Chapter 5: A Bit of Nostalgia
It was a typical lunch break.
“What? You mean neither you nor Hatsushiro-san have worn those clothes since we bought them?”
“Well, we both feel kind of restless in them. We decided to save them for when we go out together on special occasions.”
“I didn’t think I picked out anything that formal… but I guess that’s just like you two.”
Yuuki was reading a textbook, while Ootani was reading the shonen manga Captain Tsubasa. He was well aware it was a timeless classic, but when he asked why she was reading it now, she said it was “a hot topic in the BL community”… He decided it was best to leave it at that.
Just then.
“Shouko-chwaaan!!”
The classroom door flew open, and Fujii burst in. As always, he was the picture of a refreshing, handsome guy.
The calm, popular-guy attitude he’d had when he chased off the college guys harassing Hatsushiro had vanished into thin air. He launched himself at Ootani with the kind of energy that would make Lupin III blush.
He was a total pervert.
“You look as lovely as ever today! For our honeymoon, should we go to Hawaii or maybe Europe—”
“Hmph!”
“GABOH?!”
The sole of Ootani’s indoor shoe slammed into the face of the most handsome guy in school.
“...Hey, I think I heard a dull ‘thwack’ just now. You okay?”
Yuuki asked, concerned.
“...Ah, yeah, I’m fine. Actually, this might not be so bad either.”
Fujii said, getting to his feet with a slightly enraptured look on his face, which now bore a perfect imprint of the bottom of her shoe. He was a pervert.
“So, Shouko-chan, how about you kick me again?”
Ootani looked at him as if he were a piece of someone else’s crap stuck to a toilet bowl.
“No way. I don’t even want to touch you, you damn pervert.”
“Ah… being verbally abused like this… it really gets my blood pumping…”
He was a pervert.
Ootani let out a huge sigh as if to say I can’t deal with this and turned her attention back to her manga.
Yuuki said to Fujii, “You really never give up, do you? Coming all the way to our classroom on a different floor just to mess with Ootani.”
“Actually, I had a message for you this time, Yuuki.”
“For me?”
“Yeah. Your homeroom teacher will probably tell you again later, but the principal wants to see you in his office after school.”
◇
After school.
“Still, I wonder what the principal wants to see me for.”
Yuuki stood in front of the principal’s office, wondering.
He had more interaction with the principal than the average student. As an SA scholarship student, he had a meeting with him once every term, where he was told to keep up the good work.
But he had never been summoned for any other reason, as he had never caused any trouble. His grades had been at the top of the class in the last two exams, so he doubted it was about that.
With those thoughts, he opened the door and entered the principal’s office.
“Ah, Yuuki-kun. How are you?”
The principal, sitting at a large wooden desk, greeted him in a gentle voice.
He was a man in his late fifties with salt-and-pepper hair slicked back, wearing a black suit. His attire alone might have been intimidating, but his soft, drooping eyebrows and slow, calm way of speaking gave him the air of a kindly old grandpa.
As a result, his speeches at school assemblies were notorious for lulling students into a deep slumber.
“Sorry about this. I know you usually use your time after school for self-study.”
“It’s fine if it’s just for a little while. So, what did you need to see me about?”
“Ah, yes, about that. He can give you the details.”
The principal gestured with his eyes toward the reception sofa.
Two people in baseball uniforms were sitting there.
One was Fujii. He made eye contact with Yuuki, mouthed “Yo,” and gave a small wave.
The other was an unfamiliar man, younger than the principal, probably in his late thirties.
“Hey there. Nice to meet you, Yuuki Yuusuke-kun. I’m Shimizu Kouji, the new baseball coach starting this year.”
Shimizu stood up from the sofa. He was quite tall, though not as tall as Fujii. In contrast to the principal, he had a sharp, energetic face.
Yuuki took the offered hand and shook it.
“Nice to meet you.”
“...Yeah. It’s been over three years since you’ve been away from baseball, but you still have amazing hands. You are indeed worthy of being the ace of our baseball team, Yuuki-kun!”
Shimizu boomed in a powerful voice, like a member of a cheering squad or a theater troupe projecting from the diaphragm.
“...Excuse me?”
“What, don’t worry. I was out with an injury for nearly a year in high school, but a break like that can be overcome in less than six months if you work at it carefully. I’ll help you, of course!”
His voice was clear and easy to hear, but what he was saying made no sense.
Yuuki shot a “What is this?” look at Fujii.
Fujii just shook his head as if to say, “That’s just how it is.” An exasperated look was on his face.
Wait a minute. This guy… he looks familiar…
“Um. Have we met somewhere before?”
At his question, Shimizu frowned for a moment, then gave a wry smile.
“Hahaha. I thought I was at least somewhat well-known.”
Fujii said to him, “I told you, Coach. Yuuki’s completely done with baseball now. Yuuki, Coach Shimizu is a former pro baseball player.”
“...Oh, you’re that Shimizu!”
Yuuki finally remembered.
Shimizu Kouji. A professional baseball player who had been active in the major league from his first year out of high school and had even won titles like the strikeout leader. He had retired young nine years ago due to injuries, but any baseball fan from that era would at least know his name.
It was a surprise to learn he was coaching at their high school.
Well, setting that aside for a moment.
“So, what business do you have with me, Shimizu-senshu?”
(T/N: Senshu (選手): A noun meaning "player," "athlete," or "team member" (especially in team sports like volleyball or baseball). In Japanese culture, "-senshu" is also used as an honorific suffix added to a surname to respectfully refer to an athlete or competitor, similar to how "-san" is used for general politeness.)
“As I said, as the ace of our team—”
The principal’s calm voice cut off the forceful words that were about to pour from Shimizu’s mouth.
“Now, now, hold on, Shimizu-kun. You’re as bad as ever, unable to hold a conversation when you get excited.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry, senpai. I got a little carried away in the presence of young ptalent… My apologies, Yuuki-kun.”
Shimizu said, bowing his head obsequiously.
From their interaction, it seemed the two were former teammates from their college or high school baseball days.
“To put it simply, Shimizu-kun is trying to recruit you to the baseball team. I’m aware you were quite the player in middle school. Starting this year, our school is planning to put more effort into the baseball team. Hiring him is part of that. It would be a great help to the school if a student like you joined and played an active role… However, I thought it would be difficult for you to do so while maintaining your grades as a scholarship student, but Shimizu-kun was very insistent. So we’re at least letting him talk to you.”
…Ah, so that’s what this is about.
“I’m sorry. I must decline. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Yuuki turned on his heel and opened the door he’d come through.
“Ah, wait, Yuuki-kun?!”
“Coach, I told you it was a waste of time~”
Hearing their exchange behind him, Yuuki walked out of the principal’s office.
◇
After leaving the principal’s office, Yuuki spent a long time studying in the study hall.
When he saw the sun begin to set, he packed up his things and left.
At the school gate, he happened to run into Fujii.
“Hey. Heading home?”
“Yeah. It’s rare for you to be leaving this late, Fujii.”
“The coach has had some errands lately, so we’ve been finishing up early. Let’s walk home together.”
“Yeah, sure.”
They began to walk side by side.
“It’s been a while since we’ve walked home together like this,” Yuuki mused.
Before he met Hatsushiro, on days he didn’t have work, he would stay late in the study hall just like today, which often coincided with the end of baseball practice. Since they walked in the same direction for part of the way, they had naturally fallen into the habit of talking on their way home.
But since Hatsushiro came into his life, he’d been rushing home as soon as class was over on his days off, so they hadn’t had the chance to talk like this recently.
“...Is this what they mean when they say you lose touch with your old friends after you get married?”
“Hm? What are you mumbling about?”
“Ah—no, no. It’s nothing, it’s nothing.”
He shook his head vigorously.
“...It’s not like we’re married yet, anyway. Wait, what am I saying, ‘yet’… I mean, of course, eventually…”
“You’re always muttering to yourself about the weirdest things, Yuuki.”
Fujii said with a wry smile.
After walking and talking about nothing in particular for a while, Fujii suddenly said with an apologetic look on his face, “Sorry about today, Yuuki.”
“Hm? Oh, don’t worry about it. Shimizu-senshu is just trying his best to make the team he’s in charge of stronger. More importantly, thanks for helping Hatsushiro the other day.”
“Well, she’s my friend’s girlfriend. Of course I’m gonna help her.”
Fujii said it with a look on his face that suggested it was the most natural thing in the world.
What a genuinely handsome guy, right down to his personality. No wonder girls who actually talked to him became more ardent fans than those who just admired him from afar. And then they’d see his perverted antics around Ootani and downgrade him to a pretty-boy-who’s-nice-to-look-at-but-a-shame-in-person. That was the usual pattern.
Seriously, why does he turn into that around Ootani…?
“Hatsushiro said she wanted to thank you properly next time… Ah, I’m gonna stop by this supermarket.”
He remembered they were running low on daily necessities like toilet paper and toothpaste. Since living with Hatsushiro, they were going through them twice as fast.
“Oh, then I think I’ll buy some ice cream. I’m in the mood for a Super Cup.”
Fujii went into the supermarket with him.
As Yuuki grabbed a shopping basket, Fujii said, “You know, I only talked to her for a bit, but your girlfriend seems like a really nice kid.”
“She is! Hatsushiro is the best. No doubt about it.”
“And you two seem to be a good match.”
“Y-You think so? Well, I mean, it’s not that big of a deal~. Hey, while we’re at it, I’ll buy you ice cream. I won’t be cheap like you and get a Super Cup. I’ll treat you to Häagen-Dazs.”
Yuuki said, his face completely relaxed.
“You’re so easy to read, my dear friend…”
Fujii said with a wry smile.
It was then that he said, “Hm? Yuuki. Isn’t that Hatsushiro-chan over there?”
Where Fujii pointed, there was Hatsushiro, holding a shopping basket and looking thoughtfully at the cabbages.
◇
“Hey, Hatsushiro-cha—”
“Ah, wait a second.”
Yuuki stopped Fujii before he could call out to her.
He then walked over to her himself.
“...Ah, Yuuki-san.”
Hatsushiro bowed her head slightly, still holding the basket.
Yuuki asked her in a low voice, “Hey… Hatsushiro, are you okay?”
He actually hadn’t known she was going out to shop like this. Even though the store was close to home, he was a little surprised she had gone out by herself.
“Yes. We were running low on groceries, so I thought I’d give it a try. It seems I’m fine for short trips.”
Indeed, from his perspective, she didn’t seem particularly scared.
“...Yeah, I see.”
“Yes. From now on, I can go shopping by myself without having to rely on you, Yuuki-san.”
She clenched her free right hand into a fist and puffed out her chest proudly.
It was so heartwarming that he decided to pat her on the head.
“Thanks, Hatsushiro.”
“Y-Yuuki-san. What’s this all of a sudden…?”
“Well, you were just being cute.”
“...O-Oh, is that so. Fwaah.”
Hatsushiro blushed happily and let him pet her.
“...Now, you can have something to look forward to, Yuuki-san.”
“Hm? Look forward to?”
“Yes. Until now, you’ve been buying the ingredients for me. So you probably already knew what I was going to make.”
“Well, yeah.”
He didn’t know much about cooking, but even he could figure out that if he bought fish, they’d be having grilled fish that day or the next.
“I think it’s also fun to wonder what’s for dinner tonight.”
“Ah, yeah, I guess so.”
It was true that coming home to find your favorite food for dinner was a great feeling.
“Do you remember the first day I cooked for you?”
Hatsushiro asked.
Of course. Yuuki nodded emphatically. If anything, he was determined never to forget the taste of the udon she’d made that day.
“Back then, you were so surprised and happy with the food I made, weren’t you? I still remember how happy that made me feel… So, I was hoping I could make you that happy again.”
“...O-Oh, right.”
He was so happy that she had been that pleased that he didn’t know how to react, and just scratched his cheek.
A warm sensation touched his head. Hatsushiro was on her tiptoes, patting his head.
“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“You were being cute, so I couldn’t help it… Um, did you not like it?”
“...Not in the slightest.”
At his answer, Hatsushiro beamed.
Man. This is embarrassing. My face is getting hot.
But still, having Hatsushiro pat my head feels nice. It’s… calming…
“Hey. You two lovebirds over there. If you’re done spreading your sickeningly sweet aura all over this public space, would you mind letting me in on the conversation?”
Fujii said, wearing the same wry smile Ootani had worn before.
◇
For the time being, the three of them decided to shop together.
“Hatsushiro, I’ll carry the basket.”
“Thank you.”
“Hm? Aren’t you getting eggs?”
“No. They’re on sale on Monday, so I thought I’d buy them then.”
“Okay. Oh, you said we were running low on noodle sauce the other day, right? Should we get some?”
“Yes. A large bottle, please.”
“Got it.”
“...”
“What’s wrong, Fujii?”
“Is something the matter, Fujii-san?”
Watching Yuuki and Hatsushiro put items in the basket, Fujii had a complicated expression on his face.
“Well. You two look less like a couple and more like a married couple. It’s just that you seem to know everything about what’s in Hatsushiro-chan’s fridge and kitchen.”
“Eh, ah, well, I eat over at her place a lot.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Fujii, but it was probably best not to mention they were living together.
“Hmm. Well, whatever. More importantly, if you have time after this, why don’t we stop by that family restaurant over there? I’d like to talk with Hatsushiro-chan a bit more.”
Hearing that, Yuuki looked at Hatsushiro.
She gave a small nod.
“...Yes. I wanted to properly thank him for the other day, as well.”
◇
The three of them went to a nearby family restaurant.
They opened the menus and chose their food.
“Alright, I think I’ll have the Napolitan. What about you guys?”
“Hmm, I’ll have this grilled fish set.”
“I’ve never seen anyone order that at a family restaurant…”
“Really? Hmm, I guess you’re right.”
Perhaps the old Yuuki would have chosen something else. But now, having gotten used to Hatsushiro’s cooking, he was firmly in the Japanese food camp.
“What are you having, Hatsushiro?”
“...Um.”
Hatsushiro pointed to the last page of the menu with her slender finger.
“This one.”
“Pancakes? Are you sure? That’s on the kids’ menu, so it’s not very big. If you want a proper meal, the stuff on the previous page is better.”
Hatsushiro shook her head slightly.
“No. This is what I want…”
“...Okay.”
“Alright, I’ll call the waitress over.”
Fujii flagged down a passing waitress and gave their orders.
The young waitress seemed a little nervous in the presence of the handsome Fujii.
After they ordered and the waitress had gone to the kitchen, Yuuki said to Fujii, “You really are something else, man.”
“Hm? What is?”
“I mean, how popular you are. That waitress was blushing just looking at you.”
“Hmm, well, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Someone like me can only do so much.”
That kind of humility just comes off as arrogant, Yuuki thought. As far as he knew, there was no one who could do everything as well as Fujii.
“I think you’re amazing too, Fujii-san. The other day, you resolved that situation so quickly and without any conflict. Thank you for helping me then.”
Hatsushiro bowed her head.
Fujii smiled brightly.
“She’s my benefactor’s and my best friend’s girlfriend. It’s only natural I’d help.”
“Benefactor…?”
She knew he was his best friend, but this was the first she’d heard of him being his benefactor. She tilted her head in confusion.
“I’ve been wondering about that for a while, too. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to earn that title. And you never tell me what you’re talking about.”
“I didn’t think it was worth talking about. Hmm, but let’s see… Hatsushiro-chan, do you want to hear it, too?”
“Eh, w-well, yes…”
Hatsushiro said, a little shyly.
“If it’s about you, Yuuki-san, then I want to know…”
“I see. You’re really loved, Yuuki. I’m jealous, you bastard. Well, in that case, I guess I’ll tell you.”
Fujii took a sip of water and began his story.
“The first time I met Yuuki was at the spring tournament in our second year of middle school. At the time, I was the ace and the cleanup hitter. Well, I had been since my first year.”
“Since your first year? That’s amazing.”
“Well, I guess so… It sounds arrogant, but I’ve always been able to do anything without trying.”
“That really does sound arrogant, you know.”
Yuuki said with an exasperated look.
But it was true; Fujii was always in the top ten academically, but he’d never seen him cramming for exams.
“So, you know, I was bored. I didn’t become the ace and cleanup hitter because I wanted to; it just sort of happened while I was going through the motions at practice. I didn’t feel happy or proud or anything. I was just… jaded.”
But then, in the first round of the district tournament, a pitcher he had never seen before appeared before him.
“...Was that you, Yuuki-san?”
“Yeah. I’m sure he wasn’t there in our first year.”
“...I was playing for a club team back then. I wasn’t on the school team. For a short time in my second year, the baseball club advisor, who was also my homeroom teacher, said he’d fudge my grades a bit if I just registered and played as a ringer in games.”
Yuuki looked a little uncomfortable, propping his chin on his hand and looking out the window.
“Fudge your grades?”
“Until my second year of middle school, I did pretty much nothing but baseball. You could count my rank in class from the bottom on one hand.”
Hatsushiro blinked in surprise at how different he was from the Yuuki she knew.
Fujii chuckled at her reaction.
“So, anyway, we played the game…”
＊ ＊ ＊
Even now, Fujii remembered the bad feeling he got when Yuuki stepped onto the mound in the top of the first.
There was something about his eyes. They were completely serious—of course, everyone was serious, but the intensity in Yuuki’s eyes was on a completely different level from a middle schooler’s.
And the result… just as he had feared, was a complete and utter defeat for Fujii’s team.
They couldn’t even make solid contact with the balls Yuuki threw and were completely shut out. Fujii, who was already over six feet tall at the time, had a faster pitch, but in terms of pitching technique and precision, Yuuki was in a different league.
On the other hand, Yuuki’s team had worn him down with bunts and fouls, and then Yuuki himself had hit three triples off him, scoring three runs.
He had been utterly shown up by a player named Yuuki.
And after the game, Fujii received an even bigger shock.
After the game ended and the team was dismissed, Fujii was on his way home from eating at a nearby family restaurant with some friends when he saw Yuuki in a vacant lot.
He was practicing with a man who was probably his father. Even after a perfect game, his father was pointing out his mistakes, and he was throwing with a desperate look on his face. And what’s more, the balls he was throwing were clearly stronger and faster than during the game.
Which meant that for Yuuki, the game had been nothing more than practice for how to suppress a weaker opponent while conserving as much stamina and shoulder strength as possible.
He was just on a fundamentally different level. Compared to Yuuki, he was just an amateur with good reflexes.
As Fujii stood there, dumbfounded, a ball that Yuuki missed rolled to his feet. He picked it up and, as Yuuki came to retrieve it, he said, “You’re amazing, Yuuki-kun.”
Yuuki’s response was, “Who are you again?”
Apparently, to the person in front of him, he wasn’t even worth remembering. That was a first. Until now, everyone around Fujii, whether he wanted them to or not, had praised him as a genius, a prince, and put him on a pedestal.
Yuuki crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
“Oh, you’re that guy who was throwing those boring pitches with that bored look on your face. You should practice your pitching more. It’s obvious from your arm movement when you’re tired and about to throw a curve. Thanks for getting the ball.”
Without a trace of malice, Yuuki went back to his practice.
For a while, Fujii could only stand there, frozen, and watch him.
＊ ＊ ＊
“You were pretty harsh back in middle school, Yuuki-san.”
Hatsushiro said, looking surprised.
“...Hearing stories about myself from when I was an arrogant little punk gives me a really complicated feeling.”
Yuuki said with an indescribable expression as he ate the grilled fish set that had been brought out while Fujii was talking.
“Well, the Yuuki back then really was like a baseball demon. And what he said was true.”
“So, after that, you were inspired to take baseball more seriously, Fujii-san?”
And that’s why he was his benefactor, the one who had saved him from his lack of passion.
But Fujii shook his head.
“Nope. I tried to do some hardcore training on my own like Yuuki starting the next day, but I couldn’t even last three days.”
Fujii shrugged with a carefree smile.
“You still don’t stay that late to practice now, do you, Fujii?”
“Huh? Then, what do you mean by benefactor…?”
“It made me realize… ‘I’m not all that special.’”
Fujii said as he skillfully twirled Napolitan onto his fork.
“Until then, everyone around me kept calling me a genius, like I was the most amazing person in the world. So I kind of started to believe it. And because of that, I felt like I wasn’t allowed to be happy unless I did something truly amazing. I just convinced myself of that. That I had to live like the shining protagonist on the most epic, dramatic stage, like in a manga. But then I realized that the real me was just a skillful but gutless guy who wasn't all that special.”
“I don’t think you’re not special at all, Fujii-san.”
“For example, I’m always in the top ten on exams… but Yuuki is number one. I don’t think I could ever study as hard as he does. So yeah, I’m just that kind of boring guy. And realizing that was a huge relief. Oh, I see. I don’t have to live some dramatic life; I can just use my skills to live happily within my own limits.”
Fujii took a bite of his Napolitan.
“Mm. Delicious. In the end, I never found anything to be truly passionate about, but my daily life became dramatically more enjoyable after that. I started to appreciate the simple things, like eating Napolitan at a family restaurant and thinking it’s delicious. So, that’s why Yuuki is my benefactor.”
Yuuki, who had been silent for a while, spoke up.
“Why don’t you try getting serious about baseball now?”
“No way. That sounds like a lot of work.”
Fujii said as he sprinkled cheese on his pasta.
◇
After parting with Fujii at the restaurant, Yuuki and Hatsushiro went home.
“Phew. For now, I’ll just put the groceries in front of the fridge.”
“Okay. I’ll organize them, so you can go relax, Yuuki-san.”
Yuuki took her up on her offer and went to the living room first.
Hatsushiro was the one in charge of the kitchen, so it would probably just be a nuisance if he tried to help.
He put down his bag, sat in his chair, and took a breath.
He didn't have work today, so even after the detour with Fujii, it was still early. Final exams were approaching, so he decided to take his time and study.
He spread his textbook on the desk, and at that moment…
“Don’t you dare run away just because something looks a little hard, Yuuki!!』
A voice from long ago echoed in his head.
No, no. He tried to focus on his textbook.
“...Argh.”
But he couldn’t concentrate. He scratched his head vigorously.
“...Focus, focus.”
He muttered and began to work on a problem.
◇
“...Phew. About time, I guess.”
After studying for about five hours with a break for a bath, it was time for bed.
“You worked hard, Yuuki-san.”
Hatsushiro brought him a cup of hot tea.
“Ah, thanks.”
While drinking the tea she’d made, Yuuki cleared the textbooks off his desk and got his things ready for school tomorrow.
After he was done and had finished his tea, it was time for their usual routine.
Yuuki sat in front of his bed, and Hatsushiro sat down to his right.
She leaned against him, and their hands—his right and her left—came to rest together.
“...”
“...”
This had been their nightly ritual ever since the second night they played games together.
The warmth of her body soothed his mind, which was overheated from studying.
“...Your hand, Yuuki-san.”
Hatsushiro placed their joined hands on her lap.
“The skin is hard in places like this because you played baseball, isn’t it?”
She touched the tip of his middle finger and the base of his pinky. Those were the places where he used to get calluses all the time from playing baseball. The skin there was thick and less sensitive, so he could feel her slender fingers on him, but it didn’t tickle. It was a strange sensation.
“It’s gotten a lot more normal now. Back when I was playing, the skin on my hands was always torn somewhere.”
She said, gently prodding the hardened skin.
“...Fufu, it’s hard.”
…Ah, that just gave me a weird feeling.
Adolescence was a real trip.
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Yuuki shook his head to clear his thoughts and, in turn, took her hand and looked at it closely.
“Your hands are beautiful, Hatsushiro. Not rough and calloused like mine.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. But they’re not just pretty. I think it’s wonderful that they’re hands that have worked hard.”
Her hands were rough in places, probably from doing the cooking and laundry. He’d heard that women’s skin was more prone to drying out than men’s. So the rough spots on her hands were proof of how hard she was working for him.
“Thank you, always.”
He gently stroked the rough parts of her hand.
“...Ngh~!!”
She pressed her head into his shoulder and started nuzzling him.
“W-What’s with you?”
“It’s your fault, Yuuki-san… What is wrong with you, really…”
They enjoyed the quiet time together like that for a while.
“...Hey, Yuuki-san. Would you mind telling me why you quit baseball?”
She suddenly asked.
“Hm? You’re curious?”
“Y-Yes. It seems like you were very serious about it, so I’m curious. But… more than that…”
She looked down slightly and fiddled with her hair with her free right hand.
Ah, she’s hesitating about whether to say it.
Yuuki squeezed her hand, a silent message: It’s okay, you can tell me.
It seemed to get through to her.
“...You weren’t able to concentrate on your studies very much today, were you?”
“Ah, you noticed.”
It was true. He hadn’t been able to focus. Especially at the beginning, his mind was elsewhere, and he’d only gotten through about a third of the problems he usually did.
“Yes. I’m always watching. I… like watching your profile while you study.”
“O-Oh…”
She really knew how to say things that made his face heat up.
“So, I was wondering if you couldn’t concentrate today because you were talking with Fujii-san about when you used to play baseball. And if that… had something to do with why you quit.”
She looked him straight in the eye.
“If talking about it to me would make you feel better… I’d be happy if you would tell me.”
“...Well, damn.”
She’d seen right through him. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to lie to his girlfriend from now on.
“Yeah… It’s not much of a story, though. I think it’s a pretty common one.”
He asked her, “Hey, Hatsushiro. Do you know who Hoshi Ittetsu is?”
“Eh? Y-Yes. He’s the father of the main character in Star of the Giants, right?”
Since she was out of touch with a lot of things, he thought she might not know, but surprisingly, she did.
“Yeah. I told you before that my dad died when I was in middle school, right?”
“Yes.”
“My dad… he was like that Hoshi Ittetsu.”
Yuuki began his story.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Don’t you dare run away just because something looks a little hard, Yuuki!!”
That was the favorite phrase of Yuuki Yuusuke’s father, Yuuki Yuujirou.
A farmer in a rural area, he had apparently been boasting that he would turn his son into a professional baseball player since he was still in his mother’s womb. As soon as Yuuki was old enough, he began training him with an old-fashioned, spartan style. While there was no excessive corporal punishment, his absolute refusal to tolerate compromise or whining was, according to those around them, just like Hoshi Ittetsu, the father of the protagonist in the baseball manga Star of the Giants.
From this, one might think Yuuki was a pitiful boy who had a painful childhood due to his father’s ego.
“Shut up, you old bastard! If you think it’s so easy, you throw it!”
But his son, Yuuki, had the fighting spirit to yell back at his stubborn father as he threw the ball.
His days were filled with nothing but baseball under his father’s strict guidance, but when asked if it was painful, he didn’t really have such memories. It had been that way since he could remember, and he didn’t dislike getting better at baseball. Wake up early to practice with his father, go to his baseball club after school, and then practice with his father again. On weekends, they would practice all day, yelling at each other. He continued this routine without ever getting tired of it.
For Yuuki Yuusuke, that was normal.
But those days came to a sudden end.
It was in his second year of middle school. His father, Yuuki Yuujirou, passed away.
He was told the cause of death, but he didn’t remember it well. He thought it was a heart condition or something.
＊ ＊ ＊
“...What I remember clearly is that I couldn’t cry at my dad’s funeral. My sister and my mom were crying, and I thought I would too, so I remember it well.”
“...”
Hatsushiro listened in silence.
Yuuki glanced at the clock.
“Ah, it’s already past our usual time. You’re not tired, Hatsushiro?”
She slowly shook her head.
“...Please tell me a little more. So, does that mean you quit baseball because of the shock?”
“Hmm, maybe. It wasn’t really shock, but… I don’t know.”
Yuuki looked up, as if gazing at a distant memory.
“My dad died, and there was no more ridiculously tough practice in the morning and at night. No one yelled at me to ‘at least do some practice swings!’ when I was just sitting around. And my baseball club happened to be on a long hiatus due to some problems. So for a while after my dad’s funeral, both my father and baseball just completely disappeared from my life.”
He said it with a rare lack of confidence, as if he didn’t understand it himself.
“And then… how do I put it? The fire just went out, I guess. I started to wonder why I was playing baseball. I’d never thought about it before, but I couldn’t find a reason. Before I knew it, months had passed without me touching a ball, a glove, or a bat… but it didn’t feel bad or anything. And that’s how I got to where I am now. Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t touched any of my baseball equipment since my dad died.”
Yuuki stared at his free left hand, opening and closing it.
It was a hand that had spent entire weekends inside a glove, but he couldn’t remember the feel of it.
“Really… I don’t really know why I quit. But I wonder why I suddenly remembered my dad’s favorite phrase now. Is that stubborn old bastard telling me to play baseball even after he’s dead?”
He let out a small laugh.
“That’s about it. Sorry, Hatsushiro. I couldn’t explain it very well.”
“...”
Hatsushiro just stared at his face for a moment, then leaned in close.
“Yuuki-san.”
“W-What is it?”
Her cute face was suddenly so close their noses were almost touching, and he flinched.
“Will you play catch with me?”
◇
The following Saturday.
After finishing his once-a-month Saturday classes, Yuuki went to the baseball club room and borrowed two gloves and a ball from Fujii, who had just finished practice.
Then, after eating the lunch Hatsushiro had made, they went to a nearby riverbank.
Thwack, thwack. He slapped the glove on his left hand with his right. Right, this is what it felt like.
“Still, what’s with the sudden urge to play catch?”
“After hearing your story, Yuuki-san, I wanted to try playing baseball.”
Hatsushiro, in her tracksuit, held a ball in her slightly-too-large glove.
“Have you ever played before?”
“No. I’ve seen it, though. Okay, here I go, Yuuki-san… Hyaah!”
She threw the ball.
“Whoa.”
It was a short distance, but the ball veered up and to the side. Yuuki lunged and managed to snag it in his glove.
“I’m sorry!”
“Nah, it’s fine. Everyone’s like that at first.”
It was clearly not an experienced throw, but for a beginner, it was actually pretty good.
“Alright.”
Yuuki loosened his arm and threw the ball lightly.
“Wah!”
The ball landed in Hatsushiro’s glove with a dry thwack.
“...That’s amazing. Unlike my throw, it went straight to where you were holding your glove.”
“Nah, it’s been so long my arm and body aren’t in sync. The rotation is weak, and my axis is off.”
“Oh, is that so… Hyaah!”
Hatsushiro threw the ball back. This time it went high, but it didn’t veer left or right.
Yuuki threw the ball back lightly, trying to recall the old sensations.
It landed in her glove again. His control was accurate, but from his perspective, he wasn’t throwing like his old self at all.
“...You know, you’re a really good catcher, Hatsushiro. Most beginners can’t even catch a ball that comes straight at them.”
“Is that so?”
She said, throwing the ball back.
This time, it was only slightly off from where he was holding his glove.
Her returns are getting more accurate, too. Is she just a natural? Maybe we can increase the distance.
“You okay if I throw from a little further back?”
“Y-Yes. Go ahead.”
“Alright.”
Yuuki took a step back and threw the ball.
It was harder than before, but Hatsushiro caught it cleanly.
She really is good. That one was a little off target, too.
“Still okay if I go further?”
“Yes.”
He caught the ball she threw back and took another step back.
Still, his own form had been terrible so far. Hatsushiro had praised him, but in his own estimation, he was rusty as hell.
“...If my dad saw me now, he’d be screaming his head off.”
He muttered as he threw.
The ball came back from Hatsushiro.
He slowly increased the distance.
All the while, he tried to remember his old form, but his body felt disconnected, and he couldn’t put any power into the ball. Ring rust was a scary thing.
He could almost hear his father’s yelling.
“Don’t throw with your arm! Throw with your legs!』
(Shut up. I’m holding it with my hand, so I’m throwing it with my arm. Just say ‘use your lower body to generate power and get a full range of motion with your upper body.’ You’re so hard to understand.)
He threw the ball.
“Focus on the feeling in your fingertips! Snap the ball off your fingers at the end!』
(That depends on the person. For me, I can’t get any rotation unless I push it.)
He threw the ball.
“Look at your target and throw it down the middle! Put some spirit into it! Spirit!!』
(I’m trying, you idiot. If you could throw a strike with just spirit, nobody would have any trouble… Ah, seriously.)
As he wound up, a smile tugged at his lips.
(He was such a loud, stupid old man… that bastard.)
Whip. The sound of the ball snapping sharply off his fingertips.
“Ah.”
Crap. I threw it without holding back.
The ball, thrown with flawless form, tore through the air with a strong, clean backspin, drawing a straight line toward Hatsushiro’s glove.
THWACK!!
It slammed into her glove with a loud crack.
Hatsushiro was thrown back, landing on her butt.
“A-Are you okay?”
Even though it was a softer rubber ball and not a hardball, it wasn’t right to throw at a beginner with full force. A pitch like that would sting the hand of even an experienced player.
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
But Hatsushiro said happily, “I’m fine. I caught it properly… and besides…”
She pressed her gloved left hand to her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“When I caught the ball, my left hand started to tingle… It might actually… feel a little good.”
“That’s terrible. You might have been infected with Fujii’s perversion.”
“...?”
Just then, Hatsushiro looked at him with a curious expression.
“What is it, Hatsushiro?”
“Yuuki-san… are you crying?”
“Huh?”
He touched his own face, just below his eyes.
“...Ah, you’re right.”
It was indeed a little wet.
“It’s just… I remembered something.”
He said, wiping his tears with his sleeve.
“While I was throwing, I was thinking about my dad. He was as loud as ever, and his advice wasn’t wrong, just hard to understand… and he looked happy.”
Ah, that’s right. When his dad was playing baseball with him, he was always yelling, but he always looked happy.
He didn’t hate that side of his dad. The practice was tough, but he didn’t dislike playing baseball itself. In fact, that’s what his time with his father was.
“...Maybe… maybe I was playing baseball because I wanted to make my dad happy. So, of course I would stop when he died. Haha, I can’t talk. I’m just like Fujii.”
Phew.
He took a breath.
“Hatsushiro. You mind playing catch a little longer?”
He said with a smile. Hatsushiro smiled back.
“Of course. Make my hand tingle even more!”
She said, slapping her glove enthusiastically.
“Nah, I’m not gonna throw that hard again. If I miss my control against a beginner, you could get hurt.”
“...Oh, okay.”
Hatsushiro’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.
Man, hearing that from a girl who has bruises under her clothes is really hard to respond to.
◇
For a while after that, the two of them continued to play catch on the riverbank.
“Yuuki-san!” Hatsushiro called out as she threw the ball.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Why did you start studying so hard, even though you didn’t like it, after you quit baseball?”
“Ah…”
Yuuki caught the ball and spun it in his right hand.
“The place I grew up was pretty rural. They said the only clinic nearby was full when my dad collapsed. So they took him to a hospital far away, but he died on the way. So…”
He threw the ball, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.
“I want to be a doctor. A doctor who works in a region where they’re needed.”
It was a dream he hadn’t told many people about. The reason he’d chosen it was so simple, it was a little embarrassing.
But when Hatsushiro caught the ball, she smiled brightly.
“I think that’s a wonderful dream. It’s just like you, Yuuki-san.”
“...”
Her innocent smile lifted a weight from his heart.
Damn it, this girlfriend of mine… how much happier is she going to make me?
“Hey, Hatsushiro.”
“What is it?”
“I love you. Thank you for everything.”
“...Huh?”
Hatsushiro, who had been about to throw, flinched, and the ball flew off in a completely random direction.
“Hey, hey, where are you throwing?”
“W-Well, that’s because you suddenly say things like that, Yuuki-san…”
As Yuuki went to retrieve the ball, Hatsushiro stood behind him, bright red and pouting.
“S-Sorry, sorry.”
And now Yuuki, who was just as embarrassed after having said it, was blushing, too.
(Ah, this is nice…)
He thought, simply and honestly.
This kind of baseball, different from when he played with his dad.
“...You see that, Dad? The son you tried to turn into a pro baseball player is now happily playing catch and chatting with his girlfriend. Suck on that.”
Yuuki muttered to himself.
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