Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the long wait. Here's the tenth chapter of my story!

Xkagaminex: Yey for sports animes! I really recommend Diamond no Ace and Yowamushi Pedal. They're great!

Kaiser Arts: I'll explain everything in this story, it will just take time! You're right about the teddy bear, it's the same in the school idol festival.

Tohki: Thanks for liking my story! I'll focus on NozoEli here, but who knows? I'll try and get some character developments for the other members and maybe I'll put some KotoUmi. :D

Chapter 10

The sun was slowly setting as the Otonakizaka baseball team was finishing up their daily practice. They were getting ready for their first practice match of the year with Kitazono High School and most of them are all pumped up for the incoming game. The bond and chemistry between the team are slowly, but surely getting better as their daily practice pass by every day. As they were organizing their baseball gears to their storeroom after a tiring day, one of the first years happily said to them, "Let's eat some ramen on the way home, nya~!" Rin said, still energetic even after all their training.

The rest of the team happily agreed as they felt that a good bowl of ramen will surely end their day on a good note. However, Nozomi and Eli declined the invitation. "Sorry girls, I need to help out at the shrine after this." Nozomi apologetically said to them. "Maybe next time?" She added, seeing their sad faces.

Eli also sighed and said to them, "Me too, I still have to do something important at the student council. I'll come next time."

"Well, it can't be helped since Eli-chan is the student council president and has bigger responsibilities. Nozomi-chan too. Anyway, just join us next time okay?" Honoka said to the rest of the team.

After waving them goodbye, Nozomi and Eli looked at each other and smiled. "Sorry Ericchi, for making you do all the work."

Eli shook her head and patted her shoulder as she replied, "It's just some paperwork that needs signing. I'll be finished before you know it."

Nozomi lowered her head before nodding. She waved goodbye to Eli before she made her way to Kanda Myojin, where she works as a shrine maiden. Eli, on the other hand, went back to the school building to finish the remaining papers that hadn't finished signing for this day. Balancing life with her studies, the student council and the baseball team was tough but somewhat rewarding. She knew and felt that she wasn't back a 100% from a year ago so tried her best to keep up with the daily practice and do some additional training at home.

As she entered the student council, Eli made her way to her desk to see the remaining work for today. Tired from the practice from earlier, she plopped down her chair and yawned before starting her work. She saw the little pile of paper in front of her as she proceeded to sign those who need signing. At the back of her mind, she thanked Honoka's friends, the baseball managers for helping around in the student council, thus lessening her work.

With only just less than an hour, she surprisingly finished her work earlier than what she has anticipated and she fixed her things up before leaving the school.

Nozomi was feeling bored after finishing all her duties as a shrine maiden at Kanda Myojin earlier this day. Same with Eli, she was still feeling sore after their daily training at their baseball club since she also haven't practiced that hard since a year ago. Lounging on her bed, her mind wandered on her past and some people.

Even as a kid, Nozomi was transferring from school to school. She can't help it; her parents' job requires them to move from one place to another. However, there was one thing that kept Nozomi happy even though she was always leaving her previous place after a short time. It was baseball. Her father was a huge baseball fan and he was glad that his daughter was the same. At one point in time, the Toujou family household stayed at one place for more than a year. Her parents enrolled her in a little league team just two blocks away from her home so she can make friends. And with that, her story with baseball began.

Nozomi tried different kinds of positions, but she was a natural as a pitcher. The coach was thrilled when he saw Nozomi throwing some fastballs at one time in their training. The team was a small one, based on a small town in the Kansai Region, so there were a few players who joined the team, and even fewer, the most important positions in a baseball team such as pitchers.

The team was slowly recognized in the town as they moved forward tournament by tournament and the locals slowly filled the stands as they made their way on one national tournament. And then one day, five years ago, on a bright spring day, she glimpsed upon a blonde-haired girl with eyes as blue as the ocean walking through the hallways of the stadium. She stopped in her tracks as she saw the girl with a smile that could light up a dark snowy day. And when the girl noticed her looking, their eyes met and she didn't know that meeting will be one of the firsts that they will have together with each other.

A small grumble exited Nozomi's lips as she slowly opened her eyes through a bright light coming from her bedroom lamp. She tiredly wiped her eyes as she realized that she must have fallen asleep earlier. She looked at her bedside clock and saw that she must have fallen asleep for only 30 minutes. Realizing that she promised that she would call Eli over 20 minutes ago, she frantically searched for her phone and called her house. After some ringing, a voice answered on the other side, "Ayase residence, who is this?"

"Arisa-chan? It's me, Nozomi. Is your sister at home?"

"Ah! Nozomi-oneechan! Sorry, Onee-chan left earlier. She said that she has to go somewhere tonight. I thought she was with you though…" Arisa worriedly answered back at her.

Nozomi chuckled at Arisa as she answered, "Don't worry Arisa-chan. I think I know where your sister is right now. I'll look for her right now." She replied as she said goodbye to Arisa.

The sounds of baseballs hitting metals bats were heard inside a batting center in Akihabara. Several people ranging from high school students to office workers were inside the different batting cages hitting out balls to the other side of the establishment. Inside of one of those batting cages, a blonde-haired girl with a perfect and elegant batting form hit a fastball out into the nets. As she saw where she hit the ball, she blew out a breath as she wiped down sweat forming at her forehead. She put down the bat that she was holding and sat down in one of the chairs inside as she gulped down her bottle of water. She rummaged down her bag as she looked for her coin purse; she wanted another round of hitting the balls. For 300 yen, she could practice hitting about another 28 pitches. But as she did that, she heard a chuckle behind her. "E-ric-chi~" Someone familiar called her from behind.

Surprised, Eli looked behind her and saw her best friend waving at her, "Nozomi! What are you doing here?" she asked her, still shocked at the sight of her friend.

Nozomi laughed at her best friend. She was the only person who could see this side of her. In front of other persons, Eli has a cool and smart aura around her, but with Nozomi, she could see the dorky and clumsy side of her. "Ericchi, I knew you were here." She paused for a bit before she continued, "Stupid me, I fell asleep earlier and forgot that I promised to call you earlier today. And when I called at your house, Arisa answered the phone and said that you left and went somewhere. And I just knew in my mind that you were here."

Eli stood from where she was standing, faced her, and said, "You and your intuition. It's getting late though. You shouldn't be here."

"And you should be here at this time?" Nozomi retorted back at her. "And as I can see, you're still going in for another round at hitting the balls." She added.

"I need to practice my batting. I'm holding the team back because I lacked practice." Eli said as she proceeded to go at another round at the batting center.

Nozomi was silent for a bit before saying, "… Fine then, I'll wait for you right here. You shouldn't walk home this late at night alone. You'll stay at my house tonight since its closer. I'll just call Arisa-chan to tell her this."

As Nozomi said this, Eli swung at air as a ball passed by her. She looked back incredulously at her best friend and faltered as she saw Nozomi's serious face. "…Fine. You win." Eli said as she puffed out her cheeks in defeat.

Nozomi sighed and sat down at the bench behind the batting cage of Eli. She really admired Eli's batting form, she thought as she observed her from behind. Batting was one of Eli's forte, and Nozomi's weakness. At first, she really didn't know why Eli is so adamant on batting as of late but she realized that her best friend is still caught up in the past. That's why even though her batting is still in top form; Eli was convinced that she wasn't.

As her best friend continuously hit the ball, her mind wandered to her dream earlier. No, it wasn't a dream; it was a memory from a long time ago; one that really stuck on Nozomi's mind for years to come. Today, her friend's striking blue eyes carried the same vigor from five years ago. However, that went away for a while last year. Her usual bright ocean blue eyes that she loved darkened and dulled for the past year. Her best friend shunned herself from her and from the thing she loved the most. Nozomi then shook her head, trying to stop herself from thinking more about the depressing past. At least now, Eli was starting to smile again. She thinks that was the reason that she went with what Eli wanted today. She can't bear to stop Eli from doing what she loved after this past year.

After Eli finished hitting the balls, she exited the batting cage and went in front of her best friend. Realizing that her friend was daydreaming, Eli waved her hands in front of her friend while trying to get her attention, "Nozomi… Nozomi!"

Nozomi jumped when she heard her friend. "Nozomi, are you alright? I've been calling you five times already."

"Ahaha~… Sorry, Ericchi. I was just thinking some stuff." Nozomi said as she stared at her best friend's ocean blue eyes. "…You know Ericchi, I really like your eyes…" She unknowingly whispered out loud.

Eli blushed up to the tips of her ears as she heard what Nozomi said. She straightened up and puffed her cheeks out as she embarrassingly said, "Mou! You're always teasing me like this! Come on, let's go home." She said as she walked out of the establishment.

Nozomi, on the other hand, also blushed as she realized that she said that out loud. "I think I'm getting sleepy for me to say things out loud." She said to herself as she tried to calm herself down. She then smiled as she stood up and followed Eli outside. Clinging her arms to her best friend, Nozomi said to her, "I'm really glad I met you Erichi~." Eli continued to blush as they both walked to Nozomi's home for tonight.

A/N: Thanks for reading guys! I'm really excited for the next episode of love live sunshine (Hope to see more Kanan though) :(