Episode title

Dousuruno? Tatsuya no yasashisa surechigai!

[What are you going to do? Tatsuya's kindness just missed!]

• Summary by Hitoshi Doi, 1992.08.27

Kazuya was practicing his pitching with Koutarou. Then they spotted Tatsuya standing by the edge of the field. Koutarou thought it was something to eat and happily went to Tatsuya. But when he found out that it was clothes, he got very disappointed and started fighting with Punch. Kazuya thanked his brother.

Tatsuya said, "Mother is feeling a little lonely. Can't you come home for just one day?"

"If we lose, I can go home right away," Kazuya replied.

"Then don't come home. Mother will just have to wait a while.."

When Kazuya asked Tatsuya to come watch the game, Tatsuya said that he might if he felt like it. Then Tatsuya noticed that Kazuya was using a very old, worn out glove. Kazuya said that it was still usable.

That night, Tatsuya got paid for his work at Minamikaze. Minami's father had given Tatsuya a little extra because he had worked very hard. Then he asked Tatsuya to work again the next day, as he was planning to go see the baseball game.

The next day, Meisei played against Inomata in the fourth round of the regional tournament. Koutarou hit a homerun in the third inning and things were looking bright for Meisei. Kazuya overpowered the opponents' batters and pitched a shutout as Meisei won 3-0.

After the game, Tatsuya went to the school carrying a bag from a sporting goods store. He found that the Meisei team was gathered around something on the practice field. Kazuya noticed his brother and quickly ran to him with a new glove in his hand. A group of former Meisei baseball team members got together and bought new gloves for the entire team. When Kazuya showed Tatsuya his new glove, he said, "Look, it's a nice glove. It's really expensive."

Then Tatsuya quickly said, "35,000 yen."

"What?" Kazuya was surprised.

"Oh.. I just thought that it might cost something around there.."

Kazuya told Tatsuya that he had guessed the cost exactly. Then he asked why Tatsuya had come that day. Tatsuya just said that it was nothing and told his brother to keep winning.

Tatsuya went to a park bench and sat down. He opened the bag that he was carrying and took out the 35,000 yen glove that he had bought for his brother. Then Harada came along eating some ice cream. When he found out what Tatsuya had done, he said that Tatsuya was a kind older brother. But Harada also asked if Tatsuya was always going to be a kind older brother. When Tatsuya asked what he meant, Harada walked away.

That afternoon the coach talked to the Meisei team, "There are only three days left in the tournament. Now that we've come this far, all we can do now is to do our best. There is no reason for you all to sleep over here any more. Go home and get a good night's sleep. Let's win tomorrow!"

Tatsuya's mother was preparing a lot of special dishes for dinner. She was very happy because Kazuya was coming home. Tatsuya thought that she was doing a little too much. Then some people from the neighborhood came and brought some food and drinks. Tatsuya's father invited them in to enjoy the party.

Later Kazuya came home, but he and Minami went over to Minamikaze to get away from the party that was going on at his house. Kazuya sat down and asked for an ice coffee. While Minami's father was getting it, Kazuya started to wrap his new glove with some string so that it would be easier to use the next day. When Minami's father saw the glove, he asked if that was the one Tatsuya had given him. Then Minami's father told Kazuya that Tatsuya had spent his entire earnings on that glove. Kazuya finally realized what Tatsuya had been carrying earlier that day when he had come to visit him.

Kazuya and Minami started playing with fireworks outside. When Tatsuya got out of the bath, he went outside and saw them. Minami spotted Tatsuya and told him to come play with them.

Later Tatsuya, Kazuya, and Minami were playing poker in the study room. "I'll bet five chips," Kazuya said after seeing his hand. Tatsuya matched it, but Minami folded. Then Kazuya showed his cards. Kazuya had three aces. When Minami asked what Tatsuya had, Tatsuya looked at his cards, thought about it, and put his cards down. Then Tatsuya said, "I lost! You're very lucky. You'll go to the Koushien for sure!"

But Kazuya reached over and opened Tatsuya's cards. Tatsuya had a straight. Minami quickly said that Tatsuya should have won. Then Kazuya stared at his brother and said, "Play seriously!" But Tatsuya said that it didn't matter because it was just for fun. Then Kazuya started shuffling the cards and said, "Then, a real serious game! Let's bet..!"

"What?" Tatsuya asked.

"Minami!" Kazuya replied. Then Kazuya continued, "The one who wins can make Minami his wife."

Tatsuya and Kazuya stared at each other. But Minami slapped the cards away from Kazuya's hands, and said, "I'm not a poker chip!"

"I'm glad.. I was wondering what I would do if I had lost," Kazuya said and got up. Kazuya said good night and left the room to go to sleep.

After Kazuya had left, Tatsuya told Minami that Kazuya was serious. Minami asked, "If you would have continued that game, would you have lost on purpose again?" Before Tatsuya could answer, Minami got up to leave. When she reached the door, Minami said, "I'm.. I'm serious too! Good night.."

The next day, Tatsuya went up to his mother and asked where Kazuya was. She said that Kazuya had left for the baseball game a long time ago. Tatsuya was holding Kazuya's string wrapped glove, and said that Kazuya had forgotten his glove. But his mother said that Kazuya had his glove with him when he left in the morning. Tatsuya went back to his room to look at the bag that he had hidden under his bed. The new glove that Tatsuya had bought was missing.

At the stadium, the quarter-final game of the regional tournament between Meisei and Kawada began.

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