Chapter 45

Synopsis
Hayato's wish for Tanabata is that his baseball team makes it to the Koshien Stadium playoffs. A series of lucky breaks for the team gets them closer and closer, but is Hayato pleased?

Long Summary
Hayato and Taka enter the daycare center and see Ryuuichi preparing decorations for Tanabata. Usaida asks about Hayato's baseball uniform, and Hayato explains that it is almost time for the summer competition. Usaida hands him a tanzaku, (a piece of paper that people use to write wishes on) but he refuses it, saying he does not need such a thing. The children and their mothers are excited to write their wishes, so they think of wishes and decorate their papers. The children ask Ryuu why they have to hang them on a tree, and Ryuu replies that the higher the paper is placed, the easier it will be for the Tanabata gods to see them. The mothers decide to wish for a peaceful day at the hot springs. Hayato thinks to himself that he does not care for Tanabata. He sees Taka staring at him and asks if he wants him to write down his wish for him. Taka becomes flustered and puts his head in Ryuu's lap, exclaiming that he cannot tell his brother his wish. Hayato silently writes down that he wishes to enter Koshien, a baseball stadium. Saikawa suddenly appears behind him, shocking Hayato. Hayato prepares to leave for baseball practice, and he puts down the Tanzaku and pen, saying that if wishes were to come true because of the papers, there would be no need work hard.

Usokawa rushes into the classroom saying that a miracle has happened. He shows the newspaper and announces that the baseball team has defeated the team that had won in Koshien the year prior. The cover of the newspaper features a picture of Hayato. Ryuu asks if the team was ever this strong, and Hayato replies that the team is weak. He states that they only won because the opponent's strongest players developed food poisoning and were, thus, unable to play. Hayato looks extremely angry when his classmates ask him if the team was just lucky. He takes out a stack of love letters from female classmates from the inside of his desk. Usokawa becomes jealous, so Hayato offers to give them to him if he really wants them. Usaida and Ryuu discuss the Tanabata's blessing, and the children excitedly ask if they can go watch him play. Ryuu imitates Hayato's intimidating glare and repeats Hayato's message that he does not want them to ever come watch him.

Morinomiya Academy's baseball team manages to place in the top eight, although it is unsure if the team won because of luck from the blessing or because of the members' genuine skills. One of the baseball team members cries while holding Hayato's hands, saying that he is only praising someone as cheeky as him because his abilities are top-notch. All of the girls have gathered around the field, presumably to watch Hayato. Taka tries to get through the crowd and finally reaches the fence where he can see his brother. The girls all call out his name, but Hayato turns away from him. Taka starts to cry as he sees his brother turn around.

Hayato sits in front of the Tanabata tree with a menacing look on his face and clicks his tongue at Ryuu when he approaches him. Ryuu asks if Hayato came to see Taka, but Hayato starts talking about the Tanabata wish. Hayato is frustrated by the wish, as he wanted to play against his opponents at their best condition, not because a piece of paper might have made them weaker so they could win. He does not want a lucky homerun, but rather points that he and his upperclassmen worked hard for. Ryuu says that he gets it and encourages him to win the tournament, but Hayato blushes and grabs Ryuu's wrist, saying that he does not understand at all. Hayato exclaims that he does not believe that the Tanabata wish helped the team win, but he wants to go as far as he can with the team he has now, whether it is because of luck of the Tanabata gods. Hayato briskly apologizes and leaves. He asks Ryuu if he will take the paper off the tree, but Ryuu refuses, saying that luck is also part of the team's skills. Later, Taka approaches the tree.

Usaida sneaks into the stadium to watch the team play, and tells Ryuu, over the phone, that Morinomiya's baseball team lost the game. Taka, holding his brother's tanzaku paper, which has been ripped in half, starts to cry. Ryuu tries to explain that his brother did not lose because he ripped the paper in half, albeit to no avail. Usaida promises not to tell Hayato, thinking Taka is scared his brother will be angry at him. Taka explains that he wanted to put the wish on a higher spot on the tree so the Tanabata gods could see it more easily. Hayato picks up the paper and tells his little brother that he was not a crybaby like him when he was younger. Taka clings to his brother and continues to cry. His wish had been to be able to play baseball and be as cool as his brother.

Meanwhile, Kotaro has finally finished thinking of a wish.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Taka Kamitani
 * Hayato Kamitani
 * Ryuuichi Kashima
 * Kotaro Kashima
 * Usaida Yoshihito
 * Kirin Kumatsuka
 * Takuma Mamizuka
 * Kazuma Mamizuka
 * Umi Mamizuka
 * Yayoi Kumatsuka
 * Yukari Sawatari
 * Midori Sawatari
 * Saikawa Keigo
 * Usokawa
 * Ebizawa
 * Saginuma
 * Taizo Hebihara

Trivia
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 * Hebihara makes a minor, almost unnoticeable appearance in this chapter. He can be seen at Hayato's game, wearing a hat and watching incognito within the crowd of fans as Usaida is making his call to Ryuu.