Chapter Text
Eijun sat on his brother’s bed, holding his stuffed tanuki close to him. He watched his brother walk throughout his room packing his bags.
“You’re going to Tokyo just to play baseball?” Eijun asked before pouting. “When will I see you again, Kazu-nii?”
“When we meet in high school, and we’ll play together, Ei-chan,” Kazuya smiled at him.
“But that’s so long from now, Nii-chan!” Eijun yelled. “I’m only going to the fifth grade, and you’re going to your first year in junior high! I still got another year left of elementary school!”
“Well, then I'll see you in your first year of high school,” Kazuya said coolly.
Eijun clutched his tanuki closer to him, tears welling up in his eyes. “That's too long. Plus, I don't play baseball anymore, remember? I never want to play again…”
Kazuya looked at his brother with a simple look as he thought about the last time his little brother played baseball. It was a year ago, and Eijun’s junior league coach told him that his throwing arm was too weak and that he would never be able to be a pitcher, let alone play any of the better positions in baseball; Eijun spent the entire year as a pinch runner. “That's right, you don't have natural talent like I do.”
The tears finally spilled over. “O-Oi!” Feeling brave, Eijun stood up, dropping his tanuki, and went to jump on Kazuya. Kazuya simply stuck a hand out to grab Eijun's head to keep him at arm's length.
“What happened a year ago is in the past. If you want to become the pitcher you want to be, you'll have to work harder than everyone else,” Kazuya told him. “It's not impossible.”
Eijun stopped struggling against Kazuya's hand as he let the words sink into his brain. Could he become a pitcher? One worthy of playing on a competitive team with his brother? He shook his head, being stubborn, and said, “I don't care, I'm not playing again!”
Kazuya shrugged and went back over to his bed to zip up his bags when he noticed Eijun's stuffed tanuki. “Ei-chan, you're ten now. You're too old to have stuffed toys, so I'm taking it with me.”
“You're twelve, it wouldn't make sense for you to have it! Plus, it's mine, so give it back to me!” Eijun yelled before running forward. Kazuya stuck out a peace sign horizontally, effectively poking Eijun in the eyes as Eijun ran into his fingers. “Ah~!”
“Always so loud, Eijun,” Kazuya sighed before he began to laugh hysterically. “Hehe, I'm going to burn this little thing once I get to Tokyo!”
Eijun removed his hands from his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Give him back to me!”
“Boys!” Their grandfather burst through the door causing Eijun to scream. “What is going on in here?!”
“Jii-chan, Kazu-nii won't leave me alone!” Eijun whined.
“Kazuya, are you finished packing? I have to take you to the train station soon,” Eitoku told him.
Kazuya put Eijun's tanuki in his bag before slugging it over his shoulder and grabbed the other ones. “I'm ready to go, Jii-chan.”
Eijun paled at his grandfather as he ignored his earlier ranting. “But Jii-chan-”
Eitoku smacked Eijun on the head. “Stop whining already!”
Kazuya laughed wholeheartedly, making Eijun glare at him with distaste. Kazuya laughed again before walking past him to follow their grandfather out the room and out of the house to the car.
The ride to the train station was quiet. No one said a word except for the occasional grunt Eijun gave every time Kazuya took it upon himself to torture his younger brother by poking him randomly. Once the three of them got to the train station, Eijun couldn't wait to see him leave.
Why is he being so mean to me? Eijun wondered as he walked close to his grandfather. Sure, he teases me everyday, but it's like he wants me to hate him before he leaves! What a jerk!
“ The 14:35 train for Tokyo is now boarding, the 14:35 train for Tokyo is now boarding ,” the female automated voice said over the intercom.
“We barely made it,” Eitoku sighed and turned to Kazuya. “You better do good in Tokyo, or I'll come down there and slap you myself.”
“Y-Yes, Jii-chan,” Kazuya's sweat dropped.
“And don't give Toku a hard time. He'll be working a lot, so he doesn't need that added stress,” Eitoku lectured. “But make me proud, grandson!”
Kazuya nodded before he turned to look at Eijun, who was scowling at him, eyes wide. “What's wrong, Ei-chan?”
Eijun said nothing as he looked up at his brother to look him in the eyes. “Become the best catcher!”
Kazuya blinked. “Huh?”
“Become the very best catcher!” Eijun repeated louder. “A-And I'm gonna become the best pitcher! The next time we'll meet, I'm gonna become the ace of whatever high school we attend! That way you have to catch my pitches in every game we play together!”
“Oh~, what's this? Is someone deciding to play baseball after all?” Kazuya teased.
Eijun nodded frantically. “You'll be my catching mate!”
“You mean your battery partner?”
“Ah, whatever, don't correct me right now!” Eijun blushed.
This kid , Kazuya cheesed before bursting into a loud laugh. “That's a pretty bold statement from someone who can't even throw!”
Eijun's sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes and falling down his cheeks. “It's not impossible, remember?”
“You'll have to work hard,” Kazuya told him while reaching down to ruffle his hair.
“I don't care!”
“Last call for the train to Tokyo, last call for the train to Tokyo.”
Kazuya smirked at his crying little brother. “I'll see you soon...partner.”
Eijun didn't see his brother for three more years.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Three Years Later
“Eijun…Eijun...wake up!”
SMACK!
Eijun jolted out of his sleep once he felt a hard slap to his cheek. He wiped the drool from his mouth before looking up at his pissed grandfather. “What's up, Jii-chan?”
“There's someone downstairs here to see you, get yourself decent. And make sure you brush your teeth, your breath stinks!” Eitoku yelled.
Eijun walked into the living room to see his family and a lady sitting at the other end of the table. She pushed up her glasses and smirked at him.
“Sawamura-kun,” she began, “I'll cut straight to the point: My name is Takashima Rei, and I'm a recruiter from Seido High School. I saw your last game, and I believe you have the talent to be a successful pitcher at Seido.”
“Seido?” Eijun blinked rapidly.
“Baka!” Eitoku growled. “It's a prestigious private school in Tokyo with a really good baseball team! They've made it to Nationals a good amount of times!”
“Tokyo?” Eijun repeated, itching inside his ear. “What is someone from Tokyo doing out in Nagano at a small ball junior high game?”
SMACK!
Eitoku’s hand burned with smoke as he smacked Eijun upside the head. “Please forgive my ignorant grandson.”
Eijun groaned. “Even if Seido is this amazing school, I can't go anyways. I'm only a second year.”
“No worries,” Rei smirked. “I would love to show you around the school where you would be going in the next two years. Besides, if you want to get better, I bet you would like to go to a school where you could count on your teammates, right?”
Eijun felt a vein appear on his forehead, and he laughed to himself. “You’re saying that as if you already know that I’ll go to that school. What makes you think I would want to go to that school anyways? I already know where I want to go to play baseball, and I doubt it's some school I never heard of.”
“Eijun, manners!” His mother reprimanded.
“What are you scared of?” Rei challenged. “Scared that everyone will be much better than you?”
Eijun smirked widely. “Fine, I'll go.”
But if he's not there...I’m not going to the school, and I’ll keep looking for him. I will find you, Kazu-nii!