Diamond No Ace: The Monster

Chapter 121: "Please Go Out With Me!"

"155 kilometers per hour!!!"

Miyuki's face lit up with a grin.

It seemed their earlier concerns were completely unnecessary. The young pitcher on the mound was as formidable as ever. In fact, the baseball leaving his hand was even faster than before.

"Strike!"

Seeing his partner's great pitch, Miyuki made sure to give an immediate nod of approval.

Their partnership was built on these small affirmations, accumulating bit by bit.

The more they built up in practice, the better their chances of soaring high when it really counted on the field.

Although Seidou High School's baseball team was now the champion of the Kanto Tournament, it didn't mean their path forward would be smooth and easy.

After practice ended, the players headed out together. On the way, Miyuki couldn't help but give a reminder:

"Don't get too carried away. The more you succeed, the more grounded you need to stay."

Of course, his words were carefully chosen. What he really meant was that he hoped Furuya wouldn't get cocky.

He'd only joined the team two months ago and had already helped them win the Kanto Tournament. Imagine any player facing that kind of success—who wouldn't feel a bit proud?

Furuya, after all, was only human. To Miyuki, it was natural for him to feel a bit proud at this point. If it were only that, Miyuki wouldn't worry. He was sure the entire Seidou team wouldn't mind a little pride from him, either.

What Miyuki feared most was that Furuya wouldn't understand his own role. His achievements were dazzling so early on, but if he got lost in them, then he'd soon face the harsh reality of what lay ahead.

Having a clear, calm mind is essential, not just for pitchers but for any key player.

Though Miyuki's reminders might seem like old clichés to other Seidou players, Furuya listened intently. He wasn't like the others.

While he'd played baseball seriously for two years back in middle school and felt he had a decent understanding of the game, comparing himself to Miyuki was an entirely different story.

It was like comparing an elementary schooler to a high schooler—one who didn't even know the basics yet versus someone at the peak of their game knowledge.

Furuya hadn't been aware of this difference before. But once he realized it, he became like a sponge, eagerly absorbing all the knowledge he could about high school baseball.

This knowledge would help him perform better on the field and allow him to truly live up to the heavy responsibility of Seidou High's ace pitcher.

So far, everything seemed to be going well.

As the baseball team celebrated their victory in the Kanto Tournament, students around campus couldn't help but gossip and point fingers at them.

At first, the players were a bit uncomfortable with all the attention, but after a couple of days, they quickly adapted to the curious stares and whispers.

Soon enough, they even started greeting classmates who approached them.

Over time, this became the norm, and some bold students even walked right up to ask for autographs. It became a familiar routine.

Today was no different—a lively girl suddenly appeared in front of them, holding what looked like a small note.

"Another fan here to get Furuya's autograph?" Sawamura remarked, clearly a bit envious.

Even though romance wasn't on his radar yet, he couldn't help but notice how popular Furuya was. Someday, he too hoped to become a renowned pitcher, drawing fans for autographs just like Furuya.

For Miyuki and Haruichi, this scene was nothing new. They'd seen it happen plenty of times by now.

However, to everyone's surprise, the girl standing before them wasn't there for an autograph.

She had a classic oval face and was under 160 cm tall, with a petite but lively frame. Standing next to Furuya, she looked almost a full head shorter, creating an adorable height difference between them.

"I'm Reiko Minami from Class 1-5. Please go out with me!"

As her soft voice delivered these words, everyone—including Furuya and his friends—was left utterly stunned. They stared, slack-jawed, almost wondering if they were dreaming.

"So, this is what a confession looks like?"

Eijun's mind buzzed with excitement, feeling like thunder was striking in his head. He may have been young and naive about romance, but he was no stranger to high school love confessions.

It was lucky he was the one witnessing it. If it had been his senior dorm mate, they'd likely have turned into a jealous, raging demon by now.

A small crowd of students quickly gathered, their eyes glimmering with excitement as they took in the scene.

"Did someone just confess to Furuya?"

"A confession, right out in the open!"

"Wow, that takes guts. It's Minami!"

"That's so like you, Rei-chan!"

Voices buzzed all around them.

For Furuya, this was the first time he had ever experienced a confession.

The girl standing in front of him had fair skin and delicate features. Though she wasn't a stunning beauty, she was undoubtedly kawaii.

At that moment, her face was flushed to her neck, and even her slender hands were trembling slightly.

The words of rejection that had reached Furuya's lips were swallowed back down. Who could bring themselves to turn down such a sweet girl?

"We… don't know each other very well. But I really appreciate your feelings, Minami-san."

Hearing the start of his response, the girl's eyes began to brim with tears, as if they would spill over at any second. For an instant, Furuya felt as though he'd committed some unforgivable sin, a wave of guilt rising within him.

"We could try going out… if Minami-san is willing."

Instantly, the tears in Reiko Minami's eyes vanished, and her face lit up as if flowers had bloomed across her entire world.

"Furuya-kun, are you saying yes?"

Seeing her eager expression, Furuya took the letter she handed him with both hands. It wasn't his first time receiving a love letter—not only in high school, but even back in middle school, he had been confessed to. However, agreeing to date someone was a first for him.

Furuya himself seemed unaffected, not feeling particularly different now that he had an official girlfriend. But within the baseball team, the news sent shockwaves.

Hearing that Furuya had gotten a girlfriend stirred up a storm throughout Seidou High's baseball team.

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