“It’s been 4 months since the murder of billionaire Tetsuhiro Suzuki who was found dead in front of his family home. The Prime Minister of Japan has vowed to place additional resources on finding the one’s involved in his death.”
“The Police commissioner addressed the media today, hinting at the possibility of this being a gang-related attack, though nothing has been proven thus far. Despite heavy criticism, the police have been unable to narrow down any legitimate suspects. Stay tuned for more.”
BZZT
A figure turned the TV off, placing the remote on his desk before straightening up his tie. He turned his attention to the computer in front of him, moving the mouse and clicking a few times.
RING RING
A man dressed in a navy blue sweater and a cowboy hat appeared on his screen, wearing a smile. He looked to be in his early 50’s, though there was a certain charisma about him.
“Hiro my friend, thank you for taking my call.” The figure said in English, the country twang evident in his voice.
“Jason, it’s good to see you again.” Hiro said sincerely.
“Mmm, how’s the winter treatin’ ya?”
“You know how it is, each winter that passes reminds me of my old age.”
“Hahaha! Ain’t that the truth.” Jason replied, slapping his leg with amusement.
The two chatted for a while, catching up like old friends. It was only a few minutes, but soon the two turned serious.
“Well, ya know the reason I called right?” Jason asked, though it was more of a statement.
“Of course.”
A small smile appeared on the corner of Jason’s lips, “So what can ya tell me about this guy? I only met him briefly at one of the conferences, so I need your endorsement.”
Hiro nodded, “Well as you know he was with us for over 15 years. Just from scouting alone, he’s uncovered more talent than I can count.”
“Well, scoutin’ is one thing. What I really wanna know is if he can coach.” Jason stated.
At this response Hiro shrugged, “He was only our assistant coach for about a year, but he also led our U18 boys to the World Cup and Asian Championship win. You tell me if he’s got what it takes.”
“Heh. Well he’s got the accolades to back it up I guess.” Jason said, as if mulling something over.
“What’s he like?”
This time, Hiro let out a sigh. “He’s a staunch family man, probably one of the most genuine and caring fellows I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. If I had a choice, I’d never let you steal him away.”
Jason’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the heavy praise from his friend. He didn’t respond immediately, as if thinking over some things.
“Mmm. You’re makin’ it hard to refuse.” He said, scratching his chin in thought.
Hiro shrugged once more, “If you don’t take him, then he’ll probably go to one of the other colleges who have called me already.”
At these words, Jason’s flinched, his eyes looking panicked. However, in the next moment he narrowed his eyes, looking at his friend suspiciously.
“You’re bluffing.”
A grin appeared on Hiro’s face, but he did not reply directly.
“Argh, ya make a good point…”
“Alright, I gotta go. Thanks for chattin'” Jason said, ending the call promptly.
Hiro was left staring at the screen for a while before leaning back in his chair looking rather tired. He stared blankly at the opposite wall of his office for a few moments, his eyes unfocused.
“I did my best Chris. The rest is up to you.” He muttered.
***
BUZZ BUZZ
“Hello?”
“Yes this is Chris Takagi.”
“…”
“T—That’s amazing, thank you so much!”
“O—Okay… I’ll be there. Thank you again.”
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Chris stared at his phone, his expression filled with shock. He didn’t know whether to believe what he’d just heard, so he pinched himself.
“Ow~”
Only after feeling the pain did he realize that this wasn’t a dream. He looked around before leaving his room and walking into the kitchen where his wife was busy.
“Honey… I got the call.” He said in a soft tone.
Yuki spun around, her face already showing her boundless empathy. From the sound of his voice, she immediately assumed that it didn’t go well.
She was about to walk forward and console her husband, however the next words from his mouth completely subverted her expectations.
“I got the job…” He said, still filled with disbelief.
Yuki froze, but then her expression blossomed into a beautiful smile.
“Congratulations honey!” She said lovingly, moving forward and hugging him tightly.
The two shared the intimate moment for a while, their emotions evident. Chris was filled with relief and expectation, not to mention excitement.
‘I can finally move on…’ He thought.
After a few minutes of staying like this, Chris stepped back and grinned at his wife.
“We’ll need to tell the boys.” He said, though there was a hint of worry that flashed across his face.
Yuki nodded, “Daichi will be here tonight, we can tell them both at dinner.”
With that, she skipped back to the kitchen, humming a little tune while she prepped the food for dinner.
Meanwhile, Ken was just finishing up with club training, his body already covered in sweat. Since it was March, the breeze was still cool as winter transitioned into spring.
“Alright that’s it for today you guys.” Coach Hanada said, blowing his whistle.
The team breathed a sigh of relief, working to catch their breath after the hard work they’d put in. They began to gather towards the locker room, wanting to get changed before the cold breeze rattled their bones.
“Just remember, Senbatsu begins in just over a week. Make sure you cool down properly.” The coach yelled out behind them, like a worried old man.
Shiro and Ken walked side by side on the way to the lockers, their height difference looking rather comical. No one would expect that these two were a battery, at least from first glance.
“Man, your pitching is getting better by the day.” Shiro stated, looking at his hand which was bright red from catching said pitches.
Can anyone guess what’s going on?
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