I can be so obvious sometimes which proves that I still lack the technical skills needed in writing~! Huhu
For now, I plan to improve as time goes on and just simply enjoy writing at the moment. For my supportive readers, I present a new chapter. To me, this chapter is the true start of my story so I hope you can give it a good review.
Return
A certain person was making their way to the stadium when suddenly, they receive a text.
[Two more hours till we get there. Pick us up will you?]
Sighing at the message, they dialed the sender's number.
'You call me instead of simply replying… Do you really miss me that much my dear best friend?' The person on the other line said with a teasing tone.
'No I don't.' The person deadpanned. 'I'm just calling to tell you that your ruining my plans of watching the game you so badly wanted to watch.'
'Is that so? Well then, what can you say about the two teams who have reached the finals? I want to hear your thoughts especially regarding Seido.'
'For your information, I've only seen Yakushi play and it was just once. When they played against Akikawa, that is. I can't predict the outcome of this game with little information on both teams.'
'Boo! Then why didn't you research?' A sigh could be heard from the opposite line before they continued to speak. 'But I guess your opinions won't matter anyway because I'm confident Seido can win.'
'What makes you say that?' the person asked with an irritated tone.
'Nothing really. Just instinct.'
'You do know I have little trust with your instinct.'
'I'm hurt by that statement. To think that my best friend cannot trust me… Was our friendship ever this shallow?' they replied as if they were exasperated with also a hint of sarcasm being heard.
'But still, I'm glad you'll watch. I'm definite you'll get hooked to the game later. Seido and Yakushi have already faced each other twice and the record is one win, one loss each. You can't tell what will happen in their third game against each other. At this game here, you will see how much both teams improved over these three months. '
'Like I'll be able to tell their improvements. Remember that I just transferred last September?'
'Oh yeah,' replied the person on the other side of the line as they just laughed it off.
'If you're gonna be here in two hours then you could still make it to watch the last three innings or so, right? Honestly, why don't you just come and watch.'
'I won't do that. We have to drop off our things first at the apartment before I can go there so making it before the game ends is impossible.'
'Excuses…' the person mumbled to their self.
'I do have a plan to surprise them instead and that includes you in it. So will you please pick us up later? Or are you watching with someone…' they said as if they were trying to imply something.
'I'm just gonna watch with Shunshin and two more others from Akikawa. Is something wrong with that?'
'No, no. I had already expected that you'd be on good terms with Akikawa's ace. Nothing wrong with that, really.' You could hear them giggling as they were speaking.
'Whether I'll be coming to get you or not later will depend on the game, got that?'
'Yes, yes. I'll text you fifteen minutes before we arrive at the train station. Bye!'
'Yeah, bye.'
After the call ended, they continued towards the baseball stadium where the finals of the Tokyo Fall Tournament between Seido High School and Yakushi High School was about to begin.
_._._._._
The Seido boys have come back from the game all with smiles on their faces. Tonight they were going to savor the victory they have claimed. On their way to their respective dorm rooms, they are unexpectedly graced by the presence of someone they haven't seen in a long time. She stood at the stairs grinning at the sight of the boys she missed.
"RINA!?" Sawamura shouted. Clearly he was super surprised by Rina's presence.
"Congratulations! You made it to Koushien. I'm so happy for you guys!" she shouted back before running down to the stunned men.
"Wait, wait, wait! Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in America!?" asked Sawamura.
"Hm? You know, I've been here in Japan for a week already. I just didn't tell you. Hihi!"
"We need an explanation!" Sawamura demanded.
"What's that? Did I just hear you say 'you miss me'?" the brunette teased the southpaw.
"Shut up! You know, you're starting to sound like Miyuki." Sawamura pointed out.
"I'll give you a proper explanation later but before that, where is Kazu-chan and the others?"
"Kuramochi-senpai and Zono-senpai went with Takashima-sensei and took Miyuki-senpai to the hospital." Haruichi answered. Rina's ears twitched at the word 'hospital.' She had a good guess why he was taken there but wanted more details on it.
"Don't tell me Kazu-chan injured himself?" Right now, Rina was wearing a very scary expression. While her lips were curved upwards, her eyes were telling the opposite. She was also emitting a very dark and cold aura.
"Yeah. And he didn't tell anyone until it was found out during the game earlier." Shirasu replied.
"By the sound of things, it looks like Kazu-chan injured himself just before the finals and he may have tried to hide it. But I'm sure You-chan noticed. Am I right Kenjirou-senpai?" The older male nodded. 'Observant as ever.' Rina thought to herself regarding Kuramochi.
"Aside from Ei-chan and Kazu-chan, who else suffered a blow this season?" Eyes were avoiding Rina's.
"I… did." Furuya bravely admitted. Rina sighed.
"I think you guys should tell me in detail what happened within the team during this season since I'm also a part of the team." The girl that stood 5 feet high and 3 inches tall suddenly seemed bigger than the boys currently surrounding her and she was in fact scarier than the third years and Coach Kataoka at the moment.
"Rina! What's taking you so long? I thought you said you'd be back in five minutes." A girl had come out from the brunette's room and walked down the stairs toward the group standing below. She was a girl 5' 6" in height and her wavy blonde hair flowed up to her waist. She had green eyes and a lightly tanned skin. She was wearing skinny jeans paired with a red long sleeved-blouse and sneakers. She went and stood at Rina's side, examining the seven men in front of her friend.
"Uhm, Rina-chan… is she a friend of yours?" Kawakami asked snapping Rina out of her cold and scary state. The brunette's face lit up and she smiled friendlier that earlier's.
"Yep. This is Louisse Daniels, my best friend." Rina replied to Kawakami.
"Lou, I'm sure you recognize these guys more or less but let me introduce you properly." Bringing her hand to each boy, she told her best friend their names. "This one here is Sawamura Eijun, this is Kominato Haruichi, the ace Furuya Satoru, Kanemaru Shinji, Toujo Hideaki, Kawakami Norifumi-senpai, and lastly Shirasu Kenjirou-senpai."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Louisse Daniels. We had to temporarily move here to Japan because of my dad's job. For now, I'm studying at Akikawa as an exchange student until we go back to America. Thank you for taking care of Rina while she stayed here." She bowed deeply to show her respects. Despite being an American, Louisse knew Japanese ethics and language because of Rina's influence. "Oh yeah. I know my name might be a bit hard to pronounce for Japanese so you can just call me "Rui." I hope we can get along." After the introductions were over, Louisse faced Rina to ask a question. A smirk popped up on the blonde's face.
"Now then, who amongst them was the guy you left that teddy bear of yours with?" Rina swiftly elbowed Louisse in the waist resulting her to grunt.
"What the heck was that for!?"
"It's your fault for asking that question. And no, you are wrong. It wasn't Mirai that I left; it was that new teddy bear they gave me."
"And you're telling me that you had a different intention from the one you planned with Mirai?" You could see the smirk grow back in Louisse's face.
"Can we leave that talk for another time?"
While the girls were getting into a heated argument, someone was brave enough to interrupt.
"Uhm, Rina-chan?" It was Haruichi.
"Aha… ahaha! Sorry. Please don't mind what Lou said. It's something between us." Although very curious, the boys decided it was better to further inquire no longer. But Kanemaru made sure to ask her some time later. The talk intrigued him very much.
"You bunch over there, what are you doing!?" hollered someone. Rina peeked her head out to the side to see who it was and her face lit up seeing that it was the thirds that have arrived.
"Senpai!" She instantly ran over towards them.
"Takashima, you were here," said Jun.
"Yo Rina-chan. I've read the letter," Ryousuke said in turn. Then he was followed by the Yuuki and the other third years behind them as they greeted their kouhai.
"Boo! How come you're not surprised!? And Jun-senpai didn't I tell you before to not call me by my last name," she complained. Before Rina realized, a hand was placed on her head. The hand softly patted her head and the brunette looked up to see who it was.
"Chris-senpai!" Rina started to blush as she remembered the contents of the letter she wrote but nevertheless, she was still happy to see him.
"Rina." Louisse called out to her as she and the other guys they were talking to earlier walked over to them.
"I think it's time to take my leave."
"But Lou~" Rina whined. "I haven't introduced you to the rest of the team."
"Dad sent me a text, said we we're going out to eat dinner. I completely forgot that about our traditional family dinner on Sundays. Good thing he reminded me." Although disappointed that the brunette had to postpone the introduction of her best friend to the whole team, she thought positively. It was better this way because she was planning something that involved Louisse greatly.
"Tell Uncle Leeroy I said hi. I'll try to drop by next week." The blonde nodded to Rina then bowed slightly to the third years as she passed by them before taking her leave.
"Who was that Rina-chan?" Masuko asked.
"My best friend, whom you'll all get too know very well soon enough." They could swear they heard mischief in Rina's voice but dismissed it as their imaginations concluding that they were tired from today's game.
"We're just gonna put away our stuff then," spoke Kanemaru.
"I'll be in my room then. I need to fix a few stuff myself." Rina replied. The small crowd that gathered near the staircase soon dispersed and regrouped later once the victory celebration started.
_._._._._
"For defeating Yakushi High School and earning the right to participate in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament," it was Club President Oota who led the toast.
"CHEERS!" All of the members of the club, including the retired third years where present. Rina was among them even though she was absent for the whole tournament's period. She gently watched over the players as they were enjoying themselves in the celebration party. None of them had thought of interrogating her yet, much to her dismay. She badly wanted to brag about her own achievements within the three months of her absence in Seido.
As she was enjoying the juice, her aunt approached her. Rei placed a hand on her head and patted her gently like what Chris did earlier.
"Congratulations as well Rina," Rei softly said.
"Thank you Rei-nee. I'm glad I was also able to win my own tournament. But this is where everything will really start for me."
"Don't push yourself too hard alright." The older female reminded her niece.
"I won't. I promise." She gave her aunt an earnest look to assure her and with that the older Takashima left Rina to catch up with her friends.
Tonight is their night to celebrate. Let's leave the surprises for tomorrow.
You have reached the end of the chapter which means you have the right to now that M.F. will update even slower in order to make the following chapters better than ever. But, to make up for the slow updates I'll be posting a new Ace of Diamond fanfic within some time next week. It's a Narumiya x OC story that I hope you will give a chance to read. That's it from me. Till next chap~