Chapter 13: The Yomiuri Giants

The greyness of my apartment slowly gives way to the vibrancy of sunlight streaming through the window, casting stark shadows on the white walls of my bedroom. My breath clouds in the cold air as I do some stretches after waking up early for my date with Tomoe-senpai.

A deep rumble reverberates from the bathroom as I turn the taps on, filling the sink with warm water. My skin is still chilly from the night before, and I can see goosebumps rise on my arms as the lukewarm water hits them.

Two nights had passed since the night with Tomoe-senpai. Though my original reluctance continued to be present, I went ahead and agreed to accompany Tomoe-senpai for her date.

This would mark my first real, proper date. Unlike the two occasions when I accompanied a client as a rental boyfriend, this is the first time where I am actually doing it out of my own choice.

When Tomoe-senpai suggested going to a fancy restaurant, I hesitantly asked her if she wouldn't mind going somewhere else instead. After all, I wanted to cheer her up—because I thought she was worried about failing her tryout with the Yomiuri Giants. To my surprise, Tomoe-senpai agreed readily, without a moment's hesitation.

A crimson black silk shirt, soft and buttery to the touch, was the one I chose today. It had a deep v-neckline that shows off my pale collarbones, matching with a pair of dark skinny jeans that hug my thin frame tight and fit snugly against my rear—or so it seems to me.

Standing under a tree that casts its shadow on the alleyway in front of the building, I wait for the shimmering dark motorbike carrying Tomoe-senpai to arrive at any moment. The cool spring breeze tickles my cheeks and makes me shiver. I close my eyes to enjoy the feeling of fresh air moving through my skin. The branches of the trees sway, flapping noisily against their neighbors as they dance in the breeze.

My ears perk at the sound of a sleek black motorcycle revving its engine at the end of the alley, rumbling to life with a deep-throated growl. The heavy steel bike emits a few sparks as it slows down and then stands perfectly still as soon as it stops in front of me, bringing along a smell of gasoline and metal. The engine sounds gradually die away, leaving nothing but the faint echo of the dull roar in the wind.

I am surprised by how effortlessly stylish and attractive this girl is; I wonder if she always makes such an entrance into any place she enters.

Slowly, Akane Tomoe removed her helmet—the delicately designed leather helm appeared to have been made by hand, painted with designs depicting swirling flame. As soon as the visor was pulled up, thin strands of black hair fell out from underneath it, revealing dark-grey eyes and sharp cheekbones.

Her earrings and tattoos stood out—black metal piercings holding delicate silver chains dangling from her ears and a phoenix tattoo barely visible between the straps of her leather top.

"Good morning," she greeted me as she wiped her forehead on her sleeve and smiled at me warmly. "You look absolutely amazing in that dress today, kouhai-kun," she gushed. Her breath minted the air as she spoke; I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as she gazed at me without reserve, drinking in my appearance from head to toe.

"S-Stop ogling me like that! You're going to make me blush!" I spluttered, trying to convey my embarrassment—though there wasn't much left to do other than turn redder.

In a huff of annoyance, I climbed back on her motorbike, avoiding her eyes. Without being prompted, I reached over and took hold of her slender waist—my palm resting slightly above her hip bones. Akane's body felt surprisingly warm compared to the coolness of the early morning air. Trying to not draw attention to our sudden intimacy, I made sure it didn't look too cordial to the outside world's eye. Her slim figure felt oddly comforting under my fingers, and her scent of sweat and leather tickled me.

As my fingers rested gently on Tomoe-senpai's hips, an abrupt deep breath was released through her nose, causing me to look up with a questioning gaze.

Evading my inquisitive glance, Tomoe-senpai placed her helmet back on—a sharp snick as she did so. Kicking the motorbike into action, the sound of a revving engine filled my ears.

Glancing at me from beneath her helmet visor, she let her eyes linger on mine before asking in a soft voice. "Are you... ready?"

"...Sure," I reply, feeling lightheaded and nervous underneath my calm exterior.

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With my affirmation, she took off along the road leading to the center of Tokyo.

Soon, the trees begin to thin out as we approach the sea—and there it is. The grounds of the giant's home ground. The distance between us becomes smaller every moment, and moments later, it looms close enough for me to make out the word 'Yomiuri' in large bold letters on the side of a building, written across its red and white striped awning.

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After we reached the grounds of the Yomiuri Giants, she took me to have a quick bite of breakfast at the stadium's cafeteria—the food there looked healthy and fresh. The food was by far better than anything I'd ever eaten before in the university's canteen.

As we walked into the spacious foyer of the stadium, Tomoe-senpai guided me through the intricate space, pointing out details and explaining the various subtleties of its interior design. I was impressed with how passionately she spoke as she described its history and told me stories of past events held in the stadium.

"The Giants were founded way back in the Showa period—about four decades ago," said Tomoe-senpai, walking down the staircase. "A bunch of second and third-generation Japanese citizens raised money for the team by collecting donations from people who wanted to see baseball played again in Japan. They formed what later became known as the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. Now they're one of the biggest baseball teams in Japan."

I attentively nodded as she told me all about the team's rich history and their many winning seasons while I began to gain a basic knowledge of their accomplishments—especially so with regard to their glory days in the mid-eighties when they had finished first place in the Pacific League on almost every year.

We arrived at a small enclosed room that looked like a batting cage, complete with several pieces of swinging equipment set up near the inside wall. Rows of small, rectangular practice pitching machines stood against the other wall.

''Senpai?'' I asked as we walked around the machine. "Are you a pitcher or a hitter?"

"Oh, I play both—but I'm most proficient at hitting," said Tomoe-senpai with a gentle smile. "I am a natural right-handed hitter, but my pitching style is still a bit rusty. If I aim for the target dead center, I can throw a ball really fast," she spoke with an air of self-assurance.

"Let me show you how it works," she said before walking over to the pitching apparatus. She seemed to know her way around the room very well. She looked like she had already experimented with all the machines and seemed to be quite confident about what she could do with them. I watched her for a while as she turned it on, made a few adjustments to the machine, and ran back to me with a jog.

Picking one of the several bats that leaned against the wall of the batting cage, senpai stood in front of me, resting the bat horizontally on top of her shoulder. Lining herself up with the pitching machine, she waited for it to begin spinning slowly and deliberately. The machine began whirling with a deep rumbling sound before spitting out a quick ball.

I could barely make out the shape of the ball as it shot towards senpai's waist; at first, I thought she wouldn't get much of a strike with that distance, but there was no time for me to be surprised by her skill. The ball met its target right at the sweet spot of the bat, creating a cracking sound as it hit the cage's iron frame with a thwack.

"Aah, that was really neat, senpai!" I commented as I gave Tomoe-senpai a nice round of applause.

The dark-haired woman returns my gaze—a pleased smile crossing her lips, she bows gracefully. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it, kouhai! I was hoping to surprise you with how good I am... though I didn't expect to hit the ball so easily." She rubbed a hand against her brow, panting slightly.

I smiled again to show I was impressed with her batting and allowed her to continue showing off. "Yeah, yeah," I said softly.

Tomoe-senpai then walked over to me, striding with confidence toward me. "How about you take a few swings while you're here? I'll turn the speed down for you—at least."

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