"Let me throw batting practice for everyone."
"I also want to get more comfortable pitching left-handed."
"Now that I can throw with both arms, I can alternate between them."
"One arm throws 180 pitches."
"Both arms together make 360."
"That gives the team twice as many quality pitches for batting practice."
Ushijima explained his idea to Coach Kataoka.
The coach frowned.
"Won't that put too much strain on your body?"
"I'll test it first."
"I'll throw 180 pitches with each arm today."
"If it's too much, I'll stop."
"If my body can handle it, I'll keep the usual schedule of one day pitching and one day resting."
"If the workload is too heavy, then I'll adjust it."
"Monday, I'll throw 210 pitches with my right arm."
"Tuesday, 210 with my left."
"That way each arm gets proper recovery."
Coach Kataoka nodded.
"Alright."
"We'll try it."
"But don't push yourself."
"Your health comes first."
After their discussion, Ushijima picked up the reports from the Second String's August practice games.
As he walked toward the field while reading them...
Someone suddenly crashed into him.
"Ow!"
Sawamura tumbled backward after running into Ushijima.
Rubbing his forehead, he glared up.
"Hey!"
"Ushijima!"
"Why'd you suddenly walk into my way?!"
Ushijima didn't even look up immediately.
He calmly finished reading the page in his hand.
Only then did he speak.
"The practice games started on August 8."
"Through August 28..."
"Fifteen games."
"Ten starts."
"No wins."
"An average of three runs allowed per game."
"The three complete games you pitched..."
"You gave up five runs in each."
He lowered the report and looked directly at Sawamura.
"So this is your record?"
"You keep saying you want the mound."
"And this is what you show?"
Sawamura froze.
His shoulders slowly slumped.
"...I'm sorry."
Ushijima shook his head.
"You don't owe me an apology."
"If anything..."
"Apologize to yourself."
"The one who got hit around was you."
"The one who lost those games was you."
"None of that has anything to do with me."
"They were only practice games."
"The team can afford those losses."
"What matters is this."
He looked Sawamura straight in the eye.
"Do you think these results are worthy of you?"
The surrounding first-string players all turned toward Ushijima.
No one expected him to confront Sawamura so directly.
Kuramochi quickly pulled Ushijima aside.
"Hey..."
"Don't push him."
"He's dealing with the yips."
"...The yips?"
Ushijima blinked.
He had no idea.
He had only been away for a week.
How had things become this serious?
Kuramochi quietly explained everything.
During a practice game against Yakushi...
Raichi Todoroki had crushed one of Sawamura's pitches for a three-run home run.
Ever since then...
Sawamura had completely lost confidence.
He no longer dared to challenge hitters inside.
He was trapped in his own head.
"..."
Then—
"Hahahahahaha!"
Ushijima suddenly burst into laughter.
"He actually hit a home run off you?"
"Hahahaha!"
Sawamura's face instantly turned bright red.
"You...!"
Not only was he furious—
He looked ready to transform into a Super Saiyan.
Still laughing so hard he had to hold his stomach, Ushijima wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes.
"So that's what it feels like to give up a home run?"
"I'm sorry."
"I wouldn't know."
"I've never allowed one."
"Hahahaha!"
"You actually gave up a three-run bomb to Raichi?"
"The same Raichi I've struck out three times in a row?"
"That's honestly pathetic."
The entire first-string squad froze.
Kuramochi.
Miyuki.
Everyone else.
They had all carefully avoided bringing up the incident.
Forget teasing Sawamura—
They hadn't even dared mention it.
And now...
Ushijima had stepped directly onto the biggest landmine imaginable.
"Bastard!!"
Sawamura exploded.
"Stop laughing!"
"I'll kill you!!"
Ushijima grinned.
"So..."
"You don't dare throw inside anymore?"
"That's convenient."
"If you can't attack inside..."
"You're finished."
"Your biggest weapon is your deceptive release point."
"And your inside pitches."
"If you can't use them anymore..."
"You're nothing more than an ordinary pitcher."
"That just means Kawakami-senpai and Furuya will have to pitch a few extra innings."
Still smiling, Ushijima casually threw an arm around Sawamura's shoulder.
Sawamura nearly exploded.
"Who says I can't throw inside?!"
Ushijima immediately let go.
"Oh?"
"You still can?"
"Good."
"Let's test it."
He walked toward Haruichi.
"Mind if I borrow your bat?"
Haruichi silently handed him the wooden bat.
Ushijima rested it on his shoulder.
"You pitch."
"I'll bat."
"Throw me an inside pitch."
"Let's see if you've really lost it."
"My home runs..."
"They're probably harder to give up than Raichi's."
"I'll give you three pitches."
"The first two..."
"I won't swing."
"But if your third pitch still isn't inside..."
"I'll swing as hard as I can."
"And if I send it over the fence..."
"Your trauma will only get worse."
Without another word, Ushijima walked into the batter's box.
Sawamura stormed onto the mound.
Neither of them wore any protective equipment.
No batting helmet.
No elbow guard.
No glove for Sawamura.
Only a bat.
A ball.
And their pride.
"I'm going to strike you out!"
Sawamura shouted.
"If you've got the ability..."
"Then do it."
Ushijima settled into the left-handed batter's box.
He deliberately chose the more difficult matchup.
Sawamura was a left-handed pitcher.
Facing a left-handed hitter, locating the inside corner was significantly harder.
If Sawamura wanted to prove he had overcome his fear...
He would have to challenge the toughest target possible.
Seeing this, Kuramochi couldn't stay calm.
"Hey!"
"Shouldn't somebody stop him?"
Miyuki simply smiled.
"No."
"This is exactly what Sawamura needs."
On the mound...
Sawamura slowly took a deep breath.
His anger gradually faded.
Replacing it...
Was tension.
Standing in the batter's box, Ushijima's presence felt overwhelming.
A left-handed hitter.
Just like Raichi.
But unlike Raichi...
Ushijima's aura was suffocating.
Every instinct in Sawamura's body screamed in warning.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
For the first time since that game...
He was about to face the fear he had been desperately trying to avoid.