After batting practice, Kanzaki Ryou and the other two returned to the dorms, washed up, changed clothes, and then headed to the cafeteria where the three of them devoured large bowls of rice.
Miyuki, as always, struggled the most.
At 3 p.m., Kanzaki Ryou stepped out of the classroom with several love letters in hand, drawing Kuramochi's resentful glare.
After quickly fixing his hair and carrying a small backpack, he left Seido with Kuramochi.
"Eat first or play first?" Kuramochi asked.
"Play first, eat after, then shop," Ryou replied.
"Sounds good."
Half an hour later, they arrived in the city by train.
The moment they left the station, Kuramochi zoomed straight toward an arcade like a man starved of oxygen. Seeing him so excited, Kanzaki Ryou's hands also started itching.
The two of them played for almost three hours before finally stepping back out into the evening air.
"Damn, Ryou! You actually kept up with me!"
Kuramochi walked proudly with his hands behind his head.
Ryou laughed. "I'm just fast-thinking. My gameplay is still nowhere near yours."
Kuramochi nodded seriously.
"True. Geniuses like me are annoying, huh?"
"Come on, Kuramochi. Your speed is something most people will never have in their lives."
That blunt compliment made Kuramochi a little embarrassed, and he quickly walked ahead.
"Since you played with me today, dinner's on me!"
"Alright then," Ryou grinned. "I'll give you the honor."
Soon after, they walked out of the restaurant—both holding their stomachs like pregnant men.
"Burp~~"
"I'm dead," Ryou groaned. "Eating is more tiring than gaming."
"Huh? Who told you to order that much?! You made me spend over ten thousand yen!"
Kuramochi clutched his wallet in agony.
This guy ate way too much!
"Ryou!"
Two girls approached them—Fujiwara Takako and Mita Yuka.
"Senpai, you're here too?" Ryou asked Takako.
"Hey! Junior, why are you only greeting Takako?"
Mita Yuka immediately hugged Takako, making a scene.
Ryou tilted his head. "Ah, Senpai Mita, you're here too."
"What!? You pretend you didn't see me earlier!?"
Mita Yuka marched toward him aggressively.
Ryou instantly clasped his hands together.
"My mistake, my mistake! Please spare me, Senpai!"
Mita snorted, then asked, "Heading back now?"
"No. I still need to buy something."
Hearing that, Mita Yuka's eyes sparkled.
She turned to Kuramochi.
"Kuramochi, you buying anything?"
"No, I'm just helping Ryou."
"Perfect! Then can you come back to school with me? I bought too many things and can't carry them all. Please~"
Her honey-trap voice was lethal.
Kuramochi fell instantly.
"S-sure! I'll go with Senpai! Ryou, take your time!"
He slapped Ryou's shoulder and strutted away with Mita Yuka.
Ryou blinked in confusion.
He had never seen those two interact before.
Fujiwara Takako, noticing something was off, quickly asked:
"Senpai… what about me?"
"Takako, weren't you shopping for clothes? Perfect timing—Ryou needs to buy things too, so you two can go together," Mita Yuka said with a knowing smile before dragging Kuramochi away.
Fujiwara Takako froze, her face turning red.
"They… left," Ryou said.
Takako snapped back to reality.
"A-Ah… then let's shop together for now. What are you buying?"
"Gifts," Ryou said.
"Gifts?"
"I'm going back to Kyoto in a few days. I want to bring something for my family."
He paused, then looked at Takako.
"Oh right—Senpai, do you know a shop that sells small glass display boxes? The kind used for gifts."
Takako thought for a moment.
"How big?"
"Big enough to fit a baseball."
"A baseball?" Takako blinked. "You're giving someone a baseball?"
"Yeah. My home run ball." Ryou smiled. "I want to package it nicely for my sister."
Takako was surprised.
His first home run ball—he was giving it away?
She nodded. "I know a shop. They specialize in baseball-related goods."
"Perfect! Thank you, Senpai. I was worried Kuramochi and I would never find the right place."
The two walked together, Ryou chatting endlessly, while Takako kept her head slightly down, responding softly every now and then.
By the time they returned to Seido, Takako let out a deep breath.
She didn't know why she had been so nervous.
Back in the dorms
Ryou collected a large package from the school's delivery station and carried it back to his room.
No one was inside—Azuma was surely at self-practice, and Chris usually went to the hospital at this time for shoulder maintenance.
Ryou set his things down, changed into a tracksuit, and opened the parcel.
Inside were two beautifully crafted, fully customized baseball bats, tailored precisely to his preferred size, weight, and balance.
The only difference—
his beloved sister's name, Kanzaki Kumiko, was engraved on both bats.
He smiled.
Perfect.
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