ᴾʳᵒᵐⁱˢᵉ 𝙹. 𝙸𝚜𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚔𝚒

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↳˳;; ❝ǤØĐ! ƗŦ'S ɃɌᵾŦȺŁ ØᵾŦ ĦɆɌɆᵕ̈೫˚∗

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Ryouma never imagined that injury would come knocking. If you had asked him a year ago where he saw himself in two years, he would have said playing baseball with his two brothers. What caused this to happen to him? Is this his punishment for eating his brother's meal and blaming it on Haruichi?

As he lay on his bed, all kinds of emotions swam through his head, clouding his intellect. He was unable to sleep. While his injuries, he started replying in his head over and over. "Fuck!" he cried as he slammed his fist into his pillow.

All he wanted to do was compete in nationals alongside his brothers. Why is it him? Ryouma sighed, wiping away his tears and snatching his phone from his nightstand. He flipped through his contacts till he came upon his brother, Ryouske's

As he sat up in his bed, Ryouma's finger hovered over the call button. 'Would Ryo be awake right now?' he wondered before tapping the button.

When Ryosuke awoke to the sound of his phone ringing, he grumbled. "Turn it off!" As he rolled over, his roommate yelled. Ryosuke hummed as he reached for his phone.

♚ 𝚁𝚢𝚘 ²

𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐

{𝙰𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛} [𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎]

Ryosuke rolled out of bed and headed out of his room, "Ryo?" he spoke as he gradually made his way to the vending machine. It was rather amusing since both Ryosuke and Ryouma were referred to as Ryo by friends and family. This is why Ryouma is referred to as Ryo².

"ꜱᴏʀʀʏ ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ᴡᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ?" a voice on the other end of the phone murmured gently. "No, I couldn't sleep," Ryosuke lied as he took his water from the vending machine. If it had been anybody else who had phoned him, he would have shouted at them, but this is Ryouma. He's always had a tight relationship with Ryouma.

"ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʟʏɪɴɢ. 'ᴍ ꜱᴏʀʀʏ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴄᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ," Ryouma spoke as he sat back down on his bed. Ryousuke shook his head and said, "It's fine, you can speak to me now. In the morning, I don't have practice." He spoke swiftly before his brother could hang up the phone.

He heard his younger brother groan and murmur, "ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ,"

"Is it just me? You can't talk to our parents? Haruichi?" Ryosuke inquires, sitting on a nearby bench. "ᴍᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴘɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʀᴜɪᴄʜɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋꜱ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʜɪꜱ ꜰᴀᴜʟᴛ," Ryouma murmured, adjusting his position.

Ryosuke pauses for a bit before asking, "How are you feeling?" he is at a loss for words.

"ᴍʏ ʟᴇɢ ʜᴜʀᴛꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ." He chuckled dryly as tears streamed down his cheeks once more. What made him so helpless?

"I didn't mean that. How do you feel?" Ryosuke said again, keeping Ryouma silent. "ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ꜱʜɪᴛ. ɪ- ᴀʟʟ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪꜱ ᴘʟᴀʏ ʙᴀꜱᴇʙᴀʟʟ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ. ɪ'ʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ʙᴀꜱᴇʙᴀʟʟ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴅᴜᴍʙ! ɪ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʀᴜɪᴄʜɪ, ʀʏᴏ," Ryouma said.

Ryouma's hand shook as he fought back his sobs. Why can't he accept it? The agony will not go away. Regardless of how many painkillers he takes. It simply will not be gone.

Please put a stop to it! He urges. It makes no difference. The grief will always be with him. Ryouma will be reminded of that day every time he watches Haruichi from the dugout. Hearing Ryouske talk about his team, and seeing his friends improve with each passing year.

No matter how much he sobs and begs, he will never be able to escape.

Ryouma chuckled "ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ. ɪ ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢɪᴢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴜᴘ, ʀʏᴏ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ " He whispered softly.

"Ryouma don-" Ryosuke shook his head. It was too late; his younger brother had already hung up. Ryosuke sighed as he considered his brother's views. 'I apologize, Ryo. I swear I'll make it to nationals and bring you along!' he thought as he tightened his knuckles. He made his way back to his room carefully.

"I apologize, Ryosuke," Ryouma murmured before falling asleep.

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