Reckless Muse

Ch. 3: Rainy Meeting (Part 2)

"So what you're saying," Sakura spoke, carefully measuring out each word, "is that some of the upperclassmen on the team invited you out. When you all went to a convenience store, they started grabbing stuff and pocketing it. When the clerk noticed, he tried to stop you all from leaving, but only you managed to get out and when you ran, you heard sirens. That's the story?"

Kuramochi nodded, keeping his head down and avoiding looking at her at all costs. He was glaring a hole into the ground and his knuckles were white as his fists were clamped together. It was silent for a few seconds and he felt his stomach drop. She was going to report him. Oh god, she was going to tell her brother. Oh god, the coach. He'd be off the team for sure and-.

His mind went blank.

A light pressure was around his shoulders and it took a few seconds for him to realize what it was. He risked a quick glance at Sakura who had moved over to cover the few inches of distance between them. Their eyes met briefly before Sakura turned to look away, red dusting her cheeks. He barely heard what she said over the steady stream of rain.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You were dragged into it."

Kuramochi sat still, staring at her for a few seconds longer, still trying to process it. It was only when the light pressure around his shoulders moved that he spoke quickly, almost desperate to keep her touch, although God knew why. "But I was there...I...I was with them. What if the shopkeeper..."

"Hey." It was firm, unyielding, and it made Kuramochi shut his mouth quicker than the tight grip on his shoulder. He met her gaze and was startled to find her almost glaring at him, as if she were daring him to disagree with what she said next. "You didn't know. You were dragged into it. If you tell the coach who did it, I'm sure that he'll understand."

Kuramochi's words caught. "But Coach'll kick me off the team," he protested, his voice going quiet.

"Only if he hears about this from someone else." Kuramochi was quiet and Sakura could see the gears turning in his head. It was only then that she realized that she still had one arm draped around him and gripping his opposite shoulder. She removed it quickly, holding her arm up awkwardly in the air as she tried to stammer out that it was a habit and she always did that to her siblings.

Kuramochi just shook his head, red creeping up his neck. "No, it's fine. I didn't mind." He turned to smile at her weakly. "Actually, thank you. I think I needed that." Sakura nodded silently, watching as his mind started turning again, thinking about his current situation. He sighed heavily before dragging himself to his feet and walking to the corner of the dugout. Sakura's eye trailed after him, picking up on the nervous restlessness that she shared with her sister. In fact, Sakura was fairly certain that the reason he was soaked to the bone was that he was running to clear his mind. Or out of desperation. "Just, let me get my mind around this," he whispered, Sakura nodding her agreement.

Like that, the two of them sat in silence for a few minutes. Sakura gathered her strewn art supplies and began packing it away. Kuramochi sat on a small concrete ledge along the wall of the dugout, staring out into the rain. Just as Sakura finished packing and organizing everything, taking her time so that Kuramochi had more time to think, she glanced over at him and was stopped in her tracks. She had admitted to herself before that he was sort of good-looking, but this was pure art.

The rain had soaked him to the bone, plastering his white shirt to his chest and biceps and his dark jeans were stiff as they clung to his legs. Streaks of rain ran down his skin, curving over his forearms and running down his left arm that was raised to the back of his neck. His hair was drenched and water beaded on it before plopping down onto his cheeks and tracing his jawline as they curved under his chin. His eyes had cleared and his usual intense gaze had returned, but instead of looking carefree and reckless, he looked serious yet relaxed. His brows were drawn slightly and he was focused on something in the back corner of the dugout. With the backdrop of the rain hammering the field and homeplate, it was nothing less than a masterpiece.

Sakura stood shock still as she took in his image. She could feel her cheeks turn scarlet, but she didn't try to turn her gaze away. Instead, she blindly grabbed her camera and raised it to her eye. Snapping the picture, she cursed herself when she realized the flash had been on. Kuramochi turned to her and quirked an eyebrow at her camera.

"I-I-I...," Sakura stuttered dumbly. She swallowed, watching as Kuramochi simply waited for an answer. "I just... It's just for a reference picture," she finally managed to blurt out. She felt her blush deepen as Kuramochi smiled at her.

"As long as I get to see the finished project, it's fine," he said, still smiling. Sakura nodded, not trusting her voice. Kuramochi shifted his gaze back to what he had been looking at and Sakura followed. In the corner of the dugout was a sign taped to the wall. It was just a simple piece of paper with the words 'Never Settle. Always Challenge' written on it. It was sloppy, yet held an unusual air about it, as if you could feel the importance of the simple words scribbled down quickly.

"Who made that sign?"

"Don't know," he replied quietly. "But from what I hear, it's been here for years. Anytime it gets ripped or damaged, some one makes a new one. Sort of like a good luck charm, I guess."

Sakura chuckled lightly. "I guess it's not stupid if it works." Kuramochi let out a light laugh, making her smile. She turned back to him and sighed. "We should probably go see the coach, before he leaves for the night."

Kuramochi stiffened. "Yeah, I know. It's just- Wait, 'we'?" he turned to look at her and she shrugged. Kuramochi scowled at her. "You shouldn't be out in this rain anyway. You go home, I'll deal with this."

Sakura smirked at him. "Got to catch me first." With that, she sprinted from the shelter of the dugout and raced across the field. She heard Kuramochi shout from behind her and heard footsteps give chase. She darted from the field and made her way through the gate, out of the fence. The rain pounded her and she mentally cursed the fact that Kuramochi had been running for god knows how long in this downpour. The footsteps gradually got closer and Sakura put on an extra burst of speed, making her way to the coach's office.

As she ran into the door of the building, Kuramochi slammed into her, pressing against her back after a failed attempt to stop. Both of them were breathing heavily and trying to catch their breath. Neither moved. The building's roof provided a small area out of the rain and with Kuramochi pressing Sakura against the door, both of them were in it. Sakura shifted slightly; the door handle jabbing into her stomach wasn't exactly comfortable. As she moved slightly back, she could feel Kuramochi's triceps against her shoulders, nor did she miss how solid his chest was. Another blush erupted onto her face. "Um, Kuramochi-san?" she whispered, all too aware of her new discoveries about the shortstop.

He coughed as he slid off to the side of her, still staying under the roof's protection. "Sorry," he mumbled avoiding her eyes. She bit her tongue to keep from chuckling at the sight of the vibrant red dancing on his cheeks. He scratched the back of his neck. "Ya'know, I knew you were fast, Kusunoki-san has mentioned that you're really fast, but I'm impressed." He gave her a lopsided grin, his blush making him look even cuter. "Not many people can outrun me, Kusunoki-chan."

"Aren't you confident?" Sakura asked with a chuckle, her blush refusing to fade. "Well, we should probably go see the coach now.

"Yeah. Thanks for coming with me. You're good moral support, Kusu-"

"Sakura," she cut him off. Her cheeks heated up even more. "Call me Sakura. It feels weird, you calling me and my brother the same name."

It was silent for a heartbeat before Kuramochi said, almost a whisper. "Okay, thanks for coming, Sakura-chan." She nodded at him, who was blushing even harder. She pushed open the door and both of the teenagers entered the building, leaving a trail of water behind them as they made their way to the coach's office.

They stayed mostly silent as they walked. Both of them managed to calm their blushing, both coming to the conclusion that it wouldn't be a good look in front of the coach. As they turned down the hallway where the coach's office was, Sakura spoke calmly. "You're the one who is going to do the talking, but I'm here for support. Don't worry." She gave him a small smile which he returned before taking a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's do this."