"Heh, I told you. This is amateur hour for me," Togō said. He didn't mention his own hidden cameras; he wanted to keep that as a surprise to break her spirit later.
Akane felt dizzy. The gap in experience was too wide. But she still held onto hope—Shoya was on his way. Even if the video failed, Shoya's eyes wouldn't lie.
Togō looked at the phone, which was still recording. He had a sick idea. Why stop the recording? He'd record their "session" and use it as blackmail to keep her forever. He placed the phone back on the shelf, carefully angling the camera toward the center of the room.
Akane didn't understand. Was he really not afraid?
On the baseball field, Shoya Katase was struggling. He was distracted, his mind on Akane's strange messages.
A ball whizzed past his face.
"Shoya! Get your head in the game!" the catcher yelled.
"Sorry, Yuta-kun! My bad!" Shoya bowed.
"Take a break, Shoya. The spring Koshien is coming up. If you let personal shit ruin your training, you're failing the whole team," Yuta Yamano said sternly.
Shoya nodded, feeling guilty. He sat in the shade and checked his phone. He opened an app called Share—a new short-video platform that was trending among students.
The algorithm was perfect. It showed him baseball highlights and training tips. He marveled at the app's creator and the legendary female CEO of the Seika Group who owned it.
He scrolled through a few more videos. One showed a mature woman in a kimono. He paused, staring at her ample cleavage visible through the collar. He hit the 'like' button.
Suddenly, a notification popped up. It was Akane: Come to the warehouse.
He hesitated. If he went now, he could finally settle things between Akane and the Coach. He stood up to ask for leave.
"Shoya-kun, you look off today. Want some pointers?" a voice called out.
Shoya turned and gasped. It was Hiroki.
Hiroki was the team's ace—a true genius. Even though he barely practiced, he was a legend. Being coached by him was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Thank you, Hiroki-kun! I'd appreciate it!"
Shoya followed Hiroki to a private corner of the field. He completely forgot about Akane waiting in the warehouse.