When I Was Rejected and Returned Home, My Childhood Friend, Who Should Have Been Distant, Was in My Room - Chapter 26: Scouting the Enemy

Chapter 26: Scouting the Enemy

“Senpai Jingu? Oh, of course I know him.”

Shogo answered casually. I felt relief knowing I could get information from Shogo, but my heart stirred uneasily because Jingu was famous enough for Shogo to know him so well.

“That’s rare. Masamune, you’re interested in a senpai?”

Shogo looked surprised at my question.

“Well, I just heard his name recently. Is he a celebrity or something?”

“Hmm, it’s hard to say if he’s a celebrity, but most people in our school probably know his name and face.”

“By the way, what kind of person is he!?”

“Whoa, what’s with the sudden intensity…?”

“Sorry…”

I pressed Shogo while standing, and he seemed a bit overwhelmed. Realizing my mistake, I quickly sat back down beside him. Shogo gave me a puzzled look but didn’t ask anything and got to the point.

“So, Jingu-senpai, right? He’s a third-year and the ace of the baseball team.”

“The ace of the baseball team… a sportsman type?”

“Not just that. He’s also academically excellent and good-looking. The typical scholar-athlete. It feels like God is unfair with people like him.”

“I see…”

A good-looking guy who’s smart and good at sports… Just hearing about him annoys me slightly. I crossed my arms, nodded with a half-smile, and asked Shogo.

“So, is he a total jerk or something?”

“What a thing to ask with a straight face…”

“No, I mean, guys like that usually have a new girlfriend every week, fooling around… that kind of vibe, right?”

Scholar-athlete types often get two gifts from heaven but miss out on kindness. My source? The light novels and manga in my room.

But Shogo looked at me with pity and let out a small sigh.

“Unfortunately, he’s nice too. He’s kind to everyone without bias, trusted by teachers, and too dedicated to club activities to be a player. He was super down a few months ago when his girlfriend dumped him.”

Shogo’s words made my face twitch. The twitching wasn’t just about the world’s unfairness—it felt like something more.

“Well, Jingu-senpai is a really great guy. I don’t know what you’re thinking, Masamune, but if you’re trying to find dirt on him, you should give up.”

Shogo patted my shoulder, but I was too distracted to care. I organized the info in my head: a good-looking, academically excellent ace of the baseball team…

“…Huh? Baseball team?”

“What’s up?”

Shogo asked, his hand still on my shoulder. That’s right, baseball team…! An idea suddenly hit me, and I grabbed Shogo’s shoulders without thinking.

“Shogo!”

“Whoa, what’s with you? Did hearing about a perfect superhuman make you jealous and crazy?”

He said something nonsensical, but I didn’t care. I stared straight into Shogo’s eyes.

“Are you free after school?”

* * * * *

“Next, to second base!”

“Got it!”

Under the blue sky, the baseball players crouched into fielding positions. A sharply swung bat made a great sound as the ball soared. The fielder ran to it, catching it in his glove with another crisp sound.

“One more!”

“Looking good! Alright, one more!”

The leader-like guy with the bat shouted, and the other members yelled back. The baseball field trembled with what could only be called roars.

“Hey, Masamune.”

“What? I’m busy right now.”

And while we were bathed in those roars…

“You invited me here, but seriously, what are we doing?”

“We came to watch practice, obviously.”

“Even so, this spot?”

“What are you saying? This is the VIP seat.”

We sat right behind the backstop, the best seat to spy on the baseball team’s practice.

“Still, it’s surprising they let other people in here…”

“Yeah, the coach seemed nice. I passionately said I was interested in baseball, and he let us in. The team members probably just went along with it.”

“Shouldn’t they have a bit more security awareness…?”

While Shogo sighed, I kept my eyes on the field. Oh, someone dropped the ball! Come on, cover it quick, you can still make it…!

“Yes, nice! You threw to first!”

“You’re probably forgetting your original purpose, aren’t you…?”

Right, right. The reason we came here today was—

“Scouting the enemy.”

“Can you stop using such menacing words? But yeah, that’s it.”

I calmly got to the point, despite Shogo’s exasperated tone.

“So, Shogo. Do you know why we came here today?”

“You dragged me here without saying anything. Explain properly.”

“If you want to know what Jingu-senpai is like, watching his club is the best way. Hearing about him isn’t enough, so we came to see for ourselves.”

Despite my thorough explanation, Shogo sighed. Why? That was a perfect explanation.

“So, which one’s Jingu-senpai?”

“You came here without knowing anything…?”

Shogo looked at me in shock, then narrowed his eyes and sighed deeply.

“The guy hitting grounders. I thought you knew since you’ve been watching him.”

So, Jingu-senpai was the one swinging the bat at the fielders. For the first time, I matched the name to a face and squinted to take in his full presence.

His back was to us, so I couldn’t see his face clearly, but he had that cool-guy aura and confidence. Since he wasn’t fielding, his skills must be recognized by the team. His earlier shout confirmed that.

“I see. Looks and skills both top-notch, huh…”

“Come on, just tell me already. Why are you so obsessed with Jingu-senpai?”

Shogo seemed at his limit, so I felt bad for keeping him waiting and told him the reason.

“Well… Jingu-senpai is, like, after Manaki…”

“After what?”

“After, you know, that. Like, he’s targeting her, or something…”

I meant to say it casually, but the words got stuck. Shogo looked confused for a moment, then grinned as if he figured it all out.

“Haha, I get it now~”

“What’s with that creepy laugh?”

“Nothing~ I just wondered why you were so into senpai’s business, but it’s about Himuro-san, huh…”

I started regretting telling him as Shogo smirked creepily. Then, suddenly, he gave me a kind look and patted my back.

“What’s with you, weirdo?”

“Just thinking, you’re not very honest, are you, Masamune?”

“Let me make it clear: this is scouting. I’m here to check if Jingu-senpai is worthy of Manaki.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it.”

I tried to emphasize my point, but Shogo brushed it off, making me annoyed. He looked at the field, grinning happily.

“Well, if that’s the case, I might just help you out.”

“What do you mean, help?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

Shogo’s smug look left me a bit frustrated. Shaking off the feeling, I turned back to the field. At that moment…

“Foul ball!”

A sharp voice pierced my ears. Looking up, I saw a ball arcing toward us. I instinctively stepped back from the backstop.

The ball landed with a dull thud a bit away from where we stood. My overreaction felt a little embarrassing.

“Sorry! You guys okay?”

“Yes, we’re fine!”

I looked up to reply and realized—the person cupping his hands like a megaphone, concerned only for us, was Jingu-senpai.

For the first time, I got a good look at him. Clean-cut hair, a kind expression, and a mature calmness rare for a high schooler. A handsome, refined face.

After confirming we were okay, Jingu-senpai smiled with relief. He turned back to the fielders waiting for his hits.

“I’m getting a bit tired, so let’s take a five-minute break!”

“Yeah!!”

An even louder roar shook my eardrums. The team dashed for water, full of energy. Typical baseball team intensity.

But unlike the others, one person walked toward the backstop. The tall, refreshing, handsome guy—Jingu-senpai.

“Good timing, huh?”

Seeing Jingu-senpai approach, Shogo smirked and stretched, ready for action.

“Good timing for what?”

I was confused, but Shogo just gave a sly grin.

“Didn’t I say? Scouting the enemy.”