I Thought I Was Dead After Getting Stabbed While Protecting a Girl From a Random Attacker, but a Goddess Gave Me a Special Reward and Brought Me Back to Life in My Original Body—Now, All These Girls Are Coming on to Me!?

Chapter 28: The Announcement of the Team Members

The day after Ryu Minase enjoyed a date at home

Ryu and the other baseball team members gathered at the practice field.

Finally, the members who would make the bench for the summer prefectural tournament were announced.

“I’m so nervous…!” Ryu exclaimed.

“Only a first-year would get picked… well, maybe Ryu,” someone said.

“The outfield spots aren’t filled yet, so there’s a chance, right?” another added.

“But if I got chosen, the pressure would make it impossible to play properly,” a teammate remarked.

“I get that. By the way, didn’t Ryu do amazing at the last away game? That’s incredible,” another said.

“If it were me, my stomach would hurt so much I’d hide in the bathroom,” someone joked.

“That’s rough,” another replied.

In this way, the first-year members heatedly discussed who would get selected.

As for Ryu himself,

“…Phew!” he sighed.

Ryu felt extremely nervous.

If there was no chance of being chosen, Ryu would have joined the other first-years in debating who would make the team.

However, because Ryu got selected for the away game and performed notably well, expectations rose unnecessarily high.

Ryu himself even felt a bit hopeful.

Moreover, as the first-years mentioned earlier, an atmosphere formed where it seemed almost certain that Ryu would be the only first-year regular, and their expectations turned into pressure for him.

Fortunately, or rather, the reason Ryu hadn’t thrown up yet was that the upperclassmen seniors looked even more nervous than him. Seeing someone more anxious than himself helped Ryu stay calm.

“Here they come…!” someone shouted.

Then, the coach and Captain Nogata entered the practice field from the entrance.

Finally, the member announcement began…!

“Before I announce the members, I want to say something to everyone,” the coach said.

The coach stood in front of everyone and spoke deliberately.

“First, to the managers who supported the team dedicatedly, thank you so much. Because of you, the members could always train at their full potential. The tournament hasn’t ended yet, and I’ll ask for your support until August, but since this is a milestone, let me take this moment to express my gratitude,” the coach continued.

Until August, huh.

If activities continued until August, that meant the team would be at the Koshien tournament. Saying something like that so casually must be what charisma is about, Ryu thought.

“Next, to the team members. This year, selecting the members was tougher than usual. Honestly, if there were no roster limits, I’d want to take everyone. You all have high skills and, above all, trained passionately. Thank you for believing in me and following me this far,” the coach said.

Saying this, the coach bowed deeply.

The third-year seniors were already crying.

“Only a limited number of members can participate in the tournament, but I hope those not selected will support us until the end if possible,” the coach added.

“Yes!!” the members, including Ryu, replied loudly.

It was obvious. Even if Ryu didn’t get selected, he intended to support the seniors to reach Koshien to the fullest.

Seeing the expressions of the members, the coach nodded slowly.

And finally, the moment arrived.

“Now, I will announce the members,” the coach declared.

“Captain, Nogata,” the coach called.

“Yes!” Nogata responded.

The first selected was Captain Nogata, the ace and number-four batter.

That was expected. The team was built around him, after all.

Naturally, the second person was,

“Vice-Captain, Makabe,” the coach called.

“Yes!” Makabe responded.

Senior Makabe, the team’s catcher and cornerstone.

He not only served as the commander behind the plate but was also essential in the batting lineup.

The announcements continued, and the selections were mostly predictable.

Among the second-years, a senior who could cover all outfield positions and a left-handed pitcher who shone in the away game were chosen. The fielder was Senior Yanagi, and the pitcher was Senior Terada.

Two regular spots remained.

Then, an unexpected player was called.

“Next, Tsutsumi,” the coach announced.

“…Yes!?” Tsutsumi responded.

Kyosuke Tsutsumi, a first-year like Ryu, reportedly played on a club team in middle school.

Though not tall at 170 cm, he was known for his speed and skillful hitting.

“What’s wrong? Come get your uniform,” the coach urged.

“But, me…?” Tsutsumi hesitated.

“Your defense will definitely help the team. Have confidence,” the coach reassured.

“…Yes!” Tsutsumi replied.

After receiving the uniform, Tsutsumi returned to the first-years and was swarmed with congratulations from teammates.

Finally, the last spot…

“The last one, Minase, come here,” the coach called.

“…! Yes!” Ryu responded.

“Not just as a pitcher, but depending on the situation, you might play as a fielder too. Be ready,” the coach instructed.

“Yes! Thank you!” Ryu replied.

Ryu was selected…! He made the team…!

Since his last year of middle school, Ryu had been away from official games for over a year.

He felt nervous. But more than that, he felt excited.

It wasn’t certain if he’d play in games yet,

but if he got the chance, he’d perform and lead the team to victory…!

“Congratulations on making the team!” Kanade said.

“Congrats, Ryu,” Makoto added.

“I was certain Ryu would get picked!” Yuna exclaimed.

After school, the three gathered in Ryu’s room again and congratulated him in their own ways.

“We need to celebrate again!” Makoto said.

“Good food is always welcome,” Kanade added.

“But the prefectural tournament starts soon, right?” Yuna asked.

“Yeah, less than a month away. You too, Yuna, right?” Ryu replied.

“Yeah, I’m heading to nationals first. It’ll probably be around the same time Ryu’s fighting in the qualifiers. So, why don’t we celebrate my national championship and Ryu’s Koshien appearance together?” Yuna suggested.

“That’s great. Perfect,” Kanade agreed.

“That’s such a brilliant idea, I’m shocked!” Makoto exclaimed.

“We can’t lose now, Ryu,” Yuna said.

“Haha, yeah! Let’s win quick and celebrate big together,” Ryu replied.

“I’m excited already! Can we go cheer…?” Makoto asked.

“Nationals and Koshien, probably. The prefectural tournament…” Ryu started.

“I heard it’s a lottery for spectators. The coach told me,” Yuna said.

“Ugh, a lottery…” Makoto groaned.

“Can’t I go as a newspaper club reporter!?” Kanade suggested.

“That’s it. That’s a legal way to watch. Genius idea,” Yuna said.

Kanade and Makoto seemed more excited than Ryu and Yuna, who were actually competing.

But knowing there were people cheering for him made Ryu feel like he could perform beyond his usual strength.

Plus, even though the sports were different, he had a comrade fighting alongside him.

Yuna seemed to think the same, as she looked at Ryu and smiled faintly.

Ryu hoped he could be of some help to her too.

Noticing Ryu and Yuna’s moment, Kanade and Makoto said,

“Are you two making your own little world?” Kanade asked.

“That’s no good. We should join in,” Makoto added.

Then, Makoto hugged Ryu, and Kanade hugged Yuna.

They positioned themselves with Ryu and Yuna in the center, flanked by Makoto and Kanade on either side.

“Both of you, win for sure,” Makoto said.

“We’re cheering for you, so you can feel confident like you’re on a big ship,” Kanade added.

“Haha, now we really can’t lose,” Yuna replied.

“With two goddesses of victory on our side, there’s no way we’ll lose,” Ryu said.

From then on,

as the tournament approached and the roster was finalized,

a tense atmosphere enveloped the practice field during training.

Especially the third-year seniors, with their final high school games nearing, seemed to have particularly stiff expressions.

Clang, clang…

Amid this, Ryu practiced batting.

Senior Yanagi, chosen to replace an injured second-year, was a well-balanced player in offense and defense, but the backup for him was thin.

If something happened to Yanagi and he couldn’t play, first-year Tsutsumi would step in,

but Tsutsumi, who wasn’t selected for the away game, had almost no real-game experience in high school. The coach and captain reportedly hesitated about putting him in a game without preparation.

That’s where Ryu came in.

While practicing bunts in the cage between bullpen sessions, the coach told him,

“Take some swings.”

Ryu hit a few pitches from the machine.

The coach, along with Captain Nogata and Senior Makabe, who had shown up, whispered something and then said to Ryu,

“Ryu, starting tomorrow, join outfield practice before the bullpen.”

It was the so-called two-way player role.

It was pretty wild.

Ryu had done it in middle school, but he’d never played outfield in his life.

It was probably just as a precaution, but…

For the past week, Ryu spent every day practicing outfield defense before adjusting in the bullpen.

“Good work, Minase,” Nogata said.

“Captain, good work,” Ryu replied.

After finishing practice and cooling down, the captain spoke to Ryu.

Compared to the other third-years, Captain Nogata and Senior Makabe seemed relatively normal.

Maybe their experience from playing in games last year made the difference.

“How’s it going? Is juggling outfield practice and the bullpen tough?” Nogata asked.

“It’d be a lie to say it’s not tough, but seeing the field from the outfield feels fresh, and I feel like I’m discovering a new side of baseball. It’s fun,” Ryu replied.

“Good. We’re counting on you, even if it’s a lot,” Nogata said.

“Yes!” Ryu responded.

While they talked, the manager, Senior Kuroki, finished her tasks and joined them.

Being caught between a couple felt a bit awkward, but oblivious to Ryu’s feelings, she joined the conversation.

“Senior Kuroki, good work,” Ryu said.

“Madoka, huh. Sorry, I was just on a date with my kouhai,” Nogata teased.

“Oh, cheating? Maybe I’ll cheat with Minase-kun then,” Madoka replied.

“No way, I’m not letting Minase go!” Nogata said.

“That’s your concern!?” Ryu exclaimed.

“Nice reflexes. Looks like you’re getting in form,” Nogata said.

“Don’t measure my form like that,” Ryu replied.

“I like this quick-witted vibe. If Koki’s giving you trouble, tell me, and I’ll straighten him out,” Madoka said.