Chapter 85

Synopsis
Hayato is unwilling to properly play hide-and-seek with his brother, which upsets him, and Ryuuichi attempts to get him to play with his brother, to no avail. Hayato is then scouted by a strong baseball team, and he must decide between baseball and being with his little brother.

Long Summary
During hide-and-seek, Taka whispers to Kotaro and Ryuu to stay silent, and Ryuu suggests that he hide elsewhere, as the three are hiding under a blanket, but Ryuu can very clearly be seen. Kirin hides under a table while the twins hide in a pile of stuffed animals. Hayato asks if they are ready as he comes to look for them. The children exclaim that they are ready Hayato turns around. He ignores Ryuu in the blanket and goes directly towards Takuma and Kazuma, asking if they are really trying to hide. He slides Kirin from under the table, telling her that her butt is sticking out. He looks over to Usaida, who has a bump under his apron, and lifts it up to find Midori, waking up a sleeping Usaida in the process. Taka and Kotaro giggle, thinking that they will not be found. Taka yells out a hint to his brother and tells him that they are in a dark place. A while passes, and Kotaro winds up falling asleep. Suddenly, Taka hears the door close, and bursts out from under the blanket, calling out to his brother. Usaida is stunned to see Kotaro, Taka, and Ryuu under the blanket. Taka tears up as he gazes around the room, only to find the room completely empty. Usaida explains that Hayato left because he got a call from the baseball club, and the other children followed him into the hallway. He also adds that Hayato told him to replace him as the seeker. He nonchalantly says that he has found Ryuu, Kotaro, and Taka as Taka begins to bawl, yelling that he wants his brother. At the end of the day, Hayato enters the room and apologizes for coming late. He asks why Taka has such a teary and swollen face, and Ryuu holds Taka as he tells Hayato that it is his fault. He explains that Taka wanted to play hide-and-seek with his brother and notes that Hayato purposely looked for him last. Hayato dismisses the accusation, saying that he and Taka are getting worked up over something trivial. He takes Taka from Ryuu, telling him to stop crying, promising to play hide-and-seek with him at home. He pats Kotaro's head, apologizing for having Taka hog Ryuu all day. Taka clings onto Hayato, saying that he forgives him. Ryuu then asks Hayato why the baseball club had called him, wondering if it was about any sort of competition that will make him busier. Hayato assures him that it is nothing big. At home, Taka announces that he will be hiding and instructs his brother, who flips through a book, to count to one hundred. Taka wiggles under a blanket and yells that he is ready. He waits in silence, and when Hayato does not come to find him, he gets out from under the covers and peeks at his brother, who is watching baseball. Hayato sees his brother and asks if it has already been one hundred. He nonchalantly points at his brother, saying that he has found him and goes back to watching baseball. Taka shakes as he begins to cry. He yells at his brother, demanding him to choose between him and baseball. Taka stares at his brother as the baseball announcer can be heard from the TV. Without hesitation, Hayato decides that baseball is more important than Taka. Taka cries that he hates baseball and his brother before running to the bathroom and locking himself in. Shizuka tells Taka not to lock himself in, and harshly scolds Hayato, asking what he has done to Taka.

At school, Ryuu seriously tells Hayato that it is again his fault that Taka is so upset. He asks him why he is unwilling to properly play hide-and-seek with him at least once. Hayato answers that he just can't take the game seriously for the children when their hiding places are so obvious. Ryuu admits that it is true, but also reasons that they are only children. Hayato recalls that Taka locked himself in the bathroom for three hours, and he had even cried himself to sleep in there. He also adds that Shizuka lectured him for quite a while. The concerned Ryuu believes that Taka reacted this way because he really liked his brother. Hayato looks away, skeptical, informing Ryuu that Taka had said that he hates him and baseball the most. Hayato wonders why Taka had brought up baseball. Ryuu realizes that Hayato's focus on baseball must have been one of the reasons that Taka feels so upset. At the daycare center, Taka pouts in silence, causing an uneasy atmosphere. The other children suggest that they play hide-and-seek, but Taka refuses, which makes everyone else depressed as well. Kirin stays cheerful, resolving to come up with a plan to have Taka and Hayato make up.

After school, Hayato goes to the baseball club and leaves Taka to Ryuu. Ryuu reminds him to apologize to his brother, but Hayato shrugs it off. Ryuu slowly walks towards the daycare center and thinks to himself that Hayato is being hypocritical. Shizuka calls him over, and Ryuu awkwardly brings up the fight between Hayato and Taka. Shizuka dismisses this, saying that it is normal for the two to be fighting. She asks if he has heard the news about their brother school coming to recruit Hayato for their strong baseball team yesterday. She explains that the faculty advisor had come to ask Hayato to join since he is really talented. Shizuka also notes that she heard that Hayato rejected the offer on the spot, and asks Ryuu if he can ask Hayato what his feelings towards the offer really are.

Ryuu runs over to Hayato and drags him away from the team, asking to talk to him. He asks Hayato about his rejection of the baseball team's offer, and Hayato decisively states that he will reject those kinds of offers, as he does not have a reason to go. Ryuu panics, saying that he really likes baseball and even wants to go to Koushien. Hayato says that he would not have enrolled in a high school or taken a part-time job if he wanted to play with them and that he really likes the team he is playing for now. He adds that he also likes Ryuu and the children at the babysitting club. Hayato says that Taka is too spoiled, so he cannot leave his mother and Ryuu and go somewhere else. Ryuu recalls Taka's pouting face and the question that Taka had asked Hayato about him and baseball. Ryuu confirms that Hayato will always choose Taka, and tells Hayato to be more honest with things like this. He also thanks Hayato for including him as a reason for staying. Usaida calls out to Ryuu and Hayato. The children then tell Hayato that Taka is lost. Usaida then bluntly instructs him to flip over the stacked blankets in the daycare center, causing Hayato to reason that Taka is not really lost. Ryuu thinks to himself that there is no way that Taka's brother would not look for Taka. Hayato sighs as he goes over to the daycare center. He lifts the blankets and tells Taka that he is here to find him.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Taka Kamitani
 * Kotaro Kashima
 * Ryuuichi Kashima
 * Kirin Kumatsuka
 * Takuma Mamizuka
 * Kazuma Mamizuka
 * Hayato Kamitani
 * The Goldfish
 * Usaida Yoshihito
 * Midori Sawatari
 * Shizuka Kamitani