After rebirth, I confessed to the losing heroine

The month was June—three months have passed since this semester began. The school team that participated in the inter-school sports competition should have been decided by now. However, because several students backed off from the team—since they wanted to focus on their last year of high school—there still were some vacant seats available.

And that is a really frustrating fact for the coach.

To be more precise the position of a pitcher and a power hitter was still left open to be filled. And for that, today the trials are being taken.

Two teams, constituting the regular members and those who are giving trials added to both teams. The motive was to let them play a real game and pick out those who could be added to the team as regulars and substitutes.

Yuichi and Hiroto were accepted as the candidates for trials even though they had never shown their faces on the field unless it was P.E. classes.

The reason why they were allowed remained a mystery. Although there were questions, even so when other players were waiting in the queue. And those in-queue players have participated in games before but have to leave because of their respective reasons. And under such a situation, the coach decided to take entirely new faces…?

“Hey, Hiro…did you do something?” In the changing room, Yuichi couldn’t help asking. After all, despite how pumped up he was, Yuichi wouldn’t have forced his entry into the team if the coach had really decided to not let any new players in.

Hiroto scoffed before he informed in a casual tone, “I just provided that coach with something he dearly desired.”

And that is? Before Yuichi could have asked this, Hiroto responded,

“Aimi-sensei’s number.”

Yuichi raised his brows in surprise, “Never knew that stiff guy is after that bubbly teacher.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Donning a cap over his head, Hiroto got ready to move out.

Yuichi was also done with the clothes, but then suddenly he noticed something and asked, “Hey…why do your clothes look new?”

Although Yuichi was wearing freshly washed clothes, he knew it was a used pair. However, looking at Hiroto, anyone could tell by a single glance that he was wearing a new set of baseball uniform. Even the creases were there.

“Miyuki didn’t want me to wear those clothes that were worn by someone else. That’s why she asked someone to get me a new pair.” With a soft smile, he added, “She cares for me so much.”

Yuichi couldn’t help but roll his eyes, “Flaunting money.”

“It’s called being considerate.” Hiroto threw the ball and hit Yuichi’s back with that rebuttal.

Yuichi replied with, ‘Yeah yeah’ as he began to walk out, followed by Hiroto.

*****

“Alright, Team A would be led by Rei. Team B plays under the captainship of Kaito. If you want to ask about rules then you are better off leaving the field immediately. ” The coach was about in his thirties with a mild build and a thick mustache. He looked like someone who was trying to look macho and dashing but because of his short height and thin limbs, he didn’t look that imposing.

Hiroto and Yuichi were placed in the same team, which was team A. And the rival team’s captain was the same boy who invited Kaori earlier.

“Stop glaring at him, will ya? You ain’t gonna get anything by just looking.” Hiroto spoke to the secretly enraged guy beside him who seemed to have taken Kaito as his rival or sort.

And given how Kaito was also flashing a smirk in Yuichi’s direction, it was clear as day, that the feeling of rivalry was mutual.

“Hiro, we got to crush ’em thoroughly today.”

“Yeah….right.” Hiroto un-enthusiastically responded with his hands behind his head as he looked towards the stands.

There were several girls in the cheerleading uniforms, holding pom-poms and eagerly waiting for the game to begin. Naturally, Kaori was amongst them, who certainly was looking at no one else but Yuichi.

Hiroto didn’t keep on looking at them for more than a few seconds before his eyes traveled toward the girl, who was sitting alone in the stands.

Thankfully, today it was cloudy or Hiroto might have to ask Miyuki to wait in the main school building and watch him through binoculars.

Hiroto smiled at his girl, and in return, he received a heart-melting smile and a small cute wave.

‘Ugh so cute…’ Hiroto clutched his chest and barely stopped himself from abandoning the strategy meeting and hopping his way to the beauty.

“….alright, so what can you do?” Hiroto realized he was being asked, so he casually responded,

“I can pitch.”

“Hmm…alright, I will have your pitch to their contact hitter. He really is good to just tap and go.”

Hiroto nodded without much thought and then, the captain focused on Yuichi,

” You?”

“I can strike good.” The captain looked at Yuichi’s large palms and thick arms before responding,

“…seems like it. Very well, you will be our pinch hitter. Now we need to focus on keeping them under five runs.” The team captain extended his hand forward and everyone began to drape their hands on it. Hiroto followed suit before everyone shouted in unison,

“”LET’S WIN!””

“…let’s win….”Hiroto did his best to look energetic, just like Yuichi but in the end, he wasn’t quite accustomed to these things.

Regardless, everyone began to spread across the field as the first hitter from their team took the base.

Hiroto was placed near the boundary with his left hand covered with the brown oversized glove.

The first batter tapped the ball in the first strike and dashed to the second base without much trouble. In the second ball, the second batter hit a little hard and the ball raced towards the left of Yuichi.

Yuichi, like a hawk, narrowed his eyes and ran toward the ball by cutting the distance by as much as he could.

Diving into his non-dominant side, Yuichi caught the ball while still in the air, and upon falling, he quickly got up and threw the ball with tremendous pace towards the third base.

*Thak*

The baseman collected the ball, albeit a little shocked by the ferocity with which the ball traveled, and brought his hand down toward the sliding player who barely touched the base.

“SAFE!” The umpire called out with his hands raised horizontally.

Although the result wasn’t satisfactory, given how many players nodded in Yuichi’s direction, it was evident that they regarded him as a good fielder.

The people in the audience were mesmerized by Yuichi’s gallant figure when he was dashing toward the ball and how good he looked when he was in complete focus mode there.

The cheerleaders giggled and teased Kaori—which didn’t go unnoticed by the opposing team’s captain and the boy who was after Kaori.

Coincidentally the next batter was none other than him.

Kaito walked toward the home plate with a fierce look in his eyes and his left hand clutching the bat in a tight grip.

And the pitcher who was sent to face the menacing Kaito was none other than Hiroto.

“…damn.”

Hiroto was a little unsure of how he should pitch here and whether he should pretend to be a little noob.

However, once his gaze landed on his Hime, who was holding her phone and recording the game with a smile on her face, Hiroto knew what he had to do.

‘Don’t take it personally, Kaito….’

********

A/N:- …….