Chapter Text
Miyuki's lips curled into a smile as he watched his team's match on television in the room where he was recovering his health.
Furuya was substituted by Kawakami in the fifth inning when Tesshin observed that Furuya was having difficulty coping with the hot weather.
Eijun and Kawakami's battery performed well without any issues and because of that, Oota-sensei felt pleased with Eijun's performance because he was assisting Kawakami with his pitching.
Ever since Kawakami took the mound in this inning, he has successfully prevented any hits or runs.
Now, Seidou managed to score once more against Akikawa Academy, thanks to Kuramochi's impressive base stealing by the help of Ryousuke and Isashiki's sacrifice bunt.
Now their captain Yuki was stepping up to bat and the supporters of Seidou erupted with even louder cheers.
Mei was still on his cell phone call because he was watching a live game between Seidou and Akikawa on a television at the stadium in West Tokyo.
Miyuki wants him to keep an eye on their rookie players, particularly Eijun and Furuya. However, if you ask Mei, he has no interest in the match and doesn't really care who comes out on top.
He had just exited the comfort room when he walked past a hallway where a television was playing a match featuring his childhood friend's team. But he never expected that he would end up watching nearly half of the match due to Miyuki.
"What did you think of the performance of the battery formed by Sawamura and Furuya earlier?" Miyuki asked, holding his cellphone to his ear while munching on an orange.
Mei felt frustrated because Miyuki was dragging out their conversation. In reality, Mei didn't want to extend their discussion at all.
"I don't really care about Sawamura, but for Furuya, well Inashiro is all set to take on your monster rookie since his name is known even among other baseball teams." Miyuki merely smiled at Mei's response.
"Hmph, you're still as irritating as ever. It seems you haven't changed at all." Mei replied, blunt as always, expressing his thoughts.
"You know, Kazuya, I really don't want to engage in a long discussion, especially since I only caught a glimpse of your match here while passing through the stadium. I have to end this call now. Masa-san might be looking for me."
The crowd on the baseball field erupted in cheers once more as Yuki connected with Shunshin's pitch.
Although Yuki didn’t manage to reach second base immediately, that was alright. What mattered most was that Seidou now had another runner on base and up next to bat was Masuko.
Batting fifth, third base, Masuko-kun.
"Okay , go ahead. Even if you don't say it outright, I know your team won today, so congratulations." Miyuki greeted his friend while enjoying an orange at the same time.
"Thank you, Kazuya, I'll reach out to you again or feel free to call me when you a have chance. Bye!"
At that moment, Mei hung up his cellphone and didn’t wait for Miyuki to respond.
Miyuki took the cellphone away from his ear and set it down beside him. He let out a deep sigh after finishing his conversation with Mei.
In that moment, Miyuki's thoughts turned serious, he felt an intense eagerness to return to the game. He was particularly aware of how Eijun was taking his position as catcher.
He knew he needed to recover quickly as he had a strong feeling that he and Mei would be facing each other in the upcoming tournament.
Batting sixth, catcher, Sawamura-kun.
Miyuki didn't notice that Eijun was up to bat next when the crowd suddenly erupted with cheers, prompting him to glance back at the television.
He hadn't even noticed that Masuko had successfully hit Shunshin's pitch, resulting in two runners now on base and now it's Eijun turn to bat.
It's interesting how every time he steps up to the plate, the audience seems so thrilled.
Miyuki murmured to himself with a playful grin on his face,"Come on, Sawamura —give it your all!"
"Home run, Sawamura! We believe in you!" The Seidou players in the dugout erupted in cheers.
Shunshin looked into Eijun's eyes and noticed that the first year catcher appeared more focused this inning than he had earlier.
Eijun settled into the batter's box, bracing himself for the pitch from the Taiwanese player.
Shunshin then signaled to his catcher Sekiguchi that they should consider giving Eijun an intentional walk once more, as he is likely to hit whatever pitch is thrown to him.
Sekiguchi was taken aback, so he called for a time out.
"Time out, please!" Sekiguchi said, and the umpire acknowledged his request with a nod.
The other players, particularly those in the Akikawa dugout began to wonder about Sekiguchi's unusual request for a time out.
"Hey, what are you planning? Why should we give him another intentional walk?" Sekiguchi asked, covering his mouth with his mitt.
The Akikawa fielders moved closer to their pitcher and catcher to join in the conversation.
"What's wrong, You-kun?" Hashimoto asked.
Shunshin remained silent, appearing exhausted, especially with the sun beating down relentlessly.
He had just come back to reality when Sekiguchi gently tapped him on the shoulder and began to speak.
"You-kun, if you're concerned that he might hit your pitch, there's no need to worry. We’re here to support you and have your back!"
His fellow members agreed with what Sekiguchi said because they knew that Shunshin didn't want to make another runner on base.
Eijun waited in the batter's box, observing the small gathering of Akikawa players on the mound. Although their opponents didn't reveal their strategy, Eijun was certain that he would once again be receiving an intentional walk.
He glanced at their dugout, hoping to catch the signal that Tesshin would provide and his intuition was right.
Tesshin gestured to him, indicating something and Eijun responded with a nod of understanding.
As Eijun glanced back at the mound, he noticed the Akikawa players resuming their positions while the catcher started making his way towards him.
When the catcher took his place back on the field, the umpire exclaimed, "Play ball!" signaling that the game was about to continue.
That's why Eijun gently grasped the bat and turned to Shunshin, eager to see what kind of pitch he would deliver.
As soon as Eijun saw that Shunshin was about to pitch, he quickly readied his bat and focused intently on the ball that Shunshin threw.
However, at that moment, Eijun struggled to connect with Shunshin’s pitch.
"STRIKE ONE!" The umpire's voice echoed through the air as the spectators expressed their disappointment.
Eijun felt no surprise at the pitch thrown by Shunshin, in fact, he was quite impressed.
"Wow, that's a surprising pitch and he has impressive control." Eijun quietly motivated himself as he prepared to step back into the batter's box, letting out a deep sigh to compose himself.
On Shunshin's second pitch, Eijun made contact with the ball but it was just a foul.
In this moment, Shunshin was impressed by Eijun's remarkable ability to quickly grasp his opponent's tactics after just one look.
"This boy appears to be a natural genius. Let's see if he can handle this!" Shunshin thought to himself as he steadily lifted his foot and released one of his impressive pitches.
Eijun focused intently on the approaching ball then swung his bat and made contact, but it ended up being yet another foul.
Shunshin wasn’t surprised that Eijun managed to connect with that pitch that’s why during those crucial moments, he and his catcher communicated through signals.
"Sawamura, hit a great home run for the team!" His teammates in the dugout cheered enthusiastically.
Eijun took a deep breath to calm himself, swung the bat twice for practice and then stepped back into the batter's box, readying himself for the next pitch.
He wasn't concerned with what Shunshin and Sekiguchi were discussing, his priority at that moment was to make another run so that Yuki and Masuko could advance to next base.
As the temperature rises and everyone starts to sweat, Shunshin forgot to apply rosin to his sweaty hand which caused the to slip from his grip.
Everyone was shocked when the ball struck Eijun's helmet causing it to fall to the ground.
Rei, Tesshin, Yamazaki-san and Eitoku were immediately concerned when they saw how Eijun's helmet was hit.
Despite this, Eijun remained in the batter's box, showing no signs of being affected by it. He was also taken aback by how unexpectedly the ball thrown by Shunshin struck his helmet.
Shunshin quickly apologized to Eijun for bowing in front of him, "Apologies, I didn't intend for that to happen."
The umpire approached Eijun to check on him and Sekiguchi expressed his concern, worrying that Eijun might have bumped his head.
Eijun waved his left hand, reassuring them that he was okay.
"I'm alright, there's no need to worry. The helmet simply slipped off and fell—there's no damage at all." Eijun said this with a smile, genuinely feeling fine.
He was a bit taken aback when Tesshin called a time-out and approached him, accompanied by the medical staff who were carrying a first aid kit.
"Sawamura, how do you feel? Are you feeling dizzy?" Tesshin asked as he hurried towards him.
"B-Boss?! I'm okay..." Eijun responded, though he wasn't entirely confident that he could persuade them he was truly alright.
"Sawamura-kun, please sit down so we can check your condition." A medical staff said and Eijun just nodded.
Another timeout during the match led to boredom among the spectators because of the slow pace of the game. Unfortunately, there was little they could do except wait, holding onto hope that Eijun would be alright.
Rei and Eitoku continued to worry about Eijun's condition, hoping that nothing serious had happened to the young player.
Eitoku felt powerless as he observed his grandson being examined by the medical staff, checking his head and asking him how many fingers he could see in front of him.
If he was there now, he likely would have already taken Eijun to the hospital.
"I sincerely hope His Imperial Highness Sawamura is okay." Yamazaki-san said worriedly while holding Eitoku's arm because he didn't want to sit down.
"God, I hope nothing bad happens to my grandson. I want to be with him and learn more about him. I haven't even hugged him yet!" Eitoku appeared as though he might burst into tears, but in reality, he was simply trying to keep himself composed.
Rei couldn't shake off her worries, so she ran from the bleachers to join her team in the dugout. Meanwhile, the Seidou managers were puzzled why Rei suddenly left her seat without saying anything.
The medical staff confirmed that Eijun's condition was good and that there was no wound on his head after checking him.
"We didn't observe any issues with Sawamura-kun's health or any concerning symptoms."A member of the medical team informed Tesshin.
"Thank you so much and I'm glad nothing bad happened to him." Tesshin nodded in appreciation and expressed his gratitude.
However, he still needed to take Eijun to the hospital after the game to ensure his okay because the young man is one of the most important members of the Imperial Family. He particularly wanted to preserve the trust that had been placed in them by the Emperor.
Tesshin gently placed his hand on Eijun's shoulder and spoke to him.
"If you ever feel that something is wrong, please let us know right away. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you."
Eijun met Tesshin's gaze and nodded in understanding.
The players from Akikawa and those from Ichidai Sankou observed that the Seidou head coach appeared to have a different approach when interacting with Eijun.
However, for the Seidou players, it is quite common to witness Tesshin's care for Eijun because they understand that Eijun is the son of the head coach.
Following the timeout, due to the earlier hit by pitch, Eijun made his way directly to first base while Masuko moved to second base and Yuki moved to third base.
The Akikawa players felt anxious in the dugout as the bases were loaded but Shunshin made an effort to remain composed.
For a brief moment, Yuki glanced over at Eijun to check if he was truly alright. Eijun noticed him and responded with a reassuring nod.
Batting seventh, right fielder, Shirasu-kun.
The Seidou players cheered again when Shirasu was the next to bat. Eijun, Masuko and Yuki immediately got ready to get to the next base.
Shirasu looked toward their dugout and saw Tesshin making a signal for a sacrifice bunt. This would allow Masuko to progress quickly to third base and Yuki to home plate.
Shirasu nodded, indicating that he was prepared to attempt a bunt since Seidou still had no outs. He was willing to make a sacrifice bunt to give Seidou another opportunity to score.
When Shunshin pitched the ball, Shirasu responded by bunting it, causing the ball to bounce toward third base.
Yuki took full advantage of the opportunity and sprinted towards home plate at impressive speed.
"Captain Yuki, go!"
The fielder at third base swiftly caught the ball and then threw it hard to first base in an attempt to get Shirasu out.
The Seidou dugout erupted in cheers as Yuki triumphantly touched home plate.
The catcher from Akikawa felt frustrated because they weren't able to get the Seidou captain out right away.
The fielder at first base threw the ball to second base in an attempt to tag Eijun out but they were not fast enough.
Eijun reached second base safely while Masuko made it to third base.
The crowd erupted in cheers for Seidou's successful strategy.
Miyuki smiled proudly as he watched his team's game on television.
"It seems like the captain and our ace player are getting along well. Perhaps it's because they both enjoy playing shogi."
Miyuki recalled the previous night when he forced Eijun to play shogi and he managed to defeat their captain Yuki. It was fortunate that Eijun was able to compete against their captain because Miyuki wanted to escape so he can sleep.
Batting eighth, left fielder, Sakai-kun.
As Rei arrived at the Seidou dugout, he heard Oota-sensei exclaim in surprise upon noticing her behind him.
"M-Mrs. Kataoka, what are you doing here?!" Oota-sensei said, that's why the players in the dugout turned to look in Rei's direction.
Rei remained at the door of the room and began to speak.
“Tesshin, how is Eijun doing? Is he okay?” She asked and didn't seem to realize that Oota-sensei was present in front of her.
Tesshin turned to face her and replied, "Eijun is okay, no symptoms were found after the ball struck his helmet."
Rei breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Eijun was unharmed.
As Haruichi and Furuya listened to the adults talking, a joyful scream erupted from the crowd. This prompted them to shift their focus to the baseball field.
They were unaware that Masuko had successfully made it to home plate too due to Sakai's sacrifice bunt. Although Seidou had two outs, it didn't matter because they managed to score once more.
Now Eijun is the only runner and he is on third base. Shunshin was irritated because it seemed that Seidou had read their plans.
Batting ninth, pitcher, Kawakami-kun.
"Kawakami! You can do it!" Oota-sensei suddenly shouted from the dugout, startling the players.
As Eijun stood on third base, he focused on finding a way to reach home plate safely, especially since his team had already made two outs.
If Tesshin decides to have Kawakami attempt another sacrifice bunt, Eijun must give his all to ensure he scores.
Kawakami shook his head at the signal Tesshin gave him, and Eijun correctly predicted that they would indeed attempt another sacrifice bunt.
"Why does this team only execute sacrifice bunts?"
Shunshin was feeling suddenly frustrated because he felt that Seidou underestimated his ability as a pitcher.
As a result, when he threw his first pitch, Kawakami swung but missed, resulting in a strike one and unable to hit the ball due to its speed.
Kawakami glanced at Tesshin's signal once more and it seemed like Akikawa had read Seidou's plan.
"Alright, Coach Kataoka, I’ll give it my all." Kawakami murmured to himself with a determined expression on his face.
Shunshin observed that Kawakami had no intention of swinging, which led to the batter receiving a second strike on the next pitch.
"STRIKE TWO!" The umpire called out loudly and Kawakami let out a sigh.
Eijun smiled as he got ready to sprint, knowing their strategy was to trick the opposing team by acting as if Kawakami wouldn't connect with the next pitch.
That’s exactly how it unfolded.
When Shunshin delivered the third pitch, Kawakami quickly executed a bunt, released the bat and dashed toward first base.
Eijun dashed towards home plate without hesitation, knowing that his team's last sacrifice bunt relied entirely on him.
When Shunshin caught the ball, he quickly threw it to first base. Kawakami slid into the base to avoid being tagged out by the fielder and he managed to do so successfully.
The fielders relayed the ball until it reached the fielder at third base, who spotted Eijun making his way toward home plate.
The third baseman Hashimoto put all his effort into throwing the ball to the catcher at home plate.
Eijun slid along the ground, extending his hands toward home plate because it seemed he might not make it in time.
The spectators were captivated, watching Eijun's body glide toward home plate. Though his baseball jersey became smudged with dirt, he managed to reach home plate just before Sekiguchi's mitt made contact with him.
"SAFE!" The umpire called out.
The spectators erupted in cheers once more as Seidou scored again, thanks to Shirasu, Sakai and Kawakami.
Eijun quickly rose to his feet, clenched his left fist in victory and ignoring the dirt on his jersey as he shouted with joy.
"Yosh! Yosh! Yosh!"
Rei quickly stepped out of the room to check on Eijun, concerned about the risky move Eijun had made while sliding—what if he ended up hitting his head again?
"This child makes me anxious!" Rei murmured softly to herself.
Batting first, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun.
Eijun grinned as he made his way back to the dugout. Despite being covered in dirt, his teammates welcomed him with enthusiasm, playfully tousling his hair as they gathered around him.
"Hey! You play so recklessly, Sawamura!" Isashiki exclaimed, giving Eijun's hair an extra few ruffles.
"That was amazing, Eijun-kun!" Haruichi said with a smile as he handed Eijun a towel, noticing his face was covered in dirt.
"Eijun, here’s some water. Go ahead and drink it first."Furuya said and handed Eijun a plastic cup filled with cold water.
"Thank you both so much!" Eijun replied, wiping his face before taking a sip of the water Furuya offered.
The Inashiro bus safely reached the dormitory and the members headed back to their respective rooms. Tadano noticed that Mei appeared to head towards the vending machine to get a drink since he was feeling thirsty.
"Mei-san, I can carry your bag back to your room." Tadano offered as he picked up the bag Mei had left on the floor.
Mei turned towards Tadano and expressed his gratitude for the rookie player, "Oh, thanks."
The other members of Inashiro felt irritated because Mei had an air of a spoiled prince, despite the fact that he was indeed a prince of Japan and the heir to the throne.
Once Mei selected a drink, he quickly grabbed a Pocari bottle from the vending machine and twisted off the cap and sipped it slowly.
Mei thought of calling his grandfather to share the exciting news that their team had won today but when he pressed the dial button, it seemed that Eitoku wasn't answering his call.
"Why isn't he picking up my calls? It seems unlikely that he doesn't notice I'm trying to reach him. He hasn't even called me in the last few weeks!"
He was wondering, as just last week, whenever he reached out to his grandfather, Eitoku was always occupied. When he tried calling Yamazaki-san, the only response he received was that they were attending something important.
"Gramp is so preoccupied with searching for my cousin that it feels like we can hardly have a conversation on the phone anymore." Mei quietly whispered to himself as he chose to turn off his phone, realizing that his grandfather was no longer trying to reach him.
As he arrived at the dormitory, he noticed his senpais engaged in conversation but he chose not to join in. What Mei really wanted at that moment was a bit of rest.
As he moved past his senpai, he overheard the news that Seidou had triumphed over Akikawa.
"I heard Seidou won earlier. You wouldn’t believe their Ace player took on the role of catcher." One member remarked.
"Are you serious about what you're saying? Isn't that first year student, Eijun Sawamura, their Ace player?" Another member responded, surprised.
"Yes, he certainly is! Didn't he participate in our friendly game as a catcher? It's hard to believe he can pitch too. He seems to have a talent for batting as well since he hit a home run and even broke a light post! His skills are clearly impressive, after all, he replaced Tanba who is a third year Ace player."
"Wow, he truly is an exceptional first year student. I think he has a comprehensive understanding of baseball."
Upon hearing this, Mei hurried back to his room. As he entered, he noticed the door was open, leading him to wonder if Tadano had just arrived.
His suspicions were confirmed when he stepped into the room and saw Tadano placing his bag on the floor.
"Mei-san, you're already here!" Tadano exclaimed, surprised to see Mei.
He noticed that Mei's mood seemed different from before.
Ignoring Tadano, Mei walked over to the television, turned it on and changed the channel.
Eijun's face suddenly filled the television screen as a reporter conducted an interview with him.
Tadano found himself curious about Mei's behavior, prompting him to watch the interview featuring Seidou's Ace player.
"You’re incredibly talented, Sawamura-kun! I never imagined you could take on the role of catcher. Without your skills, Seidou would really struggle to win against Akikawa." An elderly reporter remarked while writing down notes in his notepad.
"Thank you very much but I can't take credit for our victory. It was truly a result of my teammates' exceptional talents particularly Haruichi's impressive home run." Eijun smiled as he recalled Haruichi's outstanding performance.
During the final inning, Haruichi took over for Kawakami due to a strategic decision made by their coach. Tesshin's choice proved to be wise, as Ryousuke's younger brother demonstrated a remarkable talent for batting.
"Have you been playing as a catcher for a long time, Sawamura-kun? You appear to be quite skilled at that position." A male reporter inquired, holding a voice recorder.
Eijun felt a bit shy since it was his first time being interviewed, particularly on live television. Although appearing on TV had been his childhood dream, he couldn’t shake off the nervousness and shyness that came from knowing so many people would be watching him.
"When I was in junior high school, I played the position of catcher, although not very frequently. Our team didn't have enough players, so there were times when I had to step in as the catcher." Eijun replied with a smile.
"By the way, where are you from, Sawamura-kun? Is this your first time here in Tokyo? I noticed you have a bit of an accent." This was another question from a reporter.
Eijun felt a little uneasy when asked about his personal life but he couldn’t resist responding.
"I'm originally from Nagano Prefecture. It's been nearly a year since I've been in Tokyo."
"So, you’re quite the country boy, Sawamura-kun." A reporter suddenly looked at him from head to toe, as if judging him for being a provincial.
Others think that the residents of Nagano Prefecture look like monkeys because they are poor and solely rely on farming to survive.
Eijun just smiled and ignored what the reporter said.
Owada and Mine suddenly came to interview Eijun because they had just finished interviewing Tesshin.
"Congratulations on your victory! You might encounter Inashiro Industrial in the future. What are your thoughts on their Ace player, Narumiya Mei who is considered one of the top southpaw pitchers in Tokyo, Sawamura-kun?" Owada suddenly posed this question to Eijun.
Eijun felt a bit taken aback by the reporter's question since she brought up his cousin, Mei.
Meanwhile, Mei was also slightly surprised to hear his name mentioned on TV but he kept watching the broadcast while Tadano stood behind him.
Eijun is still in disbelief about the fact that his cousin is set to become the next Emperor of Japan. This feeling is even more intense considering that he himself is part of the Imperial Family. The secret he is hiding should not be discovered by anyone, not even the media.
"Ahh… regarding Narumiya…"
As Owada and Mine waited for Eijun's response, Tesshin quickly intervened to prevent them from questioning the young man further, as they might unintentionally ask something inappropriate.
"Excuse me, but we need to take Sawamura to the hospital for a check-up on his head."
Tesshin supported Eijun by holding his back as they made their way past the reporters who were firing off questions.
Eijun avoided looking at the reporters, instead, he kept his gaze on the floor as he walked, trying to avoid any unwanted attention.
Eijun and Shunshin unexpectedly encountered each other in the hallway. He noticed the signs of recent tears in Shunshin's eyes, indicating that he had just been crying. Eijun can relate to those emotions, especially when your team suffers a loss despite their best efforts to win. So, he paused in his steps and respectfully bowed to Shunshin, while Tesshin simply allowed him to do so.
Shunshin also halted, returned the bow and expressed his gratitude, "I look forward to seeing you again, Sawamura."
Eijun acknowledged Shunshin's words in response, "I would expect that as well."
Then, Shunshin kept walking ahead as the other players followed behind him, each carrying their baseball bags.
Meanwhile, Rei quickly spotted Tesshin and Eijun in the hallway since she was also headed to the hospital.
Tesshin and Rei shared a meaningful gaze, each seemingly trying to communicate something unspoken.
Eijun noticed this exchange but chose to disregard it.
As Tesshin and Eijun made their way down the hallway toward the parking lot, Rei turned around for one last glance. She bowed deeply in a show of respect to the two men who were standing in the corner.
In response, Yamazaki-san bowed as well, while Eitoku simply smiled.
Since they cannot reveal themselves to Eijun, they choose to stay hidden in the corner. Rei empathizes with the old man, as this is also an attempt to avoid media attention.
After the match between Seidou and Akikawa, Rei, Eitoku and Yamazaki-san encountered one another in the hallway. It has been mentioned that the old man wished to see his grandson up close while he was being interviewed by reporters.
"I would like to know the name of that reporter right away. I've observed how he treats my grandson simply because he comes from a rural background." Eitoku uttered a serious word to Yamazaki-san, then turned and walked away with angry eyes.
“Your Majesty, I will take care of it.” Without hesitation, Yamazaki-san took out his cell phone and snapped a picture of the male reporter who had looked down on Eijun.
In the Seidou dugout, while the members were busy putting away their belongings and cleaning up the mess, they saw the head coach of Ichidai Sankou, Coach Tahara approach.
The Seidou first string team welcomed the coach because Sankou would be using the dugout soon for their upcoming match against Yakushi.
"Congratulations on your victory, boys! But where is Coach Kataoka? Is it just you all here?" Coach Tahara asked with a smile, addressing Seidou's first string team.
"He was interviewed not long ago and Oota-sensei mentioned that he might have left early because Sawamura was scheduled to be taken to the hospital." Yuki, being the team captain, he was the one who answered Coach Tahara's question.
Coach Tahara smiled, appearing to reflect on something.
"Oh, he is with Sawamura-boy. From what I've learned, he is rumored to be the son of Coach Kataoka. Was Sawamura-boy the son of your head coach when he was younger?"
The members of Seidou exchanged glances at the Ichidai coach's remarks, uncertain about how to respond to his question.
Kuramochi was annoyed by the fact that their coach's private life was also known by others. But truthfully, he doesn't even know if Eijun is really Tesshin's son.
As Furuya and Haruichi walked with their bags and other items in hand, Amahisa suddenly approached them, catching them by surprise.
"Hello, where's Sawamura?" Amahisa asked, while his teammates exchanged curious glances at him.
"He probably left with our coach. Why are you searching for him?" Haruichi asked, intrigued by the fact that someone was looking for Eijun.
"I just want to meet him. Do you know if he has a LINE account and could you share it with me?" Amahisa smiled as he pulled out his cellphone from his pocket.
Furuya and Haruichi looked at each other, puzzled by Amahisa's unusual behavior. This was particularly noteworthy given the rivalry between Seidou and Ichidai because they could potentially meet in the upcoming match.
In the parking lot, Eijun was outside the car while waiting for Tesshin and Rei because a reporter was interested in interviewing them for a moment, he was surprised by the sudden arrival of the Yakushi High School bus in his direction.
As the Yakushi players descended one after another, Eijun observed them intently.
"Ichidai and Yakushi will have a match later but unfortunately, I won’t be able to see them play. But I think I can borrow Chris-senpai's notebooks in order to analyze their game play." Eijun muttered to himself and then noticed a tall man glancing in his direction who offered him a smile.
"What’s this guy’s problem and why is he staring at me?"Eijun wondered to himself.
When he turned to enter the car, just as he was about to open the door, this tall young man named Sanada shouted.
"Hold on! Don’t walk away from me please." Eijun turned to see Sanada approaching him.
The Yakushi players also spotted Sanada and watched him trying to engage with Eijun.
"Hahaha! What’s Shunpei up to? And isn’t that boy from Seidou? What’s he doing here all by himself in the parking lot?" Mishima said while laughing.
Raichi stepped off the bus, casually eating a banana and then noticed that his teammates were looking in another direction. Curiously, he turned to see what had caught their attention.
"Hahaha! Why is Sanada-senpai talking to that skinny guy?" Raichi said.
Suddenly, his teammates glanced at him with raised eyebrows as Raichi had commented to Eijun that he was skinny despite the fact that he wasn't.
"Raichi, make sure not to eat too much because we have a match today." Captain Hirahata spoke but Raichi remained focused on his meal.
“Seems like you really gave it your all out there today, judging by the dirt on your jersey.” Sanada said with a smile.
Eijun quickly realized that his baseball jersey was dirty. He suddenly felt embarrassed because he remembered the reporters interviewing him.
"You're Eijun Sawamura, right? I've heard your name mentioned by other teams."
Sanada said, extending his hand in greeting, "I'm Shunpei Sanada, a second year high school student. It's nice to meet you."
Eijun glanced at Sanada’s hand and decided to extend his own for a handshake as a greeting.
"Nice to meet you too, S-Sanada-senpai." Eijun said, feeling a bit uncertain about forming friendships with players he would eventually compete against.
Out of nowhere, Raichi showed up, casually munching on a banana. Eijun and Sanada quickly released their grip on each other's hands.
"Did I hear that right? Is that Sawamura the one who broke the light post with his home run? Hahaha!" Raichi asked with a chuckle.
Eijun was taken aback, wondering how the opposing team was aware of the incident with the light post.
"Yeah, he's Sawamura. Didn't you notice his jersey number on his back? He's Seidou's new Ace player and everyone is talking about him." Sanada said with a smile.
"You’re really impressive, Sawamura! You’re just a first year, yet you’ve already become an Ace. Hahaha!"
Sanada patted Raichi's shoulder and intended to introduce him as well.
"By the way, this is Raichi Todoroki, a first year high school student, just like you." Sanada said with a smile as he introduced Raichi to Eijun.
"Hi, Sawamura! I hope we get the chance to compete against each other to see who can break the stadium's light post first. Hahaha!" Raichi let out a laugh while the Yakushi players sighed, clearly catching what he had said due to the volume of his voice.
"What?! Are you seriously planning to destroy the stadium's light post? Do you have any idea how costly that would be?" Eijun exclaimed, his expression filled with disbelief.
"I know that hahaha! If I break a light post, I won't be able to pay because I have no money. Hahaha!"
Just then, Raichi's stomach growled loudly, revealing his hunger despite the fact that he had just eaten a banana.
Mishima entered the scene and offered an apology, “Hahaha! I’m sorry about Raichi, he’s always so hungry. He’s got a big worm in his stomach, you know!”
Sanada chuckled at Mishima’s comment and Raichi joined in the laughter as well.
Eijun blinked in surprise as the players from Yakushi chatted with him.
"What’s so funny? It seems like they’re laughing hard over nothing!"Eijun quietly murmured to himself but he noticed Raichi's stomach growling once more.
"Hey! Did coach give you something to eat? Why are you still so hungry?" Sanada teased.
The three of them chuckled but Eijun suddenly recalled the moments when his family often went hungry. Even after having a biscuit, it still wasn't enough to satisfy their rumbling stomachs.
This is why he glanced at Raichi with a sense of compassion. He wondered if perhaps Raichi's family was struggling financially, which might explain why he often appeared so hungry. Without hesitation, Eijun opened the door of Tesshin's car, reached into a small bag and handed something to Raichi.
"Here you go, Todoroki. It's all yours. Enjoy it." Eijun said, his expression tinged with sadness.
Sanada noticed that Eijun had a sorrowful look on his face and it appeared that the Ace player of Seidou was concealing many untold stories.
Raichi felt really grateful for the food he got from Eijun. It meant a lot to him since he rarely received food from anyone and didn't have many friends to chat with, apart from the Yakushi baseball team.
"You’ve given me a lot. Thank you so much, Sawamura. I’m truly happy to have this food. I promise I’ll eat everything you’ve given me!”
Eijun smiled and felt happy because Raichi appeared to be pleased with the food he gave, "Don't worry about it, Todoroki. Just take your time eating."
Eijun always makes sure to bring along extra snacks, including those given to him by Tesshin and Rei. He sets them aside just in case he gets hungry later. He isn't quite sure why he feels the need to save food, especially since he knows that the Kataoka couple always takes good care of him.
Suddenly, Raichi wrapped his arms around Eijun in a tight embrace while Sanada and Mishima chuckled at the scene.
"Thank you, Sawamura! You are an angel!"
Eijun was taken aback when Raichi unexpectedly hugged him. To be honest, he found their behavior a bit strange since they often laughed for no apparent reason.
However, he observed that the players from Yakushi appeared to be friendly, unlike some of the tougher opponents he had faced in baseball who often had harsher attitudes.
"W-Welcome, hehe..." Eijun spoke and patted Raichi on the back to break free from his strong embrace.
“Hey, Raichi, Yuuta and Shunpei! What are you three up to? Come on, let's get warmed up on the field!” The Yakushi coach, Raizou Todoroki called out.
The three boys quickly turned to face Coach Todoroki.
"Come on, Raichi let's go back!" Mishima took hold of Raichi's arm to lead him back to where their team had been waiting earlier.
Before saying goodbye, Sanada turned to Eijun and spoke one last time.
"Sorry, Sawamura, but we need to leave now. It’s time for us to get ready."
Eijun nodded as he spotted the number 18 on Sanada's jersey. He had assumed that Sanada was the Ace player of Yakushi, but he realized he was mistaken.
"Will you be pitching later?" Eijun asked and noticed that he and Yakushi players quickly bonded, even if they had just met.
Sanada responded with a smile before turning away.
"Hmm, I don't think the coach will have me play today. Perhaps I'll get my chance when we go up against your team, Sawamura."
Sanada turned away and waved goodbye to Eijun as he walked off.
Eijun just noticed that Raichi was fighting with the head coach of Yakushi because he was carrying food and the coach was asking where Raichi got it.
Unaware that Raichi's father was the head coach, Eijun decided to get into the car to wait for the Kataoka couple.
After encountering Sanada and Raichi, he found out that Yakushi had defeated Ichidai.
Chris told Eijun that they were surprised to find Raichi Todoroki performing so well as a cleanup hitter. This came as a shock to Ichidai Sankou, even their Ace player Manaka was unable to strike Raichi out.
After Yakushi's victory, Seidou had to start preparing for their upcoming match. Although the Yakushi coach had not used Sanada in earlier games, Chris managed to gather some additional details about that pitcher.
"Todoroki is not just an ordinary person, I had no idea he was so strong and it seems that we will also be up against Sanada-senpai." Eijun murmured quietly to himself as he reviewed the additional notes penned by Chris.
"Raichi Todoroki plays as a third baseman but he struggles with his defensive skills. He often throws the ball too far, making it difficult for his teammates to catch." Chris pointed to a note he had set down, which Eijun then read.
While Chris and Eijun were engaged in conversation, someone unexpectedly walked into the dining hall.
This was Akihito, the senior who had been bullying Eijun, which caused both Chris and Eijun to turn and notice him.
Akihito was taken aback to see Eijun in the dining hall with Chris.
"Good evening." He said as he walked over to the fridge to grab a cold drink of water.
Eijun quickly lowered his head, trying to avoid making eye contact with the senior who had been picking on him.
Chris noticed this and simply glanced at the young man.
"Sawamura seems to be avoiding this man because his expression changed immediately." Chris murmured quietly to himself.
To get rid of the tension in the dining hall, Chris attempted to soothe Eijun's anxiety.
"Sawamura, congratulations on your outstanding performance earlier. I truly believe that you have the potential to surpass Miyuki as a catcher."
Eijun quickly lifted his head to look at Chris' face and saw him smiling. This made Eijun feel happy, as it meant that his mentor was praising him.
Chris had been a tremendous help to him since he joined the first string team, providing both support and guidance along the way.
"Thank you so much, Chris-senpai! It means a lot to me to hear that from you!" Eijun exclaimed, his face lighting up with a big smile and a twinkle of excitement in his eyes.
Chris smiled upon noticing the sudden shift in Eijun's expression.
Meanwhile, Akihito was still drinking water and appeared to be merely listening to their discussion. Seizing this moment, Chris decided it was the perfect opportunity to share his thoughts with Eijun.
“Eijun, there’s something important I’d like to share with you and I hope you don’t react negatively to it.” Chris said as he began organizing and putting away the notebooks.
“What is it, Chris-senpai? Why would I be upset with you?” Eijun replied, assisting Chris with the notebooks on the table.
"Sawamura, I have to admit, when we first met I didn't have a good impression of you. In fact, I couldn't stand you." Chris said this with a serious expression.
Eijun was taken aback by Chris's brutal honesty, while the senior who was listening in, was so surprised that he nearly choked.
"That was in the past, Sawamura. My perspective changed once I got to know you better. You're different from others I've encountered who boast without truly caring about baseball." Chris said this while smiling at Eijun.
"You have a high opinion of me, Chris-senpai." Eijun let out a sigh after Chris shared his thoughts.
"I hope others will see you the way I do, Sawamura, and recognize your true character right from the start. You are kind and I truly believe you have a bright future ahead in baseball."
Chris made sure to speak louder so that Akihito could hear him because he was aware that some members of the Seidou team were not fond of Eijun.
Eijun couldn’t help but smile wider, feeling a mix of gratitude and bashfulness at Chris' kind words.
"Thank you so much, Chris-senpai. That means a lot to me."Eijun replied, feeling encouraged.
Suddenly, they saw Akihito exiting the dining hall. He had a frown on his face and didn't appear to be in a good mood. It seemed that Chris' comment had only made Akihito more irritated.
Once he had walked a distance away, Chris turned to Eijun to continue their conversation.
"Sawamura, I'm aware that some members of the baseball club have been bullying you and it seems that their feelings towards you haven’t changed. The next time they target you, stand up for yourself."
Eijun's bright smile began to fade and he felt a mix of surprise and sadness at Chris' words. He stayed silent for a few minutes, realizing that no matter how he tried to explain, his teammates would never fully grasp what he was going through.
"There's no need to be concerned. I can handle their behavior. They are graduating soon and before long, they will be leaving the team, Chris-senpai." Eijun explained and Chris just nodded because he also had a point.
As Eijun assisted Chris in placing the notebooks into the bag, his cell phone unexpectedly began to ring and vibrate in his pocket, which was unexpected for him.
"Ah! That surprised me!” Eijun exclaimed, pulling out his cellphone from his pocket and glancing at the screen.
Chris offered a smile, shaking his head lightly.
“What? Who is this?!”
Eijun gasped in disbelief as he stared at the display on his phone.
As Akihito stepped outside the dormitory, a frown creased his forehead. He was headed to retrieve the baseball bat he had left near the Head Coach's office.
Upon arriving, he spotted his bat still leaning against the wall. Just as he reached for it, he unexpectedly overheard a conversation taking place in the Head Coach's office upstairs.
"Isn't Sawamura not your biological son and is also an orphan? Why haven't you adopted the young man yet?" Oota-sensei asked the Kataoka couple.
Akihito shifted his gaze to the Head Coach office window. He was puzzled as to why he could overhear the conversation happening around him. Perhaps the stillness of the night allowed him to hear everything more clearly.
"Wait, what? That arrogant Sawamura was adopted by Coach Kataoka and he’s an orphan?" Akihito murmured to himself, stunned by the revelation.
"Tesshin and I plan to legally adopt Eijun, but we haven’t made that decision yet. We’re uncertain about whether he’ll agree to it, especially since it would involve changing his last name." Rei smiled as she looked at the picture of Eijun that the media had posted online.
"Even if we are unable to adopt Eijun legally, we feel grateful that he is already a part of our family." Tesshin said as he sat on the sofa, sipping his tea.
"Okay, but what if he has a living relative? What if the day comes when they decide to take him away? There's nothing you can do about it because he isn’t your blood." Oota-sensei expressed which caused the Kataoka couple to feel anxious.
Since their discussion was too personal and Akihito was not invested in the topic, he simply picked up the bat and began walking back to the spirit dormitory.
When he turned around, he noticed his friend wearing a shocked expression.
"Hey, what are you doing over there? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Akihito asked his friend, a hint of irritation in his voice.
A senior remained silent at first, appearing to struggle with his thoughts regarding what he had heard. Eventually, he found the courage to speak.
"Did I hear right? Sawamura was just adopted by Coach Kataoka?"
Akihito's expression soured, not wanting to hear anything about Eijun because he still harbored a great deal of anger towards the first year student.
"Did you hear that too? Well, I've got to say, I really don't care about him." Akihito said as he began to walk away.
He paused when his friend spoke up once more.
"We never imagined that our Ace was an orphan. I hadn’t realized that was the reason his last name isn’t Kataoka."
A senior expressed a sense of sadness upon hearing about Eijun.
The following day, Miyuki was discharged from the hospital and felt much better.
Tesshin decided not to push him into training or physical activity because he might still be a bit weak. With nothing else to occupy his time, he spent it joking around with Kuramochi in the indoor gym.
"Keep it down, Miyuki!" Kuramochi shouted in frustration as he practiced his batting with the rest of the first string team.
"Is it really Miyuki who returned today or is he just an impostor?" Ryousouke smiled when he observed the two second year students.
"Hey, Miyuki! If you don’t practice, Sawamura might just take your place and become our main catcher!" Isashiki called out while warming up on the floor.
Miyuki turned around, blinking in surprise, "Jun-senpai, I can’t practice—do you want me to get suspended?"
While Eijun sat on the sidelines, observing his senpais, a smile spread across his face. He was pleased to see the entire team gathered together at last.
When Miyuki arrived, Eijun was the first to spot him because he always woke up earlier than the rest.
They discussed Seidou's match against Akikawa.
Similar to Chris, Miyuki praised Eijun's skills as a catcher but Eijun mentioned that he doesn't possess the same level of skill as Miyuki and Chris when it comes to catching.
After chatting for a bit, Eijun offered to help Miyuki carry his bag to his room. Even though Miyuki is fine, they still have to be careful.
Miyuki expressed his gratitude to Eijun for his kindness because Eijun was the one who took the time to wash his clothes when he fell ill.
While Eijun was sitting and taking a break, his cell phone suddenly rang and vibrated.
Yuki and the rest glanced over at Eijun since using cell phones during training is strictly prohibited.
"Sawamura, why do you have your phone with you? Do you want to experience a head smack?" Ryousouke remarked, a grin on his face while a menacing aura surrounded him.
Eijun expressed his apologies to his seniors, "I’m sorry for not realizing I had my cellphone with me. I meant to leave it in the room."
When Eijun unlocked his phone, he saw a message from Amahisa, a player from Ichidai.
"He’s quite mischievous and always messaging me! How did he even get my number?!" Eijun murmured to himself and decided to turn off his cellphone to avoid interrupting their morning training session.
Just then, Kuramochi came up to him and swiftly snatched Eijun's cellphone.
"Hey! Kuramochi-senpai, please give it back!" Eijun exclaimed as he stood up, trying to retrieve his cellphone from Kuramochi but he couldn't get it.
When Eijun attempted to grab his cellphone, Kuramochi glanced at the screen and was taken aback by the message he saw.
“Amahisa-san from Ichidai Sanhkou?” Kuramochi said, furrowing his brow.
Haruichi quickly covered his mouth, shocked that Amahisa had actually reached out to Eijun after sharing his friend's number.
“Hold on, why are you talking to people from Ichidai, Sawamura?” Miyuki asked, looking surprised.
“Amahisa, the second year student and relief pitcher from Ichidai, right?” Tanba said, recalling the game they had watched the day before.
“Yeah but their coach didn’t put him in during yesterday’s match. From what I’ve learned, he’s not very committed to baseball.” Chris said while watching them.
"Hey Sawamura, are you with us or not? Maybe you're telling him about our team's weakness!" Isashiki said angrily as he smacked Eijun on the head.
Ryousuke joined in, giving Eijun a light kick and backing up Isashiki.
"That hurts, stop it! I have no idea why he knows my number and he's the one who messaged me first!" Eijun replied, trying to defend himself while Isashiki and Ryousuke teased him in good fun.
"Ah, so it was him you were chatting with last night, Sawamura-chan. I thought you had a girlfriend.” Masuko said, recalling that he had seen Eijun still awake and chatting on his cellphone the previous night.
“Is Amahisa more important to you than your team, Sawamura?” Kawakami asked, a tone of sadness in his voice.
“You’ve got it all wrong. He’s just being friendly with me. It’s not like that, we really don’t talk about anything else.” Eijun explained as Isashiki and Ryousouke continued to tease him.
Kuramochi was irritated by Eijun's noise, so he wrestled with him to get him to quiet down, "Be quiet! If we lose, it’ll be your fault!"
Haruichi remained silent while he observed Eijun being bullied by their senpais. He knew that if he revealed the truth that he was the one who had shared Eijun's number with Amahisa, he would face the same punishment.
Meanwhile, Furuya was also quiet during his practice session with Miyauchi. Although he is aware that Haruichi was the one who provided Eijun's number, it doesn't concern him at the moment. All he really wants is to get some sleep.
"Polar bear blanket..." Furuya said to himself while thinking about his blanket in the room.
Upon entering the school, Eijun quickly became the center of attention. When he walked through the halls, he was greeted with enthusiastic compliments from his fellow students.
Even members of other clubs wanted to recruit him, recognizing his impressive skills. The girls nearby couldn't help but blush at the sight of Eijun.
"Kyaaaahhh! Sawamura-kun is here!"
"Sawamura, you’re amazing!"
"Can we take a picture with you, Sawamura-kun?"
"You're not only intelligent, but you excel in sports too!"
Eijun felt a bit down because he believed he wasn't the main reason for Seidou's victory. He knew that without the support of his teammates, scoring runs would have been impossible.
After the match in Akikawa, Eijun gained media attention for being an exceptional ace pitcher who played as a catcher, which is quite unusual in baseball.
This achievement pleased the Principal since he believed that Eijun's talents were helping to raise the school's profile. His thoughts were indeed correct.
Eijun's classmates have started to become more friendly to him after a few weeks since they realized that he is kind and non-judgmental. Actually, Eijun struggles to make friends because his intelligence makes his classmates uncomfortable. They fear being perceived as foolish in comparison to him.
During their break, Haruno, Kanemaru and Eijun gathered at their classroom desks to enjoy lunch. They rearranged the tables to create a spacious spot for the three of them to eat together.
Haruno doesn't mind eating alone with the boys because she knows that she and Kanemaru are the only ones Eijun frequently interacts with. This has made a few of their female classmates envious, including Nishinio Risa who secretly has a crush on Eijun.
"Why didn't you join Coach Kataoka for lunch today? Is this bento we're eating actually theirs?" Kanemaru asked.
Haruno paused her meal, glancing at Eijun for his response.
"They said they had a report to complete, so they couldn't join me right away." Eijun replied, grabbing an octopus-shaped sausage and taking a bite.
While they were eating, Kanemaru and Haruno noticed that other students were watching them. They could see glimpses of those students peering through the hallway window, eager to catch a glimpse of Eijun.
"I’m not really used to eating while being watched." Haruno said quietly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"I apologize, Yoshikawa. The same goes for you, Kanemaru. I’m sorry if this is making it hard for you both to eat." Eijun spoke gently, ensuring that their classmates wouldn’t overhear him.
Although Kanemaru feels frustrated, he tries to calm himself. He refrained from taking a deep breath, aware that it would be inappropriate and disrespectful while eating.
"There’s no need to apologize, Sawamura-kun." Haruno said, expressing sympathy for Eijun, noticing how the other students were intruding on his personal space.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the hallway, indicating that someone was sending away the students who were peering through the window.
Eijun, Kanemaru and Haruno turned to see the Principal lecturing the students with a stern expression.
“Give Sawamura-kun some privacy! If I see any of you here again, I will bring you to the office and inform your parents about your behavior!” The Principal shouted, brandishing a stick as he spoke.
The students raced back to their classrooms, while Eijun's classmates chuckled at the Principal's behavior because it was the first time they had witnessed him act in such a way.
Eijun suddenly began to question why the Principal was the one sending the students out into the hallway. Shouldn't the other teachers be handling that task?
He still thought that maybe the Kataoka couple were friends of the Principal.
With some free time remaining during Eijun's break, he decided to head to the back of the school building. He felt a sense of relief, noticing that the Principal's threat seemed to have genuinely frightened the other students because nobody followed him.
"Kanitama, it's great to see you! I'm glad you're here. I brought your food—I've got some Ciao Churu with me." Eijun smiled as he held out some cat food.
The stray cat quickly approached Eijun and eagerly began to eat the food he had brought.
He had discovered this cat behind the building three days earlier. According to the school's caretaker, the cat named Kanitama occasionally visits the back of the building but doesn’t linger for long and tends to leave right away.
Eijun used the money that Rei and Tesshin gave him to buy food for Kanitama. Occasionally, he also brings Ciao Churu in case he encounters the cat again.
"You're such an adorable little one, Kanitama. You bring back memories of my father's pet cat. Unfortunately, he passed away after getting sick and we couldn't afford to take him to the vet in time."
Eijun is sharing this story with Kanitama, even though the cat doesn't truly understand his words.
"Don’t you have parents as well?” Eijun asked, his voice tinged with sadness.
As he watched Kanitama, memories of his past flooded back to him, particularly the time when his parents were alive. The thought of them brought a wave of sorrow he hadn't anticipated.
Although Eijun's grandfather is still alive, he is strongly influenced by the memories of his parents and he feels a deep sense of longing for them.
While Eijun was busy feeding Kanitama, he failed to notice someone approaching him quietly. The last memory Eijun has is of a strange scent wafting through the air, followed by a sudden wave of dizziness that caused him to lose consciousness.
At that moment, Akihito and his friend were heading to the back of the building to take a short nap since the noise from their classmates made it difficult for them to sleep in the classroom.
When they turned around, they noticed a student lying on the ground, unconscious, while a cat was nearby, seemingly trying to wake him up.
These two seniors quickly rushed over to find out who the unconscious student was. When they got closer, they recognized that it was Eijun lying there.
"Huh?! W-What happened to Sawamura? He definitely doesn’t look like he’s just sleeping!" One of the seniors said to Akihito, clearly unsure of what to do.
Despite his anger towards Eijun, Akihito didn't think twice about helping him. He carefully lifted the unconscious first year student.
"We need to get to the infirmary. Something might have happened to him, let's go!" Akihito exclaimed as he lifted Eijun and placed him on his back, with his friend supporting him.
Without wasting any time, they dashed away and leaving Kanitama behind.
Outside Seidou School, a car is parked at the back of the building.
Inside the vehicle, there's a woman appears to be extremely angry and agitated, clearly upset because her attempt to kidnap Eijun has not succeeded. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind the building, she decides to abandon the unconscious young man, leaving him on the ground.
To avoid anyone seeing her, she climbed the school wall and returned to her car immediately.
“Damn it! I had him right in my grasp, and then I lost him!” Shouted the furious woman, who was none other than the headmistress of the orphanage.
She took off her balaclava mask and tossed it into the backseat of the car. Glancing at the items laid out on the chair, she saw the tools that would be used in Eijun's abduction like thick ropes, burlap sacks, duct tape, chloroform and knives.
Thanks to the media, the headmistress became aware of Eijun's whereabouts. Her suspicions were confirmed when she discovered that the Kataoka couple had secretly taken the young man.
After speaking with Yamazaki-san, the headmistress immediately became angry and hid because she knew that the secret she was hiding would be revealed.
The headmistress holds Eijun responsible for her current situation. She lived a peaceful and quiet life before, but now she is engulfed in misery. She feels the need to remain hidden because the Emperor of Japan is undoubtedly searching for her at this moment.
There's a time when she visited the Seidou Spirit Dormitory, disguising herself to confirm whether Eijun was truly there and she was correct in her assumption.
Unfortunately, she couldn't take the young man away because there were always people nearby in the dormitory and on the baseball field. There were alumni who occasionally came to baseball field to visit, even when Eijun was jogging alone.
"Eijun Sawamura, once I have you, I won't hesitate for a moment to end your life!" The headmistress declared, her eyes blazing with anger as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
"What's happened to him?" A nurse exclaimed, clearly surprised when Akihito walked in with his friend to the infirmary.
"We found him unconscious behind the school." The senior replied, steadying Eijun’s back to prevent him from slipping from Akihito's grasp.
The nurse nodded, "Please take him to the bed so that I can examine him."
Without hesitation, the two seniors carefully laid Eijun down on the bed.
"You can step outside for a moment, or if you prefer, you can call his parents if you have their number." She added.
The two seniors exchanged glances, both remembering Tesshin and Rei. This prompted them to quickly leave the infirmary and head to the faculty room.
Upon arrival, they found the Kataoka couple engrossed in their work, but it was important for them to report what had happened with Eijun.
"Coach Kataoka, Sawamura is in the infirmary!" Akihito stated, his voice tinged with panic.
Rei quickly rose from her chair, a look of shock on her face. Tesshin's eyes widened as he listened to his players.
"W-What happened to him?" He said, concern evident in his voice.
"Did his head hit the ground?" Rei aked as she walked closer to the two students, she could feel her heart racing.
"We’re not sure. We just found Sawamura lying unconscious behind the school building." One of the seniors replied.
Rei placed her hand over her mouth as she gazed at her husband.
Tesshin got up and gently rubbed Rei's back to soothe her.
"Let's go see him right away."
Rei nodded and they quickly exited the faculty room to make their way to the infirmary.
Akihito and his friend decided to join them, eager to find out what had happened to Eijun.
As Kuramochi and Miyuki walked through the hallway, they noticed Tesshin, Rei and two other members of their club running past them.
“Hmm, what’s going on? Why are they in such a rush?” Kuramochi wondered as he watched the four people running by.
“Do you think something may have happened to Sawamura?” Miyuki suggested, though he wasn’t entirely convinced his assumption was accurate.
"How did you say that? Aren't those two seniors picking on Sawamura? Isn't it possible that Coach Kataoka is already aware of the bullying?" Kuramochi responded.
"Well, if the coach knew the truth, then why do their expressions look like that? Especially Rei-san."Miyuki said while looking at Kuramochi.
Suddenly, Kuramochi recalled the night when Tesshin and Rei had come to visit their room, only to find Eijun running a fever. He remembered the expressions on the Kataoka couple's faces when they realized Eijun was unwell.
It seems that Miyuki's suspicions were correct and something bad must have happened to Eijun again.
“Let’s go, Miyuki. We need to follow them!” Kuramochi sprinted ahead, with Miyuki closely behind.
"I believe that Sawamura-kun's loss of consciousness may be caused by factors related to stress. This condition called vasovagal syncope, happens when the body temporarily interrupts its automatic functions due to stress." The nurse provided an explanation while speaking with the Kataoka couple in the infirmary.
Although Kuramochi, Miyuki, Akihito and a senior were not present in the room, they could still hear their conversation outside.
After hearing what the nurse had said, Kuramochi and Miyuki exchanged glances. Akihito was resting against the wall while his friend sat in a crouched position on the floor.
"What can we do to help him?" Rei asked, glancing at Eijun's bed, where he lay unconscious.
"Does Sawamura-kun take any vitamins?" The nurse asked.
Tesshin answered the nurse's question.
"There are vitamins that the members of the baseball club take and they are designed to support their overall health, including their immune systems. Why do you ask?"
The nurse glanced at the document on the table and appeared to be making a list.
"Thank you sir, I believe that the vitamins Sawamura-kun is taking might not be sufficient. It seems to me that he might often dwell on thoughts and feelings that cause him emotional pain. Emotional wounds can be difficult to heal and it might be beneficial for him to see a doctor who can provide guidance on how to prevent this situation from happening again."
Tesshin and Rei exchanged glances, both aware of Eijun's history and experiences. They believed that Eijun was doing well and on the path to recovery, especially since they had provided him with everything they thought would bring him joy. However, it became clear that he was still struggling.
The baseball club members gathered outside the room and listened quietly. They failed to notice that beneath Eijun's cheerful smile lay a deeper sadness.
"Sawamura is quite an enigma and there’s still so much we don’t understand about him." Miyuki mentioned quietly, as Kuramochi listened attentively.
"You know, Masuko-senpai and I have seen Sawamura looking lost in thought on several occasions. I know you might find this hard to believe, Miyuki, but there are nights when we hear Sawamura quietly crying in the middle of the night. We thought there was a ghost crying in the room but we realized that the crying was coming from him." Kuramochi spoke up and everyone turned their attention to him.
"I think baseball is the only thing that truly brings Sawamura joy. He always seems so happy whenever he plays." Miyuki said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.
"Yeah, he has a unique perspective when it comes to baseball. Perhaps playing helps him to set aside his sorrowful past." Kuramochi said then smiled.
"We should head back soon or coach might catch us here and give us a lecture." Kuramochi added, turning away since break time was almost over and they needed to return to their classroom.
Before Miyuki left, he glanced back at the two seniors nearby.
"Senpai, I hope that you will stop bullying Sawamura. Let's work together to help him find happiness through our baseball club."
The two seniors fell silent as they watched Miyuki walk away.
Could this be the cause of the change in the seniors who once bullied Eijun?
A senior looked at Akihito and spoke.
"Come on let's go back to the classroom."
But Akihito didn't answer and seemed to be deep in thought.
"What are you waiting for? I thought you were mad at Sawamura but why are you worried about him?"
Akihito suddenly answered which surprised his friend, "I think there is another reason why Sawamura was unconscious earlier."
"Huh? What is that?" His friend asked.
"Didn't you notice that it smelled like chloroform when we were going there? Could it be that he was with someone else at that time?"
This one senior's eyes immediately widened and he seemed to remember that there was a smell of chloroform when they went to the back of the school.
"Do you think that someone might be trying to take Sawamura's life without our knowledge?" Akihito asked.