Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 15: Battery

The following three weeks were nothing short of grueling for me.

Nakano clung to me incessantly, treating me like her ideal prince. She’d say things like, “Why don’t you try growing your hair out again?” When I told her, “Just don’t come to the classroom,” she coolly responded, “Kyuugo-senpai would never say that to Nakano.” She gifted me a new drawing every three days, and all her nude sketches of me were—how should I put it—fully detailed. On top of that, some self-proclaimed goalkeeper kept trying to buy them for 7,000 yen each.

Sure, being adored by a cute girl is nice. Even I can admit that. But the pressure was insane. My spirit eroded day by day. I already feel a certain weight from typical affection from girls, but Nakano’s attention was a completely different beast. If it were more like the yandere vibes from the anime novels Obayashi loves, I’d probably have preferred it. At least that’s easier to deal with. But this pure, unfiltered gaze of hers, filled with expectations of an imaginary prince—being smothered by it was suffocating in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

It was obvious that my slump stemmed from this. In the bullpen, I was the same as always, but the moment I felt Nakano’s cheers and gaze during a game, I froze.

At the spring prefectural tournament, I uncharacteristically threw a string of walks. Thanks to my teammates, we barely scraped into the top eight and secured a seed for the summer tournament, but we had been aiming for the championship.

Nakano was deeply concerned about my lackluster performance.
“Kyuugo-senpai, this isn’t like you. The real Kyuugo-senpai can’t be this weak. Let’s go to the hospital and get you checked.” She always looked worried and stuck close to me. That, in itself, was suffocating…!

And Maika? Things were still awkward between us. We hadn’t had a proper conversation since that day.

Even so, she cooked me amazing meals every day, cleaned my room when I wasn’t paying attention, and came to help during matches. She stayed on the sidelines, assisting the parents as usual, but when she saw my sorry pitching, she gave me that exasperated look, like, Well, obviously.

She saw right through me. She knew Nakano’s expectations were wearing me down.

Yet, whenever we were alone at home, she’d try to say something. She’d open her mouth, hesitate, and in the end, we’d just exchange awkward, blushing glances before looking away. And then, Riko would barge in, and the moment would vanish. That kept happening.

Now that I think about it, Riko never asked about Nakano. Given that she couldn’t see much of my high school life, I thought she’d be even more curious than Maika.

But Nakano hadn’t done anything wrong. She was just in love.

The reason her affection was crushing me, the reason my relationship with Maika had become so strained—it all came down to my lack of confidence. If I were more self-assured, Nakano’s unrealistic expectations wouldn’t bother me, and I wouldn’t feel the need to stretch myself thin or overthink everything.

“Sigh…”

After practice, I went home, sat on my bed as usual, and buried my head in my hands.

Golden Week was just around the corner, but it’d be nothing but baseball—and Nakano. She’d keep looking at me through her “Nakano filter.” Heavy. Suffocating. Oppressive. There was no escape.

“…Oh, right…”

On my way out earlier, Obayashi, the starting catcher, had handed me an A4 envelope, saying, “Cheer up, man.”

For what it’s worth, the baseball team believed I wasn’t involved in anything shady with Nakano. Mostly because Tachikawa-san had hinted at quitting the team, and they were too preoccupied to care about my romantic drama. Ogikubo-senpai was already pissed at the tension between our manager and the team. Honestly, the club felt like it was falling apart. Was our baseball team really just a mix of circle crashers, dominatrices, and clueless virgins?

But Obayashi was different. My reliable partner since Little League, he’d always been the most level-headed. Even though he’d recently been through heartbreak himself, he still looked out for me.

I pulled the envelope out of my baseball bag.

Knowing Obayashi, a data-driven guy when it came to pitch selection, I figured he might’ve analyzed my mechanics and included some helpful notes. The envelope was thick. It must’ve had useful material.

It was porn.

“THIS IS JUST PORN!”

I slammed the lewd magazine with its risqué, moe-style cover onto the floor.

I didn’t need this. Not at all. Sure, it’d be great if something like this could help me unwind. Life would be easier. But I’ve become the kind of weirdo who can only get off to Maika!

I glared at the magazine, seething.

Now that I think about it, didn’t he once brag about being the type to… well… finish on his porn? Wait, did he—

“…Huh?”

The magazine lay open on the floor, likely because of how much it had been handled. That meant he hadn’t done that to it. If he had, the pages would’ve been stuck together.

Good. The last thing I’d ever want to see is—

“…!”

I froze.

On the page in question, something caught my attention, shocking me into silence.

Displayed there was—!!

Oh, and for the record, some of the other pages were stuck together. What the hell, Obayashi?! Why would you give your battery partner something covered in your fluids?! Are you insane?!

◆　◇　◆

Chapter 70: Afterstory & Prequel – 16: A Step Up

So that’s what it was—Obayashi’s message to me: Get your confidence back.

After all, we’ve been teammates since we were kids, staying in the same dorms during training camps. Aside from my feelings for Maika, he’s someone I’ve confided countless secrets to, and I’ve heard things from him that he couldn’t share with anyone else. Even his… NTR preferences are just a piece of that. At this point, we don’t even need to say things out loud to understand what the other is thinking. Of course, we’re a battery. We’ve devised strategies to take down formidable opponents with nothing but eye contact and hand signals from 18.44 meters apart.

That’s why I get it—what Obayashi was trying to tell me. He understood my struggles without needing words.

Come to think of it… At the end of spring break before starting high school, I was already participating in the team’s practice sessions. Obayashi had been invited as well, but for some reason, he never showed up. We had talked passionately about becoming the ace pitcher and the starting catcher by the summer of our first year, so his absence felt out of character. Honestly, I was disappointed.

But I was wrong.

When school started, at the entrance ceremony, his demeanor was completely different. He’d grown into a man—brimming with confidence. He’d shed his old self and matured. Sure enough, by that summer, he was the starting catcher, wearing the mask and catching my pitches. With steady hands, he confidently gave signals right in front of him, leading me—still a rookie pitcher—with unwavering composure.

…That’s what it was about.

He had already climbed the steps to adulthood. And now, he was telling me to take the same steps, to rise to the same level.

Three weeks ago, I remembered something Riko said to me. At the time, I brushed it off without thinking. Probably because I was scared. I was afraid. Growth comes with pain; I knew that, but I still looked away. To put it bluntly, I was pathetic. A coward.

And someone like that couldn’t possibly keep their promise to Riko.

“……”

But I’ve made up my mind now. I’m done with my weak self. I’m going to shed this pitiful persona and become a confident, grown man. Then, I’ll finally be able to face Maika properly.

I’ll cast aside childish fantasies and approach her as an adult, as family. I’ll ask her to be our team manager with the steady resolve of a reliable older brother.

That will finally put an end to the ridiculous relationship we’ve carried on since before we even knew better. At last, we can become normal siblings.

To call it heartbreak would be an insult. These unsettling feelings I’ve held for my own sister—this disgusting, yet strangely comforting connection—we’ve shared… I’m putting an end to it.

“You’ve made up your mind, huh, Kyuugo?”

“Obayashi… Yeah. I’m probably going to be a burden for a while, though…”

“Don’t worry about it. The backup pitchers will step up in your absence. And with my calm, mature guidance, I’ll keep things under control.”

“…I’m counting on you. I’ll step up as a man and come back to the mound stronger…!”