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 8.2: Childhood Friends Are Not Reserved

This girl, honestly…

Whatever. I’d definitely get her back for this someday when she least expected it…

“Here we are,” Yuna announced.

While I glared at Yuna from behind, we apparently arrived at our destination.

Yes, the baseball club’s practice facility, the indoor training field.

This school had a massive practice field just for the baseball club.

Not only that, it had a natural grass soccer field, a huge gymnasium with four courts, tennis courts, a kendo dojo, and dedicated practice facilities for almost every club. How grand was this school? I kept getting shocked since arriving here.

As Yuna led me into the practice field, an impressive sight unfolded.

A field larger than some high school grounds had numerous batting cages lined up, with about five mounds prepared. What was amazing was that all of them were in use. That showed how passionate the players here were.

Even in the remaining field space, other players practiced defense, proving how lively and energetic the baseball club was.

“…This seems like a great environment for you, Ryu, doesn’t it?” Yuna observed.

“Yeah. I’m excited to practice with this team from now on,” I agreed.

As we watched the practice for a while, a guy approached us. His thick muscles, visible even through his uniform, and his cleanly shaved head screamed “baseball club.”

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?” he asked.

“No, we were just watching, so it’s fine,” Yuna replied.

“Good, good! So, you’re the one I’ve heard about?” he asked me.

“I’m Ryu Minase. Nice to meet you,” I introduced myself.

“I’ve heard about you! I’m Isao Nogata, the baseball club captain! With a promising player like you joining, our team is set!” he exclaimed.

Senior Nogata… or rather, Captain Nogata, I should say.

I looked into Phoenix High School’s baseball team’s record a bit.

Our best result was runner-up in the prefectural tournament two years ago, and last year, we reached the top four.

At the center of that success was the captain standing in front of me, Nogata.

Since his first year, he’d been a key batter, and last year, he shone as a two-way player, pitching and hitting, even catching the eye of pro scouts.

“I’ll do my best to help the team even a little!” I said.

“Haha, don’t be so modest! I’ve heard about your middle school days!” Nogata encouraged.

“I’m a bit embarrassed…” I admitted.

I did decently in middle school, but I couldn’t play during the crucial third year, so talking about that time felt a little embarrassing.

As we got excited, Yuna cut in.

“Hey, don’t leave me out!” she protested.

“Oh, sorry, Yamamura. You can head back now,” Nogata teased.

“What? Want me to give you a sparring session?” Yuna shot back.

“Stay and watch Minase-kun’s practice as long as you like!” Nogata laughed.

That exchange alone clearly showed their dynamic.

I felt like I could get along with Captain Nogata.

“Did you say something?” Nogata asked.

“No, nothing,” I replied.

…I’d better not think careless things.

Led by Captain Nogata, Yuna and I toured the practice facility.

Not only was there the first-floor field, but the second floor had a gym space for strength training.

“You’re not fully recovered from your injury yet, right? Then focus on core training here today. Club members can use any equipment freely,” Nogata explained.

“Thank you. That helps,” I said.

“Then I’ll make sure you don’t overdo it today!” Yuna declared.

“…I know I asked for your help, but don’t you have your own practice, Yuna?” I asked.

“I’m off today! I’ve got everything covered!” Yuna boasted.

“Alright, then,” I said.

Wouldn’t she get bored just watching someone train? If she was fine with it, I guess it was okay.

After that, we parted with Captain Nogata, who returned to practice, and Yuna and I trained in the gym space. Yuna kept teasing me but seemed to enjoy herself the whole time, so I let it slide.

“Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?” Shinya asked.

“Nah, I just got here,” I replied.

After finishing the day’s training menu, I headed to the meeting spot and found Shinya already there.

When practice ended and we were about to leave, Yuna threw a fit, saying, “Going to eat with Ryu and leaving me out? Who’s that jerk?”

It took time to calm her down, and we settled on me treating her to food the next time our days off aligned. Of course, she had enough sense not to make us late for the meeting, but it was still pretty close.

“How about Mors nearby?” Shinya suggested.

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

Mors was a super famous hamburger chain.

Recently, their giant eating-challenge burger was getting attention. I wouldn’t try it, though.

“Did you go all-out in practice already?” Shinya asked.

“Not yet. It’s mostly core training for now. I need to build my muscles back up,” I explained.

“Recovering from an injury sounds tough. I’ve never had one that bad…” Shinya sympathized.

“Yeah, getting stabbed with a knife is a rarer experience,” I joked.

“True,” Shinya laughed.

The first day of school was noisy and hectic, but ending it by hanging out with a new friend like this felt great.

All’s well that ends well, right?

As a side note, when I told the girls about this, they all teased me, asking, “A date?”