CHAPTER 5 : Monster

Dad and I decided to walk to the park to play catch over there since our backyard isn't big enough for me to pitch anymore, we don't have a big house since our family belongs to the middle class. We are not rich but we aren't that poor either.

Anyways it's just 5 minutes walk from our house to the village park so it's okay. Dad and I talked a lot on our way so we really don't really notice the passing of time we just found ourselves in the park entrance just like that. We just look at each other sharing a look of understanding between the two of us and we just laughed it off.

"Alright Jiro, let's go over there" dad said as he pointed to the far left side of the park since there's not much people over there.

"Hehe alright dad" I agreed as there's still a lot of people playing here at the front side. So we both made our way over that spot quickly.

When we arrived we just smiled at each other as always and we begun stretching first. I strongly implement having stretching and warm up before doing any exercises or activities in my routine I always take precautions now as not to stress my muscles and I'll do cool down exercises after activities every time to avoid any chance of experiencing injury again. I won't repeat the same mistake that I've made in my last life. Sure it isn't the cause of my injury back then but it's better this way.

As we are done with our stretching, I asked dad to warm up first so we play catch lightly in order to warm up our shoulders. I pitched around 15 pitches in when I feel my blood flowing actively in my body and that's my cue as I am ready.

"I'm good now dad, what about you?" I asked him.

"What do you take me for? A frail old man? I'm just going to catch for you so I'm good" he replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Hahaha yes, after all you're really an old man" I jokingly laugh at dad and I heard him mumbled "tch brat" as he just looks at me while having his signature smile plastered on his face.

So as he started to crouch down I started walking estimating the correct distance for the mound to the catcher and 'here' I thought as I stop on my track and look back at my dad already crouching down holding hit mitt steady at the middle of his chest. I just smiled at him.

"This won't be like 3 months before dad!" I warned him.

He just smiled at me saying "bring it on young man."

JIRO's FATHER POV

Tch this brat just warned me that it's not going to be the same 3 months ago hahah, is he underestimating this great Tsunabayoshi Jin that once played Koshien before? 'WHERE DID MY CUTE JIROO GO?! I internally screamed as I just smiled at my son saying bring it on.

My son's aura changed after that statement of mine, I know that this is absurd but every time Jiro pitch he just exudes this tremendous pressure. As I saw those brown and blue eyes of my son look at me , I thought 'ahh he's serious' so I watched him begin his wind up raising his knee and raising that arms of his and begining his pitching motion then

*Boomm , a loud sound suddenly could be heard in the park. I, Tsubayoshi Jin the man that once played at Koshien just blinked because of shock and after that I just felt the ball drilling it's way into my mitt as if it's alive.

What the hell just happened? What the fuck did this brat do this past 3 months that I'm gone?! It's not this fast and monstrous when I last catch for this brat sure he's fast back then but the ball is different compared to 3 months ago that the ball I've received back then can't compare to what I've just witnessed.

I look at the ball in my hand and look at my son's face smiling at me. Ahh, 'I Tsubayoshi Jin just birthed a monster' that thought just simply made it's way into my mind.

I'm proud, so proud of this young man standing in front of me. If before this someone would tell me that an 11 year old kid pitched a 130km/h fastball I'll just laughed it off as a joke. It's not just fast Jiro literally just pitched the ball where my mitt is he's always have that kind of good ball control since he's a child.

"HAHAHAHA NICE BALL JIRO" I laughed loudly not minding the looks people gave me since I'm happy, very happy.

"One more!" I said as I throw the ball back at my son and crouching down again ready to receive his pitches again.

I really did raise a monster huh? I just smiled at that thought.

JIRO'S POV

I smiled at my dad as he looked at me proudly, while throwing me the ball again. We've been playing catch here for 30 minutes now. I am happy that my old man is giving me that proud look on his face it's as if he's bragging to the world.

"Dad it's already past 5 so this is the last pitch mom's going to kill us when we got back when it's dark!" I said to him on which he agreed. So I inhale and exhale my breath a couple of times trying to reach my maximum concentration and it's working it do wonders to me as when I'm extremely focused the background noise just disappear and I could absolutely go beyond my best when I'm in this state. Since this is the last pitch I decided to max out my concentration and all I can see is the mitt of my old man at the moment.

I raised my knee high, raised my arms, stomping my right foot firmly on the ground, rotating my hips fully as doing all that perfectly I'm concentrating all of my strength in my fingertips releasing the ball.

*BOOMMM the sound of the ball drilling to the mitt that my old man is holding, he's been pushed on the ground shocked because of the power of the pitch. That's the best pitch that I've done in this life as I look at my arms that just pitched the ball smiling.

"HAHAHA I'm really proud of you Jiro!" Dad said as he got up from the ground dusting himself. Oh damn, it really always felt so good hearing that from dad.

"Of course you should old man, I'm Tsubayoshi Jiro!" I proudly said on which I just heard a hearty laugh again coming from him.

I don't really know the exact speed of my last pitch as I was so focused that time but remembering it I think it's higher than 130km/h it should be around 133km/h or 134km/h , I thought.

"Let's go home now Jiro, Mina is going to kill me if we come home late hehe" dad said scratching his head on which I agreed. As usual we just talked along the way to our house happily.