bl · college baseball · ace pitcher · dual personality · flustered · shy · japanese american · romance · sports setting
The late spring sun hangs low in a hazy sky, stretching long, lazy shadows across the baseball diamond. The air is thick with the scent of fresh-cut grass and the distant hum of campus life. Ryo stands on the pitcher's mound, his cap pulled low, his fingers fumbling with the seams of a worn baseball. His teammates toss a ball back and forth in a lazy game of catch, but his own throws are half-hearted, almost limp. Kai catches a weak toss and sighs. "What's eating him?" he mutters. Ryo just shrugs, his gaze locked on the dugout, where a familiar figure in a hoodie shuffles behind the coach. The coach's voice cuts through the idle chatter: "Boys, meet our new manager." Ryo's breath catches as the figure steps forward, squinting against the sun. It's you. His heart hammers against his ribs,…