The morning sun spilled softly through Ryan's bedroom window, casting warm golden hues across the familiar walls. It was the first school day of the week.
His eyes fluttered open earlier than his alarm, a quiet excitement buzzing under his skin. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and took a deep breath. Today was the day he would take the first step toward his dream—joining the baseball club.
Downstairs, the kitchen smelled of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread. His parents were already awake, chatting quietly over breakfast. Ryan slipped in, quietly grabbing a plate and sitting beside them. The usual clatter of cutlery and casual morning talk surrounded him, but Ryan's mind was elsewhere.
"Good morning, Ryan," his mother said, smiling as she poured orange juice into a glass.
"Good morning, Mom," Ryan replied, trying to steady his voice. After a brief pause, he decided to speak. "Mom, Dad... I've decided I'm going to join the baseball club at school."
His father looked up from his newspaper, eyebrows raised. "Are you serious about it?"
Ryan nodded firmly. "Yeah. I've been thinking a lot about it. I want to be a catcher."
His mother glanced at him, surprised but supportive. "That's a tough position. Requires a lot of skill and responsibility."
"I know, but I will work hard. I really want to make it."
His father folded the paper slowly and set it aside. "Well, you've got the determination. Just don't expect it to be easy."
"I won't," Ryan said, a determined glint in his eyes.
After breakfast, Ryan carefully packed his bag. His mitt, cleats, and a few notebooks where he had scribbled notes from watching baseball videos. The walk to school was short but quiet. The neighborhood was waking up, cicadas droning softly in the warm summer air. He noticed the faint scent of freshly cut grass and the distant sounds of other kids heading toward their classes.
As he approached the school gates, a slight nervousness began to creep in.
Inside the school, the corridors buzzed with typical pre-class chatter. Ryan nodded politely to classmates he recognized but kept his mind focused. After the morning lessons dragged on, the bell finally rang for lunch. Ryan ate quickly, barely tasting the food, his thoughts already on what awaited him after school.
When the final bell sounded, students poured out of classrooms, eager for the weekend ahead. Ryan took a deep breath and walked toward the gym building, where the baseball club room was located. The muffled sounds of the bat hitting the ball and distant shouts floated through the open windows.
At the door, a man with black and a hint of grey hair stood with a clipboard and looked up. It was Coach Tanaka, known for his strict but fair coaching.
"Can I help you?" the coach asked.
Ryan bowed politely. "Yes, Coach. I'm Ryan Tanaka, a second-year student in Class 2-B. I want to join the baseball club."
The coach's gaze sharpened. "Now? We just lost in the second round of the summer tournament. Not many want to jump in after a loss."
"Yes, sir. I know it's late but I want to become a catcher."
The coach rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Catcher, huh? That's not the kind of position kids usually line up to play."
Ryan met his eyes steadily. "I'm willing to work hard."
"Have you ever played before? Baseball, I mean."
"No, sir. I only recently found it enjoyable."
Coach Tanaka's lips twitched. "Alright. We start summer training camp next week. Six weeks of hard work. Morning runs, drills, conditioning, intra-squad games. Every day."
Ryan's heart raced. "I'll want to be there."
The coach nodded. "Good. You'll start with the second-string team. We need you to prove yourself with the basics before we put you into an intra-squad game."
"I understand."
"Don't disappoint me."
As Ryan left, the coach called after him, "You better be serious about this."
"Don't worry, Coach. I will."
That weekend, Ryan met the team at the bus stop before dawn.
He had practiced all week on his basics, showing an incredible improvement from his first day. He wasn't sure about the standard of his teammates, but he was sure he wouldn't embarrass himself completely.
Lateral hops, crab walks, glove-hand speed drills, and tracking exercises using tennis balls. He repeated the same excercises Nex had asked him to a week ago when the system was first activated.
When Ryan first joined the baseball club, his parents were initially hesitant about him being away for six weeks. But eventually, they gave in, understanding that it would take dedication and hard work for him to succeed. Before he left to meet up with his team at school, they hugged him so tightly it felt like the air was being squeezed from his lungs. They finally let go when he reminded them he'd be late.
The sky was still painted in the muted blue of early morning, and the humid summer air clung to everything. Most of the players stood in small clusters, bags slung over their shoulders, chatting sleepily.
"Yo," a short, scrappy-looking boy with glasses said, glancing at Ryan.
"You're new."
"Yeah. I'm Ryan, I joined on Monday but the Coach told me to come today."
"Makes sense, we didn't really practice that much this week. Welcome to the team by the way. I'm Aki. I play shortstop for the second string."
"Thanks, I want to be a catcher, hoping to join the first team."
Aki smirked. "You actually chose to be a catcher? That's a hard position to be picked for the starting line-up, and we have a pretty decent catcher for the first string."
Before Ryan could answer, another voice chimed in. "Aki, leave the rookie alone. And who are you to call someone on the first-string team decent when you're only in the second string?"
It came from Jun, a lanky, third-year outfielder with a lazy vibe but sharp eyes. He nodded at Ryan. "Ignore him. Everyone's just grumpy we're up this early."
"Hey hey, you don't have to diss me like that, Jun!" Aki chimmed in from the side.
"Just shut it man. You're embarrassing us."
"Tsk, grumpy."
"Is the camp really as hard as Coach said?" Ryan asked.
Aki let out a laugh. "Worse."
"But it's worth it," Jun added. "You'll hate it at first. Then one day, you'll realize your legs don't feel like jelly anymore, but the process is like a living hell."
The players began loading their bags into the bus. As Ryan stepped on, he glanced around. There was a quiet energy in the air. Not exactly excitement, but a shared purpose. They weren't a championship team, but they were something.
Ryan took a seat beside Aki, who pulled out a convenience store rice ball and started eating. "So, you really never played before?"
"I've practiced for a week or so, but no games."
"Then why catcher?"
"It felt right," Ryan said simply.
Aki chewed slowly, "Guess we'll have to see right." He teased.
Across the aisle, Jun leaned back with his arms crossed and eyes half-shut. "You aiming for the first-string?"
"Eventually."
Jun chuckled. "Everyone says that. Not everyone makes it though."
"I guess only time will tell," Ryan said.
He stared out the window as the city gave way to a forested countryside.
He hadn't come just to join the team. He came to start his dream, to the very top.
The bus finally pulled up to the mountain training grounds.
A modest complex of dorms, dusty fields, and open sky. As the players stepped off and stretched, Coach Tanaka blew his whistle.
"Get moving! Summer's not going to wait for you to grow up!"
Ryan gripped his bag and followed the others.
He was ready to begin.