Greetings.

This was mainly written to satisfy my friend. Nevertheless, enjoy~~

If my MC acts like a Mary Sue in any way or if there are any mistakes (grammar, story plot holes, etc.), TELL ME IMMEDIATELY! Thank you!

"" - speech

italics - thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own Diamond no Ace.

Koushuu paused at the entrance as he watched Ai-senpai and Sawamura-senpai laughing about as if they had no care for the world. He used to find this image quite charming since he respected and acknowledged Sawamura-senpai for his skills as a great pitcher, but now, he loathed the two together. There was just something very irritation about it. Their obnoxious laughter as he worked hard to become the best catcher rubbed him the wrong way. He honestly felt unsure if it was because of Ai-senpai or if it was because of Sawamura-senpai.

She smiled at him again.

His eyes hardened at his pointless thought.

It would be stranger if she did not smile at him.

He nodded to himself at his perfect logic. Shaking his abnormal thoughts away, he walked off to his room. As he sat down at his desk, he realized that it was not their laughter that ticked him off; it was her smile at him that angered him. Honestly, it would have been better if she was smiling at him instead of Sawamura-senpai.

Age be damned!

He grunted in frustration. To talk to her was easier said than done because he was most definitely not a social person; at most, he was a baseball person. Envy pooled in his mind towards Sawamura-senpai's ability to talk to people easily.

"It's better if I don't think about this. it's better if I forget about it all. This is pointless and a waste of my time and energy. I should practice instead." He nodded in satisfaction at his hasty conclusion. Groaning to himself, he desperately just wanted to return back to normal - to the days when he only enjoyed baseball and never once thought about the opposite gender or the realms of attraction and the possibilities of having the so-called "beautiful" (more like "horrifying") emotion named love towards an actual human being. He cringed at the very thought of it.

Throughout the week, he had done so well ignoring his soon-to-be-erupting mixed and deep emotions, but whenever he spotted a single hair from her head, those thoughts kept rushing in like an annoying mosquito. He sat down, taking a rest from practice and trying to get a hold of himself. That was when he saw Ai-senpai talking to Sawamura-senpai once more - with that absurdly annoying big smile on her face. Her beautifully bright eyes sparkled as she spoke with her sugary sweet voice. He could literally see every detail about her from her smallest habits to the strand of her soft hair. He knew it then that he was officially screwed.

I. Can't. Take. This. Anymore!

He growled in frustration with his mind solely focusing on her. He finally stood up and strode towards her purposefully. "Ai-senpai, we need to talk." She blinked her eyes in confusion before nodding. As he slowed down his walking to match her speed, he confirmed that she was following him several times until they arrived at his chosen location.

"What's wrong, Okumura-kun?" He turned around, facing her with a glare. So many words jumbled up in his mind as he struggled to find which words to use to describe his predicament.

He finally spoke as if he was reading off of a script. "You're ruining me... You're interfering with my playing."

Startled, she looked at him with confusion. "Oku-"

Interrupting her, he was determined to not give her the chance to speak. After all, he was going to let out every single thought that he held to himself for so long. "Why are you doing this to me? You're confusing me endlessly and it's driving me insane! Who do you think you are?! Stop being the anomaly - the three strikes and one out - in my world!"

"Okumu-"

"Why can't you just let me go?!" He gritted his teeth. "For God's sake, Ai-senpai, stop smiling at Sawamura-senpai! Stop talking to him so often! Stop being with him for at least a day! And stop appearing in front of me!" He huffed as he stopped to catch his breath.

She stared at him. Her eyes - her damn bright eyes - reflected of understanding and thoughtfulness. "Okumura-kun. Tell me if I'm wrong, but do you like me - not as a friend - but as a girl?"

His mind turned blank at her words.

Do I like her as a girl? Is that what this was? Do I seriously like her?

After a few minutes of going over the names of his emotions and analyzing the events that spurred on these emotions, he came to a logical conclusion.

Fuck. I do.

Fuck. Now what?

I'm screwed. I didn't even plan for this.

How am I supposed to get her to like me back if I never even had the chance to strategize a way to make her feel the same towards me?

He backed away from her in silent horror. He needed to think about this thoroughly by weighing the pro and cons of liking her. He then turned around, beginning to walk away.

Fuck this.

He stopped in his tracks, facing her with a rare smile and speaking in a chocolate smooth voice. "It seems that I do like you as a girl, Ai-senpai." Without examining her facial expression, he finally strode off to his room in order to analyze everything about the new emotion he was currently experiencing.

The next morning, he woke up with absolute despair and regret.

What the hell...?

Why the hell did I admit to her that I like her as a girl yesterday?! Am I crazy?!

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!

He muttered colorful words under his breath, cursing at himself. Even as he practiced with Sawamura-senpai, he could not help but remember the very moment when he told her that he did like her. His concentration swung back and forth swiftly at every second.

Why didn't I even look at her face properly?! Now I don't even know if she's going to reject me or... This is driving me crazy... I wish I saw her reaction and analyzed it. What was I thinking...?!

And why can't she just reject me already so that I can go back to normal?!

He sighed as he walked off after practicing with Sawamura-senpai who looked utterly confused about Koushuu's behavior that day.

Ah, it's Ai-senpai. IT'S AI-SENPAI...!

Before he realized it, he ran off, avoiding her at every moment.

What on earth am I doing...?

He groaned to himself in frustration at his childish antics.

I won't get anything solved if I hide from her...

Yes, let's get this over with. I will act like a proper adult and talk to her logically about all this. That should work. That makes sense. Let's go with that.

"Ai-senpai, I believe we need to talk...?" He walked up to her.

"Good timing. I needed to talk to you too." She followed him once more to the same area as before.

When they reached the location, he faced her. "I'm tired and done with this so-called game of romance. So just tell me already. Give me a proper answer. No antics or tricks. Just a straightforward and honest answer. How do you feel about me? Do you like me as a guy?" Suddenly, he did not want to know how she felt towards him, so he pretended that he never asked her about anything relating to emotions by blabbering about a variety of topics from baseball to school even if it felt absolutely random.

"OKUMURA-KUN, I LIKE YOU TOO, SO LET ME SPEAK!" At her words, his panic faded away as he remained absolutely silent. It was as if the world made sense again and he felt his thoughts go back to being in an orderly fashion - a very good outcome.

Now I can focus on baseball again.

That was his only thought as he stared at the girl in front of him. After she spoke to him with a smile that was solely for him, he felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. "I see. So you like me too. As a guy." He nodded to himself, processing the information carefully and storing it safely in the deepest crevices of his mind. Finally, he gave her one of his rare tiny smiles as if unable to contain his overflowing emotions of happiness and excitement. She gaped at him with her skin flushing a deep red. Recognizing this reaction, he reverted back to his emotionless facial expression. He watched with glee and amusement when her eyes dimmed in disappointment and longing.

You're going to have to earn my smiles. I don't give it away that easily - even if it is you, Ai-senpai. No, my Ai.

"I'm going back to practice now. See you." He murmured to her as he began walking off towards the field.

Wait. I can't just leave like this. I should take this rare chance for myself... When no one is around... A prize for liking me back.

He strode towards her once more purposefully, grabbing her arm towards him. He then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her face turned red when she felt his hard muscles through his baseball clothes and his breath caressing her skin sensitively. The greenness of his eyes burned intensely. He then whispered to her intimately in a husky voice, "A reward for liking me back." He placed his lips gently against her forehead before locking eyes with her once more. "I'll see you later then, Ai-senpai." He let her go and finally headed off to practice as she watched his cheeks and ears flush deep red.

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