The Old Baseball Player System

"Oh, looks like you all made it!" - An excited voice called out, drawing the attention of Toji, Mika, and the others.

"Hey, Dad…" - Toji replied, a bit embarrassed upon hearing his father calling out loudly. He then glanced at the other adults around his father and was surprised, it looked like quite a few people had come to watch Shun's game.

"Sis!" - Little Yumi exclaimed happily as she ran over to Mika and gave her big sister a tight hug.

"We saved some seats for you all!" - Mika hugged her little sister with a smile before looking over at her mom and pointing to the seats behind her.

"Thank you, dear!" - Aiko said with a beautiful smile to her daughter, then made her way to the saved seats along with the other adults. They all settled in the front rows of the stands, directly above Shoto's dugout, so they hadn't yet caught sight of Shun and his friends.

Mika watched her parents sit down and, after seeing Hana's and Toji's parents, gave a polite smile. They were practically family, having known each other before she was even born, so she felt comfortable around them. But when she noticed two more familiar figures, she spoke up in surprise:

Chapter Experience:

"Grandpa?" - Mika looked at Grandpa Jack, surprised. She hadn't expected to see him at this game since he rarely left his work in the summer.

"How are you, dear?" - Jack looked at his granddaughter with a warm smile, but before he could say more, Aiko joined the conversation.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you Grandpa was coming, Mika. This is a friend of his, Mr. Ushida." - Aiko quickly introduced the man standing beside her father.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you!" - Mika was a bit surprised, thinking she'd heard the name somewhere before, but she quickly greeted him politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too—" - Mr. Ushida started to respond, but before he could finish, an excited voice interrupted him.

"You're Kazuma Ushida? The Assistant Coach of Takenodai High? I really admire your work!" - Hana said enthusiastically, sounding like a crazy fan as she greeted Ushida.

"Huh? Thank you…" - Ushida replied, slightly embarrassed. This was clearly the first time a 15-year-old girl had looked at him as if he were a pop star.

"Huh? Wait! Kazuma Ushida… you're one of Japan's top fitness trainers!" - Mika also reacted, surprised after seeing Hana's excitement and finally recalling where she had heard the name. She knew he worked with her grandfather, but she hadn't met him in person before, so she hadn't recognized him right away.

"Hehe…" - Ushida scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, unsure how to react. The last thing he expected when he decided to attend the game with Jack was not only to meet his first fan but also his second.

Kazuma Ushida, as Mika had pointed out, was indeed one of Japan's top fitness trainers. Unlike others who primarily worked with sports superstars, Ushida was a teacher at Takenodai High and an assistant coach for their baseball team, handling the physical development of all the players.

The reason Hana and Mika were so thrilled to see him was that, for them, who intended to pursue this field of study, he was a true idol.

"Haha, Ushida, you're the reason my daughter wants to attend Takenodai!" - Kenshin laughed out loud as he spoke, making Mika blush a bit.

"It's really disappointing, it seems like she doesn't even care about this old guy here…" - Grandpa Jack sighed, pretending to complain, though deep down, he was pleased that his granddaughter wanted to attend his school, even if not because of him.

"I'm glad to see young girls so eager to learn about this field. I'll do my best to teach you if you make it to our school." - Ushida, a bit embarrassed, was also excited to see the girls' enthusiasm, as a lover of the field and of sharing his knowledge.

Kaori looked on with a smile, though she planned to attend Takenodai with her friends, she didn't share the same passion for becoming a fitness coach. Toji, Akira, and Satoshi also greeted the adults politely. Even though they admired Ushida, the person who captured their attention the most was Jack.

Even though Takenodai was no longer the powerhouse of Tokyo high school baseball it once was and hadn't achieved stellar results in recent tournaments, it was still a significant force, especially in player development. Beyond physical development, which Ushida led and was among the best in the country, the legendary coach Jack was known for shaping some of Japan's finest professional players.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Kenshin Jr.'s game is starting!" - Masahiro said excitedly as he looked at the Kasuga players coming out of the dugout and heading onto the field.

They barely managed to catch a glimpse of the players taking their positions before a deafening noise sounded around them.

TUK TUK TUK TUK TUK

The sound of several drums playing echoed throughout the stadium, drawing everyone's attention to the stands above Kasuga's dugout.

"Ka-Su-Ga! Ka-Su-Ga! Ka-Su-Ga!" - The organized fan chants could be heard, while the school's band kept the rhythm with the drums.

"Hey!" - A single shout was heard from a uniformed boy at the front of the crowd. As soon as he called out, all the noise stopped.

"Kasuga Fight!" - The boy shouted loudly.

"Kasuga Fight!" - The fans echoed back, shouting even louder.

PAH

Meanwhile, Kasuga's pitcher started his warm-up throws on the mound.

"Kasuga Fight!" - The boy shouted again.

"Kasuga Fight!" - The fans continued.

PAH

"We should have an organized cheering section too… looks so cool." - The young samurai, Ren, said from the dugout, impressed by their opponents' large cheering section.

"Only elite schools have one of these… Most people at our school don't even know our baseball club exists…" - Kenta said, also impressed by Kasuga's supporters.

"Ah man, what a bummer! Sometimes I wish I went to an elite school…" - Ren said dreamily, almost drooling as he imagined beautiful girls chanting his name as he stepped up to the batter's box.

"Tch! Stop thinking nonsense!" - Kenta snapped, almost as if he could read his friend's mind.

"Huh? How'd you know I was thinking nonsense?!" - Ren protested indignantly, unaware that he had just admitted to his questionable thoughts.

"Idiot…" - Kenta muttered, rolling his eyes.