BSS – Vol 3 Chapter 5 – The Brother’s Way of Taking Responsibility

“…♪” (Sophia)

“You’re in a good mood…” (Kento)

As I waited, Sophia came back to me, humming unusually, and I felt my body temperature rise intensely as I spoke to her.

“Yeah, everything went well, and Miumi-san even thanked me.” (Sophia)

Sophia tucked her hair behind her ear with a bright smile, clearly in a good mood.

Since I had heard everything through the smartphone, I already knew the situation.

Yes… I had heard everything…

“…? Why is your face red? Don’t tell me—you have a fever?” (Sophia)

“No, don’t worry about it…” (Kento)

“Don’t worry, you say? I will worry. You finally got the chance to play in a match, and if you suddenly can’t participate because of a fever, that’d be a problem, you know? Well… I’m the one who made you wait out here in the cold, so I probably don’t have the right to say that—” (Sophia)

While saying that, Sophia stepped closer to me.

And then, her gaze fell on the smartphone in my hand.

Normally, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it.

However, today, this smartphone had played a very important role—and it seemed Sophia finally remembered that.

“—! O-Onii-chan, did you happen to hear everything we said!?” (Sophia)

“Even if I didn’t ‘happen to,’ I was on the call for that reason, right…” (Kento)

Apparently, Sophia had forgotten halfway through that our call was still ongoing.

No wonder she was praising me so much…

“~~~~~~~~! N-No, that was just to convince Miumi-san! It’s not like I seriously meant all of it…! Ah, wait—! I’m not saying I didn’t mean any of it either…!“ (Sophia)

Sophia spun around, flustered, frantically speaking in English.

As usual, I couldn’t understand what she was saying—but I knew for sure that she had done her best.

So, I gently placed my hand on her head *patpat*.

“Onii-chan…?” (Sophia)

“Thanks, Sophia. For giving it your all. Thanks to you, we’re almost there.” (Kento)

“…………” (Sophia)

As I smiled and thanked her while patting her head, Sophia froze completely.

And then, with an almost audible *poof* sound, her face turned even redder.

◆

“(No. You’re not playing.)” (Coach)

After returning home, I called the coach to report that Sophia had obtained the evidence, but the coach told me he wouldn’t let me play in the match.

Sophia, who had been holding the phone to her ear with me, changed her expression.

“Wha—!” (Sophia)

“Ah, yeah. It’s because of the bad rumors about me, right?” (Kento)

I felt bad for Sophia, but I had already anticipated this response from the coach, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

“(That’s right. Unless we spread the fact that you’re not guilty, the heckling during the game will be brutal. Of course, even without you there, we’ll get bashed, but having the person at the center of it all makes a huge difference. If the heckling’s intense, everyone’s focus will drop, and it’ll affect the gameplay. Most importantly, it’ll wear down your own mental state. You’ll play after your innocence is properly known.)” (Coach)

Just as I thought.

Right now, the only ones that could be persuaded with the evidence of my innocence were the High School Baseball Federation.

To many ordinary people, I was already being seen as the villain.

If I didn’t do something about this situation, it would be difficult for me to play.

And aside from that, there was also the issue concerning the Haimiya siblings.

It wasn’t enough to just solve my own problem.

“I understand. I’ll take care of that side of things. Thank you for your time.” (Kento)

With just that, I ended the call.

“Onii-chan, are you really okay with this…!?” (Sophia)

“Just like the coach said, there’s nothing but problems if I play now. I can’t let everyone play under those conditions.” (Kento)

“But…” (Sophia)

Sophia looked down, clearly unable to accept it.

She tugged gently on the sleeve of my shirt, silently expressing her frustration.

I understood why the result was hard for Sophia to accept—after all, she was the one who worked so hard to get me back into the game.

But even so, I couldn’t just ignore the current reality.

“It’s okay. Since Sophia worked so hard up to this point, I’ll do my best from here on.” (Kento)

“Mm…” (Sophia)

When I said that and patted her head, she gently rested her face against my chest.

◆

“Sorry, and thank you for going out of your way to come.” (Kento)

The next day after school, Rindou-san and Haimiya-san came over to my house.

Apparently, Haimiya-san even got her shift at work covered just to be here. That kind of thing really showed what a kind person she was.

“His tone and voice are so gentle…” (Kento)

“Why do you sound so dissatisfied…?” (Sophia)

Sophia, who was sitting on her own bed, puffed her cheeks slightly with a sulky expression.

I had no idea why she was sulking the moment they arrived.

“If it’s for Kento-kun, I’ll go anywhere…” (Arisu)

“Same here… I caused so much trouble this time, so if you need me for something, just say the word…” (Miumi)

Rindou-san and Haimiya-san both said that, but even though their words were similar, I felt the meaning behind them was a little different.

“By the way, Sophia, you’re pretty close with Haimiya-san, huh?” (Kento)

I couldn’t help but comment when I noticed how closely Haimiya-san was sitting next to Sophia.

She looked and sounded a bit childish, but if I remembered correctly, she was the same age as us… right?

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” (Sophia)

Sophia answered like that, then hugged Haimiya-san tightly.

Rather than looking bothered by it, Haimiya-san smiled happily, her expression innocent and pleased.

…Well, Sophia seemed happy too, so I guess it was fine.

She probably hadn’t had many chances to be relied on like this before, so it must feel nice.

I guess it feels like she gained a little sister?

By the way, I was still standing while Rindou-san was sitting in Sophia’s chair.

For some reason, she was seated very close to me…

Well, it wasn’t causing any harm, so I figured it was fine.

“The things I want to talk about are how to deal with my reputation and Haimiya-san’s situation.” (Kento)

Being the only guy among three girls was awkward, so I decided to dive straight into the main topic.

Haimiya-san looked down in embarrassment at that, but Sophia gently patted her head to comfort her.

“Maybe we should do what was done to Shigurazaka and spread the original video on social media?” (Arisu)

Rindou-san quickly offered a suggestion.

It was something I had thought about too… but honestly, I couldn’t predict how effective it would be.

“Thanks, I think it’s a good idea. But with that kind of spread, if it’s something bad, people tend to share it out of curiosity or a sense of justice. When it’s a video proving someone’s innocence, though, we just don’t know how far it’ll actually spread.” (Kento)

On the surface, it seemed like something that should spread easily.

Once people saw that I had been framed, surely some would raise their voices in support.

But the initial video had likely been shared by people who were driven by something close to jealousy—put bluntly, people who were thinking, hope he crashes and burns.

People like that definitely wouldn’t spread the video showing the truth. In fact, there’s a high chance it wouldn’t even reach those who already believe I’m the villain.

On top of that, if we were the ones to release the original video, Shikurazaka would realize Haimiya-san had betrayed her, and she’d take action.

There’s a strong chance Haimiya-san would suffer for it. And even worse, they might go after her weak point—her little brother.

The ideal scenario would be to clear my name and neutralize Shikurazaka at the same time.

Of course, nothing in life goes that conveniently…

“Ah… yeah, that’s true… Kento-kun, what are you thinking, then…?” (Arisu)

“I’m thinking of telling a drama-style exposé streamer about what happened, and having them spread it.” (Kento)

Drama-type exposé streamers—those people who expose when celebrities do something bad, or listen to the voices of victims and act to resolve things on stream.

Usually, they cover celebrities, probably to boost their views, but some of them are also willing to take on cases from regular people.

I figured reaching out to one of those people might be a viable option.

“It’s surprising that you know about exposé streamers, Kento-kun…” (Arisu)

Maybe she thought I wasn’t the type to watch that kind of thing—Rindou-san looked up at me with a genuinely surprised expression.

“Haha… well, I usually don’t watch them. But while I was looking for some way to deal with my situation, I came across them. So I’m not really that familiar…” (Kento)

“You do understand there’s a risk involved… right?” (Arisu)

In response to Rindou-san’s question, I nodded firmly.

Exposé streamers may seem like champions of justice on the surface, but in reality, many people dislike them.

When they expose the wrongdoings of celebrities, it naturally upsets that celebrity’s fans. In the worst cases, the person being exposed may end up suspending activities or even retiring.

Also, people naturally feel disgusted toward streamers who profit from those scandals.

So even if they did take up my story, there’s a good chance people would view me negatively as a result.

That risk was exactly why I hadn’t dared to take that step yet.

On top of that, if I were the one to approach them, the viewers would end up debating whether what I said was true or not, and there was a real chance they wouldn’t believe me.

“Ah… In that case, what if we asked Nagisa-chan…?” (Miumi)

While being patted on the head by Sophia, Haimiya-san spoke up and mentioned what sounded like a girl’s name.

Nagisa-chan—now that she mentioned it, I did see that name during my research…

“Is she a good person?” (Sophia)

“Yeah… She’s a really popular justice-style content creator… She uses a cute persona to corner bad guys and fully supports the people who come to her for help, so she has a huge fanbase… She barely has any haters, and she’s really like a true ally of justice…” (Miumi)

When Sophia asked, Haimiya-san nodded enthusiastically in response.

From what I remembered seeing, she showed her face on stream, wore a cat-eared hat, and looked to be around our age.

For some reason, she wore boys’ clothes and referred to herself as “boku,” so she was the so-called bokukko type—but judging by her appearance, she was probably a girl.

“Nagisa-chan might be a good option. She’s kind, and she takes ordinary people’s consultations seriously too. More than anything, she has this ‘evil must never be forgiven’ attitude, and she goes all in. If she hears Kento-kun’s story, I think she’ll help.” (Arisu)

Rindou-san seemed to know her too, and looked pretty enthusiastic about it.

But like Haimiya-san said—Nagisa-chan had a massive fanbase, didn’t she?

Thinking that, I checked her subscriber count on the video platform.

2.5 million subscribers—yeah, no way.

“I mean, no matter how you look at it, someone this popular is probably way too busy… right?” (Kento)

I was sure tons of people were reaching out to her with requests. Even if I did, it’d probably be ages before I got a response.

And by then, it’d be too late.

“Well… still, there’s no harm in trying, is there? She’s our age, but I heard she works as a detective and doesn’t go to school. If we’re lucky, she might be able to make time.” (Arisu)

Rindou-san looked at my face carefully and encouraged me to try.

I didn’t think things would go so conveniently…

But, if we were going to ask for her help—

“Haimiya-san, could you be the one to contact Nagisa-san?” (Kento)

“Why Miumi-san?” (Sophia)

Maybe she was already feeling like a guardian, but Sophia interrupted the question I had directed at Haimiya-san.

Probably because it didn’t sit right with her, but even without her stepping in, Haimiya-san would’ve answered herself.

“If I’m the one who contacts her, then Haimiya-san might end up being seen as the villain too. If I’m seen as defending her, it could raise suspicion. And if we claim we’ve already reconciled, that too might look shady to viewers. They’ll start wondering—was she really the one who tried to frame him? Instead, I think it’s better if Haimiya-san confesses on her own and explains everything herself.” (Kento)

If we were allowed to speak on the stream, and I appeared first, viewers would probably start off questioning: “Is this guy really a bad person, or was he actually set up?”

Of course, Nagisa-san, being the streamer, would likely begin by saying she had confirmed my innocence through the evidence, and she’d make that clear beforehand.

However, there would surely be viewers who suspect the evidence might be forged.

But if the one who did the wrong thing confesses and says she wants to spread the truth, then the viewers might actually believe it. If that happens, it would be easier to gain their support.

After all, when people can’t make a decision on their own, they tend to follow the opinion that’s more widely held.

“Of course, Haimiya-san would face the risk of being identified, but that risk exists even if I’m the one who makes the request. And probably—she’ll go through something painful too. But there’s a big difference in how the world sees a girl who admits her guilt and tries to tell the truth, versus a girl who did something wrong and just happened to get caught. At the very least, the leverage Shikurazaka holds over her would be drastically weakened.” (Kento)

Just because she confesses everything and tries to make things right doesn’t mean she’ll be forgiven.

In fact, most people probably won’t forgive her.

Still, the intensity of their anger will be different.

Because they’ll see that this girl acknowledged her wrongdoing and was ready to face criticism to atone for it.

And the fact would remain that she atoned and worked to resolve everything.

If Haimiya-kun ever became a professional, even if Shikurazaka tried to expose what her older sister had done, it likely wouldn’t lead to Haimiya-kun being forced to retire or being subjected to anything awful.

After all, her sister had already properly atoned, and thanks to her, the truth had been made known and the problem resolved.

Of course, as the victim, both I and my family—especially Sophia—would raise our voices to protect Haimiya-kun, so we wouldn’t let her be treated unfairly.

“So you’re saying it’s better if Miumi-san is the one to talk, in order to spread the truth and stop Shikurazaka-san from threatening her?” (Sophia)

“Yeah, that’s what I mean. But of course, if you’re scared, I won’t force you.” (Kento)

I bent down slightly, aligning my line of sight with Haimiya-san’s, and looked her in the eyes.

This is the best solution I can come up with right now, but whether to go through with it or not, I have no choice but to leave that to her decision.

Because I can’t be the one to take responsibility for Haimiya-san’s life.

If that wasn’t possible, then we’d have to come up with another plan.

“It’s something I did… and for Riku-kun’s sake too… I’ll do my best…” (Miumi)

Though she looked a little scared, Haimiya-san seemed to have made up her mind.

“Thank you. In that case, the message should include—” (Kento)

I instructed her on what to send to Nagisa-san.

She also included the fact that we had already reconciled.

If it came to a face-to-face meeting, Haimiya-san would probably feel uneasy going alone, and having Sophia go in her place might be a bit intimidating since the other party would be a total stranger.

That’s why I figured the safest option would be for me to go with her. There was a chance she already knew my face from the video, so I had her include that detail too.

Realistically speaking, it was unlikely we’d get Nagisa-san’s help.

We weren’t even sure we’d get a response, and if that happened, we’d just have to move on to the next option.

I made sure she mentioned we were short on time, just in case…

“Well, we probably won’t get a reply right away, so let’s start coming up with a backup plan—” (Kento)

“Ah, she replied…!” (Miumi)

“That was fast!?” (Kento)

I hadn’t expected a reply to come anytime soon, so when Haimiya-san spoke in a bright voice, I couldn’t help but react.

No, seriously—how did a reply come this fast when she just sent the message!?

“She said okay…! Apparently, she’s living in Okayama right now, and she wants to meet and talk in person…!” (Miumi)

“Isn’t this going a little too smoothly!?” (Kento)

“Ah… she did punish a delinquent group at a park in Okayama a while back, and there were tons of posts saying they saw Nagisa-chan there, so… it might be true that she lives there…” (Arisu)

Rindou-san seemed to be a fan of Nagisa-san, knowing about her activity area like that.

I had assumed that a popular content creator like her would be based in Tokyo, but maybe she was born in Okayama or something…?

“Well, if she’s willing to hear us out, that’s a huge help… Did she say when and where?” (Kento)

This was all going almost too well—it was a bit scary, honestly, but it was definitely a stroke of luck.

“Um… she said she’s free this Sunday around noon… and asked us to let her know a place that’s convenient for us…” (Miumi)

Sunday—that meant it wouldn’t make it in time for tomorrow’s opening match or the second round three days later.

Everyone had already left for the prefecture where the tournament would be held to prepare for tomorrow anyway.

“I see. Thanks. Then, the location will be—” (Kento)

◆

“This is the place, right?” (Kento)

On Sunday, we arrived at the karaoke place we had chosen to meet with Nagisa-san. Sophia looked up at the building, fidgeting with curiosity.

She probably hadn’t been to a place like this often.

Not that I have either.

Haimiya-san also seemed restless, but in her case, it looked more like nerves.

“—Heya, you’re Miumi-chan and her companions, right nya?” (Nagisa)

As I was watching the two of them, a voice suddenly came from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a small figure wearing boyish clothes and a hat — a young boy, or so I thought.

They were wearing sunglasses over their eyes — no, wait. It was a girl.

“Are you… Nagisa-san?” (Kento)

“That’s me, Nagisa nya!” (Nagisa)

When I asked, she curled her hands like cat paws and struck a cute pose.

She really had come all this way to meet us.

The fact that her hat wasn’t a cat-eared one was probably to avoid standing out.

“Is… is this person really okay…?” (Sophia)

“Sophia!?” (Kento)

Sophia muttered that quietly, probably because Nagisa-san’s playful behavior seemed a bit odd to her.

But we were the ones asking for help—so I really wished she wouldn’t say something that might offend her.

“Nyahaha… you’re similar to someone I know, nya~” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san, whether because she was just that good-natured or simply used to this kind of thing, brushed off Sophia’s rude comment with a laugh.

Or maybe she really did have someone like Sophia in her life, and that had built up some tolerance.

Either way, I was relieved things didn’t take a turn for the worse.

“I’m sorry…” (Kento)

“It’s fine nya! Let’s talk more inside, nya!” (Nagisa)

Grateful for Nagisa-san’s forgiving smile, we headed inside together.

Once we were settled in one of the rooms—

“Thank you very much for agreeing to help us.” (Kento)

I immediately expressed my thanks.

And following my lead, Sophia and Haimiya-san hurriedly bowed their heads as well.

“It’s fine, nya. I saw your video too, Kento-kun, and I could tell something was off. It’s a shame, especially with such an important tournament coming up.” (Nagisa)

She took off her sunglasses and gave us a warm smile.

So she had seen my video after all.

Considering how widely it had spread and how people like her live off internet buzz, it was probably inevitable that it reached her eyes.

“Is that why you agreed to help so quickly?” (Kento)

“Well, yeah~♪ I absolutely hate people who try to frame others, and I really hate the kind of injustice where someone brave enough to help others ends up suffering for it.” (Nagisa)

“…………” (Miumi)

At Nagisa-san’s words, Haimiya-san looked down in pain.

Nagisa-san probably said that, knowing it would strike a nerve.

She might look kind and easygoing, but I could tell there was a sharp, cold side to her too.

“The details and evidence you asked for were all sent already, but did you want to meet in person because there was something you needed to confirm?” (Kento)

After our initial contact, they requested the details and evidence, so I sent everything.

Still, they insisted on meeting, so I figured there was something they wanted to see with their own eyes.

“Yeah, Kento-kun, you’re smart, nya. What I wanted to confirm was whether Miumi-chan truly feels remorse and whether she’s serious about fixing this situation, nya.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san’s eyes gleamed sharply like a cat’s as she fixed her gaze on Haimiya-san.

I understood then, so that’s why she deliberately said things that would dig into her heart.

“She really believes she was wrong, and she’s reflecting on it…!” (Sophia)

Sophia, thinking Haimiya-san was about to be blamed, quickly hugged her protectively.

She was really into her role as a guardian now.

“Yeah, I already understand that, nya.” (Nagisa)

Apparently, Nagisa-san trusted Sophia’s words.

It’s hard to tell what someone truly feels from just a brief exchange, but Nagisa-san seemed confident in her observational skills.

“What would you have done if she hadn’t thought she was in the wrong?” (Kento)

“Hmm~ better not ask, nya.” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san pressed her index finger to her lips, glanced up at the ceiling, then gave a cute smile to dodge the question.

Well, since she said she hates that kind of person so much, maybe she had put some serious mental pressure on her here…

“As for this case, would it be alright to go all out, nya?” (Nagisa)

Just as we shuddered at her words, Nagisa-san asked with a smile something terrifying.

“What do you mean by that…?” (Sophia)

“You want me to prove Kento-kun’s innocence and spread the word, and with Miumi-chan’s confession, expose that there’s a mastermind behind this, right?” (Nagisa)

“Yes, that’s right.” (Sophia)

But in these kinds of streams, even if the opponent is a villain, the real names of civilians can’t be revealed.

They could hint at things, but that alone wouldn’t be enough to corner Shigurazaka.

At best, the current plan would probably be limited to making sure she couldn’t threaten Haimiya-san again through this incident, and maybe requesting that the police place her under probation-like protective observation.

At least, that’s what I’d thought—until…

“Normally, I have to investigate a lot of things, so it might take some time, but don’t worry, I’ve already got some interesting info. My grandfather’s a bigwig in the police, so I have connections, and I’ll make sure they never lay a hand on you again, nya.” (Nagisa)

Apparently, when she said “go all out,” she meant going after Shigurazaka.

That was more than we could have hoped for.

It seemed Nagisa-san’s main profession was really something of a detective, so she was probably quite skilled at digging things up.

“Yes, please…!” (Sophia)

“Yup. Then, let me confirm things one more time—” (Nagisa)

From there, we went over all the information we’d given her to make sure there were no mistakes or omissions.

And that night, her stream was already set to go live.

◆

“(Everyone~! Good evening, nya~! This is Nagisa, nya!)” (Nagisa)

At night, Nagisa-san’s voice came through the smartphone.

Even I was starting to feel nervous.

“Miumi-san… I wonder if she’ll be alright…” (Sophia)

“Well, I think she’ll manage.” (Kento)

Sophia looked worried, but Nagisa-san was the one leading the stream.

Even if Miumi-san got flustered or couldn’t speak well, she’d handle it skillfully.

“No, I mean… if Shigurazaka-san is watching this stream, what if she storms into the house…?” (Sophia)

“Ah, that’s what you meant…” (Kento)

It was quite possible that Shigurazaka-san was watching.

Rindou-san, a former member of her group, seemed like a fan of Nagisa-san, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they shared similar interests.

“That’s taken care of too. Nagisa-san said she reported it to the police, and they’ve set the area under alert with patrols.” (Kento)

She said they’d be passing by frequently, especially from now until morning.

If Shigurazaka showed up during the stream, it would be caught on Nagisa-san’s stream, and everyone would know.

That’s why I thought everything would be okay.

“(Tonight’s stream is about a hot topic going around lately—yes, that video where a top-tier high school baseball player supposedly assaulted a couple~!)“ (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san had set up tonight’s stream just for my sake, and she got straight to the point with my case.

After my part was finished, she planned to switch over to giving advice to viewers as usual.

The comment section was immediately flooded with messages about me.

Everyone seemed to believe the video and was bashing me relentlessly.

Since the stream title mentioned covering that case and noted that the female victim would appear, they were all probably expecting some kind of new info.

Well… it was new information.

It just happened to be the kind that would completely flip the narrative.

“(Okay, okay, everyone calm down~! Because today’s information comes straight from the supposed victim herself, and it’s a confession~!)“ (Nagisa)

As soon as Nagisa-san said that, the comment section exploded even more, twice as chaotic as before.

Everyone started flooding the chat with things like “Eh!?”, “What do you mean!?”, “A confession!?”

“(That video was clearly suspicious nya~ And now, the supposed victim girl is going to tell us about it nya~)“ (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san connected the call with Miumi-san.

As soon as Miumi-san greeted everyone, the comment section was instantly filled with things like “Her voice is so cute!?”

“Miumi-san’s getting looked at weirdly…” (Sophia)

“Don’t. Aiming your anger at the countless invisible people behind the screen won’t do any good.” (Kento)

As I watched Sophia show her anger, I turned my attention back to Miumi-san’s confession.

At first, the comment section was confused. But gradually, it started shifting toward sympathy for me, and the blame was directed at Miumi-san.

Eventually, once she had told the whole story—

“(Yeah, even if you did something bad, the fact that you’re coming clean and trying to help the guy from the video… I think that’s admirable nya)” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san gently offered kind words to turn down the hostility toward Miumi-san.

“(But you need to remember this deeply. Your actions nearly ruined a boy’s life. Had things gone even slightly differently, it could have ended in something irreversible)” (Nagisa)

Because the topic was serious, Nagisa-san spoke without using her cat tone, so her words were more stern and direct.

As a result, the comment section was flooded with messages agreeing with her.

“(Yes… I deeply regret it.)” (Miumi)

“(Yeah, I already understand that nya. Luckily, the boy who was the victim has said he forgives you for being honest, and I’ll help spread the truth too nya)” (Nagisa)

Nagisa-san didn’t mention that Miumi-san and I had already reconciled before the consultation.

From the way she phrased it earlier, the viewers likely assumed that Nagisa-san acted as a mediator in helping us reconcile.

Without telling a lie, she carefully shaped the audience’s perception using only the truth.

After that, the original video with everyone’s faces blurred was played on Nagisa-san’s stream.

Of course, the part where the police arrived had been cut out, but everything before that was shown just as it was.

Since the video started just before Miumi-san screamed, everyone could clearly see that I stepped in to help because of her scream.

After I appeared, the camera seemed to follow me closely—it showed me catching her when she almost fell, shielding her with my back, and other such moments—and before long, the comment section turned into a flood of praise for my actions.

“He’s gonna get a bunch of female fans now…” (Sophia)

Watching the stream, Sophia muttered quietly beside me.

When I looked at her, she didn’t seem happy.

“What’s wrong…?” (Kento)

“It’s nothing…” (Sophia)

Even as she said that, she moved closer until our shoulders were nearly touching.

Yeah… she was definitely upset about something.

After the video ended, Nagisa-san next displayed the chat logs between Miumi-san and Shikurazaka on screen.

Naturally, both names and identifying details were hidden, but since the messages clearly showed instructions to frame me, Shikurazaka no longer had any way to deny it.

For someone who pulled off something so bold, leaving a chat log behind seemed incredibly careless—but she probably never imagined that Haiya-san would betray her.

“(――So, everyone! I’ve just posted the video we watched on my social media, so help spread it around, nya~!)” (Nagisa)

When Nagisa-san said that, I checked her post using the account I’d set up for monitoring.

Her influence was staggering—the video spread like wildfire.

“Looks like things are going to be okay…” (Kento)

Of course, not everyone would believe the video.

And I knew there would definitely be some people it wouldn’t reach.

But—if enough people knew the truth, public opinion would shift.

Even if someone tried to condemn me based on false beliefs, those who knew the facts might step in to correct them. Eventually, the situation would settle down.

“Sophia, really… thank you. It’s only because you worked so hard that we were able to resolve all of this.” (Kento)

I said that, and gently patted Sophia’s head like I always did.

Then, she rested her head on my shoulder.

“It’s only natural for an imouto to do her best for her onii-chan. And you’ve helped me so much all this time, so if I was able to repay even a little of that with this… then I’m glad.” (Sophia)

She was probably just clinging to me like a doting little sister.

My heart was pounding like crazy, but I gritted my teeth and held back any impure thoughts.

I simply kept gently patting the head of my sweet, adorable little sister.

—By the way, this is something that happened a bit later, but according to Nagisa-san, after wrapping up our case, she thoroughly investigated Shikurazaka. Apparently, Shikurazaka had committed a lot of other misdeeds too, and Nagisa-san succeeded in getting her thrown into juvenile detention.

She also mentioned that before that, Shikurazaka had received some pretty severe punishment—so she likely wouldn’t be trying to mess with us again.

Well, according to what Rindou-san heard through a friend, just mentioning Nagisa-san’s name now is enough to make Shikurazaka tremble in fear, so there’s no doubt she went through something pretty serious.

It seems the guy involved also got what was coming to him. With that, everything was settled peacefully—or at least, not exactly.

◆

“Uh…?” (Kento)

The day after the livestream, I returned to school and even rejoined practice, but after school, I was caught off guard by an unexpected visitor.

The reason was—

“I truly apologize…! Because of my sister, we caused trouble for you, Kento-san, and the baseball team…!” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun had come to the school, bringing his sister along to apologize.

When I was called over by the coach, I had no idea what it was about—never would I have guessed they’d show up at school in person.

And really, the coach was something else for bringing them all the way to the field.

“It’s already over, and your sister has reflected plenty. She came forward on her own and helped spread the truth. I hope you won’t worry about it anymore.” (Kento)

Haimiya-san looked extremely downcast—she must’ve gotten seriously scolded by her little brother.

Thanks to Shuuto and the rest of the team’s efforts, we managed to stay in the tournament and reach the semifinals, so there’s really no problem anymore.

“No, I can’t let it end like that…! Today, I came to take responsibility…!” (Riku)

Take responsibility?

What’s with the sudden, intense declaration from this kid?

“What exactly are you planning…?” (Kento)

“In this whole situation, my sister was entirely at fault, and yet, I heard that Kento-san’s little sister kindly offered us something very generous…! Please allow us to decline it…!” (Riku)

“Hah!?” (Sophia)

Just as Haimiya-kun bowed his head deeply, Sophia shouted in disbelief.

So basically, he wanted to turn down the financial support that had been offered to them.

Considering Sophia had even gone as far as to directly negotiate with her mother for their sake, it was no wonder she thought this was absurd.

“Even though my sister did something so horrible to Kento-san, I can’t bring myself to take advantage of your kindness…! As a way of taking responsibility, I’m quitting baseball…!” (Riku)

Upon Haimiya-kun’s declaration, Sophia’s face turned pale.

It was no wonder.

Of all things, this boy was choosing a path where no one would end up happy.

For a boy who had been working so hard to ease his sister’s burden, to say he was quitting baseball—it must have taken a considerable amount of resolve.

I glanced at Haimiya-san standing behind him.

She only looked down with a face about to cry, making no move to stop her brother.

She probably didn’t want him to quit baseball, but even so, she hadn’t been able to stop him.

“Onii-chan…” (Sophia)

This isn’t right.

Knowing that, Sophia clung to my sleeve as if pleading.

Of course, I couldn’t just stand by and watch anymore either.

“I understand how you feel, Haimiya-kun. But—” (Kento)

I gently placed my hand on his head.

“You can’t take responsibility the wrong way.” (Kento)

“Huh…?” (Riku)

He looked up at me in confusion, clearly not understanding what I meant.

“Are you free after this?” (Kento)

“I don’t have anything planned…” (Riku)

“Great. Coach, do you have a moment?” (Kento)

After confirming his availability, I called out to our coach, who had been silently listening nearby.

He was smirking, so he probably already understood what I was trying to do, but I still had to go through the proper steps.

“Today’s practice is going to be light, right?” (Kento)

“Yeah, we had games on Friday and Sunday, and since a certain someone wasn’t around, the guys are probably worn out both physically and mentally.” (Coach)

“Ugh, sorry about that…” (Kento)

I gave a wry smile as I apologized for his jab.

He was speaking quietly enough that it was fine, but if Haimiya-san overheard that, it’d just make her feel even worse.

“Well, no matter. You go ahead and skip practice and handle whatever you need to with that kid. After practice, we’ll go ahead with what you asked me about before.” (Coach)

Before I could even make my request, the coach gave his instructions.

Since I had already told the coach about Haimiya-kun the day after he came to my house, he probably had a general idea of what I was trying to do.

Anyway, with the coach’s permission secured, I brought the confused Haimiya-kun over to the clubroom.

I couldn’t let him go inside, but I asked a teammate around his height to lend a spare practice uniform, and had Haimiya-kun change behind the building.

“What exactly are we doing…?” (Riku)

“You’ll see soon. For now, let’s warm up.” (Kento)

If you try to exercise without loosening up first, your risk of injury shoots up.

For any athlete, warming up is essential.

I joined him for stretches, played a short round of catch, and then led him to the bullpen.

“You want me to pitch!?” (Riku)

“Yeah. Just start off light to loosen your shoulder. After that, I want you to show me what you’re really capable of.” (Kento)

There were other pitchers and catchers already training in the bullpen, and they turned curiously to look at Haimiya-kun.

“Kento, what’s going on?” (Shuuto)

Shuuto came up to me and asked.

When I stepped out of practice earlier, I had Haimiya-kun paired with another catcher, but I hadn’t explained the details, so it made sense that Shuuto was curious.

The rest of the team had expressions like, “We want to hear all about it!”

“I’ve got the coach’s permission. There’s something I want to confirm.” (Kento)

I didn’t know what Haimiya-kun’s actual ability was.

The only thing I’d heard was from Haimiya-san during a casual conversation—she said that no catcher could handle her brother’s full-power pitches, so he hadn’t been able to go all out in a game.

It might’ve been the words of an overly doting sister, but my gut was telling me there was something more to him.

That’s why I wanted to take this chance to see it for myself.

Of course, I would’ve preferred to prepare a more proper setting for it, but…

Once I took my position behind the plate and gave the signal, Haimiya-kun threw without forcing himself, just like I instructed.

And when his shoulder had fully warmed up, I asked him to throw his best fastball—and…

As expected, it doesn’t really compare to Shuuto’s.

That was my honest impression.

It was only natural that his fastball would be slower than Shuuto’s—after all, Shuuto was taller than most in our age group, while Haimiya-kun was shorter.

But still, that was only in comparison to Shuuto. His fastball was clocking in at nearly 130 km/h, which was more than enough for a third-year middle schooler.

In fact, being able to throw a fastball at that speed with his build was actually quite impressive.

However, after watching him throw a few times, I noticed that he had a problem that went beyond just the speed of his fastball.

And among the people here, the only one besides me who seemed to have realized it was Shuuto.

He was watching Haimiya-kun intently and let out a sigh that sounded almost exasperated.

“Yeah, it’s a good ball. By the way, do you throw any breaking balls?” (Kento)

“Ah… I can throw a slider, curve, sinker, and split.” (Riku)

“I see…” (Kento)

To have four breaking pitches as a third-year middle schooler in the fall—that was pretty abnormal.

For middle schoolers, being able to throw a curve and a slider was usually more than enough. If they could also manage a fork-type pitch, that alone was considered impressive.

“You can’t throw a changeup?” (Kento)

“Ah… well, a pitch that’s just slow and meant to throw off timing kinda scares me…” (Riku)

Yeah—there was no mistaking it now.

Watching his pitching form made it clear—this kid was…

“Alright, why don’t you try throwing all your breaking balls? You can throw them at full strength.” (Kento)

I explained that since his teammates couldn’t catch his full-powered pitches, he needed to give it his all.

If he didn’t throw with full effort, we wouldn’t be able to see how good he really was.

After that, he showed me all the breaking balls he had, and each one broke sharply.

However, just like with his fastball, his control was poor.

That was probably one of the reasons his team’s catcher couldn’t handle his pitches.

“How was it…?” (Riku)

Haimiya-kun asked, carefully reading my expression.

There was plenty of room for improvement.

Above all, having four breaking balls at this stage and working on them was amazing.

But—

“This is no good.” (Shuuto)

As I hesitated on how to tell him, Shuuto stepped in.

He probably couldn’t stay silent after seeing Haimiya-kun’s wasted potential.

“Eh…?” (Riku)

“Your pitching form is all over the place. That’s why you can’t control your pitches. The release angle even changes depending on whether it’s a fastball or a breaking ball. How do you even call yourself a pitcher like that?” (Shuuto)

“Huh!?” (Riku)

I thought he didn’t have to be that blunt, but Shuuto was right.

Chances are, this kid never received proper pitching instruction.

If he had, someone would’ve told him to fix his form, and they wouldn’t have taught him so many breaking balls at once.

More importantly, having different arm angles depending on the pitch type is basically telling the batter exactly what you’re about to throw.

Any decent coach would force him to fix that.

“Didn’t your team’s coach say anything about your form?” (Shuuto)

“Ah… basically, they just told me to do whatever I want… I couldn’t even go to away games…” (Riku)

I see. The coach must have abandoned him because he couldn’t cover travel expenses, uncertain if he could even make it to away games.

But since he had talent, they probably used him for nearby matches.

It was a cruel situation.

“First, you need to solidify your form by using a mirror or recording yourself with a smartphone. You have such good pitches, so once you fix your form, you can level up several steps at once.” (Kento)

If he managed that, he’d become quite valuable.

At least, having trained this far mostly by himself, his talent was top-notch.

His pitching style was different from Shuuto’s, and in the future, he might become our reliable number two.

“Just be careful not to overdo it, okay? Kids who practice hard on their own tend to injure their shoulders or elbows.” (Kento)

If he kept pushing like this, an injury was inevitable in the near future.

Knowing that, I gently warned him. This part would be better monitored by his sister.

“If you want to train here, you have to at least learn basic control. Otherwise, you’ll ruin Kento’s pitching strategy.” (Shuuto)

Shuuto seemed to recognize both his talent, sense, and effort.

So, even though my tone was strict, I gave him advice.

“No, I’m done with baseball already…” (Riku)

“Let’s put that aside for now. But can you throw one more time?” (Kento)

I sat down again and had him pitch.

Shouta just stared quietly, as if he were trying to memorize the trajectory of the ball in his head.

— Damn, that guy doesn’t hold back…

I gave a wry smile, glancing sideways at his serious expression.

◆

“Alright, let’s go.” (Kento)

Since practice had ended, I called out to Haimiya-kun.

“What are we going to do…?” (Riku)

“Hmm, maybe some recreation?” (Kento)

When we arrived, it seemed the coach had already finished speaking, and all the members of the baseball club turned their eyes toward me and Haimiya-kun.

The eight starters, excluding me, were wrapped in a fighting spirit as if they were about to play a real game.

Because of that, Haimiya-kun faltered, but it was no wonder for him, being a middle schooler.

“Kento, are you ready?” (Coach)

“Yes, please.” (Kento)

After nodding at the coach’s words, the starters—except for Shouta and Shuuto—took their positions.

A substitute took the shortstop position that Shouta usually covered.

“Could it be… a match!?” (Riku)

“No, it’s just that Haimiya-kun will face each starter in one at-bat.” (Kento)

I smiled and explained what we were about to do to the surprised boy.

Then, I was met with a look as if he wanted to say, “Is this person a demon!?”

“It’s impossible, impossible…! Me striking out Seijou’s starters…!”(Riku)

A battle between a middle schooler and high schoolers.

Even though there was only a difference of one or two years, it felt like a battle between a child and an adult.

It was no wonder he felt intimidated.

“Quit whining and just do it.” (Shuuto)

“Eek!?” (Riku)

Since Shuuto was the pitcher, he didn’t have to take a position while Haimiya-kun was pitching.

So he was just standing nearby, but I wished he wouldn’t weaken Haimiya-kun before the match even started.

“Oh, Shouta’s at-bat will be last, okay? Shuuto’s just before that.” (Kento)

Normally, Shouta batted first and Shuuto third, but this time, they would go last.

If they had to face him at the very beginning, the loss was obvious.

“Eh~ You should’ve told me earlier…! This is such a pain…!” (Shouta)

Shouta slumped and complained, but obediently put on his glove.

Changing the defense for every batter would take too much time and be a hassle, but it was tough not to have the defense at the highest level.

So, only those who had to bat switched with the substitutes like this.

“It’s okay. Just throw it the way I tell you. Just be careful not to leave it in the middle.” (Kento)

I placed my hand gently on Haimiya-kun’s head and got ready.

Since he had already taught me his signs during some casual talk earlier, I used the signs he was using this time.

“Listen—what a pitcher needs is absolute confidence. Throw as if no one can ever hit your pitch.” (Shuuto)

While I was putting on my catcher gear, Shuuto was talking to Haimiya-kun.

He seemed more interested in him than I had expected.

“After that, trust Kento and throw your best pitch. The results will come naturally.” (Shuuto)

“Y-yes…!” (Riku)

Shuuto had probably given him advice.

Hearing the words from the silent yet intimidating absolute ace of Seijou, Haimiya-kun looked happy and stepped onto the mound.

Then I took my position.

“Kento, I’m allowed to hit mercilessly, right?” (Club member)

The senpai, who normally batted second, asked me as he stepped up to the plate.

“If I didn’t, it wouldn’t be for his sake or ours.” (Club member)

Yes—this was a battle for Haimiya-kun to prove his value to us.

If he didn’t give it his all, it would be meaningless.

I hadn’t told him the pitch types, but since he had thrown in the bullpen, the information had likely been shared.

Now, this guy was good with small tricks and had strong contact skills, but he was weak against vertical movement—

Since Haimiya-kun had no control, he had no choice but to rely on pitch types.

So I had him throw a fastball first.

The senpai probably expected a splitter.

He didn’t even try to swing at the high pitch and just let it go by.

He must have realized it was a fastball partway through, but he didn’t swing because he thought he wouldn’t make it in time.

If he had popped it up, it would have been a lucky break.

Now, since he was wary of the splitter, I aimed to get one more strike.

This senpai was cautious, so unless the pitch he wanted came, he rarely swung until he was in a full count.

Thanks to that, we got two strikes.

He’d probably think that the next pitch would be a ball to bait him, then a splitter to strike him out.

I deliberately let him throw a ball pitch just as the senpai expected.

Now, he was getting eager to hit.

Seeing the slight tension in the senpai’s body, I signaled for a high pitch.

It didn’t matter if it was outside or inside.

Even a ball pitch was fine at worst.

Just throw it high.

I gave the sign with that intention and set my mitt high.

“Got it—!?” (Club member)

The senpai swung, thinking the pitch he was aiming for had come, but the ball soared high and ended up as a fly to the outfield.

He had hit the ball and popped it up.

“The last one was a fastball too…!?” (Club member)

He probably never expected me not to throw a single breaking ball, let alone one he struggled with.

By the way, compared to a forkball, the splitter has a shallower grip, so it breaks less, but it’s easier to throw faster.

That’s why it’s harder to distinguish from a fastball than a forkball.

Well, Haimiya-kun had a good sense, so even his splitter had quite a bit of movement.

The senpai was impressive for realizing it was a fastball midway and instinctively making contact.

“I did it…!” (Riku)

He probably hadn’t expected to actually get him out.

Haimiya-kun celebrated on the mound like a kid.

But the battle had just begun.

Behind him, there were still scary batters waiting.

“Haha, you tried to trick me but got used by Kento instead, huh?” (Club member)

“Shut up, idiot.” (Club member)

The next batter teased the previous senpai, who sulked and took his defensive position.

Well, there was no way he’d slack off on defense.

If anything, I could even feel the fighting spirit of the next batter, determined to get the same treatment as the last.

I continued reading their stance, positioning, and the types of pitches they swung at.

For those trying to outsmart me, I countered their tricks.

For those going straight at me, I made them face their weak pitch.

As a result, Haimiya-kun splendidly shut down six batters in a row.

“…!” (Riku)

He must’ve been incredibly happy.

Unlike at the start, he didn’t shout, but he clenched his fist with a smile.

Now then, you’ve got your confidence, right?

From here on out, it’s the real battle.

I turned my gaze to the next batter stepping into the left-handed batter’s box.

Standing there was Shuuto, who had been memorizing Haimiya-kun’s pitching patterns since the bullpen session.

To be honest, it would be tough for Haimiya-kun in his current state to strike him out.

For the first time, I called not only for a splitter but also precisely for an outside low pitch.

That made Haimiya-kun’s expression tense.

He must’ve understood that if he didn’t throw it there, it would be bad.

However, Haimiya-kun’s pitch came to the middle of the outside zone.

Though the splitter dropped sharply from there—

*Clang!*

With that sharp sound, Shuuto made perfect contact.

The clean, powerful hit soared, aiming to fly past the shortstop—

—but at the very last moment, Shouta caught it in his glove.

“Hell yeahhhhh!” (Shouta)

After making a spectacular play, Shouta pumped his fist with a strong guts pose.

It was only natural.

That ball was only caught because he had an absurdly wide defensive range.

Well, from Shouta’s perspective, it was probably because it was Shuuto’s hit—a guy he never got along with—that he was dead set on catching it no matter what.

And probably—Shuuto hit it toward Shouta on purpose.

“Fufuun, too bad, huh?” (Shouta)

Since Shouta was the final batter, he grinned smugly as he walked over and spoke to Shuuto.

“Shut up, idiot.” (Shuuto)

“What was that!?” (Shouta)

As Shuuto let out a sigh of exasperation, Shouta flared up in anger.

It was convenient how easily he let his emotions get the better of him.

Honestly, if the goal was just to get one out, Shouta was even more troublesome than Shuuto.

That was the reason I put him last, and I needed a plan to take him out.

“Oh, sorry. Shuuto’s gonna take shortstop now.”  (Kento)

When I saw the substitute trying to take the shortstop position, I called out to stop him.

As a result, everyone turned to me with surprised expressions.

“Hey, are you serious!? Shortstop is a tough position! There’s no way he can handle it!” (Shouta)

“It’s fine. Shuuto can play any position besides catcher.” (Kento)

I had heard that from him directly in the past.

He played pitcher because it suited him best, and he played right field because it made the most use of his strong arm and speed.

“But he’s left-handed, isn’t he…!?” (Shouta)

Generally, being left-handed is considered a disadvantage for a shortstop.

The main reason for that is that throws to first or second base take a beat longer than with a right-handed player.

There are other reasons too—like being at a disadvantage when covering the area between second and third—but honestly, in this case, it didn’t matter.

“What’s wrong, afraid I’ll catch you out?” (Shuuto)

Sensing my intention, Shuuto openly provoked Shouta.

“Hah!? As if! Just hurry up and get to shortstop already!” (Shouta)

Apparently fired up, Shouta stepped into the batter’s box.

His eyes never left Shuuto, who was heading toward the shortstop position.

Same as Shuuto—this would be a one-pitch duel.

Thinking that, I gave a sign to Haimiya-kun.

Shouta’s style was to rely on his exceptional dynamic vision and reflexes, swinging at pitches the moment he saw them without trying to predict.

That meant there wasn’t much room for mind games—but the flip side was, if we could throw a pitch that even outpaced his reflexes, we could get him out.

Well—that was the theory, at least.

“A slider? Don’t underestimate me…!” (Shouta)

The slider thrown by right-handed Haimiya-kun curved inward toward Shouta in the left-handed batter’s box.

But Shouta, without hesitation, tucked in his elbows neatly, angled his body, and timed it perfectly—striking the slider cleanly.

The ball flew toward shortstop, just like with Shuuto—and landed squarely in Shuuto’s glove.

“UAAAAAAHHHHHH!?” (Shouta)

Shouta screamed, clearly frustrated beyond belief.

As he shouted, I ran past him toward the mound.

Maybe it was because both batters had made perfect contact with the ball.

Even though he had shut everyone down, Haimiya-kun looked completely spaced out.

“Those two are monsters. You should just be happy you got them out.” (Kento)

Even if he was helped by Shouta’s backup and the plans we made, without actual skill, there’s no way he could have handled those two—no, our regulars at all.

He had more than enough talent.

Now that his form had stabilized, I couldn’t wait to see how much stronger he’d become once he mastered control.

“To win the national championship, I want your help. If you’re going to take responsibility, then instead of doing something meaningless for no one’s sake, I believe this kind of responsibility is the right way to go.” (Kento)

As things stood, we honestly didn’t have the strength to compete at the top level.

But he was still a middle schooler.

If he joined our team and received proper training, he would surely become the ace to succeed Shuuto.

I saw a glimpse of that potential in him today.

“Ah… Are you really sure it’s okay—” (Riku)

“—Wait, isn’t his sister the one who set Kento up?” (Club member)

“We were the ones who struggled without Kento, and now you expect us to welcome the brother of the one who caused it all?” (Club member)

Just as Haimiya-kun was about to accept my offer, voices of discontent rose from the upperclassmen.

No, not just the upperclassmen—other club members also began voicing their dissatisfaction one after another.

And I couldn’t exactly say I didn’t understand how they felt, but—

“Did he himself do anything?” (Shuuto)

A sharp, low voice suddenly rang out across the field, instantly silencing everyone.

“Shuuto…” (Kento)

“The one who did wrong was his sister, not him. Isn’t he a decent guy for trying to atone for what she did? And more importantly, we need him if we’re going to keep winning.” (Shuuto)

It looked like Shuuto had fully acknowledged Haimiya-kun.

“Yeah, exactly! Besides, we made it through the tournament—we didn’t lose anything we can’t take back, right!?” (Shouta)

Shouta also stood up for him, just like Shuuto.

In his case, it was probably because he felt sorry for Haimiya-kun being blamed.

“They’re both right.” (Coach)

“Coach…” (Kento)

The coach, who had stayed silent until now, stepped forward in front of us.

“Besides, his sister confessed and even helped Kento. The real mastermind was someone else. If she hadn’t done that, Kento still wouldn’t be back. And if the biggest victim—Kento—is willing to forgive, then stop fussing over it.” (Coach)

With the coach’s words, the dissenting team members were left with nothing to say.

Of course, just because the coach said it didn’t mean they could accept it immediately.

But everyone here was a good person, so I knew they’d come around soon.

Once he confirmed everyone had fallen silent, the coach turned his gaze to Haimiya-kun.

“Riku Haimiya, I heard about you from Kento. You’re a pitcher who might be buried in a team, unable to show his full potential.” (Coach)

I had told the coach about Haimiya-kun before I even heard about his situation from his sister.

It had been purely a mention of him as a possibility.

“On top of that, I saw your performance just now. You still have issues to work on, but I want to see how you’ll grow. There’s still a spot open for a scholarship student—what do you say?” (Coach)

That was a roundabout way of saying he was accepted.

Saying there was a spot left was probably a lie—more likely, the coach was willing to make one for him.

It meant he wanted Haimiya-kun enough to go that far.

Now, it was up to him.

“Are you really sure… someone like me is okay…? Even though my sister caused trouble, and I don’t have any achievements…” (Riku)

“I told you, didn’t I? If Kento has forgiven you, that’s enough. And as for achievements, our clean-up hitter didn’t have any in junior high either, but he’s made a name for himself in high school. With that precedent, the higher-ups won’t complain about my decision. You should thank Kento for that too.” (Coach)

Hearing those words, Haimiya-kun turned his tear-filled eyes toward me.

I hadn’t done it for anyone else — it was for myself, so there was no need for him to thank me — but I gave him a small nod.

And with that, he—

“I… I want to play baseball! I want to play at Seijou…!” (Riku)

—declared that he wanted to join Seijou and keep playing baseball.

With that, it really felt like everything had fallen perfectly into place — or so I thought.

“Then step up to the plate.” (Shuuto)

Suddenly, Shuuto stepped onto the mound and challenged Haimiya-kun to a match.

“W-Why the batter’s box…!?” (Riku)

“Even a pitcher on our team needs to be able to hit. I want to see your ability as a batter.” (Shuuto)

As Shuuto said this, the backup pitchers all averted their eyes at once.

Good grief… always chasing ideals.

That’s what I thought, even as I pulled the mask back on and took my seat in the catcher’s box once more.

Realizing there was no way out of the challenge, Haimiya-kun stepped into the batter’s box.

“I’ll give you a heads-up. Every pitch is going to be a fastball, right down the middle.” (Shuuto)

“What—!?” (Riku)

Not only the pitch type, but even the location—dead center, the sweetest spot.

Feeling completely underestimated, Haimiya-kun tensed up all over.

“You won’t hit anything if you’re that stiff. And watch carefully. What you’re about to see is a fastball at the highest level of high school baseball.” (Kento)

When I said that, Haimiya-kun looked at me in surprise, but quickly took a deep breath and readied himself.

Then Shuuto fired off a serious fastball—and he whiffed cleanly.

“So fast!? Wait, that rise… no, it’s floating… what!?” (Riku)

It probably wasn’t just the speed—he’d never seen a fastball that carried that kind of rise before.

Haimiya-kun was visibly shocked.

“I’m just getting started.” (Shuuto)

On the next pitch, surprisingly, Haimiya-kun managed to make contact with the ball.

This kid had a sense for batting too…

Though he was mostly just trying to make contact, he managed to stay alive by fouling off pitch after pitch.

And then—finally, he rolled the ball forward.

“Damn…” (Riku)

Seeing the grounder back to the pitcher, Haimiya-kun slumped in disappointment.

Since every pitch had been right down the middle, missing them all must’ve been a huge shock.

“No, even fouling off Shuuto’s serious fastballs was amazing, and you even managed to push one forward. With proper practice, I think you could be a good batter too.” (Kento)

Even though I’d warned him of the easy middle pitch, most batters wouldn’t even be able to make contact.

That’s just how high-level Shuuto’s fastball was.

He had more than proven his worth as a batter as well.

“Next up, Kento, you’re up to bat.” (Shuuto)

“Hey, what’s this!? Feeling confident enough to take on Kento now!?” (Shouta)

Misunderstanding Shuuto’s words, Shouta started teasing him.

“Idiot, the one pitching is that guy.” (Shuuto)

But Shuuto ignored him and told Haimiya-kun to take the mound.

“Ha… well, that’s true. Haimiya-kun, how about you face me next?” (Kento)

Understanding his intention, I stepped up to the plate.

Of course, Haimiya-kun was hesitant, but he had no choice but to accept the challenge.

After all, I had said everyone in the starting lineup would get one at-bat.

And when I faced him, I sent his split-finger fastball flying far, far away.

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Thanks for reading!

WHO IS THIS NAGISA PERSON AND CAN WE HAVE MORE OF HER PLEASE? Like seriously, I never would have imagined that the solution to their problems would be this random catgirl tomboyish streamer who just so happens to be a detective irl. Even though she was introduced out of nowhere, she’s such a fun character so I will overlook the contrivances lol.

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