"Alright," Coach Oki clapped his hands once, voice calm but firm. "Everyone, gather up!"
The players jogged in, cleats crunching on dirt. Alex stood beside Kenta, still adjusting the straps of his gear. The chest guard pressed down on his shoulders like a weight he hadn't trained for. Kenta snorted.
"You look like a robot. Stop fidgeting."
"It's heavier than I expected," Alex muttered, pulling at the straps again.
"You'll get used to it," Kenta grinned. "And when you don't? Welcome to the catcher life."
Coach began introductions. "That tall guy, Riku Tanabe, third-year. Current catcher."
Riku gave a polite nod. Dependable-looking, calm eyes.
"Takumi Moriyama, third-year, third base."
"Yo," said the sharp-jawed teen.
"Takuya Itou, second-year pitcher. Four-seam, two-seam, decent changeup."
Takuya walked over, spinning the ball in his hand, eyes flicking up and down. "So you're the transfer?"
"Fraser Alex," he replied.
"Don't drop my pitches," Takuya said with a smirk.
"I'll do my best."
Coach continued with the rest. There were only a dozen players total. Not exactly elite—but that didn't bother Alex. Less noise meant more clarity.
"Let's test his hands. Takuya, warm up with him."
Alex pulled on the catcher's mitt. It was enormous—like wearing a pillowcase. He flexed his fingers inside. Everything felt wrong.
Takuya stepped onto the mound and delivered a casual pitch.
Thwack!
Alex flinched. The ball stung, hard. It felt like getting hit with a brick. But he held on.
Another pitch. Faster.
Thwack!
He caught it again, shifting slightly. His eyes narrowed. No backstop behind him—only dirt and sky. It was so different from standing behind a wicket.
A changeup this time—lower, tailing away.
He adjusted and caught it clean.
"Yo!" Kenta whooped. "He caught that?!"
Takuya tilted his head. "Beginner, huh…"
Coach gave a nod. "Let's run a scenario. Bases loaded. You're catching."
Alex crouched. His stance wasn't quite right. Too narrow? Too low? But it was familiar in a strange way—his legs remembered wicketkeeping even if the angle was different.
Focus.
Eyes on the pitcher. Hands steady. Trust the moment.
Takuya pitched. The batter squared up—a bunt!
The ball dribbled forward.
For a split second, time slowed. Alex saw the runner breaking from third. Dirt kicked up. Yells rang out.
"HOME! TAG HOME!"
He exploded forward.
His mind raced—do I throw? No time. Cut him off—
He scooped the ball, chest heaving, legs kicking—
TAG!
The runner collided with his glove. Alex felt the impact in his wrist.
"OUT!"
"FIRST! THROW TO FIRST!" Kenta's voice cut through.
Alex spun, instincts louder than logic. His arm moved before his thoughts did.
BOOM!
The throw zipped like lightning to first. The first baseman stretched.
"OUT! DOUBLE PLAY!"
Silence.
Then—soft murmurs, surprised eyes, a shifting energy.
"...Was that a double play?"
"No way he just did that..."
"That transfer kid—"
Alex stood frozen, glove still raised. His chest rose and fell with adrenaline.
"...Did I mess up?"
Coach exhaled slowly, crossing his arms. "You tagged home, then threw to first. That's a textbook 2U–3 double play."
Alex blinked. "So... I did okay?"
Kenta slapped him on the back. "Okay?! That was nuts!"
Riku, the third-year catcher, approached. His gaze was calm, not rattled. Just impressed.
"Nice reaction," he said. No ego, no resentment.
Alex scratched his head. "Thanks. It was... instinct, I guess."
Riku nodded. "Keep it up. I'll help you with the signs."
Coach remained silent for a few beats, observing.
He doesn't know the rules. Doesn't even know what a force out is…
But that wasn't luck. That was field sense. Situational awareness.
If he learns how to guide a game…
He finally spoke up. "Fraser, you've got good instincts. Let's see how you handle a practice game before we make anything official."
Alex looked down at the mitt on his hand. It still felt too big. Too stiff.
But it didn't feel wrong anymore.
The sun cast a shadow from his frame across the plate.
So this is what it means... to be the one behind the plate.
He wasn't just playing anymore. He was beginning to understand.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
Thanks for reading this chapter! I'm still very new to baseball and mostly know it through Diamond no Ace, so if I make any mistakes, I hope you'll bear with me. Your thoughts and feedback really mean a lot—whether it's about the characters, the story, or even just a quick comment to say you're reading. It truly keeps me motivated to write more. See you in the next chapter!