At 4:00 a.m. on August 18, rain pattered against the glass outside. It fell so densely that many light sleepers among the players were awakened. Kōshū was one of them.
He studied the patterns on the ceiling, letting the sound of the rain fill his ears. A breeze drifted in through the gap in the window, carrying a slight chill. After evaporating rainwater all night, it was actually cooler outside than indoors.
Should I get up and go watch the rain, or sleep a little longer? Kōshū struggled with the question, eyes closed. After a while, he fell asleep again.
In his dream, at the final crucial moment of the game, he threw a Wild Pitch that directly caused Seido to lose to Seibo. The upperclassmen cried miserably, while he stood to one side in confusion.
A staff member told him, "Why are you still here? Please leave immediately." Alone, under the sharp stares boring into his back, he ran out of the stadium and bought a ticket back to Seido by himself. Shame and frustration filled his heart, leaving him too afraid to turn back and ask what had happened.
Miyuki was awakened by the sound of sobbing. It was far too close, like a child squatting beside his head and crying.
"Late at night," "somebody's child," and "crying"—put those keywords together, and it sounded like a horror movie. He jolted awake, only to realize someone was crying in their dream.
"Hey, hey, Kōshū." After checking his phone and seeing it was only five, Miyuki rubbed his bleary eyes and shook the guy beside him awake.
"What?" The other guy was ungrateful instead, muttering as he rolled over. After that, though, he began snoring normally. Miyuki did not think much of it and went back to sleep. They had