotting a subway station. I just made a mental note to go there after I visit Natsuki. I've taken the subway before, so I know how to get around. Let's just hope that there's a train that I can get on before they close.
While I was walking, I started thinking about what I was gonna say. How am I supposed to break the news to Natsuki? How will she react? Will she be happy with me that I finally told her the truth? Or will she react in anger like she always does? Will she be angry at me? At Yuri? At both of us for not telling her anything? Knowing her, she'll probably go for the second option.
When I got to the third block, I made a right and ended up feeling a little familiar. I saw the tall apartment building that Yuri lives in just down the road. I wonder if she's still awake or not. It's only 10 at night after all. But it doesn't matter. I'm not looking to talk to Yuri. Quite the opposite, really. I wanted to keep this conversation between Natsuki and me private.
When I turned the corner to Natsuki's street, I noticed someone standing by her front door. I saw the short stature of the pink-haired devil leaning against the dilapidated short brick wall that bordered her property. Here we go. Best case scenario, she'll punch me for not telling her about Yuri. Worst case scenario… Fuck, I don't wanna think about it.
"You're late," huffed Natsuki as she crossed her arms, a rather worried expression on her face. I mean, who could blame her. I came here to talk to her about Yuri, her best friend. And I'm the asshole who just didn't come clean. I guess I was just prolonging the inevitable. She has to know.
"I know, I know," I chided, "Monika's car broke down on the way to her apartment, so I ended up walking with her. I'm sorry about that."
"It doesn't matter," she said, "You have a lot of explaining to do." Natsuki put her hands on her hips and her expression changed from a worried, helpless manner to a very determined impression. No weaseling out of this. Let's just get on with it.
"What is wrong with Yuri?" interrogated Natsuki, "And don't you try and get out of this situation. You of all people know my kicks hurt a lot."
"Alright," I said, gulping. I looked around nervously, making sure Yuri isn't around to be able to drop in on our conversation since she lives right next door. I turned back to Natsuki and grimaced. "Yuri, she… uh…" I had trouble spitting out what I was gonna say. I don't really know how to say what I had to say, and I was kind of scared of causing a scene.
Natsuki nodded, trying to follow what I was trying to say. Crap, it feels like I'm a doctor telling a family member about the death of a patient or something.
"Fuck it," I muttered and took a deep breath. I took a moment to regain my composure and then brought up the courage to say it. "The truth is," I said a little quieter, leaning closer to Natsuki so that she could hear, "Yuri cuts. She has a habit of harming herself with knives."
Natsuki looked shocked. Her eyes widened and her breathing shallowed. She stepped back in horror, unable to understand what I had just told her. Who wouldn't be? To find out your best friend hurts herself for some God awful reason? When I found out that my sister of all people did the same thing… No, I don't wanna think about that.
"Y-You're kidding, right?" stammered Natsuki as she tried to think that I was just telling her a cruel joke. I just looked at her with a straight and serious face. Her face turned pale and her knees buckled.
"You're telling the truth?" gasped Natsuki, her mouth agape as she stepped back, trying to catch her balance as she tried to comprehend what she found out.
"Why would I lie?" I said, assuring that I was truthful. I've been lying to her all this time. Jesus, what kind of person am I? The kind to keep secrets, that's what. Why did I do that? Why did I keep it all a secret? Why did I keep that sort of information from Natsuki? Yuri's best friend? She deserves to know so that she can help Yuri.
Natsuki's expression changed from confusion and shock to resentment and anger. Natsuki's eyes glared furiously, her brows furrowing as her nose scrunched up. "Well, then, why didn't you tell me?" Natsuki angrily barked, "Why didn't you tell me that before? I'm her friend! Why not tell me about Yuri?"
"It's because!" I exclaimed, then took a deep breath to regain my composure a second time, "It's because I didn't want anything to happen. I'm sorry. I was selfish. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"You idiot!" sneered Natsuki, "I was so worried about Yuri all this time because I didn't understand the situation and you knew all along. But you kept it from me. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Natsuki, I'm sorry," I said, begging for forgiveness, "I didn't want anything to change. I was finally happy with the club, making friends with everyone. I didn't want any drama. I just wanted to ignore and forget it all, praying it never happened in the first place. I'm sorry. I was wrong to do that. To keep this a secret from you."
"Now you've got me worried for my best friend," cried Natsuki, her eyes welling up with tears, "You've kept such a secret from me for so long. And for what? For you being worried about getting into a situation? Huh? Is that it? You've kept the fact that Yuri has a habit to harm herself from me. My best friend. It's like you weren't worried about her at all!"
"Natsuki!" I exclaimed, "Of course I was worried! It's Yuri we're talking about! I just didn't want your relationship with Yuri to change!"
"And to think that Yuri wanted to keep this a secret for me!" Natsuki yelled in anger, "If she wanted to keep a secret from me, then… then… Then we're not best friends! Best friends don't keep secrets from each other! If that's how she's gonna treat this, then we're not going to be friends anymore!"
"O-oh, s-so y-you told Natsuki about it," a familiar voice stuttered. I froze. So did Natsuki. None of us moved an inch for a second or two. Slowly, I turned around to see the quiet girl that we were just talking about standing a few feet from us. From the looks of it, she was trying to fight a growing frown by smiling a solemn smile, her lips quivering from the effort. I knew from there that she would start crying.
I opened my mouth to speak, taken aback from her sudden appearance. Damnit, why now of all times?
"Yuri…"
Honorifics: (Underlined honorifics are the ones used in current chapter)
-san: Most common, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Basically the titles Mr. Ms. etc.
-sama: This suffix is one level higher than "-san" and is used to confer great respect.
-kun: This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys' names to express endearment.
-chan: Feminine version of -kun.
Senpai: Superior/Upperclassmen.
Sensei: Master.
Translation notes:
1. There are subtle differences between American MLB and Japanese NPB games. For example, the baseball used and the field that the game is played on is smaller than its American counterpart. Also unlike the MLB, Japanese NPB games can allow tie games and have limited time. In regular seasons, games have up to 12 innings, whereas playoff games have 15 innings. Source: Wikipedia
A/N: Welp, that was a change of pace. From a ballgame to a fight between Sawyer and Natsuki. I guess I wanted some sort of happy parts before some shit hits the fan. Honestly, I don't have much to say. I'm pushing this a week earlier than expected because I already finished writing it, so here you go. With that said, see you guys next time. Peace out!
