#17| Shohei Ohtani

Showing him around

12pm
"This is where I grew up."

It was Monday two days before my interview and I had to swing by the stadium to pick up and fill out paper work. I had taken an Uber to the stadium because Ro was working and didn't get off until 4pm.

I haven't been able to drive myself around because I currently don't have a car, but on Wednesday I have an appointment at a dealership. So hopefully I'll have my own car soon and won't have to bug her about driving me places.

I was getting a snack at the vending machines near the Angels office area when I heard someone say "Hey Y/n" it was Ohtani. "Hey Shohei" I responded "How's your eye?" He asked, I had not been wearing make up that day and my eye was still very purple. "I'm really sorry about that, but anyways what brings you here?" He asked, "I have a job interview here on Wednesday and I had to fill out some paperwork I hadn't filled out." I said, "wait you're gonna work here?" He questioned "Yeah, but that only if I get the job, so you'll be seeing more of me if I do." He smiled and his cheeks kinda got pink

After that he had asked me if I had eaten and well I hadn't. He insisted on going to lunch together and I agreed, I was pretty hungry.

We walked out of the stadium to the parking lot and I was walking behind him until we got to his car, it was a black Tesla. Right as I was about to open the door for myself he beat me to the handle and opened it for me, I was really taken back by this.

"So what do you wanna eat?" He asked, "Hmmm I'm kind of craving chicken, wait have you ever gone to Bruxie's?" I said "no where is that?" He questioned. "It's at the Orange Circle, have you been there?" I said "No" he responded "what???, how it's so close to the stadium!!" I said. "I don't know, I've lived here for 4 years but have never been there, I've only heard of it." He said "Omg okay that's where we're going then!" I said

We pulled out of the stadium parking lot and drove to the Orange Circle, it was only a 10 minute drive and we made small talk along the way. Shohei had told me why he was at the stadium etc and I was telling him more about the job I applied for.

The circle was a very meaningful place to me, it was my home, and I lived really close to it growing up. We parked right by Chapman University, Bruxies was actually right across the street from Chapman.

We got to Bruxie's and I order what I usually always order, Sho ordered the same thing and we sat at a table right across from each other while we ate.

"So tell me about yourself?" I asked while taking a bite of my chicken tender "Well my name is Shohei Ohtani, you already know that." He said, "Duh, but no I wanna know more like the little things about you!" I responded, "Okay okay, I was born July 5, 1994 in Oshu, Japan, I have an older brother named Ryuta and a older sister named Yuka, I've have been playing baseball my whole life, and used to play for Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, but then in 2017 I decided I wanted to play for the MLB. I was courted by all 30 MLB teams including the Dodgers and the Yankees but I signed to The Angels in 2018. Since then I moved to Orange County and well now play for them and was awarded MVP last year and hopefully again this year again, but yeah." He said, "Holy shit MVP, wait so your like really really good huh?" I smiled and smirked at him "I mean I did knock you out with a baseball so I guess so" he shrugged and smirked back at me. I looked at him in shock and threw a fry at him and we both laughed

After we had finished eating we walked around the circle for a bit went into some of my favorite antique stores I loved going into and I told him more about myself, like I how I was in high school, life in NYC, what I majored in etc.

After we left the circle we drove around the area and I showed him my favorite places like my favorite coffee shop Phillz, the Target I would religiously spend my money at and so on and so on. It was crazy to me how he'd been living in Orange County but had never been to this area, but with baseball and training all year it makes sense, he probably just liked to relax when he gets a break.