That Caring Fall Sky

by Brave orange blossom

Koushuu manages to get Eijun out of Seidou for the day. While in the city, they bump into Mei and Itsuki. When they hurt Eijun, Koushuu decides to confront them. Even if he's rude. Post-canon. Takes place in early October of Eijun's second year. One shot.

Author Notes: I had a lot of fun writing this fic.

This is part of my That Sky series and takes place several days after my last fic, and while I mention events that took place in my other fics, you don't need to read those parts to read this part.

I hope y'all enjoy it!

That Caring Fall Sky

"That's a good restaurant! Cheap, too!" Sawamura-senpai pointed at another building. "That's a good place to buy souvenirs!" He pointed somewhere else. "And that's…!"

Koushuu struggled to keep up with all the new information, a part of him tempted to ask him to slow down.

(Not that he would. Sawamura-senpai did things at his own pace after all.)

When he asked Sawamura-senpai if he knew any good sports stores around Seidou, he had never thought his senpai himself would personally guide him, although he supposed he should've expected this to happen.

… Not that this was necessarily a bad thing. Koushuu would never admit it out loud, but he… was glad he managed to get Sawamura-senpai out of Seidou for the day.

It had been several days since their loss in the fall tournament, and while everyone took the loss hard and felt determined to work hard and get stronger, he knew Sawamura-senpai took it harder than everyone, being the captain and ace. Sawamura-senpai's pitching had returned to normal, much to their relief, and Koushuu knew his senpai wanted to pitch more and get stronger as well as work on his numbers. While Sawamura-senpai promised him not to overwork himself anymore, Koushuu knew he needed to keep a close eye on him and make sure he didn't go overboard. When he heard that afternoon practice had been cancelled, he seized the opportunity.

Someone had overheard their plans for the day and teased them about going out on a date, which immediately made Sawamura-senpai protest and Koushuu growl at them.

(Didn't they know Sawamura-senpai already had a boyfriend? A boyfriend he really liked? Sawamura-senpai wasn't the type of guy to cheat on people!)

This wasn't a date. If their teammates had wanted to go with them, they could've. For whatever reason, they didn't. Koushuu didn't think they had any room to complain or tease them.

Speaking of dates… How was Sawamura-senpai's relationship going? Sawamura-senpai had admitted to him how he'd gone out on an evening date and saw his boyfriend a couple of days before their game. Did Sawamura-senpai's boyfriend hear about the game? He wasn't giving Sawamura-senpai a hard time, was he?

… He better not. While Sawamura-senpai wasn't entirely blameless for their loss, it also wasn't his entire fault. Koushuu shared part of the blame as well as the fielders. It had been a team loss. After the loss, Koushuu had found himself looking at the scorebook wondering what he could've done differently. If he had called for another pitch and not Sawamura-senpai's number four, would things have been different? No, he couldn't think thoughts like that. They needed to move on.

"Oi, you alright?"

Koushuu blinked, looking over at Sawamura-senpai, surprised to see him looking at him, his brow furrowed.

"I know you're a quiet guy, but you've been a little too quiet," Sawamura-senpai pointed out, frowning, worry in his eyes. "I thought for sure you would've told me to shut up by now."

While Koushuu felt bad for worrying him, his chest felt warm at knowing Sawamura-senpai cared about him. He shook his head. He should know better than to worry his pitcher. "I was thinking about you." Sawamura-senpai blinked before scrunching his face. "How do you know all these places anyway?" Koushuu frowned. "You're not even from Tokyo." He somehow managed to resist the urge to point out how surprised he was that they weren't getting lost.

Sawamura-senpai laughed loudly, puffing his chest out, his hands on his hips. "Amazing, right? I learned them all by myself!" he bragged. At his suspicious look, Sawamura-senpai winced, rubbing the back of his head, his cheeks flushed. "… Is what I would like to say, but I had a lot of help. Someone else pointed out all these places to me."

Knew it.

Koushuu hummed, finding himself curious. "Who was it?"

Sawamura-senpai grinned devilishly. "Who do you think it was?" When he glared at him, Sawamura-senpai laughed loudly, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you. It was—"

They turned a corner, Sawamura-senpai yelping as he bumped into someone.

Ignoring the other person, Koushuu turned to look at Sawamura-senpai, stepping closer. "Are you alright?"

"What the hell was that for! Watch where you're going! Do you even know who I am!"

Koushuu blinked at the familiar arrogant voice, turning his head to look, his eyes widening despite himself at seeing Narumiya-san and Tadano-san.

What were the chances of bumping into them (of all people)?

Sawamura-senpai groaned, causing Koushuu to look back at him, Sawamura-senpai rubbing his head. "That hurt! Why don't you watch where you're going!" He glared at them, Koushuu finding himself amused when Sawamura-senpai blinked a few times, no doubt clearly recognizing the people in front of him, his mouth opening and closing a few times. "Mei? Itsuki?"

Narumiya-san and Tadano-san, who had looked over at Narumiya-san when the collision happened, blinked, looking at them, their eyes widening. "Eijun?"

Sawamura-senpai shivered before laughing a soft, happy laugh, stepping closer to them. "I can't believe it! What are the odds?" He clearly either forgot about his head or didn't care anymore. "What are you guys doing here?"

Narumiya-san narrowed his eyes for some reason, his eyes glancing down to look at their sides. He clenched his fists by his sides, his posture tense. "That should be my question. You guys didn't have practice?" He huffed, shooting Sawamura-senpai an accusing glare. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Koushuu belatedly realized he… probably stood too close to Sawamura-senpai than was considered normal, especially in front of Narumiya-san. He quickly stepped away from him, Tadano-san flashing him an apologetic smile.

… Come to think of it, Tadano-san was a part of the Inashiro first string. Inashiro didn't have practice today?

Sawamura-senpai scrunched his face, confused. "We talked about going out on an evening date, remember? What's the big deal?" He stepped closer, reaching out with a hand, about to touch Narumiya-san's clenched fist. "Besides, this was—"

"That doesn't matter!" Narumiya-san jerked away from Sawamura-senpai's touch, Koushuu's heart clenching at the confusion and hurt in Sawamura-senpai's eyes. Narumiya-san glared at Sawamura-senpai, anger and… something else flashing in his eyes, although Koushuu didn't know what. "You should've told me! We could've met up with each other sooner! I'm your—!"

"We were looking for you, Eijun."

Everyone blinked, looking at Tadano-san.

Sawamura-senpai scrunched his face, tilting his head. "Itsuki, what did you…?"

Tadano-san rolled his eyes. "Kantoku cancelled practice for the day, so I decided to go out into the city. Mei-san decided to come with me, but he's been sulking this whole time about not getting to see you sooner." He gave Sawamura-senpai a pointed look, clearly ignoring Narumiya-san's warning glare. "We've spent a good amount of the time looking for you."

Sawamura-senpai's jaw dropped, his eyes wide. His cheeks flushed pink.

Narumiya-san flushed, shooting Tadano-san a betrayed look. "Itsuki, I told you not to tell him!"

"Mei-san, we somehow miraculously bumped into Eijun." Tadano-san gave Narumiya-san a pointed look. "Do you really want to get into an argument with him?" He sighed, looking so tired that Koushuu felt bad for him. "I still think you should've just texted him instead of coming with me and hoping to miraculously bump into him on the streets," he muttered.

(How did Tadano-san (and Sawamura-senpai for that matter) put up with Narumiya-san?)

Narumiya-san huffed, looking away. "I didn't ask for your opinion! You're just Itsuki! Don't go getting a big head!"

Sawamura-senpai hummed, causing everyone to look at him. "You wanted to see me? Came out here hoping to bump into me?" He grinned devilishly. "I agree with Itsuki. That was a terrible plan. One I didn't think you'd ever come up with."

"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" Narumiya-san pointed at him, his cheeks still flushed. "Stop being so impertinent! I'm—!"

Sawamura-senpai rolled his eyes, stepping closer, his hand reaching out and holding the hand in his face. "My boyfriend and older than me, I know." He gently lowered the hand, squeezing it, his eyes softening. "I'm sorry I didn't text you, Mei." He gestured to Koushuu with his free hand. "If I didn't agree to show him where the nearest sports store is, I would've texted you." His voice lowered, Koushuu finding himself surprised, as he had never heard Sawamura-senpai's voice that low before. "You know I would've loved to see you sooner."

Narumiya-san stared at him for a few moments before clicking his tongue, squeezing his hand back, Sawamura-senpai's eyes lighting up. "And you call me unfair," he muttered. When Sawamura-senpai laughed his soft, happy laugh, Narumiya-san narrowed his eyes, tugging at his hand. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Impatience colored his tone. "Hurry up and greet me."

They leaned in close, clearly about to kiss and probably would've if Tadano-san didn't clear his throat, causing them to freeze and look at him. While Sawamura-senpai looked embarrassed, his cheeks flushed and his eyes wide, Narumiya-san almost looked… annoyed, shooting him a dirty look.

Koushuu wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was grateful Tadano-san chose that moment to interrupt.

(As much as he supported Sawamura-senpai's relationship with Narumiya-san, he really didn't want to see them kissing each other. They knew they were in public, right? They couldn't hold back even a little bit? Then again, considering who they were, probably not.)

Tadano-san grinned a teasing grin. "While I normally wouldn't stop you guys from greeting each other, I believe we're forgetting about something. Well, someone." He gestured to Koushuu, amusement in his eyes when Sawamura-senpai gave him a sheepish look. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Eijun?"

Sawamura-senpai had clearly forgotten about him in favor of his boyfriend. While that stung a little, Koushuu understood.

Sawamura-senpai pulled away from Narumiya-san, Narumiya-san holding his hand and keeping him by his side before he moved too far, causing Sawamura-senpai to flash him a warm grin. He allowed their fingers to intertwine before clearing his throat and gesturing to Koushuu. "Guys, this is Okumura. Okumura, this is Mei and Itsuki." He blinked, furrowing his brow and scratching his head. "Wait… I could've sworn I introduced you to Mei before. Why am I doing it again?"

… What was with that introduction? Then again, this was Sawamura-senpai.

"You might've introduced us, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him." Not that Koushuu blamed Sawamura-senpai or Narumiya-san. It was their teammates' fault. Remembering how they had treated Sawamura-senpai back then almost made him growl.

(Sawamura-senpai might act like an idiot, but contrary to what people might think, he wasn't an idiot or naïve. He didn't place his trust in the wrong people. Shouldn't his own teammates know that by now?)

Narumiya-san let out a surprised sound. "Come to think of it… You were there when I confronted Seidou, weren't you?"

Koushuu blinked before nodding, surprised Narumiya-san remembered. "Okumura Koushuu." He bowed briefly to them. "It's nice to meet you, Narumiya-san. Tadano-san."

Tadano-san pointed at himself, a mock hurt look on his face. "Plus, I wasn't there, Eijun. This is our first time meeting each other." Sawamura-senpai let out a loud surprised sound, his mouth falling open, before rubbing the back of his head, giving him a sheepish look. Tadano-san shook his head, the corners of his lips twitching. "Only you, Eijun." He gave him a fond grin before looking at Koushuu, briefly bowing his head, causing Koushuu to blink. "It's nice to finally meet you. Eijun's talked a lot about you."

Koushuu looked at Sawamura-senpai, his eyebrows raising at Sawamura-senpai's sheepish look, before looking at Tadano-san. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, like how you're a good catcher." Narumiya-san grinned cheekily. "Or like how you mouthed off at him." He briefly tightened his grip on Sawamura-senpai's hand for some reason, Koushuu wondering if he imagined the way Narumiya-san's eyes darkened. "It's nice to meet you, Wolf Boy."

… Did Sawamura-senpai tell them everything?

At his pointed look, Sawamura-senpai laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "They asked about our first years. What was I supposed to say? Nothing?"

Koushuu narrowed his eyes, giving him a disapproving look. "You remember they're our enemies, right?" He paused deliberately. "Well, one of them at least."

While he knew better than to accuse Sawamura-senpai of telling their enemies information about their team, he found himself annoyed for some reason, especially when Narumiya-san mentioned how he had mouthed off at Sawamura-senpai.

(He had known, of course, that Sawamura-senpai had told Miyuki-senpai what happened, so he supposed he should've seen this coming, and yet, he still found himself becoming annoyed. Maybe because Narumiya-san had been their enemy at the time?)

Narumiya-san narrowed his eyes, briefly tightening his grip on Sawamura-senpai's hand, Koushuu taking satisfaction at his reaction. "I'm warning you, first year. Don't think you can mouth off at me like you do to him. I demand respect."

Sawamura-senpai snorted before Koushuu could respond, causing Narumiya-san to shoot him a dirty look. "You mean like how everyone respects you at Inashiro?" He yelped when Narumiya-san pinched his side. "Ouch, you jerk! What do you think you're doing!"

Narumiya-san gave him a cold look. "You deserved that. You really need to show me more respect. Not only am I the king, but I'm also—"

"Eijun, I've been meaning to talk to you." Tadano-san flashed an insincere apologetic smile at Narumiya-san's offended look. "I'm glad we got to see each other today." He gave Sawamura-senpai a concerned look. "I was worried when I heard about what happened during your game."

… Oh, right. Since they had lost, that meant they didn't get to play against Inashiro. Inashiro was probably looking forward to playing against them and getting their revenge.

Sawamura-senpai's eyes darkened with sadness. He bowed his head briefly. "I'm sorry I let you down, Itsuki. I wanted to play against you again, too."

Narumiya-san tugged at Sawamura-senpai's hand, his eyes softening when Sawamura-senpai looked at him (much to Koushuu's surprise). "I've been meaning to ask about that. Is your pitching…?"

Sawamura-senpai sighed, Koushuu's heart clenching at the sound. "It's so frustrating, Mei. It's back to normal." He let out a frustrated sound, rubbing the top of his head with his free hand, making his hair stand up. "Why? Why couldn't I do that during the game itself?"

"You'll do it next time. For sure."

Koushuu's eyes widened, although he didn't know whether it was at Narumiya-san's words or the… complete faith and belief in Sawamura-senpai and his abilities. Or both.

(Sawamura-senpai had mentioned before how Narumiya-san believed in him. Had believed in him before anyone else and how much it meant to him. This was his first time seeing it in person, though.)

Sawamura-senpai's breathing hitched, his eyes wide. "Mei…"

"Right?" Narumiya-san gave him a challenging look, holding up their joined hands, causing Sawamura-senpai to look at them, his mouth opening, although Koushuu didn't know why. Didn't they always hold hands? What was the significance of that? "You wouldn't dare let me down again. Not when you want to catch up to me."

Sawamura-senpai stared at him for a few moments before giving him a determined look. "I won't lose next time. I won't give up." He glanced at their joined hands. "Not until I catch up and pass you."

Narumiya-san smirked, tilting his chin condescendingly. "Pass me? I'd like to see you try, brat." He snickered when Sawamura-senpai shot him a dirty look. "I can't take you seriously." He gestured to Sawamura-senpai's hair still standing up. "Not when your hair is like that."

Sawamura-senpai squawked, clearly having forgotten about his hair, letting out a protesting sound when Narumiya-san rubbed his head, grinning cheekily, causing Sawamura-senpai's hair to stick up even more.

They started one of the most childish fights Koushuu had ever seen, Narumiya-san trying to touch Sawamura-senpai's hair again and again and Sawamura-senpai protesting and trying to pull away but ultimately failing each time, and while their voices were loud enough to attract passersby's attention, especially Sawamura-senpai's voice, Koushuu somehow knew that although Sawamura-senpai kept protesting and looking upset, this fight was good-natured.

Did they fight like this often?

Tadano-san caught Koushuu's eye and beckoned him closer with his hand, causing Koushuu to step closer. "Sorry about them," Tadano-san whispered, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "They're always like this."

Koushuu blinked before frowning. Were his thoughts that obvious, or was it a coincidence?

"They don't care who's watching." Tadano-san shook his head, shooting them a disapproving look, the corners of his lips twitching. "I've lost count how many times they've acted like this at Inashiro."

… So Sawamura-senpai had visited Inashiro before. Koushuu had suspected that might be the case. It made sense, especially since Sawamura-senpai had kept his relationship a secret from his teammates for over a year and considering his relationship with Narumiya-san and Tadano-san.

Koushuu nodded. "I'm not surprised, considering it's them. They did it in front of our teammates, too." He raised an eyebrow, finding himself curious. "What's your relationship with Sawamura-senpai?"

"He's my best friend!"

They blinked, looking over at Sawamura-senpai and Narumiya-san. They had stopped fighting, Sawamura-senpai beaming while Narumiya-san looked disgruntled, Koushuu finding himself amused at how not only Sawamura-senpai's hair stood up in many different places, but at how Narumiya-san's hair stood up, too.

Sawamura-senpai must've gotten his revenge.

Koushuu frowned, glancing between them, surprised when Tadano-san grinned sheepishly. "Best friend?"

Tadano-san waved his hands in front of him, his eyes wide. "Eijun, I keep telling you—"

"And I keep telling you that's how I see us." Sawamura-senpai gave him a defiant look, although the effect was lessened by the hurt in his eyes. "We don't need to hide it, Itsuki. Besides, it's the truth." He furrowed his brow, that hurt from earlier returning to his eyes. "Right?"

Tadano-san froze before allowing his hands to fall to his sides. "I… Of course it's the truth, Eijun. You know that." He glanced at Koushuu and Narumiya-san almost hesitantly. "I just…"

Koushuu didn't know what the problem was. Not only did they have no rules against dating players from other teams, but they didn't have any rules against befriending players from other teams. He belatedly remembered something, causing him to furrow his brow, confused. "I thought Kominato-senpai was your best friend."

Tadano-san's eyes widened. He waved his hands in front of him again. "He is. I would never try to take Eijun away from him. Eijun treasures their friendship so much, and I—"

"They're both my best friends." Sawamura-senpai gave them a serious look, shrugging when they looked at him. "What? I'm not allowed to have more than one best friend?"

Noticing how Tadano-san still looked reluctant, Koushuu decided to speak up. "I would give up if I were you." When everyone looked at him, he rolled his eyes. "He's really stubborn and selfish. I don't know if it's his pride as a pitcher or because something's wrong with his head, but he can be stubborn about the weirdest things."

Sawamura-senpai gave Tadano-san a triumphant look. "Yeah, so you better give up and start proclaiming our friendship—!" He gasped, his eyes widening. "Hang on!" He glared at Koushuu. "You just insulted me, didn't you! Did you just say something's wrong with my head!"

Narumiya-san snorted. "He's got you there." He grinned cheekily at Sawamura-senpai's dirty look.

Tadano-san laughed a soft laugh, causing everyone to look at him, Tadano-san grinning a teasing grin. "That sounds a lot like Mei-san."

Narumiya-san's jaw dropped. "Itsuki, how dare you!" He clicked his tongue, looking at Sawamura-senpai. "I'm nothing like him."

"Yeah, Itsuki! How can you say that!" Sawamura-senpai glared at him with his cat eyes. "We're nothing alike!"

Koushuu disagreed, as in the little time he had spent with them, he already saw how similar they were to each other. (Not that he would say that out loud.) It surprised him, too, as he didn't know how they had stayed together this long. He thought they'd get into more arguments and hurt each other more.

Tadano-san laughed again, looking unfazed by their anger. "Alright, alright. Come on." He gestured around them. "We should probably change locations."

… Oh, right. They had been talking in the middle of the sidewalk, Koushuu belatedly registering the annoyed looks people shot at them as they moved around them. Really, they had been lucky no one had bumped into them like Sawamura-senpai and Narumiya-san had done to each other.

They made their way to the sports store together, Sawamura-senpai and Narumiya-san walking ahead of them a little bit, still holding hands.

Sawamura-senpai turned his head to look at Narumiya-san, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, right! Remember those two classmates of mine I told you about last time? I finally figured it out!"

Narumiya-san turned his head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did you figure out?"

"They like each other! That's why he keeps picking on her!" Sawamura-senpai beamed, looking proud of himself. "I would recognize it anywhere! It's such a common shoujo manga trope!"

Narumiya-san scoffed, briefly tightening his grip on Sawamura-senpai's hand, Koushuu wondering if he imagined the way Narumiya-san's eyes darkened. "And yet you don't recognize it when it happens to you."

Sawamura-senpai scrunched his face, tilting his head. "What do you mean?"

Somehow, Koushuu wasn't surprised Sawamura-senpai was oblivious to things like that. It made him wonder how Sawamura-senpai figured out his feelings for Narumiya-san. Sawamura-senpai had kept his relationship a secret from the team, so he had to figure out his feelings for him by himself, right? Or did Tadano-san help? Did Tadano-san even know Sawamura-senpai back then?

"You're an idiot." Narumiya-san grinned cheekily, rubbing Sawamura-senpai's hair, causing him to squawk. "An idiot who I love."

Sawamura-senpai, who had been shooting him a dirty look, immediately flushed. "You…! That's not…! What's…! What's that got to do with anything!"

Narumiya-san's eyes darkened. "It's got everything to do with this." When Sawamura-senpai scrunched his face again, Narumiya-san pouted, nudging his left shoulder with his right one, the corners of his lips twitching. "You're not going to say it back? I thought you loved me."

… What?

That was news to Koushuu. Last he heard, Sawamura-senpai really liked Narumiya-san. When did this happen?

Tadano-san gently nudged him, causing Koushuu to look at him. "You can ignore them if you want." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "They probably won't even notice. They do it a lot at Inashiro."

Koushuu raised an eyebrow, feeling curious despite himself. "Does that mean you support their relationship?" It was something he had been wanting to ask for a while now. From what he heard, most of Narumiya-san's teammates… ex-teammates didn't like their relationship.

"I've supported it since the beginning." Tadano-san grinned an amused grin at his surprised look. "What? Did you think I didn't?"

Koushuu shook his head. "I didn't think that, but from what I've heard, a lot of your teammates don't like their relationship." He furrowed his brow, confused. "I'm surprised you do, that's all."

… Was he being rude? He certainly didn't mean to, even if he was curious.

Tadano-san hummed, not looking offended or even the slightest bit irritated. "Well, there's a lot of reasons for that. One is that I believe Mei-san has changed and that he truly loves Eijun." Changed? Was Tadano-san talking about the rumors surrounding Narumiya-san? Tadano-san grinned a teasing grin. "Another is that I don't like Eijun romantically and that I want to see him and Mei-san happy." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Even if Mei-san gets jealous of our friendship a lot of the time."

Ah.

Koushuu could see that happening. "You must've been friends with him for quite some time if he calls you one of his best friends."

Tadano-san grinned a warm grin. "We became friends over a year ago. When Mei-san introduced us to Eijun." His grin softened to a soft smile. "We're rivals and don't get to see each other a lot, but his friendship means the world to me."

Over a year ago? Wasn't that close to when Sawamura-senpai started going out with Narumiya-san?

"It's obvious your friendship means a lot to him." Koushuu frowned, belatedly remembering something. "If you guys' friendship means so much to you, why did you react like that earlier?" Tadano-san's eyes widened. Koushuu realized way too late he was being rude but decided to continue anyway. "Is it because Narumiya-san is here?"

Normally, he wouldn't be this rude. Contrary to what Sawamura-senpai, Miyuki-senpai, and Taku thought, he didn't make it a habit to disrespect his senpai. Koushuu would've felt surprised he was being this rude, especially to someone he just met, and yet, whenever he remembered how Sawamura-senpai reacted, he… somehow knew.

Knew why he was being rude.

It was obvious that Tadano-san had reacted like that before, and whether he realized it or not, he had hurt Sawamura-senpai by denying their close relationship.

Tadano-san didn't speak for a few moments. He stared down at the sidewalk, biting his lower lip. "It's a bad habit, I guess." He rubbed his right arm, looking almost uncomfortable. "We used to be just friends, and I didn't want my teammates or Mei-san to get the wrong idea." His voice was soft. "After a while, we became closer. Close enough to where Eijun started calling me his best friend." He shrugged. "I guess I'm still… trying not to give people the wrong idea."

By people, did he mean Sawamura-senpai's teammates? Kominato-senpai? Koushuu supposed he had a point, as even he didn't know how Kominato-senpai might react to hearing about Sawamura-senpai calling Tadano-san his best friend.

Sawamura-senpai's hurt look popped into his head, causing him to almost grit his teeth.

"Is it worth it?"

Tadano-san blinked, looking at him, his brow furrowed. "Eh?"

Koushuu narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists despite himself. "Is all that worth it if all it does is end up hurting your so-called best friend?" Tadano-san's eyes widened. His mouth dropped open. "I understand you're afraid of telling everyone about your relationship, but you're hurting him." Koushuu gave him a serious look. "Every time you deny it or try to play it down, you hurt him." He raised an eyebrow. "You had to have noticed, right?"

Tadano-san wasn't that stupid or blind. He had to have noticed Sawamura-senpai's hurt looks before now.

Koushuu had told Sawamura-senpai he'd support him no matter what happened, and while he had been talking about his relationship with Narumiya-san at the time, he wouldn't go back on his word. Not now. His own teammates had hurt Sawamura-senpai enough times for his own liking. He didn't want Tadano-san or Narumiya-san to hurt him any more than they had already.

Tadano-san didn't speak for a few moments, staring at the sidewalk. He finally sighed. "The truth is… Mei-san had asked me about that a while ago. I didn't take him seriously at the time because I thought he was being jealous again. I should've known he was…" He rubbed his right arm, that almost uncomfortable look appearing on his face. "You're right, of course, Okumura. Every time I do that, I'm hurting Eijun. I pretended not to notice, convinced I was doing the right thing." He gave him an almost ashamed look. "I'm sorry. I'll make sure to apologize to Eijun, too."

"You don't need to apologize to me. Just make sure you apologize to him." Koushuu bowed his head briefly. "In fact, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I'm sorry for being rude."

Tadano-san looked surprised for a few moments before laughing a soft laugh. "Don't worry about it. I know you only did it out of care for Eijun." He smiled a soft smile. "He's lucky to have a great catcher like you looking out for him."

Koushuu shook his head, his chest feeling warm at the compliment. "I wouldn't say that. I've got a long way to go." Sawamura-senpai didn't acknowledge him like he acknowledged Miyuki-senpai. Koushuu needed to work harder. "I'm not as good as you." He decided to return the compliment, feeling bad about being rude earlier.

"I might be older than you, but I've never believed I'm better than you." Tadano-san gave him a serious look. "From what I hear, you're a great catcher. You should be proud of yourself. Besides…" He grinned a competitive grin. "We'll see who's the better catcher next time we play against each other."

Koushuu's eyes widened. It meant a lot to him that Tadano-san thought he was a great catcher and considered him his rival. He gave him a determined look. "I won't lose."

When they arrived at the sports store, Tadano-san approached Sawamura-senpai, Sawamura-senpai's eyes lighting up. Tadano-san must've said something, as Sawamura-senpai nodded eagerly and grabbed him by the arm, leading him over to the pitcher's gloves section. Narumiya-san had huffed, especially when Sawamura-senpai ignored him, but he didn't say anything or follow them, clearly allowing them to talk in private.

Koushuu hoped Tadano-san would apologize to Sawamura-senpai. While he felt curious about their conversation, he knew better than to eavesdrop. He walked over to the catcher's mitts section, intending on browsing.

(Sure, he had asked Sawamura-senpai if he knew any sports stores around Seidou, but that didn't mean he had been planning on buying something. His mitt was still in great condition after all.)

"What did you say to Itsuki?"

Koushuu blinked, turning his head, surprised to see Narumiya-san beside him. Narumiya-san wasn't looking at him but at the catcher's mitts hanging on the wall in front of them.

Narumiya-san picked up a catcher's mitt, turning it around and looking at it from different angles, as if considering it. His eyes looked dark under the lights of the store. "Didn't you hear me?"

"What do you mean?"

Narumiya-san shot him a warning look, one Koushuu felt surprised to see. "Don't play dumb. I know you made Itsuki uncomfortable." He set the catcher's mitt down before picking up another. Was Narumiya-san bored? Well, Koushuu supposed he understood, as he knew Narumiya-san was obsessed with pitching and would never consider playing another position. He was a lot like Sawamura-senpai in that regard.

Koushuu knew he shouldn't be rude, especially after being rude to Tadano-san, but he… couldn't stop himself in time. "Why do you care?"

The Narumiya-san he had heard about only cared about himself and Sawamura-senpai. While Koushuu liked to think Narumiya-san cared for Tadano-san deep down, he didn't think Narumiya-san expressed it often. Or at all really.

(A part of him felt surprised Narumiya-san took the time to look away from Sawamura-senpai and look back at them. He thought Narumiya-san would be lost in his own world with Sawamura-senpai.)

Narumiya-san dropped the catcher's mitt in his hands, his jaw dropping. "You little…!" He looked down at the floor, clicking his tongue before picking up the catcher's mitt and dusting it off. He nodded to himself when he finished, setting it down and glaring at him, his eyes flashing with anger. "I warned you earlier, didn't I? Don't think you can be as impertinent with me as you are with Eijun."

"Why do you care?" Koushuu repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you only care about yourself." He paused deliberately. "And Sawamura-senpai."

Narumiya-san clenched his fists, Koushuu taking satisfaction at his reaction. "I don't know what you've heard from your ex-teammates," he sneered. "But I assure you I'm capable of caring about someone other than myself and Eijun." He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "I don't like repeating myself, but I'll say it one more time. What did you say to Itsuki?"

"I scolded him for hurting Sawamura-senpai."

Narumiya-san blinked a few times, taken off guard. He clearly hadn't been expecting that. "What are you…?" He gave him an incredulous look. "You don't even know him that well. You just learned about their relationship today."

Koushuu nodded. "That's true, but I know what I saw." He gave him a pointed look. "I know I wasn't the only one who saw how he hurt Sawamura-senpai."

Narumiya-san's eyes widened before darkening. "Damn it." He ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. Koushuu remembered seeing that look during the summer tournament finals game. "I knew I should've said something sooner." He shot a dirty look behind him, most likely at Tadano-san. "He didn't even take me seriously and brushed me off." He clicked his tongue. "So impertinent."

"Maybe if you didn't get so jealous of their friendship, this wouldn't have happened."

Narumiya-san's jaw dropped. "What are you…?" He glowered at him, clenching his fists by his sides, his posture tense. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

Koushuu knew he should tread lightly, not wanting the ice to break below him, and yet, he couldn't stop himself. Not when he remembered how Tadano-san and Narumiya-san had hurt Sawamura-senpai. "Sawamura-senpai likes you." He paused deliberately. "Although I don't know why." He took satisfaction in the way Narumiya-san clenched his fists even tighter. "I'm not saying this is entirely your fault, but your jealousy of their friendship played a part in hurting him."

Narumiya-san's fists shook by his sides. He didn't speak for several moments, and when he finally spoke again, it was in a dangerously low voice. "Tell you everything, did they?"

"They didn't have to." Koushuu gave him a pointed look. "It was obvious how you looked at me when we bumped into each other." Narumiya-san clicked his tongue, looking away from him briefly. "I would also have to be blind to miss how Sawamura-senpai reacted."

Narumiya-san made a face. "Yeah, that guy's too expressive for his own good sometimes." He didn't speak for a few moments. "So this was about Eijun? About Itsuki hurting Eijun?" He glanced behind him, most likely looking at Sawamura-senpai and Tadano-san. "Is that why Itsuki's talking to him right now?"

Koushuu hummed, turning to look at the catcher's mitts in front of him. "Probably. He said he'd apologize to him." He turned his head to look at him again, unsurprised to see Narumiya-san looking at him. "If you ask me, he's not the only one who should apologize."

Narumiya-san huffed, pointing at him. "Don't tell me what to do. You might be Eijun's catcher, but you're in no position to scold me or Itsuki." Koushuu managed to resist the temptation to roll his eyes. How did he know Narumiya-san would say that? Narumiya-san gave him a scrutinizing look for several moments. "You don't like me, do you." It wasn't a question. "Why? Is this—?"

"Don't get me wrong." Koushuu didn't want to hear any of his accusations. "I support you guys' relationship, and I'm glad he's happy." His voice lowered. "He deserves it."

"Then why?"

Koushuu scowled, unable to help himself. "You and everyone else have hurt him too much." He took satisfaction in the way Narumiya-san winced. "I won't get involved with you guys' relationship." He frowned before bowing his head briefly. "No, that's not right. I'm sorry my teammates and I got involved in you guys' relationship. We had no right." Narumiya-san's eyes widened. Koushuu gave him a serious look. "While I might not like you and don't understand why he likes you of all people, I won't get involved anymore."

Koushuu knew that the game his teammates played with Sawamura-senpai wasn't his fault, and yet, he felt responsible for part of the blame, as he didn't stop it from happening. Didn't try and help Sawamura-senpai. He just… stood by and watched as his own teammates and Narumiya-san himself hurt him.

(It was why he had apologized to Sawamura-senpai, and while Sawamura-senpai looked confused and had said he didn't understand why he apologized, he had forgiven him. Remembering what happened and how Sawamura-senpai had forgiven him made him even more determined to show his support for him from now on.)

Narumiya-san stared at him for a few moments before letting out a loud huff. "Why am I surrounded by impertinent kouhai?" He pointed at him, placing his other hand on his hip. "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once. While Eijun's lucky to have you, he's even luckier to have me." He smirked, puffing his chest out when Koushuu glared at him. "Deal with it."

Did he… praise him and insult him at the same time?

Koushuu growled, his aura flaring up. What was wrong with this guy?

"Oh, look at them go! Look at them go!"

Koushuu blinked, turning around to see Sawamura-senpai and Tadano-san approaching.

Sawamura-senpai grinned, amusement in his eyes. "Why am I not surprised you're growling at Mei, Wolf Boy? As expected of you!" He laughed loudly.

Narumiya-san walked over to Sawamura-senpai, looking insulted. "Aren't you going to scold him?" When he got close enough, he reached out, holding his hand.

Sawamura-senpai blinked, looking surprised before scrunching his face. "Why?" He grinned devilishly, squeezing Narumiya-san's hand. "I know you deserved it."

"You're so mean! So impertinent! No wonder he's like that!"

Sawamura-senpai and Tadano-san laughed, exchanging secretive grins for some reason.

They hung out in the sports store for a little bit longer before leaving, Sawamura-senpai and Narumiya-san splitting off to start their date. Sawamura-senpai hadn't wanted to leave at first, not wanting to leave Koushuu by himself in Tokyo, knowing he didn't know how to get back to Seidou from here and only left when Tadano-san had promised to take him back to Seidou.

Tadano-san grinned at him, amusement in his eyes. "Today was some day, huh?" When Koushuu hummed in agreement, he flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about Mei-san." Koushuu blinked, surprised by the apology. Tadano-san gestured behind him. "He gave you a hard time, didn't he? He's not a good guy and makes a lot of mistakes, but he really loves Eijun."

… What? Why was he talking about Narumiya-san? Koushuu didn't understand. It wasn't like—

Oh.

Tadano-san and Sawamura-senpai had to have seen them talking to each other in the sports store. Maybe that was why?

Koushuu argued with himself for several moments before shaking his head. "That's not what we talked about." Tadano-san blinked before scrunching his face. It reminded him of Sawamura-senpai's confused face. "He was angry with me because I made you uncomfortable."

Tadano-san blinked a few times before his jaw dropped, his eyes widening. He pointed at himself. "M-Me? What…? I don't… I don't understand."

… So Koushuu was right.

"I was surprised, too. I thought he'd been paying attention to Sawamura-senpai the whole time." Koushuu frowned. "You said it earlier, didn't you? He's not a good guy, but he clearly cares about Sawamura-senpai and you. Even though I still think he should express it more."

Tadano-san laughed softly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, that'd be nice, wouldn't it?" He smiled a soft, grateful smile. "Thank you for telling me, Okumura. While I knew Mei-san cares about me to a certain extent, it's still nice to hear you confirm it."

Koushuu managed to resist the temptation to roll his eyes. "Yeah, well, I don't think he would've told you what we talked about."

"He definitely wouldn't." Tadano-san snorted. "He would probably lie about it if I asked."

Koushuu hummed in agreement.

As they walked to Seidou, Tadano-san pointed out some landmarks and taught him a few tricks when it came to navigating Tokyo, Tadano-san laughing when he thanked him.

While today didn't go according to plan, Koushuu felt pleased with the result. Whether intentional or not, he managed to get Sawamura-senpai out of Seidou for the day, and while he might not like Narumiya-san, he still supported Sawamura-senpai's relationship with him and hoped their evening date went well.

For Sawamura-senpai's sake.

ZZZ

Mei waited until they were out of earshot and eyeshot before pulling Eijun close. He even pulled him into the nearest alley for good measure, his lips twitching despite himself at Eijun's soft laugh. He huffed, wrapping one arm around Eijun's waist and holding his chin with his other hand, forcing him to look at him. "I can't believe we had to wait this long."

Sure, Itsuki and Okumura had been with them, but did Itsuki have to keep interrupting them?

Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly, wrapping his arms around his back. "You know as well as I do that we couldn't greet each other in front of them." He grinned devilishly. "Although it would've been fun."

Mei snickered, pulling him closer, his lips hovering over Eijun's, amused when Eijun's breathing hitched. "You're such a bad influence. You realize we were in front of our kouhai, right?"

"Like that would've stopped you," Eijun teased, kissing the side of his mouth, his grin widening when Mei pouted. "You would've enjoyed it. I saw the way you looked at Okumura."

Even though he knew Eijun was teasing him and didn't mean anything by it, Mei found himself unable to look at him, Okumura's words about his jealousy hurting Eijun popping into his head. "Can you blame me? He was standing too close to you, and I—"

"Like how Itsuki was standing close to you?"

Mei looked back at him, furrowing his brow. "That's different, and you know it," he protested. "He doesn't even like me like—"

"Okumura doesn't like me, Mei." Eijun frowned, briefly tightening his grip around him. "I…" He didn't speak for several moments before taking a deep breath. "I love you." He flushed, keeping his eyes on him. "I love you. No one else will come close. That's why…"

Mei flushed, looking away briefly. He clicked his tongue at himself, hating how he almost hurt Eijun again. Really, he should know better by now. "I know." His voice was quiet. He kissed Eijun's forehead, Eijun's eyes closing briefly at his touch. "I'm sorry. I love you, Eijun." He kissed Eijun's cheek, feeling Eijun shiver.

(He had promised to work on his jealousy. If he didn't work on it and kept hurting Eijun, he would be as bad as Kazuya. No, he would be even worse because he was the one dating Eijun. His own boyfriend shouldn't be hurting him. He should be making him happy.)

Eijun's flush darkened, but he didn't say anything for a few moments. He furrowed his brow, scrunching his face in that thinking face Mei recognized. "Is everything alright?" He bit his lower lip, looking worried. "You looked really angry earlier. Did Okumura—?"

"I don't know how you can stand him," Mei complained. "He's so impertinent." He huffed, briefly tightening his grip around him. "He told me he doesn't understand why you like me and then has the nerve to say he won't get involved in our relationship anymore."

Normally, Eijun might've defended Okumura or teased Mei by saying he didn't how he could stand him most days like the impertinent brat he was.

Not this time.

Eijun narrowed his eyes, giving him a scrutinizing look. "Something happened, didn't it?" he accused. "Tell me."

Even after all this time, Mei felt surprised how easily Eijun saw through him. He didn't know why it was Eijun of all people who saw through him, and yet, he found himself… grateful every day that it was. That Eijun liked him enough, loved him enough, to study him and learn about him.

(It made him feel smug, too, of course, but that wasn't the point.)

Mei knew. Knew he could easily change the subject or somehow distract Eijun. (It would be easy, and he wouldn't even need to kiss him to do it.) If he didn't want to talk about it, he knew Eijun would respect him and not force him to speak. Faced with Eijun's unwavering attention and concern, he found he… didn't want to.

He loved Eijun and wanted to make this relationship work, even if that meant acknowledging how he had hurt Eijun. How his jealousy had hurt Eijun time and time again.

Mei sighed, looking away from him briefly and relaxing his grip. Not enough where he let go or that Eijun couldn't feel him anymore, but it wasn't as firm as it was normally. His heart skipped a beat as Eijun let go of him, placing his hands on top of his arms, tugging at them. Understanding what he wanted, Mei wrapped his arms firmly around Eijun's waist, his chest warm and fond as Eijun nodded, looking pleased, wrapping his arms around him again.

Honestly, this guy…

"Itsuki talked to you, right?"

Eijun blinked a few times, clearly taken off guard. "Yeah? You already know Itsuki wanted to talk to me in private at the sports store." He furrowed his brow. "Mei, what…?"

"He apologized to you, right?" Eijun still looked confused, a question in his eyes. "The truth is… We were talking about that, too." Mei huffed. "I saw him, you know. He made Itsuki look uncomfortable, and I decided to confront him about it."

Eijun blinked before scrunching his face. "He did? Itsuki didn't tell me that."

Of course he didn't. Itsuki was a nice guy, and Mei hated how people took advantage of that and ignored his feelings.

(Something he shared with Eijun. Mei himself had taken advantage of Itsuki's kindness before, but to be fair, he never did it out of malice.)

Mei scoffed. "Why would he? He probably thought he was in the wrong." He shook his head. "But this isn't about that." He made a face. "I mean, it is, but…" He let out a frustrated sound. "He was right. This is my fault."

Eijun gave him a baffled look, probably unused to seeing Mei admit someone else was right and that it was his fault in the same breath. If it were any other situation, Mei might've laughed. Eijun let go with one arm and gently cupped his cheek, his eyes soft. "Calm down. Tell me what happened. You're not making any sense." He paused deliberately, grinning devilishly. "Not that that's anything new."

Mei clicked his tongue, the corners of his lips twitching despite himself. "So rude." He leaned into the touch for a few moments, his eyes closing briefly. "I talked to Itsuki before, you know," he murmured. "About how he kept trying to deny and play down you guys' relationship." Eijun's eyes darkened, sadness and hurt appearing in them. Mei gave him a reassuring squeeze. "About how he was hurting you. He didn't listen, of course."

Eijun didn't say anything. He kept cupping his cheek and waited patiently.

"He probably thought I was being jealous of you guys' relationship again." Mei's chest felt warm at Eijun's patience and silent understanding. "I wasn't. I was genuinely curious why he kept doing that, but he didn't take me seriously and brushed me off." He rolled his eyes. "So impertinent."

Eijun scrunched his face, confused. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Because he…" Mei resisted the urge to let go and run a hand through his hair. "Because Okumura blamed me." Eijun's eyes widened. Mei huffed. "I know, right? I couldn't believe it either at first." He didn't say anything for a few moments. "After I thought about it, I realized he was right." Eijun gasped. Mei briefly tightened his grip around him, frustration in his eyes. "If I wasn't always so jealous of you guys' relationship, Itsuki probably would've listened to me." He let go with one hand, rubbing the spot below his eyes tenderly. "He wouldn't have hurt you for this long."

Eijun's mouth opened and closed a few times, nothing coming out. He gave him that stupid look for several moments before snickering, Mei raising his eyebrows. Did Eijun seriously…? Eijun snickered again, letting out a laugh a few moments later. He laughed again and again, leaning forward and burying his face into his shoulder and tightening his grip around him to remain standing.

… Well, that was rude and uncalled for.

Mei felt insulted (and a little hurt) Eijun was laughing at him. He suddenly understood how it felt whenever he laughed at Eijun, and it didn't feel good. At all. "Why…? What's your problem?" He gave Eijun's head an incredulous look. "I just told you what happened and admitted how I hurt you, and you—"

Eijun lifted his face, pulling away briefly before leaning back in and kissing him, Mei letting out a surprised sound against his lips. Eijun leaned more of his body weight against him, causing Mei to step backward, his back hitting a wall. Eijun kissed him softly for several moments before tilting his head and deepening the kiss, letting out a pleased sound when Mei responded to the kiss.

"You're an idiot," Eijun said when he pulled away, his eyes alight with amusement. "You mean to tell me you were worrying about that?" He snickered.

Mei understandably felt confused and insulted. He narrowed his eyes, briefly tightening his grip around him. "Is there something wrong with your head? Why are you laughing when I just admitted how I hurt you?"

(He knew Eijun was an idiot, but he had never acted like this before.)

Eijun rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Why am I not surprised you don't understand?" He grinned at Mei's dirty look. "Mei, you realize I've already forgiven you, right?"

Mei blinked before his jaw dropped, taken aback. "What? But I…" He furrowed his brow. "I hurt you." He shook his head, his eyes darkening with sadness and shame. "No, I've hurt you so many times because of my jealousy." He'd lost count how many times he'd hurt Eijun because of his jealousy, and yet, every time it happened, Eijun forgave him and kept believing in him. Believing he would work on his jealousy and not giving up on him.

(Did Eijun ever realize how amazing he was? Not everyone could do that, and even fewer people would do that for a guy like him. Eijun must really love him.)

"You promised me you'd work on your jealousy—"

Mei gave him an incredulous look. "I know. That's why I'm apologizing. Why can't you—?"

Eijun sighed, gently rubbing Mei's cheek with his thumb, his eyes soft. "You're still working on it and feel horrible about what happened, you idiot. That's why I forgive you." He grinned devilishly. "While it's true we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place if you weren't so jealous, it's not your fault. Not entirely."

"But Itsuki—"

Eijun nodded, giving him a serious look. "You're right. Itsuki probably kept doing that because you kept getting jealous. It's no secret that he's afraid of your temper." He groaned, causing Mei to blink. "Are you seriously going to apologize every time you get jealous from now on? That's such a pain."

"Not every time I get jealous, but every time I hurt you while I'm jealous," Mei corrected, frowning. "Isn't that how it goes? We apologize whenever we hurt each other."

Eijun gave him a fond look, Mei's chest feeling warm and soft. "I think I've told you this at least a million times by now, but…" He rubbed Mei's cheek again. "I like it whenever you're jealous." He narrowed his eyes when Mei frowned, about to speak. "Stop it."

"But—"

Eijun huffed, lightly slapping his cheek, causing Mei to wince more out of surprise than pain. "I said stop it. Itsuki apologized to me and told me he wouldn't do it anymore. We're moving on." He gave him a pointed look. "You need to move on, too." He rolled his eyes when Mei made a face. "That doesn't mean we forget what happened, you idiot. I could've sworn we had this conversation before."

… He was right, of course. Forgiving himself and moving on from his past mistakes was something else he had promised Eijun.

Mei sighed. "Sorry," he murmured, kissing his forehead. "Guess that's something else I'm still working on."

"If it helps…" Eijun grinned devilishly. "Itsuki believes in you, too, and knows you don't get jealous of our friendship all the time."

Mei made a face, the corners of his lips twitching despite himself. "How's that supposed to make me feel better? He's so impertinent." He wouldn't admit it out loud or say anything to Itsuki himself, but it felt… good that Itsuki believed in him.

(One of the idol groups Itsuki was into was having an event soon. Itsuki had lamented about how it had to happen on a game day. If Mei found himself in the area, he would drop by and get something for him. Not that Itsuki would ever find out he had gotten it for him.)

Eijun laughed loudly. "Oh, so that's what this is about!" He grinned devilishly at his confused look. "You didn't like that Okumura was mouthing off at you! No wonder it bothered you so much!"

"Didn't I already say that?" Mei complained. "Seriously, what's wrong with you today? You're so—"

Eijun didn't let him finish, leaning in and kissing him, Mei wanting to hate how Eijun grinned devilishly into the kiss.

They kissed a few more times, Mei wanting revenge for how Eijun kept interrupting him by kissing him, and if he was honest, he liked to think of it as making up for lost time, as they hadn't gotten to kiss earlier.

Eijun, of course, was as eager as him, leaning back in whenever Mei pulled away, causing Mei to laugh.

Mei pulled away sometime later, grinning cheekily. "Did you forget about our date?" Not that he was complaining.

"One more," Eijun murmured, leaning back in, causing Mei to smirk into the kiss.

Mei snickered as they walked out of the alley. "You realize we're starting our date much later than normal, right? All because of you."

"What are you talking about?" Eijun protested, giving him an incredulous look. "It's not just my fault. You're the one who kept kissing me."

Impertinent brat.

Mei smirked. "Well, I'm not the one who leaned back in for one more kiss."

Eijun flushed, much to his satisfaction, scowling, knocking his shoulder against his own.

"Oi, what did I say about treating me roughly?" Mei complained. "You don't respect or care about me at all, do you?" He grabbed the affected shoulder and groaned exaggeratedly. "I think you seriously hurt it. What are you going to do?"

Eijun's lips twitched, causing Mei to feel smug. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. "I didn't know the king's shoulders were that weak and fragile."

"What was that! Who are you calling weak and fragile! I'm the future ace of Japan!"

Eijun laughed loudly, causing Mei to huff.

He needed to get his revenge later. He didn't want Eijun to think that he could talk to him like that. He was just as impertinent as Okumura.

(He wasn't surprised Okumura was as impertinent as Eijun. Okumura probably learned it from him.)

Speaking of Okumura…

Mei meant what he said to Okumura.

Eijun was lucky to have a kouhai who cared about him and supported him as much as he did, and it reminded Mei of him and Itsuki. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

He hoped Okumura would continue to care about and support Eijun for a long time.

Not for his sake, as Okumura had made it clear that he didn't like him, something Mei still didn't understand, but for Eijun's sake. Eijun deserved it.

If he and Okumura agreed on one thing, it would be that.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Author Notes: I hope y'all enjoyed this fic.

Reviews/Favorites/Follows are appreciated. Constructive Criticism is also appreciated.

This is a bit shorter than some of my other fics, and I believe part of that was because I wrote in Wolf Boy's point of view for most of the fic. It's been a while since I wrote from his point of view, so I'm hoping he's somewhat recognizable. I just love how Wolf Boy cares about and supports Eijun so much, and I really wanted to show that in this fic. I also wanted to write him mouthing off at Mei xD

Like I mentioned in my previous fic, I've been reading a lot of my past fics recently, especially the fics in this series. I had this idea that while Itsuki and Eijun considered each other best friends, Itsuki didn't like proclaiming it out of fear of everyone's reactions. Mei doesn't always get jealous of their close friendship, but he's gotten jealous enough times that it made Itsuki afraid to admit how close they really were. Haruichi's going to find out about their friendship in a future fic. I already know how I want to write it.

Speaking of future fics… I already know what my next fic will be about. My next fic is going to be about the Sawamura family and Narumiya family dinner night. I'm really excited to write it, and I already know how I want to write it.

See y'all next time!