I, high schooler Sakuragi Toji, am bored out of my fucking mind. It’s the last class period on a Friday afternoon, and my brain is already on the weekend ahead: brisk but sunny, the sky clear, the only clouds the ones you make when you breathe out. Perfect weather.
I look at the clock again. If the class rep wants us to get out on time, he has thirty seconds…
Twenty-nine seconds…
Twenty-eight seconds…
“One last announcement.” Sato-sensei finally has my attention. “The baseball spring qualifier semifinal is tomorrow, and our very own Fujimura Ren will be starting as shortstop. I hope you’ll all cheer him on.”
A few people clap or voice their support. Fujimura beams. I snort.
Sato-sensei sighs. “Was there something you wanted to share, Sakuragi-kun?”
A few people turn. Kawabe-kun snickers behind me, and he and Mizuno-kun start bickering quietly. The end-of-day chime finally plays, but no one moves.
“Just wondering why you’re getting all hyped, is all. We’re not exactly a baseball school.”
Sato-sensei gives a smile so fake her face has to hurt. “Our team sometimes struggles, yes, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we trust our coach to pull us through tomorrow.”
Someone lets out a low, oh-damn kind of laugh.
I give a half-hearted shrug to save face, but Sato-sensei is already gesturing to the class rep to start the end-of-class bows.
Once we finish, the real chaos hits. Metal clasps snap shut, chairs scoot out, and people stand, but the real hazard is the cyclone of hangers-on that quickly starts forming around Fujimura’s desk. One of them nearly bowls me over without so much as an “excuse me”. I can hear another girl laughing way too loudly at something Fujimura says.
I know Mom wouldn’t have picked him if he didn’t still have some talent, but isn’t this a bit much?
[4/10/2026 Edit: reformatted name]