Archive of Our Own ^beta

“C’mon, just think about it. For me, please?”

Koushuu rolled his eyes before taking another bite of his breakfast so that he wouldn’t have to answer his mother.

“Kou-chan, it’ll be fun. I promise!” His mother exclaimed as she finished picking up last-minute laundry and throwing it into the wash. Afterwards, she sat across from Koushuu at their dining table, making sure she had his attention. “Don’t you miss your grandmother?”

“I don’t remember her.”

“That’s exactly why we should go!”

He shook his head again as he eyed his bowl, not wanting to be convinced because he knew if she nudged him hard enough, he wouldn’t be able to say no.

“She needs some extra help around the house, remember?” Koushuu nodded as his mother rubbed his shoulder. “I want to be there for her and I’m sure she would love to have you there, too. It’s been too long.”

“But what about dad? I don’t want him to be alone.” That wasn’t the main reason he didn’t want to take a trip out of the country, but it was a factor.

“Oh honey,” His mother sighed as she kissed his head firmly before pulling back to face him. “I don’t want that either but you know he can’t take the time off work to come with me.”

“Which is why I should stay with him.”

“But then you’d never leave the house. He works all day and you’re only in third grade so you’re not old enough to live on your own. You wouldn’t want to stay here all summer would you?”

He didn’t really mind. As long as he had his mitt and his ball, whether they were in tatters or not, he wouldn’t mind staying in the backyard practicing the entire time. “My friends said I could come over, and we all wanna practice together. I can’t practice baseball there. Does she have a backyard? Or a field?”

His mother tilted her head in thought, swishing her long, wavy pale-blonde hair that mirrored Koushuu’s own. “Her backyard is pretty small, but I’m sure there’s a field around.”

Koushuu gave her a flat look before lifting his bowl to finish his soup. Before she could ask again, an alarm rang and she hurried them both to their respective rooms. “We need to hurry or we’ll both be late, but we’re not done yet. We’ll talk after, okay?”

After she ran him to the bus-stop before rushing off to her work, he sincerely hoped that she would forget about it. He certainly had. He hadn’t given it any more thought and forgot about it until his mother finally arrived back home to tuck him into bed.

She waved away their babysitter before sitting next to Koushuu’s bed with a soft smile. “Kou-chan, guess what?”

“What?”

“There’s going to be a baseball camp in Nagano and guess who can join?”

“Who?”

“Anyone.” His mother beamed down at him, just as bright as her hair, hanging down so low that it was laying across Koushuu’s pillows. “So what do you say? You can play baseball against kids even older than you. You did say you wanted to go against the best, right?”

As usual, in the end, Koushuu wasn’t able to say no.

Therefore, weeks later, he was on the train for Nagano, leaving all of the comforts in Kanagawa for the thing he loved most: baseball. He could only hope that this was all going to be worth it. 

He wasn’t sure what to expect when he met his grandmother at the train station, but as soon as she saw them with a smile exactly like Koushuu’s mother, he was instantly calm again. She was a kind, witty, and strong woman that Koushuu grew to enjoy, but it was true that she needed help every so often. He never minded. 

Before he knew it, they formed their own routine and Koushuu didn’t mind becoming accustomed to it until he arrived at the camp. 

“Now remember to be kind, okay? I know you like to show off but try to give everyone a chance first.”

Koushuu brushed away the hair that his mother just ruffled with a huff. “Only if they’re worth me giving them a chance.”

“Kou-chan-” His mother began to groan, but his grandmother quickly pulled her away with a wink at Koushuu before leaving the park. 

Koushuu rolled his shoulders with a deep breath before sliding on his glove, which never failed to comfort him. At the sudden sound of an obnoxious laugh, Koushuu walked over to the entrance to the baseball field to find a group of boys on the pitcher's mound huddled together. At the center of it all was a boy that seemed to be larger than everyone else there. Koushuu couldn’t explain it, but there was something different about this boy with dark brown hair and with just as much of a dark tan.

“Ah ha ha! See why you couldn’t catch that? Because I’m the best pitcher there is!”

Koushuu snorted at the comment as he walked on the side of the field to where the coaches were. But he wasn’t able to make it far as that boy somehow heard him and called out to him, angrily. “Oi! Who are you?”

Koushuu turned to glance at the group, staring at him with mixed expressions of surprise and suspicion. He saw the evident pride in the boy’s stance as he jutted out his chest and immediately turned away to keep heading towards the coaches. 

“Oi! You can’t ignore me! Come back here!”

Koushuu never expected that the boy could move as fast as he did and be able to block Koushuu’s path in time. “Move.”

The boy frowned down at Koushuu with his arms crossed in refusal. “Not until you tell me what your name is.”

“When you’re good enough to play with me, then I’ll tell you.”

The boy’s eyes lit up with the challenge, not at all what Koushuu was expecting. “You’re on!” 

Deciding to break the moment up, the coaches introduced themselves as well as the other kids and after several warm-up drills, the obnoxious boy, who must be the other kids’ leader, suggested they should have a scrimmage. Soon enough they were broken into teams, with Koushuu and the other boy on separate ones, of course.

Koushuu was first up to bat with the boy up on the mound to pitch. Koushuu predicted that this kid would be a pitcher and wondered if someone like him would ever be worth catching for. 

“Alright, watch this you wolf boy!”

He didn’t even have time to become furious at the nickname as the boy’s pitch came flying towards him. But halfway, Koushuu noticed the ball switching to his far left and kept his bat in place. 

“Ball 1!”

The boy groaned in disappointment while his teammates shouted encouragement, and Koushuu couldn’t wait to get back to his grandmother’s house. 

The second pitch was no better than the first, and Koushuu was beginning to wonder if he should quit coming altogether. However, when the final pitch came, Koushuu glanced at the boy’s face to see something intense lurking in his eyes as he wound back his arms. 

For the first time, Koushuu felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the boy pitch the ball straight to him. Because he was so dumbstruck by the boy’s change in demeanor and pitching style, he didn’t move a muscle which resulted in a strike.

The boy jumped with a shout as his teammates clapped him on the back. It was all background noise to Koushuu as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from that strange boy. For the first time, he felt loss. And every time he saw the boy pitch after, that defeat gnawed at him.

But the part that struck him the most was that when he was in position to catch for his team’s pitcher, he wanted someone else to be throwing to him. For once in his life, he wasn't sure if he was worthy enough to receive it. 

When their game ended with Koushuu’s team losing by two points, the boy stormed up to where Koushuu was crouching at home plate. He held out his hand with a smile too bright for Koushuu to stare up at. “So what’s your name?”

“O-Okumura. Okumura, Koushuu. You?”

The boy’s smile widened even further as Koushuu grabbed his hand and was lifted up to meet him. “Eijun. Sawamura, Eijun.”

As Eijun rambled on with the first-years while they finished practicing in the batting cages, Koushuu shook his head in silence while packing up.

Most of the other first-years were laughing along with whatever Eijun was saying. Though Koushuu knew it was mainly because their first year at Seidou was coming to an end, which meant they were finally done with all of their cruel final exams. They were all simply happy to be out of the classroom and returning home to relax. 

Although not everyone, Koushuu supposed, since most stayed in the dorms and would continue to practice even harder during the summer. He still hadn’t been able to decide what to do when his mother asked him if he could come visit. 

“Hey! Wolf boy, where are you going?!” 

Eijun shouted after him as Koushuu headed for the showers, but as usual, Eijun wouldn’t let him go without him. Not that Koushuu ever minded. “Why are you always trying to leave me??”

Koushuu rolled his eyes at Eijun’s dramatics as he was almost out of breath from trying to catch up to Koushuu. He wanted to keep walking in silence, but his arm reached out instinctively to take Eijun’s bag and then pat his pitcher’s back in encouragement. “Let’s just wash up, okay?”

Eijun brightened up immediately, showing no signs of the fatigue from earlier as he followed Koushuu to the locker room. After cleaning up in their respective showers, Koushuu slipped on a gray t-shirt and black sweats before grabbing his things and shoving them into his bag. He expected Eijun to do the same because he should be wanting to relax in his bed as much as Koushuu, but he was lingering longer than usual.

“Hey, got a minute?” Koushuu shrugged, trying to pass as nonchalant while his heart pounded quicker than usual. “I got this offer to attend a camp in the summer. I get to train and play against college players.”

Surprised, Koushuu stopped loading his bag to stare at Eijun out of the corner of his eye. “Really? You’re going to go, right?”

After a pause, Eijun let out a long sigh. “I want to, but I know that Coach wants me to train with everyone here. He and Coach Ochiai have been telling me about this new regime they wanted me to start as soon as finals were over. Should I really be leaving if the team needs me here?”

That small, selfish part of Koushuu wanted to tell Eijun yes. That he should stay and train with them instead of leaving them behind. Because it was that painful reminder to Koushuu that they wouldn’t always be playing together. That it wasn’t just him and Eijun against the world. It was him against the future with Eijun running towards it and Koushuu turning away from it.

But the larger part of him that cared for Eijun, that treasured Eijun not only as a teammate but as his pitcher, knew what he needed to say. “You’re going to be graduating in less than a year now. They can’t keep you here forever, and you can’t keep training with only us. You need this experience and you know it. No one would be upset with you for that. I’m sure everyone would do the same thing. I know I would.”

Eijun finally stopped fidgeting with his shirt and faced Koushuu with a smile so tender his eyes crinkled. It most certainly did not make Koushuu’s heart pound painfully fast again. “Thanks, Koushuu. That really helped a lot.”

Koushuu whipped his head away from Eijun, hoping his long bangs would cover his heated face. “Sure. So where is it?”

“Yokohama. It’s one of the larger universities which makes it even more exciting! I’ve been watching some of their games and their shortstop…” Koushuu was too dumbfounded to listen anymore. Yokohama, the city that just so happened to be only a half hour away from his house. He was never one to believe that things could go the way you wanted them to, but on the off-chance that Eijun needed a place to stay then-

“But I don’t know how to work out the living situation.”

Koushuu instantly shut out his thoughts and zeroed in on Eijun’s rambling again. He didn’t dare hope, but that didn’t stop his hands from shaking with anticipation. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the food and facilities’ fees are a lot, but the dorms are so expensive that my parents are having a hard time figuring out how to meet it.” Eijun collapsed onto the bench with a frown. “I couldn’t live in a hotel ‘cause that would be even more expensive. I don’t know where I could stay-”

“Come stay with me.”

Eijun blinked in surprise as he turned back to Koushuu in confusion. “Huh?? What’re you-”

“My house is only a half hour away from the city. You can easily take the train there.” Koushuu didn’t know why he was doing this, only that he couldn’t stop. “My parents recently renovated our apartment to add some extra room, which means we’ll have space for you to stay in it. I-If you want, of course.”

Eijun opened and closed his mouth several times, which scared Koushuu more than anything. Eijun was never speechless. He always had something to say whether anyone wanted to hear it or not. “B-But what about your parents? I couldn’t impose on you all like that. I didn’t think you were going back home anyway.”

He wasn’t sure at first, but he certainly had an answer to give to his mother now. “I was just about to call them and tell them. Besides, you know my mom loves you and has been asking to see you ever since I came here. Gran, too.”

“Is she visiting you for the summer, too?!” Eijun exclaimed in excitement, and Koushuu would normally become irritated for getting off topic, but he couldn’t help the weak part of him that loved the reminder of how well Eijun and his family got along. 

“Yeah, that’s why she’s been calling to ask if I’d come.”

Eijun’s excitement continued to grow as he rose from the bench and stepped much closer into Koushuu’s space. “They really wouldn’t mind? Are you sure they’d be okay with it?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

“Ahh, thank you so much Koushuu!!” Eijun shouted as he pulled his catcher into a tight embrace. Stunned, Koushuu couldn’t do anything but stand still as Eijun continued to hold him tightly while whispering how grateful he was.

Koushuu knew exactly why he offered to let Eijun spend the summer at his apartment. Because he hated that constant reminder that Eijun was going to graduate before he was, which meant they’d be separated again. But this time, Koushuu didn’t want Eijun to leave without knowing how he truly felt. 

Maybe without their team constantly surrounding them and spending time together alone would give Koushuu the courage to finally say what he’d been holding back for far much longer than he liked.

“Sure.” Koushuu whispered as he patted Eijun’s back. “Now get your hands off me so I can call them.”

Without needing to glance at Eijun, Koushuu already knew his pitcher was sticking out his lip in a pout as Koushuu grabbed his bag and walked away. As soon as he closed the door to his room, he dialed his mother’s number.

“Hey, so about coming for the summer, mind if I bring a friend?”

It didn’t take much convincing. As a matter of fact, it didn’t take any. Before he knew it, Eijun bought his train ticket and they were on their way to Koushuu’s hometown. Bringing someone back home with him, being able to see a crucial part of his life, came with the usual odd feeling of sharing so much with one person. 

But as Eijun continued to listen to Koushuu explain the rules and tell more stories of his family with as much focus as he would have on the mound, that odd feeling eventually began to subside. Instead, he found that he looked forward to it. 

After they picked up their suitcases and walked to the exit, Koushuu found his mother and grandmother waving at them, overjoyed. His pace quickened to wrap both of them in a hug before breaking it off to walk to the parking lot.

His mother slung her arm around Koushuu’s shoulder, letting Eijun and his grandmother walk ahead of them. He didn’t worry as they were already talking animatedly with each other. 

“Missed you, Kou-chan.”

He was too happy to correct the childish nickname. “Missed you, too. Both of you.”

His mother chuckled low in his ear, making him turn to her in question. “Not so sure about that. You seem pretty happy there to me.” 

He glanced back at Eijun as he offered to hold his grandmother’s purse while she playfully slapped at his arm in refusal and couldn’t find a single reason to deny what she said. 

As soon as Koushuu let Eijun inside his room, Eijun immediately dumped his bags and scrambled around the room pointing at all of his decorations and pictures while asking about them. It reminded Koushuu of a child visiting the zoo for the first time.

As enduring as that was, Koushuu only rolled his eyes before vaguely explaining team photos from his past schools and the various trophies from over the years. When he explained the shelf of catching mitts he used over the years, Eijun immediately picked one of them up.

“This is the one you wore when we met.”

Koushuu widened his eyes in surprise before narrowing them in disbelief. “I doubt you actually remember that I wore that. You must’ve seen it in one of these pictures.”

“No.” Eijun replied in determination. “I remember everything from when we first met.”

Unsure of how to reply, Koushuu ducked his head and scratched the back of his neck in hopes that the heat in his face would fade. “So my mother cooked us this big dinner earlier and Gran said that she made dessert.”

The odd intensity from before vanished as Eijun broke out in a wistful grin. “Really?! Ah I loved her cooking.”

“Yes, I remember.” It was a shock to them all to find that Eijun hadn’t gained any weight from overindulging himself in Gran’s meals. Although his mother liked to tease him, saying that Eijun worked it off from chasing Koushuu all day.

“Let’s go! I’m so hungry already.” Eijun already bounded off to the kitchen and in less than a minute, he started a rowdy conversation with his grandmother and mother. 

Koushuu sighed as he heard laughter echo throughout their apartment. He couldn’t help but enjoy the sound of it as he began to unpack and organize his room. He tried on the ride back to offer Eijun his bed, but Eijun stubbornly refused and took the mat in the corner of Koushuu’s room. 

After filling it with blankets and pillows, Koushuu left for the kitchen just as his father walked through the door. When the introductions were finished, they started catching up as they helped set the table and began to eat.

Koushuu couldn’t remember the last time they had all sat down together as a family for a meal. He was so used to eating with only one of his parents while the other was out or for just a couple minutes until they both left. He never minded or complained because he understood that they needed to.

It just felt so nice to have the apartment filled with nonstop conversation and laughter. He couldn’t imagine sharing this moment with anyone other than Eijun.

“You want some more, don’t you Ei-chan?”

Eijun gulped with sweat already glistening across his forehead as he stared in horror at the next enormous plate of food. “Y-Yes!”

Koushuu rolled his eyes at Eijun’s idiocy before continuing to slowly eat his meal. Suddenly, his grandmother nudged his arm before leaning in to whisper, “He’s such a cute one, isn’t he?” Koushuu shrugged, feigning nonchalance as he kept eating his rice in silence. It didn’t stop his grandmother from chuckling at him with a wink.

“So Sawamura-kun, are you excited for your first day tomorrow?” Koushuu’s father asked,  curiously. 

Koushuu's attention perked at that and watched as Eijun actually pondered over his answer before proudly jutting out his chest. “Of course! How could I not be excited to meet the team I’ll soon be the ace of?!”

With a groan, Koushuu kicked Eijun under the table. “You’re ridiculous, and you better not say that when you meet them.” Eijun winced before kicking Koushuu back but without any force behind it. 

“Let him be, Koushuu.” His father admonished as he patted Eijun’s shoulder. “Make sure you rest well tonight.”

Half of the reason Koushuu ignored Eijun’s bravado was because he could see through it and to the nervous wreck Eijun was underneath. There was no chance in hell Eijun would be sleeping tonight.

Unfortunately, he was proven correct as they went to bed and for half an hour all Eijun did was toss and turn. Eventually, Koushuu started throwing his pillows to stop him. “We share a room, you know. I’d like to get some sleep!”

For some reason, that was enough to get Eijun to stop moving. Koushuu knew better than to hope he’d fall asleep. He couldn’t blame Eijun because Koushuu did the exact same anytime before a game. He just hoped Eijun could get one hour in.

When we awake the next morning to the rising sun shining in his face, he discovered Eijun sitting tensely by the window. The dark shadows under his eyes were clearly evident, but Eijun didn’t look the least bit tired.

Koushuu sluggishly rose to sit across from Eijun on the floor. “You’re training with them not playing against them.”

“I know. I just..” Eijun broke off in frustration as he stared down at his hands.

Koushuu glanced out the window so that he didn’t have to face Eijun as he blurted out, “I’ll walk you to the station. If you want.”

“You sure?”

Koushuu couldn’t fight the temptation and stared back at Eijun’s brightening smile which was more radiant than the rising sun behind him. “I'm sure.”

Eijun raced to grab his gear as Koushuu ran his fingers through his hair before lacing his shoes and tiptoeing out the door so they didn’t wake everyone. They were silent for the entire walk to the station, and when the train arrived, Koushuu held up his arm for Eijun to bump.

“Good luck, Eijun. Don’t forget that it’s an experience, not a competition.”

“I know, thanks, partner.” Eijun bumped his arm with a soft smile, but Koushuu could still see the anxiety in his eyes. 

“I’ll sleep all day so we can talk about everything all night.”

“Really?!?”

“Of course not.” Koushuu snapped as Eijun’s face began to fall. “Well- I mean- maybe a little.”

Koushuu didn’t have time to quip at Eijun’s cocky grin as the doors closed on their conversation. He stood at the edge, waving at Eijun until the train couldn’t be seen any longer.

Koushuu had this awful feeling of foreshadowing what their future would be. Of him watching Eijun leave towards a sparkling future while Koushuu was stuck behind to watch him go. He quickly shook his head out of those thoughts. It’s too early to be this emotional. I really do need to sleep. 

And as soon as he returned, that’s exactly what he did. 

For the following weeks, Koushuu would walk Eijun to and from the station. Sometimes they stopped by food stands and ate along the way. Other times they took a longer route so Koushuu could show Eijun around his neighborhood, telling stories of the memories he created. There were nights where they wouldn’t talk but still walk slowly, gazing at the city lights above them.

Those were the times that Koushuu was tempted the most to reach out for Eijun’s hand and hold it in his. But every time he found the chance, he froze. As much as he kept trying to convince himself that he shouldn’t drag this out any longer, the fear of being rejected was too crippling. 

However, when he watched a movie with his grandmother one day, an idea struck him. Therefore, when he picked up Eijun that night, he waited until they were walking down a crowded street before linking his pinky finger with Eijun.

He waited for Eijun to jerk his hand away or give Koushuu a weird look, but all Eijun did was squeeze his finger back. As a result, Koushuu only dared to do it again under the cover of night. Every time he had to let go when they returned home, the disappointment continued to pierce him. 

Although it felt like they were getting closer. Like Eijun was becoming this final piece of his family that he didn’t know they’d been missing. There was still so much distance from where they were now and where he hoped they could be. 

One day while he was training with some of his former teammates, they asked if he was coming to the annual summer festival. An idea struck Koushuu just as he opened his mouth to say no.

Later that night when he met Eijun at the station, Eijun began rambling about his day as usual. Koushuu normally listened, but in the middle of his rant he suddenly blurted out, “Hey, want to go to the festival with me?”

“Kou-chan, Kou-chan!!”

Koushuu bristled at the nickname, unaccustomed to anyone calling him so familiarly other than his family. However, it was either that or Eijun calling him wolf-boy, so he took what he could get.

He rose from where he was searching for stag beetles in his grandmother’s front yard to find Eijun racing towards him with a flyer in his hand. No matter how much he tried to drive this other boy away, he always seemed to come running right back for Koushuu. Therefore, he had given up long ago. 

And now, even though he wouldn’t admit it, he looked forward to seeing Eijun everyday even if they had just been practicing at the camp earlier. 

“Kou-chan!” Eijun finally reached Koushuu while he bent over to catch his breath. “Have you ever been to a festival?”

“‘Course I have.” Koushuu snapped but grabbed the flyer from Eijun anyway. “What’s this?”

“It’s our town’s festival!” Eijun moved to stand next to Koushuu as they scanned over the many events that would be going on. “You have to come with me! It’ll be so much fun.”

Koushuu thought of the festivals he’s been to in his city with his parents and friends. Everything about those nights were fun, but for some reason, he thought that being with Eijun would be even more fun.

“Can I?”

“Of course!” Eijun replied, proudly, as if he had the authority to allow that. Because Eijun was beaming at him so excitedly, his excitement became infectious and Koushuu wanted nothing more than to go to the festival with him.

“When is it?”

Eijun scratched his head while counting his fingers in concentration. “1, 2.. oh! It’s the week after camp. You’re coming, right?”

Instead of beaming back at Eijun, Koushuu ducked his head as he remembered what his mother had been telling him since they started playing together.

I know you’re having fun with Ei-chan, but remember honey, we’re leaving right after the camp ends. We’re not staying here forever. 

Eijun continued babbling about all of the activities they were going to do and the food that Koushuu just had to try. Koushuu never wished for anything. He never believed in wishes even though his mom encouraged him to. But now, Koushuu actually had the urge to wish for something. 

An intense swell of emotion overtook Koushuu that caused his eyes to become blurry. He quickly started blinking the tears away and kept his head down. “I’ll have to ask mom and Gran first. I don’t know what they’ll say.”

“That’s okay!” Eijun answered, unbothered by the fact that Koushuu might not be able to make it, which made that odd emotion swell inside him again. “If we can’t go together this time, we’ll go to a festival next time we’re together, right?”

Koushuu widened his eyes as he stared at Eijun’s encouraging smile. Maybe he could use that wish after all. “Yeah.”

“Promise me.” Eijun held out his pinky finger, and Koushuu immediately wrapped his around the other’s.

“I promise.”

Koushuu slapped Eijun’s hand as he fidgeted with the yukata for the hundredth time as they were walking down the street where the festival was being held. “It looks fine, stop messing with it.”

“But it still feels too big.”

Koushuu rolled his eyes but actually preferred that it was this way. It was better than the alternative: being too tight. Which was exactly what happened when he lent one of his yukata to Eijun. His friend could barely move his shoulders; it was so tight. 

Koushuu had done such a good job of undermining Eijun’s figure while they played together so that he would never get distracted that it completely threw him off when he saw that Eijun wasn’t as scrawny as he made himself believe. 

He had a strong set of shoulders with sculpted biceps and a toned chest that was overly exposed in the yukata Koushuu lent him because it couldn’t fit around Eijun’s body properly. He was so startled by the image that he almost blacked out for a moment before sprinting to his father’s room to ask if Eijun could borrow one of his old ones.

Koushuu refused to explain to anyone why his face was so red and still wouldn’t whenever Eijun prodded him when they walked to the festival. Luckily, his father’s yukata was too big and Koushuu was able to breathe now.

“Where do you want to start?”

“I’m not hungry yet, so wanna try some games?” Eijun offered with a shrug and Koushuu nodded, gesturing for Eijun to lead the way. 

Although Eijun wasn’t wearing a revealing yukata anymore, he still looked so handsome in this one. Especially with his hair swept back. Koushuu hadn’t done anything extra other than wear the same sandals Eijun wore and a gray yukata. He kept everything else the same and yet Eijun had still complimented him when he first saw Koushuu in it.

Koushuu didn’t want to admit that he was still flustered over a simple, You look nice, Koushuu .

“I bet I can beat you in that one.” Eijun pointed at the stand where people lined up to shoot targets on the wall in order to win prizes. “I’ve been practicing with all of the games Kuramochi-senpai always makes me play!” 

Eijun raised his fist triumphantly, and Koushuu only sighed. “How much are we betting?”

“Our portions of Gran’s new dessert she’s making for tomorrow night.”

Koushuu paid his share to the stall owner before picking up one of the shooters and aiming it at the wall. “Fine, you’re on.”

It didn’t take a genius to know that aiming wasn’t exactly Eijun’s specialty. It took him such intensive training to get some semblance of control when it came to pitching. Which is why Koushuu wasn’t surprised that he was able to beat Eijun easily. 

Eijun stuck his lip out in a pout as he set the toy down. “I can’t believe I lost.”

“At least you were able to hit one of them.”

“Don’t mock me!”

Koushuu chuckled lightly as the stall owner gestured to the prizes on the wall, and Koushuu immediately picked the large stuffed bear and handed it to Eijun. “I’m not. This is for you actually being able to shoot one. You deserve the prize more than I do.”

In an instant, Eijun was fuming, and Koushuu could practically see the smoke coming out of his ears. “Why you- you- I’ll beat you next time!” Eijun snatched Koushuu’s wrist and dragged him to the next stall while he clung to the bear even though he kept saying that he hated it. 

They competed against each other in one game after the other. Even though they worked together in sync in baseball, when it came to being a winner, they both needed to be the one. Koushuu knew it was childish but the competitive part of him just had to try and beat Eijun.

That was until they were standing in front of the fish “pool.”

“Eijun, sorry, but this is too childish for me.”

Two toddlers were currently splashing the water as they tried to catch the fish. Koushuu gave them a pointed look, but Eijun wasn’t deterred. “You’re just saying that because you’re afraid to lose! We’re tied and this is the only game we haven’t played. It’s the only tiebreaker.”

Koushuu frowned at him but ended up playing anyway. As soon as the kids left, they crouched in front of it with the nets in their hands, ready to go. Right when the man said to start, they were catching them so fast it was a whirlwind of spraying water and flying fish. When there was only one left, they both shot out their arms to catch it, but then someone else took it.

They froze to watch as one of the kid’s behind them in line stole it from the pool with a cocky grin. 

“Hey- wait!!”

The kid immediately ran off with his friends, giggling the entire time as Eijun pounded the ground in defeat. “That bastar-”

Koushuu couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore as he fell from where he was crouching. He was laughing so hard that his shoulders were shaking and his eyes were blurring with tears. “O-Only you, Eijun.”

He expected an immediate retort, but when he blinked out of the tears, he discovered that Eijun was still sprawled out on the ground from before. However, he was gazing up at Koushuu with an indecipherable look on his face. “Why don’t I ever see you laughing like this?”

“I do, just not at school.”

“Why not??”

“Why would I be laughing in the middle of a game or a test?”

Eijun scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “But what about when we’re not doing anything? When we’re all hanging out?”

“Then maybe it’s just not funny enough. Besides, I have other things to worry about.” Eijun shook his head with a disappointed expression that rubbed Koushuu the wrong way. “What? Why are you asking about this?”

“I like your laugh, Koushuu.” Eijun answered, much softer than he’s ever spoken before. “I just wish I’d been able to make you laugh like this more before.”

Koushuu struggled to tear his gaze away from Eijun’s tender expression. He didn’t know how to answer or if Eijun even knew what he was saying. Therefore, he simply turned his burning face away as he glanced at the food stalls. “A-Are you hungry?”

“Yes!” Eijun was up on his feet in an instant, pulling Koushuu along with him. As if whatever had just happened, didn’t happen. Or didn’t affect him at all.

After they bought meals from every stall, they hauled their spoils to one of the tables off to the side to attempt to finish it all. Thankfully, Eijun was a big eater and able to finish off most of it. When they were left with one plate of takoyaki, Koushuu snatched it away before Eijun could. “I paid for that, you know.”

“But I’m the one doing all the eating!” Eijun protested as he reached for it again, but Koushuu moved it out of his reach. “Besides, I was going to catch that last fish before you were.”

“Don’t be an idiot.” Koushuu snapped before he ate one of them. “We all know it was going to be me.”

“No it wasn’t!” In the blink of an eye, Eijun ripped the second takoyaki ball out of Koushuu’s hand and brought it to his mouth. However, Koushuu was determined not to let him have it and rose to take a bite of it out of Eijun’s hand.

It wasn’t until after he took the bite that he realized what he just did. He was frozen, hovering over the table as Eijun stared at him wide-eyed because Koushuu may or may not have brushed his lips against Eijun’s fingers.

He fell back onto the bench and whipped his head in the other direction. He quickly pulled a fan out of his sleeve, hoping it’d appear like he was fanning a heat wave that flew through, not like because he was blushing like an idiot. 

He heard Eijun start and stop trying to say something, and luckily he didn’t need to as the announcement of fireworks was made. The crowd was heading towards the fields, but Koushuu thought of another idea. “Want to watch the fireworks from the roof of my apartment?”

Eijun stared down at Koushuu’s outstretched for a moment before nodding. “Okay, but if I get caught on fire from being so close, it’s your fault.”

“Bakamoron really is the perfect name for you.”

“Hey!”

As they walked back to Koushuu’s home, Koushuu listened to Eijun rant then veer off-topic while picking up a stick and scratching it along the places they walked past. Memories of when they were children, of Koushuu following Eijun while Eijun led them to wherever he felt like going that day. Of spending long, hot days walking to their next adventure together.

Now, it felt rather nice to have Eijun following him this time.

They brought blankets and pillows to sit on when they arrived on the roof and laid them all out as they waited for the fireworks to begin. They were silent for a while before Eijun blurted out, “The team I’m training with is having a scrimmage next week.”

“That’ll be good to watch. You can see how college teams really play, even if it’s a scrimmage.”

“But I don’t want to just watch. I want to pitch.”

“Eijun, you’re only there to train. You’re not supposed to be playing on their team.”

“I know,” Eijun sighed in frustration. “but I still want to pitch. Even if it’s for a minute. The coach said he’d put up the roster tomorrow and was considering everyone for a position to play. So you never know.”

Koushuu wanted to tell him it wouldn’t happen, but couldn’t bring himself to dash Eijun’s hopes just yet. “You’re right. You never know.”

Eijun’s smile returned as he laid his hand next to Koushuu’s on the blanket. He abruptly wrapped his finger around Koushuu’s and turned to Koushuu with a grin. “You kept your promise.”

“What?”

Eijun held up their pinky fingers with a pointed look at the sky above them. Suddenly, a memory of a flyer and a promise made under the burning sun emerged. Koushuu couldn’t believe that Eijun remembered something like that and that Koushuu had forgotten all about it. 

“It was a promise I didn’t want to break.” 

Eijun’s smile faltered but before he could say anything, the fireworks started setting off. Koushuu wasn’t even focusing on the beautiful fireworks above them. All he could think about was that their fingers were still interlocked and that Eijun was sitting so close that their shoulders kept brushing. 

Towards the end of the show, Koushuu heard Eijun mumble something in his ear but when he turned to ask Eijun to repeat it, Eijun’s head fell on his shoulder. Stunned, Koushuu poked at his friend, only to find out that he had fallen asleep. 

Koushuu could push him away or shake him awake so that’d he go to bed. Instead, he stayed seated with Eijun sleeping on his shoulder and gazed up at the stars. They were shining so brightly for once that they reminded him of fireflies. 

“I got ya!”

Koushuu sprinted over to Eijun as he moved his hand away from the glass he was holding. Unfortunately, there was no bright light in the glass. There was nothing in there at all. Eijun hadn’t caught the firefly like he announced.

“B-But I really did have it!”

Koushuu rolled his eyes as he walked away to search for more glowing dots around them. He had been peacefully watching a movie with his mother until Eijun banged on their door, grabbed Koushuu’s hand, and ran through the front yard. Eijun kept claiming that he and Koushuu had to catch a firefly, and Koushuu wasn’t entirely bothered by it. 

He barely ever saw them where he lived so he decided to follow Eijun’s antics this time. However, it was not going as they planned. Eijun had been the only one with any kind of luck. Koushuu was either too slow or too fast and scared them away.

“Let’s just go inside. Gran’ll let you sleep over.”

Eijun’s eyes sparkled at the idea, but he shook his head insistently. “Not yet. We have to catch one!”

Koushuu sighed, defeated as he crouched through the tall grass. As he crawled through the yard, watching what was on the ground instead of around him, he missed the firefly circling his head and then perching on his shoulder. 

“Kou-chan! Kou-chan!!” Koushuu squinted at Eijun, who was attempting to whisper but failing completely. He gestured to Koushuu’s shoulder and when Koushuu turned, he almost fell as he realized it was the firefly. 

He quickly moved his cup to capture it and then slid it onto his hand so he could keep it inside like Eijun instructed him. 

“You actually caught it!” Eijun pressed next to Koushuu, much too close for Koushuu’s comfort, but he was busy marveling at the firefly to care.

“What do I do now?”

Eijun shrugged. “I don’t know, keep it?”

“But what if it wants to go home?” Eijun shrugged again. “Can it breathe right now?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Koushuu immediately moved the glass away and the firefly zipped out of sight, causing Eijun to scream and chase after it. “What’re you doing?! We finally caught it!”

“I didn’t want to hurt it.”

“B-But I was gonna keep them in my room! I need a light. I don’t like the dark.” Eijun began to pout as he stomped through the yard, still searching for fireflies. Koushuu was surprised to think that of all people, Eijun would be afraid of the dark. Someone who gave his own bright light, maybe even brighter than the fireflies swarming around him.

“You really think so?” Koushuu blinked, shocked to realize he voiced his thoughts aloud, but he nodded anyway. Eijun stuck out his chin with pride that Koushuu frowned at. Just as he started to suggest going inside, Eijun interrupted him.

“You have light, too.” Koushuu tilted his head in confusion. “Not as bright as me or the fireflies, of course.” Eijun laughed as Koushuu stuck out his tongue out at him. “I mean like the stars. They’re not that bright, but bright enough for me to always see you.”

Koushuu didn’t understand what he meant, but he stayed up the rest of night staring up at the starry sky. He wondered if Eijun was still looking up at them and if he was still able to see Koushuu.

Koushuu turned to the other side of his bed as he felt something shake his shoulder. However, someone began whispering something in his ear and the warm breath from their mouth caused shivers to erupt along his back. “Hey, wake up!! Koushuu..”

He shot up from his bed, narrowly avoiding slamming his head against the bed frame. Eijun was sitting on Koushuu’s bed next to him with his phone in his hand and an overly excited smile on his face. Eijun didn’t even bat an eye to Koushuu scrambling away from him.

“You’re not going to believe this.”

“What time is it?” Koushuu yawned as he searched for his clock.

“That doesn’t matter right now!” Eijun moved closer to shove his phone in Koushuu’s face. “Read this. Right now!”

Koushuu blinked as the words swam across the screen. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he squinted at the email. He quickly scanned over it until he froze at Eijun’s name. “Holy shit, Eijun-”

“I’m gonna be in the game!!!”

For the rest of the week, all Eijun did was train. He practiced with the university team from when we woke up until sunset and then practiced with Koushuu until the moon was already high in the sky. All he could do was prepare for it and all Koushuu could do was support him. It was worth that week of pressure because Koushuu and his family were given front-row seats to watch the game at Eijun’s insistence. Koushuu could only feel a small amount of pity for the coach that had to suffer through Eijun’s persistence. 

Koushuu was on the edge of his seat before the game even began even though it said on the roster that Eijun wouldn’t be pitching until the final inning. As he watched the university athletes play, he understood Eijun’s frustration at not playing as well as they did. They truly were amazing players and an even more amazing team.

However, he couldn’t help but glance at Eijun in the dugout. Before the game started, he handed Eijun a good luck charm that his grandmother had taught him to hand-make, and Eijun was holding in his hands even now. 

Koushuu tried not to get too wrapped up in that fact, but he couldn’t stop yearning to see it. To see Eijun smiling down at the charm Koushuu had spent days crafting. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he created it with every bit of his feelings for Eijun. But as he watched Eijun treasure the charm, he couldn’t help but believe that Eijun was also treasuring his feelings.

Before he knew it, Eijun’s team was in the lead by three points and the ninth inning was now beginning. Koushuu’s body moved to stand involuntarily as Eijun headed for the mound. As Eijun addressed the crowd before straightening his shoulders and nodding to the catcher, Koushuu was struck by how much he improved.

In just the past month and a half, Eijun already seemed to have matured as well as his form improving. Koushuu was conflicted that Eijun was improving without Koushuu by his side, but he was also so proud of his pitcher. He should’ve known there was no limit to improving when it came to Eijun.

All Eijun had to do was keep the other team from scoring, but Koushuu knew that even this kind of pressure could affect Eijun. It showed as his first several pitches were wild balls. However, before he let the batter walk, he managed to slide in with his matured crossfire pitch and struck the batter out. 

Koushuu shouted along with Eijun as the umpire called the strike. From then on, even when Eijun fumbled and allowed a runner on base, Koushuu continued to shout his support just like Eijun always did for him. 

Although Eijun’s team didn’t manage to score during their turn, Eijun kept the opposite team from scoring as well. They were nearing the time to call the game because their team was ahead, but Koushuu could tell that Eijun wanted to keep pitching until the end. 

Koushuu couldn’t be any prouder of his friend. When Eijun managed to strike the third batter out, the game came to an end and everyone was screaming. Including Koushuu, but he wouldn’t admit it if asked. 

He searched for Eijun on the field, needing to congratulate him but Eijun beat him to it. He sprinted to the stands and climbed to the railing that Koushuu was leaning against. “Eijun, you were amazing! That last changeup was probably the best one you’ve ever thrown! And then when you went from one fastball to the next-”

He broke off as Eijun slung a leg over the railing to move close enough to pull Koushuu into his tight embrace. He paused in shock and embarrassment at his family staring at them, but he was so happy for Eijun that he couldn’t stop the urge to squeeze Eijun back.

“You’ve grown so much, Eijun. I’m not sure if I can catch your pitches anymore.” He felt Eijun’s hot breath on his skin as he sighed into Koushuu’s neck and tried to focus on anything but that. “I was scared there for a second when you threw that cutter, but it was so beautiful-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence again as Eijun pulled back to face Koushuu and slowly leaned in closer. Koushuu didn’t register that they were about to kiss until Eijun’s lips were just a breath away from his and their noses brushed against each other’s. 

Koushuu ached to tilt his chin up to meet Eijun’s lips. To finally know if being kissed by Eijun was as breathtaking as he imagined, or more. Eijun was probably too caught up in the moment and didn’t know what he was doing. He was most likely too high off of his victory to think straight, and although Koushuu accepted that fact, he yearned for more. To mean more to Eijun. 

Before anyone could make a move, someone started shouting at Eijun to get down. The rest of his teammates started throwing baseballs at him and tried to pull him down. He laughed along with them and let them carry him on their shoulders to the locker room, leaving Koushuu, a complete mess, behind. 

As usual, he was left behind, wondering if anything Eijun did to Koushuu ever meant anything more. If it was all just normal for Eijun to act like this with everyone. But this time, he wasn’t going to be left with questions unanswered. He asked Eijun to stay with him for one reason only, to get the courage to finally confess how he felt.

He decided then and he was sticking to it now. Before they returned to Seidou, he was going to reveal the love he had for Eijun.

Koushuu’s vision blurred as he glanced down at his fingers interlocked with Eijun’s. “It’s okay, Kou-chan. We’re gonna see each other again soon! I promise!”

Koushuu rose to find Eijun beaming at him like always which started to reassure him until the announcer spoke over the train station radio, alerting them that Koushuu’s train would be there. “Really?”

“Really!” Eijun squeezed Koushuu’s fingers even tighter, trying his best to convince Koushuu. “I’m sure we’re gonna play again soon.”

“What if we don’t?” Koushuu hung his head again while his bottom lip trembled as he tried to keep from crying. “What if we don’t see each other ever again?”

“I know we will.” Koushuu glanced at Eijun out of the corner of his eye, discovering just how serious Eijun was about it. “Maybe it won’t be really soon, but we’ll play together again. I just know it. So be looking for me, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Koushuu’s mother patted his back before kissing Eijun’s forehead as their train arrived. “Thank you for being such a good friend, Ei-chan. Goodbye!” 

Eijun hugged her legs before he pulled Koushuu into his arms for a brief hug until Koushuu’s mother pulled him away. Everything happened so fast that Koushuu was barely registering what was going on until the doors shut and he was left staring at Eijun through the stained train door window.

He wanted to open them, but the train was already pulling away. Therefore, he could only watch as Eijun ran along with the train until he eventually disappeared out of sight. Koushuu wondered if he would ever truly see his friend again.

Over the years, letters were exchanged but eventually their lives continued on without each other. Which left little room for the other to fit anymore. There were no hard feelings or grudges kept, only fond, nostalgic memories of that summer in their childhood.

Just when Koushuu had given up on the thought of ever seeing Eijun again, he visited a high school baseball team with one of his friends. And there on the center mound was none other than Sawamura Eijun. Koushuu was about to rise from his seat and leave to apply for Seidou right then, but he wanted to see the pitcher Eijun had become. 

Throughout the entire game, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from his old friend. Every pitch Eijun threw was better than the last and he only continued to improve as the game went on. How was Koushuu not supposed to be impressed? How could he not be intrigued to see more of the improved pitcher Eijun had become? And how could he give up on the chance of becoming a player to catch for him?

However sweet their reunion was, once again, the time flew by without Koushuu understanding it until he watched the third years’ graduate. He could only wonder how long it would be before they were separated again and if they would have the chance to find each other once more.

As Koushuu watched the rest of the crowd file out of the stadium, he purposely lingered behind. It was the final practice game for Eijun with the university and although he loved watching every single moment, he felt it. The need to tell Eijun right here and now. Even though they had one more week to stay here before school started again.

He had to tell Eijun now.

Even though this might mess everything up entirely. Even if this next week becomes unbearable when Eijun inevitably rejects him. He just can’t hold it back anymore. 

“Hey Koushuu, what’re you doing in here?” Koushuu blinked out of his thoughts as he watched Eijun walking towards him and his heart immediately attempted to leap out of his chest. “I was looking all over for you outside.”

“Sorry, I wanted to talk to you in here. Alone.”

“Oh yeah?” Eijun asked, reflexively as he sat next to Koushuu in the stands and set down his bags. “Me too because this’ll be better to talk about the game. Did you see that really cool pass from over there in the outfield to-”

“I love you.”

Time seemed to stop at exactly that moment and everything along with it. None of the crowd was heard anymore. In fact, nothing was heard. It was completely silent, and Koushuu and Eijun were completely frozen. 

Koushuu knew it was difficult to keep himself from holding back, but he didn’t expect this. He planned to tell Eijun everything by explaining himself first. But it seemed his mouth was working faster than his mind today.

He dared a peek out of the corner of his eye to find Eijun pale and frozen with a dropped jaw. Now the fear was starting to sink in. Almost his entire body was shaking and his breath came out in choked gasps as his worst nightmare was happening right before his eyes.

Eijun didn’t love him. He didn’t feel the same way back. He was going to leave Koushuu for good this time and-

Koushuu was panicking so horribly that he wasn’t paying attention to anything until he felt something soft press against his lips. In an instant, he snapped out of his thoughts to gawk at Eijun’s face pressed so close to his that all he could make out was Eijun’s closed eyes.

Eijun was kissing him. Eijun’s lips were pressed gently yet firmly enough for Koushuu to know it wasn’t a mistake. That he wasn’t holding back.

Koushuu had been yearning for just this. To finally be kissed by Eijun. But he couldn’t move. He was so stunned that it was actually happening that he couldn’t snap out of his initial shock. Even though he wanted to melt from the touch of Eijun’s hand cupping his jaw and the other holding his waist, he still couldn’t move.

Before he could do anything, Eijun broke it off as he leaned back to face Koushuu. He was smiling at Koushuu so brightly that all of the worries and doubts building up inside of Koushuu were all burned away. Eijun was smiling with such an intense emotion that Koushuu had seen before but never understood until now.

“I love you too, Koushuu.” It was love. All of this time, Eijun had been smiling at him with every ounce of love he had, but Koushuu was too blinded by his anxieties to notice it. “I have for a while now.”

“Then why haven’t you said anything?” Koushuu blurted out, even though he didn’t have the right to. He’d been hiding it for just as long, but he couldn’t help but wonder.

Eijun scrunched his eyebrows in immediate defensiveness. “Why haven’t you?” They both stared each other down for a moment before breaking it off with reddening cheeks as they turned away.

“I-I was scared, you know.” Koushuu did know. He’d been struggling with the same fear and for probably just as long as Eijun had. “When we met again, I was just so happy to see you that nothing else mattered. Whenever someone asked about us, I just explained that I’d been missing a friend and was so happy to be reunited.”

“But then it was halfway through the year and I kept using that excuse.” Eijun leaned in close again to brush his thumb along Koushuu’s jaw softly, and Koushuu raised his shaking hands to rest against Eijun’s chest. All that was felt was a rapidly beating heart underneath.

Koushuu’s face was burning by the second, but he refused to look away now.

“I realized it was long past us reuniting and yet I was even happier to see you. Even when h\we practiced every day, I got excited every time I could see you again.” Eijun scratched the back of his head, bashfully, and Koushuu impulsively reached out to fix his mussed hair. Which only caused Eijun's face to burn an even brighter shade of red. 

“I didn’t even know I was falling in love with you the entire time until it knocked me off my feet one day. All it took was one smile. The one time at practice where you actually showed your teeth, and I..” Eijun’s voice faded out as he ducked his head in embarrassment, and although Koushuu wanted to prod him for more, he knew what Eijun wanted to say. He would always understand his pitcher. They were partners after all.

“I think I’ve always loved you, Eijun.” Koushuu announced so quietly that he was afraid Eijun wouldn’t hear it until he snapped his head back up with wide eyes. “I can’t think of a moment where it hit me like you. I’ve just always known that I love you. Even though you’re annoying sometimes and can really be a child-” Eijun pushed at his shoulder, and Koushuu snorted at Eijun’s offended expression. 

“I was also scared.” Koushuu admitted as he glanced at the baseball field next to them. “I didn’t want to ruin the battery and the friendship we were creating. I couldn’t imagine not being able to catch for you, much less talk to you. So I buried my feelings.”

Eijun placed his comforting hand on top of Koushuu’s on the bench. “But then I was reminded that you graduate before me. I didn’t want to be separated again and live the rest of my life never knowing. So I invited you over this summer to work up the nerve to tell you. I-I still can’t believe that you feel the same way.”

“‘Course I do. But Koushuu, we’re not getting separated. Never again.”

Koushuu wanted to believe him like he did all those years ago, but he knew the difference between reality and dreams were now. “You’ll be living at a university hours away. You might even get signed to the pros early on. We’ll be on different paths again. We’ll drift away. I could follow you to wherever you attend college and-”

“Koushuu, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” 

Koushuu paused at Eijun’s seriousness and sighed in defeat. “No, I don’t. I want to find a team like you have.” He grinned at Eijun as he blurted out a dream he’d been holding in for too long. “I want to improve so much that you’ll be the one chasing after me.”

Eijun beamed at him right back as he leaned in close. Their lips were barely an inch apart, but they were still grinning as they kept their gaze locked. “We’re gonna be future rivals, then. Well, just like rivals, we’ll always be brought together. See, you’re wrong, Koushuu. My path is always going to lead to you, and yours will lead to me. We’ve never been on different ones and we never will be.”

Maybe they were being delusional. They were probably being naïve as well. But as Eijun’s lips met his in a passionate kiss, Koushuu’s worries dissipated. He could finally move to kiss Eijun back just as passionately, conveying as much love he felt for his partner as he could. Nothing else mattered as Eijun kissed him fiercely enough to let Koushuu know that he wasn’t going anywhere. He was always going to be by Koushuu’s side.