(Eijun's P.O.V-Flashback)

Yesterday our mad adviser punished us because Kanemaru was 8 minutes late to our math subject and I was caught sleeping in the class. However, we spend all our time cleaning a dirty pond in the school yard, using a pond skimmer we found lots of creepy crawlies there. From the other side, I saw a black kitten stuck in a tree close to dirty pond that too scared to come down.

"He will figure out on its own how to go down there?" asking myself that rises curiosity in my mind.

"Huh?! Who is HE, Sawamura?!" Kanemaru turned around.

I point my finger in the direction where the little kitten trapped up in the tree and Kanemaru lifted up his head while holding pond skimmer.

"Do you know that a cat can climb up a tree with ease...but not find it so easy to climb down?" Kanemaru chuckled a little.

"Really?" I sighed heavily, continuing to stare at the black kitten I suddenly felt constriction in my chest that I need to rescue that kitten as soon as possible. I took a quick step and dropped my blueish black blazer in the sandy ground, I put my hands on the tree trunk to climb.

"Sawamura!" Kanemaru warned but I ignored him and continued to climb because arguing with him was pointless, at the end I heard him sigh. He continued to clean the pond and felt he's allowed me to do what i want.

When I come a little closer from the black kitten I notice that the sky in my view begin to look different. Under the bright orange sky, in the middle of my little journey in the tree trunk without stopping my hands and feet to climb up, I have suddenly realized that I need to walk naturally on my own path.
I've worked so hard to build my statistics, desperately for the ace number. After I've got a yips I always whip my exhausted mind to make my heart return to its calm state, I act tough, exposing my own weakness inside of me but no matter what I do I'll surely end up crying to my knees. I've been wrestling myself nonstop of the habit of comparing my skills and abilities to others which has been toying in my head all the time that I guess I should leave my bluff and become a mature adult.
Although I'm not the ace of the team I'm still blessed for the powerful confidence, undying determination and motivation that have given to me by my friends and rivals. Going to the nationals with my teammates is more important now. Probably these encounters of mine deserves the credit, it would be a sad memories but all bad experiences may have done me good.

"Finally!" I laughed, wearing a huge smile.

When I reached the top of the tree I looked up to the orange sky, I sat on a tree branch quietly, I watch the few birds flying away and admiring the sunset. Despite that, I almost forgot the black kitten in my side.

"Hey! Kanemaru!" I yelled with laughing, I was waving my left hand madly to Kanemaru but he never once looked in my direction thus he growled at me, "Oi! Sawamura, can you please help me finish this?!".

"Okay, fine!" I replied and sighed exasperatedly. I hold the black kitten using my right hand that brought a smile to my lips because he's so pretty cute and adorable but before I able to climb down, the tree branch collapsed and I fell off the tree.

SPLASH!

I fall into a pond while holding the black kitten in my arms. I was entirely wet and my school uniform was really quite dirty. I immediately crawled over the ground to the grass after I found out that the black thin kitten in my arms was soaking wet and cold to touch.

"What the fuck…! What the hell are you doing?! You are an idiot!" Kanemaru barked and I jumped, not expecting his reaction. He heaved a sigh and shaking his head but I turn my attention back to the wet kitten and used my school blazer to drying him. We stayed silent for a moment before I added, "You're okay now, right?". Kanemaru shot a glance at me while I'm talking to the kitten. I just feel so relieved that he's safe in my arms, I put him down to the ground and pat his head.

"Go ahead and find your path!" the blissful smile in my face. The black kitten runs away from us and never turning back.

(End of flashback)

Inside the Seidou private minibus, few members had collapsed into seat and slept near the window. Someone stayed awake.

"He's fine, right?" Sad eyes and a heavy heart came from Haruichi.

"I'm pretty sure he's fine!" Maezono comforted his kouhai.

"Yesterday…." A male voice drawled behind Haruichi and Maezono. Kuramochi eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Sawamura fell into a pond in our school yard yesterday to save the kitten. He was covered in dirty water I'm sure he accidentally swallowed some pond water when he fell in it maybe that's the reason why he's sick." said Kanemaru. Kuramochi leaned his head on the window for a moment, trying to remember what happened last night that he found Sawamura's school uniform wet and dirty in the laundry.