It was late at night, and the faint hum of his laptop was the only sound in Shinjiro's dimly lit room. The glow from the screen cast shadows across his face as he clicked through video footage of Shukugawa High School. On-screen, towering figures swung bats with ease, their powerful frames dwarfing the pitchers they faced.
Shinjiro leaned back in his chair, eyes wide as he watched the clips. "These guys are huge," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "What are they feeding them??" He chuckled, trying to downplay his nerves. His gaze shifted to the clips of their ace pitcher—a southpaw who hadn't even pitched in their quarter-final game.
"Moving fastballs... mostly," Shinjiro said under his breath, his mind already working out the possibilities. "Well, this is going to be tough."
As he continued to watch the footage, his phone vibrated, breaking his concentration. He glanced at it and saw a text from Emiko. Where did you disappear to after the game? Also, congrats on the home run!
Shinjiro smiled, his heart warming at the message. Before he could reply, another notification popped up—this time from the team's group chat, reminding everyone about the dinner after school tomorrow. He closed his phone, tossing it onto his bed.
Lying down, he replayed the game in his mind, smirking. "Deliberately missing those fastballs worked out in the end..." he thought to himself. But his smirk faded slightly as another thought crept in. My swing has suffered because of switching to my left hand for pitching.... He sighed. "I'll put it off for now and focus on the season. Plenty of time to figure it out later."
---
The next morning, Shinjiro rushed through the streets, his school bag bouncing against his back. He glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath. "Where the hell is he?"
As he turned the corner, he spotted Denji.
"Well, well, if it isn't our monster rookie in the flesh," Denji said with a grin, stretching out his arms dramatically.
Shinjiro chuckled and jogged up to him. "You're late,did you stay up again watching that shit" he asked, giving Denji a sidelong glance.
Denji scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "What are you, my dad now?" he said, sticking out his lower lip in mock defiance. "Dad!?" He pouted comically.
Shinjiro sighed, rolling his eyes.
---
Later that afternoon, Yamato, Seimei's assistant coach, was next to Coach Nakamura in their office, "Shukugawa's tricky," Yamato said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Should we go with a pitcher's relay again?"
Nakamura nodded, closing his notepad. "Yes, it'll give our first years valuable experience in a high-stakes game."
Yamato looked back at Nakamura. "We should also put Shinjiro in the starting lineup. That cameo in the last game... it was his statement."
Nakamura nodded in agreement, though his thoughts seemed to wander. "He's earned it," Nakamura said quietly, his eyes sharp with determination.
---
The bell rang, and students began packing up their books. Shinjiro, still lingering near his desk, noticed Denji scribbling something furiously on a sheet of paper covered in stickers. Curiosity got the better of him. He walked over and playfully rubbed Denji's shoulders, leaning over to peek at the notes.
"English?" Shinjiro asked, raising an eyebrow. "What, you planning to go overseas or something?"
Denji didn't even look up. His focus was intense. "Since you're going pro, I'll be your interpreter when we go to the MLB," he said matter-of-factly.
Shinjiro was dumbstruck, his mouth hanging open. "What?" He started laughing, looking at Denji like he'd just heard the craziest thing in the world. "You're serious!?"
Denji eyed him, his expression deadpan. "What, something funny?"
Before Shinjiro could answer, a girl entered the classroom, her cheeks flushed pink. She shyly approached Shinjiro and asked, "C-can I talk to you for a second?"
The entire classroom fell silent, eyes darting between Shinjiro and the girl. One of the girls in the back row whispered to her deskmate, "Hey, is that his girlfriend??"
Shinjiro, utterly confused but polite, followed her out into the stairwell. "Sorry if I disturbed you," she began, nervously fidgeting with her bag's strap. "I... I just wanted to congratulate you on your home run. I've been watching you play for a while now..."
She quickly thrust a small scuffle bag into his hands. "I-I made this for you!"
Shinjiro blinked, taken aback. "For me?" He smiled awkwardly. "Uh, thanks, that's really nice of you."
Before he could say anything more, the girl turned bright red and bolted down the stairs, disappearing before he could even ask her name. Shinjiro stared after her, bewildered. "That was... weird," he muttered.
Shrugging it off, he reached into the bag and pulled out one of the cookies. As soon as he took a bite, his eyes widened. "These are so good!" he mumbled, his mouth full of chocolate chip goodness.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the school, the girl, Himari, met up with her three friends. Her face was still red from embarrassment as she clutched the now-empty bag in her hands.
"Well? How did it go?" one of her friends asked, leaning in with a grin.
Himari fiddled with her fingers, avoiding eye contact. "I... I gave him the cookies, but I didn't confess," she admitted quietly.
"I told you she wouldn't confess!" one of the girls laughed, nudging her.
Another chimed in, "Come on, he'll figure it out?"
The last friend shook her head. "Boys are clueless. Of course he won't!"
Himari clenched her fists, a newfound determination burning in her eyes. "Then I'll get closer to him," she declared. "I'm going to join the baseball team!"
Her friends gasped, staring at her in shock. "No way!"
Himari nodded firmly, her decision made.
As the girls chatted excitedly about her plan, Himari couldn't help but smile, imagining the day she'd stand beside Shinjiro—not just as a fan, but as someone who could cheer him on from the dugout.
---
The evening air was cool as Ryoichi and Kenji made their way down the bustling street toward the restaurant where the team dinner was to be held. The soft hum of conversation and distant traffic blended into the background, but what pierced through was the unmistakable grumbling of Kenji's stomach.
Ryoichi glanced over, amused. "Man, I'm starving," Kenji muttered, rubbing his belly. "Let's hope the boys have already ordered something."
Ryoichi smirked, shaking his head. "You know the food's on you, right? Sir captain " His voice carried a hint of teasing.
Kenji suddenly stopped, a look of horror crossing his face. "Shit! I forgot about that!" He quickly turned to Ryoichi, rubbing his hands together dramatically, eyes wide with mock desperation. "Could our kind ace lend his poor, starving captain a few yen...?"
Ryoichi rolled his eyes, pulling out his wallet with a scoff. "Such a shameless captain," he muttered, handing over a few bills.
Kenji grinned from ear to ear, clutching the money like it was a treasure. "Thank you! Oh, wonderful sir, for your incredible kindness!" he said, bowing deeply, his voice dripping with playful theatrics.
As they continued walking, they spotted Shinjiro approaching from the opposite direction, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets.
"Rookie!" Kenji called, throwing an arm around Shinjiro's shoulders as they walked. "Where's your other half?"
Shinjiro blinked, confused. "Other half?"
"Yeah," Kenji said with a smirk.
Shinjiro sighed. "Oh he had something important to take care of at home."
Kenji chuckled. "Ah, too bad."
They arrived at the restaurant, and the moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by their teammates' voices. The warmth of the place hit them immediately, along with the rich smell of grilling meats and laughter. Emiko waved from a table near the back. "Shinjiro! I saved you a seat!"
Shinjiro smiled, making his way over to the empty chair beside her as the rest of the team settled into their spots.
Kenji dramatically clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright, boys! I know you're all starving, so —order whatever you want! The bill's on me. Your generous captain will cover it!"
Koji's eyes widened, and he leaned forward, grinning. "Really, Senpai?"
Daiki, who was already skimming through the menu, spoke up loudly. "Let's see… the most expensive thing on here..." He trailed his finger down the list, a mischievous glint in his eye as he waved over the waitress.
Kenji's mouth twitched, his smile stiffening as the rest of the team burst into laughter.
Later in the dinner, the clinking of cups echoed through the restaurant. Haruto stood up, his glass raised high. "Here's a toast to our monster rookie and our ace!"
The entire team followed suit, raising their drinks and shouting in unison. "Cheers!"
As the evening went on, the team fell into comfortable conversations. Kaito was talking animatedly with Yamashita across the table. "I'm telling you! He's got a photo with him!"
Yamashita looked at Kaito, unimpressed. "No way. I don't believe it."
Kaito nodded earnestly, his excitement growing. "Why don't we just ask Ryoichi, then?"
The attention quickly shifted to Ryoichi, who was minding his own business. Seeing the curious looks directed at him, he sighed and pulled out his phone. "Fine, I'll show you."
The boys gathered around as Ryoichi scrolled through his photos, eventually landing on the one they'd been waiting for. He held it out, and the boys leaned in, their eyes widening in awe, looking at pictures of Hideo holding Ryoichi.
"No way!" Shunichi exclaimed. "Hideo Nomo! That's really him!"
Kenji folded his arms, scoffing in mock jealousy. "If Hideo touched me as a baby, I'd be the ace too," he grumbled.
Haruto, clearly not thinking before speaking, added with a laugh, "Man, Hideo should touch more kids!"
The room fell into an awkward silence, everyone staring at Haruto with raised eyebrows. The absurdity of the statement hung in the air before Kenji burst into laughter.
"Haruto..." Kenji wheezed. "You gotta think before you say stuff like that!"
The entire table erupted in laughter, and the team continued enjoying the night.