Alex was still standing there, magazine open in his hands, his eyes fixed on the photo of Takigawa Chris Yu.
"Led his team to Koshien… twice?"
His fingers gripped the glossy paper just a bit tighter. Chris's form—crouched low in the catcher's stance, mitt wide open, sharp eyes locked in—felt almost larger than life. Calm. Professional. Not just a catcher. A leader.
A part of Alex wanted to memorize the photo. The positioning of his knees, the angle of his glove, the unshakable expression.
So this is what it means to be a catcher…
This is the level I need to reach.
The thought lingered like a challenge carved into stone.
"Oi! Look what I found!"
Kenta's voice pulled him back to reality.
Alex turned to see his best friend jogging over, holding a thin, softcover book in his hand. The cover was bright blue, with a cartoon bat and glove on the front. The title read: "Beginner Baseball".
"It's got all the basics," Kenta grinned, slightly out of breath. "Positions, rules, how to swing, how to throw. I figured you might want to read it."
Alex blinked, touched by the gesture. He took the book gently and looked it over.
"…Thanks, Kenta," he said, voice low but sincere.
Kenta scratched the back of his neck, trying to play it off cool. "Well, y'know. Just thought it might help."
They headed back toward the counter, where the manager had already packed up their massive manga haul. The bags and boxes were stacked neatly on the counter like some kind of treasure pile.
Alex handed over the baseball book.
"I'd like to add this too."
The manager smiled, rang it up. "60 yen."
Alex nodded, paid without a word.
Kenta stepped up next, carefully juggling his pile of Isekai volumes. His hands were full, but his grin was even fuller.
Then the manager brought out the real weight.
First came the big one—the big one. A long, heavy box filled with all 109 volumes of Hajime no Ippo.
Then another, smaller but still packed box—Capeta, all 32 volumes.
And finally, a small carry bag with Tensura Volume 1 and the baseball book.
Kenta's bag came last, filled with colorful spines, dragons and heroes peeking out.
Alex stared at the boxes.
Dead silence.
His eyes locked on the massive box like he was staring down a final boss. His mind had already begun spinning:
Do I carry it?
Do I try dragging it?
Can I call a truck? A horse? A crane?
Kenta peeked at him.
"…You okay?"
Alex didn't answer right away. He simply blinked slowly, still analyzing the box.
"…Thinking."
Kenta raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're solving a math problem."
Behind the counter, the manager watched silently. He, too, looked at the box. Then looked at Alex. Then back at the box.
They shared the exact same face.
"This is impossible, isn't it?"
Kenta, now confidently sucking on the last bit of his lollipop, suddenly spoke up.
"Well, now that we're done here—wanna check out the baseball store next?"
Alex turned to him slowly.
Blank expression. No words.
Just that look.
Kenta tilted his head. "What?"
Even the manager behind the counter had paused, clearly reading the room.
After a few seconds, Alex sighed through his nose.
"Let's drop these off at my place first."
"Ah—right," Kenta laughed. "Totally. Smart move."
The manager leaned forward. "If your house is nearby, one of our staff could drop it off on scooter?"
Alex gave a polite smile and bowed slightly. "Thank you, but I don't want to leave Kenta behind. We'll call a cab."
"Very well," the manager nodded.
Alex stepped outside for a moment, breathing in the cool air, stretching his back. Just across the street, like a gift from the heavens, a cab was idling near a local coffee shop.
Jackpot.
He waved, and the driver slowly pulled up. The man behind the wheel wore sunglasses and a loose summer shirt.
"Yes?"
Alex leaned in slightly. "Can you take us to Shiyakusho dori Ave?"
The driver blinked behind his shades. "O-Oh! You're a foreigner?"
Then, after a pause, "Wait—your Japanese is really good!"
Alex scratched his head, sheepishly. "Ahaha… thanks."
The driver nodded. "Hop in!"
Back at the store, Kenta reached for the massive box of Ippo.
"I'll help—"
"I've got it," Alex cut in quickly.
"You sure?"
Alex nodded and stepped up. He braced himself and lifted the box with both arms, gritting his teeth just a little.
Okay… yeah. This is heavy. This is really heavy.
Kenta picked up the smaller Capeta box, balancing his own manga bag on top with expert skill.
Before leaving, Alex turned and gave one more bow.
"Thank you very much!"
The staff waved them off. "Come again!"
As they stepped outside, they felt like adventurers hauling treasure from a dungeon.
They loaded the boxes into the cab trunk, then slid into the back seat. The cushions were warm from the sun.
Kenta leaned back, arms behind his head. "Man… I feel like we just cleared a dungeon."
Alex let out a breath and smirked. "I won the loot though."
Kenta laughed. "True. But I scored the rare isekai stash."
The cab rolled down the quiet streets, trees gently swaying in the breeze. The sky was bright and blue.
The cab came to a gentle stop in front of Alex's house. The engine hummed quietly for a moment before shutting off.
"Thank you very much," Alex said politely, stepping out and bowing slightly to the driver.
The cab driver chuckled behind his sunglasses. "Your Japanese is still surprising."
He gave them a little wave as Alex and Kenta made their way to the trunk. With a soft click, the lid popped open.
Alex reached for the big box of Hajime no Ippo, carefully balancing the small carry bag of Tensura and Beginner Baseball on top. Kenta grabbed the smaller Capeta box and hoisted it up with both hands, stacking his own manga bag on top.
The afternoon sun washed over the pavement, warm and steady.
Alex led the way to the large brown gate and pushed it open with his shoulder. "Thanks for the help," he said over his shoulder. "And… welcome to our home."
Kenta's eyes lit up. "No problem! We're best friends, after all!" he beamed, popping a new lollipop into his mouth.
Alex blinked at him. "How many of those does he have?" The cheerful crunch that followed didn't help answer the question.
They stepped through the gate—and Kenta froze in his tracks.
"Whoa…"
Before them stood a traditional Japanese house, its wooden engawa stretched wide along the side. The white shoji doors glowed in the daylight, and the front yard was a peaceful mix of neatly trimmed bushes, tall trees, and colorful flowers.
To the right was a grassy open space, smooth and even—practically asking to be played on.
"Man… you live in a huge house!" Kenta said, eyes wide.
Alex's face turned a shade pink. He looked away, a bit embarrassed.
"It's not like I asked for it," he thought. "Dad's the one who wanted this kind of place."
"…Let's go," Alex muttered, leading him to the door.
He slid open the shoji with one hand, still holding the box steady with the other.
"I'm home," he called out.
"Welcome home, swee—" His mother's voice trailed off mid-greeting, her eyes locking onto the giant box in Alex's arms.
"What is that?"
From the corner, his dad peeked over the newspaper, sighed, and muttered, "I knew it…"
Before the tension could grow, Kenta's cheerful voice cut in.
"Sorry for the intrusion!" he said brightly, bowing.
Alex seized the moment. "This is my friend, Kenta. I'm just gonna take these upstairs real quick."
Their parents exchanged glances but said nothing. Kenta followed Alex up the stairs like a polite guest at a tea ceremony—though his eyes darted everywhere with curiosity.
Alex's room was near the end of the hallway. He slid the door open and stepped inside.
Kenta took one look—and nearly dropped the box he was holding.
"Wha—this room's twice the size of mine," he whispered. Then his eyes landed on the two tall shelves along the back wall.
One of them was completely empty, ready to be filled.
But the other—
"…What the heck…" Kenta whispered, walking closer. "Are these… trophies?"
Neatly arranged on one shelf were rows of awards, medals, and certificates. Cricket balls mounted on tiny stands. A gleaming bat hung horizontally on the wall above it. And right in the center, framed and perfectly preserved, was a black & white jersey with "New Zealand U13" stitched on the front.
Kenta stared.
"…You were on a national team?!"
Alex scratched the back of his neck. "I played for the school's U13 side back when I was there. Not national, but… yeah, kind of a big deal, I guess."
Kenta looked at the trophies again, then at Alex, jaw slightly open.
"Dude…"
Alex grinned awkwardly. "We can check it out properly later. After we get back from the baseball store."
He tapped the empty shelf with his knuckles. "You can even help me stack the manga. I saved this one just for that."
Kenta's face lit up. "Heck yeah! And after that—can we play in the yard?"
"Of course," Alex nodded. "It's been a while since I threw something that wasn't a cricket ball."
They set the boxes down carefully. Alex made sure the massive Ippo set didn't lean too far and glanced around to make sure everything looked tidy. He'd only just cleaned this morning.
"Alright, let's go back down," he said, straightening up.
As they returned to the living room, the scent of warm barley tea and something sweet filled the air. On the low table were a few cups and a plate of freshly opened senbei and red bean mochi.
Alex's mom looked up with a small smile. "We figured you two might be tired."
"Thank you," Alex said, sitting down.
Kenta's eyes sparkled. "Whoa… even snacks!"
They both took a seat and grabbed a cup of tea. The earthy flavor hit just right, cooling the nerves and refreshing them after the box-carrying adventure.
"So," Alex's mom began, "what exactly was in those boxes?"
Alex took a sip and said casually, "Manga."
There was a long pause.
His mom blinked.
His dad slowly lowered the newspaper again.
"…Manga?" she repeated, voice a touch too calm.
"How much?" his dad asked, not taking his eyes off Alex.
Alex leaned back and looked toward the ceiling. "…About ten percent."
Kenta's head turned so fast it might've made a whoosh.
"TEN percent?! How much money does this guy even have?"
"Ten percent of what?" his dad asked calmly.
Alex met his gaze. "I had about three hundred and fifty thousand yen saved."
The room went quiet. Even the cicadas outside felt like they paused for dramatic effect.
Alex's mom and dad both blinked… then softened.
His dad let out a short sigh and nodded. "Well… it's your money. Just don't waste it."
"I won't," Alex said with a small smile.
Kenta, still recovering from the shock, muttered, "Rich… he's rich and has cricket trophies… and a shelf just for manga…"
Alex stood. "I'll be back in a sec."
He headed upstairs, opened his drawer, and placed the leftover change in his little cash box. Then he took out another 50,000 yen.
"Might need it for the baseball store. If not, I'll bring it back."
A few minutes later, he returned.
Kenta was sitting comfortably, chatting with Alex's parents. They were laughing at something—Alex even heard his name mentioned once or twice.
"…What are they saying about me?" he thought suspiciously.
"I'm heading to the baseball store now," Alex announced. "We'll eat lunch outside too."
His mom nodded. "Be safe."
"Thank you for having me!" Kenta said brightly, bowing once more.
With one last cup of tea downed and mochi crumbs wiped away, the boys stepped out the door.
The sun was still shining. The sky is still that perfect blue. And their manga-filled, baseball-loving day had only just begun.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
I'm not from Japan, so I don't know much about Shibukawa. I've been using Google Maps to understand the area better, but if there are any mistakes, feel free to point them out!
Also… if you're reading this, please consider leaving a comment!
Even a short one really makes my day. Writing can feel a little lonely sometimes, and knowing that someone out there is reading and enjoying the story means everything. Your feedback motivates me to keep going!
Poll:
Should we call Coach Oki as Kantoku? Yes or No?