Kazuya sat at his desk, waiting for class to begin. Staring out the window his mind drifted, touching on but never thinking too much about anything. Baseball…Nanamori…history homework. Nanamori again, they're the next team we play, we have to not get too hung up on playing Inashiro and overlook this one, could be trouble…bang!
He startled, looking up. Kuramochi stood in front of him, grinning. "You weren't paying any attention to me at all, were you? What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Nothing important, Mochi—what's going on with you?"
"Not much. Oh! Did I tell you? Last night Sawamoron was getting on my nerves and I…" Kazuya drifted off again, letting the sound of his friend's babbling wash over him. I wonder how Eijun's doing with the whole play calling thing? And did we actually hold hands all the way back from the dorm? That's…interesting. I thought I had everything figured out. I guess not. "...so I put him in an octopus hold and made him beg for mercy."
"That's good of you, Mochi, taking care of your kohai like that. I'm sure he appreciates it." Kazuya smirked.
"You know, I always thought I'd get more of a reaction from him about it, though. He wrestles back, but he seems kind of resigned about the whole thing, like it's totally normal."
"Has he told you about his grandfather yet? Trust me—for him, it's a normal thing that families do." Kazuya smiled, remembering the overly physical older man. "Ask him about it, you'll understand then."
"Miyuki."
Both boys looked over and saw Nabe, Kudo and Higashio standing there. "Can I have a word with you?" Kazuya grinned at them. "All the way over from the class next door, huh? What's going on?"
"Nothing, really, it's just that—" Nabe began.
"Miyuki-kun," the class representative interrupted, handing him a piece of paper. "Here's the grouping for the fieldtrip. I think they put all the baseball team together, you guys may have games that week?"
"Oh, yeah. We will have games, so we won't be going." We don't have a choice but to have games that week.
"Ok, well, we're sorry you'll miss it; it's a great opportunity to get to know your fellow students."
"I understand, but we're not losing the tournament." We're really not.
Kuramochi handed his slip to the girl. "Here, take it back. We aren't going."
Kazuya turned to Nabe and asked, "So, what's up?"
"Sorry—on second thought, it's nothing. See you at practice!"
The three boys turned and walked out of the room.
What was that all about?
Situational field practice. Eijun was pitching, and the team was practicing stealing bases from the southpaw. The following weekend they were going to have games on both Saturday and Sunday, so they were preparing to face Inashiro as well as Nanamori. Their focus was on Inashiro. Everyone wanted revenge, the third years were threatening to sneak in to pinch hit—Ryousuke offered to trade places with Haruichi. They said it jokingly, but everyone knew this was very serious. The whole team wanted payback for the Summer Tournament. Thus, stealing bases from a southpaw pitcher.
Eijun was having a blast. He was getting better at pickoffs, although he could never get Kuramochi out—his roommate was way too fast. Is he part cheetah? He's so fast, no wonder I can't get away from his holds. After his turn, Haruichi was up. He was trying to steal, but couldn't find an opening.
"No one's going to steal on my watch! I'll get you all out!" Inashiro won't get us this time; I won't let them. Revenge is going to taste so sweet. Just you wait, Mei.
"That's because you haven't actually pitched a ball yet, idiot! How long are you going to just stand there?" Kazuya yelled from home plate. I know what you're thinking, Eijun, I'm right there with you. We can do this.
That evening, the pitchers were out running. Furuya was lagging, but Eijun and Nori were running side by side.
"Aren't you tired, Nori-senpai? Maybe you should stop!"
"I'm good, you go ahead and quit." Back and forth they went, neither one wanting to give up, both of them wanting to get better, do better, play better.
Suddenly they heard the sound of footsteps pounding up behind them. "Wahhhhhh! Furuyanator has revived! Go back to sleep, Furuya!" Furuya caught up to the others. They continued to run—none of the pitchers wanted to be the first one to back down.
Kazuya was walking along the pathway between the practice fields listening to the loud conversation being held by the jogging pitchers. Furuyanator? Really, Eijun? Where do you get these things? Those three are truly magnificent idiots. They push each other to do better and pull each other along as well. Good for them. He laughed lightly, chuckling at their idiocy.
Ahead he saw Nabe looking down the stairs, watching the field. He was holding a study guide and had a pensive look on his face. "Hey, Nabe. Planning for college already?" Kazuya asked, indicating the study guide.
"Miyuki! How are you doing?" The boy asked, startled.
"I'm good, thanks. I did want to talk to you about something, though. Do you have a minute?"
"Sure, what can I do for you?" Kazuya waved at the stairs to the field. "Sit down; let me tell you what I had in mind." I hope I don't offend you by asking for this, I think it'd be something you can do well that would be exceedingly helpful.
Kazuya handed Nabe a score book. "I'd like you to go watch the Inashiro game and get data from it. Your analysis of the Teitou team really helped our players in the game, and I think you'd be able to gather even more information if you saw it live rather than a recording. I know that it's during our game, so it may be asking a lot of you. I won't force you if you'd rather attend. We just really need the information, and I think you could be the best one to gather it." Nabe looked vaguely bewildered, but quickly agreed to do it. Thank you, your eye for these things is extraordinary, if the Teitou game is any indication.
"Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about earlier?"
"Huh?" Nabe looked confused.
"In the classroom, what did you have to say?"
"Oh, it wasn't anything important."
"Well, if it was so unimportant, you can just tell me. This whole captain thing is new to me—I'm not used to leading like this. So, I need all the help I can get from you." Kazuya said.
Just then, the pitchers came off the field. "I can run some more!" Eijun declared.
"I get it! But we're quitting." Nori retorted.
Kazuya broke into their debate. "Nori! Make sure they take a proper bath. That one has a habit of trying to only take a shower!" Idiot. You have to be exhausted, get some rest.
"I know how to bathe, Miyuki Kazuya!" Don't be out too late; you've got to be in good shape for the game.
"You're always trying to just dip in and out, like a crow!" The captain replied. Don't worry about me; I'll be fine.
"What's wrong with crows, anyway? They're better than birds in cages who forget how to fly." Eijun continued to sputter nonsense until the pitchers were out of sight, on the way to the baths.
"Now that we've dealt with the idiot crew, what did you want to talk about?" Kazuya returned his attention to Nabe.
"Well, sometimes it feels like we've not got the same attitude as the rest of you. We didn't come to this school on a baseball scholarship, so maybe that's why we're not as intense. We're not complaining, we just…worry that our lack of intensity doesn't belong on this team, we don't belong on the team."
"So, do you want to quit?" Kazuya asked quietly. I'd never want to force someone to stay, but I'd hate for you to leave.
"No, that's not what I—"
"Nabe, if being on the team is problematic for you, and you'd rather devote yourself to schoolwork, I wouldn't stop you. I play because I want to, not because someone told me to. If you don't want to play, I wouldn't force you to do so."
That's not what I meant...
Later that night, Eijun was practicing pitching with the net. He'd taken Kazuya's words to heart and was trying to think tactically, using the way Chris had taught him.
"Ok, one more pitch and you should be out. Last pitch was a low and inside, let's throw outside so they'll have a hard time seeing it." That's it for you, Mr. Power Hitter, you're out!
"Let's corner this pitcher with two outside pitches. Then we'll throw inside to try to get him to swing. If he does, he's out. If not, we throw another outside pitch to strike him out!" Kazuya, you were right, this is pretty fun. It makes practicing alone more interesting.
Kazuya strolled out to the vending machines to grab a drink. He'd been working on his homework for hours, since he finished talking to Nabe. Glad to be done with that, now I don't have to worry about it this weekend—there will be other things on my mind. Looking over, he saw the lights were still on in the training building. Is Zono still practicing? It's late, he should be in bed.
Walking up to the door, he peeked in. The only person in the room was Eijun, practicing with the net. He could hear him muttering. "Ok, this guy is a switch hitter, batting right this time. Let's start with an inside pitch, get him to back off the plate a bit…" Wow, he's really doing it! That's great, Eijun.
He heard footsteps coming up behind him. Turning around, he saw Haruichi and Zono walking up to him.
Nodding in greeting, Haruichi said, "Good evening, Miyuki-senpai. He's been the last one to leave all week; he's always practicing. I'll bring him a drink in a bit and send him off to bed."
Kazuya agreed. "Thanks, Haruichi. He's going to need his sleep; this weekend could be brutal with two games scheduled." Eijun. When I said start thinking about these things, I didn't mean you had to figure them out right away. Don't overdo it; we're going to need you. Kazuya waved and walked away, off to his own bed.
Haruichi interrupted Eijun's practice soon afterwards. Handing him a bottle of water, he suggested, "Eijun, you should probably quit for the night. You need to sleep, and sleeping in class is not really a good idea."
Zono chimed in. "Yes, and the coach hears about these kinds of things as well, so be careful."
"You're right, I am getting tired. Just ten more balls and I'll quit." Am I getting this? Am I getting any better? I don't know. Am I stronger than the last time I stood on the mound against Inashiro? The only way I'll know is to play. Kazuya, I'm working on this. I'll catch up to you eventually, please wait for me. I want our battery to be one of equals, just not me leaning on you.
Friday, October 8. The day before the game against Nanamori, Kazuya found himself in the coach's lounge, waiting on practice instructions for the day. Coach Kataoka was deep in discussion with the others when he walked in, so he stood quietly to one side and listened.
"You're moving Furuya to left field, really?" Oota asked.
"Yes, he'll be ready to take the mound at any time, but if I see any slacking off, he's going on the bench."
Ochiai chimed in. "A penalty for the last game, huh? That's a pretty harsh one."
"He can still act as the ace from the left field; everyone will be able to see him there." Kataoka replied.
The coach expects a lot from Furuya already, doesn't he? Kazuya thought. Who's he having start, then? Nori? It does make sense to save Furuya until the next game, when that's going to be the potentially harder opponent. Eijun will just have to be ready to relieve whoever starts.
"Well then, "Oota asked, "Who's going to be starting?"
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Excuse me! Unworthy Sawamura reporting as requested! If this is about the shameful incident of me falling asleep in class, I've fully considered my misconduct and am deeply regretful of that unfortunate happenstance!" Eijun stood at attention in the doorway.
"I see…" Kazuya smirked. So you did fall asleep. No big surprise there. But why you're here is one. I guess you're starting tomorrow. I wouldn't have predicted that—I wonder if the coach knows about your late night sessions. It's probable, not much happens that gets by him.
"It's not about that?" Eijun queried. At the same time, Oota exclaimed "Coach! You don't mean…"
Coach Kataoka just smiled.
So did Kazuya.
After practice, Coach Kataoka assembled the team to announce the batting order:
"Number 1, Shortstop, Kuramochi"; "Yes!"
"Number 2, Right Field, Shirasu" "Yes!"
"Number 3, Second Base, Kominato" "Yes!"
"Number 4, Catcher, Miyuki" "Yes!"
"Number 5, First Base, Maezono" "Yes!"
"Number 6, Left Field, Furuya" "Yes!"
"Number 7, Center, Toujou" "Yes!"
"Number 8, Third Base, Kanemaru" "Yes!"
"Number 9, Pitcher, Sawamura" "Yes!"
"Dismissed!"
At dinner, Kazuya and Kuramochi joined the first years. Eijun was unusually quiet, eating his food with a look of concentration.
"Oi, Sawamoron! Don't think too hard, you'll sprain your brain!" Kuramochi said.
"Sorry, Kuramochi-senpai! I will stop thinking right away!"
The others at the table exchanged a look—this was not normal behavior from Eijun. Watching him carefully, they continued with their dinner. When Eijun got up to take his tray to the counter, Kuramochi signaled Kazuya to go after him. "I'll take yours up for you, you just go figure out what's going on with him. Fix him before tomorrow." Kuramochi whispered.
As Eijun walked out of the cafeteria, Kazuya fell into step beside him, slinging an arm around his neck. "Where are we going?" He asked, with a smirk. What's wrong? Why aren't you bouncing off the walls with glee? Didn't you want this?
"I don't know where you're going, Bakayuki, but I'm going to pitch some balls at the net." Eijun replied. I need to think, I need to get my head straight.
"I have an idea, Eijun. Why don't you toss to me?" Talk to me. You're going to do so anyway, don't be hardheaded. It helps to talk—you showed me that. "Plus, there's something I've been meaning to speak with you about, I'd like your input on a situation." Kazuya continued.
"Sure! We haven't played catch in forever, Kazuya. Let's go out to the practice field." Maybe we can help each other this time.
They retrieved their mitts and a ball, and headed out to the playing field. Back and forth, they threw the ball—the repetitive motion soothingly familiar. It had been a while, and Kazuya couldn't believe that neither one of them had mentioned revisiting this cornerstone of their childhood.
"Aww, Kazuya, it's been so long. I'd forgotten how much fun tossing the ball around can be." Especially with you. This is another thing I've missed, and didn't even realize it.
"I know, right? Sometimes we're so focused on the technical stuff that we forget the reason we started playing, this right here. A good game of catch." Why was I such an idiot? I can't believe how I've missed you. I never would have acknowledged it, if you hadn't forced yourself back in my life. I'm so glad you did.
So they continued throwing, the two best friends, letting their minds drift to the sound of the ball hitting the mitt and the slight stretch of the arm when returning the catch. Eventually, Eijun started talking.
"I'm scared, Kazuya. I've never started in a game before, not here. Plus, I saw the looks of shock when Coach announced I was starting, I'm not sure the others believe that I can do it. It worries me; I don't want to let the team down. Starting a game is different than relieving." There—I said it, I started the conversation. Can you help me think through this?
Oh Eijun, you're always so willing to admit to your feelings. I admire that. Let me see if I can give you some perspective. "I know you don't want to hear me just tell you that I think you can do it, which I do, but you want some proof. I can't give you hard proof about you starting in Seido; it doesn't exist. Yet. I can tell you that I know there are people on the team that are not sure you can handle it, that is true. I believe they are wrong. No, I know they're wrong, but that's not what you need to hear. I also know that those same people are not worried about losing the game, they're worried about you. About you being able to handle the pressure a starter feels. No one, and I mean no one doubts your ability to throw a good pitch. Except maybe that guy, and fuck him anyway. So that's where the worry comes from. And I hope you've noticed this—those that know you well; Haruichi, Mochi, Kanemaru, Nori, Ono and Zono—none of them doubt your ability to do the job the coach has entrusted to you tomorrow. Hell, even Furuya's not thinking that you'll goof up, he's just mad that he's not pitching. So there's that. One more thing. You're not alone out there. Not only do you have the backup of the team in the field, you have me. Ei-chan, I won't let you down again, I won't let you fail. So trust me, if you can't trust yourself. Trust in us, trust in our battery." I hope this helps, Eijun, I really do. You're going to be fine, I believe in you. Together we can do anything.
Sometime in the middle of the speech, Eijun had dropped his glove and the ball, and walked over to where Kazuya was standing. Eyes shimmering with moisture, he reached up and softly cupped his best friend's cheek. "Thank you, Kazu-kun. That was perfect—thank you so much." How do you always know the exact right thing to say? I love you. You don't know it yet, but I do.
Dropping his hand, he stepped back. Kazuya hadn't reacted to his touch, but he looked a bit dazed. What just happened? Why did it feel like that, and why did I want it not to stop? He was just thanking me…
Unsure of himself, Eijun folded himself and sat on the ground, patting the spot beside him. "Sit, please, Kazuya. Did you use so many words earlier that you ran out? I don't think I've ever heard you say so much at once." Please be all right, please don't be scared off. I hope I didn't fuck things up by getting ahead of you.
Kazuya sat, and Eijun slowly let out a sigh of relief. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something, right?" Now it's your turn. If I can help you half as much as you helped me, it will be a good day.
Nodding, the catcher began. "One of the team sought me out the other day to talk. He said that he didn't feel like he had the same level of dedication to the team as others did, and that he wasn't sure if he should stay on the team with those kinds of doubts. I told him that if he really wanted to leave, I would let him. I don't want to force anyone to stay where he doesn't want to be. But, I wonder if as a captain I should have encouraged him to stay? I don't want to lose anyone, and I think he could be of value to our team. especially off the field. He's the one that gave us such good analysis of Teitou, just from watching a tape." I'm really torn about this, Eijun.
Eijun thought carefully for a few minutes. "Wow, that's a tough one. It's true that there are a bunch of baseball crazed idiots on the team, present company included, thank you very much. But, that doesn't mean that someone less driven is of no use. It is true, though, that you shouldn't force anyone to stay if they truly want to leave. However, I'd consider the fact that he did come to you first—so maybe he doesn't want to leave, he just wants to feel useful. Giving him some task, especially if he's well suited for it, could be what makes him find his passion in regards to baseball. Maybe it's not actually playing; maybe it is analysis or play counting. What I think you should do is speak to him again and ask him if he wants to leave, or if he wants to find some area that is his that he can use to help the team. Nothing you said to him was wrong, Kazuya. You just need to tell him the other things as well." You're a good captain. I can see you trying to communicate better. I'm glad you're taking this seriously.
"Well, that was…really quite helpful, Eijun. I'd never thought about it in quite that way, and it makes so much sense. Thank you." You're the best friend I could ever want, and I never want us to be separated like that again. I won't allow it to happen again.
"Good! I'm glad to be of service! Now that we've gotten both of our minds clear, is there anything else you want to talk about, Kazuya?" Eijun asked with a grin.
Kazuya looked thoughtful. "Yes, actually. One thing. I just realized this a few days ago—did we really hold hands all the way back to the dorms the other night?" And was it weird that I didn't notice? It just felt normal, like what should be.
"I think we did? I'm not sure I remember fully, I was exhausted. We both were. We used to hold hands when we'd walk home from practice sometimes, remember. When we were beat to hell and didn't know if we'd make it, we were so tired? Maybe it's just still a habit." I'll be happy to hold your hand whenever you'd like—hopefully next time I'll remember it.
"Ah yes, that makes sense. I'd forgotten about that." Standing up, he held out his hand to Eijun. "We'd probably better head back; you need your sleep for tomorrow." And I need to think things through. I feel like I'm missing something, like there's something I'm not understanding. Eijun looked up at his best friend and smiled. Putting his hand in Kazuya's he allowed him to pull him upright. Once he was standing, he held on to Kazuya's hand for a few seconds and then let it go—but not before giving it a quick squeeze.
Walking back to the dorms, they chatted quietly about Eijun's progress in play calling. He explained what he had been doing, and Kazuya gave him some tips and strategies.
When they got to the dorms, they stood there just looking at each other for a bit. Eventually, Kazuya turned towards the stairs to his room. Bidding each other a quiet goodnight, they went their separate ways.
Sleep well, sweet dreams.
From: Me(miyukik )
To: Ei-chan(catch4me .jp)
Eijun-
I'm excited for your start tomorrow—I know that you'll be great.
Just relax and trust our battery.
We've got this.
We've also got Inashiro; we are going to beat Mei.
I know I've mentioned it before, but I will never regret going to Seido. I would have regretted following Mei to Inashiro, because at some point I would have figured out how badly I screwed up us by cutting contact. At that point, I wouldn't have known what to do; but I would have known that I'd lost one of the few things in this world that I truly cared about.
Something you don't know about me:
I miss Nagano, especially in the winter. The snow that's so deep you have to watch where you walk. Making snowmen that don't melt for days. Hot chocolate by a fire in a warm room. Laughing and talking, playing games when you can't get outside. Those are all things I miss a lot.
Remember when we tried to play catch with snowballs? It didn't work out so well—but still, we tried every year, thinking that it had to work sometime.
Strange that I don't picture any of that at my old house, only at yours. Maybe not so strange, in many ways your house was more home than mine was.
I'm not sure I miss your grandpa's smacks, though!
Eh, who am I kidding. I do miss them as well.
Get some sleep; tomorrow's going to be a blast—looking forward to it!
-Kazuya
