DOOOOOONG
*DING*
Ken felt a shockwave run through his body as the feeling of hitting the ball in the dead center of the bat attacked his senses. There was no better sensation for a batter than this moment.
He heard a notification from the system a fraction of a second later, however this was not the time to check it. After tracking the ball for a few moments, Ken's face morphed into a grin before casually dropping the bat.
"OHHHH YEAH!"
"Holy crap! What a hit!"
The Yokohama bench went into an uproar as the ball sailed towards the jumbo screen at the back of the stadium. Ai's face lit up with excitement as she watched the ball's trajectory.
THUD
A small thud sounded as the ball made it to its destination, yet it was drowned out by the roaring cheers throughout the stadium, directed at the tall teen who had just hit the ball.
'W-What the hell was that.' Kenta watched the tall figure run off, his mind full of questions.
The course was not an easy one, and it was only the first time that he'd faced a fastball. Yet without warning, he had hit the ball dead center for a 3-run home run.
Ken heard the cheers rain down on him as he made his victory lap around the field, ensuring he made contact with each of the bases.
The cheers seemed to be nourishment for his soul as he felt the accumulation of bitterness and regret slowly be washed away.
When he was alone and in pain in his apartment, how many times had he dreamed of this moment? It felt like all of his pain and suffering had been leading up to this point in time.
For a fleeting moment his happiness reached the peak.
'Please don't let this be a dream.'
Just as these thoughts fluttered into his head, he rounded third base and saw the excited faces of Tatsuya and Hiroki waiting for him to reach home.
The moment he touched home base he was greeted by the two, breaking out into high fives and words of praise.
"What a hit! That's our Ace."
"I knew you'd send us home."
Ken couldn't help but let out a laugh, reveling in the feeling of success. Of course the game hadn't ended yet, but it didn't mean he couldn't celebrate the small wins.
The moment he stepped into the dugout he was given the Hiroki treatment, copping tens of slaps onto the top of his helmet. Since he was so tall, some of the players like Shiro had to jump in order to reach him.
"Nice hit."
Seiji sounded like the calmest out of the bunch, but Ken could see his hand shaking violently by his side, his telltale sign that he was excited.
In the crowd, both Chris and Daichi were having a moment. They were dishing out high fives and knuckles like they were giving out free samples.
"That's my brother!"
"That's my BOY!"
Like a true proud father, Chris was yelling at the top of his lungs and celebrating with Daichi mirroring his actions. He had seen thousands of baseball matches in his life, yet this and Daichi's game were the loudest he'd ever been.
Those in the vicinity were surprised, but could only be swept up in the energetic cheering.
"YOKO HAMA"
"YOKO HAMA"
Soon enough, the crowd burst into a chant.
Yusuke stood at the top of the stairs and looked out at the crowd, feeling anxious.
"Ah man, this will be a hard act to follow…"
On the mound, Kei looked as if he'd just swallowed a lemon. This was the first time that his fastball had been hit so far, especially against a right handed batter.
Before the next batter could come onto the field, he saw Kenta jogging over to him with concern written on his face. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but kept his mouth shut.
'I'm not so soft that I'll let a single home run get me down.'
Tatsuo had watched the whole sequence of events, from Kei's wind up to the immaculate batting form and home run strike.
"So cool…"
BA BUMP
BA BUMP
He felt his once dull heart start to beat loudly in his chest. Subconsciously he moved his hand to his chest and stared at the back of Ken who was walking back to the dugout, celebrating with his team.
He caught a glimpse of the joy in his expression and couldn't help but feel a complex emotion stir within him.
It was jealousy.
'W-What is this sensation?'
Tatsuo stared at his hand for a moment in disbelief, not understanding what was going on with him in that moment.
His mind began to pour over old memories, as if trying to compare to the person he'd just seen.
'Wow Tatsu! You're a genius. I can't believe you scored a hattrick in your first game!'
'You got 62 points against Tokyo Middle's basketball team? You're a genius!'
'You smashed the schools 100m track record, I can't believe it. What a genius.'
The words of his old school friends bounced around in his mind. Although they may seem like compliments, all they did was make him lose interest in the sport.
If it was so easy, then how could it be enjoyable?
There was no meaning in him doing something if there was no challenge.
Every year starting from Middle school, Tatsuo had tried a different sport in hopes of finding something that could cure his boredom. Judo, Basketball, Soccer, Track and Field…
He would always destroy the competition, defeating those who had dedicated their lives to the sport as if it were nothing. Even now after starting baseball in High School, they'd been running over the competition with ease.
However, this was the first time that he'd seen one of Kei's pitches get blasted out of the park. The sound produced from the bat hitting the ball dead center seemed to awaken something from within him.
'I want to do that too…'