(Third Person POV)
The door burst open with a loud bang, revealing Eijun's grandfather, Sawamura Eitoku.
"Eijun, you brat! Wake up! Someone from Tokyo's here to see you!"
Eijun shot upright, hair sticking up in every direction. "Ojiisan?!" he blinked rapidly, still half-asleep.
"Hurry it up! She looks important!" Eitoku barked before stomping off.
(Eijun's POV)
Huh? What's going on?
Why is Ojiisan on Seidō's bus?
Wait—someone from Tokyo? I am in Tokyo… What's he even talking about?
I glance around.
…Hold on.
WHY AM I IN MY BEDROOM?!
WHY AM I IN NAGANO?!
My heart skips a beat.
I nod dumbly at Ojiisan's retreating figure and scramble to get dressed, still in disbelief. But when I catch my reflection in the mirror—
I freeze.
The face staring back at me… it's my younger self.
Did my wish actually come true?
Wait—if that's the case, then the person downstairs must be… Rei-chan.
Okay. Deep breath, Eijun. Calm down. Act normal.
I inhale sharply, exhale slowly, then step out of my room and head downstairs.
When I get downstairs, I see Ojiisan, Okaasan, Otoosan, and Rei-chan all sitting around the table.
I take a deep breath, trying to act calm, and walk toward them.
"Sorry if I took so long," I say, scratching the back of my neck. "I was studying late, so I didn't get much sleep."
Rei-chan gives me a polite smile. "That's okay, Sawamura-kun. Let me introduce myself properly — I'm Takashima Rei, a scout from the Seidō High School baseball team."
I return the smile, pretending to be curious even though my heart's pounding. "Nice to meet you. Can I ask what made you come all the way here?"
Of course, I already know.
"I saw your last match," Rei-chan says confidently. "You have the energy of a true ace. I want to scout you for our baseball team. We need a pitcher like you — someone who could very well become Seidō's future ace."
My eyes widen. My family's do too.
"But… I don't wanna," I mumble. "I wanna stay with my team—"
Smack
"Ow—!"
"Eijun, shut up and sit down," Ojiisan snaps before turning to Rei-chan. "But what about the incident after the game? We thought no school would want him after that."
Rei-chan nods calmly. "Actually, when he was slapping them, I noticed something — he has very flexible wrists. That's a great trait for a pitcher. And honestly?" She shrugs slightly. "They deserved it for what they said."
Ojiisan blinks, then leans toward us and pulls the whole family into a whispering huddle.
"Honestly, she's a little weird. Are we sure she's really from Seidō?" he mutters.
"She is," I whisper back. "I know about Seidō… and I've seen her before."
We all look back at Rei-chan.
"I'll go for a tour," I say finally, meeting her eyes. "Then I'll give you my answer. Because as much as I love baseball… I don't want to leave my friends for a place I don't like."
Rei-chan nods approvingly. "That's fair. Is three days from now okay?"
I nod. "Yeah. Thank you, Takashima-san."
She stands and takes her leave a few minutes later.
Once she's gone, I climb up to my room, exhaling deeply.
And then— a blue screen
-----------
Synchronization complete.
User: Sawamura Eijun.
Unlock condition: Scouted by Seidō.
Welcome, Eijun. My name is Perfect Strike
-----------
I freeze.
"Wha—WHAT THE—?!"
I scream and tumble off my bed with a loud thud.