The Old Baseball Player System

Shun was too focused on his exercises to notice that Ryosuke had spotted him in the park. After finishing his routine, Shun practically crawled back home. Normally, he didn't feel this exhausted, but considering that he had pitched nine innings under intense heat and pressure earlier, his fatigue was understandable.

When Shun arrived home, he headed straight to the bathroom for a long shower. By the time he finally made his way to the kitchen, he was greeted by his entire family sitting around a table full of food. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't help but smile.

Shun spent a good time while eating and chatting with his parents and sisters. However, as soon as he finished his meal, he went straight to his room. Usually, he would spend some time in the arena, training, but not tonight. Shun threw himself onto his bed and closed his eyes, savoring the simple pleasure of rest. After all, even though the Kanto Tournament was still a week away, he knew he wouldn't have much time to relax during that week.

---

On Saturday morning, Ryosuke was jolted awake by his alarm, an unusual occurrence for a weekend.

"Alright, let's do this!" - Ryosuke jumped out of bed, determined. A glance at the clock revealed it was 7:00 a.m. He had decided to take action early, which explained why he was up so early on a Saturday.

"I think this is the place..." - Ryosuke muttered to himself as he walked along the sidewalk, eventually stopping in front of a house. He double-checked the address on his phone, and when his eyes landed on the mailbox labeled [Takahashi], he knew he had arrived.

Ryosuke hesitated, standing frozen on the sidewalk as he tried to muster the courage to approach the door and ring the bell. His mind flooded with excuses to turn back and go home. But before he could decide, he saw someone running toward him.

"Shun-senpai?" - Ryosuke whispered, incredulous as he saw Shun running. He couldn't believe Shun was already training again. But seeing him up close extinguished Ryosuke's hesitation.

"Shun-senpai! Wait a moment—" - Ryosuke shouted, hoping Shun would stop so they could talk. To his surprise, Shun ignored him. Without slowing his pace, Shun ran right past Ryosuke, leaving him standing there.

Damn it! Ryosuke felt a twinge of humiliation at being ignored so blatantly. He was about to turn around and leave when his older brother's words echoed in his mind. Clenching his fists tightly, Ryosuke stared at Shun's retreating figure.

"Ahhhh!" - Ryosuke shouted, breaking into a run to chase after Shun. He was determined to say what he needed to say, and if Shun wanted to ignore him, Ryosuke would make it impossible.

---

* An hour later... *

"Haaaa... haaaa! What kind of monster is he?" - Ryosuke bent over, hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

He had chased Shun nonstop until Shun finally stopped, but Ryosuke hadn't anticipated running for over an hour at such an intense pace. The thought of Shun running like this the morning after pitching an entire game, plus extra training, left Ryosuke dumbfounded. Shun really was a monster.

"What do you want?" - Shun asked without much emotion, glancing back at Ryosuke. He had noticed Ryosuke from the start but hadn't planned on interrupting his training to deal with him. After all, Shun was one of the people most upset with Ryosuke after the incident in the dugout.

"I-I..." - Ryosuke stammered at first, caught off guard by Shun's direct question. Taking a deep breath, he gathered his courage.

"I want to return to the team! I regret my actions, and I'm willing to do anything to earn my place back!" - Ryosuke declared, his tone serious and determined, bowing deeply before Shun. In that moment, he was being completely honest.

Unfortunately for Ryosuke, Shun's reaction wasn't what he had hoped for. Shun simply looked at him calmly and began walking toward his house without saying a word.

"Aren't you apologizing to the wrong person? If you want to return to the team, that's up to the coach. It has nothing to do with me." - Shun said as he reached his front door. Without even glancing back at Ryosuke, Shun opened the door and went inside, leaving Ryosuke alone.

Ryosuke watched as the door closed behind Shun, his pride wounded once again. But he reflected on Shun's words and began to understand their meaning. Stay tuned for updates on empire

"Maybe I approached this the wrong way..." - Ryosuke murmured as he started his difficult walk home. His legs ached from trying to keep up with Shun, but determination burned in his eyes. He wasn't about to give up so easily.

---

Shun didn't stay home for long after his brief interaction with Ryosuke. Shortly after breakfast, he left the house again, heading toward the nearest park to complete his exercise routine.

After about an hour and a half, Shun finished his workout routine, leaving him free for the rest of the day. The boy returned home and took a long shower. Afterward, he spent some time in the living room with his family, after all, it had been a while since his father was home, and Shun wanted to make the most of their time together.

Following a relaxing afternoon chatting with his dad and playing with his sister, Shun headed back to his room. It was time to start preparing for the Kanto tournament.

"Hey, old man! What do I need to do first?" - Shun asked inside his head.

[Hahaha, enter the arena, kid! It's time for you to choose your mission again!] - The old man replied with an amused laugh, causing Shun to let out a sigh.

Shun had no idea what the old man had in store for him, but one thing he was sure of, it wouldn't be easy. He just hoped it would be useful. Shun then lay down on his bed and entered the arena.

[DING]

Shun heard the system notification in his head as his consciousness was transported. When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself inside the familiar empty stadium, with a large transparent screen in front of him.