Chapter 49: Seidou vs. Inashiro Industrial (1)
"The final match will officially begin at 1 p.m. this afternoon..."
"Also, today's temperature is quite high. Everyone watching the game, please remember to stay hydrated and watch out for symptoms of heatstroke..."
Despite the scorching weather, the stands were nearly full.
Shinomiya was seated in the last row. Standing behind him, Takashima Rei smiled. "As expected, you came."
"This is the final match for little Rin to reach Koshien. Of course I had to come see whether he's carrying my legacy in both pitching and hitting," Shinomiya replied with a smile.
"But... Kamishiro doesn't seem to get along well with the catcher."
"Huh? Did the catcher say something?" Shinomiya's face lit up with interest.
Takashima adjusted her glasses. "It was... Miyuki Kazuya, our regular catcher at Seidou. He asked, 'When you pitch, have you ever thought about the team?'"
Shinomiya froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Once he calmed down, his gaze sharpened. "That Miyuki catcher actually said that?"
Then, with a hint of helplessness: "If it had been anyone else, that question wouldn't have mattered... But he's a catcher. Asking that... of course little Rin would hate it. Mending that relationship won't be easy..."
He thought for a moment. "Still, there might be a chance. As long as that Miyuki guy doesn't mess up the pitch calls, little Rin won't make a fuss... Over time, he'll start to acknowledge him."
"Come to think of it, Rin also didn't get along with a younger catcher before... Luckily, that kid had the spirit to say, 'Even if it kills me, I'll catch Rin's pitches,' and Rin reluctantly accepted him."
"As for Chris-senpai's injury... that's really unfortunate..."
"A pitcher that strong deserves the strongest catcher. A half-baked one will only drag Rin down."
Takashima looked at him. "So... you're indirectly saying Chris is the strongest catcher?"
"No..."
"If I'm not around, then yeah—Chris-senpai would be the strongest."
Takashima changed the subject. "Did you watch Kamishiro's previous matches?"
"I did. His batting was pretty bad. I've told him countless times not to rely purely on instinct to hit. But he still does. Several games were just him messing around... His batting average dropped a bit..."
"As for pitching... nothing much to say."
Because there was nothing flashy, nor anything poor—so there was nothing noteworthy to comment on.
"What do you think? Does he plan to pitch right-handed?"
"Not yet..."
"But I'll definitely make him use his right hand. Can't let that go to waste."
"I'll leave it to you."
"But... can that Miyuki catcher even catch Rin's right-hand pitches?"
"I think... it won't be a problem."
"Then there's no issue. The Koshien stage... is still too small for little Rin."
Takashima stayed silent, then asked, "How many types of pitches can Kamishiro throw?"
"No idea."
Hard to imagine that answer came from Shinomiya.
"Whatever pitch you need, Rin can throw it. His talent is truly terrifying."
"How far he can go... depends entirely on his catcher—"
...
After determining who would bat first in the opening inning, the team followed captain Yuuki Tetsuya out of the dark tunnel.
Ahead of them—was the field bathed in brilliant light.
"Here they come, the Seidou Baseball Team!"
"Seidou!"
"This year, we're going to Koshien!"
Cheers erupted everywhere.
Among them, the loudest names shouted were: Yuuki Tetsuya, Miyuki Kazuya, and Kamishiro Rinichi.
Over on Inashiro's side, the name heard most clearly—was Narumiya Mei.
The audience's energy was electric.
Everyone had been waiting for this final match that would decide the path to Koshien.
Feeling the crowd's attention, Rinichi was in an exceptionally good mood.
He glanced around the sea of people, trying to find someone. But with so many faces, spotting the one he was looking for was close to impossible.
"It's hot today. Don't drink too much water, or your body won't move properly," Miyuki warned.
Rinichi shot him a glance. "I know."
Both teams lined up.
"The finals of the National High School Baseball Tournament, West Tokyo Regional..."
"Under this brilliant summer sky, both teams have taken the field..."
"Last year's champions, seeking a second consecutive summer title—Inashiro Industrial."
"And Seidou High, aiming for redemption and a return to Koshien after six years."
"Both teams are nationally renowned powerhouses. Who will emerge victorious in this clash of titans?"
As expected of a final—the atmosphere was on an entirely different level from previous games.
Rinichi thought to himself.
"Salute!"
"Please take care of us!"
With that loud chorus, both teams scattered into their positions.
Compared to the others, Rinichi moved a bit sluggishly.
"Top of the first inning—Inashiro Industrial takes the field on defense. And stepping onto the mound is none other than this man: the second-year ace who has yet to give up a single run this tournament—Narumiya Mei!"
Before the game officially began, while Inashiro conducted their warm-up on defense, Seidou gathered its batters from 1 through 9 for a short meeting with Coach Kataoka.
The nine players circled around him.
"Until you're forced into a two-strike count, don't swing at borderline pitches. Don't be afraid of striking out. Stick to attacking the pitch you're targeting. In this kind of heat, the more pitches we make Narumiya throw, the more likely he is to slip up."
Sound advice.
Rinichi joined in the team's rally cry, helping boost morale.
As of now, Narumiya Mei wasn't the only one with a clean record—Rinichi hadn't allowed any runs either.
"Batting first—shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."
What surprised Narumiya Mei was that Kuramochi Youichi stepped into the left-handed batter's box.
Kuramochi was a switch-hitter. Normally, against a left-handed pitcher like Narumiya, he would bat right-handed to get a clearer view of the ball's trajectory.
"The game begins!"
That alone told Narumiya Kuramochi was likely aiming for a bunt. He made a mental note.
"Ball!"
By the time Rinichi noticed from the bullpen, Kuramochi had already been walked on four straight balls.
"Narumiya's being way too cautious around Kuramochi-senpai," Rinichi commented.
Miyuki chuckled. "Then what are you planning when you face Carlos in the bottom of the inning? His running speed is just as fast."
Rinichi gave him a curious look. "I'll pressure him right from the start with velocity."
His tone was casual, but there was an unmistakable air of absolute confidence.
That confidence didn't come from underestimating the opponent—but from his own belief in his pitching.
"Two fastballs, followed by a sharp splitter—he's out."
"Great minds think alike."
"But," Rinichi added, "I don't plan to do that. I want to reduce my pitch count... Let him hit it."
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