National Treasure

Chapter 8

"oi! first years hurry up!!" isashiki yelled

Sawamura groaned, it was scorching hot right now and carrying the senpai's bags were not making it any easier on him. Poor furuya though, he looks like he's having an even harder time.

The summer tournament has officially started, he looks forward to standing on that mound, surrounded by his team, the people in the audience, the batter in front of him.

"You look like you're in a good mood eijun-kun" haruichi smiled

The brunette nodded enthusiastically "it's exciting!! look at all the people here!" he said

Without warning a swift kick to the buttocks was given by none other than kuramochi making sawamura stumble forwards, he opened his mouth to complain but quickly zipped it shut the second he saw his senpai's emitting an impressively dangerous aura, he chooses life.

"Stop yapping! we get it! you get to be on the mound first!!" kuramochi said, that made furuya flare up before deflating again as he succumbed to the heat

Sawamura rubbed his behind as he obediently followed behind like a puppy that just got scolded, haruichi swore he saw dog ears and a tail.

"See that's what happens when you show off to the coach" rei sighed, he pulled sawamura aside so they could talk alone before he could make his way to the dining hall

Sawamura stuck out a tongue and shrugged his shoulders "so what? does it really matter what number i wear?" he asked

Rei sighed "Fair enough, are you sure you're okay with number 10?" he asked

The brunette looked down at the number he held, It's not like he thinks Tanba didn't deserve the ace number after he's worked so hard to make it back to the team, but the coach was definetely not making that ace number easy to get.

"Not a problem! Senpai might be wearing that number for now but i'll be the one carrying it on my back soon!!" he said "besides there are plenty of reasons not to give me the ace number just as there are reasons to give it to me"

The female sighed

Yes. There are plenty of reasons not to give him the ace number.

The first year pitcher couldn't help but let a wide smile form on his face, there were a lot of people despite it being the first round, if it weren't for kuramochi and isashiki watching him every few seconds then he definetely would've gotten himself lost

The feeling was cut shortly when a familiar voice called him from behind

A certain blonde pitcher approached from behind, the same cold glare directed towards sawamura "I guess seidou isn't so bad afterall if they decided not to give you the ace number" he said

Sawamura sealed his mouth shut, both haruichi and furuya were taken back by the sudden change of mood

"well it doesn't matter, i'm only here to see furuya in the flesh" narumiya said "so? where is he?"

Sawamura pointed at the still slumped furuya, mei looked at him uncertain, so he nodded to confirm

Narumiya seemed a little disappointed "you're kidding..."

He can't blame narumiya, the stories and news about furuya's pitching spread like wildfire and definitely became the center of everyone's attention, his performance from the practice games is also talked about among the people.

"Mei can i talk to you?" sawamura asked

The blonde looked at him silently before gritting his teeth "what's there to talk about eijun?? Is it about the time we spent in that camp?" he bursted "or is it about the time where you abandoned everything, running away like a coward and quit baseball?" he said

"I-"

"Save it, i don't want to hear anything from you" narumiya cut him off "if you want me to listen then make me" he said before turning around and marching angrily to his teammates

Sawamura felt chills going down his spine, it felt like everything around him just went dead silent

That was until a hand grabbed him from behind, he turned and saw miyuki with a shocked and confused look oon his face, behind him the other seniors looked as equally confused.

"Sawamura, what did he mean by that?" miyuki asked

The brunette averted his eyes from the catcher's as he broke free from his grasp "it's nothing"

That only made the catcher more desperate for answers "fine, i won't pry open for now but just so you know i'm the one catching for you, if you don't trust me then who are you supposed to trust on the field? This better not affect the game today sawamura" miyuki said

Sawamura sighed, he just can't seem to do anything right

Miyuki had a point, they're a battery, they trust each other more than anything when they're on the field.

Something about miyuki made him feel safe, comfortable and warm. It was something he couldn't describe through words, why was it always miyuki? what makes him so special to him??

Fortunately sawamura played through the game without any major errors, there...was an issue at his second at-bat, let's just say it involved a misstep and a face plant

During dinner that night he could still feel the stares from across the room, even in the bus you can notice the weird atmosphere, atleast in the baths he got some time for himself, he stared at the tiles on the wall, then he noiced his eyes started to blur, when he squinted a warm feeling trickled down his cheek, he looked down at the big body of water where the tear has just landed in, the reflection in the water confirmed it all, he only gave a sad smile and chuckled "I look pathetic" he said

Sawamura stood infront of miyuki's room, he knew the catcher spends some time in his room after a bath before he started his late night swings, he knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer but the door opened from the inside, now infront of him was miyuki kazuya.

"Sawamura?" miyuki asked "what's wrong?"

Miyuki Kazuya, the one senpai that sawamura would love to punch in the face but is also the person he trusted most, seriously there's probably something wrong with the way miyuki looks at him, he never gets that feeling from any other seniors

"You're right, let's talk" Sawamura said.