Seraphic Charm

Summary: She's was an elite that seems to attract a lot of strangers. First danger then Seido's assistant coach, lots and lots of players, her school's rival team's ace but what about Koshien? Fem!Sawamura.

Pairing: Undecided.

Warnings: Alternate universe, OOC, canon similarities, unbelievable pitches, Fem!Sawamura and lots of cliché scenes.

A/N: Well hello there Diamond no Ace fanfiction readers or… writers or I dunno. I'm like really into the anime that's why I wrote this with tons of inspiration that mostly originated from my dreams. A warning though, English is not my native language so there might be a lot of grammar mistakes which are either due to my lack of knowledge or it was something that I have missed. Forgive me in advanced for that. I don't have a beta reader or proof read my stories so yeah… it's not perfect I guess. Or I'm just lazy.

And you may read a lot of things that are not real here like the Off Spin pitch which I clearly just made up to make Sawamura cool. Fanfiction is supposed to be made by the imagination okay! I want to make her… I want the heroine to be a heroine and not weak dammit. And I'm not good at baseball stuff, I just like the anime because it's awesome and… yeah.

Btw, this story includes romance. Well mostly romance because I can't write anything other than that so… vote for these guys down here on who you want to pair Fem!Sawamura with:

Miyuki Kazuya

Kominato Haruichi

Furuya Satoru

Narumiya Mei

Takigawa Chris Yuu

Sanada Shunpei

Even someone who is not on the list is allowed. Just include it in your review if you want to vote okay? So the A/N ends and I hope you all like it! Ciao~! And ohh… this story might remind you of other anime series like I dunno… Eyeshield 21? Perhaps a dash of Big Hero 6 and Naruto but ohh well, its fanfiction guys! XD Let's see if you can guess which parts I based on other anime series.

And you might be wondering why Sawamura pitches with her right hand here. She's ambidextrous in this story and her left hand is an ultimate weapon. It'll be included in the future chapters. And this is not a Fem!Sawamura X OC story okay? No need to be worried.

Disclaimer: I do not own Diamond No Ace or any of its characters. This story is purely fan made and no profit has been made.

Chapter One: The Feisty Heroine With A Pretty Face

Sawamura Eirin's eyes gleamed full of adrenaline. She was still grinning despite the heat while her opponents were nearly crawling on the ground due to exhaustion. She wiped the sweat that trickled down her forehead and unto her chin with the sleeves of her tight compression shirt. Their opponent, Narushima Jr. High was difficult to defeat and the weather was not helping any of the two teams. The last two innings were tough despite the Ojou White Knights leading on the scoreboard with the count of 6-2. This was supposed to be the last match for the graduating students but their school had traditions to uphold. The elite school's banner, the flag with Ojou's crest shaded in pearl and cerulean was visible throughout the audience while its alma mater's students cheered for the team with repetitive chants.

Ojou Academy was a very strict co-ed school meant only for elites. In order to get admitted, you need to have an average higher than 88% or else entering is nearly impossible. It also has an airtight history in the field of athletics. In the high school division, both the basketball team and baseball team have defeated other schools and are on their way to the Winter Cup and Koshien in order to represent their region in the nationals. The school had the Koshien Champion trophy for fifteen years straight and has been yet to be defeated. Perhaps next year is also the same, the graduating batch of junior high students in the baseball club proved to be talented and worthy.

All in all, Ojou was the school everyone dreamed of entering. They taught proper adequate and manners. Bu it seems like only one out of the entire school population failed to learn and do so.

"Hey! You there! Yes you! Guy with the big head! Baldy! How dare you!"

Cue the groaning of the teachers and the coach in the dugout.

"Want a piece of me? Gladly!" before everyone knew it the female's hand was already on the other team's players' face slapping him with an enormous amount of force in light speed. The said athlete was barely on his feet with his knees underneath him wobbling and his cheek now marred with a vivid color of vermillion in the shape of a hand. The offender's team members winched imagining the intensity of the pain. The crowd gaped while everyone in Ojou's dugout was panicking.

"Ei-chan! We already won! Let him off! Don't bite him!" the team's number two, Yamato Takeshi, position catcher, held the girl by her shoulders as she struggled to tackle and bite the poor guy to death. It seems like the victim said something to offend the girl who attacked him. It was probably something sexist but no one cares except for Sawamura Eirin who is unfortunately the team's ace and the only girl in Ojou White Knights therefore is the only one affected.

"He insulted the female species! Who said women can't play baseball, that dumbass! I'll shove the stick in his butt further up his asshole—"

"Ei-chan!" the vulgarity of the maiden's words were top notch and others look like they don't even care anymore. Some doesn't want to hear what she says next so they try to stop her from saying things that makes the case worse than it is any further. They're too used to this. Their ace getting involved in a fight, causing a scene, someone gets hurt, Yamato tries to calm her down and—

"Sawamura-san!"

—the teachers enter obviously.

"Are you awake of the trouble you caused to everyone? You are a disgrace to Ojou's name! How do you think people would react if they hear that our students act this way? They'll think that the school is teaching them negative values!" Eirin found herself on the teacher's lounge in Ojou. She was on the floor that was covered with crimson carpets with her legs folded in the traditional Japanese seating position and her hands on her lap while being scolded. She was scowling, muttering that she did not do anything wrong before pouting and crossing her arms.

Kami, if only she remained silent.

Most of the students including teachers know that Eirin herself has a lot of admirers. It was just that she's oblivious to it or that she doesn't care at all. Both are possible answers considering the fact that she's the number one most unpredictable student in the whole campus. Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany wood that reminded everyone of fall. It flowed and adorned her face only to end near her elbows, emphasizing her healthy-glowing skin which was not that pale or tanned. Her eyes, framed by long lashes that naturally curl at the end would make you stutter when taken in by the depths of hazel. A straight nose and doll like lips which were shaded in soft carnation pink- she seemed the picture of perfection.

The teacher wanted to scoff when she saw Eirin scratching the back of her head.

Manners. All she lacked was manners and she would be the ideal woman for all. And by manners they have attempted to teach her those since she was in grade school in the academy. It has already been more than six years and improvements have not been made. She still acts like a five year old for kami's sake! The teacher groaned. He needed to rest, he needed a vacation. Right at this moment, ASAP.

"Sawamura, you can't just pick a fight on the other team's player. This is your second time doing this and you have more than enough violations to get kicked out of the school! Do you know what that means? You won't be able to attend Ojou again. You won't be able to play baseball! What would your grandfather say when this comes to his attention?" Eirin frowned at that and clenched her fists full of her skirt. The authority closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt of lessening stress.

"I will give the Sawamura household a call later, the Principal would be the judge for your case. Whether you get kicked out or pulled out from the team, it depends on his decision,"

"Out of the team? Not even a warning first!? No other available choices!?" the thought of not playing baseball sent shivers down her spine and to the tips of her hair.

"We have given you dozens of warnings before and have told you that Ojou does not tolerate any improper repetitions. It would have been acceptable if you have committed something as petty as forgetting your homework but involving the public eye is a serious violation," she winced at his tone, it was cold and stoic. He was seriously scolding her this time.

"I hope that you are prepared for the worst Sawamura. I don't want you expecting something that might not live up to your expectations. You are dismissed," at this Eirin rose from her feet and bowed before heading towards the door with her face showing a bitter expression.

The door loudly slammed shut not because of the force initiated but because of the silence that fogged the room. The teachers in the area glanced worriedly to each other and some sighed exasperated.

"Isn't that a bit harsh Sano-sensei? I mean she did try hard this time and her grades are not a problem at all, we just need to fix her attitude a bit. Try to see everything in her perspective perhaps? She might be bothered by something," one of the other teachers commented.

"Yeah, it's cruel to suspend her from the team and getting kicked out is even worse. Both mean losing the school's top player in baseball. How about we go easy on her? She practices every day until late. I think she has great pride," another added.

Sano sadly smiled, "We have considered that a lot of times but let me remind you, this is Ojou. I also want her to remain. Talented or not the Principal is the only one who decides if she stays." The staff inside the space sighed. He did have a point.


Eirin silently walked towards her classroom. The hallway was regal, grand even. The school was designed like a palace and everything was facilitated with the uttermost care and fragility. She passed by students which were mostly female who walked and spoke with grace, a total contrast of her if she must say. They covered their mouths when they laughed and walked slowly while she was sprinting and clenching her teeth hard. She needed to get out of here. Fast. Perfection irked her to the very marrow of her bones. From afar, she saw her classmates waving at her with smiles of their faces. She beamed back and ran faster. They were her co-members in the baseball club and some of them were the female managers who she was close with.

"Dynamic Entry!" Eirin shouted when she reached the door.

"Safe!"

"It's a total out Ei-chan! Class already ended while you were at the teacher's lounge!"

"Ei-chan!" a female with chestnut brown hair exclaimed when all of a sudden the ace tackled her for a hug. "You got scolded again! And how many times do we have to remind you not to pick a fight? Seriously, no one even tried to stop you when you started to shout. They just watched and took action when you already slapped him. That does not make you innocent though," she carried on, patting the girl on the head.

"Wakana~!" the ace whined, prolonging her words. It was that bad huh? What did they threaten her with this time?

"So how mad was Sano-sensei? I bet he was as red as a lobster. Ei-chan, this was your second major offense!"

"Did he make you do extra flower arrangement and etiquette classes again?"

"He said that… I might get pulled out of the team or kicked out. Either ones are bad choices for me. Damn, I'm going to get a long speech fifty pages worth from my parents tonight," she joked, making her classmates laugh. From afar, someone stood from his seat walking towards the bunch, unimpressed. He obviously looked pissed off as his feet was tapping on the floor as if he demanded an explanation. Eirin gulped at her childhood friend's expression. "T-Takeshi," she muttered and was so sure that he was also going to scold her.

Their classmates flinched backing away a little bit from the menacing aura the catcher was showing. One by one they went out of the room leaving the two alone. It was the usual drill and everyone got used to it already. They have done this a couple of times before considering that the girl had so many offenses. They just didn't want to see their usually calm classmate Yamato Takeshi get mad and the ever so cheerful Sawamura Eirin to cry like the last time this occurred.

"It's not my fault! Well I didn't mean to get carried away like that. He made me mad and I just had to—"

"Had to what? Had to resort to violence, Eirin?" he was addressing her by her given name which meant that he was seriously not amused. The girl shook her head and became silent. "You know that this isn't the first time this happened. What did he do anyway?" he asked, crossing his arms above his chest.

Eirin pursed her lips and replied, "I got offended when he said that he couldn't believe that I was able to play baseball with you guys." At this Yamato frowned. He knew that she got vexed easily. He also knew that it was not only talent that made her come this far but also practice that did not take hours but days, months and years. Perhaps that was also one of the reasons why she got indignant towards the other team's player. "I told him sorry in the end and he accepted it so I don't know what's wrong with that. Sano-sensei didn't give me any good choices. It's either leave or leave," his expression softened at her words and he sighed.

He moved closer and patted her head, "Well we can't do anything about that anymore and I think getting pulled out is better. We know that it's only temporary and Narushima was our last opponent anyway so it doesn't matter. The coach would just ask you to come back and play in the first match next school year."

The girl blinked, "Ohh yeah, we're graduating next week. I totally forgot." Yamato smiled, grabbing his bag from his seat and Eirin did the same. "But what if I get kicked out? Isn't that bad?" he paused on his tracks at her sudden suggestion. Well there was also that but… that's it. They needed to stay away from negative thoughts.

"Not gonna happen," he started.

"But,"

"No,"

"But what if,"

"Ojou cannot afford to lose their ace don't you think so? Not after the upperclassmen graduates. You'll most likely be in the first string in our first year. They need you that much," he reasoned and she blinked, thinking about it before grinning. "And if they kick you out I'll just transfer to the school you'll go to, no big deal. Then we can join the baseball club together," this time it was her turn to pause on her tracks. Her eyes widened at his sudden acclaim and he turned looking at her as if asking what was wrong.

"You're the best friend in the whole country! No, in the whole world, heck, the universe is not enough!" she exclaimed tackling him with her arms around his waist. The boy rolled his eyes at her antics. "I won't beat up someone next time. I promise!" it was an honest and unbreakable one he hoped. She held out her pinky at him and he stared at her for a second before accepting it.

"Pinky swear," they intertwined their fingers together.

"Stamp," their thumbs brushed against each other.

"Scan" she dragged her hand on his.

"Copy," the back of their palms hit.

"High five," their palms hit.

"Fist bump,"

"Falalala—"

"Won't you hurry up," Yamato demanded and walked out of the door. Eirin grinned noticing that his ears were red. Oho, she had someone to tease. She hopped towards his side and was about to say something when he cut her off. "Don't…" he scolded her even before she started. She 'hmmp-ed' at him and muttered sentences that she hoped offended him.

Yamato had a point. Ojou cannot afford to lose their future ace just like that if they wanted to ensure their place in the nationals again this year. And if she did get kicked out, the catcher would be with her. That means losing two of the elites that were almost drafted into the national team if it was not for their age. Both were fairly popular in the field of baseball, Eirin with her unpredictable pitches and Yamato with his wits. Together they made the perfect battery. Any school would be lucky if they had any of the two. They were the star players and the future aces of Ojou White Knights after all.


Eirin walked inside the gates of their wide estate. Her family owned vast lands for farming and agriculture. They were basically rich enough to have one of the biggest houses in the village, not that they bragged about it. The Sawamuras did not like fame and attention when it came to their riches. They wanted to be acknowledged for what they were doing and contributing. She entered the house which was designed traditionally, an imperial villa with raised floors and tatami mats, wooden pillars and stone pathways, dozens of plants, shrubs and trees in the garden where fireflies dwell.

She slid the lattice shoji door open before taking off her shoes hastily, leaving them in disarray at the front door. Her grandfather was startled when he heard footsteps and from the washitsu. He stood up from his seat and walked towards where his granddaughter was, leaving the visitor who just recently arrived with Eirin's parents.

"Okaeri," he voiced out.

"Tadaima," she energetically replied before taking a detour. It seemed like she was heading to her room.

"Eirin wait," her grandfather's voice sounded stern but not furious like usual. Did the school already call? Did they already find out? Man, she was so dead. She turned around to face him with nervousness showing on her face. "Someone came all the way from Tokyo to see you so hurry up and get your ass in the living room," he turned his back and walked away.

Eirin blinked. From Tokyo? She spent the last twenty seconds wondering who it was as she headed towards the living room. She slid the door open and there was an unknown woman sitting in front of her parents. Eirin's eyes knitted in confusion before she settled down.

"I am Takashima Rei, the assistant coach of Seido Baseball club," she showed her business card towards the girl's family. Eirin merely raised a brow while her parents and grandfather was in awe. Tokyo folks were not exactly common in Nagano unless they were tourists. "I am here to recruit Sawamura Eirin if that is possible," she adjusted her glasses, raising them higher.

"S-Seido!?" Now if Ojou was known as they are always present in Koshien, Seido had also appeared a couple of times in the list making them one of the superior schools in the nation. Only that they were not present every year but perhaps every now and then. "Hey that's a rival school!" she exclaimed rather loudly and rose from her seat, exaggerating. A tick mark appeared on her grandfather's head and he pulled her back to her seat.

"Sorry for my granddaughter's rudeness," her grandfather bowed with his hands in front of him in courtesy while she rubbed her head where he just hit her with his fist. Rei sweat dropped at the scene while Eirin muttered negative things about her grandfather.

"Damn old man," he immediately gave her a glare. Ahh, there it was. Sawamura glare with cat eyes at its finest. She learned from the best it seems.

"Earlier I watched the match with Narushima Jr. High. It seems to me that Sawamura-san has untapped potential. That slap…" Eirin froze on her seat while her parents' attention was transferred on her. "For a pitcher even your slaps definitely have a real snap to them, don't they?" she continued and the student ignored the stares she was receiving. She knew that this was coming sooner or later. And she preferred the 'later' option.

"You have a lot of power but you lack control. It is something that cannot be fixed without a team. Ojou's players work as individuals and are dysfunctional. I assume that all it's worth for is pride and glory, am I correct?" Eirin's eyes narrowed at that.

"And I also assume that you're already collapsing from the responsibility? Everyone is expecting you to be the ace next year," she didn't really know how to respond on this one other than clench her fists. Her parents exchanged looks with each other as they worried. It was then when the telephone rang.

Eirin's mother rose from her seat and went to get the phone. Then the silence came which covered the living room like mist. Her grandfather exchanged looks with her as if asking if it was true and Eirin shook her head.

"Even if that was the case, do you really expect me to go all the way to Tokyo just to play baseball? I don't want to go to some struck up super strict school just to play!" Eirin loudly declared as if Ojou wasn't the most demanding school in the world.

"What!? Y-Yes we understand. Sorry for the trouble. Yes, yes we'll get her applied to another school soon—" Eirin blinked. No freaking way. There was no way in hell this was happening. This was too soon. Rei smiled as if she had expected this from the start while the boys in the room looked confused. Her mother's footsteps were heard when she ran and she slammed the sliding door open with her yes shooting daggers at her daughter.

"What did you do?"

Eirin wanted to go somewhere else. Perhaps to the koi pond and swim with the fishes for a while. Yep, definitely a good idea. Anywhere else but where she was right now would be definitely fine.

"You just got kicked out of Ojou Academy!"

Her grandfather's mouth and eyes widened in the most dramatic way possible.

Ohh, kami.

"Explain,"

"Well I kinda slapped someone a little too hard and sensei said that I was being such a drag because I was bringing the school's name down. I got scolded and he said that I should prepare because I might either be pulled out of the team or get kicked out of the school. Either way, I committed too many offenses I guess,"

"Like what? What did you do other than slap someone?"

"Sleeping in class and such,"

Rei's eyes gleamed at that, "Seido is not that strict school like you think it is. In fact students are allowed to sleep in class as long as they are able to maintain their grades." Her father groaned looking at Eirin with eyes that said 'accept it already'. Well it was a second chance and it just came knocking at their door so I guess might as well consider it.

"And let's talk about your scholarship shall we?"

The elder's eyes widened for the second time of the day, "Whoa, Eirin you're that important?"

Eirin glared at her grandfather before the older woman smiled, "Yes she is. In fact she's a diamond in the rough. Ojou is aiming for Koshien, correct? Seido's goal is also the same. We are asking you to join us Sawamura-san. Who knows, this might be your chance for a face-off with your friends and I doubt that any other rival school would be willing to scout you and go this far."

Kami, now she sounded so persuasive.

"So when can you take a look at our school? I'm sure you'll be busy with other things so I'll be most appreciative when you come at your earliest convenience,"

"No, she can come right away! She is already free from school so…" her grandfather glared at her and she flinched, guilty at demand. "I guess she won't be attending the graduation next week then. We'll be the ones to claim her diploma from her teacher privately. It would be embarrassing if a drop out returned right?" another glare.

Kami, why is she surrounded with people with such eyes?

"Say, Sawamura-san. If you're not trusting Seido's skills, how about you watch us practice?"

Her father elbowed her on her stomach as if pleading. That was twice today.

Eirin sighed before showing her trademark grin, "Sure, why not?"


The field was wide and everyone was busy doing their own thing on their places. There were more than a hundred members, she could tell. It was very intense, nerve wrecking and at the same time… exciting. Eirin gulped, so this was Seido. It was completely different to Teikoku in which the members were trained to face machines. Here, it was man-to-man, a good training strategy for experience. She had never seen this much adrenaline on others before. Behind her Rei had her arms crossed, proud of their school's students and facilities. Everyone was shouting, everyone was loud, everyone was being told to do something, everyone was allowed to commit mistakes and it made her flinch on her place. She couldn't help but laugh.

Goddamit, she wants to join.

"We take pride in our facilities hereAbout half of our players graduated from other prefectures," the student looked at the boys who were running laps around the fence. Her eyes narrowed. Some of them were known throughout their junior high due to baseball.

"They leave home in order to train in a young age of fifteen because they want to become professional major league players. Those athletes that carry such determination, I respect them from the bottom of my heart," Eirin's eyes widened and she glanced around while clenching her fist. It was as if she was in the middle of a battle field. It was rough, unpredictable and intense.

Rei pushed her glasses upwards, "What are you whispering about?" The managers who were crowding about a couple of meters away from them flinched from the sudden approach before bowing and scurrying away. The girl blinked before looking at the assistant-coach.

"You appear in magazines, in the television and on the internet. They can't help it,"

She blinked again. Wha—

Ohh she means those times she got interviewed for baseball? And those times she appeared on the internet because she slapped someone?

"And your looks… they are not entirely common,"

Eirin grinned. She was not really sure whether to be proud or be embarrassed so she just… grinned. Rei glanced at her and sighed, if she only she lowered the volume of her laugh and had more sense. It wasn't that she was not fashionable. In contrast she actually is. It was just that she preferred to be comfortable rather than look chic. Those lessons in Ojou did help her. She just did not want to apply it. A three-fourth sleeved white Peter pan blouse which had a black ribbon on the collar, a pair of pants and casual flat sandals were enough to make her pretty. Even simple pieces fitted her and Rei wasn't sure if it that because of her face, her height which was not common for girls to have or her body proportions.

Not long before she got pissed off though. Everyone was staring at her. "Oi! Go practice already dammit! I wanna watch what you guys do! Hurry up! Chop-chop, we're losing daylight!" she exclaimed and the guys winced from their places, immediately running towards their bases with hints of red on their faces.

What the hell?

Rei smiled with her eyeglasses beaming, "It looks like you are able to raise the determination of our players as well. What do you say about joining Sawamura-san? There are also dorms here made especially for baseball players."

Well now that was nice. Away from her grandfather and parents, jackpot.

"I'll think about it,"

The assistant coach nodded before giving her a push, making her enter the fence. She winced closing her eyes and when she opened them an intimidating figure was already looming over her. Eirin gasped rather obviously while those at the sidelines looked at them and stared.

She gulped before muttering, "B-Boss!" then her eyes sparkled. The man in front of her crossed his arms, not batting an eyelash. "Sugoi! Is he also a baseball player? Wait, are you the coach?" she asked taking notice of the baffled reactions she was receiving. Someone from afar whistled.

Daring.

"Why don't you test our new member Kataoka-san,"

Eirin turned to look at Rei as if she was crazy, "Ehh!? Test!?"

"What's your name?"

"Sawamura Eirin!"

"Come to the mound,"

"Yes Boss!"

"Do you have your uniform?"

"Yes Boss! Rei-san told me to bring it and so I did!"

"Good, get changed,"

"Yes Boss!"

She answered him like how a right hand man would to a mafia heir. She turned around to exit the fence and to change but before that she glanced at the assistant coach who sighed. "You can go change at the locker room, it's belongs to the boys' though," she showed her a baffled reaction. Well there was no helping it. There was no baseball club for females in Seido anyway and it was the same case in Ojou. Not that she flashed anyone. "There's no one in there, they're all here practicing," she tried to assure her but not that she minded. As long as she could change, that was fine.

"Miyuki!"

A first year with short brown hair and matching eyes ran towards the two and asked, "Yes, Rei-chan?" He had his catcher gear on and protective eye shield. It was easy to tell that he was a catcher judging by what he was wearing. But Rei-chan? You call your assistant coach Rei-chan? Seriously? Perhaps he was also scouted by her.

"Can you go with her the locker room and make sure no one walks in?"

Miyuki grinned and replied, "Sure why not! Sawamura-chan, follow me this way!" He walked leading her outside of the fence. Eirin couldn't help but blink at him wanting to ask how he knows her name. "You're pretty famous here because everyone is expecting you to be the ace for Ojou White Knights this year with Taketomo graduating. Now what's an elite doing in a rival school's grounds?" he asked jokingly with a laugh at the end of his sentence. Taketomo was a third-year pitcher in Ojou Academy and is the ace of the baseball team. Soon he would be graduating and has ensured his place on Team Japan as a relief-pitcher. Because of that, everyone is expecting Eirin to be the ace when she enters High school.

She narrowed her eyes at him and looked a bit pissed off saying, "Hey, there are a lot of pitchers in Ojou okay? There are a lot of guys there better than me. Those magazines are just exaggerating like hell. I'm not going to be the ace." Miyuki's eyes slightly widened at her choice of words. Not really what he expected from a female who's a student of the renowned Ojou Academy that specializes in intelligence and arts.

"And I'm here because Rei-san asked me to,"

"She scouted you?"

Eirin nodded, "Yes she did. She was persuasive as hell that my parents and I accepted her offer. Not that we had any other choice. It was a chance so why deny?"

"And will you accept? Will you be going to Seido?" Now this made him a bit excited. If she was in Seido then they might have a better chance on reaching Koshien. With an elite like her on the team their offence and points would surely rise. They needed pitchers other than Tanba and Kawakami anyway.

The girl shrugged, "I don't know. If I go here then Takeshi might not go with me because it's a rival school and-"

"Whoa, wait. What did you say?"

"I said that I'm sure if I'll be going to Seido,"

"No! The one after that!"

"That Takeshi might not go with me because Seido is a rival school?"

Miyuki's eyes widened and he grinned, "Takeshi? Yamato Yakeshi?"

Eirin nodded and raised a brow at him. When they arrived at the locker room for her to change she locked the door and Miyuki stood outside waiting for her. He chuckled. Yamato's name was also famed. He was an elite catcher, a prodigy who just tried and excelled at it.

"Yo! Miyuki what are you doing standing there like that?"

"Kuramochi! Matsuko-san! You won't believe who's here!"


Later after she changed she started to become nervous.

Eirin walked towards the coach with a mitt and a ball at hand, her lips pursed together. She was on the mound with the older man across her holding a mitt. No one was batting. It was simply a test to see how well her form was and how she throws. The coach was already on his position. He was crouching while she was glancing at her surroundings. Everyone paused on their tracks and their attention was focused on the two. That did not help at all. In fact that only made her more nervous. She stood out with her white and aqua-blue uniform with the number one on the back and Ojou on the front. Eirin grimaced at all the attention they were giving her.

"Hey look at her she's from Ojou. Isn't that an elite school?"

"She's Sawamura Eirin you dumbass! She's going to be the ace of White Knights!"

"Seriously? She's a female!"

The student twitched. Her grip on the ball tightened and a tick mark appeared on her head.

"Boss! When do I start pitching? Give the call!" Kataoka stared at her while she fumed. Rei who was observing placed a palm on her head, smiling.

"Throw," after a minute, he finally showed her his mitt.

Eirin grinned. There it was.

That excitement.

Taking a deep breath she held the hardball in a two-seam. She took a step forward and raised her left leg while her right hand was hidden behind her body. Then she came in forward leaning, flexibility in her stance showed. Her hand rose, ready to throw the ball when-

"Hold on!"

Eirin paused. Everyone turned around to see Miyuki with a bunch of guys behind him. They were the Seido regulars. And judging by how they looked, they just finished running.

"Kami, Miyuki you weren't lying like usual!"

"Ow! Kuramochi stop hitting me!" Kataoka just stared at the bunch and stood up as if asking for an explanation.

"I want to catch her pitch. If that is fine with you coach," the teacher looked at him for a second before stepping out of the mound and unto the dugout with his arms crossed. Miyuki grinned patting his mitt and going on position. The regulars watched on the sidelines with their attention fully focused on the two.

"Really? I was about to throw you bastard!" she growled at him and everyone that around them winced. Now they didn't really expect that.

"Ohh, really? Show me that you're a feisty heroine who's more than just a pretty face then," his mitt came to her view.

Eirin gritted her teeth at that.

"No bad feelings if you get hit okay!?" Miyuki frowned. She was not actually going to him right? Not when he does not have his protective gear on. He just took them off moments ago to run and call the others. The catcher gulped then stared at her dead on. His mitt was calling for her pitch.

The girl was slightly astonished. Yamato never looked at her like that when he asked for her to throw.

She raised her left leg for the wind-up and shifted her weight to her feet when it came to the ground.

The freaking bastard. She was going to throw a fast-ball but who cares.

She stepped with her foot to her left-

"That's too wide! She'll get injured—"

Bam.

The ball was in Miyuki's mitt, looking as if it has been there the whole time.

Eirin grinned.

"Was that?" Rei asked, baffled and amazed by the scene.

"A cross fire pitch,"


Eirin sat on the train looking out of the window heading Nagano. The sky was shaded in crimson and the color of daffodils. It would be very dark soon and she hoped that she was in their home's garden with the fireflies because it was so boring to just sit around. It took about two and a half hours to reach her hometown from Tokyo by train. She'll probably arrive around seven. She took out her phone and sent a mail to her parents, informing them what time she'll be arriving so that they'll be able to include her in dinner and not like the last time she went home late due to baseball practice. Her eyes narrowed when she saw her inbox and call logs.

[12:27 A.M, February 25, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-Ei-chan are you absent? You didn't show up earlier and now its lunch time. Don't skip classes okay!

[6:15 P.M, February 25, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-You were marked absent by the teacher. Now that you mention it, Sano-sensei didn't call out your name during homeroom. Ahh, don't tell me you got kicked out!

[8:43 A.M, February 26, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-Hey, you're scaring me. At least reply!

[12:40 A.M, February 26, 2016] [WAKANA AOTSUKI]
-Ei-chan are you sick? I'm taking notes for you so go back to school soon!

[5:30 P.M, February 26, 2016] [WAKANA AOTSUKI]
-Mi-chan and I are expecting to see back tomorrow! It's going to be basketball for P.E. by the way. And we have a test so you better not miss out!

[8:43 A.M, February 26, 2016] [WAKANA AOTSUKI]
-I failed the test earlier and now its recess. When are you coming back Ei-chan? Is your cold that bad? Stay dehydrated, okay?

[5:40 P.M, February 26, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-You were absent again. You don't even reply back. Hey is something wrong or are you sick?

[8:32 A.M, February 27, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-Are you mad that I teased you about you getting kicked out? I'm sorry okay? At least reply.

[8:37 A.M, February 27, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-I'm going to your house later. You're never absent for three days straight. You're too stubborn for that.

[4:48 P.M, February 27, 2016] [WAKANA AOTSUKI]
-Ei-chan get well soon! We are all worried. The classroom is really silent without you! Like… literally.

[5:42 P.M, February 27, 2016] [YAMATO TAKESHI]
-What's going on here Eirin? Tokyo?

Eirin gulped at the last message she received.

8 missed calls [YAMATO TAKESHI]
2 missed calls [WAKANA AOTSUKI]
2 missed calls [SAWAMURA EITOKU]

Eirin sighed. She was avoiding her classmates for a reason. She didn't think that it would get to this point though. Also, it looks like the teachers refuse to tell them that she was already kicked out of the school. Perhaps, they want her to be the one to tell them first or they were waiting for the 'go-signal' from her parents. It wasn't exactly sure that she'll be attending Seido anyway. Throwing her head back she leaned on her seat. Then her phone rang.

Yamato Takeshi.

She gulped before taking the call.

"Hello-" it looks like the person on the other side of the line was very pissed off that he decided to cut her off.

"So did you have fun in Tokyo?" she never heard him like this before. His tone was low, dark and it was as if he just found out that something bad really happened. The catcher was usually calm and collected. He was always smiling and he was never sarcastic. He was not like this. Not like death has just chilled over him.

"…" silence was her only reply.

"You didn't tell us that you actually got kicked out Ei-chan. Heck, you were already looking for a new school and ignored us for days. You weren't even replying to Wakana and I had to go to your house and ask your grandfather where you were," if Yamato was in front of her right now she could imagine him scowling with his hands on her hips like the mother hen he is to her.

"I'm sorry," her reply made him groan on the other side of the line. She made an apologetic face, one which showed how guilty she was.

"And then?" she blinked at that and wondered what he wanted to hear from her next.

"Did you accept their offer? They scouted you right?" he asked making her whimper in anger a bit. That damned Eitoku-jiji!

She shook her head as if the other line could see what she was doing and replied, "I haven't thought about it yet. Dad wants me to accept the offer but I want to go to a school near Teikoku so that I can still see you guys."

"Well that's nice but Seido's a good school Ei-chan. A lot of major league players graduated from there. Teikoku's alumni once faced off with Seido in Koshien a couple of years ago and it was difficult to defeat them,"

She exhaled a halted breath on his words, "D-Do you want me to go there?"

"Well I want you to stay in Teikoku but you're already kicked out and Seido is giving you a chance so—"

Eirin flinched a bit when she heard someone sob. The cry obviously belonged to a toddler. She stood up from her seat a bit scared because earlier she was the one riding on the passenger's car and they haven't stopped on a checkpoint yet. She assumed that it was a ghost but deep inside was hoping that she was wrong.

"Ei-chan? Ei-chan what's wrong?" Yamato sounded desperate on the other side of the line while forgotten.

The girl got out from her seat and walked towards the girl who was crying near the door that separated the train into sections. Judging by her appearance she was about two to three years old. Her hair was shoulder length coal and she had chocolate-brown eyes much similar to her friend Wakana. Eirin bended down to her level and tilted her head to the side not brave enough to touch because she was obviously a stranger in front of the child's eyes and she didn't want to make things worse or make her scared.

"What's wrong?" she tried to sound as kind and friendly as possible.

The girl sobbed. She covered her eyes with hands that curled into fists and replied, "O-Oni-san…"

Eirin glanced around and noticed that no one seems to be looking for a lost child because they were literally the only ones there. She concluded that she might have come from another side of the train and got lost which she doesn't know how. "Let's go look for your nii-san," she said taking the girl in her arms and carrying her. The student might have not noticed but she unconsciously put her phone in the pocket of her pants.

"What's your name?" she patted the girl's head and wiped her tears away. Fortunately it seemed to work because she immediately calmed down but still sniffled a bit. Eirin sighed out of relief. Thank kami-sama. Now if she wasn't that of an expert when it came to femininity or manners she definitely did know how to look after people.

"Y-Yuka," the girl replied through the gaps of her whimpers.

"There, there Yuka-chan. What does your nii-san look like? I'll help you look for him,"

She must have made the right decision because as if automatically the girl beamed at her. Well that was fast. This might be easy. The train is not crowded anyway. Heck, it's isolated here.

"W-Well he's very tall!"

Or not…

"What else Yuka-chan?" Eirin was already on the other side of the train which of course was also empty. There were not a lot of people going somewhere else during workdays after all.

"Nii-san and I have the same hair color! We're cousins!"

Well, time to look for a tall nii-san with black hair.

"He's the same age as nee-chan. You can be his girlfriend!"

Ehh.

W-What!?

"Y-Yuka-chan!?" Eirin started to stutter. What was this toddler saying!? Is she really three years old? How fluent! She could feel the heat in her face starting to rise. She has never been in this situation before! "Err… what else? What does he look like?" it might not be obvious but she's trying to change the subject.

The little girl smiled, "He's very athletic because he plays baseball!"

Eirin blinked. Talk about coincidence.

"And he's very popular but he's never had a girlfriend before," she leaned in as if suggesting something. Ohh, kami. The player just wanted to find 'nii-san' right away. She glanced around and noticed that someone from the other side of the train seemed to be in haste. Perhaps he was looking for something… or someone.

"Is that your nii-san, Yuka-chan?" she looked at the male and the child followed.

The girl smiled and exclaimed, "Nii-san!"

Well the guy must have noticed because he immediately ran towards them when he saw who called.

"Yuka! You got me worried for a second," he sighed out of relief when the girl went to his arms. His hair was damp and sweat trickled down his face. His voice was hoarse as if he was tired. Eirin grinned. Well at least Yuka found her cousin. "Where did you go? I thought I told you not to leave your seat!" he was scolding her in a tone that was not harsh or brash. It was more… kind and worried I guess? It was totally different to how Eirin's grandfather reprimands her.

"Well you fell asleep and I wanted to go to the bathroom. I didn't want to wake you up because you're tired from baseball practice," Yuka's head lowered and the male frowned crestfallen.

"And nee-chan helped me anyway!" she turned to Eirin who and smiled.

"She's really nice!"

Said 'nii-san' glanced at her before bowing as a greeting and Eirin did the same in return. "I'm Sanada Shunpei, thank you for helping my cousin… uhh…"

"I'm Sawamura Eirin, nice to meet you," Well at least she was able to apply what she learned at Ojou. She was well-mannered right? Only to strangers I guess.

"You're from Ojou," he unconsciously blurted out before blushing and realizing what he did.

Eirin laughed.

And they talked to each other all the way to Okegawa's stop where Sanada and Yuka had to get off. The child looked a bit sad. She wanted to talk more and she knew that if they got off they'll be riding the bus where it'll get quiet again and she'll have no one else to talk to.

"You're not going to ask her email address nii-san?" Yuka asked, a bit pissed off at the fact that all they talked about was baseball. She liked it a bit though. Eirin blinked and so did Sanada who in the end awkwardly laughed. "Our schools might be facing each other in the future," she added trying to sound as persuasive as possible.

And ohh kami who knows what happened next because they did exchange each other's email address.


Eirin stepped out of the train and the station with her cheeks flushed. She spent the rest of the hour thinking about what occurred when the two left. She was in a daze which never happened before and she herself knows that she should be wary because it's already dark and her house is still far away. Who knows what lurks in the shadows, perhaps ghosts or those yokai in the stories that her grandfather tells her before bedtime. She expected anything.

But not her childhood friend Yamato Takeshi who obviously looked pissed off.

His appearance only made it worse. His short pitch-black hair and piercing blue eyes made him look like a shinigami waiting to reap the souls of the dead. His arms were crossed and he had this scowl on his face which made Eirin immediately freeze on her place.

"It's rude to hang up on someone, Ei-chan," he smiled at her and that tick mark on his forehead didn't exactly help her feel better.

Eirin huffed and placed her hands on her hips before replying, "Well I had to help a lost crying child find her brother so it couldn't be helped. I was occupied on helping someone." And talking with 'nii-san' it seems. She gulped not wanting him to remember that she forgot calling him back.

"Well it makes others worried. At least call me back next time," he walked besides her and they strolled along the road which they were very familiar to. It was the path they sauntered every day since elementary school. They've known each other since forever and their families were close. It was the very same reason why Yamato entered the baseball club despite the fact that he was not that good at it. With her help and practice he was able to accompany and stay with her.

"By the way, I want you to do something," he pulled her by the hand and dragged her to the nearby park which was now isolated. Eirin panted as she was not exactly sure what her childhood friend was up to. She just stared as he took out mitts and a hardball from his backpack. So that's what it was for huh.

Eirin blinked and raised an eyebrow at him when he threw the mitt and ball at her while he crouched down after he created distance between the two of them. "Throw me the pitch that you've been working on recently," it was not a request. It was a demand. And judging by the look on his eyes he was dead serious on this one.

"What's up with this all of a sudden?" the girl asked as if protesting but still positioned her feet on the ground. Yamato grinned at her as if challenging and she twitched. That irritation disappeared when he replied though.

"I… want to catch your pitch one last time before we graduate," as if crestfallen his voice was soft and sad. They were graduating next week huh. On March 4 and she wouldn't be able to attend because she's a drop-out. Eirin narrowed her eyes at him before moving and digging her feet on the ground.

"Which one?"

"The modified slider,"

She looked at him with silence for a second before sighing.

Slowly, she raised her left leg and shifted all of her weight to it when it landed on the ground. Her hidden right hand rose behind her and the ball suddenly showed spinning to all directions like a maelstrom with fast moving speed only to get caught by Yamato who had his mitt above his head.

Her childhood friend smiled and he lowered his hand staring at the object as if his hand was hurting. "Unpredictable and destructive as ever. No one will be ever to catch that in Seido," he tossed her the ball and she laughed remembering Miyuki. Ohh, kami. The bastard made her blood boil.

"It's almost as fast as Satoru's fastballs," this time she pitched down in the middle.

"Satoru?"

"He's also going to Seido it seems,"

Eirin paused on her tracks.

"Not Ojou?" she raised a brow at him and he nodded.