"We're here!" - Kenshin said excitedly as he parked the car outside the stadium.
Shun got out of the car and looked at the large stadium in front of him, impressed. It was the biggest baseball stadium in Japan, with a capacity of 55,000 people, home to the team his father worked for, the Yomiuri Giants. It was the Tokyo Dome.
"One day..." - Shun clenched his fists with determination as he whispered to himself. Before receiving the system, he believed he would never be able to play in such a stadium, but now, something inside him burned as he gazed at the Tokyo Dome. Without even realizing it, Shun's determination was ignited.
He no longer thought it was impossible, in fact, he was now filled with a strong desire to step onto that stage.
"Shun, let's go!" - Kenshin called out to his distracted son as he walked toward the stadium with the rest of the family. Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr
"Oh! Right!" - Shun snapped out of his thoughts and responded, quickly following his father. It was still too early for Shun to think about such things, after all, he was far from the professional level. In fact, even in middle school, he still had unresolved matters to deal with.
"Do you guys want something to eat?" - Aiko asked the three children as they passed by one of the stadium's restaurants.
"Yes!" - Shun and his two sisters replied in unison, making their mother smile.
The Takahashi family then got in line to order. A few minutes later, they were all holding a hot dog in one hand and a soda in the other as they headed toward their seats.
Kenshin had managed to get good tickets since he worked for the Yomiuri Giants. They were seated in the front rows of the stands, right behind the home plate. It was the closest possible spot to the batter, but on the downside, it would be difficult for them to catch any balls today.
"Haha, right... thanks, Mrs. Hoshino." - Shun gave an embarrassed laugh before thanking her. He knew Sophia's intentions were good, but he still felt a bit uncomfortable being treated like a baby. First, he gets his cheeks pinched, and then he gets chocolate to cheer him up... He couldn't help but think: 'Does she know I'm already 14 years old?'
Hana was surprised by Shun's reaction. She expected him to be more depressed because of yesterday's loss, but he seemed normal. She then sat next to Mika, and the two started chatting excitedly.
Shun also sat down again, his mother and Sophia were talking, while little Yumi was sitting on her mother's lap, suffering from Sophia's cheek pinches.
"So, Shun, how are things going with the team?" - Shun heard Satoru's voice. He looked over and saw that he and his father were looking in his direction.
"Well, we got eliminated from the Tokyo tournament yesterday. The third-years left the team, so we've got a lot to sort out." - Shun decided not to mention the issues with players quitting the team.
"Oh, and how's your pitching? Have you learned any new pitches?" - Satoru asked. As someone who worked with professionals all the time, he knew that the key to a young player's career was their development.
"Huh?" - Shun was a bit surprised by the question, but before he could respond, he heard his father's voice:
"Shun's not a pitcher anymore, Satoru. But don't let that fool you, I've seen it with my own eyes, his skills as an outfielder are impressive, haha!" - Kenshin said with an excited and proud laugh. He didn't want his son to feel embarrassed about having to say he wasn't a pitcher anymore, so he answered the question himself.
"Oh, really?" - Satoru was surprised. As a Japanese person, he felt a little disappointed to learn that the son of the legendary pitcher Kenshin Takahashi wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps, but he obviously didn't show it. He was about to continue the conversation but was interrupted by Shun's voice.
"Dad, I'm still a pitcher!" - Shun spoke calmly, but his eyes were overflowing with determination.