After I pressed the yes option on the daily mission, the bell rang to signal the end of the school day.
I opened the door to the cubicle and stepped out.
As I was about to walk out of the bathroom and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror which made me stop mid stride.
'Wow, no matter how many times I've been reminded today. It's still a surreal to think I'm now Sawamura Eijun.'
What looked back at me was a young boy, medium length, dark brown hair. The eyes had a solid colour of golden-brown shining from their irises.
I smiled and saw a great big pearly white grin smiling back at me.
My face then turned into one of determination and concentration.
I saw the face that would be on the covers of my favourite manga. But now that is my face. I am now Sawamura Eijun.
"Pfffff"
I drew a big breath out.
'I need to do everything right. Train my hardest every day. I've got to be ready before I get to Seido. No, I've got to be ready before Rei Takashima, the assistant director of Seido High School Baseball Team, comes to visit me and my family in the future.'
Right then and there, looking at my new face.
I steeled my resolve even further.
I need to get home and begin the daily mission.
I then finally left the bathroom after what seemed like a lifetime.
****
'Luckily I had my bag with me so I didn't have to go back to my classroom to pick it up.' I thought as I walked on way home from school.
It wasn't like I was avoiding people, especially not Sawamura's childhood friends.
I just wanted to get started on the daily mission as soon as possible. To get started on what will be a tiring but incredible journey.
'I'll talk to them tomorrow.' I thought, thinking about Sawamura's friends. 'I'll tell them about my plans and how we probably won't be going to the same high school.'
Originally in the manga, Sawamura had a stern and arrogant resolve to bring all his friends to the national's stage.
It was a pipe dream. Nothing more. But Sawamura had that sort of determination to get it done.
Even when his friends were never good at baseball and their team never won a game. Sawamura always held them up when they needed him. A true Ace. Even if he didn't have the skills of one. He had the heart of one.
It didn't take long to get back home from school. It was a weird experience though.
Walking through very foreign streets I've never seen before yet knowing exactly where I was and where I was going.
It was like a constant string of Deja vu tugging me along the way.
I looked at the house, my new home. It was a truly beautiful house.
There was a pathway up to the front door, with a cute front garden to the left with I few small trees.
There was a wooden front patio to the left of the front door, with sliding doors that leads out to it.
A second floor which had a balcony that covered majority of the front of the house.
"It really is a nice house." I said to myself.
*BANG*
I suddenly got slumped on the side of my face that made me go flying off my feet.
"What are you muttering to yourself about? Idiot grandson." Said an old husky voice.
I finally landed on the ground and grasped the side of face which was hit.
'Oooft, this old geezer really does pack a punch. I wonder if being hit from this guy growing up was what made Sawamura slightly stupid.' I thought whilst rubbing my face.
I finally looked at the person who hit me.
Sawamura's granddad. Or should I say my grandad now? He was standing there in sliders, brown trousers and black turtleneck.
He looked quite old, grey bushy eyebrows. An almost bald head apart from a little tuff of grey hair spiked up to look like a little icing swirl.
"What are you gawking at? Help me with the shopping." He said.
I looked at his hands and surprisingly found three full bags of shopping in each hand.
'Wait! Did he just punch me that hard whilst holding all that shopping?!?' I shivered slightly whilst thinking about it.
'I need to be careful around this guy.'
"Hey grandad." I said to him with a bright smile whilst standing up. "Let me take these three."
I grabbed half the bags and started heading for the door.
Grandad looked a little shocked but followed closely behind.
I went to the kitchen where I was met with a small, gentle looking woman there. Sawamura's mother.
She looked a lot like Sawamura, just slightly longer hair and more feminine features on her face.
"Hey mum. I got some of Granddad's shopping." I said, dropping the bags down on the table.
"Hello dear." She replied as she walked up and gave me a kiss on the head.
I was suddenly surprised by the action as it had been a long time since somebody had done that to me. Not since my mother in my last life.
I took a second to calm down and managed to as granddad walk in with rest of the shopping.
"What are you planning on doing now that the baseball season has ended, dear?" Mum asked me.
"I plan on training." I said earnestly. "I need to improve my fitness to be ready for high school baseball."
She looked at with a little worry.
"Are you sure that's the best idea, sweety? Shouldn't you be preparing for the entrance exam you and your friends are planning to attend?"
"Mum, grandad. I've decided that I want to take baseball seriously. Not just how I've been playing with my friends in the past. I mean train properly, play to get better. I want to see how far I can go." I said to both with a calm but determined expression.
Both looked slightly shocked at my declaration.
My granddad looked at me with slightly squinted eyes.
But when he saw my determined expression, a slight glint in my eye, he lightly chuckled.
"Just let him do what he wants. We both know he's not smart enough to pass the exam to get into the school he and his friends were planning on going to." He said to mum.
I gave him a bitter smile when he said that.
"Gee, thanks grandad." I said through my teeth.
"Anyway, I'm going to start working out now, so I'll be back later." I said whilst walking out of the room.
***
After I walked out, mum turned to grandad.
"Did Sawamura seem different to you just then? More mature in fact?"
"He did." Grandad replied. "Maybe he's finally growing up a little. I'd rather not get in his way of finding out what he wants to do with himself." He said with a slight smile.
"Yes, I guess you're right." Mum replied. Smiling a little herself.
***
After going to my room to change into shorts and a T-shirt, I put on some running shoes and headed out of the door.
As soon as I stepped out, I was met with an absolute gorilla of a man. Well over 6feet tall.
Sawamura's dad.
I looked up at him. He was wearing a bright red jockey jacket. It was bulging all over stretching at the seams.
'My god he has some hefty muscles.'
I looked at his face and honestly the only word that came to my head was 'delinquent'. He has some small stubble on the front of his chin, small eyebrows and his hair was permed to the maximum in the stereotypical delinquent way.
"Hey dad. I'm going out for a run. I'll be back later." I said walking past him.
"Why are ya going for a run? I thought baseball season was over." He asked me.
"To improve my fitness." I said.
"If that's the case, ya just gotta start liftin' son." He replied.
"I will do that, but only once I've built a good foundation." I said whilst already jogging away from him.
He stood and watched me leave.
He gave a slight grin to himself. Slightly chuckling.
"Hmph, looks like he's finally taking his fitness seriously if he's talking about foundation muscles."
"GOOD ON YA SON!!!!" He shouted at me with a bellowing voice.
He then turned and walked in the house.