Chapter Text
Holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand, Eijun walked at a painfully slow pace. The brim of his cap cast a shadow over half of his face, but it did nothing to hide the grief reflected in his eyes.
“Sawamura...” Kuramochi looked at the younger man, who had suddenly stopped walking. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, his shoulders stiff with hesitation. If he had been given a choice, Kuramochi was certain Eijun would have turned around and run.
Without a word, Kuramochi stepped beside him and gently ruffled his hair. He never looked away.
He understood.
Damn it...
He understood better than anyone.
After all, he had watched them for years. He had seen Eijun slowly grow attached to the other boy. Beneath the constant teasing, loud arguments, and endless banter, Kuramochi knew Eijun loved that infuriatingly sneaky catcher. So as him, though he would never admit.
Eijun let out a shaky breath as nausea churned in his stomach. Memories invaded the edges of his mind, fragments of dreams he wished he had never awakened from. He forced himself to breathe, desperately trying to steady his trembling body.
“This way,” Kuramochi murmured, gently taking Eijun's wrist and guiding him between the solemn rows of gravestones.
Eijun stopped.
His eyes fell upon the familiar name carved into the cold gray stone.
'Miyuki Kazuya'
The lump in his throat became unbearable. His body trembled. Tears blurred his vision as he collapsed to his knees, fingers digging into the earth while his other hand clutched at his chest, as though he could rip open time itself and pull the man he had lost back into his arms.
The weight of absence pressed down until he thought his ribs would break beneath it.
“Miyuki... Kazuya...” He whispered the name again.
And again.
And again.
Each call disappeared into the silent wind. No teasing reply came. No smug grin. No familiar, “That's senpai for you, Bakamura.”
Only silence.
With trembling hands, Eijun carefully placed the bouquet before the gravestone. The cold breeze wrapped around him like an embrace that offered no warmth.
His eyes lingered on the engraved name. Then, slowly, memories carried him back—to the day they first met.
They had first become a battery when they struck out Azuma Kiyokuni, Seido's cleanup batter, months before Eijun's official high school debut.
“Nice ball!”
Those two simple words from Miyuki Kazuya etched themselves into Eijun's heart, solidifying the decision he had already begun to make.
He wanted that catcher to receive his pitches again.
Eijun loved the crisp sound of the baseball striking the center of Miyuki's mitt. He loved that infuriatingly smug grin and the fearless way Miyuki called every game, boldly challenging batters until they were left frustrated and confused.
He wanted to play with him again.
That was the reason he came to Seido. He wanted Japan's number one catcher—Miyuki Kazuya—to become his official battery.
Him as the Ace.
Miyuki as his catcher.
It had been such a simple dream. Yet the moment he finally earned the Ace number...
Miyuki was gone.
Eijun clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms, forcing himself to endure the crushing wave of grief threatening to consume him.
He still hadn't proven himself. Miyuki still hadn't acknowledged him.
Kuramochi quietly rested a hand on his back, refusing to leave his side. The sound of Eijun's muffled sobs twisted something deep inside his chest. For a time, Kuramochi had been angry at Miyuki for leaving them behind. For leaving his loud, stubborn pitcher to grieve alone and for never trusting anyone enough to share whatever burden he had been carrying. But more than anyone... Kuramochi was angry at himself.
What was the point of being vice captain if he couldn't support his own captain?
What kind of friend had he been if he never noticed Miyuki was suffering?
Still... He knew. More than anyone, he knew Miyuki had never wanted to leave. That insufferable catcher loved baseball. Miyuki had wanted to catch every one of Eijun's strange pitches. He had wanted to stand on the field with everyone until the very end. He had even declared, in front of the entire team, that he would be greedy for victory. Which was why the news had felt impossible.
One day, he was there.
The next...
He was simply gone.
Without a goodbye. Without a single warning.
No one truly knew what had happened to Miyuki. A week before Seido's opening match in the Summer Tournament, the team's captain vanished without a single word.
Everyone had noticed he had been acting strangely in the days leading up to it. He wasn't his usual sarcastic, composed self. They had simply assumed the pressure was getting to him. After all, he carried the weight of being Seido's captain, their cleanup batter, and their starting catcher. Adding that it was the third-years' final chance to reach Koshien before graduation.
Still...
Knowing Miyuki, pressure was the last thing anyone expected to break him.
But then he stopped showing up.
They won the first game. Then the second. Every practice afterward, they found themselves glancing toward the entrance, waiting for him to walk in with that lazy grin plastered across his face. Waiting for him to shrug and mutter some half-hearted apology he didn't actually mean. Waiting for him to irritate everyone with his awful personality all over again.
Hell... Kuramochi wouldn't even mind tolerating his twisted personality.
They just wanted Miyuki to come back.
But he never did.
Forced to rely on an inexperienced first-year catcher, Seido lose to Ichidaisan in the semifinals. The third-years' final summer ended far sooner than anyone had imagined.
It was early August. The day before the championship game between Inashiro Industrial and Ichidaisan. That afternoon, Seido's coaching staff received news regarding their missing captain. Miyuki's father had come to the school personally.
The moment Kuramochi saw the man's exhausted face—his eyes swollen and red from countless tears—his heart sank.
Something had definitely happened.
Coach Kataoka called everyone together in the dining hall. He stood at the front in complete silence. The only sound in the room was Rei-chan's quiet sobbing.
That alone was enough to solidified the tremor in his mind. Kuramochi felt his hands begin to shake beneath the table.
Slowly, he looked across at Sawamura. The color had completely drained from the younger boy's face.
No one dared to speak.
Everyone was so shocked. The truth that Miyuki never fully recovered from injury he had gained on their match against Seiko during Fall Tournament. Ignoring the pain, he had continued playing through countless practices and consecutive games, forcing his body far beyond its limits.
When the pain became unbearable, not wanting to be a dead weight, he has decided to take a last hope that unfortunately ended everything.
Eijun clutched his chest tightly. If only he had ask...
Eijun noticed during practice how sometimes the catcher let the ball past himself. He thought it was his fault for not controlling the balls enough, even Miyuki would just laughed it off. He also noticed at some games how the guy looked uncomfortable crouching on the plate and sometimes failing to hit mark when throwing balls to bases resulting safe verdict.
He noticed but never really asked...
It has been a year, Eijun didn't attend his funeral. He never visited. He just can't cause he knew for sure, he'll break down.
It took him year, now as a third year– Sawamura Eijun finally had the courage to go visit his grave with his former roommate, Kuramochi Yoichi.
Opening his Seidou bag, slung on his shoulder, getting the golden trophy they got after winning the Summer Koshien. Eijun shut his eyes tightly.
“Miyuki senpai...” He mumbles, shoulder slightly trembling. “We beat Inashiro, though Mei-san no longer pitch for them” A soft chuckle escaped his mouth. “We spend the summer much longer than others. We w-won..” His voice wavers, fighting the tears that wanted to escape.
“Thank you for being my partner, I never told you but Miyuki senpai, you're the reason I joined Seidou.”
Eijun was grateful for Miyuki's effort. It was his guidance that allow him to control and develop his numbers enough to make the batter fear stepping on the batter's box. All those time spent practicing was all worth it but sadly, it was not him catching all his best pitches.
“I really want to play baseball with you at the Koshien Stadium. I really want us to be named the best battery ever.” He choked his tears.
I wish to play with you again..
Eijun had only one desire, he want Miyuki, his favorite catcher, to catch his pitches once again. But even he knew it would be impossible...
He slowly stood up. Hand tracing his name, 'Miyuki Kazuya' memorizing each stroke per syllables. Taking a deep breath, Eijun flashed a genuine smile one last time.
“Let's play again someday senpai...” In another life perhaps.
•••
“Mochi-senpai.” Eijun gave a deep ninety-degree bow. “Thank you for accompanying me today.”
“It’s fine, Sawamura. I was actually planning to visit that guy sooner or later anyway.” Kuramochi ruffled his hair roughly. “I’m sure he’s laughing his ass off right now seeing you act like such a crybaby.”
Eijun pouted. Yeah. He could already imagine Miyuki teasing him nonstop.
“Congratulations, anyway, for winning Koshien.” Kuramochi glanced at him with a grin. “Those pitches during the last inning were amazing. To think you’d strike out Komadai’s cleanup batters… you really outdid yourself, Ace.”
“Hai!” Eijun grinned brightly. It still felt strange hearing Kuramochi openly compliment him.
Seeing that expression on his face, Kuramochi suddenly lunged at him and immediately locked him into a headlock.
“Kyahaha! But you’re still no match for me, Bakamura!” he declared proudly while testing his newest wrestling move.
“Gah—! Mochi-senpai! I surrender! I surrender!” Eijun flailed his arms wildly.
Beyond all the chaos, Eijun felt genuinely happy. He knew Kuramochi had been worried about him. Even if his senpai was rough, violent, and constantly teasing people, Kuramochi was also deeply caring in his own awkward way. He just hated showing it openly because it ruined his image and embarrassed him.
“Kyahaha! Don’t let it get to your head!” Kuramochi smacked him on top of the head. “Now pay me back with dinner for wasting this pro’s precious time!”
“Ahh! My last brain cell!”
•••
“Sawamura-senpai,” Asada greeted after opening the dorm room door. He was carrying his toiletries, probably about to head to the bath with Maki, their fellow first-year roommate. “Okumura-san has been looking for you.”
Eijun nodded. “Okay! Thanks, Asada! I’ll go look for Wolf Boy later!”
After changing clothes, Eijun settled onto his bed, planning to take a short nap before dinner.
Tomorrow, he would start packing his things. Summer was already over. They would have to leave the dorm and entrust Seidou Baseball team to their kouhai. And Eijun wasn’t worried. Their juniors were talented. And more importantly—they loved baseball just as much as he did.
Eijun slowly closed his eyes.
The image of a certain catcher immediately appeared in his mind. Wearing his gear. Grinning lazily behind the plate. Waiting for his pitches. The familiar sight relaxed him almost instantly to sleep.
“…jun! Hey, Eijun!”
Eijun slowly opened his eyes to faint sunlight streaming through unfamiliar blinds. He frowned while stretching his arms and legs—only for his hand to hit something hard.
“Huh?”
Blinking sleepily, he focused on the books scattered in front of him along with the notes stuck across the walls. Something felt… wrong.
Then he realized it. He wasn’t lying on his bed. He was sitting at a desk. His old desk.
Eijun’s frown deepened.
He clearly remembered falling asleep in his dorm room at Seidou. But the familiar surroundings around him told a different story. This was his room back home in Nagano.
“…What?”
“Eijun!”
SMACK!
A sharp slap landed directly against his cheek, nearly knocking him off the chair. The stinging pain instantly woke him up completely. Eijun jolted upward, eyes widening in shock while the burning sensation spread across his face.
Standing in front of him was a very familiar old man glaring down angrily at him.
“Ojii-san?!” Eijun shouted while nearly stumbling backward. “W-What are you doing here?! Wait— what am I doing here?!”
Before he could continue rambling, another brutal head chop landed directly on top of his skull.
“OWW!”
“You brat! You’re still half asleep!” his grandfather barked. “Someone came all the way from Tokyo to see you!”
Caressing both his aching head and cheek, Eijun stared blankly at him in complete confusion.
None of this made sense.
Am I dreaming?
He desperately wanted to believe that. But the pain throbbing across his face felt way too real.
“Stop spacing out!” His grandfather attempted to smack him again, but Eijun barely dodged in time. “Wash your face and come downstairs!”
“From Tokyo?” Eijun repeated quietly.
Then he froze. A strange feeling crept down his spine. A heavy sense of déjà vu.
Slowly, Eijun laughed weakly to himself before shaking his head.
There was no way. He was far too old to believe in something impossible like this.
“Nice to meet you. You must be Sawamura Eijun. I’m Takashima Rei, an assistant coach and scout from Seidou High School’s baseball team. We would love to have you join our team.”
Eijun smiled quietly while looking at the woman seated elegantly inside their home. He couldn’t believe he was seeing Rei-chan sitting there for the second time.
“Seidou High School?” his mother repeated in surprise.
His grandfather immediately looked toward him. “Hey! Seidou High is a famous baseball school! They’ve gone to Nationals countless times!”
“Isn’t that amazing, Eijun?!” his father added excitedly. “A lot of professional players on TV graduated from Seidou!”
Eijun silently agreed.
After all—
Seidou really was an amazing team.
“But why would a famous school from Tokyo come all the way here looking for him?” his grandfather finally asked suspiciously.
Rei adjusted her glasses before looking directly at the youngest Sawamura.
“I attended the game he played in the other day,” she answered smoothly. “And I saw great talent in him.”
Silence filled the room.
Eijun remembered this exact conversation.
The same words.
The same reactions.
Everything was exactly like the first time Rei had visited their home.
He let out a quiet laugh. Do dreams usually feel this real? Because this was starting to make him hope for something impossible.
Damn.
This dream really wasn’t helping his emotions at all.
Eijun honestly wished Asada would hurry up and finish his bath already so someone could wake him up.
“But there was also that incident after the game...” his grandfather muttered suspiciously while carefully watching Rei’s reaction.
Rei-chan simply smiled calmly.
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “The way he used his wrists during those slaps truly demonstrated his potential as a pitcher.”
Eijun immediately burst out laughing. Rei really hadn’t changed at all. To think he was actually scouted because of the way he slapped the umpire and the opposing team.
Amazing.
Though honestly, without the scholarship, there was no way he would’ve entered Seidou with his terrible grades.
But then—
Eijun slowly stopped laughing because realization suddenly hit him. If everything was truly starting over again...
Did that mean—
He would get to meet Miyuki again too?
His body trembled slightly at the thought.
Yet despite that—
He couldn’t deny how much the idea excited him.
“Say, Rei-chan...” Eijun suddenly leaned forward eagerly. “Would it be possible for me to visit first? I want to see Seidou for myself!”
He wanted to know if he was there.
He wanted to see him again.
“Of course!” Rei answered pleasantly. “Though the school is quite busy right now, so I hope we can arrange a proper schedule as soon as possible.”
Honestly, Rei felt relieved. She had expected convincing Sawamura to join Seidou would take far more effort. She had even planned to invite him to watch one of their practices first. So the fact that he wanted to visit the school himself was actually perfect.
“When do you want to come?” she asked.
“Tomorrow!”
Eijun answered immediately without even hesitating.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
Even if this was only a dream—
As long as he could see Miyuki again—
That would be enough.
Miyuki Kazuya, please perform art with me once more.