The round figure made an almost oblong shape as it whizzed past his eyes. There was a loud THUD, and he blinked, realizing that the catcher has already caught the ball in his glove. He smiled as he watched his twin brother, Kazuya Uesugi, push back his cap and wipe his forehead.

He's been working so hard, he's sure to go to Kohshien, he thought. For this was to be their first year in Meisei High School, and Kazuya has already established his name as the number one pitcher, even during their first year.

And me? Tatsuya Uesugi blinked and looked up at the blue sky. I'll be a great boxer!

"TATSUYA!"

He blinked and looked down--

--just as a ball flew right into his face and hit him between the eyes. There was a loud explosion and shouts, scuffling, but he couldn't pay attention. His back hurt suddenly, and he realized that, in the intensity of the throw, he had fallen down.

"Tat-chan, you okay?"

Tatsuya fought against the blackness surrounding him. That's Minami--

"Aniki? Aniki! Hey!"

And that's Kazuya. What's he doing here?

"Uesugi, you okay? Hey!"

Slowly, Tatsuya let his eyelids flutter open and close again in a blink, trying to focus his attention to those figure surrounding him. Those figures had specificshapes--and faces. And names to go with. He already recognized Minami and Kazuya, but--oh. He smiled wobbly. "Hi, Coach."

Coach Nishioka frowned at him. "Kuroki and Kohtaro were fooling around and hit you."

"Sorry, Uesugi," Kuroki and Kohtaro mumbled, looking sheepish as they helped him sit up.

He blinked. "Oh, sure, no problem." He frowned, then pulled out a ball from his underside. "Here."

"Oh." Kohtaro looked sheepish again, and his face turned redder than red pepper. "Sorry again, Uesugi."

"You okay, Aniki?" Kazuya asked, concerned.

"I'm okay," he assured.

"Maybe we should bring you to the clinic," Miss Kojima told him worriedly.

Minami frowned. "Your face is all red." This turned out to be a positive statement, and she began to giggle. "You look like a beet!"

He scowled good-naturedly. "Okay, okay, I was going anyway. Just wanted to see how you all were going." He stood up and wobbled out of the court.

"Tat-chan," Minami called. "You don't have to go."

Tatsuya turned to them and grinned. "I have somewhere else to go, anyway."

"Aa, you'll only stay in the room," Kazuya called out.

Tatsuya gave him another mock scowl before leaving. It felt a little refreshing to be out of there; while everyone knew he was there. It was better to watch with the people being watched unaware. He had only wanted to see how Kazuya was fairing as the new pitcher of Meisei High, he didn't want to get hit by a ball.

He started to walk out of the campus and towards home. Dry leaves fell into his way and he kicked them out of the sidewalk. Maybe he'll go to Harada's and ask for a few pointers on boxing instead. It certainly beats staying home with his parents who had their own world.

Or maybe he'll just wait for Minami and Kazuya to finish practice, so they can go home together.

It seemed like a long time since they did that.

Instincts told him to turn around and he did, raising his hands to shield his face.

PLOP!

Blinking in surprise, he held his hand away from him and looked at what he had caught. It was a baseball.

That was close. I was almost hit on the same place again! He gave a sigh of relief.

"Hey, 'niisan!" a girl from the other side of the street called. "Throw that to me, will ya?"

Tatsuya looked around, realizing there was no one else there, motioned to himself. The girl looked amused. "Yeah, you."

Shrugging, Tatsuya pulled back and threw the ball at her.

The girl's eyes widened and she caught the ball with her two hands before falling into a sitting position on the sidewalk. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "You pitch great!"

Tatsuya laughed. "Thanks." He started to walk away when the girl called again, "Wanna play?"

And he stopped, feeling that age-old desire to just play baseball and never mind the past and Kazuya and Minami and what they had been through. It was just a small play of catch, anyway, so...it wouldn't hurt, would it?

So he crossed the street, not checking if there were any cars, since rarely do cars come that way. He smiled at the girl, who smiled back.

She was smaller than he was, about two or three years younger. Her hair was pulled into two tight braids and she was dressed in the uniform of a nearby middle school. However, her clothes and skin were dirty, as if she'd been playing in the dirt for the whole day.

She must have noticed his staring at her because she smiled. "I like to practice my pitch, then I try to catch them," she explained. "I never do, but it keeps me busy."

"That's a weird thing to do," Tatsuya told her truthfully.

The girl shrugged. "People says I'm weird because I like baseball. They say it's only for boys. But my dad says it's okay if I like it. Stand a few feet away from me and pitch like you did."

"'Kay." Tatsuya did as he was instructed and caught the ball with some pain. The girl's throw was equally hard! It hurt his palms. He almost wished he had a mitt with him. He threw it to her and she caught it effortlessly.

"Are you in high school?" she asked.

Tatsuya grinned. "Yup! I go to Meisei High School."

"Do they have a baseball team there?"

"Yup! The best, if I might say so."

The girl grinned. "Because you're the pitcher?"

Tatsuya's smile faded a bit. "No. I'm not a pitcher. I'm not even in the team."

The girl frowned at her and let her palm slide around the ball before throwing it at him again. "Why not?" she demanded. "I think your pitching is great."

"Thanks," Tatsuya replied dryly. "But I'm a boxer." He caught the ball and threw it to her.

The girl eyed him curiously. "You don't look like one." She caught it quickly.

"Gee, thanks," he said dryly as he held out his hands once more to catch the ball she pitched, then threw it back. "How 'bout you, are you one?"

She shook her head. "They won't let me in the team, but I practice real hard everyday. My dad says I could play pro," she said with pride. "And my dad's really great in that judgment, so I know he's telling the truth." She pitched.

Tatsuya winced as he caught the ball with his bare hands. "Me, too," he muttered.

"Do you think I'm good?"

Tatsuya blinked, then watched as she stood there. "Umm--why don't I see how you pitch?" He threw the ball at her.

She caught it and pushed back her braided hair. She tightened her lips, heaved a breath, then drew her legs apart. Then, she swung back her body, pulled up her arm in the level of her shoulders and pitched the ball at him. Pitched it.

Wow!

THUD!

"AAA!" The girl's scream filled his ears as he fell into the asphalt. "I KILLED HIM!"

There were a few moments of silence as he heard the footsteps towards him. Then, he opened his eyes and saw the girl leaning over him, wide eyes filled with concern. "Are you still alive?" she asked worriedly.

"Barely," Tatsuya groaned. The ball had hit the same place Kuroki had hit earlier, and it was beginning to throb. "Where'd you learn to pitch like that?"

"From my dad," she replied proudly. "And I practice everyday." She waited until he sat up before asking, "Why don't you become a pitcher?"

He stopped and stared at her before looking away. "Well--you see, my aniki's one."

"Because your aniki's one?!" There was a note of disbelief in her voice, and Tatsuya winced. "What a lousy excuse."

They sat on the sidewalk and threw the ball over their laps in a playful manner, deep in thought.

"Well, why don't you play?" Tatsuya asked, a little irritated.

The girl sighed. "I already told you, the team doesn't accept girls in the team."

"Why don't you find a way?" the high school student suggested. "If they won't accept you as a girl, then make them accept you as a baseball player. That's what counts. If you know you can make a difference, then it should be enough for them." He fell silent. "I can't--play baseball because I don't want to compete with my brother."

The girl drew her knees under her chin and sighed. "We're different. I want to win against my father. I want to fight him. Maybe--he'll start seeing me more often."

Tatsuya glanced at her then laughed. "Hey, I don't even know your name."

The girl laughed with him. "Oh, yeah, that's right!" She grinned, extending her right hand and clasping with his. "I'm Kurimasa Katsumi."

Tatsuya blinked. And stared. And blinked again. "You're--you're--"

"Yeah, yeah, the daughter of Coach Kurimasa of the pro baseball team, I know," Katsumi filled in, rolling her eyes. "All my life, I've been known as that, but I've never been known as Katsumi Kurimasa, great baseball player. I want to win!" She sighed before smiling again. "And what's you're name?"

"Uesugi Tatsuya."

"Uesugi Kazuya's your brother!" she exclaimed. She beamed. "Wow! Your brother's name has always been in the newspapers and stuff like that. Your school even beat ours last years. This is so cool!" Then, she fell silent at the strange expression on Tatsuya's face. "Oh."

"Yes," Tatsuya said quietly. "That's the reason why I can't play. I'm content on being me because if I try to fight with my brother, I'm afraid--"

"--to end up being on his bad side," Katsumi finished. She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."

Tatsuya shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, when Kazuya wins this years baseball, he'll go to Kohshien for sure, and I'm happy for that. He's a better player than me, anyway."

"You don't know that!" Katsumi protested, poking him on the arm. "Why don't you try?"

"Well, why don't you?" he challenged.

They fell silent.

Finally, Katsumi said determinedly, "How about this? I'll read the papers for any signs of change in the Meisei High School team. If there's a mention of another Uesugi playing in the team, I'll join our school's team. I don't care how I'll enter the school team, but I'll do it if you get into your team, too."

Tatsuya glanced at her, frowning. "And if I don't--"

"Then I don't play," the younger girl said firmly. She grinned. "So you'd better start shaping up, Uesugi-sempai, because my future depends on you."

"Great!" he groaned. "Not only are the future of the boxing team and my whole family and Minami-chan's resting on my shoulders, but I have to carry yours as well!"

She poked him again on the shoulder. "Yeah, well, start practicing." She stood up and grinned at him, her hands behind her back and her braids flying with the wind. "'Cause one day, you'll turn pro, and I'll turn pro, and we'll meet again and play in pro baseball." She held out her palm, one pinky finger on the air. "Will you promise?"

Tatsuya felt a wave of nostalgia overcome him. The Pinky Promise. Hesitantly, he held out his own pinky and wrapped it around hers. "I--" He stopped, a slow yet full smile overcoming his face. "I promise!"

"I promise!" Katsumi said cheerfully. "I'll never forget."

"Me, too," Tatsuya vowed.

They let their pinkies hold for a while before they pulled away, smiling. "Ne, I have to go home now," Katsumi told him. She picked up her ball and grinned at him. "Thanks a lot, Tatsuya-niisan! I'll never forget!"

"Thank you, Katsumi-chan," he called back, waving.

The girl began to run to the opposite direction, her skirt and two braided pigtails flying behind her in a perfect motion.

I promise.

Tatsuya grinned to himself and began to whistle as he headed for home. The sun was beginning to set. Who knows? Maybe he and Katsumi will establish their own names as pro baseball players, and meet again?

It was enough to make him look forward for the future.