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Legend of Sawamura	By : eternalstarhaven Category: -Misc Anime > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 971 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: For fanfiction. I do not own Ace of Diamond, the characters, and do not write this for money or profit. Ace of Diamond is the work of Yuji Terajima.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
~ Eijun’s POV ~

Everything about baseball he did differently. A lot of his issues came from not treating the game with respect, or valuing what his lack of experience brought to the Seidou team. As soon as he was old enough, he did everything over, school, pitching, catching, offense, defense, and studying everything he could about baseball.

He had only just begun to understand that everything was connected; for example you couldn’t pitch without someone to catch and you couldn’t catch without people on the field. The batter needed a pitcher to throw the ball, but at the same time, a pitcher could turn the knowledge they had as a batter against the opposing pitcher. Most pitchers at the middle and high school level had perhaps one or two pitches and could throw to the inside or outside. Very few could throw to all corners of the strike zone and there were a total of nine. High, mid, low, inner, and outer.

It wasn’t just about knowing how to throw a ball, but being smart and connecting with every player, knowing their hopes and dreams inside and out and being able to shoulder that responsibility, regardless of who was on the first or second string. The players that were left behind were often the ones that were forgotten and ignored.

Tetsuya, Jun, Ryosuke, Yoichi… They had all originally been members of the hopeless generation, but because of the curse, they had become something beyond extraordinary when it came to baseball. The only problem was that they couldn’t get past high school. As close as they had gotten was the first year of college, but everything had changed the moment Eijun had gotten involved.

Physically, Tetsuya was no older than seventeen or eighteen years of age, but in reality, he was over 500, having repeated the curse again and again, struggling to find the cause and solution to ending it. It had begun in his third year of high school, after he had saved a girl, but she had not been the real catalyst… It had been Eijun, who had died at around the same time as the girl, but Tetsuya wouldn’t know about that for several repeats, not until he was later joined first by Jun and then Ryosuke.

Eijun, when he wasn’t playing baseball or doing his homework, spent a lot of time in the library, going over old newspapers and crime files, trying to figure out if there was something that they were missing. Tetsuya and the others were far too close right now to see anything beyond Seidou, but when did the curse really start? Was Tetsuya the beginning, or was he someone that curse had latched onto because he was receptive to the requirements of correcting whatever had gone wrong?

Seidou, once upon a time, had had a solid reputation, having gone to nationals several times since the forming of the club. It wasn’t until Coach Sakaki became head coach that a decline in talent began to appear, but it wasn’t so much the talent as it was his approach to baseball. The strong preyed on the weak and the weak were left to fend for themselves. They either became stronger, or they were forced to quit. The ones that couldn’t leave… they disappeared and it seemed there was no explanation offered to the media or family members about what happened to these players.

Another key element that stuck out to him was how the ACE position seemed to change from one pitcher to another, over and over again, not a single one lasting more than a season or two. Coach Kataoka had managed to take his team to the nationals as the runner up in his first year, but he had turned down going professional. Why? Was it really because he had wanted to give back to Seidou or was there something else?

He tried doing a search on Coach Kataoka, but there was nothing aside from his high school baseball career and before. What happened to his college days? Where did he get his teaching certification? The head coach was a huge red flag to him, but he wouldn’t know if he was right about him until after he went back to Seidou.

First things first… He needed to set things right with Akagi Junior High and create the perfect team, to bring baseball to his friends and not leave them with three wasted years. None of them had gotten into baseball because they liked it… the least he could do was help them to understand it better so that when they went to high school, they could decide for themselves if this was the sport they wanted to continue playing, or to find something else. Second, he wasn’t going to give them false promises of playing or going to Koshien together.

He knew what kind of sacrifices it took to get there and while they could get there during middle school, there were too many teams in high school that lived and breathed baseball. Their entire purpose in life was to go to nationals. His dad still went to law school, but instead of opening a law firm in America, he stayed in Tokyo, his field of study focusing on cold case files and unsolved mysteries.

Sometimes it would take several weeks to solve one case, but he found it satisfying because it brought closure for families that wanted answers. The numbers were something Kazuya had helped him to develop and while he would miss him, he was grateful to work on them in the silence and solitude of his country barn. There was no pressure to win a game, or the fear of hitting a player in the head because of his inexperience. Eijun wanted to become a pitcher Kazuya could respect like he did Chris, but he only gave that to players that he had acknowledged as worthy rivals or equals in baseball.

In truth, Kazuya had little respect for pitchers, not when most of them ignored their catcher, the pitches they asked for, and their words of criticism when offered. Kazuya and Tanba had often clashed and it was because Tanba had refused to listen… In the end, he had self-destructed and the ACE had switched pitchers yet again. One season… It seemed that was the magical number for Seidou and the media had picked up on that fact.

Seidou couldn’t find its heart… just substitutions that flickered to life for a brief moment and then faded out of existence. Eijun knew he could change it, but there was no forgetting everything he learned and all the skills and hard work he had put in had carried over. If he got hurt… If he got killed… He was going to remember it and that was probably not something Tetsuya was looking forward to.

He could only imagine how many times Tetsuya had had to watch him die or quit Seidou, and for a while, he hadn’t even known what was killing him or why, only that he would vanish the day before the first line up. With that knowledge in mind, Eijun had agreed to his father’s request to learn martial arts, not that he ever wanted to use it. While he wanted to take responsibility for his actions; Eijun didn’t want to lose sight of who he was fundamentally and that was being kind-hearted and a positive role model for his fellow class and teammates.

Every day he would cycle through the numbers, refusing to settle for a subpar performance and bit-by-bit, he improved to such an extent that regardless of who his catcher was, the ball would connect to it’s target… That leather glove on the other side of the batter. Eijun spent most of his time coaching and managing the baseball team, hiding his talent, and taking them to nationals every season that they played.

Word began to spread about the 12 to 15 year old coach from Akagi Junior High… Who was Eijun Sawamura? When the media tried to get an interview, he was strangely never around and his teammates would say that he was quiet, supportive and a wealth of knowledge. His father had been a former, retired, professional catcher. While he did offer advice from time to time, the credit for forming the baseball team and maintaining it was Eijun’s to claim.

When Eijun showed up to Seidou, it was through general admissions. No one knew that he could pitch… No one would remember him for his big mouth and with a new mission in life, he once again made the long trip to Seidou High.

The school was empty and the students that were around were in some kind of sports club like track, baseball, or basketball and this was the week where coaches and managers recruited and conducted their evaluations. Eijun sat in the admissions office, his paperwork filled out, and a club application form in his hand.

It felt like an eternity before the head coach stepped into the office, a stack of learning plans in his hands, as well as the game itinerary for the season for his baseball team. “Sir… You have another one that just came in…” The secretary pointed at Eijun and he stood, waiting for that familiar, intense, gaze to fall on him.

The two regarded one another for several moments and Eijun cursed those dark sunglasses, unable to determine what the man was thinking. “Your application?” the head coach asked. Eijun handed it over and he read it over before filing it away inside of a folder. “Formation is at 0600. If you’re one minute late, don’t bother trying out.”

The head coach said nothing else before leaving, a piece of paper sliding across the desk towards Eijun. “Here’s your dorm assignment, class schedule and a list of the books you’ll need from the library.”

“Thank you.”

Ryosuke was probably not going to like the fact that he had randomly shown up through general admissions, but at least this way he could move around freely until morning. The irony… When he looked at his room assignment and saw the names on it… He started to laugh when he stepped outside.

~ Kazuya’s POV ~

He dreaded the start of the new year… Not only was he the opening catcher for the first string, but half the team resented him for taking Chris’s spot. It wasn’t like he had told the idiot to hide a shoulder injury and on top of that, Chris had ended their relationship. When he stepped into his room, the last thing he had expected was to come face-to-face with a last minute applicant, his books, uniforms, and dorm supplies already put away. He had taken the one empty spot on the top bunk, a book in his hands as he rested on the tightly made bed.

Golden eyes shifted over to him briefly before going back to his book, not bothering with an introduction. Kazuya wasn’t sure if he wanted to demand proper respect, or to leave it alone. Almost everyone knew who he was, no thanks to the large fuss the media had made about his debut in the summer the previous year. Now he had pitchers swarming him, wanting and demanding that they work with them, as if he didn’t have enough responsibilities on his plate.

The book in the kid’s hand was a pitching strategy guide and another beside him about various grips and finger placement. It wasn’t something he would expect a first year to read and there were a lot of stickies hanging out the sides. He could ask the kid his name, but he’d find out in the morning. Grabbing his bath supplies, he left, ignoring the gaze that tracked him across the room and out the door. It didn’t take him long to shower. He washed his hair, brushed his teeth, and went back to his room.

The kid was already gone, everything properly put away. Where would he go this late? Dinner was in half an hour, but when he arrived at the cafeteria, he saw no sign of his new roommate. The newly appointed Captain and Vice-Captain were scratching off people’s names as they entered, ensuring that everyone was eating like they were supposed to. “There’s one missing,” he heard a while later.

Tetsuya glanced at the clipboard in Jun’s hands, his eyes quickly scanning over the list of names. “Eijun Sawamura… So he did show up.”

“He arrived through general admissions about two hours ago.”

“Why wasn’t he scouted?”

“We’ll ask him later. For now, get with the dorm leads and ensure everyone’s in their rooms before lights out.”

Kazuya snorted… His dorm lead would have been Chris Taikigawa, but the third year seldom stayed there anymore. He was going out of his way to avoid Kazuya and it had nothing to do with their relationship, but the injury that had kept him out of commission for over a year. Anger… Hurt… Betrayal… These were just a small list of the emotions that he was feeling and the last thing he wanted to deal with was a new roommate.

Finishing his dinner, he left. It wasn’t like anyone wanted to talk with him… nope… They wanted Chris Takigawa. The room was still empty when he got back and while he wanted to ignore the new kid, he couldn’t… Rules were rules and if the kid wasn’t in bed before lights out, he would end up with a bunch of unwanted punishment laps in the morning.

Where would a new kid go? It wasn’t like he had prior knowledge of Seidou… did he? The early mornings and late evenings were still bitterly cold and he wished he had brought his sweatshirt. Crossing his arms over his shivering body, he continued searching for the elusive first year, not finding him until he reached the north practice field, a place where few went or hung out at, not unless they were an outcast.

Kazuya watched in stunned silence as the first year ran lap after lap, a tire tied to his waist. It wasn’t that he was fast, but that he was training when he had tryouts the following morning. He should have turned back at that point, but when the first year showed no sign of slowing down or stopping, he stomped onto the field and stood in the path he was going to run.

Eijun paused, gradually coming to a halt, his messy hair drenched in sweat. “You missed dinner and we have lights out in ten minutes.”

He glanced around, as if realizing that it was late for the first time. His gaze returned to Kazuya and without a word, he tossed him the sweat shirt that was lying on the bleachers, put away the tire he had been using and then jogged back to the dorms. “Damn it… He can talk can’t he?” No one was around to answer, but at least he was warm now.

Just before he got to his room, he heard voices coming from the vending machine. “Why did you miss dinner and what are you doing out so late?”

Pulling back, he peeked around the corner and saw Eijun… The Captain and Vice-Captain glaring at him with agitated anger. It was never a good idea to get on their bad side. These two had a terrifying reputation on and off the field and the one thing they didn’t tolerate was someone breaking the rules.

“I didn’t think anyone would care…”

“That’s absurd! Aside from that, rules are rules,” Jun snapped. “Seidou is dangerous at this hour… That’s why we have the curfew in place and on top of that, you have a long day tomorrow and you can’t afford to pass out because of your body shutting down. And why did you come to Seidou through general admissions?”

“I wasn’t scouted,” he said, as if his answer was self-explanatory.

“Eijun…” Tetsuya sighed. Kazuya frowned. He had never heard either one of them refer to anyone outside of class or on the field by their first names before. These two were anal about etiquette and the rules… How close were these three? “What’s going on and why weren’t you scouted?”

“I didn’t do anything for Takashima to notice me.”

“Didn’t you play in middle school?” Jun asked. Eijun gave him a hint of a smile, but shook his head. ‘Why?!”

“Who do you think will have the bigger advantage tomorrow? Think about it, Jun. No one knows who I am. As far as they’re concerned, I’m just a teenage coach that formed, taught, and led his team to nationals. I didn’t play, so no one will have an idea of what I can do, nor will they know if I’m good or bad. I’m just Eijun Sawamura, 15 years old, with nothing on paper. How big is your fan club now?”

“Don’t get me started on that,” the red head scoffed, losing some of his hostility. “Eijun, I hope you know what you’re doing and for goodness sake, stay out of trouble!”

“No promises, but I will try.”

“Who are your roommates?”

“Kazuya Miyuki and Chris Takigawa.” Jun and Tetsuya gave him a pained expression, but Eijun’s grin only grew.

“Try not to agitate them… please?” Tetsuya begged.

“No promises,” Eijun laughed.

After he had gone, Kazuya waited, not wanting the two of them to realize he had been listening. “He’s still as reckless as he always was,” Jun whispered.

“I don’t think he’s wrong; players that are scouted are at a disadvantage and expectations are unreasonably high. Nationally ranked players don’t mean a thing here, not when almost everyone to your left or right has some kind of achievement to brag about.”

Eijun was sitting at his desk when he entered the room. Kazuya decided he didn’t like the silence after all, not when he knew there was more to this kid than books or looks. He had eyes that could probably draw in any girl he wanted and yet he was focused on baseball and school work. At the moment he was reading old newspapers and taking notes on them. “You could have gone to any other school; why did you choose Seidou?” Kazuya demanded.

“There’s a mystery that would become impossible to solve if I went anywhere else. Besides… I have friends here.”

“Can you play?”

Eijun’s golden eyes lit up and for a moment, Kazuya was speechless. He wasn’t over Chris yet and here he was, infatuated with this first year in a way that made his blood burn. It wasn’t like Kazuya or Chris had done anything beyond holding hands or a quick kiss when they had a chance. Without looking up from the article he was reading, Eijun tossed him a ball from behind his back, arcing perfectly before it landed in Kazuya’s hand.

Pushing away from the desk, he gave him that same elusive smile he had given Tetsuya and Jun before climbing to his bed and going to sleep. Chris never came back that night and for the first time in several weeks, he was okay with it. He wasn’t alone anymore and the first year wasn’t crazy infatuated with him like everyone else.

The next morning, he felt someone shaking him awake. There were two things that Kazuya hated. First, pitchers chasing after him. Second, getting up before he’s had at least two cups of coffee. He started to snarl at the offending idiot trying to force him awake when something delicious began to filter into his nostrils. Opening his eyes, he could see a nice, hot, steaming mug of coffee in front of him and he gasped in pure pleasure. Sitting on Eijun’s desk was a small coffee maker with a bean crusher.

“You made this from scratch?” Kazuya asked in awe.

“I honestly hate the stuff, but my dad loves it and prefers that over instant.”

“Do you have any sugar?” Eijun handed him a couple of packets and before he could change his mind, he patted the bed and watched as the first year sat. Kazuya glanced over at the clock… Damn… He should thank this kid when he was more awake, but if he had slept any longer, he wouldn’t have made it to the lineup on time.

“I should get going,” he said, but Kazuya reached for his arm and pulled him back down. It had been unexpected and Eijun glanced at the hand still wrapped around his sleeve.

“I’ll go with you,” Kazuya offered.

“Is that a good idea?”

“Do you care about what other people think?”

“Not really, but the question is, do you?”

“If I gave a damn about what others thought, I would have quit baseball a long time ago,” Kazuya growled. Eijun’s gaze softened. If Kazuya didn’t know better, he would think that he saw hints of sorrow and regret in them.

Grabbing a second cup of coffee, Kazuya quickly got dressed and then left the room with Eijun walking quietly at his side. “This is really good!”

“The beans are imported from France… I can ask my dad to send more if you really like it that much.”

“Oh my god… please?!” Eijun couldn’t help it and started to laugh, startling the few players that were already gathered around the field. Kazuya slowly relaxed. Eijun really didn’t seem to care that the team was treating Kazuya like an outcast, nor did he seem interested in the fact that he was a media sensation that every pitcher wanted to work with.

~ Eijun’s POV ~

Getting to know the real Kazuya, without the hidden smirk, or the neutral expression he always had, Eijun found that there was a lot more to him. Kazuya was a guarded indivindial and he had to find a way to get that piece of himself to come out into the open. The coffee had probably scored him major points, but he couldn’t take it to mean more than what it was. He had sensed the hostility in Kazuya when he had first entered the room the day before, but it had simmered down some when he had come looking for him later that evening.

Now… he wouldn’t say that they were friends, but at least Kazuya wasn’t acting like a bear that had had his den intruded upon. It bothered him that Chris was refusing to stay on campus, especially when these two were roommates. His shoulder injury had been avoidable and Kazuya could have used his physical and emotional support. Eijun, because he had been late the first time, missed out on a lot of details.

Kazuya’s batchmates didn’t talk to him and the third years seem to hate him. It was shocking and he could kind of see why Kazuya had been such a jerk for so long. Maybe Kazuya hadn’t been ready for the first string, but the head coach had chosen him to fill a role that was too big for him.

Eijun needed to think of a way to bridge the gap between him and the other players, but how? How did he prove that Kazuya belonged on the first string, that it wasn’t luck or misfortune that had landed him that starting position? The answer came to him during the evaluation period.

He couldn’t believe how boring it was… Although, watching the others struggle, he had to admit that he had been training himself for this for almost ten years… that and he had a lot of insider knowledge from having lived this life once before. Was this what it was like for Tetsuya, Jun and Ryosuke? And to think… They had to eat three bowls of rice over and over again, rarely getting to taste anything outside of that. Maybe the cafeteria ladies would let him in the kitchen to cook something in addition to the rice, like vegetables or a broth to go with it… Some meat or fruits?

The first part of the evaluation was to see how long or far they could run. Eijun had passed that with flying colors. Not only had he gone the entire duration after the introductions had been given, but the distance he had covered was the equivalent of half a marathon. He was fast and that was where the second test came in. They had to sprint from pole to pole. As they got to the next one, they were to try and go faster than the one before. This was one of many things that Eijun hadn’t been good at the first time he had been at Seidou, but it always seemed like it was a huge advantage to the teams that had people that could get on base or steal them.

Every day after school, he had worked on base running and he had no idea how fast he was. However, judging from the stunned expressions on his evaluators’ faces, he knew he was getting close to record times. A lot of the first years looked like they wanted to drop where they stood, gasping for air and looking at Eijun as if he were some kind of monster.

“You can head over to the batting cages,” Takashima told him. Eijun nodded. She had first scouted him based on a single pitch at the end of a game that he was losing. Now she had no prior foundation to judge him on and she regarded him with interest, as if he was an anomaly she rarely encountered.

Eijun had spent ten years evaluating pitchers and where the ball would go, how he would hit it if he was the batter. It was like a game of chess, his mind working to outsmart his opponent and there was nothing more insulting or boring than having a machine trying to outsmart or over power him. A batting machine only did one type of pitch, fast and straight down the middle. He could bunt and it wouldn’t matter.

And that’s exactly what he did, deciding it was better to save his power hitting for a real game. Still, it seemed that he had caught the attention of everyone again. “A lot of players struggle with bunting…”

“That’s all I could do for awhile,” he admitted truthfully.

“Can you swing normally?” the evaluator asked.

“What’s the point if my opponent is a machine?”

“Kawagami!” The second year came running over and he looked from the evaluator to Eijun. “I’m not expecting much,” the man said, “however, I’ll humor you. You’ve excelled at running, sprinting, and apparently bunting. Kawagami, would you mind throwing a pitch or two for him?”

Eijun knew Kawagami’s arsenal at this point only consisted of an outside slider. It was often a ball or grounder instead of an actual strike, but he had improved to the point that he had been a strong contender for the ACE position in his third year. Kazuya was also called over and the two frowned, curious to why they were changing things up for the evaluation.

Kazuya regarded him for a moment, but Eijun knew at this point that all he had to do was smile and it would make the hair on the back of their necks rise, as if he was challenging them without having to say the words directly. There was no denying that Kazuya was a phenomenal catcher and he could make a play out of almost any bad pitch, but Eijun knew both of them inside and out when it came to baseball.

Stepping up to the home plate, he kept his feet even, his grip light, and didn’t move an inch. This was the worst type of batting position that Kazuya wanted to deal with, but Kawagami was limited on what he could do and with that, as soon as he released the ball, he counted to three and swung, the barrel of the bat low and aimed for the low outside, almost sweeping across the dirt as it connected to the leather ball and sent it flying over the fence.

The color drained from Kawagami’s face and Eijun patted him on the shoulder before he walked away. One pitch was enough for him to prove that he was a force of reckoning with the bat. Even Kazuya was stunned, clearly shaken at how easily Eijun had hit that. It was almost like he had predicted… wait. Kazuya remembered the books Eijun had been reading and the ones that he had on his desk. It was all about baseball theory, pitching and trajectories. There were even books about golfing and wind speeds. Damn… They had a real prodigy on their hands and he was walking over to the next station where they were working on fielding exercises. Eijun would get a chance to work through the bases, in, mid, center, and outfield.

Kazuya had to see more… There was something captivating about him and he wasn’t wrong when he watched Eijun slam the ball from one base to another and the further out he was, the faster the ball seemed to come flying back to home base. He didn’t even bother throwing to one of the other bases unless it was called for, but he never missed.

The catchers were struggling to keep up with him, even dropping the ball when it landed perfectly in their gloves. “Miyuki… The next station… I’m not saying that it’s a guarantee, but you may have to step in for Miyauchi on this one,” Kazuyoshi warned.

“Is he that good?”

“He’s the best I’ve seen in a long time and he’s holding back… I’m certain of it. Look at how he’s smiling from ear to ear. We’re not challenging him and while he does everything we ask of him, he’s making this assessment seem like a joke.”

Eijun’s balance was off the charts. He could stand on one foot, regardless of what side it was, he was most definitely a strong left hander. Next, they evaluated his pitching form and technique, a bit baffled with the wall he liked to form, but they couldn’t really say if it was right or wrong until they saw it in an actual game.

They started him with the first year catchers and that was a big mistake. Not only did he overpower them, but they refused to get back up to the plate for a second or third pitch. They were terrified of what he was throwing, unable to see beyond the wall or the release point of his fingers on the ball.

Kazuya was holding his breath… This kid… Where the hell did he learn to pitch the way he did? He was perhaps the best thing that he could possibly hope for and was there a taunting grin when a new catcher stepped up. It was like he was daring them to catch what he could throw and they would end up backing down every time. All he was throwing was a four-seam and Kazuya requested a speed gun.

When they clocked it, he couldn’t believe the numbers at first. The balls were averaging around 160-175 km/h. Eijun could do some serious damage with one of these if they ever connected to a batter or umpire. Miyauchi was one of the stronger catchers, spending a lot of his time in the weight room, but it was clear that Eijun was beyond even his skill level.

Instead of a four-seam, Eijun took him down with a change-up, followed by a splitter. The coaches had a quick discussion, all of them talking in dismay and growing concern that they had possibly the best pitcher to ever walk through the doors of any high school and not a single catcher that could work with him. “Want to try?” Eijun chuckled, curling his finger and taunting Kazuya. “I’m curious… The media likes to over exaggerate when it comes to baseball players… Are you really as good as the papers claim, or are you like I’ve been hearing all day, a substitute?” Kazuya’s eyes flared with rage, an emotion that wasn’t common for him. He never let anyone see that they were getting to him, but this comment had hit the mark and he wasn’t leaving until he had proven to Eijun and everyone else that he was indeed the starting catcher for Seidou and he had no intentions of giving it up after everything he had gone through the year before.

All the catchers and even the third years watched Kazuya storm up to the home plate, unafraid. “I’m going to let you decide where the pitch goes…” Eijun said.

“Can you throw anything aside from a four-seam, splitter, or change-up?”

“I’m not going to answer that to someone I’m not assigned to,” Eijun announced. The fury in Kazuya’s gaze increased and everyone started to back away. It was like Eijun wanted a fight with their opening catcher and while the third years bullied him a lot, he didn’t back down and if he could really do what the others had failed at, he would prove to them that he belonged with the first string.

Kazuya really was something else, Eijun thought. He didn’t make it easy, choosing locations in the strike zone that a lot of pitchers would struggle with. However, Eijun kept up as easily as Kazuya did. He could see the anger turn into curious contemplation and then pure happiness, as if Kazuya had found someone that he could acknowledge as an equal.

It was at this point that Eijun decided to throw it… the pitch that only he could pitch. Enough people were watching, training having come to a stand still as the two battled it out. So far the catcher had dominated over the first year, but when they saw the wolfish smile on his face, his eyes blazed like twin orbs of fire… The pitch was not something any of them had ever seen before and when it came flying towards the home plate, Kazuya went flying back. To his credit, he didn’t drop the ball, but he was visibly shaken. “I guess you’re not too bad,” Eijun chuckled and then he walked off, just like he had done at every other station. It was a statement that he thought Kazuya was good enough to throw that pitch, but not good enough to catch it yet.”

All the other pitchers that came after him seemed boring and untalented in comparison to Eijun. Kazuya didn’t even stick around to see them, not when most of them had only a single pitch to work with.

“I want them assigned together,” Kataoka ordered, having read through Eijun’s file. He might not have anything documented when it came to game time, but he had led a team to the nationals several times, often coming in second place. In his final season before the school shut down, his team had managed to claim the national title. This kid knew what he was doing and he didn’t cave under pressure like a lot of first or second years did when they stepped onto the field.

“Sir…” Takashima gasped. “He’s not…”

“I don’t give a damn if he’s on the first string… Do you know of another catcher besides Kazuya that can catch those?”

“Takigawa...”

“Takigawa is an exceptional player, but he’s turned his back on the team and baseball. Even if he did decide to come back any respect he might have had just shifted over to Miyuki. No one will question his spot on the first string any longer and that might have been that kid’s aim the entire time. The rumors have been spreading from the third years down to the first years all afternoon, but do you hear them now?”

“No,” she agreed. “How did a talent like his go unnoticed for so long?” she whispered.

~ Kazuya’s POV ~

The hateful glares were gone, some of the third years patting him on the back for a job well done. Tray in hand, he stood in the middle of the cafeteria, trying to figure out what had just happened. It’s like he had just gotten done playing against some monster and while he had faltered towards the end, it was clear as day that he had gone further than anyone else.

Eijun was sitting towards the back, another book in his hands. It looked like a normal textbook and he wasn’t wrong as he inched his way closer, Eijun quietly working through the problems in chapters one and two. It was like he was trying to get a head start before school started up the following Monday. “Can I join you?”

“You’re my senpai… If I said no, I would probably get an earful from the Captain or Vice-Captain.”

Kazuya started to turn away, but Eijun grabbed his elbow. “I don’t want you to take it wrong if I say yes,” Eijun sighed. “Everyone else chases after you like a puppy that’s found a new chew toy and the more you ignore them, the more desperate they get for your attention.”

“Are you chasing after me?”

“Do I need to?”

Kazuya snorted and sat, pointing at a question that he had recently worked on. “That’s wrong.”

“Wha-?”

Eijun glanced over the answer and flushed… “Damn it…” He quickly fixed it and closed the book, but Kazuya flipped it back open to the exact page he had been on and told Eijun to keep going. “You might as well finish.”

“And have you nitpick the entire time? No thanks.”

Kazuya leaned in and watched with amusement as Eijun’s ears started to turn red, as if he was hyper aware of the person sitting beside him despite his hard to get or bad boy attitude. “If I don’t… who will?” Eijun tried to say something, but couldn’t form the words… So he did get flustered? Eijun quickly wolfed down his rice and fled, Yoichi taking his place.

“It seems the two of you are getting along.”

“He’s not annoying; I guess I’ll give him that. And he can make coffee.”

“Wait… since when?!”

“Do you know him?” Kazuya asked and he could see that Yoichi hadn’t meant for that to slip. Who else on the team knew Eijun? Ryosuke smacked Yoichi on the back of the head and joined them.

“Yeah, there’s a handful of us that do,” Yoichi sighed. “Ryo… I didn’t know we were supposed to keep it a secret!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Eijun has been avoiding us and I have a feeling it’s because we’re on the first string.”

“Why would that matter?” Kazuya asked.

“He’s aware of how other players will act if they think he’s trying to use his connections to move up,” Ryosuke answered.

“I thought he didn’t care about what others think of him,” Kazuya asked.

“Eijun will never do anything that will harm another player and that little show he put on earlier… It was to shut the third year players up,” Yoichi explained. “Do you see anyone giving you a hard time anymore?”

He had noticed and at the time, he thought Eijun was insulting him. It seemed that Kazuya wasn’t as good at manipulating people as he thought he was… Eijun was even better at it and he hadn’t asked for a word of thanks.

“Anyway, answer my question about the coffee! I wasn’t aware that he knew how.”

Kazuya started to grin… He decided he could take a page or two from Eijun and didn’t say anything further on the subject. “Captain!” Yoichi shouted. “Our sneaky southpaw learned how to make coffee!”

“With real coffee beans?” Jun asked. “Wait… did he bring a coffee maker with him?”

“All of you stay away from my room!” Kazuya warned.

“Not a chance!” Jun fired back. “Do you have any idea how disgusting instant coffee is?”

That evening, the real surprise came when everyone walked in for their evening meals and found meat mixed in with their rice, a bowl of miso soup on their trays. It smelled great and the cafeteria ladies glanced at Eijun who was still slaving away behind the stove. His dad had taught him how to cook the meat, while his mom gave him tips on everything else.

It was something he actually liked to do when baseball or homework became overwhelming and hearing the happy groans outside the kitchen was enough of a compliment. Kazuya had told him about the coffee incident and that was something else he had changed and the shouts of happiness echoing around the cafeteria brought a huge smile to his face.
“Eijun, you can cook?!” Yoichi had glanced into the kitchen when he returned his tray, shocked to see Eijun still making meat and soup, leaving the rice to the other cooks.

“I figured everyone needed more than just rice in their diet, that and it seems all of you were wanting real coffee. Dad called around and several people are donating food and coffee to Seidou High.”

“Who’s your dad?” someone asked.

“Sesshin Sawamura.”

“Wait! Isn’t he the ex-catcher for the Dodgers? He retired fifteen years ago when he knocked some chick up at a party.”

“That was my mom and yeah… he did play for the Dodgers. Now he’s a lawyer that specializes in unsolved crimes or mysteries that the police have given up on.”

“I heard he’s really good,” a third year mentioned.

“Once he sinks his teeth into something, he doesn’t let up until he gets the answers he’s looking for. And he never loses.”

Kazuya, overhearing that Eijun’s dad was an ex-professional catcher, retreated. It wasn’t that he faulted anyone about who their parents were, but Chris had had a professional baseball player for a parent also. That kind of fame had ruined Chris, forcing him to hide the injury to his shoulder, letting the media dictate what he said or did… Kazuya refused to go down that path and he wondered if Eijun would become a victim just like Chris and he would rather not become friends with him if he was just going to get burned in the end.

Eijun returned close to lights out, his face filled with exhaustion. Kazuya had no idea what to get him if he hated the stuff that he was good at making. While he wanted to avoid becoming friends with him, there was no denying that he was doing a lot for the baseball club. Eijun started to reach for another textbook, but Kazuya stopped him. “You need a bath. Get your stuff and go!”

“But…”

“You’re doing too much!” Kazuya snapped.

“I don’t see anyone else stepping up,” Eijun replied back. Without further argument, he grabbed his bath items and left, leaving Kazuya standing there with mixed emotions. Yoichi had mentioned that Eijun did everything for the team, but what did that mean exactly? When he returned, he was barely awake and it didn’t take much for Kazuya to shove him towards the bed. “My alarm…”

“I’ll set it.” He seemed to hesitate, fear swirling in his eyes. “Eijun… Can I call you that?” The southpaw nodded. “I promise that you’ll wake up on time… Please, go to bed.”

“You don’t even know what time I get up…” he whispered in exhaustion.

“Formation’s at 0800, that’s all I need to know. Now get your ass in bed and stop giving me a hard time!”

“But it’s fun and you’re cute when you’re mad.” Kazuya turned bright red, his mouth opening and closing as Eijun climbed up the ladder and settled down on the mattress. There was a soft smile on his face and Kazuya was half tempted to do something he’d more than likely regret. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Did Eijun mean it as a compliment, or was that a subtle hint for something more?

The following morning, Kazuya woke to the sound of the door opening and closing. Opening his eyes, he spotted Chris grabbing his stuff and he sat up. “So you're running away,” Kazuya snapped.

“Don’t talk about what you don’t understand, Kazuya.”

“You no longer have the right to use my first name and what wouldn’t I understand? I know that you let the pressure of the media and the game get to you. No one would have taken you off the first string if you had gotten that shoulder looked at right away; instead you dumped all of it in my lap! The entire team waited for you to come back and instead of getting the help I needed from a player and friend that I respected and trusted, I get tossed aside when it doesn’t go your way.”

“Do we really need to have this fight in front of a first year?”

“I was awake with someone opening and slamming the door shut like a clumsy giant,” a voice growled. Kazuya sighed… He had wanted the southpaw to sleep longer, but it seemed that was an impossibility now. Eijun glared at Chris before hopping down and left, grabbing a uniform to take with him.

“It’s a shame,” Kazuya taunted, a cruel smile forming at the edges of his mouth. “That southpaw is exactly what we were both looking for and I won’t let anyone have him, not after all the crap you forced on me.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t want my position!”

“I wanted it in a fair game, to prove that I deserved it, not having it handed to me because you decided it was better to play through an injury than to let someone sub in for a week or two! I wasn’t ready for it and you damn well know it! You’re better than this; so why are you taking the easy way out?”

“If you want to catch bad pitches that can send you to an early retirement, that’s on you.”

“Now why would I do that when I can just get rid of that kind of player? It’s not hard…” Chris gave him a startled look and Kazuya stood, stalking up to him like a wild panther moving in for the kill. “This isn’t middle school… The strong against the weak, the weak against those that have no business playing baseball… Granted, in a game, we need to keep the ball in play, but outside where we control who starts or who plays before they even step foot onto the field… You have only yourself to blame if you had kept your mouth shut. Tanba and the pitcher before him destroyed you, but it’s not the shoulder injury I’m talking about. You can still use your left hand and arm right? So why are you skipping practice? Why are you running away like a dog that’s had its ass kicked?!”

Chris shoved him against the wall and it wasn’t like Kazuya hadn’t expected it, but it still hurt emotionally. Eijun chose that moment to walk back in to grab his glove and when he saw Kazuya against the wall, Chris towering over him, he did something that Kazuya for the life of himself would never forget.

He dropped to the ground, swung his foot out in a wide arc and before any of them could process what had happened, Chris was on his back, a foot pressed against his chest. “Don’t ever touch him like that again,” Eijun growled, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Stay out of this,” Chris snarled back.

“I don’t give a damn what your problem is, but that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on someone that literally worshiped the ground you walked on. Now I see why my dad said famous people aren’t what they seem on the surface. Touch Kazuya again and that shoulder injury will be the least of your problems.” Pulling his foot back, he grabbed Kazuya and left.

“Eijun…”

“Shut up!” Eijun ordered. “You were going to let him continue doing that without fighting back; weren’t you?”

“You don’t understand,” Kazuya whispered, his expression hiding nothing.

“Then make me understand, because that is not something I ever wanted to see again!”

Tetsuya and Jun chose that exact moment to walk out of their rooms and when they saw the twisted rage on Eijun’s face and the grip he had on Kazuya’s arm they changed their destination from the bath house to them. “Don’t get them involved,” Kazuya pleaded.

“Eijun, calm down,” Tetsyua insisted, but Eijun sent him a seething glare and he raised his hands, indicating that he wasn’t looking for a fight. Kazuya had always been a sensitive matter to Eijun and no one could ever understand why the southpaw was so determined to have him as his catcher.

“I’m begging you, Eijun. I promise that I’ll talk to you about what’s going on, but don’t get them involved!” Kazuya was begging and Eijun tried to recall the last time he had ever known this catcher to do that. The answer was never.

“Fine, but if I ever see him do that again I’ll break his other arm.” Without another word, he stormed off and all three of them watched his stiff back, and then he started to run at a brutal pace.

“You know we’re not going to let this go, so you can tell us or we go find Chris.”

“I might have pushed Chris too far this morning and Eijun came in on the tail end of it.”

“Did he hit you?” Jun asked.

“No.”

“Eijun doesn’t get like that unless someone is getting physically violent around someone he cares about.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s not a story for us to tell you about, but I’m going to ask again… Did Chris get physically violent with you?”

“He didn’t hit me!”

“No, but he was going to,” Tetsuya said. “Most of the time you’re good at hiding how you really feel, but at the moment, you’re as easy to read as a child’s book. Miyuki, believe it or not, we’re not on his side. Will you please talk to us.”

“Why? It’s not going to stop him from running away like he always does! I never wanted his position so badly that I wanted him hurt and yet everyone feels that I was the one that threw out his shoulder to the point he lost an entire year of baseball! I idolized him, but…”

“Were you two dating?” Jun asked, surprised they hadn’t figured it out sooner.

Kazuya’s swift intake of breath had him nearly running in fear… Seidou High did not welcome gay couples and he started to back away. “We’re not your enemy,” Tetsuya insisted. “Believe it or not, you’re not the only gay couple on campus or the team.”

“I’m not?”

“No,” Jun snorted, as if it was the most absurd idea he had ever heard. “A lot of the people that were against same-sex dating are gone now. That doesn’t mean we openly talk about it, however.”

“Are you two…” Kazuya asked, as if putting two and two together. They nodded and he was rendered speechless. He had always seen them together, but he just assumed it was because of their responsibilities and fierce dedication to the team. It did explain a lot of the rumors flying around the school though. These two didn’t tolerate bullying of any kind and were quick to step in when someone was getting hurt. Kawagami had been like that when Azuma was tearing into him last year. “I can handle Chris…”

“Can you?” Jun demanded. “Damn it… The head coach doesn’t have Eijun pitching today, does he?” He asked Tetsuya.

“No.”

“Thank god.”

“Why?” Kazuya asked.

“Eijun when he’s angry is the last person you want pitching… If you think that crossfire was nasty…”

“I don’t want him getting involved in this mess,” Kazuya sighed.

“And yet you won’t find anyone more loyal to you than Eijun,” Tetsuya promised and they left.

He thought he heard Jun asking Tetsuya if he was okay with how things had turned out and the Captain nodded, stating that his only desire was for the southpaw to find happiness and peace with his decisions and to live without regret.
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Legend of Sawamura