Why Can't I Catch For You?

The Next Move

Sawamura slowly walked back to his room, feeling even worse than when he was sick. It was like someone punched a hole in his stomach. He was starting to hate his love life. Well, not that he really had one.

"Hey, how was your hot bath date with-" Kuramochi stopped talking once he saw how depressed Sawamura looked. "Sawamura? You okay? He didn't do anything weird to you?" Sawamura shook his head and continued to stare into space. Kuramochi scratched his head awkwardly and sat next to Sawamura. "Well, it was just a favor, right? No need to take it seriously." Sawamura shot him a glare and he immediately regretted his words. "You don't understand." Sawamura murmured, his head in his hands.

Kuramochi couldn't help putting his arm around the other boy's shoulder to comfort him. "Things will work out. I promise." His voice didn't sound very convincing, though. "Yeah, I guess they will. We have a game in two days. I have to face him for practice and in the cafeteria anyway." Sawamura's voice was dull and muddled, like he was trying to hold back tears. Really, Kuramochi wanted to punch that glasses freak for what he did to his precious roommate.

"Hey, at least you have me. Just cry yourself out tonight." Kuramochi reassured, patting his back. To his surprise, Sawamura buried his head in Kuramochi's chest and wrapped his arms around his back. "Please let me stay like this for a while." He said, wanting to feel another person's warmth for the time being. He felt that if he didn't have something to distract him now, he would break down. He needed something. Someone. The pressure of the upcoming game was starting to claw at him and the situation with Miyuki is only making things worse.

"Damn it. Damn it all. What should I do now? I screwed up..." Sawamura hissed, his hands gripping Kuramochi's shirt tighter. Kuramochi was uncertain about whether or not to hug him back, but seeing how sad Sawamura was urged him to. "Hey, you want to play some card games for a change? I just learned a game called Chance."

Sawamura looked up at Kuramochi exasperated. "I don't know. I don't really feel in the mood to play anything. Ok maybe except baseball." Kuramochi put his hand on his chin, thinking about other options to improve Sawamura's mood. "I got it. How about we have a sleepover at Furuya's room?"

~~~

Furuya stared at the 2 guys standing in front of his room. "What do you want?" He was still salty over the fact that  Miyuki used the pitching machine over him and how the batting game took almost the whole practice day. Thanks to them, Furuya couldn't pitch a single ball to Miyuki. "Well, Sawamoron here is pretty depressed, so mind if we stay over for the night?" Kuramochi bluntly stated. Like always, Kuramochi never sugarcoated his words to him.

Furuya silently considered the request before swinging the door wide open. "As you please. It was getting pretty boring in here anyways." Furuya's eyes lingered on Sawamura as he walked in, looking eager and depressed at the same time. "Woah, I've never been to anyone's room before, except Miyuki's. Your room is actually neat. For some reason, Miyuki has a sewing machine, so it makes the room really stuffy. Wait-why do you have so many baseballs? I thoughts you were supposed to return them!" Sawamura rambled on, like there was nothing better to talk about than baseball and organization. "Wait a sec, you've been to Miyuki's room? When and why?" Kuramochi suspiciously asked, glaring at Sawamura.

"Ah, well it-"

"Miyuki was giving us baseball lessons for future reference. You know, when he's not here anymore and we have to think about the plays. We can't depend on him forever. Sawamura suggested it, by the way." Furuya answered. Kuramochi started laughing. "Wow, this idiot actually started to think? Since when did you start using your brain during games?"

"Well excuse me for trying to get smarter! And for your information, I've been using my brain the whole time!" Sawamura argued back, but with a joking tone. Furuya started to stare at his blank room, filled with nothing but clothes, baseballs, and textbooks. "So, what do you plan to do exactly?" Kuramochi went over to one of the beds and held up a pillow, smirking. "Your roommates don't mind, right?" Furuya only raised his eyebrows in question.

~~~

Miyuki stared at the table where the three idiots usually sat. However, there was only Haruichi there this morning, eating his breakfast slowly. He whipped his head around, scanning the cafeteria for the 2 pitchers who didn't show up for breakfast. That's when he noticed Kuramochi wasn't here either. Miyuki wrinkled his eyebrows in suspicion. What's taking them so long?

It turns out the 3 of them "overslept", according to Kuramochi. They arrived in the brink of time, just before morning practice ended, and earned an ear load from both Miyuki and the coach. "Kuramochi, you're supposed to set a good example for them. You're their senpai." Miyuki lectured, while the coach was yelling at the two pitchers. "I'm truly sorry, Boss! I'll make sure this never happens again!" Sawamura screamed, getting down on the ground to apologize. Furuya just bent his body 90 degrees forward and said, "I have no excuses. This was entirely our fault. Please forgive us." The coach glared at them for a minute and then waved them away. "Go take 10 laps and then go to class."

"Yes, Boss!" Sawamura answered and took off. Furuya and Coach Kataoka's eyes widened when they saw what was behind Sawamura's back. "Oi! Sawamura! Come back here!" The coach yelled after him. Sawamura stopped and hesitantly came back, unsure of what to expect. The coach gave him a hard look. "Since when did you have the ace number?" Furuya gulped and tried to hide the 18 on his back. Sawamura only looked more confused. "What are you-"

"Turn your shirt around and look." He demanded, crossing his arms impatiently. Sawamura hurriedly twisted his shirt around and gasped in surprise. "So? Care to explain?" The coach asked, his words as sharp as a razor. Sawamura slowly made eye contact with him. "W-what are you saying, Boss? I've always h-had the ace number!" The coach pointed at the three of them. "Kuramochi, Sawamura, and Furuya. Run 20 laps and then swap your clothes back. I expect you to be running the whole day during the afternoon practice." 

As the three of them took off, Miyuki punched the wall, anger rolling off him like waves. What exactly did they do last night that made them this late?!