the past and the present

15. playoff

Thank you all for 1K READS! I didnt expect people to even like this story 😩😭. Thanks to everyone who has been helping me and giving me ideas and stuff😭💕. Enjoy this update cause I dont think im gonna post for the next 2 weeks cause I have exams😩😭 and im trying not to fail 😜. (2022)

^I don't have the heart to delete this😞 it's so wholesome😭 can you believe? the present author is updating this when her exams start in 2 days💀 some things never change, anyway... (2024)

SAWAMURA POV

For some reason, I felt refreshed today.

Maybe it was the promise of the baseball playoff—the clash between the scrappy first years and the seasoned 2nd string—scheduled right after school. The stakes were high, and I intended to play my cards right.

"WAKE UP MOCHI-NII AND MASUKO-SENPAI!" I bellowed, grinning like a mischievous imp.

Kuramochi retaliated with a flying kick to my back, then flopped back onto his bed, pillow muffling his groans. "Why are you so damn loud?"

"Oww. You didn't have to kick me," I grumbled, rubbing my sore spine as I exited the dorm.

Haruichi and the others barely knew me. I usually hung out with the 2nd and 3rd years, but today, I'd bridge the gap. The first years eyed me skeptically; they probably thought I was too hyped to be with them. Little did they know, it was the 2nd and 3rd years who clung to me. After school I went on the field fully clothed in my baseball uniform.

"This match will be against the first years and the 2nd string players. 1st years, don't think they're going to go easy on you just because you're less experienced. There are only three spots to fill, and I'll be giving them to the persons I see as most fit."

"YES, BOSS!" I saluted, grinning widely. Annoying him was my secret superpower.

The team stared at me as if I'd sprouted wings. Maybe it was the audacity of calling Coach "Boss" or my unbridled enthusiasm. But baseball was my muse, my divine connection. The gods favored me, even in defeat—they whispered secrets through the seams of the ball.

Boss raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, get ready."

And we did. The first years shuffled nervously, their cleats digging into the dirt. I couldn't ignore their jitters; they'd treated me like an alien last time. But today, we'd show them we weren't mere placeholders.

"Listen up!" I rallied them. "Sure, the odds are 99.9% against us. But let's give the senpais hell."

"Who made you captain?" someone scoffed.

"I'm not the captain," I grinned. "Just a catalyst. Look at the 2nd string—they're hungry. We're their last obstacle before summer graduation. Let's make 'em sweat."

I knew Tanba, Masuko, and the others wouldn't go easy on us because they want to prove themselves and also because of how they crushed me in the past.

Haruichi chimed in. "So, what's the plan?"

"I've got one," I said. "But I don't think they're gonna listen to me." I smirked.

"We'll listen," Kanemaru declared.

"Alright." I leaned in.

We discussed some things and Boss called some of them to go up on the field.

"Are you sure we'll be able to pull off most of this?" A person asked

"I mean, my team in junior high did," I omitted the part about them receiving training. However, these kids are coming from schools known for their strong baseball teams. I'm not implying that mine isn't good, but their team likely has more experience in taking risks.