WON'T TURN BACK, miyuki kazuya

chapter 19

You get into Houston as predicted, at three in the morning; you hadn't anticipated how horrible it would be to be woken up after only a few hours of sleep, shuffled off the plane, then onto the bus, then wait for all the equipment to be loaded, then go to the hotel and have to wait to check in and get your key.

Genuinely, you don't know how they've been doing this for the entire season.

It's already four when you drag yourself into bed. (A room just on your own, right next door to Miyuki and Eijun.)

You promptly pass out until noon the next day. Or that day. Whatever.

The three of you order room service for lunch and spend the rest of the day resting.

After all, tomorrow is Game 3.

"How's your elbow?" you ask Eijun, who lays on his stomach, reading.

He shows it to you; the bruise looks about the same as it did three days ago. "Looks bad but it feels better."

"Yeah?"

You glance at Miyuki, sitting against the headboard on the other bed, to ascertain his thoughts.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow," he says, scrolling through something on his laptop; scouting reports and scorebooks, you'd bet. "You were right about the lidocaine patches, though. They mess with his pitches."

"Yeah," Eijun pouts. "Felt weird. Like jelly."

A knock at the door stops you from replying. Eijun rolls off the bed, going to open the door.

"Hey, kid. Ready for a checkup?" The familiar voice of Rodrigo, the head of the athletic trainers, floats back to you.

"Yes!"

A little bit of shuffling. "I'll be back in a little!"

You and Miyuki respond affirmatively.

The door clicks shut. You settle back into the pillows, turning your eyes back to the movie playing on the TV.

It's quiet for a little while, just the sound of the TV and the click of Miyuki's mousepad.

Eventually, you rise to use the bathroom, yawning as you go. When you step back out, Miyuki calls your name.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ask and ye shall receive," you say, going over to him, taking his unspoken cue as he shifts over on the bed, leaving space for you, which you happily take, slotting yourself against his side, your shoulders brushing together.

"Feel free to tell me to fuck off," he says, rubbing his jaw a little awkwardly.

"I would never."

"It's about West. Is there anything you can tell me about him? As far as baseball goes, I mean."

"Oh. Like when we played together as kids?"

He nods. You glance at his laptop, where it looks like he's reviewing videos of West's pitching. But pitches are pitches. You afford far more insight, with how you two lived in the same town. If anything good can come of what happened, you suppose it's that, being able to help Miyuki out a little bit more.

You cross your arms, chewing your bottom lip thoughtfully. "He likes mind games. Like he likes them a lot. I know baseball is already a mind game and you like leaning into that a lot already but it's crazy for him. Look at what he did to Eijun. It was to make a point."

You blow out a big breath. "Of course he underestimated that Eijun is stronger than that and he'd probably walk on hot coals for us, so. And on second thought, it certainly might've been a message for you, too, but again, it didn't land."