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Sawamura collapsed in a game.
The message marked the start of Miyuki Kazuya's sufferings.
Sawamura, are you okay?
Are you sick?
Tell me.
Sawamura, I miss you.
None of them were answered.
Kazuya decided to check whether Eijun had been cheating on him. It ended with a slap on his face.
...So you really hate me now?
He told Eijun that their relationship was over.
"...Sorry," was all he heard as he walked away.
Kazuya watched Team Seido go all the way into the Nationals Championship.
Furuya was ace once again, finally fulfilling his dreams.
Sawamura was never seen on the mound.
Clang!
Damn it.
Clang!
Where are you now?
Clang!
Don't just disappear like that!
Baseball gave all the things Kazuya needed. Tasks. Teammates. Distractions. Reliefs.
But...
Cutter. 2-seam. Changeup. 10.
"Miyuki, what's that sign for?"
Kazuya snapped out. What did he just...?
He looked at his fingers, and shook his head.
"Sorry."
Slider.
During fall the next year, rumours of former legendary pitcher returning rushed Kazuya back to Seido.
"Sawamura Eijun? That pitcher?"
"Didn't he just gone?"
"Sorry Miyuki-kun, but the rumours were wrong."
"Sawamura-senpai is not here."
He left the school empty-handed.
One of the perks of being a pro player was that he had connections.
Kazuya was flipping the graduation album when he saw a very familiar face together with Okumura, Kuki and Asada's – shorter hair, bags under eyes, tired yet very gentle smile.
They tricked me!
Instead of confronting whomever responsible, he persuaded the vice principal to give him Sawamura's home address.
A loud cry welcomed Kazuya's arrival at the Sawamura's residence.
"I'm sorry, but Eijun hadn't been home since last summer," Mrs. Sawamura sniffled, a baby clinging on her. "I'm so worried..."
Mr. Sawamura hugged his wife tightly, face solemn. "We dont know where he is. Poor this child," he said, cooing the baby who only cried louder. "He really wanted to see his uncle very much..."
The air of grief tugged hard at Kazuya's strings. It felt too much like... like his family.
"I'll find him," he said. "I promise."
The flip side of being a pro player was, even if he had connections, they weren't always useful.
Furuya and Kominato said they lost contact with Sawamura. The coaches did not know where Sawamura went after graduation. The alumni had no idea either. The reporters couldn't sniff anything. Okumura glared angrily at him.
Youichi raised an eyebrow. "Nephew?" he asked. "Isn't Sawamoron an only child?"
The next time Kazuya visited, the baby was gone.
Being a raising baseball star meant Kazuya received a lot of unwanted attention. Among them were anonymous phone calls, and he always ignored them.
Among the missed calls he received, one of them lasted only for a second.
As always, he did not call back.
Okumura joined his team in spring.
Was it him, or did Okumura's murderous glares intensify?
Kazuya never attended the reunions. He was busy with practices and matches.
Even if he did attend, Sawamura wouldn't be there.
On the eighth year since their breakup though, Miyuki received news from Kominato that Sawamura would attend.
He cancelled everything on the day's schedule.
Kazuya froze in his place when a very drunk Sawamura hugged him.
"I'sh Miyuki-shenpai in the flesh!" the man slurred. "I mish you!"
Sawamura...
Everything about Sawamura had changed. He was too light, too thin. All the muscles disappear, he wasnt as loud, his gaze softer, his touch delicate. He looked too fragile to handle.
And yet...
"Miyuki-senpai, I love you!"
Had his love remained unchanged since then?
He woke up only to learn that Sawamura had disappeared once again.
Dont run away from me, he declared. I won't give up!
xxx
Sigh.
Eijun stared at his account statement. The numbers decreased really fast. He had no idea that child-rearing allowances for Eiko would be so little.
5,000 yen only?
He knew he needed to switch to a full-time job quickly.
The other account book remained untouched, only to be used during emergencies.
"Sawamura Eijun."
Wakana narrowed her eyes, her glare enough to make Eijun shift uncomfortably.
“This is your kid?
Eiko giggled happily on Wakana's lap.
“To think you actually gave birth to Miyuki's kids," Youichi started, "I'm sure he'd be shocked! Hyaha!"
Eijun pouted. "...Shut up."
Sometimes he wondered, did he really love Miyuki?
A look on Kazu and Eiko's sleeping faces, Yes, yes, I still do.
But... will he accept this me?
In the morning, Eijun went to work, Kazu went to school, and Natsu took care of Eiko.
In the evening, Eijun was still at work, while Kazu, Natsu and Emi played with Eiko.
At night, Eijun and Kazu both took care of Eiko.
Kazu joined the school's baseball team. He had no idea how to play; Eijun never taught him baseball. He joined in anyway.
The test was long throw, and Kazu threw the furthest among the kids.
He was immediately accepted.
Scribble, scribble.
Scribble, scribble.
"...Mom, can you teach me baseball?"
Silence.
Looking up from his schoolwork, Kazu saw a face with mixed reactions.
The news about Kazu wanting to play baseball spreaded like wildfire.
Natsu forced her cousin to teach the boy and his friends every weekend. (They were scared of him.) Chris taught Kazu basic exercise routines.
Haruichi taught him about batting. Kuramochi taught him fielding.
Eijun gave Kazu a smartphone with an app installed. "It was my first teacher," he admitted sheepishly.
In the evening, Eijun was still at work, Kazu went to practice, Natsu and Emi played with Eiko.
At night, once Eiko fell asleep, Kazu studied baseball via Pawapuro.
On Kazu's tenth birthday, the big family played a mini-game of baseball in a reserved stadium.
Kazu was the batter. Eijun was the pitcher. Koushuu offered to catch.
Even with years out of practice, Eijun held true to the "Seido's legendary pitcher" title.
The first pitch was basically a meatball. Kazu hit it deep into the left field. Next was a 2-seam; it was a grounder to the third. And then a straight fastball to the inside, which he struck out swinging.
Kazu failed to hit anything afterwards.
The mini-game escalated into a heated battle between pitchers: Eijun, Satoru, and Hiro. Kazu yelled, "It's not fair!" Eiko laughed happily.
It was a day filled with fun and nostalgia.
Kazu chose to be shortstop.
"Uncle Mochi's plays are cool," was the reason.
"Kazu, you look like Miyuki of the Giants! Can you catch?"
"No."
He loathed catching.
One day, he'd grow up and outshine that person.
xxx
Kazuya, aged 32, strolled in the remote area of Nagoya City. He'd play a game against the Dragons the next day, so here he was, enjoying the evening scenery.
There were kids shouting in the field below, sounds of metal bat clanking filled the air. Sandlot baseball? Must be nice...
"Miyuki-senpai!"
Memories of big grins, golden eyes, mischievous smiles, determined expressions replayed in his mind. It's been too long, he realized. He should have let go by now.
But still...
"Papa."
He looked down to meet huge amber orbs. "Papa," the little girl called.
Kazuya kneeled down. "I'm not your papa, kid. Are you lost?"
"Papa," he girl insisted.
He sighed. Maybe he should search for her parents?
The girl started chatting with him as they walked. "Mama likes to watch you on TV," she said. "Mama does it in secret, but Eiko knows."
Oh, so her mother's a big fan of mine? Kinda troublesome.
"Eiko--!!"
Kazuya's steps halted. The voice was really familiar to him. Could it be?
His eyes met the nostalgic, lovely golden orbs, once again.
"...Sawamura..."
"Miyuki-senpai..."
The kid ran towards Sawamura."Ah, Eiko! Don't wander away like that!" he scolded.
Kazuya couldn't help feeling disappointed. Oh, so he's already married... "Is this your kid? She's looking for her mother," he told Sawamura. "You should go find her--"
"Why?" little Eiko asked. "Mama is here."
Huh?
"Mom, did you find Eiko--" a boy, a spitting image of him, trailed off.
"Kazu-nii-chan!"
The girl ran to the boy, who narrowed his eyes in suspicions towards him.
What's this? What's with these kids? He looked at the younger man, who started fidgeting. "...Sawamura?"
The younger man scratched the back of his head, gazing elsewhere. "...Actually, I am the mother..."
Wait, what?
Does it mean... the father is...?
xxx
The secret is out.
But... what's this feeling?
Is this fear? Hope? Which one is it?
-to be continued-