The sun sat high by noon, a rare weekend when time seemed to stretch just for them.
Haruto stood at the center of the school's dusty field, arms crossed, as Coach Inoue barked orders from behind a rusting clipboard.
"Two teams. Red bands vs. white bands. Play five innings."
The team split—new and old, mixed without preference.
Haruto was placed as pitcher for White Band.
Sōta, naturally, caught behind him. "I think Inoue's trying to see if we can carry with just eye contact."
Haruto grinned. "Let's not disappoint."
On Red Band's side, Takeshi—the boy with the metal bat—gripped it like he had something to prove. Behind him, Mina crouched in the catcher's squat with silent intensity, analyzing everyone's movement like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
Even Jun, the clumsy but energetic boy, seemed charged with electricity. This was their first test.
---
Inning 1 – Top
Takeshi was up to bat first.
Sōta tapped his glove. "Don't go too hard on him. Let's see if he's got rhythm."
Haruto nodded but felt the twitch in his fingers.
He wound up—smooth, almost too elegant for a 14-year-old. His pitch came in like lightning wrapped in silk.
Strike!
Takeshi's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen the ball.
The second pitch… slower, curving outward.
Swing—miss.
Takeshi gritted his teeth. "One more."
The third? A wild variation Haruto had just begun experimenting with—a low, dipping forkball.
Swing—contact!
Ping!
The ball launched shallow to right field. A miracle? Almost.
But it dropped between two confused fielders.
Base hit.
"Not bad," Haruto muttered. "He's got spirit."
---
Inning 1 – Bottom
Now it was Jun's turn to bat.
"Don't stress!" Reina cheered from the bench.
Jun gripped the bat nervously, still wearing mismatched cleats.
Mina pitched.
First ball? Wild. Almost hit him.
Second? A clean strike.
Third? He fouled it—barely.
Fourth?
He closed his eyes and swung.
Thunk.
The ball rolled slowly between third and shortstop. No one expected it, no one reacted fast enough.
Jun made it to first base. Breathless. Beaming.
Haruto clapped. "Never underestimate chaos."
---
Inning 2–4: Progress and Pain
The next few innings turned chaotic.
Fielding errors. Miscommunications. Laughter.
Daichi tripped over his own glove. Renji forgot how many outs there were. Mina threw a perfect pitch that hit the umpire's shoe—Coach Inoue.
But through it all… there were glimpses of magic.
Haruto's curveball froze two batters mid-swing.
Sōta picked off a runner at second with pinpoint throw.
Mina struck out Haruto in a shocking showdown, earning cheers.
And Takeshi… hit the ball so hard in Inning 4, it dented the school gate.
---
Inning 5 – Final Moments
The score was 3-3.
Jun was on third base. One out.
Haruto stepped up to bat.
Sōta called from behind the fence. "Don't show off."
"No promises," Haruto replied.
Mina stared him down. Her eyes were steady.
She pitched low.
Haruto didn't move.
Ball.
Second pitch? Inside.
Ball.
Third…?
Perfect.
Haruto swung.
Crack.
A clean line drive. Not a home run. But enough.
Jun sprinted.
He almost tripped—but didn't.
As he dove to home plate, dust flew.
"Safe!"
Cheers erupted.
---
The field fell into laughter and cheers. Everyone ran toward Jun, lifting him up, even though he looked like he was about to cry.
"We're not ready for nationals," Haruto said, laughing.
Sōta nodded. "But we're ready for each other."
Coach Inoue stood silently, watching them all… and quietly wrote something in his clipboard.
> "Maybe, just maybe… these kids are worth fighting for."
---
End Message:
"A team is not born when uniforms are worn. A team is born when strangers celebrate each other's wins."