The Old Baseball Player System

Saturday morning, the day of the Tokyo tournament semifinals. Shun was woken up early by the system, but as soon as the boy got out of bed, he felt a severe headache that almost made him collapse to the floor. Shun quickly sat back on the bed and opened the system screen, going straight to his inventory. Without wasting time, the boy used his basic recovery potion, feeling a refreshing sensation in his head.

But unlike usual, Shun felt that his mind wasn't fully recovered, even after taking the potion. The boy lay back down and closed his eyes, and only after a few minutes did he feel the sensation of his mind becoming fresh and clear again.

"Looks like I need to be careful with how much time I spend in the arena before games. The basic recovery potion barely worked this time..." - Shun murmured as he got out of bed. It was clear to him that spending hours last night analyzing Hokuto's players had significantly fatigued his brain. Shun couldn't help but think that a higher-level potion could help him push his analytical abilities further for longer. However, he had no idea how to acquire a higher-level potion, if such a thing even existed.

Shun quickly put on his running shoes and clothes, heading out of the house to start his morning jog. Even now, his mind was far from relaxed. While running, the boy reflected on Hokuto's players, trying to formulate strategies to win the game. But the player that caused Shun the biggest headache was Hokuto's ace, the national team's left-hander, Kohei Sasaki. Shun simply couldn't find a single flaw in the boy's form or pitches.

---

Meanwhile, in the dormitories of Takenodai High School's baseball team, two first-year students were heading to the field to prepare the dirt for the team's practice.

"Hey Kazuki, are you really going to watch a game with the coach today?" - The tall boy with black eyes and hair asked his companion.

"Yeah, do you want to come along, Koji?" - Kazuki Yamamoto, the former captain of Shoto Junior High and now a member of Takenodai High School's baseball team, replied with a smile, inviting his friend.

"Huh? Seriously?!" - The tall boy, named Koji Hosoda, exclaimed excitedly. As a first-year player who hadn't even made the second team, it was rare for him to have the opportunity to be around Coach Jack. Naturally, he was thrilled by his friend's invitation.

"Haha, of course! Don't worry, the coach is a really nice guy. I'm sure he won't mind you tagging along. Just don't say anything stupid, please." - Kazuki replied with a playful smile. Unlike his friend, Kazuki had a good relationship with Coach Jack, so he knew the man was laid-back, at least when he wasn't training the team.

"You've got it! I won't say anything stupid, I swear!" - To Kazuki's surprise, Koji took his words a bit too seriously. The boy spoke with determination, making his promise. Seeing his friend's resolve, Kazuki felt slightly embarrassed to admit he was only joking, so he let Koji finish his promise without interrupting.

'So you're really facing Hokuto again, huh? Good luck, guys...' - Kazuki thought silently as several not-so-happy memories from the previous year filled his mind. At that moment, there was nothing he could do but wish his juniors good luck.

---

Unaware that his former captain was coming to watch his game, Shun finished his morning jog and returned home. The boy climbed the stairs and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower, but his mind hadn't stopped thinking about how to face Hokuto. Shun then got out of the shower and quickly packed his things into his backpack. Even though the game wasn't until the afternoon, Shun and the rest of the team had agreed to meet in the morning on the field to prepare, and he wanted to get there as early as possible.

Shun then went downstairs with his bag, ready to have breakfast, but as he stepped into the kitchen, he was surprised by the sight of his entire family sitting at the table waiting for him. Being Saturday morning, Shun didn't expect to see anyone besides his mother awake. Yet, not only had his mom woken up early to make breakfast, but his father and sisters had also gotten up to wish him good luck.

Shun smiled brightly at the sight of his family gathered in the kitchen and quickly joined them. For the next hour, Shun ate and chatted happily with his parents and sisters, momentarily forgetting about baseball and Hokuto. Only after he was fully satisfied did Shun get up, say goodbye to everyone, grab his backpack, and head out the door toward Shoto Junior High School's baseball field.

Shun was overjoyed to see his whole family wake up early just to wish him luck, but if he had known that as soon as he left, his mom, dad, and sisters went straight back to their rooms to sleep, he would have been even more grateful. Shun was determined to win for them. He knew they would all be at his game today, and he wouldn't let them down.

---

"I think this will be the only way..." - Shun murmured to himself as he walked to the field. As soon as he left the house, his mind went back to baseball, and by now, Shun seemed to have decided on the best plan to counter Hokuto's skilled left-handed ace, Kohei Sasaki. But this time, only he would know the plan until the end of the game. It wasn't that Shun didn't want to share his idea with his teammates, it was simply that explaining it to them wouldn't make a difference. However, if his plan worked, not only would Shun succeed, but most of Shoto's batters would also be able to hit Hokuto's ace.

WOOSH

Shun arrived at Shoto Junior High School's baseball field, and as he approached, he heard the sound of a bat slicing through the air, piquing his curiosity about who was training so early.

WOOSH

Shun quickly walked toward a silhouette on the field, repeatedly swinging a bat through the air. When he saw the boy's face, he smiled. This person was another crucial part of his plan for today's game.

WOOSH

"Hey, Ryosuke! Training early?" - Shun approached the young Ryosuke and asked with a smile. Ryosuke was startled by the voice calling his name, quickly stopped swinging his bat, and turned to look at its source.

"Shun-senpai! Yes, I want to be ready in case the team needs me!" - Ryosuke looked at Shun, but he wasn't surprised to see his senpai on the field so early. He knew very well that Shun was the team's most dedicated player. Ryosuke spoke honestly, his eyes shining with clear determination and a desire to play, which made Shun smile.

"Oh, that's good! I'll talk to the coach about letting you start today's game, but I can't guarantee anything." - Shun spoke calmly. Even before seeing Ryosuke training, he had planned to discuss with Coach Yamada about giving the boy a chance to play. After all, against the best pitcher in middle school, they would need Ryosuke's powerful bat.

"Huh?" -Ryosuke looked at Shun in shock after hearing his words, but after a few seconds, he processed what his senior said and quickly bowed to Shun, exclaiming: "Thank you, Senpai! I won't let you down!"

"Haha, alright. I only said I'll talk to the coach, the final decision is theirs, so I can't promise anything." - Shun smiled awkwardly, seeing the boy who had once been extremely arrogant bowing and sincerely thanking him. However, Shun made sure to remind Ryosuke that the final decision was up to the coach, not him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"That's fine, even if I don't play. Thank you so much, Senpai!" - Ryosuke didn't seem fazed by Shun's words and thanked him again. At that moment, only Ryosuke knew how happy he felt hearing Shun's words. The hope of playing in this Kanto tournament was still alive for the young prodigy.

After some time, the rest of Shoto Junior High's baseball team arrived at the field for the meeting. Shun chatted briefly with the catcher, Daigo, as well as the two young pitchers, Sora and Jiro, but he only checked in on how the boys were feeling since he planned to discuss the game strategies in detail during the team meeting.

Shun also spoke with Ren and Kenta, who both seemed excited about facing Hokuto again, and at least it looked like they had gotten a good night's sleep. He also talked to Sho, thanking the younger player for recording the games from the other bracket on his own yesterday. Shun hadn't had the chance to review the footage yet, but if they won today's game, he would definitely use it to prepare for the final.

"Hey Shun, come here!" - Coach Yamada called out to Shun as soon as he arrived. Shun quickly made his way over, and the two stepped aside to talk. Since Coach Yamada highly valued Shun's input when formulating the team's strategies, he wanted to speak with him before the full team meeting.