WON'T TURN BACK, miyuki kazuya

chapter 20

You see the pictures of the celebration the next day.

The aforementioned beer celebration, a tradition you also don't understand but one that pervades the MLB heavily in times like these; usually they'll cover every surface in the clubhouse with a tarp, get the guys changed, then pop several bottles of beer and champagne. After shaking them to get that explosive reaction. 

Everyone ends up soaked but its the ones who are viewed as carrying them into victory that get the brunt of it; from the pictures posted on the official MLB account on Instagram, it seems those people were Eijun and Miyuki. One picture shows Miyuki and Eijun arm-in-arm, black shirts completely soaked, goggles slipped to the tops of their heads, grinning widely at the camera.

It's insane, in your opinion. But if that's how they want to celebrate, then let them. They deserve it.

You don't wake up until noon (after getting back to the hotel at three), at which point you see the post on Instagram and a text from Eijun at five in the morning saying that they made it back to the hotel.

You shake your head at that, chuckling to yourself as you put your phone down and roll out of bed. Neither he nor Miyuki mentioned a set time for the flight back to Seattle but you want to be ready to go anyway. After using the restroom, changing into jeans and a t-shirt, and packing everything into your bag, you grab your phone and wallet.

You had another text from Chris at noon, letting you know he was at the airport and getting ready to go through security, since his flight is at two. You don't feel too guilty about not seeing him off; both of you knew you'd be sleeping in late and he'd try to get in as much as he could before getting up, packing, and just leaving straight to the airport. You'd see him in Seattle, after all.

"Pst!"

Halfway down the hall to get to the elevators, you stop and turn, spotting Miyuki slip out of the room next to yours, quietly closing the door behind him.

Surprised, you take him in; he looks especially tired, the circles under his eyes extra pronounced today. He's only in grey sweatpants, a maroon hoodie, and socks and slides.

"What are you doing up?" you ask, keeping your voice low, mindful of the players in the rooms around you.

"Socially acceptable time to wake up, remember?"

"If you went to bed at, like, eleven. Which you didn't. How many hours of sleep did you even get?"

Hands on his hips, he blows out a big breath, tilting his head back, looking at the ceiling. "We got back at five. Took me awhile to actually go to sleep, so-o about four or five hours? Something like that."

"Miyuki."

He stretches, groaning quietly. "My sleep schedule is already messed up because of the time change. Be even worse if I let myself sleep even later. I'll catch up tonight."

"Right," you say dubiously. "And Eijun?"

"He's still out. Probably'll get up soon. Have you eaten?"

"I only got up an hour ago. They're probably not serving breakfast anymore, anyway."

He shakes his head. "They have food for us in one of the conference rooms. They figured none of us would be getting up at eight for free breakfast."

"Yeah, definitely not."

The two of you start for the elevators.

"How was last night? I saw the pictures."

"Ugh." He slides a hand down his face, punching the button for the elevator. "Don't remind me. I don't remember half of what happened. Be honest. Do I reek of alcohol? I took a shower there, here, and this morning but I'm pretty sure this smell isn't going to leave me until the next Game 3 we have against the Yankees."