Chapter Text
It had been five days.
Five days and he had heard nothing. Why wasn’t it going like he remembered?
Eijun sat on the floor in a daze, staring at the door that should have opened already. It was late, five days too late. His last game in junior high was over, so why hadn’t she come?
Where was Rei-chan?
He hadn’t felt this lost or confused since last summer–no, next summer? Is it the past or the future? Eijun massaged his temples, just the thought of his time travel gave him a headache. He didn’t know how, or why, but Eijun found himself sitting in his middle school classroom a month ago. His faced flushed, his behavior at that moment, ahem, wasn’t something he wanted to remember.
...Ever.
Eijun coughed.
Despite his initial ‘reaction’ back on day one, he thought he was doing a great job of adjusting to his new life. He had lived it once after all. It was easy to slip back in with Wakana, Nobu and the rest, and his family was still themselves, so even if the situation was different at least the people were the same.
But now… it was different.
Now he was sitting, with a book bag in hand, waiting for an invitation that the sinking pit in his stomach told him wasn’t coming.
“Ei-chan?”
Eijun twitched, his eyes drifting up to his mother’s.
“Dinner’s ready, come eat.”
Eijun nodded his head and stumbled upright, shaking his legs to get rid of the numbness. He slid into his spot, the dinner table uncharacteristically quiet. It was abnormal, but his brain didn’t process it as the only thing it thought of was, ‘why’?
Why didn’t Rei-chan scout him? Did she not think he was ace material anymore?
He shook his head, that couldn’t be. His pitching, though unfortunately limited to just fastballs, was way better than anything he did before. He even went to great lengths to ensure he didn’t slap someone this time! So why?
“Ei-chan, how was school today? Is everything alright? …Eijun?”
Why didn’t she come?
Eijun continued to circle that question when a heavy hand smacked him upside the head. He yelped in pain before looking at the source.
“What was that for Gramps!” Eijun rubbed the spot with a look of betrayal.
“If you didn’t ignore your mother then maybe I wouldn’t need to smack you!” The old man grunted and turned his back on his grandson, continuing to eat.
Eijun grumbled but looked at his mother with a guilty smile.
“Yes?”
She observed him carefully, as if he was going to bolt. It’s not like he would run… again.
“Are you worried about not getting into Miyoshi with your friends? Your teacher called the other evening, he said your grades have picked up within the last month, and that he is proud of you. Or at least, that’s what I could tell.”
“I’m surprised you could tell anything, that man was sobbing over the phone, like Eijun getting his grades up was a miracle. Which… yeah I guess it was.”
“Anata!” She scolded, slapping his father on the arm.
“What? It’s the truth.”
His parents continued to bicker, his grandfather chiming in on occasion, while Eijun’s thoughts spiraled. Miyoshi? He wasn’t going to Miyoshi. There was no way he wasn’t going to Seido. He loved his Nagano friends, but he had to go to Seido. There was no other option for him, he couldn’t abandon what he already started.
Sawamura Eijun wasn’t a quitter.
He would prove it to everyone, he would be the ace. Never again would he stand on the sidelines and watch Furuya self destruct. He would make the team trust in him, and show pitching worthy of that trust. He wouldn’t break. No summer would be cut short ag–.
Eijun inhaled sharply, choking on a mouthful of rice.
The third years.
It completely slipped his mind. He… he could play baseball with the third years again. He could play with Chris-senpai.
Eijun’s body stood, as if the very thought of forming a battery with his Shishou energized him like an extra shot of caffeine. He had to move, had to do something to burn it.
“I’m going to Seido.” He blurted out.
The room quieted.
His grandfather snorted once, before breaking out into a hearty laugh. He only stopped once he saw Eijun’s face.
“That, wasn’t a joke?”
“I’m going to Seido.” Eijun said again, locking eyes with each member of the family. “I wont fail, I will be the ace.”
“Eijun honey, Seido is even harder to get into than Miyoshi. Plus its a private school, the fees are expensive.” His mother said, looking to his father for support.
Eijun dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, his head slamming into the ground.
“I can work, give me any job and I’ll do it! I will study every day without complaint. I will train hard morning and night, will break my body completely and rebuild it! Mom, Dad I need to go. Please let me go. I have to be the ace!”
“Is this your dream?” His father asked.
“Yes.” He answered with no hesitation, no doubts. Seido was where he belonged.
“Eijun go to your room.” His grandfather spoke suddenly.
“But–”
“Go. The adults need to talk.”
Eijun gritted his teeth but excused himself and left. Once inside his room he flopped onto the twin in the corner, hoping that sleep would consume him before his thoughts did.
It was futile.
The first thing Eijun felt was the cold, then the fact it was a liquid.
Eijun sat up in a flash, the ice-filled water that awoke him came from a bucket, and from what he could tell through the hair plastered over his face, it was held by his smiling grandfather.
“Rise and shine my boy.”
Eijun groaned and looked at the clock next to his bed. Four-thirty was displayed in annoyingly bright red numbers.
“Eitoku!” Eijun moved the bangs from his eyes, “What is the meaning of this, huh?”
As soon as Eijun fixed his hair he was drenched again.
“The proper address is Grandfather you brat! I knew I was going to need a second bucket. Wake up, and come downstairs, we have come to a decision. You better hurry before I get more.” Eitoku waved the buckets he held in a warning and left the room.
Eijun’s eyes widened. Decision? Were they up this whole time?
Eijun threw off his soaking wet covers and stood, barely stopping himself from slipping on an ice cube. He rushed to get dressed, his shaking limbs more of a hinderance then he thought, but he was able to make it down the stairs within five minutes.
He found his parents still at the dinner table, wearing the same clothes as yesterday. This time though, his grandfather had joined them on the other side. The three of them sat, drinking mugs of tea and looked at him with a blank expression. Eijun caught himself sinking into his shoulders and stood upright. He wasn’t scared…not at all.
“Eijun, sit.” His mother said.
Eijun stiffly sat down on his knees and faced his family.
“You have summoned this one, Mother?”
His mother ran a hand threw her hair and sighed.
“Ei-chan, relax. This isn’t one of your period dramas.” She smiled.
“Though if it was, he should have addressed me as well.” His father muttered. His mother just elbowed him still wearing a smile.
Eijun nodded his head, loosening his shoulders.
His mother spoke.
“We talked… and have allowed you to attend Seido” Eijun felt his heart fill with joy. “ but on a few conditions.” And then it deflated.
Conditions?
She held up a finger.
“One, you must pass the entrance exam.”
“That will be the hardest for him.” His grandfather commented.
Eijun shot him a nasty glare.
“Two,” His mother continued, “You must work to help offset the cost. Your grandfather has a friend who needs labor, so you will be working there before school starts every day.”
He had to wake up early? Eijun could handle that, he did that every day at Seido anyways.
“Three, show us that you want it, prove to us you deserve it.”
Want it? Eijun wanted it more than they could ever know. Eijun narrowed his eyes, and suppressed the burning desire inside of him. He bowed towards his family.
“This Sawamura Eijun accepts your conditions!”
He would not fail.