"Men are all the same. They forever crave what they can never have."
One for the money, one for his needs.
They signed a contract.
To be partners in a sexual relationship.
"No love, no kisses on the lips. Not related in each other's lives. Just thei...
"I think it came back" I talk to my psychiatrist, Doctor Murphy. Now I'm sitting in the Angels treatment room. The old doctor sits across from me, looking concerned as he reads his medical journal. His fingers tap lightly at his desk, occasionally pausing mid-sentence to scribble something down.
"When did it happen?" He asks casually flipping his page. He doesn't meet my eye.
"Yesterday. It started off like my trouble sleeping. In my dream, I saw a girl running in a yellow field, my friend appeared after that. Then I was at my house, but I don't feel like home, because I saw him." I explain as calmly as possible. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting for his response. But the man keeps silent as if contemplating the information he just heard.
Finally, he looks at me and puts down his pen. "Do you know them, Shohei? The girl and your friend" he prompts gently.
"Yes, the girl's name is Y/N. She's my....." I pause, not sure how I should word my thoughts, "-coworker from the Angels" I finish lamely, rubbing the nape of my neck. As always, the doctor nods his head in agreement. "And my friend, he is Lars" At my last words, the room goes silent again.
"Did they say anything to you in this dream?" Dr. Murphy asks me.
I close my eyes in an attempt to collect any fragments of my dreams, but the images I see are too blurry. The yellow, the white, and .. tears. I couldn't remember exactly the words, just the feeling about it stayed. I remember those words made me feel weak, almost afraid.
"No, I don't" I reply, opening my eyes again. Dr. Murphy takes another sip from his mug of tea while he stares me down, reading me like an open book.
"Do you take the pills regularly lately?" He asks, still studying me intently with his gray eyes. I sigh. "No, I don't. It affects my ability to concentrate while in the game" I tell him truthfully. The pills can ease my nerves, but their side effect also includes some strange hallucinations. That's the reason why I haven't touched them since the baseball season started.
"Shohei, you have been fighting this monster since you were still in Japan. How long are you going to keep it like this?" The doctor says leaning forward in his chair, his expression now more serious than before.
"Just give me a little more time, Dr, at least until I come back from WBC, I-I can't risk."
I tell him desperately. I have waited 6 years for this game, and my whole life for holding the cup in my arms. Just one more month won't make much difference in the long run.
The doctor shakes his head sadly. "You're making yourself crazy Shohei, if you resist those pills, I won't be able to help you."
I look up to find his gaze still focused on me, his hazel eyes full of concern. He knows me well enough to know that stubbornness lies in my blood. I nod slightly and turn to face away from him, hoping he will leave without saying any more.
He clears his throat, standing up and moving toward me. "Just try a little more, okay? I know how determined you are to win. But remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical strength."
He holds my shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly before leaving me alone in the room.
***
Crack!
Another homerun. I throw my bat on the mound with a smirk on my lips. It is a perfect throw, one that I made a dozen times before during practice. I've had enough for my practice this afternoon.
I make my way to the clubhouse, ready for my showers. I need a nice hot shower right about now, the stress today has exhausted me. A few of the players glance at me, nodding at me when they catch sight of me. When I finished, I came back to my locker to rest. When I reach mine, Sandoval is already there, talking to another player. When he sees me, he grins.
"Heyyyy dude!" Sandoval waves his hands excitedly. He's really enjoying the attention. I smile at him warmly while I toss my towel in my locker. I notice my teammates are gathering around us, talking. When I sit in front of the locker area, Sandoval comes up to me, grinning from ear to ear, like a child who got a free ice cream cone.
"How is practice going?" He leans against my locker, crossing his arms over his chest and asks enthusiastically.
"It's good" I reply quietly. We talk a little about the game and how I managed to hit every single homerun, which makes Sandoval smile smugly.
"Guys, attention please!" Marie steps into our clubhouse and announces with her voice booming throughout the large area. My teammates and Sandoval snap out of their conversations immediately. When they settle down, Marie continues.
"I want to address everyone about some of the upcoming events." She looks through her clipboard, scanning her list until she finds what she is looking for.
"From tomorrow, paparazzi aren't allowed to ask anything related to the lineup in the next season." She states firmly as she glances at each of our teammates. I listen while peeling off the excess skin around my nails.
The footsteps of someone approaching our place get my attention. I look up and find Y/N standing next to Marie, gasping for breath. Marie glances briefly at Y/N and continues.
"Woah there Y/N" Sandoval whispers next to me.
Her heavy breathing makes her tight thin sweater rise and fall slightly. The exquisite shape of her body is exposed, and the soft texture of her skin is so tempting that I can smell her on the tip of my nose all the way down to the rink.
She is annoyingly beautiful as always, now even more than ever.
I stare intensely at her for a few seconds before turning my attention to Marie again. "That's all of it, we have a big game coming up soon so I suggest you guys focus." She adds.
"And now little Y/N here will inform you guys about a new upcoming event" She turns towards her. Y/N switches place with Marie to have a center view for everyone.
"I heard that Y/N and Lars are finally dating" Sandy mutters behind me.
I turn my head slowly to face him, surprised. He shrugs innocently. "They kissed" he explains casually as if it weren't such a big deal.
Y/N is still talking, we exchange glances, neither one of us knowing how to respond. The innocent eyes remain locked with me until they eventually diverge. Her cheeks flush as she looks away shyly.
"Yeah, and by the way, the media team has launched a social media campaign with New Balance, it is 'The Sol Lar'. Hope you guys will watch the video," Y/N said, smiling brightly with a slight blush tinging her cheeks. Her voice is smooth and seductive to me.
"No, they don't" I simply state to Sandy and I pull out my phone.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
