Chapter 3: Affections and Flirting

[Loud The Insane]

It was finally time for Sawamura to go to practice. He was still cautious around his teammates, but he still thanked god school was over. He was going to practice pitching, alone for the first time people! He was going to go practice his pitches in a net, but saw Furuya and Miyuki talking about something. He hides behind the building and peeked a little, Furuya and Miyuki were glaring at each other next to the building Sawamura wanted to practice.

“Miyuki-senpai… Sawamura is mine”

“I don’t think so, kaibutsu-kun… I don’t see your name on him” Miyuki said. None of the stop glaring at each other, but Sawamura was surprised and blushed. He shook his head; this confirms everyone is indeed looking at him that way.

“Besides, you guys are rivals… I don’t think he likes you”

“He’s just competitive; you’re the one he hates…” Furuya said. Sawamura was afraid those two would start fighting and end up badly wounded, but was grateful when Kanemaru interfered because the coach was calling them.

“Sawamura?” Haruichi said. Sawamura could hear he was searching for him, so he quietly went to where he was; when Haruichi saw him he smiled. Sawamura and Haruichi went to where everyone was being called and the coach was making sure everyone was there.

“Alright then, we have been invited to have a practice match by Inashiro…” coach Kataoka said. Everyone looked shocked, Inashiro? Inviting them? Was this the apocalypse? The coach nodded and continues talking.

“…but we also have Yakushi asking us if they could also have a practice match” coach Kataoka said. Again, everyone seemed shocked. That’s it, today is the end of the world. The coach explained that first they were going to Inashiro for the practice game and… if they have time… play the practice game against Yakushi (since apparently the coach said yes, but could postpone it if they didn’t have time).

When they were going to Inashiro, on the way there Sawamura could only think about what Furuya and Miyuki said. He tried not to think about that, but it was still at the back of his head. When they arrived, everyone had a suspicious look. The team tried to see if it was trap of some sorts or if it was prank.

“Ah! He’s here!” a voiced said. Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice and saw the team of Inashiro, but there was only one member at Inashiro who was looking at someone else.

Sawamura felt nervous under Mei’s gaze. Why was he looking only at him? Mei smiled at him and Sawamura felt like fainting, not because Mei’s smile seemed... seductive? But because he knew even Mei looked at him like that.

Inashiro’s coach took them to the place they were going to practice; everyone looked at each other with suspicious but decided to drop that suspicious for a while. They were going to do a pitcher relay today; first Furuya was going to pitch, then Sawamura, followed by Kawakami and lastly Tanba. The other’s started to warm up before the game started, but Sawamura was just trying not to run away from this place and get lost in the streets on purpose and never see anyone again. Why? Because Narumiya Mei, inashiro’s ace was flirting with him.

“How was your day, Sawamura?”

“G-great… I guess…” Sawamura said. It didn’t help that he was blushing; meanwhile a certain someone was glaring daggers at Mei. That certain someone was none other than Miyuki Kazuya. Mei noticed and smirked and started to have a conversation with Sawamura.

“Is alright for me to call you Eijun?”

“I… sure?” Sawamura said, but sounded more like a question than an answer. Meanwhile Miyuki was trying not to kill Mei; the game was going to start soon anyways.

“You know, of all the butts in the locker rooms, well, yours is way better” Mei said winking at Sawamura. Sawamura’s face was complete red and Miyuki was being held by Kuramochi and Tanba, Mei has successfully flirted with Sawamura. The game started and Miyuki was glad for that, he didn’t care if it was a goddamn practice game… they were going to win.

It only got worse for Miyuki; he even had the same grumpy face the cat made. The rest of the team were also playing at their best just to impress Sawamura, Mei whenever he strike out a batter, would wink at Sawamura. Carlos would sometimes flex his muscles and looked at Sawamura in a seductive manner, while poor Sawamura blushed to the tips of his ears while looking away. Shirakawa only hit the other pitcher balls, except Sawamura’s. His excuse? ‘Because Sawamura is too precious to break him’, which earned him a still blushing Sawamura smiling shyly.

By the end of the game, Inashiro won the practice match. It wasn’t because they were good players (they are), but because Miyuki couldn’t really concentrate thanks to the jealousy. Miyuki was looking for Sawamura and saw he was talking to Mei, Mei was giving him advice on his pitches as Sawamura listen closely. But Miyuki wasn’t pissed at that, Mei had an arm around Sawamura’s shoulder.

“Sawamura… we need to go” Miyuki said. The jealousy was very obvious in his tone and that fake smile he was putting. Mei smirked and Sawamura nodded; our innocent and pure cinnamon roll Sawamura said goodbye to Mei.

“bye Mei!”

“See ya Eijun~” Mei said. That’s it! Miyuki will make Sawamura his tonight. Whether he liked it or not, but he will like it anyway. They went back to Seido and Sawamura says it’s still sunny; he looked at the sky with a grumpy face like the cat. Today was going to be along one for Sawamura. Not to mention they were going to play a practice game with Yakushi now.