7:30 AM — Match Day
The boys of Minami Third Middle School stood at the edge of the field in mismatched jerseys and second-hand gloves. Some wore cleats, others just running shoes. Their breaths came out in visible puffs as a cold morning breeze swept past them.
Haruto clutched the baseball tightly. It wasn't nerves—it was anticipation. His heartbeat thudded in rhythm with the bat Renji tapped against his palm behind him.
Sōta stepped beside Haruto and whispered, "Their pitcher's name is Kuroda. 130 km/h fastball. National Little League experience."
Haruto grinned. "Good. Let's give them a scare."
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8:10 AM — The First Inning Begins
Shimizu Middle arrived in perfect formation—uniforms pressed, gloves clean, and matching bags slung over their shoulders. Their warmups were sharp, mechanical.
The umpire blew his whistle. "Minami bats first."
Haruto stepped into the box.
First pitch: high heat. Strike one.
He exhaled. Not unexpected.
Second pitch: outside curve. Strike two.
Renji shouted from the dugout, "Just hit the ball already!"
Haruto focused. He adjusted his grip, bent his knees, remembered the timing Daichi had written in his notebook.
Third pitch: inside fastball.
CRACK!
The bat met the ball. A clean line drive over second.
The dugout erupted. Reina actually gasped.
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8:30 AM — Bottom of the First
Now it was Haruto's turn to pitch.
He narrowed his eyes at the batter. First pitch—straight fastball. Strike one.
"Too high!" the opposing coach yelled.
Second pitch—he tried the miracle curve. It dipped but bounced just before Sōta's glove. Ball one.
Sōta stood and walked to the mound.
"You're rushing," he said calmly.
Haruto frowned. "They're judging every move."
"Let them," Sōta replied, "You're not throwing to them. You're throwing with me."
Haruto nodded. The next pitch—a perfect curve.
Strike two.
He grinned. "Let's play for real."
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9:00 AM — Mid-game Tension
Shimizu led 3–2 by the fourth inning. The Minami team made several fielding errors—Daichi tripped over second base trying to tag. Renji overthrew to third.
They huddled during a timeout.
"We're panicking," Reina said firmly. "Stick to the basics."
"But they're faster—stronger—" Yuu muttered.
"No," Haruto interrupted. "They're just cleaner. Doesn't mean we can't match them."
He turned to Renji. "Think of it like a prank. Fake them out."
Renji's eyes lit up. "I got just the trick."
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9:15 AM — The Turning Point
Renji, now on second, faked a steal to third, baiting a pick-off. While the catcher shouted at third base, Yuu sprinted from first to second unnoticed.
Two runners safe.
The crowd (mostly teachers and a janitor) actually cheered.
Sōta laughed. "Guess that worked."
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9:40 AM — Final Inning
Shimizu 4 – Minami 4.
Two outs. Haruto at bat. Sōta on third. The pitcher looked nervous.
Haruto took a deep breath.
"Don't swing wild," Sōta called out.
First pitch: a slow changeup. Haruto let it go. Strike one.
Second pitch: fastball. He swung hard.
Clink! The ball flew, short of the fence, into left field.
Sōta ran—his legs pumping, eyes locked on home.
The throw came.
Too late.
Minami Middle took the lead.
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10:00 AM — After the Game
They didn't win. The umpire reversed the call—Sōta left early from third.
But no one was upset. The team gathered near the chalk line, beaming with dirt-smeared faces.
Daichi grinned. "We actually almost beat them."
Reina shut her notebook and smiled. "Correction—you scared them."
Mr. Inoue watched silently from the school fence. For once, his mouth curled up slightly. Then he turned and walked back toward the school building, mumbling, "Might be worth it after all…"
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Chapter End Message:
"It wasn't about the scoreboard—it was about the heartbeat of a team that had just learned it could dream."