Prologue
Mikoshiba stared at the glove in his hand, biting his lip and holding back his tears. He had decided that enough was enough. If they wanted to ruin their lives, that was fine with him. He was going to leave the keys for Aniya, or Shinjo, and forget about them.
They didn't show up to practice anymore.
They didn't care.
All they wanted was drugs and women.
All they wanted to do was fight.
Ever since that day when Enatsu swung the bat, no one ever tried to be the same. They threw down the gloves, became delinquents, and let their dream shatter. They believed that dreams don't exist, that there is nothing in life worth striving for.
It took quite a while for Mikoshiba to decide to leave. He wanted their attention, their friendship, to be a part of their group, but he refused to fight and become like them. If that meant being an outcast, fine, all he had left was the fact that they trusted him with the keys.
Now that he had had enough, that no one was going to play baseball with him again, it was time to quit school and get a job to play in outside tournaments. He would do it, because he loved the sport.
"Why…?" he mumbled, closing his eyes. He slammed his locker shut and left, his backpack full of gear slung over his shoulder. The key was slipped into an enveloped and taped to the door, no note. They didn't deserve a note, he thought bitterly.
With a deep breath, Mikoshiba set off into the setting sun, leaving part of his life behind, and praying that they realized it was their fault, not his.
A/N: I always felt bad for Mikoshiba, and decided that this is what I thought he would be like after they lost, before he met Kawato. I didn't want to have Mikoshiba drop out of school, just ignore the group.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.