Hi hi!
This is a request from JulieL23 thank you so much for requesting! I hope you have fun reading~
Oh, and I've probably mentioned this a lot of times already, but whenever I rewatch the anime for the oneshots, I get the urge to just rewatched the whole anime, maybe I will once I find the time
Speaking of anime, there's a lot to look forward to! Sk8 the infinity announced its 2nd season, Haikyuu's going to release 2 movies (Still wondering how they're going to fit all those chapters in those movies tho), One Punch Man announced its 3rd season, and I'm pretty sure Spy X Family season 2 is coming out this October, Chainsaw Man's going to have an anime (I haven't read the manga but I heard it was good) Jujutsu Kaisen and Tokyo Revengers announced some time ago that the anime was going to have a season two
This is also the 180th chapter of the book, just 20 more, and it's the end of this oneshot book!
Anywayss, Enjoy reading and stay safe~
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"Alright, so we have to watch out for that batter cause he has the tendency to hit home runs." You mumble to yourself, pausing the video recording of the game as you write the note down, it's been hours since you were watching, and you've probably replayed the game at least two times. But you only want to get as much information against the team as much as you can
You've only been a manager for the Ugumori Baseball club for a month. When you first entered, you were expecting the rowdy people that you often hear rumors about...they were rowdy but at the same time, you could sense that they were a very tight-knit group of friends and that they were serious about playing Baseball, which pushed you to work harder as their manager
Even though it seems like they already had everything, from the strong players such as Umemiya, and reliable people that support them from the shadows such as Matsubara, you want to help them with everything you can
"You're working hard." Matsubara says as he enters the room, moving his wheelchair on his own as he moves nearer to you, "Aren't you tired?" He asks, and you can detect a sense of worry in his words
"Huh? Nope! I'm good, please don't worry." You say politely, even though the team was very nice to you, you can't help but feel shy from time to time
"Well, if you say so." He says after a few seconds, "Thank you for your hard work (First name)." Matsubara smiles
"I don't really think I'm doing much though." You say shyly, "Bu-but still, thank you for saying that, Matsubara-san!" You add in a hurry, not wanting to make him feel like you didn't appreciate his gratitude because you did
Heck, among everyone on the team, Matsubara's words are what you deeply appreciate since he always seems so level-headed and smart towards the sport, not to mention, hearing his story made you respect him a lot
"Oh (First name), Nao! You two are here! Come on, we managed to convince the coach to buy us free food!"
"The coach? Does he even talk?" You ask out loud, remembering the old man, he was nice but you hardly talked to him. But he was always pleasant with you
"He does! He even told us to buy anything we want." Umemiya grins proudly, "Hurry!" He calls out as he leaves the room
"That was really nice of the coach," You comment before it dawns on you, "Wait! I should be the one to buy the food!" You panic as you run out of the room, ignoring Matsubara who was calling after you
Matsubara chuckles, pausing the video and following you out of the room
"I'll do it!" You announce as you reach the group, "You guys can just continue to rest or take a break, leave the snacks to me." You say to the others who stare at you
"Really? Are you sure?" Inubushi asks
"Yeah!"
"Woah, you're really fired up about this, huh?" Umemiya laughs, "But it might be too heavy for you, we should help-"
"I can do it, please just rest here." You reject his offer while he and the others look at you worriedly, they were planning to buy a lot and the plastic bags might be too heavy for you
"Don't worry, I'll come with her," Matsubara says from behind you before anybody else could say anything
"But they need you here for training too-!"
"They're resting, don't worry," Matsubara reassures you, as you bite your lip before nodding, still reluctant
"We'll get going then," You say once they listed down everything they were planning to buy, thankfully you managed to write everything down
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"You didn't have to come too, Matsubara-san." You frown as the two of you look around the convenience store, "I could handle it, you know."
"I know you can, but I insist on helping, you have been working a lot." He smiles as you rub the back of your neck
"I actually think I haven't been doing much," You admit quietly
"What?" Matsubara asks, grabbing something from the snacks aisle
"Nothing!" You wave your hands before rushing towards him, "Please let me get it." You smile at him and grabbed the chips, "Should they be eating this when they're training?" You ask in confusion, showing it to Matsubara
"No, but let's give it as a reward. They've been working hard, after all." He says calmly as you nod, putting it on the cart that you got
"I think we have everything?" You stare at the cart that was almost overflowing with what they asked for, it made you worried that they were cleaning the coach's wallet dry
"Yeah, let's go then." After paying for the food, you and Matsubara walk back to school, each of you carrying plastic bags filled with food and drinks
"I never got to ask, but why did you join the club?" Matsubara asks you, genuinely curious, he also wants to get to know you better since you were now a member of the club
"Huh? Oh, that's cause I figured it would be fun to join some club." You admit sheepishly, "I looked at the bulletin board to see if any club was looking for members and I noticed the one for the Baseball team, and it looked old." You say honestly as Matsubara chuckles, not bothering to mention how the team only put it there in hopes of getting their dream of getting a cute female manager- well they got it in the end when you joined anyway
"So, how's the team so far then?" He asks
"The team..." You trail off, "I think it's fun!" You smile brightly, "At first I got scared cause everybody looks kinda intimidating but in the end, they were really nice, everyone looks out for me." You continue to talk happily as Matsubara couldn't help but smile himself, unable to resist upon seeing how adorable you look when you were excited
"Oh, sorry was I talking too much?" You apologize with a light blush on your cheeks
"No, it was nice hearing your thought about the team," Matsubara says honestly, "It's nice to see that you're enjoying your time with us."
"Yeah!" You beam, "You've been a big help to me as well, Matsubara-san. You were really patient with me when I was only starting as the manager." You smile widely at him, and he feels his cheeks heat up at the sight of your smile
"Oi, (First name)! Nao!" Umemiya calls out as you turn your head to him, missing Matsubara's flustered expression
"What are you doing here?" You ask Umemiya and the other guys
"Hey come on, you don't really expect us to let you carry all of that," Kondou says, grabbing one of the plastic bags from you as the others follow after, even fighting over who gets the other plastic bag from you
"You didn't really have to, but thank you." You say as the boys stop, staring at you before blushing wildly
"Oh come on, drop the formalities, we're one team, aren't we?" Umemiya grins as you blink before a smile makes its way to your face
"I guess so." You answer as Matsubara watches you, smiling at how well you got along with the others
"Heh, you seem to be looking at (First name) a lot these days," Umemiya comments, going behind Matsubara's wheelchair and pushing it himself
"I'm just looking after her, she's still probably getting used to everything here." Matsubara coughs lightly as Umemiya raises an eyebrow
"If you say so~" He grins as Matsubara was ready to answer back to his friend, but he was cut off by your voice
"Matsubara-san, I also got the drink you like!" You were holding it up and he immediately drops the matter with Umemiya, who was still snickering behind him
"Thank you," He says gratefully, he didn't even notice you grab it, most likely because he was also looking for the snacks on the list
"It's nothing." You say before looking around for the coach
Matsubara stares at the drink in his hands, it wasn't particularly his favorite but he had a feeling it will be
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"So that's Seidou," You mutter, continuing to read the Sports magazine you managed to borrow from a classmate, it was already old since it had the previous captain of the team, but it also mentions some strong players such as Miyuki Kazuya-who was the current captain of the team
"Teito's next, huh." You mumble, eyes scanning the faces of the players in hopes of familiarizing yourself with them
"Sports Monthly, I wonder if we'll ever get someone from the team there," Matsubara says from behind you, catching you off guard
"Oh, it's just you, Matsubara-san." You sigh in relief, "Haven't we gotten anybody from the team here? Even in the past?" You ask, flipping through the pages you still haven't read
"Nope, but maybe this year we'll have someone," Matsubara says positively, moving his wheelchair closer so he could be beside you
"Definitely! We're doing good with our practice games, and the Fall tournament's about to start." You say happily, placing the magazine down for a moment so you can talk to Matsubara properly
"The others seem fired up too." You comment as Matsubara nods, he could tell the whole team was motivated to win
"What's that?" He takes notice of the bag beside you
"I made sandwiches, I noticed that most of the time, the others buy something from the nearby convenience store or the vending machine." You explain, pulling the bag and taking out a bunch of large containers with sandwiches in them
"I also made a variety of flavors, this one has egg sandwiches, that one's cheese...I think I also made tuna?" You mumble as Matsubara stares at them, grabbing one container before looking back at you
"This is a lot, did you make it yourself?" He asks as you grin sheepishly
"I did-but I also checked if it tastes good-!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure it tastes fantastic." He motions for one, asking if it's okay if he eats one
You nod and watch him take one out before he takes a bite
"How is it?" You ask, looking at him expectantly as he finishes the sandwich
"Just as expected, it tastes good." He gives you a thumbs up, "I'm sure the guys would be happy to eat them." Matsubara says
"Oh, but I also made them for you Matsubara-san, so you should eat some more." You say honestly as Matsubara freezes
"Really?"
"Yeah, you're also part of the team, aren't you?" The look on your face was so innocent that Matsubara couldn't help but blush
"I guess so," He chuckles, "Next time, make sure to tell me if you're planning to cook for the team. I'll help you since that's a lot of job for one person."
"But I don't mind-!"
"You're already doing a lot, let me help you, I am a manager too." He reminds you
"You're doing a lot already though," You mumble
"So are you, so let me help." Matsubara places a hand on your shoulder as you look back at him
"O-okay." You stammer, not noticing how close you two were. Just a few more inches and your once could bump, but you knew Matsubara and he wouldn't do anything like that, especially when he didn't have your permission
But you couldn't help but wonder if he does ask you if you two can, what would your answer be?
"We should probably head towards the others, they should be in the field by now." Matsubara checks the time on the clock
"Huh? Y-yeah." You were still feeling flustered after the whole incident, your thoughts didn't help the matter either
"I got it," He reaches on the table and places each container in the bag neatly, "I'll also carry it, don't worry." He reassures you and places it on his lap
"Thank you, Matsubara-san." You say, "May I?" You motion for his wheelchair as he smiles before nodding
"Thanks," He says as you push the wheelchair, you two continue to talk as you walk to the field where almost everyone was waiting
As Matsubara said, the others were extremely thankful, some even teared up while thanking you, Matsubara had to watch over you to make sure nobody scares you, but he was glad to see that you didn't take it the wrong way and that you were slowly getting closer with everyone
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"Hey, Matsubara-san." You greet him as you set your things beside him
"Oh, hello (First name)." He looks up from the notebook he was looking at, you steal a glance and gulp upon seeing it was a new training regime
"A new one? Why what's wrong with the current regime of the team?" You ask in curiosity, you were being honest, it seemed like the current training regime of the team was working well for them
"This is an individual training regime, just so they can work on their own," he explains, even handing you the notebook so you can scan through it
You couldn't help but feel amazed as you flip through the pages, he even took into consideration the areas the players were weak at. It was almost scary thinking how capable he was as a manager
"You're really amazing, Matsubara-san, you're even planning their whole training regime." You comment, still looking through them and missing how Matsubara's eyes widen and he looks away from you out of bashfulness at your compliment
"I wonder if I can help like this too." You were still in awe, but Matsubara frowns
"You're already helping a lot, even if you're not working on the training regime though," Matsubara says as you look up
"Well, yeah, I guess so." You smile, but Matsuba could tell you were uncertain
"I mean it, the team definitely feels more organized with you, and more motivated too." He remembers how you actually take the time to organize the baskets of Baseball balls and bats, which got the others guilty, so they also started to put them together properly
"Really?" You ask as Matsubara smiles and nods at you
"You're also a big reason why the team's growing, you are part of it after all." He pats your head as you feel your cheeks heat up, not only because of his friendly gesture but because of his assurance as well. It was nice that your hard work was being recognized and that despite not playing on the field, you were still appreciated and considered as a part of the team
Matsubara makes the mistake of looking at your face which was staring at him with wide eyes, and your cheeks were slightly pinkish, he immediately pulls away, feeling his own face heat up at his actions
"Sorry, I didn't mean to suddenly do that." He apologizes, thinking that he made you feel uncomfortable
"No, I really appreciate it, Matsubara-san. Thank you." You grin
Matsubara stares at your face, feeling more flustered with each second that passed, he just hopes his cheeks weren't red and that you would notice it
"(First name)! Nao!" He almost sighs in relief when your attention immediately goes to Umemiya who rushes into the room looking panicked, he was unable to stop himself from chuckling at the reason Umemiya was shouting after you two
Once you rush out of the room with Umemiya (After hurriedly excusing yourself), he smiles to himself as he soon follows you out. You might not notice it, but your presence on the team was strong. He also remembers how you still call him 'Matsubara-san' next time when he talks to you alone again, he was going to make sure to tell you to just call him by his first name
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"Hey Matsubara-san, is Inashiro really that great?" You ask your fellow manager who was sitting beside you, watching the recording of the first team you were going against in the Fall Tournament, it was about to happen in a few days, so you two were working hard to get as much information against them
"Well," He pauses the video and thinks, "They're the favorite to win." He says calmly as you frown, "Why the sudden interest in them?" He asks curiously
"Just, when I saw our matches, they were the ones we're going against next when we win the first one, so I got curious." You admit
"Is that so?" He smiles, "So what do you think? Can we win against them?" He asks lightheartedly, turning his head as he waits for your answer
You think for a minute, "We can definitely do it." You grin, making Matsubara's lips twitch up
"I'm glad you seem to trust the strength of the team." He hums, eyes still on you
"Of course, I saw how hard everyone works, all your efforts will definitely pay off!" You say brightly
"All our efforts," Matsubara corrects you "I thought we already talked about including your own efforts." He raises an eyebrow as you rub the back of your neck
"I forgot, but yeah! All our efforts will definitely pay off!" You were still enthusiastic
Matsubara couldn't help but get pulled in by your enthusiasm, it was always like that. You were pulling him, and he appreciates how lively you can get comfortable
"Matsubara-san?" You wave a hand in front of his face as he blinks, his attention now back on you
"What was that again?"
"Should we watch again, Matsubara-san?" You ask
"Sure." He agrees, you were about to play the video once more when he calls your name once more
"Oh and (First name)?" He calls
"Yeah?" You ask, turning to look at him once more
"Just call me Nao, you can drop the formalities with me." He smiles
You blink as you can feel your cheeks slowly heat up, you didn't even notice that you froze, eyes still on him as your cheeks redden
"(First name)?"
"Yes?" You ask, waking up from your trance as he motions for the video, making your eyes widen as you grab the remote hurriedly and play the video. You turn your head back to the video, but your attention wasn't on the game anymore, rather it was on your breathing as you try to calm yourself down
It was just a name, it's just a smile, you two were just sitting beside each other, there's nothing out of ordinary, so why was your heart suddenly drumming against your chest?