Chereads / Baseball: The Legendary Ace / Chapter 3 - Love of Baseball

Chapter 3 - Love of Baseball

Kaito kicked off his shoes as he entered the house, dragging himself up the stairs to his room. Tossing his bag onto the floor, he flopped onto his bed with a groan.

"What a day," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Sleep overtook him almost instantly, and soon, he found himself watching on a baseball field. But this wasn't just any field—it was a packed stadium. The crowd was massive, their cheers deafening as they waved banners and chanted.

"Two Outs," someone called. "Let's finish this!"

Kaito looked down on the person standing on the mound, wearing a crisp white uniform. Holding a ball in his hand with a perfect posture, like he always belonged there. He glanced at the scoreboard: 9th inning, tied game, two outs, full count.

The batter dug into the box, his stance solid, his gaze sharp. The pitcher nodded to the catcher's sign, wound up, and threw. The fastball shot forward, fast, strong and spinning unnaturally. The batter swung, completely missing it.

"Strike three!" the umpire called.

The crowd erupted, and the pitcher tipped his cap. As he did, Kaito caught a glimpse of the pitcher. He looks the same as his face, the only difference was it is older, more refined, and brimming with confidence. It was him—but not him.

"Kaito! Get up! You're going to be late!"

He jolted awake, his mom's shout pulling him back to reality. He blinked at the sunlight streaming through his window and groaned.

"Coming!" he yelled, scrambling to get dressed.

At school, Kaito tried to pay attention, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the dream. What was that? Why did it feel so real?

He stared at the teacher's notes on the board, but none of it registered. His leg bounced under the desk, and he found himself doodling a baseball in the corner of his notebook.

"Suzuki, focus," the teacher snapped, pulling him out of his daze. He muttered an apology and tried to concentrate, but his mind wasn't having it.

At lunch, Kaito found Ken sitting under their usual tree, wolfing down his bento.

"Kaito! Over here!" Ken called, waving.

Kaito sat down across from him and opened his lunch, poking at it absentmindedly.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Ken said, chewing noisily.

Kaito sighed. "Ken, no matter what I try, I can't get baseball out of my head. It's like… it's who I am. Everything I think somehow circles back to it."

Ken grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "That's what I like to hear! Guess what? We're registering for the baseball club right now!"

Kaito blinked. "Right now? What about lunch?"

"You can eat later! Come on, this is more important," Ken said, pulling him to his feet.

The hallway leading to the baseball club registration was packed. First-years stood in a long line, chatting excitedly and clutching gloves, bats, and notebooks.

Ken whistled. "Wow, look at this crowd. Guess we're not the only ones with dreams, huh?"

Kaito glanced around and nodded. "Yeah, it's gonna be tough to stand out here."

Ken grinned. "Good thing we've got each other."

As they reached the front, a tall beauty with a clipboard addressed the group. Her no-nonsense attitude silenced the chatter immediately.

"Listen up!" she barked. "I'm Yamashita, the team manager. Trials start next week. Only a handful of you will make it to the third team, so if you're not ready to give 110%, don't bother showing up."

The group murmured, and a few nervous glances were exchanged. Kaito and Ken looked at each other and smirked.

"You ready for this?" Ken asked.

"Yeah," Kaito replied, his confidence growing.

That evening, Kaito dug out his old baseball glove and headed to the backyard. The sun had just started to set, casting a warm glow over the small patch of grass. He lined up a few targets and began throwing. Each pitch brought back the familiar rhythm, the satisfying thud of the ball hitting the wall.

"Still got that arm, huh?"

Kaito turned to see his dad standing in the doorway, holding a worn catcher's mitt.

"Dad?"

His father smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

Kaito shrugged, trying to hide his excitement. "Sure."

They set up opposite each other, and Kaito threw his first pitch. It landed squarely in the mitt with a loud pop.

"Not bad," his dad said, tossing the ball back.

They continued for a while, the sound of the ball connecting with the mitt echoing in the quiet night.

After a few more throws, his dad spoke up. "You know, Kaito, it's okay to love something. You don't have to have all the answers right now. Just keep throwing."

Kaito nodded, gripping the ball tighter. He wound up for one last pitch, pouring all his doubts and emotions into it. The sound it made as it slammed into the mitt was solid, reassuring.

As he stood there, watching his father toss the ball back with an approving smile, Kaito felt it in his gut—he couldn't let baseball go. Not now. Not ever.