The Old Baseball Player System

"Can we leave now?" - Ryosuke asked irritably, looking at his older brother.

"Hahaha, sure, let's go! I'm starving, let's stop at a restaurant first!" - Kyosuke laughed, nodding as he got up and began walking toward the bleacher steps.

"Fine..." - Ryosuke muttered, following his brother. The boy clearly wasn't in a good mood, as his older brother had insisted they stay until the end of the awards ceremony, meaning he'd had to watch all his former teammates happily receive their medals.

---

Outside the stadium, near the Shoto Junior High School bus...

"Mom, is Bro really going to come by here?" - Little Yumi asked excitedly, looking up at her mother with big blue eyes.

"Yes, dear, he should be coming soon." - Aiko answered gently, glancing at her phone. It had been about five minutes since she spoke to Shun on the phone, so she knew her son should be arriving any minute.

But just as Aiko finished speaking, a commotion was heard as several young players in uniforms began exiting the stadium, heading toward the Shoto bus.

"Bro!" - Little Yumi squealed with excitement as she finally saw her brother. Shun was wearing his medal around his neck, walking beside Ren and Kenta while holding his bag and his MVP trophy.

"I'll be right back!" - Shun heard his little sister's shout and smiled. He quickly called out to his friends as he ran over to the little girl.

"Hey Yumi-" - Shun began, leaning down with a big grin to greet her. But before he could say anything else, she ran toward him and jumped into his arms.

"You were amazing, Bro!" - Little Yumi squealed, hugging her brother tightly, not caring how dirty and sweaty Shun was.

"Hehe, thanks!" - Shun smiled, heart warmed by his little sister's reaction. He gently patted her head before putting her back down. Then, Shun handed her his MVP trophy.

"Huh?" - Yumi looked at her brother, confused, as she held the large trophy, unsure what to do with it.

"Pft! Could you keep it safe for me, Yumi? I need to head back to school for a team meeting." - Shun chuckled at his sister's cute reaction before explaining.

"Of course! Leave it to me!" - Yumi said determinedly after receiving her brother's "mission", making everyone smile at the little girl's adorableness.

"I trust you." - Shun smiled, also taking off his medal and putting it around Yumi's neck. He saw her smile grow even wider, but before he could say anything else, his dad's voice sounded.

"Leave your bag too, Shun, I'll take it for you." - Kenshin said with a proud smile, looking at his son with pride.

"Oh, thanks, Dad!" - Shun smiled when he saw his father, quickly handing him his bag.

"It was a great game, kid, but don't let it get to your head. You still need to win Kanto, hehe." - Kenshin took his son's bag, speaking seriously. Though he was proud, as a good father, he wanted to ensure Shun's head stayed in the right place.

"Hehe, don't worry, Dad, I know!" - Shun replied with a smile, understanding his father's reminder was for his own good. But Shun knew very well that the job was far from finished.

"Hahaha, what are you saying, Kenshin? The kid just pitched a perfect game, let him enjoy it a bit! Hey Shun, let me tell you something. The girls at your school are probably going to be crazy about you after today's game. Have fun, but remember, always use protection!" - Masahiro laughed heartily, approaching Shun. Before his last words, he put on a serious expression as if he was imparting sage advice.

"Huh? T-Thanks, Uncle..." - Shun turned as red as a tomato after hearing Masahiro speak so openly about that stuff. After all, Shun was just a baseball-loving virgin who hadn't even kissed a girl, let alone needed protection for anything.

"What on earth are you saying, you idiot?!" - Masahiro's wife quickly kicked him in the rear, noticing that not only Shun but all the girls present seemed embarrassed by Masahiro's words.

"Ouch! I was just giving him some advice..." - Masahiro cried out in pain, looking indignantly at his wife, muttering that he'd been wronged as he stayed quiet.

Everyone laughed after watching Masahiro get scolded, lightening the mood again. Shun also greeted Satoru and Sophia and chatted briefly with his friends from Tokyo Nakano before heading back to the bus.

Though he wanted to spend more time with them, he couldn't keep the entire Shoto team waiting. Shun could have skipped today's post-game meeting, but he had another reason for taking the bus back. Even though he was exhausted from pitching nine innings under the hot sun, he still needed to complete his daily exercise routine, and he knew he'd have no excuse good enough to give his dad if he did it in their backyard.

Shun then got on the bus and sat next to Ren. Unfortunately for him, the two were seated right behind Kenta and Shimizu, and because of that, the young samurai Ren spent the entire trip complaining about how unfair life was, while Shun just nodded along with the young samurai's complaints.

---

Meanwhile, still inside the stadium, the gray-haired man who had handed Shun his medal was making a phone call.

"Hello?" - A male voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Hahaha, how are you, kid? I've got more work to do, so I'll be brief. Shun Takahashi, he plays as a pitcher for Shoto Junior High School. He'll be competing in the Kanto tournament next week, if I were you, I'd keep an eye on him." - The gray-haired man said before hanging up without waiting for a reply.

Meanwhile, seated at an office desk, the man who had received the gray-haired man's call sighed.

"That guy..." - He muttered, slightly annoyed at the man's lack of manners. But, knowing who he was, the man didn't hesitate. He reached for the closest piece of paper and quickly jotted down [Shun Takahashi] and [Shoto Junior High] before dialing another number on his cell phone.