06:11:02
Three Months Later
"Someone bring Furuya's wheelchair before he throws a fit!" Jun yells.
"I'm on it," Miyuki drawls.
He wheels it over to where Jun and Furuya are standing, at the entrance of the cafeteria.
"I expect you to always have it near me," Furuya scolds as Jun helps him sit, "How many times have we been over this?"
Miyuki sucks his teeth as he rests his hands on his hips, "I can't take this anymore. Hurry up and give birth already so I can stop being treated like a slave."
"If you think giving birth will stop me from taking advantage of you, you're gravely mistaken."
Miyuki lightly nudges Furuya on the shoulder, annoyed.
The past three months have subjected them to seeing their pitcher transform into a demanding diva. Reaching full term in his pregnancy, his stomach had swelled into the size of an oversized basketball, and he made it his convenient handicap. Walking ached his feet and was too much of a drag, so he borrowed a wheelchair from Nurse Akagi for the members to wheel him around in. Jun might or might not have used him for impromptu drag races around the school.
Miyuki aided in bathing him and feeding him whatever he was craving, and Miyuki found himself turning into a professional chef in the cafeteria kitchen at any given time of day.
Kuramochi, sometimes Jun, massaged his back, stomach, and feet whenever he was in pain, although Miyuki didn't comprehend why Furuya didn't rely on him for that. They simply fulfilled their duties without complaint.
The other members of the team exerted themselves to ensure that Furuya was comfortable wherever he went. In case he had to walk, several chairs would be strategically placed throughout his path, along with water bottles and little trinkets to keep him distracted from the pain. Offering up their bowls of rice was also included, which Kanemaru did so graciously.
Kataoka had recently installed a massage chair in his office for Furuya to utilize freely, yet he found himself sitting in it more often than not. One of his most surprisingly rewarding purchases, he thought.
Now, Miyuki wheels Furuya out to the field. Afternoon practice is underway, the hellish week of training before their pivotal match against Inashiro. Kataoka was being merciless with the intensity of the exercises and drills, and the duo feels rather grateful that they're not partaking in them.
"Do you think we'll win?" Furuya asks.
"Are you doubting our teammates?" Miyuki questions, "That's not very team spirit of you."
"I'm not doubting them. Narumiya quit baseball, and with us out for the count, practically, it should be an equal fight. This is an important game and if we lose, I'll feel guilty."
Miyuki crosses his forearms on the top of Furuya's wheelchair, leaning forward, "Don't. We have some pretty strong guys who are trying their best to compensate for us. They won't let us down so easily."
Furuya nods, "Of course. I told them they're not allowed to hold our child if they lose."
"What?! Really?"
"Yes."
"Even Kuramochi? Isn't he the godfather?"
"No one gets special treatment around here. I'm taking this very seriously."
"Cruel—whoa!"
Miyuki springs into action, reflexively catching a stray ball that comes flying right at Furuya's face. He sighs in relief, but his heart still thumps at how freaking close that was.
"I'M SORRY!" Eijun yells as he beelines towards them, and stops in his tracks when Miyuki shoots him a menacing look.
"Are you insane?" Miyuki asks, gripping the ball, "That could have ended terribly. How could your throw go that haywire?"
"MY MOST HUMBLEST APOLOGIES!" Eijun bows profusely until Kuramochi runs up from behind and kicks him in the ass.
"Idiot!" the shortstop chastises, "Did Sanada hire you as an assassin or what? You trying to take him out? You're part of the FDL, remember?!"
"FDL?" Furuya perks up, cocking his head.
"The Furuya Defense League," Miyuki clarifies as he hands the ball back to Eijun, "Sworn to serve and protect you, or whatever the heck their slogan is."
Eijun drops to his knees and bows at Furuya's feet, his head smacking the ground, "Please forgive me! I didn't mean it!"
"It's fine," Furuya says, "I'm due any day now, so that fright you gave me might have shaved off a few days. See, using your brain isn't always bad."
A vein pops on the brunette's temple, his nostrils flaring, "What?! Screw it! I take that apology back! I'll do it again if I had the chance—mnmnvhv!"
Eijun is cut off as Kuramochi drags him away by the collar, and he resorts to grumbling under his breath instead.
Sighing, Miyuki turns around and sees Furuya rolling away, "Hey, where are you going?" he asks.
"Thank you for protecting me," the pitcher says, "I'm feeling generous today, so I want to reward you for that."
Furuya points to his mouth, and Miyuki smirks as he wastes no time in guiding them to a secluded area.
--
"Are you gonna be alright without me?" Kuramochi asks later that night, pulling a hoodie over his head, "I'm heading out for a while."
Furuya, Tetsu, Haruichi, Kanemaru, and Tojo are hanging out in the shortstop's room.
"Where are you going?" Furuya asks, laying down on the floor.
"Just gonna get some fresh air. I won't take long."
His words don't carry much sentiment of truth, but the pitcher accepts his reason and he exits.
"He's probably going to visit my brother again," Haruichi says dejectedly, "He's stubborn."
"We can't judge," Tetsu states, nodding to Jun as he enters the room, "If his spirit won't settle until they reach an amicable conclusion, we must leave him be."
'I wish he'd give up already,' Haruichi thinks.
Jun sits next to Furuya and gets to work, massaging his legs. It wasn't too long ago when their roles were reversed, Jun snapping at Furuya to prod his calves tenderly, and he's humbled with humorous karma as the pitcher now snaps at him.
"Anything for you, queen bee," Jun groans sarcastically, squirting more massage cream onto his hands. He then turns to Kanemaru and Tojo, "What's up with y'all? Don't normally see you two hanging around here."
"Well," Kanemaru starts, "we were thinking of joining the Furuya Defense League. Or is it too late since he's gonna give birth soon?"
The bearded male and Furuya confer amongst themselves, whispering, and the former relays their response, "Yeah, technically it's a bit late. But don't fret, you can join the second generation of the FDL when he gets pregnant again."
Furuya flinches, bewildered, "Again? No, no, no. This was an accident; this is not happening again. I'm incredibly grateful for all the special treatment and support I've received, but this is a one-time thing."
The others laugh and he insists that he's adamant about his decision, but he omits that if Miyuki ever said he wanted more children, if possible, he might be swayed.
Just might.
Thirty minutes of conversation and playing video games pass by, and Furuya needs to use the bathroom.
"I'll come with you," Jun offers, helping him up.
"I can go by myself," Furuya says.
"Without the wheelchair?"
"I'll be quick. Don't worry."
He waddles to the door and leaves, and Jun rubs under his nose with his finger, smiling.
"He's been rolling around for so long that I've forgotten what it looks like when he waddles," he says, "It's kinda adorable."
"I agree that there is something…tingly about it," Tetsu adds.
"Hey, how would you feel if you saw me waddling around like tha—"
Tetsu's eyes flash, "I'm going to have to stop you right there. Don't finish that sentence. It's not happening."
Jun whines, his shoulders drooping, "I tried…"
--
"Quite a miracle, isn't it?" Chris observes from afar.
He and Tanba are playing catch outside, and they see Furuya walk out of the bathroom in the distance.
"I guess," Tanba mumbles, "I don't really have an opinion."
"Koichiro, please. I know you two started off on the wrong foot, but the least you can do is pretend to be excited. He's worked extremely hard to persevere against the odds, so it is miraculous in a sense."
The ace agrees halfheartedly, "Yeah, yeah. I can't deny that the waddling is cute—oh. And down he goes."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Chris turns his head at the shrill sound of a whistle piercing through the air, and his eyes dilate as Furuya's now on the ground, clutching his stomach.
He drops his mitt and rushes over to him, Tanba trailing behind.
Jun and the others speed towards him as well. Jun had given Furuya a whistle to blow in the event of danger, and it had finally come in handy.
"What's wrong?" Chris asks, helping the pitcher sit up straight.
Furuya shakes his head frantically, gasping from the excruciating pangs in his stomach. He's in severe distress, evident by his contorted expression and the sweat that's lining his neck.
"This looks worse than simple contractions," Jun says, rubbing his back, "Do y'all think it's time?"
"Perhaps," Tanba suggests.
"Well, don't just fucking stand there! Let's bring him to Nurse Akagi!"
"She sent out an email earlier," Haruichi says, "The nurse's office is undergoing renovations, so it's closed."
"Somebody call an ambulance, then!"
"On it." Tetsu fishes out his phone and steps away from them.
Furuya screams, his chest heaving rapidly. He feels as if he's about to burst, the pain tormenting and agonizing him.
"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay," Jun reassures calmly, despite being the furthest thing from calm, "Take deep breaths, man. Lean on me. We're gonna get you an ambulance and…and…fuck this shit! Where's Miyuki's ass?!"
"Taking a makeup exam," Kanemaru answers.
"What about Kuramochi?"
"He went out earlier."
"Sawamura?!"
"No clue."
"Why are none of these fuck faces here when we're having an actual emergency?! This defeats the purpose of the FDL if no one's here to do their fucking job! Y'all better text their asses before I lose my shit—"
Furuya lets out a bloodcurdling yell and Jun immediately reverts to soothing him, massaging his bump.
Soon, an ambulance arrives, along with Kataoka and Rei. They help the paramedics hoist Furuya onto the stretcher, and they all watch as the vehicle drives away.
"I hope he'll be okay," Tojo says.
Rei puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, "We did what we could. Let's pray for a safe delivery."
--
When the teacher turns around, Miyuki sneakily retrieves his phone from his back pocket and reads the messages from Kanemaru.
[Messages - Kanemaru]
Kanemaru: Isashiki-senpai's going crazy
Kanemaru: We just called an ambulance for Furuya. Looks like he's gonna gi
Kanemaru: THIS IS JUN TEXING NOW
Kanemaru: GET YA ASS OVER TO TE HOSPTAL FURYA GONNA GIBE BIRF
Kanemaru: HERES THE ADESSS
Miyuki knocks over his chair and tells the teacher about his emergency. She excuses him, saying that he can continue the exam another day.
As he leaps down the stairs, skipping steps he couldn't afford to waste a second taking, he's teeming with anxiety and exhilaration. If today was indeed the day Furuya gave birth, he would no longer be living for himself. An innocent, vulnerable human being would be his lifelong responsibility, and it's surreal to him.
He races to his dorm to change into casual clothing. He pockets a small object and then rushes through the front gates, everyone wishing him luck.
--
[Meanwhile]
Kuramochi stands outside of Ryosuke's job, gripping the engagement ring around his neck. Outwardly, he was faring better, cracking his usual jokes and excelling during practice, but as Tetsu had stated earlier, his spirit was still restless.
He's oblivious about Haruichi's meeting with Ryosuke, and can't seem to grasp why his relationship had suddenly reached a grim, screeching halt. He was blindsided, and he couldn't heal until he knew the exact reason why things had unfolded this way.
The older man is already waiting inside his parked car, and Kuramochi looks up to see Ryosuke exiting the lounge. He intercepts him.
"H-Hey," he stammers, "can we talk?"
Ryosuke sighs in exasperation, shifting his weight onto his right leg, "Can we not? Don't do this, Youichi. It's embarrassing."
"Who gives a shit about that?" the shortstop shakes his necklace, "I don't understand how you just…just left me like that! You didn't explain anything. I thought we were in a really good place, Ryo-san. Don't you see this ring? I was gonna ask you to marry me on that day!"
"What if I had said no? What if that wasn't what I wanted?"
"I would've lived with it. I would've waited until you were ready. I loved you that much."
Ryosuke readjusts his bag strap on his shoulder, avoiding Kuramochi's tearful eyes, "Look, Youichi. I've moved on, and so should you. I…fell out of love and didn't know how to tell you."
Kuramochi snorts incredulously, "Bullshit. So you cheated instead? Is that how we do things now? Who is that guy, Ryo-san? He could pass as your father, even older. What relationship do you have with him? Is it something sketchy? Is he paying you to be with him?"
"It's none of your business."
"How is it none of my business when you dumped me for his ass? How was he able to steal you away from me? What does he have that I don't? Does he give you money? Fuck you better? Please, just tell me—"
Ryosuke holds up his hand, interrupting him, "You're asking me too many questions. Besides, aren't you fucking my younger brother now? Don't worry about what I'm doing."
Kuramochi blinks twice, "What? I'm not sleeping with him; don't try to switch the blame onto me."
"Well, that's precisely what Haruichi told me. In graphic detail, as if he was trying to make me jealous."
"Whatever he said, it ain't true. I had a momentary lapse of judgment and kissed him and let him touch me 'cause I was angry, I'll be totally honest about that. But I never slept with him. I swear!"
Ryosuke shrugs as he starts walking away, "It doesn't matter. I have to go, so don't come here again. It's over, Youichi. For real this time. You're only making this more difficult than it needs to be."
Kuramochi struggles to string words together as Ryosuke gets into the older man's car. Deepening the wound, they kiss before driving off.
'No,' the shortstop thinks, holding his head, 'I can't let you go. Not like this. You still didn't give me an answer, Ryo-san. I can't let this happen. I can't bear it!'
A food delivery driver on a motorcycle pulls up a few feet away from him. They've just completed their last order of the night, removing their helmet to enjoy a breath of fresh air.
Kuramochi is struck with an idea so ludicrous he wants to question his sanity, but his feet are already on the move.
"Hey!" he calls out, approaching the driver, "Are you using that bike?"
The driver turns around and they exchange gasps, recognizing each other.
"You're the kid from my job!" she exclaims, "I remember you! You bought the moissanite ring."
"The lady from the jewelry shop! What are the freaking odds? You do deliveries?"
"To make ends meet. How did your engagement go, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Shambles as all living hell, which is why I really need to borrow your ride. Thanks in advance!"
The lady is left speechless as Kuramochi snatches her helmet and climbs onto her motorcycle.
His grandfather was the vice leader of a biker gang in the past, and upon retiring, he passed the torch to Kuramochi by showing him how to ride a motorcycle when he was young.
Of course, Kuramochi has a fuzzy recollection of those days since it was ages ago, so he hopes for muscle memory to work in his favor.
He zooms down the hectic highway, pursuing the car Ryosuke is in. He finds his target and rides behind it, honking the horn repeatedly. He screams Ryosuke's name through his helmet, but to no avail as the cacophony of traffic drowns out the sound of his voice.
Then, he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket.
'Maybe it's Ryo-san calling me,' he thinks desperately.
Steadying one hand on the handlebar, he thrusts into his sweater pocket and tries to grab his phone, but a sudden flash of bright lights catches him off guard.
Kuramochi looks up and he's blinded by a freight truck approaching from the side, and he shouts in terror as he panics, swerving uncontrollably, losing control of the motorcycle.
CRASH!
The motorcycle slips from underneath Kuramochi as he goes catapulting into the air. He smacks the ground, bones smashing, and skids across the hard cement like a ragdoll, his body spinning and flipping wildly without any intention of stopping.
The momentum is too great, and his body topples over a guardrail, plunging into the grassy darkness of a riverbank.
--
[Concurrently]
"Furuya-kun, everything is going to be alright," the attending doctor reassures, "Nurse Akagi and I are colleagues, so she informed me about you in case I was on duty. I'll take care of you, okay?"
Furuya nods, panting heavily as the doctor and his accompanying nurses prepare him for a Cesarean section. He's given a dose of regional anesthesia from the waist down, and after more protective measures, the procedure is underway.
Furuya can't stomach looking at what's going on, so he squeezes his eyes shut, gripping onto the bedsheets.
'It's happening,' he thinks, 'Soon, me and Miyuki-senpai's child will be born. Ah, I wonder what hair color they'll have, or if it's a boy or girl. They can finally wear those little shoes I bought. Miyuki-senpai tied the pink one to his keychain, and I have the blue one. Kuramochi-senpai has the gray color, only because he stole it and didn't tell me until later…wait…what's this feeling…'
Furuya feels a strange and intense lull of sleep wash over him. He tries to fully open his eyes, but his eyelids are weighing them down. The most he can distinguish are the silhouettes of the staff hovering above him, focused. The bed he's laying on, the sheets he's grasping, everything feels weightless.
The last thing he sees before his vision fades to black is a small figure being extracted from within him.
'Miyuki-senpai…I'm sorry.'
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A nurse checks his vitals and exclaims, "His blood pressure is dropping! He's losing consciousness!"
The attending doctor multitasks, instructing his brigade on what to do.
"Bring some blood and more tissues!" he commands, "Furuya-kun, stay with me! Stay with me, alright? We're almost done and then you can see your chi…"
His voice trails off as Furuya's heartbeat monitor spikes one final time, then flatlines.
--
[Concurrently]
Miyuki curiously arches a brow as he jogs up a hill and sees Eijun waiting at a street light.
"What are you doing out here?" he asks.
Eijun shivers, startled, "Ah! I was just going to visit Sanada-senpai real quick! What are you doing here? Don't tell me…you're gonna secretly murder me for almost hurting Furuya?! I said I was sorry, please spare me!"
Miyuki rolls his eyes, "Relax, idiot! Why are you so loud when it's only the two of us? Furuya's giving birth, so I'm heading to the hospital, that's it."
Hearing the news, Eijun shapes his lips into an 'o,' "O-Oh. Oh, wow! Congrats! Um, I'm not really sure what to say. Good luck? Don't screw up?"
"That'll do," Miyuki says, a faint smile gracing his features.
Eijun waves, turning back to the street, "Okay, I'm starting to feel awkward standing here with you, so, like, see ya, Kazudad."
He steps onto the road, and Miyuki squints at the street light. It's still red, unchanged.
"Eijun, where the heck are you going?" he asks, confused, "Are you blind? The light is still—EIJUN!"
Time slows down, sluggish and languid, as Miyuki instinctively throws himself onto Eijun and shields him from an oncoming car that whizzes past them. They fall to the ground.
"Holy crap!" Eijun gasps, holding his chest in shock, "Ahh, that was so close! My life flashed before my eyes and Jesus was standing right there, waiting for me! And for some reason, he looked like Chris-senpai! I almost died! Oh, my God! Thanks, Kazu…ya?"
Eijun's face drops as he slowly looks to his right.
High on the adrenaline that was coursing through him, he failed to notice that Miyuki had, contrary to what he believed, taken the brunt of the car's impact. He wasn't going to save them both in time, only shoving Eijun out of harm's way as a split-second decision.
Miyuki is lying face-down on the ground, motionless, his crushed glasses near his hand. Blood is pooling from his head, spreading rapidly onto the pavement.
Eijun crawls over to him, his heart pounding with dread and denial. He shakes Miyuki gently, bloodying his hands.
"No, no, no, no, no, Kazuya, no," he wails as the tears stinging in his eyes come pouring down, "K-Kazuya, get up already. You need to go and see F-Furuya, okay? You need to go see y-your child and become a dad, okay? Okay?"
Miyuki doesn't respond. The blood keeps pooling and Eijun inhales before screaming into the night.
"KAZUYAAAA!"