I've got a plan, but I need your help

Following Maeda’s advice, he started attending practices—even if only to watch. Over time, he began running with them, one of the things he loved most.

He spent a lot of time talking to Erick about his emotional struggles. After all, Erick’s profession was meant for that, and little by little, Neo was healing. Saya gave him as much emotional support as she could, which made Kensuke furious that Neo was getting all the attention.

Every day, Neo brought the gift he had bought for Saya, intending to give it to her and complete the plan he and Len had devised. But with everything that had happened, it became harder and harder to take action.

During the break, he heard an unusual sound coming from the spot where he usually trained with the baseball team.

There were two green nets set up and two machines pitching baseballs, where Takeshi and Tadashi were practicing their swings. Both were highly focused. The sound of the machines firing the balls and the crack of the bats breaking the silence was striking.

He was impressed. Neither of them missed, and they were perfectly synchronized.

Takeshi lost focus when he glanced to the side and saw Neo. Because of the sunlight, it was hard to see, and it took him a moment to recognize who it was.

“NEO!” he shouted, waving with one hand as soon as he realized.

Neo was about to respond but burst out laughing when he saw Takeshi getting hit by several balls that the machine kept pitching.

“How do you stop this thing?” Takeshi yelled while still being pelted.

Tadashi couldn’t help but laugh as he turned off his own machine to watch his brother fumbling to dodge and catch the balls to defend himself. When he finally got tired of watching, he pulled a small remote from his pocket and turned off Takeshi’s machine.

“I thought it’d never end,” Takeshi said, exhausted and out of breath.

Since the break was almost over, Tadashi decided to pack up while Neo approached and greeted them.

“We got these two machines to train with after qualifying for the championship.”

“Interesting. I’ve never used one before.”

“How about trying it now?”

Neo considered it. Why not?

“Sure,” he said, nodding.

“Just stand where I was and get ready,” Takeshi instructed.

Neo picked up the bat and waited for the machine to be turned on.

“Ready?” Takeshi asked.

“Yes!”

Takeshi pressed the button, and Neo waited. The machine took a moment before pitching a slow ball, which Neo hit easily. Then it fired another, and the same thing happened. Neo noticed that the balls came every two seconds and always in the same direction.

It wasn’t challenging, and Neo started to get bored. He glanced at Takeshi, who was grinning, clearly amused.

“Takeshi, this is boring,” Neo said, annoyed.

“Oh, right! I was just enjoying watching you hit.”

Takeshi turned off the machine and showed Neo its remote. The control had a number labeled “1” and options to increase or decrease speed, height, and other settings. But Takeshi wanted him to notice the “1” and the level adjustment button.

“See? The machine was set to level one, so it was easy. But it goes up to ten.”

Neo looked at the remote with curiosity as Takeshi continued.

“Tadashi and I can train at level eight and a bit at nine, but I think you could handle nine too. Just increase it gradually.”

“What’s level ten like?” Neo asked, intrigued.

“Almost impossible. We tried, but it’s insanely hard—almost superhuman,” Takeshi said, his eyes wide.

Neo was curious to try but was interrupted by Tadashi.

“Break’s almost over. Let’s pack up.”

The three quickly cleaned up and took everything to their club’s storage locker. Takeshi, who had the key, locked it up.

“If you ever want to train when the baseball team isn’t around, you can use this spare key,” he said, handing it to Neo. “I gave one to every team member. Just take care of it and put it back after you’re done.”

“Okay.”

The bell signaling the end of the break rang.

“Come train whenever you want. It’s good for clearing your mind and forgetting what’s bothering you.”

After class, Neo decided to meet up with the baseball team. He got a message to wait for them on one of the benches.

A commotion could be heard nearby—a crowd was shouting. Neo could have stayed seated, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he went to see what was happening.

At the school entrance, a noisy crowd had gathered in a circle. Neo managed to see Saya and Kensuke standing face-to-face. Kensuke seemed to be finishing saying something.

“...the truth is, I LOVE YOU, SAYA!” Kensuke shouted with all his might.

The crowd erupted, cheering. Many were just there to cause a scene, not knowing either of them.

Saya looked nervous. She said something softly, but the noise made it impossible to hear. Neo couldn’t make out her words.

“What did she say?” someone in the crowd asked.

“Did she accept?” another voice questioned.

“Looks like she did,” someone confirmed.

The crowd grew confused, but a rumor spread that Saya had accepted, and they began chanting for a kiss.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” they shouted.

Shocked, Neo didn’t want to see any more, pulled Saya’s gift from his bag and threw it away. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could, passing Len, who looked panicked.

Len picked up the package and looked around, searching for someone he recognized. He saw Sunny, who seemed confused by the crowd.

“Give this to Saya. I’ll go after Neo,” he said, shoving the gift into her hands and running off.

Neo ran as fast as he could, trying to forget what he had seen. It couldn’t be real. He took out all his frustration on his legs, running faster and faster.

Everything had been going so well, and in an instant, it was all ruined. All he wanted to do was escape—to find a place where no one could find him.

Len couldn’t keep up with him and eventually stopped to catch his breath. He decided to think logically.

There was only one place Neo could be.

In a hidden part of the city, through a hole in a wall, was a secluded spot. It had a small area where cats gathered, a large tree, a small bench, and an abandoned fountain in the center.

Neo was sitting on the bench, watching the cats. Tears streamed down his expressionless face. Something in him seemed broken. Len sat beside him.

“And now?” Neo asked without looking away from the cats.

Len didn’t know what to say.

He stayed silent.

They sat there, watching the cats for a while.

“Len. I've got a plan, but I need your help.”

“Anything, my friend,” Len said, relieved to see that Neo wasn’t completely defeated.

The two weren’t seen for the next few weeks.

It was as if they had disappeared.