Seido's Lovely Manager (Miyuki Kazuya x Female OC)

IX. The Aftermath

The next morning, Emi decided to go to Seidou Spirit Dorm to check on the team despite knowing that they had two days off. When she got there, all she could feel was sadness for the players. As they ate breakfast, Emi saw how the third years mourned for not being able to go to the nationals that they worked hard for. There were no words exchanged between the players, except tears.

A few hours later, Emi entered the cafeteria and saw Miyuki watching the game all by him self. She let out a small laugh when she saw concentrated the cacther was and decided to make herself known.

"Trying to find the factor of why you guys lost momentum during the game? I would say that on the last inning, Sawamura became way too tense due to the pressure both Seido and Inashiro put on him," Emi spoke up making Miyuki look up at her and pause the video.

"Emi-chan," Miyuki said, surprised that she was here during their day off, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you guys, see how the team was doing after yesterday's game," Emi said as she stood close to Miyuki.

"You were there," Miyuki spoke as if it was more of a confirmation rather than a question, "We didn't win after all, huh?" Miyuki said bitterly as he remebered their loss.

"That's not your fault, you know? Everyone was doing their best to win," Emi told him softly as she put both of her hands on his shoulders as an act of comfort and gave them a warm squeeze.

"In the last inning, as you said, Sawamura didn't look like himself at all. I don't know why I didn't walk up and talk to him," Miyuki confessed, "Was I maybe rushing to win?"

"Who knows?" Emi said, "But, what I know is that Miyuki-senpai should use this as a way to improve for next time. Yes, Sawamura-kun was not himself in the last inning, and to be honest, I really hoped you would call a time out before he threw that deadball. But, mistakes happens, and that is alright. Don't forget this feeling of frustration and use it to get stronger, because you will need it, especially now that the upperclassmen retired," Emi told Miyuki.

"We weren't good enough," he said as he resumed the tape.

"I know," Emi whipered softly, "That's a good sign, that means that we can grow stronger, isn't that right?"

"Yeah," Miyuki said quietly, "Thanks, Emi-chan," Miyuki said looking up to her and giving her a small smile.

"Anytime," she told him patting his shoulder.

The door suddenly opened and Kuramochi came in, "You're already reviewing yesterday's game?" Kuramochi asked. Miyuki however stayed quiet not answering his fellow classmate.

"That's great and all, but do you have to do it now?" Kuramochi asked Miyuki, "The upperclassmen have already retired and--"

"We weren't good enough," Miyuki repeated what he told Emi interrupting Kuramochi calmly, the other second year looked at Emi in question. The girl simply shrugged her shoulders, acting as if she didn't know anything.

"Huh?"

"I wasn't. And the team wasn't," Miyuki said, his eyes suddenly turned fiery, the room became silent and the only sound that the trio could hear was the game tape playing on the background until Miyuki decided to speak up, "Even with such unbelievable upperclassmen, we couldn't win. We don't have the indisputable cleanup hitter any longer. We don't have an ace. As it stands now, going to the Nationals next year will be nothing but a pipe dream," Miyuki coldly looked at Kuramochi who couldn't help but agree with what the catcher said.

"I am sure the rest of the team knows that," Emi told both of her soon to be upperclassmen who looked at her in confusion, "They are probably practicing right now," she said knowingly. She did see Maezono before checking up on Miyuki and the former told her that him and some other players were going to practice in order to get to the regular spot. He told her to guard the secret but she didn't find the harm in telling them since it would probably cheer up the current regulars too.