Sawamura opened his eyes. He turned around his bed and looked outside the window. It was dark. He put his hand under his pillow and pulled out his phone. It was 9:35 pm. He guessed, that all the boys were still practicing somewhere.

"I hope, I can join them." He murmured.

Sawamura felt cold. He thought he should go straight back to sleep. In his sleep, he had pushed aside the blankets and it had fallen down on the floor. Sawamura rose up to grab his blankets and instantaneously, his head hurt again. It's like as if someone was trying to squeeze his skull. The brain-eating amoeba.

He put his hands to his head and bent as low as his knees. He suddenly felt something in his throat so he got up and got out of the dorm room and run towards the Seidou's comfort room. Sawamura's entire body was aching, he dragged himself to the sink. Stood there for a moment or two looking at his own self. He's really pale and thin now.

"Ughhh!" Sawamura threw up.

He rinsed immediately his mouth and came back to dorm room and to his bed. He lay down covered in his blankets, shivering. Sawamura was having fever again. He spent most hours in his bed. He didn't even attend class today and evening practice. Sawamura begins humming a song until he falls asleep. Suddenly, he felt someone shaking him.

"Wake up, Eijun-kun!"

When Sawamura opened his eyes, he saw Haruichi in front of him.

"Huh? A game... with seniors?" Sawamura said in a low voice.

On Friday, Seidou baseball club played their own game without permission and approval of the head coach. That game would be the last for Sawamura. Chris volunteered to umpire the game. From the third year's dugout, Yuki was watching Tanba, warming up.

"Everything's okay?" Chris asked.

"I'm not sure." Yuki answered.

"What if..." Chris hesitated as if he wasn't sure what he was going to say. "What if something happened to him?"

"That concerned me too. I talked with him this morning, and he's not feeling well but Sawamura said he's fine and smiled at me." Yuki said.

"I will take the responsibility, if something happened." He added.

"Okay." Chris nodded.

Now and then Yuki glanced toward the first and second year's bench. He's really worried. Miyuki frowned and looked at Sawamura. He was in the dugout, writing up the batting order but he suddenly dropped the pen on the floor. Miyuki picked it up and gave it to him. It was hard to tell whether Sawamura was okay or not.

"Thank you." Sawamura said.

Miyuki laughed, "Who are yeh? You never thanked me for anything I ever did!"

"Idiot." Sawamura smiled.

After a while the Team B infielders took their practice and then the Team A took theirs. People are watching, gossiping and wondering why there's such a game like this.

"Is this a practice game between upperclassmen and underclassmen?"

"Maybe? But where's the head coach?"

"Takigawa Chris Yu as umpire?"

"What the hell?"

A few minutes later the game began. Kawakami on the mound for the Team A, took his time. The infielders were giving him all the verbal support they could.

"Go, Kawakami-senpai!"

"Relax, Nori!"

First batter, Ryosuke. Kawakami toed the ball, stretched and delivered. A bunt down the third base line. Kanemaru seemed to be taken by surprise, he started after the ball too late. By the time he got it and throw to Maezono, Ryosuke was there. Yuki's team was given a hit.

"Come on, guys. Keep on your toes!" Sawamura shouted as he tried to make himself heard over the field.

"Shut-up, Bakamura!" Kuramochi yelled.

"Don't force yourself to shout. You're not okay." Furuya said, sitting beside Sawamura in the dugout.

"Aren't you mad at me? For not choosing you as starting pitcher?" Sawamura asked but Furuya didn't reply immediately.

So, Sawamura looked toward the third year's dugout. Just as he thought, nearly the entire of his senpais were serious.

"A run in inning! That's enough to beat those brats! Come on!" Isashiki yelled as he fix himself in the plate.

Then, another bunt and again toward third, Kanemaru fielded it. He started to throw to Haruichi, then Haruichi throw to Maezono.

"Out!" Chris yelled.

"Damn it!" Isashiki groaned.

Masuko the next hitter drove a hard grounder to short. Kuramochi fielded it, throw to Maezono.

"Two Outs!" Chris yelled.

The next hitter Yuki tagged a long one to left center that went for a double, scoring Ryosuke. Kawakami struck Seidou's ex-captain out. Unbelievable.

"That's okay captain Yuki!"

"Captain Yuki!"

Miyuki was upset that they called Yuki as their captain when Miyuki was actually the current captain of the team.

Next, the Team A. Haruichi was the only one who managed to get a hit in the bottom of the inning but he got out on second base.

Yuki's team picked up another run when they came to bat.

"Let us beat those spoiled brats! Come on!" Isashiki yelled.

Suddenly, Furuya was boiling mad. All he ever wanted was to pitch but he can't.

"Can't someone knock a foul ball right square into Isashiki-senpai's big mouth?" Furuya muttered.

Miyuki laughed, "Haha! Let him enjoy himself. Our laugh will come. Remember, He who laughs last-"

"Laughs best." Sawamura finished.

"Right! I'll give my best now so watch me." Miyuki smiled to his team.

Miyuki start. He took a called strike, then two balls. Then, he leaned into a low pitch and drove it solidly toward deep left fielder Sakai. It kept going and going and going and a home run. The smile on Sawamura's face as Miyuki crossed the plate was the first smile they all had seen in a long time. Probably, it would be the last bright and beautiful smile they would ever see from him.

"Look at Sawamura, guys." Yuki said.

They all looked in Sawamura's bench and they started to smile too.

"Kazuya Miyuki as usual!" The people cheered and clapped.

"Okay, our senpais' ice is broken. Let's keep it cracking." Sawamura smiled.

Sawamura's team was playing. Toujou hit a high one that pierced the sky, then came down only to be caught by the second baseman, Ryosuke.

"Ohhh..." Furuya said.

In the middle of the game, it wasn't long before Sawamura started getting really sick again. He had a temperature and a constant cough. He was taking fever reducer and antibiotics before the game but it didn't seem to help. He started coughing so hard that he started seeing stars. The boys suddenly stopped playing when they heard Sawamura coughing and went to the bench. The crowd started worrying too.

"Is that Sawamura Eijun?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with him? Is he sick or something?"

"Look! He's so pale!"

The gossip continues like there was no tomorrow.

"Uhmm, are you alright?" Furuya concerned.

"My throat was so itchy... don't worry." Sawamura lied.

"Are you sure Eijun-kun?" Haruichi asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Sawamura lied, again.

Yuki frowned, "Tell me if we need to stop this ga-"

"No! please Yuki-senpai resume the game. Please..." Sawamura said.

They nodded and back to the field.

"Okay, guys! Continue!" Yuki shouted.

Furuya watched Sawamura for several seconds but Sawamura didn't even glance. Busy wiping his mouth. Then Furuya started to speak.

"Actually, I really wanted to play. But I'm not mad at you. You're the coach here so I trust you." Furuya said, staring at the field.

Sawamura's eyes going wide, before a smile spreads across his face. Shocked, but flattered.

"Thank you, Furuya." Sawamura smiled, "I want to play, too... as a pitcher. I always imagined myself walk and step to the mound again. Grab and toss the rosin bag. Raise my arms and throwing pitch then scream as long as my throat can!"

After that, both of them didn't say anything, they were both smiling.

Kanemaru catch a slow ball to the ground and throw to the shortstop, Kuramochi throw it to Kawakami who got a loud hand from the people. Minutes had passed, the score was tied at 2 all.

Ryosuke tried to bunt the first pitch and missed. He took a ball then hit a hard grounder back at Kawakami. Kawakami tossed the ball to the first baseman Maezono for an easy out. The next batter Isashiki hit a high foul ball over Miyuki's head. Miyuki caught it. A hit and error put two players on, but Kawakami struck out Masuko for the third out.

"What?!" Masuko screamed.

"Yahaa! What happened to that run an inning, Isashiki-senpai?" Kuramochi yelled across to Yuki's team's dugout.

"Tse! We'll pick it up the next time!" Isashiki smirked.

"Okay, Kaneda." Sawamura started. "Take shortstop in the place of Kuramochi-senpai."

"Huh?! Me?" Kaneda shocked.

"WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU-" Kuramochi cut by Furuya.

"Trust him, senpai." Furuya said.

Kuramochi just looked at Sawamura for a few seconds and then shrugged, "Fine!"

"Thanks. Toujou, take center field. Furuya, left field. Kanemaru, stay in the third base and hold them!" Sawamura added.

"OKAY!"

"I want to pitch..." Furuya said to himself.

Yuki was standing outside of the dugout, "Come on, Sakai!" and Sakai got on.

Sawamura shouted as he can to Kanemaru to play in on the grass in case of a bunt. But the next hitter didn't bunt. Kanemaru laced a pitch between third and short for a single, advancing the runner to second. The next hitter Yuki hit a hard grounder to Kaneda. Kaneda didn't catch it immediately but then retrieved it in time to throw out the runner at third. One away. Men on first and second.

Kawakami rubbed the ball, then lifted off his cap and wiped his forehead with sleeve of his jersey. It was very hot lay like tattered strings across the sky. He toed the ball, nodded at the signal from Miyuki, then stretched and delivered. The ball breezed in belt-high and Tanba swung. The blow was solid. The ball sailed over second base, heading for the vacant space between right and center fields. It was good for three bases.

The third years couldn't knock Miyuki but they had evened the score, 4 to 4. Sawamura didn't want to look toward his senpais' bench but he couldn't help it. Isashiki had just said something to Yuki.

Sawamura's team banged out two hits against Tanba during their turn at bat, but could not score. Yuki's team came to bat in the top of the fifth and started to hit Kawakami all over the lot.

Kuramochi glared at Sawamura and whispered, "What was this moron waiting for? The third years to get 16 runs off him?"

"Oi! Bakamura!" Kuramochi began shouting but shocked as he realized that he must have been heard all over the diamond.

"Damn it!" Kuramochi said to himself.

A run scored. A player walked. Another one hit.

"For crying out loud, Sawamura!" This time Kuramochi hardly cared.

"Stop yelling at him like that. He knows what he's doing."

The low voice suddenly came from behind Kuramochi. He turned and looked at Furuya.

"Ehh? What are you doing here?" Kuramochi confused.

"Yell all you want senpai... but not at our coach. You'll just shake him up. Leave him alone." Furuya said.

"Furuya..." Sawamura shocked.

The words sank into Kuramochi and bit a little, made him think. Furuya was right. He had no business yelling at Sawamura like that. And how many here would have the courage to take on a coaching because of Yuki's stupid idea. Kuramochi realized that he was quite proud of Sawamura despite of his being stubborn, noisy and stupid. Sawamura could be a coach. Really!

The third years scored another run, and then Sawamura took Kawakami out and put in Furuya.

"Great play, Kawakami-senpai." Sawamura smiled.

"Thanks, coach Sawamura. Thank you for trusting me. I was really enjoying this game." Kawakami smiled.

Sawamura looked up as Furuya walking and standing towards him.

"You want to play and stand there, right? Give me your power." Furuya lays up his hand in front of Sawamura and they high five.

There were two on and one away. A tough spot for Furuya. He pitched to the first hitter and struck him out surrounded by loud cheers from the crowds.

"Ohhhh! Furuya Satoru!"

"One more, Furuya!" his teammates yelled.

"One more!"

A line drive over short. A run scored.

Masuko flied out, ending the half-inning. The score, Sawamura's team 4 - Yuki's team 7.

"What I hate to see worst of all is those third years gonna boss us this year." Kuramochi muttered as he sat down.

"You are already bossing me around, senpai. But even if we lose today, it doesn't matter." Sawamura smiled.

"Yahaa! Silly!" Kuramochi laughed.

"Okay, pick up a bat and hustle to the plate, You-senpai." Sawamura said.

"What!?" Kuramochi shocked.

"Hmph! Come on, Cheetah! I'd like to bat this inning but the coach insisted." Maezono said.

"Thanks, Bakamura." Kuramochi smiled and Sawamura smiled back.

Kuramochi waited out the pitches, then smashed as single through second base. Kanemaru glanced over his shoulder at Sawamura, then walk to the plate. Sawamura must have given Kanemaru the bunt sign because he laid the first pitch down the third base line for a perfect bunt. Masuko was caught flat-footed but Tanba fielded the ball and threw Haruichi out.

Maezono stared at Sawamura, "Aren't we too far behind to bunt?" he asked. Sawamura's team usually did not bunt when they were three runs behind and there was only one more inning to go.

"Do we have to do the expected all the time, Zono-senpai?" Sawamura smiled, "Kanemaru hasn't been hitting. I was hoping he could have fooled the senpais enough to get on, too." he added.

Furuya glanced at Kuramochi and use his eyes to talk like, "What did I tell you? He knows what he's doing." But Kuramochi just shrugged.

Miyuki, his shoulders wet from perspiration, stepped to the plate. He had homered the first time up and had socked a sacrifice fly the second time. He took a called a strike, a ball, another ball from Tanba, then swung. A grass-cutting grounder through the mound that just missed Tanba's legs. The hit went for two bases, scoring Kuramochi.

Haruichi smashed a single over the second baseman's head Ryosuke, and the people yelled and cheered as Miyuki scored.

"One more run and it's tied up! Keep going guys!" Sawamura shouted.

People outside the field looking in Sawamura's direction.

"Sawamura's coaching the team?"

"And Yuki Tetsuya, too!"

"What kind of game is this?

"Dunno."

Maezono who had flied out in the fourth inning, flied out again. He seemed so disappointed he shook his head all the way back to the dugout.

"Cheer up, Zono-senpai." Sawamura said.

More minutes have passed, Sawamura's team held Yuki's team. One out. Two outs. And then Yuki's team began to hit. A double. A single and then a triple before Sawamura's team could get them out.

"The game isn't over yet. Kanemaru, get on." Sawamura said.

Kanemaru led off. Two runs behind. They needed three to win.

"This is the only I can do for Sawamura. He trust me. We can win. For sure!" Kanemaru said to himself.

Tanba delivered the pitch. Kanemaru swung and then a long, long drive. The ball was reaching for the sky in left field. The people were screaming and then the ball disappeared over the fence.

It was over. Sawamura's team took the game 9 to 8.

"Waahhh! We won! We won!" Kuramochi shouted.

The boys were celebrating when the form of a man appeared suddenly in front of them. Coach Kataoak frowned and said something, "Playing your own game without my permission?"

Yuki started to explain in conciliatory tone, "It was my idea coach. Actually, I-"

"It's my fault, boss! Please, don't punish them!" Sawamura begged.

"A real good game." Coach Kataoka said to them with amused smile of his.

All of them were shocked by what they heard. After the long explanation, they watched Yuki and Sawamura shake hands. Everyone could tell Sawamura was extremely happy and it would have been great to everyone to have knocked off the graduating seniors.

(Eijun's P.O.V)

After the game, when the class began, it was time to say goodbye to all my classmates and my teachers. They were all shocked and in denial except Kanemaru and Haruno when I told them that I had Naegleria Fowleri. When Saturday arrived, it was time to say goodbye too, to the rest of the Seidou baseball club.

Before I had a chance to leave, I heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see my teammates coming to say goodbye again. We embraced in a group hug before going my way. The last words I heard when I came out of spirit dorm were "We gonna reach the Koshien for you" from one of the members. I learned a lot about setting goals in my time with Seidou. My heart swells with emotion when I think that hereafter this pleasant Seidou spirit dorm with its old looking apartment building, and its lovely baseball field, and its huge practice gym shall no more be the scenes of the daily events of my life, it is sad to think that I must go forth into the baseball world, that I must be separated from my teammates, that I must descend from the high and inspiring atmosphere. The more I think about saying goodbye to Seidou, the more I want to cry and wish my time here wasn't over. Few of us will not be granted a long life and my life being a student and a baseball player were over, and now I could finally rest.

Sitting alone in a cab, watching through the window the Seidou High School building slowly fading from my sight. After that, I found myself sitting on a bench on one of the platforms of Tokyo train station. Waiting for my father to pick me up.

I watched people passing by, waiting for the train and having a chat with somebody every now and then. I began to feel myself cold. My eyes are getting heavy, very heavy. I will not be able to keep them open. What's happening to me?

I feel like I can't move any part of my body anymore. My eyelids are so heavy now that I cannot open them. It is just as if they were glued together. I starting to feel like I am not in my body anymore, like I am outside of my body and fighting to get back. I feel like if I don't get back into my body that I am going to die here. That is the first thing that I think of.

But I finally wake up and move, my body wasn't feeling numb anymore it was tingling all over, it was a lovely sensation, even my head wasn't causing that terrible pain anymore, and my heart just pounding when I saw my deceased grandmother and the black kitten that I rescued. I looked around and gasped with shock as I looked at my surroundings, it was so beautiful. Everything about it was perfect.

"Eijun-kun, let's go. You have suffered too much, you can finally rest now here, my grandson."

My grandma smiled and called me while holding the black kitten. After hearing her words, very slowly I turned and stared into the living world one last time. I saw my father trying to wake me up but I didn't move anymore. I turned back to see my grandma again and I smiled. I run towards her and hug her as tight as I can. Grandma hold me tight letting me know that everything will be okay from now on. Then, I continued walking through the light without looking back.

(Eijun's P.O.V End)

Saturday, 5:30 pm. Sawamura Eijun was found dead by his father on the platform of Tokyo Train Station and the Seidou baseball club were shocked by the news. He died with a smile on his face.

On the day the Koshien began, Seidou practice as much as they could. Coach Kataoka told the rest to do their best but even if the team didn't win, they should be proud they were there. Everybody kept working hard and Seidou managed to win. They beat several strong teams like Inashiro.

Months have passed since the Seidou's precious pitcher, Sawamura Eijun has died, the success of Seidou brought fame to the baseball club and many new students joined them. One night, at the Seidou cafeteria, the three first years glanced round at the big picture hanging on the wall. It's Seidou Baseball Club family picture.

"Wow!" Yui amazed.

"Hmm? Who's that boy in the middle between Furuya-senpai and Kominato-senpai?" Asada asked Kuramochi.

"Boy?" Yui stared at the picture while Okumura standing beside him.

"Ahh... he's Sawamura Eijun, your senpai. He's our future ace but..." Kuramochi stopped.

" Ace? Where is he?" Okumura asked.

"He's in a place now where he's truly happy." Kuramochi smiled.

"Hmm..." Okumura stared.

"Oh! Sawamura Eijun who died on the platform..." Yui said.

"Yeah, he is. You know, I didn't say goodbye to him before he left. So many people lose an important person without being able to say goodbye." Kuramochi sat in the chair and looked up at the picture on the wall.

"I don't really know what is worst, the sudden death of him or to watch him slowly fade away. There are always so many things you would like to have said to him and at the end far too much remains forever unspoken." Kuramochi added.

"Kuramochi-senpai..." Asada worried.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. The past should stay in the past."" Kuramochi, speaking very softly, "He's happy now."