&Run

The bottom of the ninth, the score tied 6-6, they were so close. One more out and Akagi Junior High would be one more game closer to nationals. Eijun wanted so desperately to take his friends to that stage. They had given up so much for his dream, so he could pursue baseball at a middle school with no coach, let alone a team. 

Bases were loaded, the count was three balls and two strikes, all Eijun had to do was pitch one more strike. He took a deep breath clearing his system of tension and letting his heart rate slow. Eijun couldn’t afford to be nervous, he only needed one more out, just one more. He lifted his leg, thigh parallel with his torso as he wound up his arm. He knew this was his last chance, now or never Eijun, you have to do it for them he told himself as he coiled his body, a lion ready to pounce. Eijun bared his teeth as he put all he had into the last ball. He could tell it was going to be different, this time he wasn't holding back, and he prayed Nobu could catch it. Everyone held their breath as the ball left his fingertips. They waited for it to pass the batter, to land with a satisfying thud in his catcher's mitt, waited for the umpire to shout “STRIKE BATTER OUT! GAME SET, AKAGI JUNIOR HIGH!”. 

But that didn’t happen. The rattling of the chainlink fence followed by the dull thump of the ball hitting the dirt below finally broke the silence and concluded the final game Akagi junior high would ever play.

—————

Eijun tried to stay strong for his teammates, he was the captain, after all, he should at least be able to stand tall for the work they put out on the field. He should hold his head high while they stand in line for post-match formalities. But they lost, they lost their last game playing together. Eijun wasn’t going to lie to himself, he knew that all of his focus had gone into baseball and not his studies, that realistically he wouldn’t be able to make it into the same High School as his childhood friends.

  All of the hard work over the past few years, the late nights and early mornings, all of it gone, just because I couldn’t throw a strike when it mattered. How can I stand tall and call myself the ace? the captain? How could I be so naive as to think I could lead the team to nationals? Eijun was lost in his thoughts, head bowed as tears ran down his cheeks, slowly dripping off his chin and wetting the earth beneath him.

“Excuse me. Please line up.” the umpire directed towards Eijun.

It wasn’t until Wakana asked “Eijun?” leaning towards him and looking concerned, that Eijun broke out of his trance, noticing through tear clouded vision that both teams had already lined up and were waiting on him. 

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t take you guys to the nationals!” he yelled, overwhelmed with feelings of remorse. Looking around at his team, he saw tears well up in their eyes as well, both stunned by their ace’s typically smiling face, now scrunched up with tears, and his words. They knew it was far from Eijun’s fault that they had lost. If anything, he was the reason they had made it this far at all. They should be the ones apologizing. 

This moment of emotion was cut off short by the opposing team, the boys bursting out into laughter over Eijun’s heartfelt apology. 

“How could a team that can’t even catch pop flys expect to make it to nationals?” one burst out through peels of laughter.

Another keeled over, hugging his stomach he managed to get out “And one with girls on the team too, that’s just too funny”

The final nail in the coffin was the largest boy who looked Eijun dead in the eye. “We would neven lose a game to a team that’s so weak. You call yourself the ace? You couldn’t even throw a strike when you were in a pinch” he sneered.

“That’s enough,” Eijun ground out, surprisingly stoic “don’t ever talk about my friends like that.” While logically Eijun knew that violence would get him nowhere, he still proceeded to slap every member of the opposing team and the refs for good measure. He didn’t stop until Wakana pulled him away and the others were out of his sight. 

His sorrow had turned to anger and now Eijun was fuming in the locker room, as his team changed and packed up around him. In a sudden burst of frustration, Eijun punched the locker in front of him repeatedly, relishing in the feeling of his knuckles splitting open and the sting of his fist. 

“EI-CHAN STOP!” Wakana shouted as Nobu pulled him away from the lockers, restraining his hands behind his back. “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? You could have permanently damaged your hand. You’re a pitcher, who's going to go to Koshien with a better team and represent us all, you can’t afford an injury.” Wakana seethed. “Just go for a walk to the vending machine, clear your head.” She sounded disappointed, so Eijun didn’t bother saying anything else, his shoulders slumped as all the fight left his body. He lowered his head, keeping his eyes on the ground as he shuffled out of the room still heavy with tension, all of his friends standing around frozen from his outburst. 

How could I be so stupid, I ruin everything. I lost us the game, I couldn’t be strong for the team, and now Wakana is disappointed in me. Fresh tears started to well up in his eyes, blurring the sight of the vending machine a few paces ahead, and the two figures standing in front of it. Before he could turn around, It was too late. A familiar voice came from behind him.

“Oh if it isn’t ace-san, come to avenge your girlfriend” the boy who insulted him and the team from before sneered. Eijun’s fists clenched at his sides but he stayed silent, not wanting to get into a fight and risk angering Wakana more. The approach of the boy and his words drew the attention of what Eijun could now make out as his teammates. As they stalked over, their eyes flicked down to his fist to see if he would fight back. 

“Oh ho ho, what’s this?” The boy grabbed his bruised hand by the wrist and brought it up to show the others, eyes glinting and mouth curling up into a cruel smile. “Didn’t quite finish the job huh?”

“That’s okay we can finish the job for you” the first boy from the vending machine offered.

“Yes, it’s not like you were good enough to play baseball in high school anyway” the third boy mentioned offhandedly. The three boys closed in, all larger and stronger than Eijun. As he tried to twist his wrist out of the largest boy’s grip, the boy tightened his hand, making Eijun gasp in pain. The other two boys seemed to have gotten some sort of signal from him, as they began to punch and kick and yell at him. 

All Eijun could do was whimper in pain and try to shield his body from the assault. I deserve this, this is my punishment for disappointing the team. Eijun thought and could only be grateful that the physical pain had overpowered his mental distress.

Eijun remaind conscoius until a sickening crack was heard, causing Eijun to scream as searing pain washed over is hand and arm. It felt like his arm was on fire, and then, as suddenly as it began, all of the pain stopped.