WON'T TURN BACK, miyuki kazuya

chapter 7

The next day, Miyuki finds you in the clubhouse.

This is immediately after the game, when everyone is still outside celebrating their comeback win against the Phillies. Carlos pitched for seven innings, before Milo closed them out. Dayton was the catcher for the entire game. Actually, after thinking about it, you haven't seen Miyuki since before the game. Not in the dugout or in the bullpen.

Before you can ask about that, wary of the chattering voices that inch closer to the entrance of the clubhouse, Miyuki pulls you to a corner, beside Eijun's changing area.

"I got us in."

"Are you serious?"

He grins. "Very. Look." He shows you a picture on his phone. Him, clad in jeans, a white button-up and a black bomber jacket, next to an older man in a chef's coat and toque, beaming as he holds a signed baseball.

"What — when did you do this?" you sputter. The restaurant opens at three and closes at eleven. He was here at three and the game started at four. It's now thirty until eight and he's still in uniform.

Then, it clicks.

"Did you leave during the game? Is that why you weren't playing today?"

He snickers. "The managers already wanted to have me switched out midway through because they were getting worried about how many games I've been playing. I mean, I'm fine, but, well, it's Eijun, right? Might as well take advantage of the opportunity, so I just told them to take me out."

"You . . ."

He pockets his phone, smirking. "You'd do the same, wouldn't you?"

"Well, yeah but —"

You figure you and Miyuki are very obviously on different levels. He lives and breathes baseball. So, for him to intentionally pull himself out, even if the managers had thoughts about switching out, it's . . . crazy. But it puts everything a little bit more into perspective because you would do the same, even if you loved the game as much as he did. There is the caveat of course that you would really do anything for the ones you loved but . . . regardless, it's still impressive.

"Anyway, it's not like Eijun would be pitching to me since they wanted Diaz to play, so." He shrugs nonchalantly.

You laugh. Okay, there it is. That's a little more familiar.

"So, what's the plan?" you ask once your laughter abates, a smile still lingering on your lips.

"We have a reservation for eight-thirty. I'm leaving right now to shower and get changed. You need to get him out of here and back to his apartment to change."

"So —"

"No, you can't tell him," he says. "In fact, if you're really committed, you'll blindfold him on the way to the restaurant."

"Oh, my god."

"What? Don't tell me you don't want to see his reaction when he realizes where we are."

"Okay, fine, but we're not going in the same car?"

"No, I promised the owner I'd be back a little earlier to take some pictures with him and his family."

You snicker at the slightly pained look on his face at that. He reaches for your cap and pulls it hard over your face in retaliation.

"You can do it?"

"I got it," you grumble, fixing the cap. "Just text me when you're there."

"I need your number, then."