A New Beginning

Chapter 6

Keiichi handed me the bat, setting me up for the plate. Mion decided that we should play baseball for our club activity today. Sakoto held the ball in her hands, grinning at me. 

"Momoka, are you ready to be defeated?" she asked. 

I readied the bat behind my head. I needed something to take out all my frustrations, though I would be looked down upon if it ended up hitting Sakoto in the head. 

I examined the field. Rena was to the left, along with the twins occupying the larger side of the field. If I had manged to it hit it that way, all three of them might run towards it. 

"Do your best Momoka," Rika cheered. 

"What she means is don't think too much about it," Kouta explained. "You just want to hit the ball and make sure you make it back to home base. That's the main part of the game, though you can just wing it." 

"Then we would lose,"I muttered. I wasn't in the mood to be wearing something embarrassing once more. When Sakoto threw the ball, I managed to hit it at the right time, making it fly in the air. It was almost too far for the twins to get, whom were faster than the rest of us. 

By the time they got it, I had already made it back to home base. It was surprising that I was actually able to pull it off. Rika hugged me tightly, as Kouta and Keiichi grinned. 

"I never thought you would be able to hit that hard Momoka," Kouta said. 

"I guess I needed to get out somethings," I muttered. He looked at me with confusion written on his face. I understood why they kept such a thing from me, but there was probably much more than just one secret. 

After school, the others had wanted to play another game before the festival. Though, I didn't have the patience to play another game. For some reason, I was even more furious than I had been before. 

"Is something wrong Momoka?" Shion asked, as the others continued to set up the game. "I thought you would have been excited to play another round with us?" 

"I don't feel up to that Shion," I answered. "There had been much happening." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. I turned to look at her. Despite her being as smart and tricky as her twin, there was concern in her eyes. Along with her usual smile gone. The first I had seen her like that. 

"I want to talk outside in any case," I said, turning towards the others. My eyes landed on Kouta and Reika, who had been talking to each other. Despite the history that tried so hard to hide, they both smiled and had fun. Something that I don't remember having. I had always worried about my problems.

Without the others knowing, Shion and I headed outside, sitting near the entrance. "I just have a question is all." 

"And what is that?" 

"What is it about Kouta and Reika? She had talked so proudly about her past, but then Kouta told her to be quiet." As I talked, I noticed a shadow passing over her face. "Do you know what happened with them? Years before they came here?" 

"It's not something they like to talk about. Kouta knows the real reason, but Reika thinks it's something simple and that everyone in the village doesn't like their family." 

"I have heard it's the same with Sakoto's family." I had remembered the words Dr. Irie spoke to me. "Didn't she have a brother? One who went missing?" 

"That's something we won't talk about." Her voice became deeper. When I turned to her, she was frowning, though it seemed like she was trying to avoid making me fear her.