A few days had passed after Megumi talked to Coach Kataoka regarding her notebook. He had returned it to her, and she resumed jotting down information about the other members of the team other than the ones who are in the first and second strings.
Coach Kataoka also made an announcement about how he would be choosing two members that he will be assigning in the first string. He also told the whole team that there is a chance for everyone, no matter if it is a third year or even a first year.
It had also been during those few days that Megumi had been informed—thanks to Rei—that Sawamura had apologized to Chris regarding his words and behavior last time. And now, the noisy freshman completely turned into a new leaf, sans his big mouth.
In the beginning, Sawamura did not do Chris's training menu, without making a fuss. But now, after saying flowery comments to Chris, he would then proceed to begin the training that the upperclassman had assigned to him. And Megumi figured that it was also time to forgive the kid for his brash words towards her role model.
With that said, she started paying closer attention to Sawamura's every actions. She made sure to remind him every now and then, but at the same time, she left him to his own devices so that it would not seem as if she is playing favorites. It would do no good to her and the rest of the team if she were to favor someone, after all.
In those past few days, she was also able to learn much more about Furuya—like how he was shunned by the rest of his teammates in middle school, because no one could keep up with his powerful pitches. And that he almost has the same level of idiocy as Sawamura, but more on the reserved side. He was quite endearing actually.
"Fujimoto-san, look out!" Someone said shouted from the right side of the field.
The dazed female manager's eyes widened in surprise as she stood, unmoving, while a ball zipped by and missed her face by a few inches. Her hands which were holding her notebook and pen laid limply by her sides.
"Oh my god," were the only words her mouth was able to utter as she stared at the ball that nearly attacked her, laying a few feet before her. She never would have guessed that there will come a time that she will be spacing out during training.
"Oi, are you okay?" She heard Miyuki calling out, as he jogged towards her. Megumi barely registered his hands waving his hand in front of her face.
She snapped out of her lengthy daydream when she finally noticed the concerned glances that the team threw her way. "I'm so sorry!" She bowed apologetically, realizing that she had just disrupted the regulars' practice.
"It's fine. It was a misthrow anyway," Miyuki bumped his catcher's glove lightly on her head. The girl flinched a bit before meeting his gaze. Her expression was filled with guilt at the fact that she was distracted during practice that Miyuki felt slightly sorry for her. He found it unusual of her to daze off after all.
"Sorry," Megumi whispered which made the bespectacled catcher chuckle heartily. "It's all good. Are you alright though?" He asked, his expression brimming with concern.
She nodded eagerly, which nearly scared Miyuki, fearing that her head would fall off at how the girl nodded her head.
"She's alright guys! Just a little disoriented!" The starting catcher yelled at the waiting members who were just as concerned as him about Megumi's well-being. Mortified at Miyuki's side comment, she shoved him off back to the field where he belonged so that the team could finally resume their fielding practice.
"I'll throw a ball at your ass later, Miyuki Kazuya!" Megumi added, before he completely left out of earshot.
"That's a dead-ball, just so you know!" He shouted back out of jest, without glancing back at her before laughing loudly and sitting down on his position after wearing his mask properly.
'I know that, you jerk. Who do you think am I?' She thought in irritation, not wanting to further disturb the team's progress. However, a smile couldn't help but form on her lips. It seems that she was growing fond of her playful bickering with the starting catcher. She shook her head to rid herself off any further distractions.
On Sunday, there was a double header game wherein Seidou's first string would play against Teitou in Ground A, while the second string will be playing against Komashiro in Ground B. Megumi was with the second string with Sawamura and Chris.
It was her long-awaited chance that she was waiting for, for a long time now. Too bad that her uncle and the others would not be able to see this glorious day for her. However, she was really glad that her uncle had given her permission last night, although the possibility of him actually agreeing when she asked was bleak.
Megumi knocked thrice at the door of her uncle's office before opening it just to see Coach Kataoka, Takashima-sensei and Club President Oota inside. Suddenly, she felt like chickening out and going back to her room to continue doing what she was supposed to do as the team's manager.
She didn't know what came into her that made her want to actually ask Coach Kataoka to let her play in the game tomorrow in the second string. The female high-schooler knew in her head that even though it was the second string, it would not be easy to get permission from her uncle to allow her to play, knowing that he was as stubborn as a mule.
"Do you need something, Megumi-chan?" She heard Takashima-sensei asking her, while she could hear Club President Oota rambling in the background about how Megumi is being helpful to the team.
"Uhm, I was going to ask Coach something regarding tomorrow's game. But it seems everyone's busy so…" She trailed off, as she fiddled with her hands. Her head hang low in shame, which confused Takashima-sensei and the Oota-buchou.
"What is it?" Coach Kataoka asked, after a few seconds of silence. Somehow, he had gotten the feeling that Megumi had wanted to say something to him for a while now by observing her in the past few days. She seemed jumpy whenever the topic of the double-header game on Sunday comes up.
"I was thinking if you could—" Megumi was cut off by a knock on the office's door, before she could fully complete her request. A relieved sigh slipped past her lips before she stiffened at the sound of the voice she heard next.
"Coach, about the game this Sunday…" The voice trailed off, and Megumi met eyes with the team's starting catcher. Oh, just her luck! What are the chances that the whole cast are complete when she was about to ask her uncle?
"Wait for a while, Miyuki," Coach Kataoka motioned him to wait in the corner of the room as he trained his eyes back on his niece who was slightly trembling. "Continue what you were saying, Megumi." He said, his eyes never leaving her form which unnerved the girl more.
It took Megumi a minute or two to actually come to terms with her mind and feelings before she finally resolved herself to speak up. She met Coach Kataoka's steely, brown eyes through his shades, as she spoke in a clear, loud voice.
"Would you let me pitch in the double-header game tomorrow? I won't ask you to let me play in the first string. Instead, please let me play in the second string under Chris-senpai's guidance."
Everybody in the room were speechless at the unexpected words that they heard from their team's manager. It was unusual, to say the least, for someone to actually straightforwardly request the usually stoic coach for a favor.
The two stared at each other, as if they were debating with each other in their minds. The head coach seemed to weighing his decision, before he finally spoke. "…Alright. Takashima-sensei, let her play for three innings tomorrow. If she performs well, let her pitch for the rest of the game."
"But coach—" Takashima-sensei halted when she saw the expression on his face. Was that pride in his eyes? Confidence? Or both? Then, she looked at Megumi who was grinning widely like a kid. On the other hand, Oota-buchou was panicking, saying something along the lines of, 'Why will a girl play against a team of guys'. But the younger girl did not mind it one bit.
On the side, Miyuki smirked to himself as he thought, 'Oh, she finally worked up the courage to ask the coach to let her play in a practice game. Good for her.'
The game against Komashiro started with Sawamura declaring that he will be following Ono's pitch-calling to a T, which completely turned into a total disaster for everyone. The said freshman continuously got hit, as he also repeatedly pitched right down the middle.
Currently, she was sitting beside Chris at the back of their dugout. She could practically hear the thoughts of their teammates, as well as their opponents. They were probably wondering as to how and why Sawamura was put in as pitcher instead of someone with actual skills.
The girl gritted her teeth in a mix of annoyance and frustration both at everyone in the field and to Sawamura. She knows that the kid wasn't showing his full potential as a pitcher yet. And this was one of the hurdles that he needed to overcome—to learn about what makes him unique as a pitcher.
Flinching when the ball flew so far for the umpteenth time this inning, Megumi clasped her hands together as if a silent prayer for Sawamura to do well in the game. However, it seems she was not heard. Instead, what she heard during the timeout was the arguing on the mound and the final blow that Takashima-sensei delivered.
"Sawamura-kun, we are switching pitchers. Get off the mound this instant."
The distraught look on his face nearly broke Megumi's heart, seeing as to how close she had gotten to Sawamura. It was like he was the younger brother that she never had. But in her heart, she knew that this decision to pull him out was for his growth as a pitcher.
Exactly why did she have to be a total softie today, of all days?
Megumi beckoned Sawamura over to where she and Chris are and he sat down beside their senior. In the duration of the first-year southpaw's turn, the both of them had not spoken to each other and just watched the game silently even if knowing that it won't turn out so well for the youngest one among the three of them.
"It's your turn now, Fujimoto. Do your best." She heard Chris spoke beside her and smiled a little. Before she left to get her glove, she ruffled Sawamura's hair in an attempt to cheer him up.
"Are you ready, Megumi-chan?" Takashima-sensei asked her while she was tying her hair in a bun so that it won't be so obvious that she is a girl. Megumi hid the hairstyle under her cap before she turned to the older female, nodding her head with determination.
"Go surprise them," were the only words Takashima-sensei said before Megumi left the dugout.
The rest of the team, on the other hand, was astounded when they saw their female manager coming out of the dugout. Megumi was not fazed, however. Instead, she smiled cheerfully at them, not minding the confused looks they had shot her with.
"Ono-kun, you still remember our signs right?" She asked, as soon as she arrived on the mound with the rest of the fielders who were currently playing. Ono, the starting catcher in the second string, nodded.
"Haruichi," Megumi looked at the pink-haired second baseman, who gave her a nervous smile. "Nevermind. You're doing well, actually." She chuckled.
"Are you kidding us? Go back to the dugout! You're only a manager!" Maezono argued heatedly, which made her frown in distaste. She had noticed how he was quick to judge somebody without even knowing them properly yet, and that fact did not sit well with her.
"Excuse you, but my skills as a pitcher is on par with Nori-kun's, at the very least." The girl shot back confidently. She had been trained personally by her dad and uncle since she was young so she could proudly say that she has the actual skills to back up her statement.
Maezono was speechless for a moment, before his face turned red in frustration. He was about to say something but Megumi had beaten him to it, "Now, if you don't want to mess up your chances in the second string, I suggest you listen to me attentively. We're going to win this game."
A smirk made its way on her lips as she said that, and no one opposed her anymore. Megumi motioned the infielders to come closer to her which they obeyed to her relief.
"It's either I strike them out or make them hit grounders. So, infielders better be prepared. I'll be counting on you guys. Have faith in your manager." She winked, and laughed a bit before continuing, "I'm the one who is watching all of you in the closest way possible. And I believe that the second string is as strong as the first one."
Everyone nodded as determination shone in their eyes. Before the meeting on the mound adjourned, Megumi added innocently, "By the way, the opposing team doesn't know that they are batting against a girl. It would be fun if they find out by the end of the game, right?"
They all smirked in devilishly at the cunning way that their manager thinks. Somehow, they were reminded of a certain bespectacled catcher from the first string. But, they did not say that they did not like the spunk that Megumi was showing.
During the evening, Megumi was surrounded by almost everyone from the team after they had watched the video of the match she was in. They were still amazed by her pitching from this afternoon. She was really delighted, especially when Chris had praised her for being able to motivate and lead the team even when they were against totally against the idea of her pitching at first. He had also praised her great ball control and her cooperation with Ono despite the lack of time to coordinate with him properly.
After dinner, the members returned to their respective rooms one by one including Megumi. She ticked off the things that she needed to accomplish by tonight, in her mind. While she did that, she was totally unaware of the presence following her to her room.
It was when a hand landed on her shoulder firmly did she react, due to being caught off-guard. A loud shriek couldn't help but escape her lips then, which also scared the person who had accidentally surprised.
"What the— Did you not hear me calling you?" Miyuki asked in amusement, once he got over the shock of the volume of Megumi's voice. She opened her mouth to say something sarcastic, but gave it up instead.
"…What do you want?" She asked, sighing tiredly as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Miyuki stared at her with a small smirk playing across his lips, and she suddenly remembered how she had done the same thing earlier in the middle of the game, when she was toying with the batters.
"I was going to ask how it felt to finally be able to play in a game…" He trailed off, waiting for the manager's reaction. Slowly, Megumi's face brightened up as she recounted today's events in her mind.
"I'll tell you! Come on!" She excitedly said, as she pulled Miyuki by the arm in the comfort of her room. As soon as she shut the door behind them, she sat her glasses-wearing classmate on the spot on the floor adjacent of her bed.
Megumi sat on the floor as well, in front of Miyuki. The wide smile never left her face, as she started her side of story. It fascinated the starting catcher at how her attitude quickly took a 180 degree change when talking about her own performance.
"I was able to throw my shoot-ball accurately earlier, when last year I couldn't even throw it in the strike zone yet. My catcher back then was also fumbling the ball often, so I wasn't able to practice it that much, which sucks by the way," she rambled on and on, while Miyuki just listened attentively, watching how her lips were moving so fast.
Unconsciously, his right hand ruffled her head which made the Seidou's female manager stop in the midst of her story-telling. She stared at him with incredulity, as if asking what in the world he was doing exactly.
He did not know why the hell his hand moved on its own, but what he wanted to convey to her is that she did a job well done. But it seems like he flubbed it, and in the most awkward way possible as well.
Miyuki retracted his hand from her head, as he avoided her eyes while rubbing his nape, "I was just…" He trailed off in a low voice, before continuing. "I was going to say you did great."
Megumi's expression softened, as she smiled brightly. She was grateful for the praise, knowing that Miyuki rarely does so especially because of his twisted personality. But she also knew that he gives credit where it is due.
"Thanks," was the only response she gave, before she continued her narrating her experience which relieved the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. The two had continued to chat and laugh until it was lights off.
That night, Megumi couldn't have been any happier with how things turned out for her upon transferring to Seidou High School. She realized that she would not be able to experience the thrill of playing baseball in any other place than here and with any other people than the team.
[A/N]: ¡Hola! A happy new year to everyone! (๑• . •๑)
TheWhimsicalNoirette is back, hoping that this update did not really bore you. I actually had fun while writing this, especially the end. The idea just somewhat popped out. LOL.
Miyu x Megu, FTW! Sawa x Megu, FTW! ლ(╹◡╹ლ)
The next update would most likely be some sort of turning point or a continuation of this part. Who knows? Jk. :3
I would probably write a flashback of Megumi-chan pitching. So, stay tuned!
Anyway, I'm still hoping that everyone liked this chapter despite the length and somewhat rushed-pacing! Thank you so much for the ever-continuous support.
Feel free to drop a comment/review. I appreciate it so much that my writing gets an actual feedback from you guys! *wink wink*
Much love from Rui! ( ิ◕㉨◕ ิ)