Chapter 37 — Bryan's Moment
Bryan O'Reilly walked toward the batter's box like he was walking toward a final exam he definitely didn't study for.
His steps were tiny.
His face pale.
His hands shaking on the bat.
Tyler cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled:
"BRYAN! THAT BAT IS YOUR SWORD! WIELD IT WITH HONOR!"
Bryan jumped so hard the bat flew out of his hands and clattered on the dirt.
The entire stadium stared.
Bryan whispered,
"…sorry."
Emma sighed.
Blake facepalmed.
Zach smiled gently.
Because he could feel it.
PING.
"Shared Focus Active."
Bryan Emotions: Fear • Anxiety • Pressure • Determination (tiny but real)."
Zach stepped toward third base and called softly:
"It's okay, Bryan!"
Bryan swallowed.
Tyler yelled louder:
"BRYAN WE BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU CAN DO IT! YOU ARE STRONG LIKE A BABY COUGAR!"
Bryan squeaked.
The Hawks Shift Again
The Hawks infield adjusted.
The third baseman crept in.
The shortstop moved closer to second.
The outfield stepped forward.
A defensive shift of disrespect.
Mason Hayes, from the dugout, cupped his hands and shouted:
"Play shallow! He's scared!"
The words hit Bryan like a punch.
His emotions spiked.
Zach felt it through the link.
Fear.
Humiliation.
Pressure.
Shame.
Zach immediately shouted:
"BRYAN! LISTEN TO US—NOT THEM!"
Blake added,
"Yeah! Ignore the Hawks!"
Emma called,
"You can do this."
Tyler screamed at max volume,
"IF YOU EVEN TOUCH THE BALL I'LL DO A CARTWHEEL AND BREAK MY SPINE AND BE HAPPY ABOUT IT!"
Noah yelled,
"BRYAN!! HIT THE BALL SO HARD IT GOES TO OUTER SPAAAACE!!"
Bryan trembled.
But the trembling…
started fading.
Because all he could hear now—
all he could FEEL—
was his team.
And Shared Focus responded.
PING.
"Fear Reduced."
"Confidence Rising."
"Bryan Focus: +12%."
Zach breathed out.
This was working.
Hunter Notices
Hunter Knox narrowed his eyes.
This wasn't the same scared kid he'd seen in scouting notes.
This Bryan…
was still scared.
But not alone.
Hunter exhaled sharply.
"Alright then."
He pitched.
Pitch 1 — Panic
A fastball on the outside corner.
Bryan swung—
WHOOSH
And missed the ball by three feet.
"STRIKE!"
Bryan almost fell over.
Tyler screamed from the dugout:
"GOOD PRACTICE SWING! VERY WARM-UP! GREAT ENERGY!"
Bryan whispered,
"I-I wasn't warming up…"
Emma muttered,
"He was panicking."
Noah added,
"He panics like a squirrel."
Blake replied,
"Don't say that."
Zach smiled.
But Bryan didn't know how much they saw.
Shared Focus let Zach feel the entire flow of Bryan's emotions.
It wasn't just fear.
It was a need.
A desperate need to not disappoint them.
Pitch 2 — Something Shifts
Hunter delivered again.
A curveball.
Sharp.
Downward.
Beautiful.
Bryan froze.
He didn't swing.
The ump called,
"BALL!"
The crowd murmured.
Hunter blinked.
Zach felt Bryan's realization:
"Too low…
I saw that…"
Emma and Blake exchanged a glance.
"He tracked the pitch," Emma said quietly.
Blake nodded.
"Yeah."
Tyler gasped dramatically.
"BRYAN IS AWAKENING!"
Shared Focus Surge
PING.
"Bryan Cognitive Focus Increase."
"Shared Focus Sync Strengthening."
Zach blinked.
Something was happening.
Bryan wasn't mirroring the team's strength—
He was absorbing it.
Adapting.
Growing.
For the first time,
Bryan's fear wasn't blocking him.
It was fueling him.
Pitch 3 — The Choice
Hunter lifted his leg.
Zach felt what was coming—
A low outside changeup.
A setup pitch.
A trick.
Bryan saw the pitch—
Zach FELT him see it—
He knows.
Bryan didn't swing.
"BALL TWO!"
The crowd cheered lightly.
Tyler screamed,
"I SAW YOU TRACK IT, BRYAN! I SAW YOUR EYES WORKING!!"
Bryan blushed bright red.
But didn't look away from the pitcher.
Pitch 4 — The Test
Full focus.
Complete silence.
Zach breathed with him.
Blake clenched his fist.
Emma nodded once.
Tyler pressed his face against the dugout fence like a golden retriever.
Hunters threw—
A fastball down the middle.
Bryan—
SWUNG.
CRACK!!!
The ball lifted.
Not high.
Not deep.
But solid.
A PERFECT line drive into shallow right field.
The EXACT spot the Hawks moved away from.
The crowd SCREAMED.
Noah sprinted home.
Emma raced to third.
Blake sprinted to third with her.
Zach scored easily.
The scoreboard changed—
DODGERS — 2
HAWKS — 0
Tyler fainted into Micah's arms screaming,
"BRYAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!"
The Dodgers dugout ERUPTED.
Emma cheered.
Noah did a victory cartwheel.
Blake slammed his helmet down in celebration.
Coach Ramirez actually smiled.
Bryan stood at first base…
Frozen.
Then slowly—
tears filled his eyes.
He whispered,
"…I did it?"
Zach yelled from home plate,
"YOU DID IT!"
Noah screamed,
"BRYAN HIT A REAL HIT!!"
Blake shouted,
"LET'S GO, BRYAN!"
Tyler regained consciousness and yelled:
"THE LEGEND! THE MYTH! THE SOFT-SPOKEN SLUGGER!!!"
Bryan wiped his eyes and smiled for the first time all season.
The system chimed:
PINGPINGPING!!!
"Milestone Achieved — Bryan's First Clutch Hit."
"Team Synergy Boost: +15%"
"Shared Focus: Level Up (Lv.3)."
New Passive Ability: Emotional Stabilizer."
Zach gasped.
Shared Focus wasn't just helping him.
It was helping THEM.
All of them.
Hunter Knox stared from the mound.
In disbelief.
"…They weren't like this last week."
Mason Hayes leaned forward in the Hawks dugout.
His smile was sharp.
"Now the real game starts."