[CONTENTID1]PRACTICE GAME ENDS. ANOTHER THING STARTS[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]13th Hit[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Twelfth High was the first to score with Yeojin’s RBI double. Yena, along with the crowd, roars as she stands up from the ground. Even the coach almost ran cold blood with the risky play Yena pulled back there. She could’ve stopped at third, but their baseman took the opportunity to run for home.

As Yena walked back to the dugout, she was welcomed with praises from her teammates who were happy that they got the run first. She sat near the end seat when her eyes lands on the short haired girl sitting silently while cleaning the cleats of her shoes.

“Show-off.”

Yena grins. “They’re not the only one who can run fast.”

Yuri scoffs, she raises her fist in front of Yena. “Nice running.”

“You bet.” And bumps back to her.

At their opponent’s dugout, all of them were aghast to the situation. They surely didn’t expect that the batter would hit that far with great precision and power. Without words, Coach Im stood up from her chair and moves out from the dugout.

“TIMEOUT, SECOND ACADEMY!” The umpire calls.

Although not heard, the way she walks and the intimidating aura oozing out of her was enough to scare the fielders who are now gathering at the mound.

“Did I or did I not tell you to not underestimate them?” Asked Coach Im. “Cause what I can see from the dugout is full of bull and crap.” Everyone just kept mum. “If you’re not treating this as if it’s the real thing, you better leave the field this instant. Now get your together or I’m pulling another Nayeon Regime for everyone.”

Everyone in the mound shivers hearing it from their coach. Not the Nayeon Regime. They’d rather jog the entire field than participate in the regime. So they finally reinforced their resolution that they will take this game seriously. “Yes coach.”

“Good.”

Their timeout finally ends and they went back to their respective places. Hopefully what Coach Im said would make her team take this thing seriously. She sighs deeply, turning her attention back to the field. Her eyes lands on the person who’s now occupying the second base.

And it seems like the girl at second noticed her stare. She smiles at the opponent’s coach – it was not a smile that is of hate but of happiness. Nayeon felt the warmth behind her smile. She was glad that the girl is doing well.

The inning ended with Twelfth Academy only scoring one run. After the third batter, Kim Hyunjin stepped in, she hit the ball to a grounder between first and second baseman. But Second Academy showed them yet again their defensive prowess against their opponents, resulting to Hyunjin getting out.

After removing the third batter from the field, the clean-up is now up to bat. As the famous Lee Chaeyeon stands on the box, ready to hit what’s coming her way, she realized that the pitcher was throwing the ball with less speed and way out of the strike zone.

They’re walking her.

A series of jeering could be heard from the bleachers. They didn’t like it that they did Chaeyeon like that.

“Well, it is rather a good decision that they let her walk to the base.” Hyunjin points out. “Considering that she’s one of the best hitters in high school.”

“Even I would let her walk rather than letting her hit.”

“Is she that scary to face?” Sakura asks, curious like a cat. The only response she got from the guy is that sinister smile that says ‘you don’t wanna know’ look. “Actually, don’t answer that.”

Hyunjin laughs. “Okay.”

“Batting fifth, Pitcher, #1 Ahn Yujin.” When she stepped on the batter’s box, it felt like it was her first time standing and batting for the team. She shakes her head from unnecessary thoughts and focused what’s in front of her.

One out, runners on first and second. The outfielders are closing in. Are they not expecting a long hit from me? No. This is Second Academy. This is just how they play against their opponents.

The pitcher, Park Sooyoung, winds up on the mound, she throws the ball to the pitcher. A strike was called as it lands at the corner of the zone strike. Ahn Yujin was not able to swing at it – she was sure it was a ball, but she guessed wrong.

Second pitch comes, Yujin swung late at the ball. It went flying to the pitcher’s glove.

And she was out.

That was it for the first inning of the game. 1-0 in favor of Twelfth Academy.

~*~

“I’m buying food. Who wants to go with me?” Hyunjin asks, standing from his place. Sakura, felt hungry when she heard the word food. Hurriedly stood from her seat and volunteered to come with him. “We’ll buy you guys some food on the way.”

“Get me sprite!” Eunbi.

“A coke for me.” Wooseok.

Hyunjin turned his attention to Minjoo. “Water’s fine.”

Hyunjin hums. “Don’t let them take our seat while we buy, okay?”

~*~

The walk to the cafeteria was not that far since it’s located near the field. There wasn’t that many students inside since it was almost time for every student to go home or do their extra task in school. But at the end of the cafeteria hall, there was a group of people who had wore a different uniform from their school. Sakura noticed it first. On reflex, she halted in her steps. The uniform was all too familiar for her not to notice it.

Since she also wore the same uniform when she was still a student from that school.

Hyunjin noticed that the Japanese girl was not by her side anymore. He looked back and saw the girl stoned in her place. “Sakura?”

Sakura flinched upon hearing her name. She looked up to see Hyunjin looking at her. He was waiting for her to come to him. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine..” Then Sakura pulled him with her. “Let’s just hurry..” Hyunjin being the observant student that he is, he knew something was up with her. But he’s in no position to ask.

They already bought the food they wanted from the cafeteria and went back walking to the baseball field. Hyunjin did the honors of carrying most of their bought foods, giving the girl less to carry. What a gentlemen he is.

As the two of them left the area, Sakura didn’t forget to take a quick look again at the group of students. But the sight of an empty table made the girl go into panic mode. Where did the group of girls go? Her head turned left and right, the group could not be found.

Did they already leave? Sakura hoped that they did so. She doesn’t want to see them at all. Shrugging everything off, they finally left the cafeteria.

By the time they reached the field, it was already at the top of the fifth inning. Twelfth Academy gained yet another run from their opponent but was also retrieved by scoring a run from a base hit by the Second Academy. Now with one out, a runner on first and third, they have another chance of scoring another run with the cleanup stepping on the box.

“Batting fourth, Pitcher, #1 Park Sooyoung."

The first time Yujin faces her when she was struck by Sooyoung's pitch. Not Ha Sooyoung but Park Sooyoung. This second time will be their face-off as pitcher and a hitter, and she will not let herself be defeated when it comes to showing off their pitching prowess.

‘Let’s not play around with this one, Yuj. Focus on what’s infront of you. Leave the runners to the girls.’ She gives a nod upon seeing the sign from Chaewon. She winds up on the mound, not minding the runners occupying the base. She takes a full step forward and throws the ball to her pitcher’s mitt.

Yujin winced the moment the ball left her hand. It felt off – the pitch just now. It slipped from her fingertips. The batter could see that the ball was going a bit further to the outside of the strike zone. She lets it pass without making a swing for it.

“BALL!” Yujin curses silently, pulling out the rosin from her pocket and tossing it to let out the powder stick on his fingers. Placing it back in her pocket, Chaewon throws the ball back to her and prepares for another throw.

“Calm down, Yujin-ah!” Shouted Chaewon behind the base. “You’re to tense, loosen up a bit!”

She was right. Yujin was a bit tense. Even if the ball went wide by mistake, the sound the ball created when it made contact with her mitt – it felt oddly wrong. So she lets the girl take deep breaths while coming up with another pitch. Seeing that Yujin is a little bit calmer, Chaewon checked every base filled with runners. There was no movement, not a single one of them. It seems like they expect a long hit from their ace – Wait.

Chaewon halted. No movement from the first and third. That’s more confusing. Thinking of their situation, their enemy could take advantage of this. There are two possibilities that Chaewon could think of – One, they trust their ace so much that she could take a hit off from Twelfth Academy’s ace. Or, they could pull in a squeeze.

She takes a glance at the dugout, obviously troubled that she would make a wrong decision. But all of that was shattered when a smile forms in Coach Kang’s face.

So, Chaewon did what she think is right. She stood up, raising her free hand, she calls for everyone to move forward. With this, Chaewon has eliminated the possibility of them performing a squeeze.

Now it’s up to their pitcher to shut down the enemy’s clean-up players.

With everything in motion, Chaewon positioned her mitt right where she wanted the ball to be thrown, Yujin nods to it and winds up on the mound. As the ball left her hand, again, the batter just lets it go.

“STRIKE!”

Good, Chaewon thinks. Still, she thinks it’s weird. Usually, she can read what the batter thinks, how the batter behaves under the plate, how they hold the bat - And if she focused even more than she does right now, she might be able to predict things. But right now, she’s