Tokyo — Kitamura Sporting Goods Store.
Tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock…
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Amid the sharp ringing of the alarm clock, Kitamura Kou slowly opened his eyes. As he stared at the strange yet oddly familiar ceiling, his mind remained foggy.
Hadn't he already died?
He looked around the room, taking in the familiar furnishings. Everything seemed both nostalgic and unfamiliar at the same time.
Then it suddenly clicked.
Wasn't this the room he had lived in as a child?
Kou stared at his hands. They were small—far smaller than he remembered.
His eyes widened.
He quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the wall calendar.
After staring at the date for a long moment, he finally understood.
He had been reborn.
And not just anywhere—he had returned to the summer of his fifth-grade year in elementary school.
Then another realization struck him.
Today… was his and Tsukishima Wakaba's birthday.
That meant Wakaba hadn't drowned yet while trying to save that little girl.
A surge of emotion rushed through Kou's chest.
Joy. Relief.
Hope.
In his previous life, Kitamura Kou had become the ace pitcher of a powerhouse Major League team. His career had been brilliant—but far from perfect.
During his third year of high school, the intense series of games at Koshien had pushed his arm far beyond its limits. Though he eventually led his team to victory and claimed the championship, the cost had been severe.
His right shoulder suffered permanent damage.
Even after making it to the Major Leagues, his fastball speed could never break 165 km/h. The lingering shoulder injury continued to flare up, forcing him to miss games and limiting his performance.
In the end, he never truly reached the peak of the baseball world.
After retiring, he returned to Japan. He married Tsukishima Aoba, inherited the family sporting goods store, and occasionally played amateur baseball with old teammates.
It was a peaceful life.
But deep down… it was also an ordinary one.
Kou never imagined that fate would give him a second chance—sending him back to his childhood.
This time…
He would fix the regrets of his previous life.
He would save Tsukishima Wakaba.
And he would push his baseball career even further than before.
"Kou! How long are you going to let that alarm ring? Get up already!"
His mother's voice drifted up from downstairs.
"I'm up!"
Kou quickly got dressed, washed his face, grabbed the birthday gift he had prepared for Wakaba, and hurried out the door.
As he reached the corner near the park, he saw Aoba practicing pitching with her father.
The sight made Kou pause.
Memories from his previous life—his marriage, the years they had spent together—flooded back into his mind.
His emotions grew complicated.
But remembering the promise he had once made to Wakaba, Kou quietly turned away and continued walking.
At the bench beside the lake in the park, Kou sat next to Wakaba.
"I didn't expect Aoba's pitching to be that good," Kou said.
"She's been playing with the fourth-grade boys' team lately," Wakaba replied. "She's their pitcher."
"I see."
"She's always loved baseball."
"Your dad played at Koshien before, right?"
"I think so," Wakaba said thoughtfully. "I heard his dream was to have a son and raise him to become a professional baseball player."
She waved her hands dismissively.
"But that's not important right now. Let's exchange gifts!"
She stretched both hands toward Kou expectantly.
"Uh… do we really have to keep doing this every year?" Kou said awkwardly. "I never know what to buy."
"No way!" Wakaba puffed out her cheeks. "This is an important annual event!"
With a helpless sigh, Kou handed her the wallet he had prepared.
"Hmm…"
Wakaba studied it carefully.
"If you don't like it, I can exchange it," Kou said quickly.
"No need."
She smiled.
"I'll count this as a pass… barely."
"Barely?" Kou muttered under his breath.
Then Wakaba handed him his gift.
Kou stared at it in disbelief.
"What the heck? An alarm clock again? This is just like last year."
"Because one clearly isn't enough for you!" Wakaba replied proudly.
"Tch."
Wakaba smiled brightly.
"Today is June 10th."
"Happy birthday to us."
Just then—
Dong… dong… dong…
Church bells rang in the distance.
Nearby, a wedding ceremony had just ended, and a newly married couple stepped out of the church while friends and family congratulated them.
"So beautiful…" Wakaba said softly.
"Is it?" Kou replied. "Looks pretty normal to me."
"They'll definitely be happy," Wakaba said dreamily. "They're getting married on our birthday, after all."
Her eyes lingered on the couple as if she were imagining the future.
Later that afternoon, Wakaba sat in Kou's room watching baseball on television.
"It's been a long time since I've been in your room," she said.
"Has it?"
"What happened to all the model toys you used to keep here?"
"They were messy, so I put them in the drawer."
"I remember you used to like airplanes."
"Before that, I liked trains."
"Oh right!" Wakaba laughed. "And you once said you wanted to be an aquarium director because you liked big fish."
"Before that, I wanted to run a zoo."
"So what do you want to be in the future?"
Kou paused.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "My interests change all the time."
"What about baseball?"
"That's just something boys play to pass the time."
Wakaba smiled.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"Huh?"
"I wonder what kind of adult you'll become."
She suddenly stood up and taped a piece of paper onto the wall.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Kou asked quickly.
"It's a schedule."
"A schedule?"
"For your birthday gifts starting next year!"
"...You're serious?"
"With this, you won't have to worry about what to buy anymore."
Wakaba then picked up Kou's baseball cap.
"Can I borrow this for the camping trip?"
"I don't mind… but it's pretty dirty."
"That's fine."
She placed the hat on her head and turned toward him.
"Does it look good on me?"
Tsukishima Wakaba.
The cutest girl in the class—
No.
The cutest girl in the entire grade.
As Kou looked at her profile, that thought echoed in his mind.
That night, the two walked together along the street.
"I'll be back the day after tomorrow," Wakaba said.
"You mean from the camping trip?"
"Yep."
"And the day after that, we're going to the Summer Festival."
Kou nodded.
"Okay… but promise me something."
"What?"
"Stay safe. Don't try to do anything dangerous. If something happens, call a teacher or an adult. Don't try to handle it yourself."
He hesitated.
"I just… have a bad feeling."
"Wakaba."
She suddenly ran forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"I promise."
She smiled brightly.
"We still have a date for the Summer Festival."
"Goodnight, Kou."
Then she jogged back toward her home.
The next day, about an hour before the drowning incident was supposed to happen, Kou secretly called emergency services.
When the accident occurred, the ambulance arrived just in time.
The first-grade girl who had fallen into the water was rescued.
And this time—
Wakaba never had to jump in after her.
Both of them were safe.
The camping trip was canceled due to the accident.
That evening, Kou rushed to the Tsukishima Batting Center.
When he saw Wakaba standing there safe and smiling, the weight in his heart finally lifted.
The regret that had haunted him for an entire lifetime…
Had finally been erased.
On the day of the Summer Festival, Kou and Wakaba went together as they had promised.
They laughed.
They played games.
They watched fireworks together.
It was a perfect night.
As Kou walked home afterward, a new determination filled his heart.
This time, he would use the knowledge and experience from his previous life.
He would design a proper training program.
A balanced diet.
A body strong enough to withstand the harsh demands of professional baseball.
In this life—
He would protect his arm.
And one day…
His fastball would reach 170 km/h.