[Beep, beep…]
The phone's waiting tone hummed.
"Hello?"
A gruff male voice answered.
Akane tensed instinctively but exhaled, safe in her room. The image of the boy she walked home with flashed in her mind. She spoke firmly, "Coach Higashi."
As the baseball club manager, having the coach's number was normal.
The man chuckled, his voice conjuring an image of yellowed teeth in a vile grin. "Oh, Nanao? Calling me? Changed your mind? Heh, I told you… hanging with a guy like Anji—"
"I'm quitting the baseball club," Akane cut in, unwavering.
"…What?" Higashi sounded stunned, then vicious. "You little brat, think carefully! Katamori will lose his starting spot because of your selfish stunt! You'll ruin his dreams!!"
Shono's dreams—once vital to Akane, Higashi's key leverage.
But now, she recalled another boy's words: "Your dreams are yours to chase."
"Shono and I will talk," Akane said. "Anyway, out of respect for you as coach, I'm informing you. You can't force me to stay, right?"
True enough. Coaches could pick members, but they couldn't stop someone determined to quit.
Higashi nearly ground his teeth to dust, snarling, "You'll regret this…"
Before he finished, click—Akane hung up.
She deleted the call log and Higashi's contact, tossed her phone on the bed, and flopped beside it, leaning against soft pillows, staring at the white ceiling.
Unbelievable. I actually said that to Higashi.
Raising her wrist, she spread her glistening fingers, letting the incandescent light scatter through them. I've really changed, haven't I?
Her phone buzzed again.
Annoyed, thinking it was Higashi, she nearly blocked it but saw "Katamori Shono" on the screen.
She froze, took a deep breath, and hit accept.
"Akane!"
Shono's voice roared. "What are you doing?! Coach Higashi told me! How could you quit the club like that?! Why didn't you talk to me first?!"
Akane stayed silent until he finished, then spoke calmly, "Sorry, this is my decision… I can't stay in the club."
"B-But our dream… getting to Koshien?!" Shono's voice trembled.
Before, his pleading tone would've made Akane console him instantly. But today, she was cold, and Shono felt it.
"That's not my dream," Akane said. "I don't like baseball."
"B-But you—"
Akane sighed, like teaching a child. "I liked you, so I liked baseball. Now that I don't like you, baseball's nothing to me."
"Akane… what's that supposed to mean?"
"I wanted to say this in person, but since you called, let's clear it up. Sorry, Shono, chase your dreams. I… have my own goals now," she said flatly.
"Goals…?"
"No more to say. But for your sake, a warning—stay away from Higashi. He's bad news…"
Before she finished, Shono exploded, "Why are you still slandering Coach Higashi?! Don't you know how many chances he gave me? Without him, I wouldn't even play—"
"Sorry." Akane cut him off. She'd expected to feel hurt hearing this again, but she felt nothing—just that Shono seemed… foolish. "I might've known before, but I've forgotten. That's all, Katamori-kun. Good luck."
"You—"
"Bye."
Click.
Akane collapsed on the bed, staring at the lamp's halo.
Months with Shono flashed like a carousel, then shattered with his words. Tears welled, but she smiled.
A strange, sudden lightness washed over her.
She sprang up with a carp flip.
No more dwelling on the past. Time to make tomorrow's bento… Hmm, maybe two portions?
…
The next day, despite sneezing all night, Satoru expected a cold but was surprisingly fine. Guess it wasn't a chill—someone's cursing me. Handsome guys get hate…
He sat quietly at his desk, classes yet to start. A thought hit—he hadn't deleted his study materials post-transmigration. Real study stuff—NTR doujins and videos, for knowing thy enemy. Watched often. Shit, if they check my stuff and find it, they'll think I'm the NTR kingpin!
With that stash… forget NTR, he'd be the Demon King of Bulls.
Should've deleted it. Stay pure even in death…
"Bro! Check this out!"
Anji swaggered over, flaunting a massive… guitar case on his back.
…
…