Heartstrings & Homeruns: A Kenji Sato Fan Fiction

CHAPTER 18

Chapter Eighteen: Tangled in Tensions

The day was exhausting as usual. The moment practice ended, everyone immediately rushed to the shower room, including Kenji. I sat on a bench, scrolling through my phone as I waited for him to finish up. My thumb hovered over the pictures I had taken during practice, lingering on the ones of Kenji. There was something oddly comforting about having these moments captured, even if they were just of him in his element, focused and strong.

Once dressed, Kenji packed his bag and made his way over to me. The tension in his jaw eased a little when he saw me look up and smile.

"Hey," I greeted him, trying to keep my tone light.

"Hey," he responded, his gaze softening as it met mine. But before either of us could say anything more, his phone buzzed with an alarm. I caught a glimpse of the screen-"Exclusive with Ami"-and felt a pang of irritation.

"I can go home if you'll be occupied," I said, forcing a smile. I didn't want to seem clingy or upset, even though his prior commitment stung more than I cared to admit.

He had promised to spend time with me at my place, so I took the extra time to clean and make my apartment look presentable. Everything was already planned out: the movie we were going to watch, the ingredients we needed to cook dinner, and I even changed my sheets with a fresh batch from the laundry. They still smell of lavender-scented fabric softener. If he had informed me of his prior commitment, I wouldn't have taken the time to prepare all of that.

"Shit, I forgot this was today," Kenji's eyes flicked to my face, and I saw a flicker of guilt. "No, wait. I-I have to meet Ami for a bit, but you don't have to leave. You can wait for me. I won't be long."

"It's fine," I replied, maintaining my smile. "I don't want to intrude on something important."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not being completely honest?" Kenji asked, his brow furrowing. He could read me better than I liked, and it annoyed me.

"I'm just not feeling well," I shrugged, dismissing his concern.

"Not feeling well?" His concern deepened. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you to a doctor?"

"It's fine," I waved him off. "I just need to go out to vape and get some rest."

Kenji's expression darkened at the mention of vaping. "You know you shouldn't vape when you feel unwell," he reminded me, his voice tinged with worry.

"I know it's bad for me, Kenji. I'm not a kid," I shot back with a smirk, a hint of sarcasm in my tone.

Kenji rolled his eyes at my sarcastic remark, his irritation evident on his face.

"Yeah, I know you're not a kid," he retorted, his voice tinged with frustration. "But you have habits that aren't good for you. Vaping is one of them."

"Let's just go. You shouldn't keep a lady waiting," I replied, referring to Ms. Wakita as I walked ahead of Kenji toward the exit of the baseball field.

Kenji let out a sigh, frustrated by both my stubbornness and his own predicament. He reluctantly followed me as I walked ahead of him.

"You don't have to walk so fast, you know," he grumbled, struggling to keep up with my brisk pace.

"You're the one who should be walking faster. Ms. Wakita is waiting for you," I retorted, chuckling as I crossed the pedestrian path toward the café.

"I know that, damn it. You don't have to remind me," he grumbled, following me across the street toward the café.