The Talk

The smell of rain lingered in the air at Waseda University, but it had yet to fall as an overcast sky shielded those below from a hot spring sun.

Hiroki breathed in the aroma as he marched to baseball practice.

Over the weekend the team had played two games against other universities within Tokyo.

Those two games were what finally convinced Hiroki that Kotaro was rather average. He knew he was better. He could throw faster, make bigger plays, and perform better under pressure. It was all obvious in their practice games.

So why the hell did Coach Suzuki put him on the starting lineup over me?

He knew he wasn't on Nobu's level, but he was certainly a better player than Kotaro. And he had to find out why the coach didn't see it the same way.

I have to ask him.

Practice finished, and Hiroki couldn't stop eyeing Coach Suzuki, looking for his turn to have a talk. Two other players were having a conversation with him, Hiroki felt antsy.

With such focus and determination, he fell into a stupor of oblivious impatience.

"Are you ready to go?" Sora asked. The question pulled Hiroki away from his thoughts for a brief moment.

"No, sorry I've got to talk to coach," Hiroki replied as his eyes darted back to Coach Suzuki who had just finished his chat.

Nobu approached Sora, "what's that about?"

Sora turned, "I don't know."

Nobu thought for a moment. "I think I might," he sighed.

"Hey, coach," Hiroki hollered as he approached Coach Suzuki whose gaze had yet to be pulled away form his clipboard.

A second passed before Coach Suzuki finally turned to Hiroki and folded his arms. It was the face Suzuki had seen from dozens of players, dozens of times. There was one every year. The kid who wanted to be a starter, but wasn't.

Unfortunately, the answer was always the same: practice harder. Some of them listened, some of them didn't. Most of those who tried did get their spot as a starter eventually, even if it took them another year.

Which way will this one go? he thought to himself.

"Yes, Hiroki?"

There was hesitation — nerves — that Hiroki was doing everything he could to overcome.

"Why am I not on the starting lineup?" he blurted. That's not how it was supposed to come out.

Coach Suzuki's eyebrows raised with an obvious sense of disbelief.

"I–... sorry, I meant to say: what do I need to do to be on the starting lineup?" he corrected as his face turned beet red.

There was a moment of uncomfortable pause before Coach Suzuki finally smirked and took a deep breath, "I'm going to be completely honest with you, Hiroki. You are an exceptionally talented player..."

Hiroki's face lit up with both surprise and delight.

"But you don't seem to take baseball seriously," Coach Suzuki finished as Hiroki's pride quickly faded.

"What do you mean?"

Coach Suzuki unfolded his arms and began to gesture his hands before freezing in place, hesitating, trying to choose his words carefully.

"You never seem to give a full effort in practice. Sure, you're on time and you do the drills... but always at three-quarter speed."

He paused again, glancing at Hiroki's defeated face.

"I selected you for this team because I saw what you were capable of in your high school championship game. But I can't put you ahead of players who are in it for something bigger."

"Bigger?" Hiroki whimpered.

"Professional baseball."