Disclaimer: I don't own Angel Beats! or it's characters
Chapter 1-Homeruns and Headlocks
"Well, I'll marry you!" His voice called out. The girl with long pink hair turned towards him, surprise in her eyes.
Another young man looked at him in shock as well.
She was petite and was holding a baseball bat with a batting helmet on her head. He could see that she had long hair that was almost down to her waist.
"I'll marry you. I'm serious. I mean it..." He found himself telling her. More words were spoken, but he couldn't hear what his dream self was saying. It was as if he was underwater, and everything sounded muffled.
"I want to be with you, forever and ever."
"No matter where we went, I would have fallen in love with you." His heart beat faster as he heard him say those last words to her. He could see tears in her eyes.
Then, the dream was interrupted by a blaring alarm. He groaned to himself in bed.
It was always the same dream. A dream with a beautiful young woman on a baseball diamond, wearing a batting helmet, staring at him with her bright eyes. Tears were in her eyes and he was earnestly telling her all those things.
Every time that he woke up from that dream, his chest hurt and his mind felt clouded. He couldn't afford to feel that way today.
He reached over with a short grunt and turned off the alarm clock quickly. He looked at the clock–6:30 AM. He turned on his back and looked at the ceiling, tempted to try and fall back asleep. But he couldn't do that.
It was time to get up, make breakfast, and then go. He was starting his summer term at the university this morning.
There had been a lot of first days of school for him–familiar territory to a young man whose parents were in the Japanese Armed Forces at one point or another. His mother had passed only seven years earlier, quite unexpectedly. And then there was his father...
He shook his head and looked at the picture frame by the side of his bed. It was a picture of his father and mother, together with him when he was small. He smiled slightly, and said, "I'll make you proud, Mom and Dad. Don't worry."
Then, Hideki Hinata dressed quickly in a t-shirt and jeans. He put together a couple of bags for himself while sipping on his tea. One was his bag for his baseball gear, and the other bag was for his books and his laptop.
He sighed to himself as he attempted to run a comb through his hair quickly, then he took a long, deep breath.
He looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, and said to it, "You can do this Hinata."
He then closed the bathroom door behind himself with a quiet click. He walked down the hallway to the second small bedroom. He knocked quietly on the door, opened it after a few seconds, and then headed inside. He found his little brother lying in the bed on his stomach with his mouth wide open, and still fast asleep.
Hideki Hinata approached his brother and shook him gently awake.
"Time to wake up, Iszuki...Summer term is starting," Hideki informed his brother. Iszuki Hinata sat up slowly in bed, his blue hair tousled wildly. He rubbed his eyes and then smiled broadly at his big brother, then quickly put a hand up to his mouth as he stifled a yawn.
"I have breakfast ready. Get dressed and then come eat something before we head out, okay?"
Iszuki nodded wordlessly. He followed Hideki out of the little bedroom and into their shared bathroom.
Hideki sat at the small table and ate his breakfast while he waited for Iszuki to get out of the bathroom. He also set aside a couple of boiled eggs and natto (Iszuki's favorite) for his brother as well.
Hideki was swallowing the last of his tea when he heard a slight groan coming from behind him. He turned around and looked at Iszuki.
"Hideki-nii, I don't feel good." Iszuki held a hand to his stomach. He slowly, dramatically walked to the small table in their kitchen, dragging his feet. His school uniform was only done up halfway, with some of the buttons mismatched and his collar all wrong. He also had his shirt untucked and his belt wasn't to the right notch.
Hideki patted the chair next to him. Iszuki sat next to him and reached for the chopsticks, slowly picking at the steamed rice on his plate. Hideki watched intently to ensure that his little brother ate something.
"Nervous?" Hideki asked his little brother, ruffling his hair. They were spitting images of each other, although Iszuki was 12 years younger than his older brother.
Hideki pushed a small mug of green tea towards his little brother. Iszuki didn't answer.
"If it makes you feel better, I'm nervous too," Hideki said to him. "I get a flutter in my stomach, and I feel a bit sick. Sometimes I can even get headaches when I'm worried or anxious about starting something new."
Iszuki lit up suddenly looking at Hideki in amazement. He smiled at his brother's admission.
"Really?"
Hideki nodded his head at his little brother. "There's a lot riding on my being able to keep up good grades, all while taking care of you. If it gets to be too much, it's alright though, we'll figure it out, Zuki. You want me to walk you to your school or do you want to go on your own?"
His little brother frowned in concentration. "I can do it. I remember how to get on and off the bus, like we've been practicing."
"And you remember how to get to the baseball diamond at my school? The one I'll be practicing at? I'll be waiting for you there."
"I remember," Iszuki said, jutting out his chin defiantly.
"Alright," Hideki said, "Let me try and comb that hair of yours, and get your uniform straightened up. And your tie? Where's your tie?"
"In my room somewhere," Iszuki said softly unbothered by his older brother's nagging, as he sat eating his natto and taking small sips of tea. Hideki walked into his brother's bedroom and found his tie hanging up in his closet.
He brought it out, and Iszuki was putting his food in the sink. Hideki would have to do the dishes with his brother later. They didn't have time to get everything cleaned and to the bus on time. He would have to wake up earlier tomorrow.
Iszuki smiled at Hideki in expectation. Hideki squatted in front of his brother. "Good job buttoning, do you mind if I fix them up though?"
Iszuki replied that he didn't mind, so Hideki unbuttoned his brother's shirt, and then rebuttoned it correctly, then straightened out his collar. He also put on the uniform tie. He also redid his belt for him and then helped him into his little blazer.
"Are you all ready?"
Iszuki nodded and said, "Definitely."
"Alright. Let's go then."
The summer league was going to be starting soon, and this was the first official practice for the new athletes and the walk-ons–those that made the team through open try-outs, not through recruitment.
Hideki Hinata was recruited, but this was his first year at the university, technically starting as a sophomore at the school. He wasn't too rusty with baseball, since he'd just finished a season up in Hokkaido playing for one of the local community colleges. But still, this was a much higher level than he'd played before, with excellent teammates. He was going to have to be his very best in order to compete with his fellow teammates for playing time. So, he had to participate in the practices and not just the summer league games, in order to sharpen his skills even more.
It was hot and humid out, but that was the price that was paid for living in Tokyo. There was already some good-natured ribbing from the upperclassmen who teased him, calling him a cold-hearted northerner. They also made some comments about him needing to bulk up as well in the last week, especially since they'd only been in the weight room since he arrived in the city two weeks ago.
This was the first practice on the diamond since the spring season had ended. And the whole team, first and second string were all together. The competition was suddenly much higher on the diamond than it was in the weight room. The second baseman position was up for grabs–the starting second baseman had graduated only two months prior after helping to lead the team to a third-place finish in the national tournament.
Hideki fully intended on taking that second baseman position as a sophomore.
He was at bat now and took his position. He breathed in deeply and watched the pitcher's shoulder, and knew what kind of pitch he was getting immediately. He adjusted his hands and legs slightly and as the baseball flew towards him, he swung at the ball. With a loud crack, the ball flew high and long in the air. Several players whooped at the home run, but all Hideki heard was a loud crash.
He winced to himself as he jogged along the bases, heading towards home plate. He would have to find that family and offer them to fix the window.
It was normal for him to break windows in his neighborhood in Hokkaido–he'd been doing it since he was five years old. His parents had even joked that instead of a college fund for him, they needed to come up with a broken window fund.
But, here in Tokyo, in central Tokyo, surrounding one of the biggest universities, it may not have been so common.
His foot hit home plate, and he got a pat on the back from several teammates and from the coach who grinned at him.
"Hey, who's that kid watching from the stands?" Someone asked from the dugout.
Hideki turned to look–his little brother was in the stands. Hideki turned towards his head coach. "Coach, do you mind if I ask my brother something?"
The coach nodded at Hideki, and waved him off.
"Iszuki," Hideki called to him, jogging up to his brother, still wearing his batting helmet. "You ok?"
He nodded and said, "Great homerun, Hideki-nii."
"How was school? Do you have any homework?"
"Reading," Suzuki said quietly, holding up a book. The book was upside down. Hideki smiled at his little brother.
"Don't worry–we'll do that when we get back. I'll need your help finding the house that the baseball went through when I'm finished…unless you want to try and track it down for me now?"
"You don't mind?" Hideki shook his head at his brother's look of wonder.
"Just be careful and text me, then come back here," Hideki said with a warning and pointed at the smartwatch on Iszuki's little wrist.
"Okay," Iszuki stood up and grabbed his bag. Then he started walking out of the stands.
"Whose that?" Haku, one of the upperclassmen asked.
"My younger brother," Hideki replied.
"Why is he here?" Haku asked curiously.
"Because he wanted to watch me play," Hideki replied, taking off his helmet. Their training session was just coming to an end. Hideki listened to the head coach's lecture, before heading towards the locker room with the rest of the team. After his shower and getting dressed, he checked his phone once again and got a text from his little brother with the address of the house.
The second text surprised him, "They're really nice. She's making me stay to eat some cookies. Can you meet me here?"
Hideki sighed softly at his little brother's words with a smile. Hideki Hinata was always impressed at his little brother's ability to charm whoever he met. He grabbed his books and everything else that he needed before he walked quickly to the address that Zuki had sent him.
Iszuki Hinata stood outside the door of a small, one-story house. It was a little surprising to see this type of home in Tokyo. Most people lived in apartments, just like him and Hideki-nii. He had spied some broken glass on their sideyard already. This was definitely the right house.
He rang the doorbell. The door opened to an older woman with graying pink hair. She smiled at him. In her hand, she held a baseball.
He bowed to her immediately and apologized on behalf of HIdeki-nii, who had hit the ball during his training. He informed the old woman, who sat in a wheelchair, that his big brother would pay for the damages to her home.
She invited him inside, and in the front room sat a boy his own age. He had reddish brown hair and smiled mischievously at Iszuki. Iszuki smiled back at the boy. The woman wheeled her chair to the kitchen–everything was short enough for her to reach while in the wheelchair. She brought him a cookie, and said, "This is my son Kaoru. What's your name?"
"Hinata, ma'am," Suzuki said, taking a bite of the cookie she'd given him. It was still warm from the oven. "Iszuki Hinata."
"Well, would you like to wait here until your brother is able to come and speak with us? Or, do you want me to contact your parents?"
"My parents are dead," Iszuki said bluntly. "Hideki-nii is my guard."
The older woman's eyes softened immediately. "Your guardian?"
"Yeah, that," Suzuki said, "Thank you for the cookie, ma'am. It is delicious."
"Well, why don't you and Kaoru play for a little bit together?" Kaoru ran up to ISzuki. "Come on! Let me show you my room. Mom will wait for your brother! Is he really a baseball player?"
Kaoru's mother watched them run off with a kind, warm smile, happy to see her son playing with another boy his age.
Hideki was wearing jeans and a plain red t-shirt as he walked to the address that his brother sent to him. He arrived, and then walked to the side of the house, assessing the damage.
It was definitely a broken window then.
He sighed, knowing that there would be money coming out of his savings to fix it, but he knew that it was something that was to be expected. His parents had fixed up a lot of windows from errant baseballs while he was growing up.
He rang the doorbell, and a man appeared in the doorway. He wasn't tall, but he wasn't too short either. He wore business casual clothing, including dress slacks and a light blue, button-up shirt. His hair was a reddish brown color that was turning gray at the temples.
"Hello," the man said, "Are you here for Iszuki-chan?" He stepped aside and invited Hideki into the house.
"Yes. I'd also like to speak with you about repairing that window," Hideki said with a smile, bowing reverently to the man. "I apologize for the damage that I caused with my hit."
The man smiled and said, "You should join us for dinner. Iszuki is getting along fabulously with our little Kaoru. We can discuss the window afterward."
Hideki was a little unsure, but he graciously accepted the invitation. Otherwise, he'd have to cook food or get some already-made meals that cost more money.
He followed the older man into the dining room and he noticed a lovely older woman sitting in a wheelchair, reading a book to two young boys. One of those boys was Iszuki. He beamed as he saw Hideki enter the room, looking up at his big brother with a smile. He scrambled up from his chair and ran up to his brother, giving him a quick hug.
"Hey, good work finding the right house," he told his little brother, who beamed up at him, even brighter.
"Come meet my friend Kaoru," he replied, pulling Hideki with him towards the front room.
The older woman smiled at him and said, "I can tell you're Iszuki-chan's older brother. He's the spitting image of you."
Hideki gave a small laugh as he sat on the couch, "We get that a lot ma'am."
"My name is Kazumi Nayande. It's so nice to meet you, Hinata-kun."
He smiled at the woman as she continued to read the storybook to Iszuki and Kaoru. Iszuki leaned into Hideki as he usually did when they sat with each other on the sofa.
"It looks like your nee-san is late, Kaoru. I'll have to cook tonight." The woman said, looking at the watch on her wrist.
"Is there anything that I can help with?" Hideki stood up immediately, asking the woman kindly.
The woman looked at him and said, "You can wash my rice for me if you'd like."
Hideki followed her into the kitchen, noticing that the countertops and most other things were around the height of her wheelchair. He thought it was convenient that the kitchen was accommodated just for her.
"After my accident, my husband remodeled many parts of the house to make it easier for me to get around in a wheelchair. Still, I'm rather dependent on my daughter. She is a university student though, and is busy with part-time work as well." Nayande-san explained to him, before pointing out the rice to him.
He took it over to the sink, where he found a bowl and strainer. He washed the rice, rinsing it with the water while he collected the water in a small bowl as well. He put the rice in the rice cooker and covered it with water, then he set the rice cooker. He then placed the water back in their recycling unit.
"Is there anything else?" He asked Nayande-san. She had been watching him, and he felt as though her eyes shined with approval.
"You seem very adept in the kitchen for most young men your age."
"I did a lot of the cooking after my mom passed away," he told her quietly. "It wasn't much that I cooked, we didn't have much variety in our diets." He shrugged to her. She pointed out eggs on the counter and he brought them over to her.
"How can you handle miso soup?"
"I can make it," he told Nayande-san. He asked her where the knives were located and he started to work, chopping the tofu and scallions while beginning to simmer the broth.
He liked cooking for his brother–it was one of the few memories that he had of his mother, of her teaching him how to handle a knife and other things in the kitchen.
He smiled as he recalled her saying, "Your father is worthless in the kitchen, Hideki. I don't want you being useless to your wife."
Her comments had made him blush. At 10 or 11 years old, he was in no way interested in getting married. He was planning on becoming a professional baseball player, after all. His only focus was on baseball. His grades were decent enough at the time, but that was only because his parents would take baseball from him if his grades began to slip.
He was bringing the soup to a low simmer and watched as Nayande-san continued to make the rest of her meal from the wheelchair she sat in. She had bright pink hair that was streaked with a dark gray. Her face wasn't too old, and it wasn't too young either. She had wrinkles around her eyes from smiling. She wore a small apron over the house dress that she wore. Her hair was pinned back into a long ponytail. She was short, and slightly overweight, most likely from sitting in a wheelchair all day.
Hideki stirred the miso and announced to Nayande-san that the miso soup was ready. She smiled at him from the kitchen counter, and said, "Well, I've done almost everything else. Let's get those boys in here and they can help set the table."
Hideki went back into the family room and called for Iszuki and Kaoru, who were giggling about something they found hilarious.
"Nayande-san asked for the two of you to help set the table," Hideki informed them as Kaoru-chan groaned at his statement.
"Come on, Iszuki-kun, I'll show you where everything is," Kaoru told Iszuki.
Iszuki followed his friend into the dining room where there were dishes placed. Hideki sighed and smiled slightly as the two boys were still chattering to each other. Hideki felt a slight pain looking at them.
He'd never had a really close friend like that. All the other baseball players on his team were nice enough, and they respected him, but there weren't a lot of people that he hung out with.
And maybe that wasn't quite true.
He remembered more carefree living when he was small–around Iszuki's age. But after his mother's sudden death, things changed. All that mattered was baseball, and then taking care of his father and brother after that.
He looked up and Nayande-san was staring at him with his arms folded over his chest. "My wife said that dinner was ready. Thank you for helping her."
"Of course. It was kind of you to invite us to dine with you, especially after I broke your window."
The man's eyes lit up and his lips quirked into a smile. "We'll have to get your autograph, Hinata-kun."
Hideki felt his cheeks blush slightly at the man's words. He grinned at Hideki's reaction and said, "Come on, I'll show you where you can sit."
Dinner was a lively affair with the two younger boys in attendance. Hideki watched as both Kaoru and Iszuki giggled incessantly at times while eating their food and asking for seconds, and then thirds.
"So, Hinata-kun, tell us–you're a baseball player at the university?"
"Yes sir," he replied to them kindly.
"The same Hideki Hinata that everyone wanted to commit to their university just a few years ago?"
Hideki blushed slightly and said, "uh…"
"Stop it Ichiro, look at how embarrassed he is!"
Hideki rubbed the back of his head slightly.
"I only know because you choosing to play at a community college in Hokkaido last year was huge news to everyone. I'm a professor at the university," Nayande-san informed Hideki with a grin.
"What do you teach?"
"English literature," he told Hideki. "What career are you planning on pursuing?"
"I was thinking of engineering," he said softly. "I've always enjoyed math and building."
"How interesting," Nayande-san replied, looking at Hideki with a kind smile. She then turned her attention to Iszuki.
"And what about you Iszuki, are you a baseball player too?"
"I like soccer better," he informed Nayande-san bluntly.
Everyone laughed at that. "He watches too much baseball," Hideki explained to them. He never gets a break from watching me play."
Kaoru was slurping his miso soup and looking up at Hideki in apparent wonder.
"Well," Nayande-san said softly, "Your brother is always welcome to come and visit Kaoru."
"Are you sure about that?" Hideki Hinata replied. "I'd hate to trespass more than we already have."
Nayande-san said, "Nonsense. I love seeing Kaoru have a friend over. You just let us know how we can help. I can tell you're a long way from home."
Hideki glanced at Iszuki, who was whispering something to Kaoru.
"Thank you, truly," Hideki said to the Nayande couple. "May I wash the dishes for you? Then I'm afraid we'll need to leave."
He looked at Ichiro Nayande and said, "Please let your insurance know what happened and the amount that you need to replace it. I'll pay for the damages myself."
The man stared at Hideki and nodded. "I'll let you know. Don't be a stranger." And with that, he stood up and walked to his office.
The older woman smiled at him and said, "Now, now, Hinata-kun. Thank you for the offer to do the dishes. I'll keep those boys out of trouble until you're ready to leave."
Hideki helped Nayande-san with clearing the table and then put the dishes on the counter near the sink. He began washing the dishes, plunging his hands into the hot, soapy water. He let his mind wander while he scrubbed the plates, when the door of the kitchen opened and closed suddenly, causing Hideki to jump in surprise.
Standing in the kitchen was one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen–the same girl from his dreams. And she was staring at him!
He watched her in surprise, wondering what he should say to her, when her stance stiffened and she slowly reached for her purse. He was curious as to what she was doing when he spied a small metal can in her hand. He tried to explain what he was doing, but she yelled at him unintelligibly, and then suddenly, he felt a burning pain in his eyes as she quickly raised the spray can to his face and blasted him with the chemical aerosol.
The next thing he knew, he was covered in water from the sink, and he was forced into a headlock while a stern voice said, "Yui! That's a guest!"
"What?" The arms around his head slackened slightly but didn't let go completely. "I thought he was a burglar!"
"Why would a burglar be doing your family's dishes? Do you even know what a burglar is?" Hideki practically yelled in exasperation. He was usually a pretty patient guy, but this girl seemed like a complete moron.
This couldn't be the same girl from his dreams. His eyes were tearing up in pain. He hoped beyond hope that the blurriness would clear up before the next day.
The arms around his neck tightened again firmly.
Damn, she was strong considering how small she looked.
"Are you trying to say that I'm stupid or something?" The girl practically screeched in his ears.
"Yui–calm down. Put your mace away and please get a damp rag for Hinata-kun. We can't have him going blind before the summer season even begins," her father commanded.
"Uh, did you say–Hinata?"
"Yui–damp cloth," her father repeated, sounding stern.
"Sorry, sorry! But why is the star of the baseball team in our kitchen?"
"You'll see when you go into your bedroom tonight."
She gasped in horror.
"What does that mean? Is he a peeping tom or something?" She looked at her father, and then tightened her hold on his neck, "Or worse, did you try and steal my panties?"
"No way!" Hideki protested, still in a headlock. "Can you let me go, please? You're the one that's harassing me!"
"Oh, right." Yui let him go immediately and bustled over to a cabinet. He heard the faucet turn on and then about fifteen seconds later, he heard her footsteps walk over to him. She then pushed a damp rag into his hands.
"There. Sorry about that."
Hideki felt the cool water in his eyes. The stinging was beginning to subside. He sighed and then opened his eyes. She was right in front of him, slightly blurry, but still as cute as in his dream.
She was looking at him curiously. He didn't quite know what to say.
"That's better, I hope?"
He nodded gruffly, still annoyed that the crazy woman had attacked with her mace spray.
He took a better look at her though. It was the same girl from his dreams alright–although her hair wasn't quite as long. It was only to just below her shoulder blades. And her dress was quite conservative–a uniform actually. She looked as though she worked in a restaurant-an American restaurant, by the looks of it.
"Have we met?" She asked suddenly. "I mean, before now?"
Hideki was speechless. "I–"
"Hinata-kun, are you alright?"
It was Nayande-san, wheeling into the kitchen.
"I think I'll be fine," Hideki said to Nayande-san.
"When's your first game? Hopefully not tomorrow?"
"No ma'am, not until Thursday."
"Oh my, you're covered in soap and water though. Yui," her mother said, "Go tell your father that Hinata-kun needs your uncle's clothes. He can't walk home soaked like that."
Hideki looked up and noticed that Yui's attention was drawn to him. She had a slight blush on her cheeks and said, "Yeah, we can't have that, can we?"
Her tone was completely sarcastic and Hideki immediately blushed in embarrassment at her forwardness.
"Yui," her mother warned once again.
"I'm going, I'm going. How was I supposed to know that a strange man was visiting and washing your dishes?"
She stomped off and he spied that underneath her yellow American-style diner dress, she also wore knee-length, high-heeled black leather boots-in the middle of the summer.
After a few moments, she returned.
"Here," Yui said seriously as she handed a pile of clothes to Hinata. She peered up into his eyes.
"You have really beautiful eyes," she told him. His eyebrows raised. This girl didn't seem like she belonged in this family at all.
"I mean, when they're not all bloodshot and teary, probably." She flipped her hair at him. "The bathroom's over there if you want to change."
He nodded at her and went into the bathroom she had pointed out. He quickly dressed, now more intent than ever on getting out of that house unscathed if possible.
He folded his soaking wet clothes and as soon as he walked out of the bathroom, Yui was waiting for him.
Yui, he thought to himself. He hadn't been formally introduced to her, but there was no way that he would ever forget her name now.
She had a small plastic bag. She handed it to him. "For your clothes. Do you need a ride?"
"We'll take the bus if it's not too late, that is. Otherwise, we'll walk."
"Okay, Well, see you around then. And try not to hit any more baseballs through my bedroom window, okay?"
He nodded at her words, and then she walked past him, down the hallway, and into her room, closing the door with a click.
Yui Nayande put her back against the door of her bedroom and breathed in deeply. She cursed herself that she was wearing her super unflattering cafe uniform–it was bright yellow, with the ugliest collar and buttons. And the apron was frilly and covered in grease.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
How long had she dreamt of a young man talking to her? She rarely heard the words he said, but the expression on his face was pure adoration and love.
Was it him?
The man that she had been dreaming of since she was a girl?
She slowed her breathing and listened as she heard Hinata leave the house with his brother. She discreetly watched from her window, where she saw the broken window. Her father must have already cleaned up all the glass already.
Hinata and his younger brother walked side by side down the sidewalk, chatting quietly. The little brother reached up his hand and the older HInata grabbed it, and they walked hand in hand together.
She felt herself breathe deeply now. She tried to push from her mind the thoughts of this Hinata-kun, who was probably like most of the university athletes out there–confident to the point of arrogance, and usually womanizers. Or manizers.
Yui wondered if the word manizer could be written in the dictionary. It was true that women could be players too.
She couldn't help but recall the way that his soaked red shirt had clung to his chest and stomach, showing off his svelte but muscular frame. He had broad shoulders and his arms had well-defined muscles as well. He definitely wasn't the biggest baseball player around, but that was okay. She didn't see anything wrong with him.
Not. At. All.
Bad Yui, she thought to herself.
She quickly changed out of her uniform, intent on eating something besides fattening American food for dinner. She changed into some leggings and a T-shirt of her favorite band. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She would have some time to eat, and then she could spend a couple of hours studying before she attempted to sleep.
First, though, her parents were waiting for her.
She walked out of her bedroom. Kaoru was gone, but both her mom and dad were waiting for her.
"I know I'm in trouble for attacking a guest like that, but can I please get something to eat?" She asked, begging them.
Ichiro nodded at her and she found the miso soup, rice, and fish to eat. She reheated it quickly and then sat at their kitchen table. She began to eat as quickly as she could.
"What made you attack him?" Her father asked suddenly, watching his daughter intently.
"I don't know–a stranger in my house? Maybe that's why? Who made the soup? It tastes a little different than usual," Yui said softly.
"Hinata-kun did," her mother replied. She looked at Yui with a warm smile.
"He did?" Ichiro asked, looking at Kazumi in surprise. "I thought he was just helping you assemble things, not cooking."
"He has to cook for his little brother, I assume," her mother said.
"I see that gleam in your eyes, Kazumi,' Ichiro said, "Don't smother them. Hinata is a grown man who has full guardianship of his little brother. I doubt he wants any help."
"He's barely an adult himself, Ichiro. Can't you see that? He's not like any elite athlete I've ever seen."
"How many have we met before?" Ichiro mused to himself thoughtfully, sitting at the table with his daughter.
"Is he really that good? I've heard rumors and everyone is excited that he chose to play for Tokyo University, but still…"
"He could probably be on an MLB roster in America already. He could definitely be playing for Stanford or one of the other major universities in America as well. I heard that he had his pick of where to go, but for personal reasons, he stayed in his hometown in Engaru, Hokkaido for his first year, playing at the local community college instead. They completely obliterated the competition in their league, of course."
"Well, it seems like Kaoru and Iszuki got along quite well. I told Hinata-kun that Iszuki-chan is always welcome to play with Kaoru. Yui," her mother looked at her. "I know you apologized to Hinata-kun, but you should do something else to make it up to him."
"Like what?" Yui asked, snorting slightly at her mom's words.
"Bring him lunch at school one day."
"Mom, do you even know how big the university is? What are the chances that I'll even run into him during the school day?"
The chances, it turned out, were very slim.
Author's Note:
Thought of this story idea when I rewatched Angel Beats. I remember in the 4th episode when she hears that Hinata's baseball team is in the finals, Yuri says, "I was trying to kick Angel's butt fair-and-square." To me, this implies that Yuri knew that Hinata was one hell of a baseball player, and I just rolled with it. I love the idea that these two meet in their next life, but they're both a little different than before, because these lives are slightly different than their past lives.