"Sometimes, a stranger's gaze sees more than your mirror ever could."
---
The clouds had finally cleared.
Kamiyama's field was still muddy from the rains, but the team didn't care. They ran harder. Threw sharper. Laughed louder.
And from across the street—beneath a black umbrella despite the sun—someone watched.
He wore a tan coat. Sunglasses. Quiet shoes.
Reina noticed him first. "Is that guy… watching us?"
Sōta shrugged. "Maybe he's lost. Or… stalking Inoue-sensei."
Kento added, "If he's scouting this mess, he needs glasses."
They laughed.
But Haruto didn't.
He kept pitching.
---
Post-Practice Mystery
As the team huddled around their bent water cooler, the man approached.
"Haruto Yamazaki," he said, stopping a few feet away. "Pitcher. Fast reflexes. Poor form. Great instincts."
Everyone blinked.
"…Excuse me?" Haruto said.
The man smiled politely. "Kenta Mizushima. Independent scout for regional training camps."
Dead silence.
Reina dropped her bottle.
"Wait… scout? Here? For us?" Riku's jaw dropped.
Mizushima nodded. "I was passing through. Decided to stop. Watched your game last weekend. Came back today to confirm what I saw."
Haruto's chest tightened. "Which is…?"
"You've got raw talent. Like—really raw. Like 'uncooked rice in the rain' raw. But there's potential."
---
The Offer That Wasn't
"I'm not offering you a scholarship," Mizushima said bluntly. "Not yet."
"Oh," Kento muttered. "That's less cool."
"But," he continued, "I'm opening a door. There's a development camp in Tokyo this summer. If your team plays one official match and submits footage, I'll consider sending an invite."
Sōta blinked. "We haven't even played one official game."
Haruto stepped forward. "We'll get one."
Mizushima studied him. "It's not just about skill, Yamazaki. You've got to lead."
Then he turned to Reina. "And your shortstop's got sharp eyes. You'd be wasted if you gave up again."
Reina narrowed her gaze. "Who said I was planning to?"
---
After He Left
The silence hung thick.
Then Tomo whispered, "Did we just get scouted?!"
Reina nodded slowly. "Kind of. Maybe."
Haruto smiled.
Not a big one.
But real.
"We're gonna do this. One official match. Just one. That's the first step."
Kento cracked his knuckles. "We better look like an actual team, then."
Sōta grinned. "Time to train like our dreams depend on it."
Tomo raised his crutch like a sword. "To the Tokyo Camp!"
Everyone cheered.
Even Mr. Inoue—who had been eavesdropping from the science lab window—softly chuckled to himself.
---
Closing Scene: Under the Streetlamp
That night, Haruto stood by the old vending machine near the station.
Reina joined him, two canned coffees in hand.
"I believe in you," she said, handing him one.
Haruto looked at her.
"For the first time… I think I believe in me too."
---
End of Chapter 9