<15> The Seniors

Chapter 15: The Seniors

That Day

Eijun threw a total of 104 pitches, and Haruichi hit 76 of them.

Although Haruichi managed to hit most of the pitches in their training sessions, it only deepened his respect for Eijun. "Just hitting the ball isn't enough," he thought. "It needs to be more precise and meticulous."

Thus, this peculiar pitcher-batter combination continued. Watching from behind the scenes, Ryousuke, who always kept an eye on his younger brother, smiled knowingly at the sight.

One day, as usual, Eijun headed off to practice batting with Haruichi.

On the way, he encountered Miyuki and his group.

Spotting the mischievous bespectacled catcher among them, Eijun instinctively tried to avoid him but was quickly intercepted.

"Yo, dumb-mura! Off to practice batting?" Kuramochi teased, noticing Eijun's attempt to sneak away.

"Yeah..." Eijun reluctantly replied. Ignoring Kuramochi wasn't an option; otherwise, he'd be roped into wrestling practice back in the dorms. Begrudgingly, he acknowledged him.

"You're really putting in the effort, huh? Looks like we'll need to step up too," Yuuki said with an approving smile, happy to see such dedication in his junior.

Embarrassed by the praise, Eijun scratched his head awkwardly and grinned at the seniors. Seeing this, Miyuki's mischievous side emerged.

"Well, he is just a clumsy pitcher, after all," Miyuki quipped.

"What did you say?! You're no better—a third-rate catcher who leads batters into their strengths!" Eijun shot back.

It was the first time someone had called Miyuki a "third-rate catcher," leaving him momentarily speechless.

Kuramochi couldn't help but chuckle; with Eijun around, there was always something entertaining.

The rest of the group laughed as well.

After all, Miyuki had a reputation for teasing others mercilessly, so seeing him on the receiving end was a rare treat.

Considering he started it, the outcome was all the more satisfying.

Eventually, it was the kind-hearted and gentle Kawakami who stepped in to diffuse the tension.

"Welcome to Seidou, Sawamura. Since the training schedules are split, we haven't had much time to talk, but it's great to see your energy. Back when I joined, even basic training was tough for me."

Eijun stared at Kawakami's cheeks, puffing slightly as he spoke, and suddenly had a revelation.

"Ah, it's the squirrel senpai! I'm from the countryside, so my body's always been pretty strong," Eijun said with a grin.

"I'm Kawakami, not 'squirrel senpai,'" Kawakami replied, both amused and exasperated by his junior's straightforwardness.

"Right, Kawakami-senpai! By the way, I saw your performance during pitcher-batter training—it was amazing. Your control is so precise even with that posture!"

"R-Really?" Kawakami, shy from the unexpected compliment, smiled bashfully as if surrounded by blooming flowers.

"Yeah, Kawakami's control is indeed excellent, and his pitching is very stable," Tanba, the team's ace pitcher, chimed in.

Receiving praise from both the ace and a promising junior left Kawakami feeling euphoric.

Being admired by both a rising talent and the team's ace was a unique and uplifting experience.

"Kawakami's control is definitely impressive. Sawamura, you should learn from him," Miyuki interjected, trying to steer the conversation back to himself.

However, Eijun either didn't hear or deliberately ignored him, turning instead to Tanba.

"Tanba-senpai, you're so cool too! My baseball coach told me your curveball is ranked among the best in Kanto. As expected of the ace—so awesome! I'd love to throw breaking balls too, but my coach said I need to wait a bit longer."

Being stared at by Eijun's sparkling eyes and hearing such heartfelt praise made it difficult not to feel flattered.

Kawakami could only sympathize with Tanba.

Despite his stern appearance, Tanba was Seidou's shyest member. Maintaining a composed expression, he awkwardly replied:

"Well, it's just passable—not that great. My stamina isn't as good as Kawakami's. But if you're interested, I can share some tips about throwing breaking balls."

Watching Tanba struggle with his emotions, Kuramochi silently commented to himself: Tanba-senpai's face looks so twisted right now.

"No matter how strong a curveball is, a good fastball is what really brings it to life," Miyuki added, trying once again to join the conversation. But Tanba and Eijun continued to ignore him.

Seeing Miyuki get sidelined once more, Kawakami could only shake his head.

Miyuki had a knack for provoking everyone, unlike Eijun's unintentional antics.

He seemed to enjoy tiptoeing across people's emotional minefields.

If it blew up in his face, well, he deserved it.

Completely unbothered, Kawakami joined in on the Tanba session.

"Hey! There's a meeting about tomorrow's expedition—what are you guys doing here?" Isashiki's booming voice echoed from afar, as reliable as ever.

"Well then, Sawamura, good luck with your training. We'll head off now," Kawakami said.

The seniors had to prepare for the upcoming expedition, so the conversation had to end, even though Eijun wished he could chat with Tanba and Kawakami a bit longer.

As they left, Ryousuke intentionally lagged behind and whispered to Eijun:

"I'm counting on you to take care of my foolish little brother."

Eijun stood frozen, watching the seniors walk away under the moonlight.

Their laughter seemed even gentler in the glow, growing hazy, like the reflection of the moon on water—beautiful but fragile, as if it might shatter upon approach.

Later, Haruichi noticed that Eijun was unusually quiet during batting practice. Normally loud and energetic, this was the first time Eijun had practiced so silently.

"Eijun-kun, are you okay? You seem out of it," Haruichi asked, concerned.

Eijun didn't look at him but continued swinging the bat. After a moment, he finally spoke:

"I came to Seidou once before. That time, I saw what real baseball looks like. Back in junior high, our baseball club wasn't professional—it was more like a casual hobby club that gathered because of me. Even so, I wanted to take them to Nationals. But after that visit, I realized how naive I was. The thought that we could never make it to Koshien filled my mind. At the same time, I secretly hoped I could come to this place and work hard alongside everyone."

Haruchi Kominato watched as Eijun's calm expression turned to one of shame. "Eijun-kun must really want to be with his teammates from junior high," he thought. Yet, for some reason, an inexplicable bitterness crept into his heart. "But we're teammates too."

Eijun began, "But my teammates told me I have talent—that I could go further. Even though they wanted me to stay with them, they didn't want to hold me back. They wanted to see me shine brighter, so I came here as their representative. But honestly, I've never understood what talent I supposedly have. Even after coming here, I've felt lost. My coach, however, told me that it's okay to feel uncertain. As long as I keep moving forward—keep walking, keep running—I'll eventually see the path beneath my feet. So I'm willing to give everything I have to make it."

"Why are you thinking about this now, Eijun-kun?" Haruchi asked, starting to understand Eijun's feelings but confused as to why they were surfacing at this moment. "Are you homesick?"

Eijun lowered his gaze, his voice quieter. "I talked to the seniors today, and seeing them reminded me of my teammates back home. I betrayed them by leaving, carrying their hopes to come here. But… can I really live up to their expectations?"

Haruchi could feel Eijun's mood suddenly shift, the usual energetic boy now steeped in self-doubt. He realized that maybe none of them truly understood the real Sawamura Eijun, who was more sensitive than he let on.

"You must have been really close with your junior high teammates," Haruchi said softly. "Being trusted by everyone must feel great, but also exhausting, right? Eijun-kun, are you happy here? At Seidou? Carrying those promises?"

Eijun was caught off guard by the sudden question but paused to reflect. Coming to Seidou had indeed made him happy—the environment, the strength of the baseball team. Though he missed his old teammates, being trusted and relied upon brought him joy.

Looking at Haruchi's gentle expression, Eijun nodded.

"Yes, I'm happy. Very happy."

Seeing Eijun's sincerity, Haruchi smiled—a brighter, more cheerful smile than his usual shy one.

"Then isn't that great?"

Eijun realized that his sudden bout of pessimism was unwarranted.

He already knew the answer, so what was there to be so hung up on?

Laughing loudly, he exclaimed, "Alright! Guess I just have to give it my all! Hahaha!"

When Eijun returned to the dorm, still in high spirits, Kuramochi was already there playing video games.

"Senpai, are you slacking off? You're back earlier than me!"

"Hah? What'd you just say, you little punk? Talking back to your senpai?"

Kuramochi tackled Eijun with a playful yet firm "lesson of love," only letting him go after Eijun banged on the floor, begging for mercy.

"Done with practice? Wanna join me for a game?"

"Not yet! I haven't done my flexibility training. I got caught up with batting practice."

"Seriously, what are those crazy moves you always do in the dorm? You're practically twisting yourself into a pretzel."

Watching Eijun change and start his bizarre stretching routine, Kuramochi was impressed, though he'd never admit it.

As an agile shortstop, he had decent flexibility himself, but Eijun's movements seemed almost inhuman.

"You sure you don't want to join the dance club? They'd totally welcome you."

"I'd never! I'm in the baseball club! Why are you always trying to shove me into other clubs, Senpai? Do you hate me or something?"

Faced with Eijun's wide, accusing eyes, Kuramochi felt a twinge of guilt.

---Maybe I do tease him too much.

But unwilling to drop his tough-guy act, he silenced Eijun with playful aggression.

Later, during their gaming session, Kuramochi even went easy on Eijun, smirking at how easily the boy's mood improved.

---This idiot's way too easy to cheer up, he thought, sneaking a glance at Eijun's bunk later that night to adjust his blanket.

A few days later, Eijun received a package from home, as if his thoughts had reached his family and friends.

Inside were jars of Sawamura Mom's homemade rice seasoning, a training manual from Grandpa Tanaka, and several notebooks from Wakana filled with study notes.

Kuramochi's envy was palpable, but he wasn't the only one.

Even Masuko from the third years was jealous.

After all, he'd only gotten a small taste of Sawamura Mom's rice seasoning before, and it was truly delicious.

Fortunately, Eijun had prepared for this, asking his mom to send extra.

He generously gave each dormmate a jar, even sharing with Haruchi, who struggled with eating meals.

Masuko, touched by the gesture, offered Eijun one of his treasured puddings in return.

The two bonded over dessert, passionately debating which pudding flavor was the best.

Kuramochi, watching them from the side, couldn't understand how a chatterbox and someone who communicated mostly through notes could get along so well.

---Not that I'm jealous. Definitely not jealous.

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