However, the team scout who had offered him a scholarship had done so only on the condition that he gave up pitching. Ken had considered this option for a while, but just the thought of no longer pitching sent him into despair.
He would be no different than what he was in his last life.
‘How can I give up pitching when I’m only just getting started.’ He thought inwardly, a smile creeping onto his face.
#MISSION: Shoulder Injury Recovery
*Task: Do not pitch a ball for the entire year (365 days)
[TIME REMAINING: 20 Hours 15 Minutes]
REWARDS:
>Complete healing of shoulder injury
>A-grade physicality enhancing elixir
>Skill: Disciplinarian (+20% increase in all training benefits)
“Hehe.”
Shiro looked at Ken who was smiling dumbly and chuckling, causing him to back away a few steps subconsciously.
“Ahem. Where is your brother? The catcher from Seiko Junior High?” He asked, looking left and right.
Shiro’s words snapped Ken out of his reverie.
“He’s at Osaka Toin, he received a scholarship.” Ken answered simply.
“Whoa!” Shiro exclaimed, however he quickly realized his mistake. Just how crappy would he feel if his own brother went to a prestigious baseball school while he was forced to go to a regular one.
Shiro placed a hand in the center of Ken’s back and patted it gently, consoling him.
“There there, who needs a scholarship? With you and I on the team, we’ll get to nationals and kick their butts!”
Since Shiro was so short, it looked quite comical to see him reaching up to pat Ken on the back. This paired with the confused look on Ken’s face painted an odd picture.
Shrugging off Shiro’s hand, Ken pushed him along towards the school gates.
“Let’s get moving, or we’ll miss the opening ceremony.” He said with a smile. He could feel the good will from the other party, as well as the change in his demeanor.
Ken could already guess why Shiro had attended Yokohama. Since they had defied their coach, there was no way that the Fujimi baseball team wouldn’t have received a restructure, meaning both Shiro and Kenji the pitcher would have to find elsewhere to attend.
As his mind traveled back to that moment, he remembered one of the rewards for his mission during that game was the unlocking of potential for both Kenji and Shiro.
Ken quickly accessed the Identify function of the system, bringing up Shiro’s status.
NAME: Shiro Masuda
AGE: 15
TALENT ASSESSMENT: B
POTENTIAL: S+
USER STATS:
>Physical Fitness: C+
>Pitching: D
>Fielding: B+
>Game Intelligence: B-
>Mental: B
‘It looks like Yokohama High just got another star.’ He commented inwardly, his face once more turning up into a grin.
The duo located their names on the notice board, thankfully Ken was in the same class as last time giving him a sense of relief.
“Awesome! We’re both in the same class Ken.” Shiro exclaimed, fist pumping the air as if he had just scored a home run.
Ken raised his eyebrow in response.
‘Everyone else in the class is the same, with the exception of Shiro and Daichi. Was this fate, or just a coincidence?’ he thought inwardly.
“Hey, are you two freshman? You’re going to be late to the opening ceremony.” A deep voice called out, causing Shiro to almost jump in fright.
“Ah, sorry Coach.” Ken responded, before corralling Shiro and heading towards the hall.
Seiji Hanada who was also late on the very first day blinked his eyes a few times and stared at the two retreating figures in puzzlement.
“Aren’t they freshman? How did they know I was a coach?” He questioned softly.
He ran his fingers through his unkempt hair and narrowed his intelligent eyes. However, just as his mind was trying to put the pieces together, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
“Ah, sorry I’m on my way now.” He said apologetically.
“Crap, I’m going to be late.”
With that, he followed after the two students and ran towards the hall for the opening ceremony.
As Ken and Shiro made their way into the now packed hall, Ken saw some familiar faces. Without waiting to be ushered, he made his way over to where his homeroom was, sending an apologetic look towards his teacher, Miss Aoba.
Making his way to the empty seats on the outskirts of the hall, Ken’s mind was currently elsewhere. Memories of his previous life at the school overlapped with his vision, bringing with it a faint feeling of nostalgia.
After finally arriving at an empty chair he sat down, feeling his elbow brush against the person next to him.
“Sorry.” He muttered without looking.
“I-It’s fine.”
The voice was soft and breathy, yet Ken couldn’t help but be drawn to it. The hairs on his arm raised in response, causing him to slowly raise his eyes and see who it was.
Long black hair that cascaded down her shoulders, brilliant blue eyes and flushed cheeks?
“It looks like we’re in the same class Ken.”
“Ai Koyama…”
Ken couldn’t help but stare at the pretty woman who had been the object of his affection in his previous life. Up until he had injured himself in the second year of High School, he had often asked her out, only to be met with rejection every time.
Throughout his pursuit, he had never seen her look at him like she was now. He could detect a hint of embarrassment, yet she seemed to be doing her best to hold his eye contact.
“Ahem. Thank you all for arriving on time for the opening ceremony for the new school year. Firstly I’d like to welcome the first year students who have joined us, we look forward to developing your talents in the coming year.”
A mild voice was heard from the podium on the stage, allowing Ken the mental fortitude to finally break his eye contact. He felt his face flush, a result of his past emotions and current ones being mixed together.
‘Damn, I was caught off guard. I completely forgot Ai was in my class. I’ll have to be careful in the future.’ He thought inwardly.
Since his mental age was 24 years old, he felt awkward and weird when interacting with girls that was his body’s age.
Ken shook his head, girls would only be a distraction right now. His current goal was to improve as much as possible, getting his team to the nationals and facing off against Daichi.
Ai let out a small sigh, looking at Ken whose mind seemed preoccupied.