Meiji Jingu Stadium, located near Meiji Shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo, has been a venue for the Tokyo Six University Baseball League since its opening.
It's currently the home field for the professional team Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Outside the stadium, towering ancient trees lined the area.
At the entrance, a sign read: [The 109th National High School Baseball Championship – Tokyo Tournament].
Takashi had left home late, so by the time he arrived, there was barely anyone in line at the ticket booth.
He paid 800 yen for his ticket and walked in.
There was hardly anyone at the snack stalls—just a few employees staring at the live broadcast on the wall.
Only when he stepped into the stands did the deafening roar of the crowd hit him.
The field was surrounded by protective netting, and the large display screen showed the game in the top half of the first inning.
The stands weren't packed to capacity, but the seats were at about 70% occupancy.
Takashi looked around and quickly spotted where the students from Shuchiin High were seated.
There were a lot of them: Shinomiya Kaguya, Shirogane Miyuki, Fujiwara Chika, Maki, Koyasu Tsubame, Kei… both high school and middle school divisions came to cheer.
I absolutely must not go over there.
Takashi made up his mind.
He looked away and began searching for where Aoba High was seated.
Before long, he saw Aoba's cheer squad—girls waving pom-poms and shouting energetically.
Leading the group was someone familiar—Ayami, the girl who once gave him a love letter. She was supposedly Narii's best friend, though the two had apparently had a falling out.
In Japanese high schools, giving a love letter to your best friend's crush was basically social suicide.
As he walked toward Aoba's section, Takashi texted Nagisa.
[I'm here.]
Nagisa hadn't been paying attention to the game at all.
When she heard the message notification, she picked up her phone, looked at the screen, and then lifted her head to scan the crowd for Takashi.
Soon, she spotted him—tall and slender in his red-and-black baseball jacket—walking right past her.
He even winked at her.
Nagisa didn't call out to him.
Tensions between Aoba and Shuchiin were a bit high, so it wasn't appropriate to stop him.
She planned to sneak over and find him later.
Hehe.
…
"Senpai!"
Takashi's arrival hadn't gone unnoticed—Kei spotted him too.
When he winked in her direction, she thought he was greeting her, and she raised her small hand and gave a gentle wave.
"Kei, senpai came to see you, didn't he?" Moeha leaned over and whispered.
"No way, senpai's just here to watch the game," Kei denied.
"Why not? He winked right at you. Totally came for you."
"If he was here just to watch, he'd have come with his school, not show up after the game started."
"Didn't you tell him you'd be here?"
After Moeha's meddling analysis, even Kei was starting to believe it.
"I think I did mention it."
Right before she invited him to the fireworks festival, she had indeed said she'd be at Meiji Jingu Stadium.
"Then there's no doubt—he definitely came for you."
"Really?"
Kei's heart fluttered, her mood both excited and shy.
"White-haired bastard, how dare you show your face again."
The moment Takashi appeared, Shirogane Miyuki immediately turned his head to look at Kei.
Seeing Kei waving at him, his expression grew increasingly hostile.
With the sword in hand—come with me. Time to kill that bastard Takashi!
…
"Disgusting."
Shinomiya Kaguya also noticed Takashi winking at her, and a trace of disgust flickered in her eyes.
When she first heard he liked her, she even thought he might truly be infatuated with her.
She had even considered—if he knelt before her and devoted himself entirely—training him into a man worthy of standing by her side.
But after sending Ai Hayasaka to casually investigate, she found out that Takashi was a man riddled with disgraceful behavior.
While claiming to like her, he was also pursuing the heiresses of the Sawamura, Adagaki, Shijo, and Kashiwagi families.
Worse still, he had ambiguous relationships with Kawakami Narii and Yozakura Hitomi.
He was clearly just playing the field.
His so-called love for her was a complete lie.
What did he take her for?
A backup?
Utter humiliation!
Shinomiya Kaguya had never been so insulted in her life.
She would rather fall for a dog than someone like that scum.
Turning her head slightly, Shinomiya Kaguya noticed Shirogane Miyuki glaring daggers at Takashi.
That expression—it was like a lion staring down an intruder in its territory, yearning to tear him apart.
That left Kaguya completely puzzled.
Could there be some kind of grudge between Takashi and Shirogane?
It didn't seem like it... Wait!
They both like me!!!
Realizing this, Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze toward Shirogane softened with affection.
Could it be that he was jealous?
How adorable!
So eager to gain my favor?
"Seems I can get a little closer to him."
Lately, Shinomiya Kaguya had been researching how to get Shirogane Miyuki to confess to her first.
She never believed there existed a man in the world who wouldn't fall for her.
Even without Takashi, it was only a matter of time before she won over Shirogane Miyuki.
Still, since Takashi had some minor use left, she didn't mind taking advantage of him. Consider it a little punishment for his disloyalty.
Shinomiya Kaguya had already made up her mind: she would act a little closer to Takashi, making him mistakenly think she had feelings for him.
Spending every day with someone as adorable as her—he would undoubtedly fall in love.
Once Miyuki confessed, Takashi would surely be head over heels for her.
Then she would dump him.
His reaction would be spectacular.
Shirogane would confess first, and Takashi would pay the price for toying with her. Two birds, one stone. Absolutely perfect.
With that thought, Shinomiya Kaguya gave Takashi a faint smile.
…
"Why did he wink at me? Was he pretending to be scared yesterday and held my hand on purpose? Was everything part of his plan?"
Tsubame, seeing Takashi wink at her, immediately recalled how tightly he had held her hand in the theater yesterday.
The warmth of his palm still seemed to linger on her skin.
"If that's true, then this man must be avoided at all costs."
Tsubame resolved in her heart to stay far away from the bad man that was Takashi.
And yet, despite thinking that, her gaze kept drifting back toward him.
Takashi had no idea that a simple wink had triggered such a chain reaction.
Just as he was about to walk past the students from Shuchiin, a leg in black thigh-high socks stretched out in front of him.
Takashi stopped in his tracks.
Nagisa, Kei, Miyuki, Kaguya, and Tsubame all turned in unison to look at the owner of that leg.
"Long time no see, Ryuju Ojou-sama."
The owner of the elegant leg was none other than Ryuju Momo.
Momo pointed at the empty seat beside her and said succinctly, "Sit here."
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