<4> Fury

Chapter 4: Fury

Eijun watched as his teammates regained their spirits, their energy palpable as they laughed and pushed forward together.

They surrounded his younger self at the center of it all—joyful, carefree, and hopeful. Yet, deep down, Eijun knew the inevitable conclusion was one of heartbreak.

Riding their high morale, they managed to suppress their opponents' attempts to counterattack.

But as the game wore on, the opposing team started hitting more and more confidently.

Balls soared into the outfield—fly balls to right field, foul balls to left. The other team grew stronger with every hit.

By the sixth inning, the cleanup hitter landed a decisive hit, completely overturning the game.

The scoreboard's shifting numbers felt like a heavy weight crushing the fragile hopes of the Akagi team.

Still, Eijun stood on the mound, trying his best to encourage his teammates, like a ray of sunlight breaking through cracks in the stone. Warm, yes, but painfully faint.

His teammates, standing behind him, couldn't help but feel the distance growing.

The boy they had grown up with, the one who had helped create their baseball club, now seemed out of reach despite being so close.

His back on the mound looked tall and proud, yet so far away.

The looming reality of their likely defeat weighed heavily on them—they weren't exceptional players, and they had always known it.

Breathing heavily, Eijun leaned on his knees, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

---It's suffocating… My throat burns, sweat keeps pouring… It's so frustrating. But my arm can still move. My hand can still grip the ball. My legs can still stand. And most importantly—I'm still on the mound. I can still pitch!

Eijun lifted his head, his honey-colored eyes still glimmering with hope.

He looked toward Shin, who was crouched ahead of him. Shin had always supported him, never refusing a request for a pitch despite being afraid of pain.

Behind him, he could hear Wakana shouting encouragement, her voice cracking from the effort.

Even without turning, he could imagine her face flushed red from yelling.

This is enough, Eijun thought, raising his gaze to the sunny sky, shielding his eyes with his glove. "The weather's great," he murmured to himself.

---With them, I have everything I need. So, don't get in our way! We're going to Nationals!

His honey-colored eyes locked onto Shin's glove as he raised his arm high and hurled the ball forward with all his strength.

Big Eijun shut his eyes, unwilling to see what happened next.

That pitch—the one that opened the gates to Seidou—was the same pitch that buried his three years of middle school baseball.

It mocked him, as if saying: Look at how weak you are. You can't even win a first-round game. Nationals? What a joke. You can't do anything.

The umpire's voice echoed loudly: "Game over! Teams, line up!"

Standing silently on the sidelines, Older Eijun watched the scene unfold.

The winners laughed in celebration, while the losers, strangely, didn't cry.

It was only now, as an observer, that he noticed this.

Back then, his teammates hadn't cared about winning or losing—they had cared about every moment with Eijun.

All except for one: the pitcher who refused to leave the mound, unable to accept the end.

"Player, please join your team," the umpire called out to young Eijun, admiring his spirit but reminding him that every game has a winner and a loser.

Wakana tried to gently call him back as well. "Eijun…" But then she saw him silently crying, his shoulders trembling as he bit his lip, his resolve crumbling.

"I'm sorry!" he choked out, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to contain himself.

The memory of his wild pitch replayed endlessly in his mind—missing Shin's glove and slamming into the backstop net.

---We promised to go to Nationals together. We promised to give our school one last honor filled with memories. And now, because of my bad pitch…

Eijun clenched his teeth, his tears falling steadily as the world around him grew faint. "I couldn't take you all to Nationals," he whispered hoarsely.

"Eijun…" Wakana's voice trembled, tears threatening to fall from her own eyes.

"Ei-chan!"

The opposing team, already lined up, couldn't help but sneer at the sight before them. Some even laughed openly, their voices full of mockery.

"Hahaha! What's he even talking about?"

"A team that can't catch fly balls or field grounders thinks they can go to Nationals? What a joke!"

"Isn't Akagi Middle School closing soon? Were they just trying to make memories?"

"No way we'd lose to a team with girls on it. Know your place!"

Eijun listened to the taunts and sneers directed at him and his team.

Quietly, he turned to face the opposing team. With tear-filled eyes, he looked down at his left hand and muttered, "This is the soul of Akagi Middle School."

He raised his hand high, casting a shadow in the bright sunlight. The opposing players stared dumbfounded at his hand until—

"Damn it!!!" Eijun's roar erupted, and chaos broke out on the field.

"Ei-chan!"

Slap!

"Ahhh!"

Slap slap slap!

"Stop! Stop it, student!"

Slap slap!

And so, Akagi Middle School's final game came to an abrupt and infamous end.

...

In the aftermath, Sano stood in front of a kneeling Eijun, tears streaming down his face as he tried to process the disaster. His angry words poured out like a flood.

"You idiot! Do you even realize what you've done, Eijun?!" Sano exclaimed, flailing his hands in frustration. "Not only did I get scolded by the opposing coach and parents, but their players glared at me, too! And you—YOU slapped the umpire AND their players a total of 12 times!"

He groaned, holding his forehead. "Three years of middle school baseball, and THIS is the legacy you leave behind? Really? How does that make sense?"

Eijun, kneeling respectfully, nodded seriously. "You're right, Sensei. Your criticism is justified."

Seeing Eijun's earnest expression, Sano faltered. "Wait, what? Are you finally reflecting on your actions?"

Eijun, with absolute seriousness, said, "It's truly shameful that we lost to a team like that."

Sano's jaw dropped. He felt utterly defeated by Eijun's ability to miss the point entirely. "No! I'm not talking about winning or losing—I'm talking about THE SLAPPING!"

At this, Eijun blinked, his expression shifting to one of sudden realization. "Oh, that!"

"Yes, that!" Sano shouted, nearly at his wit's end.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Eijun laughed sheepishly. "My bad, hahaha."

Sano, for some reason, felt his anger dissipate. With a sigh, he pulled out a chair, turned it around, and sat facing Eijun. "You've worked so hard as team captain to lead everyone this far. I don't want to say this, but this incident might affect your chances of getting into a good high school."

Eijun, startled, looked at his coach with surprise. Then he broke into a confident smile. "Don't worry, Sensei. As long as I have a bat and a ball, I can play baseball anywhere."

Sano's glasses slipped slightly down his nose as he stared at Eijun in disbelief.

"Isn't that how we've always played, Sensei? With whatever we had?"

Looking at Eijun's carefree and oblivious demeanor, Sano couldn't bring himself to voice his deeper worries. "That's… not what I meant," he muttered.

At that moment, the principal appeared at the door, overhearing their conversation. He stepped inside and nodded at Sano, who quickly stood to greet him.

"Principal!"

The principal turned his gaze to Eijun. "Sawamura, if you truly love baseball, you must follow its rules. Even if you were standing up for your teammates, violence is never acceptable."

Hearing this, Eijun froze. He stared at the principal, then lowered his head, deep in thought. After a moment, he softly replied, "I understand."

Sano watched Eijun with a mix of emotions, unsure of what to say.

Seeing the usually free-spirited boy like this made his heart ache.

But under the principal's gaze, Sano could only sigh, deciding to let the matter rest.

Suddenly, Eijun popped his head out from behind the doorframe, a wide grin on his face. "I've already reflected, so I'll be heading out now!" He waved cheerfully, pulled the door shut, and bolted off.

"Stop right there, Eijun!" Sano yelled after him, furious once more.

"Ahahaha!" Eijun laughed as he ran further and further away.

The principal placed a hand on Sano's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Let it go, Sano."

"But—"

"That boy said he wanted to leave a mark for our school before it closes. He practiced late every day for that goal. Honestly, I'm really proud of him," the principal said with a warm smile.

Sano froze, then sighed, unable to argue with that sentiment.

Sano stood by the window, watching the principal reflect on the events leading up to the game.

With a mix of exasperation and nostalgia, he grumbled, "Hmph, that kid was always making me organize practice matches and book buses at the drop of a hat. And when they won, he'd demand I take them out for barbecue. My wallet was always empty because of him."

Remembering those days, Sano felt like crying. "Honestly, I should be thrilled I'll never have to be dragged around by that kid again."

But his tone softened as he continued, his voice growing hoarse with emotion. "He only did that because his teammates were looked down on. That last game… it was so typical of him."

Meanwhile, Eijun stood silently, staring out the window, his mind replaying the final pitch of the game over and over.

Three years of middle school baseball, and not a single win to show for it.

Older Eijun wandered through the now-desolate school grounds, overhearing the principal and Sano's conversation.

Watching the familiar faces of the teachers who had always supported him, his heart ached.

In his twenty-some years of life, Eijun had met so many kind and supportive people who had gone out of their way to help him.

And yet, he felt like he had repaid none of them.

Instead, he had betrayed everything, returning now to the very place he had once abandoned.

Leaning against the doorframe, Eijun gazed at the clouds drifting in the sky, their shadows spilling through the window and casting faint outlines across the room.

Maybe it's true—if you never have something, you'll never feel the pain of losing it.

...

"Ei-chan!" His teammates greeted him cheerfully as he returned from the teacher's office.

"They finally let you go?"

"Was Sano-sensei mad?"

Looking at their worried faces, Eijun smirked confidently. "He was furious, absolutely fuming. It was so annoying—I barely escaped!"

"Wow!"

Wakana crossed her arms and calmly interjected, "With what you did, won't it affect your chances of getting into high school?"

Eijun blinked in confusion, her serious tone catching him off guard. "What are you talking about, Wakana?"

"What are you going to do now, idiot?" she asked, resting her chin in her hand. Though her tone was blunt, her eyes were filled with concern. "You never think about the consequences of your actions."

Hearing Wakana's words, the other boys, who had been laughing moments ago, also grew worried.

"Hahaha, what's with you all?" Eijun laughed as he slung his arms around two nearby teammates, trying to lighten the mood. His sudden burst of energy startled everyone. "Don't worry about it! I'll go to the same high school as all of you."

"That's not the point!" Eijun let go and turned to face his friends. With a serious expression, he declared, "Even if our school merges with another and the name Akagi disappears, as long as we stick together, the spirit of our team will live on. The dreams we couldn't achieve in middle school—we'll chase them together again!"

"Ei-chan…" His friends looked at him, their hearts moved by the determination of the boy who had always pushed them forward.

Fired up, Eijun clenched his fist and shouted, "Wait for us, Koshien! We're coming to conquer you! Wahahaha!"

"And then what?" Wakana coolly interrupted, throwing a metaphorical bucket of cold water on his fiery speech. "If you're not taking the admissions test, how exactly do you plan to get into high school? The one we're aiming for has a pretty high academic requirement, you know."

Eijun froze mid-laugh, his vibrant energy draining away as he seemed to transform into a grayscale sketch.

Wakana sighed, realizing Eijun hadn't thought things through at all. "Honestly, your grades are the biggest problem right now."

Eijun turned to his friends, hoping for an ally, but was met with disappointment.

He quickly realized he was the only academic underachiever among a group of secret overachievers. "Wait… since when have you guys been studying?!"

"Uh, everyone studies, you know?"

"Seriously? I only got as far as fractions in math."

"Well… that's way too late."

"No, it's not too late at all!!!" Eijun shouted, his voice filled with sheer desperation.

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