Emiko wandered through the maze-like halls of Nehimon Semei, her footsteps light but purposeful. It had only been a few days since she transferred to the school, and already she found herself overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. The building was a sprawling complex, much larger than her old school. Yet, today she had a mission—to find Shinjiro's classroom.

She'd met Shinjiro not long before her transfer. He had been kind, perhaps a little awkward, but his sincerity left an impression on her. And now, as she stood before the door of Classroom 1C, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. What if she was interrupting something?

With a deep breath, Emiko slid the door open, immediately greeted by the sound of students' laughter and chatter. The moment she stepped inside, however, the noise abruptly died down. All eyes were now on her—this unfamiliar girl in their midst.

Her gaze quickly found Shinjiro, who sat in the middle of the room, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Emiko?" Shinjiro stood, his expression a mixture of curiosity and confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Emiko offered a sheepish smile, feeling the weight of the stares from all the students. "I just wanted to see where you study. I hope I'm not bothering anyone."

A few girls exchanged whispers, their voices low but not quite low enough to escape Emiko's ears.

"Is she his girlfriend?" one girl muttered.

"They look pretty close," another added, casting a glance at Shinjiro.

Emiko felt a flush rise to her cheeks, but before she could respond, a loud voice from the back of the room cut through the quiet.

"Hey, Shinjiro!" Denji, lleaned forward with a wide grin. "Is this your girlfriend? There's now way right!?"

The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Shinjiro froze like a deer caught in headlights. His face turned a deep shade of crimson, and he fumbled over his words, trying to regain control of the situation.

"N-no! It's not like that!" he stammered, glancing helplessly at Emiko. "We're just friends!"

Emiko, sensing Shinjiro's distress, laughed lightly, trying to ease the tension. "It's true," she said with a chuckle. "We're just friends. I'm new here."

Denji, never one to miss an opportunity for mischief, raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head. "Oh, just friends, huh? That's what i thought."

"Wow, man, you've got friends with… ahem… nice proportions," Denji remarked, his tone dripping with mock innocence.

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"Oh? What was that, idiot?" Emiko asked sweetly, her tone masking a brewing storm.

Denji's grin faltered as he realized his mistake, but he tried to laugh it off. "W-wait! I didn't mean—"

Before he could finish, Emiko's hand shot out, smacking the back of his head with a surprisingly strong thwack.

"Pervert!" Emiko declared, crossing her arms in mock indignation. "Is that how you talk to every girl who walks into the room?"

Denji winced, rubbing the back of his head. "I-I was just kidding! It was a joke, I swear!"

Shinjiro, still beet-red, shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously, Denji? You're hopeless."

The class erupted in laughter, and Shinjiro buried his face in his hands, mortified by his friend's teasing. Emiko couldn't help but laugh along, giving Shinjiro a playful nudge.

Emiko took a step back, glancing at the time. "Well, I should probably get going," she said, smiling at Shinjiro. "I'll see you around, okay?"

With a wave to the class, Emiko turned and left, the whispers and laughter slowly fading behind her. As the door closed, Shinjiro slumped in his seat, finally letting out a sigh.

"Just another day..…" he muttered, trying to ignore the amused glances from his classmates.

Denji, ever the jokester, gave him a pat on the back. "Don't worry, buddy. If she keeps visiting like that, you might end up with a girlfriend after all." Shinjiro shot him a withering look.

----

A few weeks passed and Hiroshi stood at the kitchen window, watching Shinjiro as he finished his warm-up exercises in the backyard. The sight of his son's focused effort reminded him of his own days on the field, and he decided it was time to see how Shinjiro had improved.

Walking outside, Hiroshi clapped Shinjiro on the back. "Hey, I've been seeing you put in a lot of work. You're trying to get back into baseball huh."

Shinjiro glanced up, wiping sweat from his brow. "Erm just trying to get in shape...."

Hiroshi called into the house. "Honey, could you come out and catch for us?"

A few moments later, Yumi emerged, adjusting a baseball glove. Shinjiro's eyes widened. "Mom? I didn't know you played baseball!"

Yumi chuckled. "I played a little in my younger days. Thought I might as well help out."

As Hiroshi warmed up his arm, Shinjiro couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. His dad had always been known for his fast pitches. Hiroshi threw a warm-up fastball to Yumi, and Shinjiro braced himself. The ball whizzed past, and he caught a glimpse of its speed —140 km/h? no more than that! Whoa, that's fast! Shinjiro thought, feeling the pressure.

Hiroshi then started with a pitch. He threw a fastball right down the middle. Shinjiro, focusing intently, thought, Is that really coming at me at 150km/h? His reaction was slower than he'd hoped, and he barely managed to stay out of the way.

Yumi looked at Hiroshi with a grin. "You still have it old man. Maybe ease up a bit on the speed, stop trying to show off to your son!"

Hiroshi nodded and took Yumi's advice to heart. "Alright, let's see how he handles a changeup."

He threw a changeup, and Shinjiro, recognizing it as a ball early, let it pass. Okay, that was easier to read, he thought. But the next pitch was a different story.

Hiroshi signaled Yumi, who gave him a subtle nod. Hiroshi's next pitch was a slider, barely out of the strike zone. Shinjiro, struggling to track the ball, didn't react in time. This is tougher than it looks, he thought. The count was 2-1.

Hiroshi then threw a curveball that landed in the strike zone. Shinjiro managed to adjust his swing just in time, fouling it off. At least I'm making contact, he thought, feeling a bit more confident. Hiroshi, watching closely, said, "Not bad, kid. The count is 2-2."

Yumi signaled for Hiroshi to throw a splitter, just barely out of the zone. Shinjiro watched the pitch, but again, he didn't react. I need to work on my reaction time, he thought, feeling a tinge of frustration.

The count was now full. Hiroshi, with a determined look, threw a final curveball. Shinjiro focused hard, letting the ball come to him. He swung with precision and connected cleanly. The ball flew off the bat, and Yumi and Hiroshi watched in awe as it soared through the air.

Yumi clapped her hands together. "That was amazing! I didn't expect him to hit that curveball so well."

Hiroshi nodded in approval, looking at Shinjiro with a mix of pride and surprise. "Were you always this good kid!?"

Shinjiro, catching his breath, smiled. "Thanks, Dad. I've been working on it a lot."

Hiroshi walked over and put a reassuring hand on Shinjiro's shoulder. "Remember, when you're at the plate, don't get bogged down with mechanical details, I've seen your notes. Focus on seeing the ball out of the pitcher's hand and taking your hands straight to it. See ball and hit. The mechanics will fall into place naturally if you concentrate on those basics."

Yumi, standing beside them, added with a gentle tone, "And Shinjiro, if you don't make Koshien next year, you need to think seriously about focusing on your studies. Your grades have been slipping, and we don't want you to fall behind."

Shinjiro looked at his parents, feeling the weight of their words. "I understand. I'll give it my all in both baseball and school."

With renewed determination, Shinjiro was ready to continue his training, knowing that his family's support and their practical advice were the foundation for his success both on the field and in the classroom.