I originally posted this on AO3 but decided to cross post here.
Spoiler warnings: The beginning of this references the events around chapter 255 and 256 in the Act II manga. End of Act II spoilers are also in here.
Sawamura Eijun sat out on the steps of his dorm, spinning a baseball between his fingers. It wasn't a normal baseball, but one of the soft ones they used to play with back in middle school. He's surprised he even found one, considering he picked it up in the locker room after the Ichidaisan game.
Only one game left, one left before he could bring his team to Koshien as the Ace.
Ace.
Was he really trusted as the Ace?
Eijun thought back to the conversation he overheard earlier between Miyuki-senpai and Furuya. If he was there would Cap had even brought up his desire to go pro? The fact that he couldn't answer that with a 'yes' only makes him ask the same question over and over.
Did the team trust him?
He understands why Boss gave him the Ace number, Eijun knew he had shown great pitching in the practice games in the lead up to this summer, but whether it was just an irrational fear or the truth he wanted to ignore, his place on the team was still ambiguous. Was he the ace? Or was he just holding the number because Furuya was in a slump?
Eijun shook his head, no he earned it. He needed to watch the Hakuryuu game again if he was having such weak thoughts.
This Sawamura Eijun was the Ace, and he would do his best to live up to the number on his back. He would carry the dreams of his teammates. Eijun still wanted to play with his team, he would not allow the summer to end, not until they had won it all.
But what after?
His thoughts drifted back to that conversation. Had he ever thought about going pro? Wanted to go pro? Eijun always knew he would play baseball, he couldn't imagine never playing again, but to play at the highest level? That was something he never thought about. How good were pros? He was surrounded by amazing pitchers, and there was a world out there with people who were better?
"It's endless."
He wanted to see it.
Eijun squeezed the ball between his fingers causing the winking face drawn onto it to curve into a bigger smile.
"Home run!"
Wait, what?
The noise coming from the ball in his hands tore him from his thoughts.
He squeezed again.
"Ball!"
What kind of ball was this... it wasn't cursed, right? Eijun quickly threw it into the dirt and jumped up a few steps of the stairs to increase his distance from the strange object.
"You're out loser!"
Eijun waited and when it made no other sounds he crept forward and stopped a short distance away. Using the tip of his bat he poked the ball watching it shift slightly, but no noise came out of it.
Maybe he was overreacting and it's just some specialty ball. He felt heat crawl up his cheeks and whipped his head from side to side. None of the first years saw that right? It was already bad enough that his year mates and senpais lived through his 'dark past' of a first year, he didn't need his kouhai to think badly of him too. He was a changed man, ok!
Eijun didn't even want to think of his past behavior towards his shishou, just the mention of it made chills run down his spine. How could the younger him do such a disgraceful thing to Chris-senpai?
Eijun stood and paced, grumbling to himself.
"No, no, no Sawamura Eijun remove such thoughts from your mind, you are the Ace with an important game in a couple of days, the 'dark past' just needs to stay where it belongs, in the past!"
Eijun heard voices approaching while he was trying to collect himself, and in a burst of fear he picked up the cause of his thoughts off the ground and ran up the stairs. He just needed to get to his room, when he was inside everything would be fine. Once his hand held the handle and he turned it, he relaxed.
Eijun walked through the door and froze.
He blinked once.
Twice.
A third time.
The dorm room that he was so familiar with was now a baseball field, and not just any field but Seido's. Eijun looked down at the ball in his hand, the winking face staring at him. Did it do this? He squeezed it unconsciously.
"Strike three, you suck!"
Eijun felt a vein throb on his forehead as his anger peeked. Was it mocking him? Actually, now that he looked closer at the baseball the face on it seemed devious, reminding him of a certain Tanuki bastard that deserved a nice kick in the ass.
"Hehe isn't this interesting? Rei-chan... is it ok if I catch for this guy?"
He recognized that voice, Eijun turned around.
Miyuki Kazuya!
But, why did he look so young and scrawny?
"Hey Miyuki! First years shouldn't butt in to where they don't belong!"
First year?
Eijun looked closer at the speaker, is that Azuma-senpai? He glanced down and saw himself wearing a yellow hoodie.
Oh no, no, no, this had to be a nightmare. He thought about his dark past too much before bed, and now he is reliving the start of it right?
"Safe!"
Eijun looked at the ball, narrowing his eyes he brought it up to eye level. That happy-go-lucky face on it was getting on his nerves. He looked into the black marker-drawn eye.
"I blame you for everything."
"Sawamura-kun."
He flinched and hid the ball behind his back, it was Rei-chan. She pushed up her glasses.
"Follow me to get changed." She turned and walked away.
Eijun trailed in a bit of a haze, what was he going to do now? Maybe if he played along he would wake up and be able to go back home. He was finally the Ace, his team needed him.
"Single!"
"Oh shut up, will you?" He shoved the ball into his sweatshirt pocket, he didn't even squeeze it that time.
"Did you say something?" Rei-chan asked, looking over her shoulder.
"No Ma'am!"
"Hmm, well hurry up then."
He sighed, that was close.
Too close.
Did him ending back in his middle school body remove his filter? He never would have let that slip around the adults in his current one.
Eijun quickly changed into a practice uniform, feeling more at ease in it than he did the first time around. He thought about what was going to soon happen. Pitching to Azuma-senpai again, it would be a good experience since he did end up going pro after all.
Pro...
How would the current him stack up to a pro?
Eijun poked his gut. Well, maybe it can't be considered the current him, since his beautiful abs were nowhere in sight. Eijun took a towel he found sitting on a bench and did a few shadow pitches. It felt weird, like trying to ride a bike after not touching one for a while, but he could still pitch in his form and his arm swing felt good.
Maybe this time he could do it for real, and not just rely on Miyuki-senpai.
"Dead ball!"
Eijun grumbled, like he needed a (maybe) magic's baseball's opinion.
When he walked out of the room Rei-chan handed him a glove and escorted him back to the field. Eijun walked onto the mound and settled into the familiar spot. He stretched for a few minutes, and then began to warm up his shoulder by playing catch with his catcher.
After a few throws back and forth he heard a call from behind home plate.
"Wow, your control is good... for a middle schooler."
"Miyuki Kazuya! You didn't need to add the last part, you're impossible!" Eijun yelled.
"Why, thank you!" The Tanuki giggled into his glove.
Never a day would come where this Sawamura Eijun thought he would miss his captain, but it happened. At this rate Mochi-senpai could even get a girlfriend, the impossible could happen apparently.
Eijun threw the next one a bit harder than before, his control was fantastic thank you very much. Not that the bastard had much to do with it no, his control was all thanks to Chris-senpai! If only he was here, Eijun would rather pitch to him.
"Alright, let's get started!"
Eijun caught the ball and settled into his pitching stance. He watched Azuma-senpai walk up to the plate and he took a few deep breaths.
He could–
No.
He would do this.
Eijun let the calm wash over him, getting back into game mode that he was in earlier that day.
Miyuki-senpai settled his mitt inside, though not as far as Eijun was used to.
Ah he remembered this. The bastard was trying to 'loosen' him up with a home run right? Not going to happen on his watch.
Eijun changed his grip into the pitch he relied on heavily during today's game.
Number nine: splitter custom.
He would show that Tanuki what a real inside pitch looked like.
His raised his leg and threw, the smack of the ball hitting Miyuki-senpai's mitt was extremely satisfying over the yell of Azuma-senpai, though the pitch itself wasn't as sharp as he expected. He guessed that made sense considering he was in a younger and weaker body.
The catcher called time and ran up to the mound and threw an arm around his shoulder.
"Now now Pitcher, why didn't you tell me you could throw like that?"
Eijun shoved him off.
"Because you never asked Miyuki Kazuya! I didn't expect to have to carry all the weight around here, you are the 'senpai' right?"
Eijun wasn't going to lie to himself, he had fun messing with this younger version, though that thought made shudder. Was his Captain rubbing off on him? Where's Chris-senpai? He needed to cleanse himself.
Miyuki-senpai ignored his words.
"Say, what do you throw? Do you have any other breaking balls? Two? Three?"
Eijun sniffed and turned to the side.
"More than that, but you don't need to know the specifics. I haven't decided if I'm going here yet."
"Hehe you are interesting! Just give me one then. I promise we can slay this monster together partner." He held up his glove.
Eijun smacked against it with his own.
"Fine, I have a change up, though my fastball is my best pitch. These are the signs."
"Hehehe, this will be fun, I love pitchers with control!"
"Hey Miyuki! I thought we were playing baseball not having a garden party!" Azuma-senpai screamed.
"Whoops better get back now, don't disappoint me Pitcher."
Eijun scoffed, he knows where he would like to shove that disappointment.
He took a deep breath and got his head back in the game. One pitch thrown, one strike. A glance at Azuma-senpai showed him to still be worked up, which he knew Miyuki-senpai would take advantage of. Now, where and what will he ask for?
Miyuki-senpai gave a sign for an outside fastball. Even though Eijun preferred to fight in the strike zone, the game calling lessons he has had in the past helped him understand the call. Azuma-senpai was so worked up he would swing at it anyways, but even if it was going to be a ball, Eijun refused to throw a weak pitch.
Eijun went threw his motion and threw, feeling the ball launch off his fingertips as it left his hand.
Azuma-senpai turned his hips and swung, sending a line drive into foul territory.
Two strikes, he only needed one more.
Next sign was an inside fastball and like the last one, this was to be a ball too. Eijun pitched it and heard another clang and this ball too went into foul territory.
He wiped the sweat off of his forehead, this body wasn't used to this at all. Luckily it would all be over soon.
Eijun read the next sign, change up right down the middle. Eijun grinned, Miyuki-senpai was always aggressive in the end.
He took a moment to relax before raising his leg high. Taking a deep step Eijun turned and released the ball, and he watched it slowly travel to the mitt on the other end. Azuma-senpai had already started swinging and couldn't stop himself, missing the change up completely.
Strike three.
"Yosh! Yosh! Yosh!"
Even in his younger body he still got it, his hard work didn't forsake him.
He was the Ace.
Seido's Ace.
That was his role now, and he would do it whether his team believed in him or not, and if he could fight more exciting battles like this well, he wouldn't mind going pro either.
Eijun had a new goal, and he wasn't stopping.
But... why was he still here? Shouldn't he have woken up by now? He had to get back to that stupid ball.
Eijun gave a bow.
"Thank you for taking the time to fight against this Sawamura Eijun. I have learned a lot, and now I must excuse myself to use the restroom, farewell!"
With those parting words Sawamura Eijun made a break for it.
.
Eijun was panting by the time he made it back into the locker room. He cursed, this stupid body, too weak to do anything. Eijun quickly changed into his previous clothes and pulled the ball out of his pocket.
"Ok take me home."
"Ball four!"
Nothing happened.
"I said take me back! I don't want to be in my dark past any longer!"
"Walk!"
Walk?
He could walk.
Eijun paced back and forth in the locker room to no avail. He looked at the winking face again.
"Hey it's not working."
"Grand slam! It's out of the park!"
Out of the park?
Outside?
Eijun went to the door and opened it, and next thing he knew he was back in his room. He collapsed onto his knees and raised his hands.
He made it, he was back!
"Yosh! Yosh! Yosh!"
Eijun continued to celebrate in his empty room, but once he calmed down he placed the ball in a bag and brought it outside. Going around the back of the building Eijun found the dumpsters and proceeded to hurl the bag into it.
Now, it's over.
Right?
.
They did it!
They beat Inashiro!
They are going to Koshien!
Eijun was half asleep on the bus ride back to the dorms. They really won, Eijun hoped this was real life and not a dream, because he would be able to play with his senpai's again. The summer wasn't over yet.
"Hey do you see this ball I found in the locker room? Looks like the one from that Urban legend no? Has the winking face and everything."
Eijun was no longer half asleep and turned towards Kanemaru, only to see him holding that thing.
"Urban Legend?" Eijun heard Tojou ask, since his stare was still locked on the ball.
"Yeah, apparently it takes you back to a moment in your past, and if you fail to surpass yourself you die."
Eijun paled.
Wait, what?
He almost died?
If he didn't take that fight seriously Sawamura Eijun would be gone from this beautiful earth forever?
"Whoa seriously? That's cool."
"Yeah, not that any of it's true. Maybe I will give it a try."
Eijun leapt from his seat, grabbed the ball out of Kanemaru's hand, opened the window and tossed it outside.
"Hey Bakamura! What was that for?"
Eijun held his face in his hands.
He would never be able to sleep again, would he?
.
"Hey, does anyone know why Sawamura keeps begging us to wear talismans?"
Fun little one shot, hope you enjoyed it. Made up the urban legend myself, thought it was a cool idea. (I have no idea how to do line breaks on this, so please excuse the random periods.)
Until next time!