Disclaimer: Daiya no Ace is solely belong to Terajima Yuji. I'm just borrowing his character and his story...a bit.
OTP Miyusawa. Genre: romance, drama, and a bit hurt/comfort, maybe? A bit OOC, and some chapters on the beginning will follow some of Daiya no Ace anime episode plot with additions of twist and fluff. Well, I need it for future chapters. Anyway, please read and review :)
bold and italic words: memories
Italic words: thoughts
First Memory – Our Newly Fateful Encounter
"Oi, -ake up! Do y- hear m-? Oi!"
Sawamura gradually opened his eyes and found a boy wearing blue hat sideways, looking down at him keenly. His eyes widened in surprise. "Wha?! Who are you?!" Sawamura immediately rose up and backed away a bit.
The boy grinned widely before he replied. "I thought I found a dead person but it's only a kid sleeping so peacefully. I'm about to call ambulance if you don't wake up, you know." The boy snickered teasingly.
Sawamura raised a brow in displease. "Humph! If you know that I'm just sleeping, you don't have to wake me up. And you didn't answer my question!"
"Yea, yea, I heard you." The boy casually sat down and leaned on the tree's trunk. Sawamura kept glaring at the boy but the boy simply looking at him with a grin on his face. "I'm Miyuki Kazuya, kid. And you?"
"Hey! You're a kid too!" An angry vein popped on Sawamura's head. "I'm Sawamura Eijun, remember that!"
"I'll try, kid." Miyuki grinned widely once more and it made Sawamura got angrier than before. Sawamura gritted his teeth and was about to let out an anger retort before Miyuki asked him, "Hey, can you play baseball?"
Sawamura slowly opened his eyes. He realized that he had fallen asleep on the way to see how great Seidou baseball team as the woman who sat across him said. Damn, I should put myself together! I want to take a good look at that so called top-level practice, right?! Sawamura gritted his teeth, feeling vexed at himself.
He let out a sigh to relax himself before he stretched out his arm and yawned loudly. Why am I dreaming about that? I thought I'd forgotten about him at all. Sawamura gazed at the sight outside the train's window dazedly. It's been three years since I last saw him. Does he still remember me? No, no, no, it can't be. He never came again even though he promised me. After all he's in different world from me.
"Sawamure, what happened? You looked so serious suddenly." Takashima Rei abruptly asked and it brought Sawamura back from his own thoughts.
Sawamura shook his head instantly. "No, it's nothing."
"Really? Well, you can back to sleep again if you're tired. You want to observe our Seidou baseball team thoroughly, right?" She smiled assuredly. "You better observe it well so that you can choose your choice wisely, Sawamura-kun."
Sawamura huffed in displeasure and looked away. Well, I can't wait to see that so called 'top-level' baseball team too.
On Seidou High School baseball ground...
"You can't play baseball by yourself!" Sawamura shouted loudly in rage. He brazenly glared at the big guy called Azuma who slowly approached him. He glared threateningly at Sawamura and yelled out of rage. Sawamura didn't falter at all, instead he shouted again. "Did this prestigious school not teach you that this is a sport team?!"
They locked in glaring contest before Takashima Rei approached Azuma and told him to have a match with Sawamura. Azuma accepted it wholeheartedly since he said that he wouldn't let Sawamura got off the mound until he begged for mercy.
Sawamura fell in panic as he never meant to have a match with Azuma. He immediately let out a protest to Takashima Rei. But she replied with an amused smiled. "Sawamura, this is a baseball field. If you have something to say, you have to say it through baseball."
Sawamura gritted his teeth dissatisfiedly. What is this person thinking?! I came here only to observe, not to have a match with that jerk! I understand what she said but-
"This sounds like a lot of fun." A voice suddenly heard from Sawamura's left side. He turned to see the owner of the voice and he found a boy wearing white hat sideways sat on the ground. Sawamura stared keenly at the boy. Hm? He somehow looks familiar to me...
"Rei-chan, can I catch his pitch?" The boy glanced up and revealed his face. He grinned widely, somehow looked amused at the sight in front of him.
Sawamura instantly widened his eyes. Mi-miyuki?! Sawamura recalled his dream before on the train and remembered how familiar he was with that cheeky grin. H-he is in Seidou?
Sawamura fell in panic. He couldn't believe what he saw right now. His childhood friend, Miyuki Kazuya, was there. He finally saw him after that summer three years ago. He looks fine. So much fine that his cheeky grin doesn't change at all. He furrowed his brows a bit, feeling irritated. I worried about him for a long time since he didn't fulfil his promise and came back to see me again, but it's all for nothing. Damn, I'm starting to feel angry! He better to have a good reason for breaking his promise!
Sawamura slanted his eyes as he kept staring at his long childhood friend. Suddenly Azuma shouted at Miyuki. "Miyuki, you're a first year! Don't get cocky!"
Miyuki simply laughed and replied cheekily. "Well, excuse me. But you've been kind a high on horse lately, so I just think it'll do you good to play with us kids to go back to basics."
Sawamura blinked in surprise as he heard what Miyuki had said. What a frank and harsh way to said words! He really didn't change at all, did he? Sawamura let out a sigh, not knowing if it was a relief or tired sigh, or maybe both of them. But he felt a bit pleased at the sight of Miyuki's unchanging attitude. He knew that Miyuki was still Miyuki who he cared for as a friend. I can greet him just like all those times right?
Sawamura pulled his lips up into a smile but it quickly disappeared as his gaze suddenly met with Miyuki's one. Sawamura felt a sudden uneasiness and gulped hard as he stared at Miyuki. He...remembers me, right...?
Miyuki busily prepared himself as he wore all his protective gear since he was a catcher. Suddenly Rei approached him and said, "Miyuki, I'm glad you volunteered."
Miyuki looked up at her instantly. She continued. "His pitches are a bit peculiar. He himself doesn't even know what he has. Can you draw out his potential?"
Miyuki stared at her in disbelief. It's unusual for her to compliment other that much. That boy is somewhat special, huh?
Miyuki curled his lips into a smirk. "Wow, a big praise. You must have high hopes for this kid."
Rei simply smiled at his smart retort. Miyuki then turned his gaze to the boy who Rei praised and smirked amusedly. Let's see how good you are, kid.
Miyuki called out to the boy fast so that the boy could warm up a bit before the actual match. "Oi, come here quickly. We better warm up fast."
The boy gave him a blank face for a second before he nodded and walked to the bullpen on the practice field. As the boy stood across him on the bullpen, Miyuki immediately threw a hardball. The boy successfully caught it but a surprise look was painted on his face. Miyuki caught on it and quickly asked him. "Is this your first time with the hardball?"
The boy only looked at the ball on his mitt before Azuma abruptly called him. "Hey, kid. If you're gonna apologize, you better do it now. Once you get up to the mound, there's no place for you to run." Azuma grinned widely in a very threatening look. He looked like he turned into some kind of beast that thirsted for a blood.
The boy fell silent for a while before he replied back. "Who do you think you are anyway? You're the one who'll be begging to run away. In fact...No hard feeling even if I happen to hit you!" The boy shouted loudly and confidently as if what he said was something that so natural.
Miyuki fell on his knees as he laughed loudly at what the boy had said. He didn't think that the boy could say that. The boy even warned Azuma as if he didn't feel any shame as a pitcher to let the ball hit the batter. "Oh, man! This guy is hilarious!"
What a very funny kid! He really is an interesting one! I hope you do pitch well, kid. Miyuki looked at the boy and called him. "Let's get you warm up first. Throw some pitches, kid."
"I'm not a kid and we're not that different in age. It's only one year, you know." The boy suddenly said.
Miyuki got surprised at the boy blunt words. The boy was truly a brazen kid. He didn't like some normal junior high school kids who could be frightened easily by high school student. Miyuki wanted to retort back but he choose to shrug it off. He should warm up the boy fast before Azuma got angrier by waiting for them. "Let's go to the mound. You better warm up there."
The boy nodded and followed Miyuki who had walked off first. "Come, throw it to me." Miyuki kneeled down as he readied himself into catching positions.
The boy let out a huff before he pitched his ball to Miyuki. Miyuki made the boy pitched some balls before he decided that the boy had warmed up enough. "You should be warmed up now. Let's get started."
The boy stared at Miyuki with an anxious look. Miyuki caught on it but shrugged it off. Miyuki thought that it might be because the match. He surely thought that before the boy suddenly asked him. "Hey, you're Miyuki Kazuya...right?"
Miyuki blinked in surprise. "Yeah, that's me. From where did you know my name? Is it Rei-chan? Or a sport magazine, I think?" Miyuki grinned as he said the last sentence.
But the boy didn't bother to retort back. He looked shock as his eyes went wide and his mouth gaped. Miyuki raised a brow confusedly as he stared at the boy's face. Why does he look like that?
"You...don't know me?" The boy said it in a small shaky voice. The boy now looked disappointed and sad.
Miyuki felt more confused. "Huh? What do you mean, kid?" Miyuki stared at the boy who now bent his head down as his shoulder fell drooping. But after a few seconds, the boy looked up and nodded. Miyuki registered it as a sign that the boy had readied for the match with Azuma. Then Miyuki called Azuma and told him that they were ready for the match.
Azuma quickly walked to the batter position in front of Miyuki. The boy tried to relax himself by exhale and inhaled a deep breath few times. As the boy looked all ready to pitch the ball, Miyuki realized at the boy stiffed look. He looks really stiff. He won't be able to pitch with even half his strength. Let's try to loosen you up. Miyuki quickly set his mitt on the inside zone. It was strike zone, actually.
The boy looked like he didn't realize it and prepared himself to pitch the ball to the mitt precisely. But before he released the ball, the boy saw a nasty wide grin appeared on Azuma's face. The boy got surprised but he still let go the ball. He changed his aim just a moment before he released the ball. Strangely but fortunately, the ball went down. It totally went into wrong direction from where the mitt was. But Miyuki perfectly caught it.
Miyuki totally knew that the boy changed his aim the moment he let go the ball. Then Miyuki suddenly asked for time out and approached the boy on the mound. As he had stood close enough to the boy. Miyuki asked, "You threw that one into the ground on purpose. Why?"
The boy immediately answered. "I felt like he would've hit if I threw there."
Miyuki got a bit surprised at the boy's answer. So, he realized it, huh? Miyuki pulled his lips up. "Interesting." He grinned widely. "Let me get this straight. You'd rather throw a ball than have he hit it?"
The boy flinched at his words and his face turned a bit red. "Y-you got a problem?!"
Miyuki simply laughed. "You're absolutely right!" Miyuki then neared his face a bit and smirked devilishly. "You see, that was actually Azuma's favourite location."
The boy twitched in surprise as he heard the sudden confession. "Huh?" The boy looked incredibly surprised. Miyuki let out a laugh one more time as he saw the face. He really is a funny one.
Miyuki patted the boy's left hand as he kept laughing. "You were so stiff, so I thought you'd loosen up if you got obliterated once. If you had thrown there, he definitely would've hit it."
The boy shouted in rage. His look was painted by disbelief and rage. He didn't think Miyuki set him up on that trap. He almost fell for it.
But abruptly Miyuki said, "I like you, kid."
The boy widened his eyes instantly as he couldn't believe what Miyuki had said. Then Miyuki quickly said, "Let's slay that monster together from here on out." Miyuki winked as he pointed Azuma with his thumb.
The boy gritted his teeth, holding out his anger before he retort on Miyuki's words harshly. "Together? Yeah, right! I bet you're on his side!"
Miyuki simply grinned as he patted the boy's left shoulder. "Learn to accept the good will of others."
"Shut up! Don't touch me!" The boy shook off Miyuki's hand on his left shoulder. Miyuki did remove his hand, but only to wrap his arm around the boy's neck and shoulder. He squeezed his hold as he neared his face to the boy. "Anyway, what can you throw?"
The boy got flustered as he squirmed in Miyuki's hold. His cheek got a bit red from the sudden closeness, but he glared irritatingly at Miyuki. "I pitch fastballs for life."
"Seriously?" Miyuki fell in surprise since he couldn't believe what the boy had just said. But then Miyuki suddenly laughed again. "This is great! I'm even more motivated now!"
The boy now got more irritated by Miyuki weird comment. "Damn it! You're making fun of me!"
Miyuki glanced at the boy and grinned confidently. "Just leave it all to me. I know his batting habits well."
"It's got nothing to do with you! This is between me and him!" The boy shouted again in anger. He tried to remove Miyuki's hold around his neck which made him dangerously close to Miyuki's face. But Miyuki simply watched it with a smirk. He looked a bit cute with his frantic manner. And he tries to keep on strong even though he looked all stiff and nervous just a moment ago. I can't get enough teasing him. He's so interesting!
"What? Is that how you see it?" Miyuki kept his hold on the boy strong. "Then...Do you plan to play baseball by yourself?"
The boy flinched at Miyuki's blunt words. He recalled how he said that to Azuma before the match. He looked down, regretting at his words. Miyuki grinned as he saw the boy's face. "I don't know what kind of baseball you've been playing, but best pitches are works of art produced by the pitcher and the catcher working as one."
The boy glanced up and stared at Miyuki confusedly. "Works of art?"
Miyuki gave the boy a gentle smile before he let go of his hold. The boy saw the smile and stunned at the sight of it. He stared at Miyuki anxiously. But Miyuki simply patted the boy left shoulder again. "I'll draw out your full potential. You just need to trust my mitt and throw your best pitches. It's that simple. We'll be great partners."
The boy kept staring Miyuki with wide eyes. He looked like he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Trust..." He mumbled in soft voice. "You don't even remember me..."
Miyuki heard the boy mumbled something but he couldn't catch it clearly. "What did you say?"
The boy shook his head. Miyuki raised a brow but he ignored the boy weird attitude. Then Miyuki tapped his mitt on the boy's chest. "Let's get cracking, partner."
The boy looked totally stunned out from Miyuki's words. He didn't believe how easily Miyuki could call him partner. Partner? You don't even remember me, Miyuki...You...didn't called my name...even once...How could you do this to me...?
The boy frozen look turned into a cringe but he quickly bent his head down, so that no one could see it. He was relieved to see his childhood friend in all well and perfect condition. But the pain of knowing that Miyuki didn't remember him even a bit really got him a shock. Miyuki said he like him and even called him partner, but the most crucial thing, his name, Miyuki never even called it, no, he didn't remember it, at all.
The boy looked up at Miyuki who had walked off to the catcher position across him. He cried out mentally. It's Sawamura Eijun, Miyuki! Damn it, my name is Sawamura Eijun!
After the match over...
"That's fairly good pitches, Sawamura-kun." Rei suddenly said as Sawamura walked to the bench behind her. Sawamura stared at her a while before he replied curtly. "Thanks."
"Do you feel that you've observe it enough?" Rei smirked as she said that. She knew that Sawamura couldn't easily forget that last pitch he threw. He should've realized that there's better choice for his talent to bloom perfectly.
Sawamura fell in silent as he sat on the bench. He bent his head down and tried to relax himself from that pleased experience before. He knew perfectly how pleased the sound of the mitt for him when the ball he pitched went straight to the mitt. He couldn't shake off that fantastic feel. He was unwittingly fallen in love with that world.
"Nice pitch, kid." A familiar voice was suddenly heard in front of him. Sawamura knew who it was belonged and it made him a bit annoyed. He replied curtly, again. "Thanks."
"Well, nice to meet you and see you again, I think?" Miyuki was genuinely teasing him. Sawamura gritted his teeth as he got more annoyed than before. "My name is Sawamura Eijun, Mizuki Kazuya." Sawamura uttered it in harsh and blunt tone. "Remember it if we meet again."
Miyuki raised a brow. "You know, you have a very rude mouth." Even though you have a cute face. What a waste...
He pulled his lips into a cheeky grin. "Anyway, I'll be your senpai if you really come to our school, so you better fix it. And I'll try to remember your name."
Miyuki gave Sawamura a playful grin and wink one time before he turned his back and waving his hand. Sawamura glared at him fiercely and tried to control his trembling rage inside. Rude?! You're the one who so badly rude to me! How dare you forget me that easily?! Even though that promise was the one that you made and you're the one that titled me as your number one important friend! Just you see, Miyuki Kazuya, I won't let you off easily! I will make you remember everything and beg me for forgiveness!
Sawamura stood up abruptly and put his hands on his waist conceitedly. He let out a loud laugh and it made everyone around him flinched in surprise. They all got freaked out by Sawamura's strange laugh, as if he became truly mad. But they didn't know at that time that this kind of behaviour would become an everyday sight of Sawamura Eijun in Seidou.
How is it everyone? Is it good? Please say what you think about this first chapter in reviews. It'll be a lot encouragement for me and it can make the story better. Oh, I forgot to mention, I write Sawamura as 'the boy' when Miyuki become the center of the story because Miyuki at that time didn't know or remember Sawamura's name. So it's not because it's a typo. It's purposely written like that. And not to forget, this story is mainly focused on third person POV, but there'll be future chapters that focus on Sawamura or Miyuki POV. Also, there'll be a few additions to characters setting, I can't say which one, but it's for the story. So, please look forward to it!
See you at the next chapter :)
