More Than A Shadow

Conflict

Hello there! Long time no see. I didn't want to end the year without an update. I hope you're having a lovely holiday time so far and that you enjoyed reading the last chapter as well. Azusa, can never win with Miyuki, right? :P

This chapter is going to be a little intense as we're progressing to the first conflict of the second season. I think y'all know what I'm referring to. Intense but necessary.

I hope you like it!

As always, thank you for your support.

I apologize beforehand for any grammar mistakes and for being so unreliable when it comes to updating this fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Daiya No Ace, Yuji Terajima does. I only own my OC.

Enjoy and stay safe!

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter 17

"You don't have to stay with me, y'know?" Miyuki spoke, looking up from the scorebook he was reviewing, propping up his chin with his left hand.

Azusa, who was sitting across from him, looked up from her own notebook as well with a surprised expression. They were both going over scorebooks and notes to prepare for the upcoming games in the Fall Tournament now that they have won the game against Teito. They were in complete silence in the meeting room until Miyuki broke it.

"Am I bothering you?" she asked in a quiet tone.

"No," the catcher replied immediately as he glanced away from her. "I just don't want you to feel forced to stay with me, especially when it's so quiet."

She gave him a small smile. "I like quiet time."

Miyuki raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Well, sometimes I like quiet time," Azusa conceded with a small blush.

'Quiet time with you,' she wanted to say. She had always enjoyed the comfortable silence that they fall into from time to time. Not only did it feel peaceful and let her concentrate on whatever task she needed to accomplish. But it also gave her time to steal glances of Miyuki when he wasn't looking. She would notice all the little things, the faintest of facial expressions like when he slightly furrows his eyebrows in concentration or purses his lips. She can admire his chiseled jawline and cheekbones, and his unfairly thick eyelashes and eyebrows. Why did boys always have nice pretty eyelashes?

Miyuki smiled to himself. "That's more like it."

Azusa playfully rolled her eyes. "You always know me so well."

"Of course," he said in a matter-of-fact tone as he went back to read his scorebook.

"Don't say it as if it was a given," she replied, annoyed. "Let a girl have a little mystery, will ya?"

Miyuki snorted. "You? A mystery? You're like an open book."

"That's not true," Azusa snorted while Miyuki gave her a knowing look. "Maybe a not so open book. Like some chapters are off-limits," she retracted a bit.

The catcher chuckled. "Do these chapters even exist?" he asked with a teasing smirk.

"Shut up!" she glared at him while she crossed her arms across his chest. "Not everyone is like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That no one knows what you're thinking. You can be pretty guarded," the manager pointed out.