Author Note: This is a bunny I have in my head. I won't get a beta, and I break writing rules. For these first few chapters especially I suck with, "show don't tell" but I really want this bunny out of my head so I'm not trying to be the best writer I can be. I appreciate any constructive criticism or thoughts you would like to leave.
Miyuki Kazuya was graduating.
It was a sombre thought. Miyuki had finally acknowledged Eijun as a pitcher and had shown him the numbers. When the pitcher was starting to grow into himself, his catcher was leaving. Then again, did Eijun even have a claim on Miyuki as a pitcher?
He'd grown too slowly and now he wouldn't get to hear that wonderful sound of his pitch shitting Miyuki's mitt again.
He laid down on his bed, an arm covering his eyes as he thought to himself.
Tears dripped out from the sides of his eyes.
'What did you think was going to happen Eijun, he was always your Senpai and was going to leave. There was no way you were going to pitch to him after that.' But GOD did Eijun want to. He loved baseball, he didn't think he'd ever quit. That didn't change the fact that baseball was Miyuku was the best baseball he'd ever had.
I wish I had more time.
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…
"Eijun wake up! You have school and practice today!"
Kaa-san?
Groggily, Eijun opened his eyes and looked around. What was his mother doing in Tokyo? Blinking, he looked around his room.
He blinked again.
His… room… at home? Not Tokyo? He wasn't in Tokyo anymore? Eijun sat up, feeling panicked as he looked around his room. His head flung back and forth. At some point looking past the mirror.
The mirror.
When he'd swung his gaze by it, he'd seen something unbelievable.
Eijun took a deep breath because there was no way, but he looked back at the mirror and his eyes widened.
Gone was all the hard work he'd put into his body while at Seido. He looked years younger. It wasn't that much of a difference, but he looked in the mirror every day and could see the small differences. What kind of joke was this, was everything at Seido a dream, was this the dream? Was neither the dream and time travel his new reality, how do you accept something like that?!
He took a deep breath.
In situations you couldn't understand, remember how characters in manga acted.
What would those characters have done?
They'd get stronger, get their goals, and save the day.
Sounded like a plan!
He'd be stronger this time. Maybe even not fall apart - Maybe help his Senpai that to get to the Summer - He wanted it all, badly.
Itching in the back of his mind was Miyuki.
I get to play with Miyuki more.
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…
Three years - THREE YEARS in the past.
Eijun wasn't made out for this type of thing. THREE years, holy shit, he wasn't made for the type of thinking this required. But, like in manga, there were arcs when the character had to mature, had to grow. Was this that arc for him? Urgh, he wished Miyuki was there to advise him on what should be done... But if Eijun wanted to know the catcher, he'd have to get there himself.
So he went to school, he played in the baseball club, he did everything he did before.
But he did it better.
His grades were amazing. How could they not be when he'd already been three years ahead. All the content they were currently teaching him was old news. Even though he wasn't amazing at academics if you knew the more advanced stuff the early stuff was easy.
Eijun was doing everything right.
He trained, but not enough to worry people. He pitched, but not enough to hurt himself. He practised, but not to exhaustion, and his grades were fine.
So he was surprised when called to the School's head office.
"YOU WANT TO ADVANCE ME A YEAR?!"
The man in charge wasn't amused by his loud display.
...
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...
A year less in middle school.
What did that even mean for Seido, for baseball, for what he wanted to achieve?
Eijun thought to himself while in his backyard. Ignoring the sounds of his family within the house. Baseball in hand as he pitched the wall, ignoring the empty feeling of there being no catcher there. He gained back a lot of his pitching technique and had been working out every day to start to get back to where he was. It was never too early! He ran every day, stretched every day, although he did make sure to not overwork himself.
All that was beside the point!
Seido might not even try to recruit him a year early, and where did that leave him?
No, even if he was the one who had to take the initiative he'd go to Seido, even if he was a second year when he did it.
He calmed himself down and gripped the ball, fingers to seams. In that empty spot stood Miyuki, and the batter was Raishi.
Taking a deep breath, Eijun reared back. Left leg coming forward, and he spun. Letting the ball come around, creating a wall with his glove that now came so naturally to him.
Home run... huh...
He still had a lot of work to do.
But that made him grin.
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...
His middle school team sucked.
But... Playing with them again... Even for the year less that he had... It was amazing. Even if Miyuki didn't acknowledge him faster, even if he didn't get to pitch more in Seido, even if he couldn't help win the championship... He still had this extra time, and it was worth it.
He pitched and he pitched to his friends. Eijun striking batters out but it didn't matter because they still lost.
They lost having fun though.
Throwing to this catcher didn't feel like throwing to HIS Catcher. Those fielders didn't feel like HIS fielders, but they were friends and it was fun.
Yeah, he'd never regret this.
He was starting to feel anxious as the date he graduated started to come up.
Apparently, though, he didn't need to. He came home after his last game and there were two people waiting there, his parents around them. He recognized one as Rei-chan from Seido, the other Eijun really had no clue about.
"Sawamura Eijun." Rei spoke, her lips curving slightly upward, "I'm from Seido, and I'd like to recruit you as a pitcher for our team."
"I'm from Vergity High School in America, my name is Samual Hitcherman. I'm looking to recruit a pitcher with a lot of potential, and I believe you fill that role.."
Huh?!
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...
...
His family immediately pulled him over and huddled around him.
"These types of big shots are here to talk to our Ei-chan?! Impossible."
"Oi!" Eijun spat, his eye twitching slightly. He worked hard to re-learn with Miyuki had taught him, even if he wasn't completely there yet.
Before long, his parents and Gramps were talking to them, getting all the details.
It seemed like Vergity was there because they saw potential in him, and so was Seido. Seido wasn't unexpected - Seido was what he WANTED. At the same time, it was a year early to go to Seido, what if he changed something. The manga character tried to avoid changing things.
At least, until he really wanted something to change.
His family was arguing over what he should do.
"Would it be possible to do both?" Eijun suddenly broke in.
Both of the recruits looked over to him, eyes narrowed.
Were these two competing here? It wasn't a baseball field. Rei was the recruiter that inquired first, "What do you mean by that?"
"I'd love to attend Seido, that's my dream, but I also don't want to miss the experience of going to America. I was hoping that maybe I could go to Vergity as an exchange student for a year, then come back to Seido."
Rei looked consideringly over to the child before her. It was a good idea, it had some merit. Sawamura hadn't struck her as particularly intelligent... But the way that he struck out those batters without even the help of a subpar catcher... That wasn't something she wanted to give up. Still, only for a year, then Seido would have him for two, and he'd likely grow as a pitcher even more while away. They currently had four pitchers. Five, if Eijun came over next year, considering the current line up. That was at least one too many. They could afford to not have him for a year, then when the current third years left, he'd easily find a spot on their team.
It was actually perfect.
"I'm okay with it."
The Vergity recruited hadn't expected something like this when he came here. Samual Hitcherman hadn't ever had a visit go like this. But, even for a year to have a talent like that come to their school, it would increase their reputation.
It wasn't ideal but, "I'm okay with it as well."
Eijun smiled widely.
"EHHH! MY EI-CHAN IS GROWING UP TOO FAST. HE'S MAKING LIFE CHOICES ON HIS OWN! SMACK HIM TOU-SAN!" His mother suddenly screeched.
His grandfather's hand met the back of Eijun's head, but all the pitcher felt was relief.
Next year Seido, wait for me.