"Now I will assign jersey numbers. When your name is called, step forward in order."
"First, jersey number 1: Kamishiro Rinichi."
There was no suspense.
Even Tanba had expected this.
Although Rinichi was only a first-year, based on his performance, the No. 1 jersey suited him best.
At the same time, it served as motivation for the second- and third-years—a win-win situation.
Rinichi held his breath.
This was the first jersey number he'd received since entering high school…
He stepped forward, took the number, and stood there in a daze.
As he returned to the team, he was met with the smiles of his seniors.
"Kamishiro is really amazing, getting the No. 1 jersey as a first-year," Haruichi said with admiration.
Beside him, Furuya showed no expression on his face, but his right hand was tightly clenched.
There was no denying that Rinichi's presence put a lot of pressure on him.
He still had a lot to work on…
But he wouldn't back down.
"Next, No. 2, Miyuki Kazuya."
"No. 3, Yuuki Tetsuya."
"No. 4, Kominato Ryousuke."
"No. 5, Masuko Tooru."
"No. 6, Kuramochi Youichi."
"No. 7, Sakai Ichirou."
"No. 8, Isashiki Jun."
"No. 9, Shirashu Kenjirou."
"No. 10, Tanba Kouichirou."
"No. 11, Kawakami Kenshi."
"No. 12, Miyauchi Keisuke."
"No. 13, Mon Tenjoumei."
"No. 14, Kusunoki Fumiya."
"No. 15, Higasa Shouji."
"No. 16, Tanaka Shin."
"No. 17, Endou Naoki."
"No. 18, Furuya Satoru."
"No. 19, Yamazaki Kunio."
"No. 20, Kominato Haruichi."
"As for the scorekeeper… Chris, I'm counting on you."
Chris nodded with a smile. "Yes."
"Next are the team managers. You've all supported us tremendously," Coach Kataoka said, turning his gaze to the four managers.
He held up a team uniform: "From now on, you'll stand in the audience as official team members and cheer for the players."
All four managers smiled brightly.
"As you all know, there's no turning back in high school baseball. The sweat and tears we've shed each day—it's all for this summer!"
"Alright, let's begin as usual."
Everyone formed a circle and crouched down, placing their hands over their hearts.
This was Rinichi's second time experiencing this moment.
"Who are we?" Team captain Yuuki Tetsuya led the chant.
"Who's shed the most sweat?"
"Who's shed the most tears?"
"Are you ready to fight!?"
Then came the unanimous roar:
"Carrying the pride of our entire school, our only goal—DOMINATE THE NATION!"
Rinichi felt that this time, it was a completely different experience from last time.
Strange. And powerful.
And very quickly, Rinichi began to feel the pain.
Hot. Cramped. Suffocating.
It felt like the air around him was being sucked away by everyone else.
He swayed on his feet, unsteady.
His mind blanked out for a moment, and he fell forward, leaning against Miyuki's back.
"You okay?" Miyuki asked with mild concern.
Rinichi lifted his right hand and gave an "OK" gesture.
But he kept muttering, "So hot, so hot, so hot…"
Thankfully, Rinichi managed to hold on until the end of the opening ceremony.
Once outside, it was much cooler, and his face looked better.
"Whoa! Rin got number 1?" Narumiya Mei was shocked.
The team that had just arrived was Inashiro Industrial.
Rinichi smirked, "Well, Mei, you only got number 1 in your second year, right?"
His eyes practically said, "You're weak."
Narumiya, fuming, stepped forward wanting to throw hands, but his teammates held him back.
Rinichi didn't escape unscathed either—Isashiki punched him lightly on the head with a warning: "Don't get cocky."
Rinichi rubbed the spot where Isashiki had hit him. It didn't really hurt.
Inashiro's catcher, Harada, wore his usual expression.
"Don't lose before facing us."
Isashiki sneered, "That's our line!"
"See you in the finals."
"Yeah, see you there," said captain Yuuki.
Inashiro walked past them.
Today was only the opening ceremony.
So once they got back to school, it was time for more practice.
After an afternoon of training, Rinichi spent the rest of it getting praised.
After a while, he started feeling a bit embarrassed.
From everyone's point of view, Rinichi's condition kept improving. He didn't seem pressured by wearing number 1 at all. In fact, he seemed more composed than ever—like he was born for it.
That night, everyone gathered in the cafeteria as Chris analyzed the opponent.
"Their ace, number 1, is a high-pressure lefty, Kikunaga Masaki. His top velocity is around 130 km/h. His breaking pitches are a curveball and a slider."
"He's a second-year and just got promoted to ace this summer. Last year, he played outfield. His control isn't that great…"
Chris was being thorough. Then he started drifting into side topics—like how Kikunaga likes playing pool.
Honestly, from what it sounded like, their ace didn't seem that threatening.
Only 130 km/h and shaky control?
"Their offense focuses on bunting, and their defense rarely makes mistakes. They know how to score when opportunities come and protect the lead until the end. Overall, they're a defense-oriented team."
A senior added, "Their cleanup hitter often hits high fly balls."
"And their left fielder has a cannon arm."
Coach Kataoka nodded. "Good work. Since they've already won one game, their morale will be high. We absolutely can't be careless. No matter who we're up against, we give it our all—that's how we win."
"Kawakami, keep warming up during the game so you're ready to pitch in relief anytime."
Rinichi: "…" So that means I might get pulled halfway through, huh.
That's a bit of a downer.
But he wasn't the type to push himself blindly. He knew his limits.
Pitching all nine innings would be tough for him right now, so he didn't mind this setup.
Coach clearly understood that Rinichi's stamina still needed work, so he arranged for Kawakami to relieve him.
After the meeting ended, everyone headed to the dorms early to rest up for the next day's game.
Rinichi's gaze landed on a bat in the corner. He picked it up.
Just two types of breaking balls, huh? Curve and slider…
And the fastest pitch is only 130 km/h.
That should be hittable.
As he was thinking, Kuramochi and Masuko returned.
"We've got a game tomorrow, and you still want to go hit balls?"
Though, he honestly wasn't that eager to do extra batting practice.
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.