Rinichi looked up at the scoreboard.
Today's opponent was Murata East High School.
According to Chris's report last night, they weren't anything special.
It'd probably be another game called early by the fifth inning.
"Don't space out. Go warm up."
Miyuki was already geared up in his catcher's gear.
Rinichi quickly grabbed his cap and glove and followed after him.
In the bullpen, the first pitch landed in Miyuki's mitt with a solid thud.
Miyuki stood up, tossed the ball back, and crouched again.
"You're in great form today."
Rinichi got into his pitching stance and threw another pitch quickly.
Top of the first, Seidou on defense.
Rinichi didn't allow Murata East to score a single run.
Bottom of the fifth, the game ended with Yuuki hitting a home run.
Everyone gathered around.
"That's rare—you going for a power hit."
"I just wanted to give our ace a little more rest. Glad it went out."
"What a reliable captain!"
"Hahaha, but I still say let Kamishiro pitch more! You spoil him too much!"
"Thank you for the game!"
As they packed up and left the field, many spectators stayed behind to cheer for Seidou.
"We'll be back to support you again!"
And of course, some girls in the stands were calling out for Miyuki.
"Wow, Miyuki-senpai's pretty popular with the ladies."
Rinichi looked genuinely surprised.
You really think you're qualified to say that?
Even a few girls were calling out his name.
"Alright, is everyone here?"
Coach Kataoka approached.
"Once you finish your stretches, go eat in the stands."
"And after that," Kataoka added, "we'll be watching the third game together. Whoever wins will be our next opponent."
"That's You Shunshin, a second-year international student from Taiwan,"
"He originally came to Japan just to study the language— but once he got a taste of Japanese baseball, he completely fell in love with it."
"He practices more than anyone, absorbs Japanese baseball like a sponge, and has the drive and aura that sets him apart. They call him The Precision Machine because of his pinpoint control."
Rinichi turned his gaze to the pitcher's mound.
From the stands, he couldn't see much—but the control definitely seemed impressive.
You Shunshin's school, Akikawa High, won the game.
"They held onto their early lead well,"
Tetsuya Yuuki said thoughtfully.
"Once they got ahead, you could feel the infielders' energy pick up."
"Yeah. He worked the inside and outside corners well, and kept his pitches low. Only gave up five hits. That kind of trust from your fielders says a lot."
"Our next game is on Wednesday—three days from now. And this opponent won't be anything like the last."
Listening to the upperclassmen, Rinichi glanced once more at You Shunshin, now surrounded by teammates.
He couldn't help but think quietly to himself.
"Ace pitcher You Shunshin doesn't use many breaking balls,"
Chris continued, reading from his notebook.
"But to get ahead in the count, he often throws curveballs and forkballs. His fastball averages around 130 km/h."
"But the most important thing is his control—
it's ridiculously precise."
"From high-inside to low-outside, or high-outside to low-inside—he works the strike zone diagonally, making it impossible for batters to time their swing."
"I don't think we'll see many fastballs straight down the middle."
Rinichi rested his chin in his hand.
So basically, he hits all the corners… Why does this feel oddly familiar?
Not swinging at those borderline pitches... huh…
Coach Kataoka spoke firmly:
"Hesitating to swing only boosts the opposing pitcher's momentum. No matter what kind of pitch it is, you need to swing with full intent—never forget that."
His gaze fell on Kuramochi:
"And if you want to shake up a cerebral pitcher one, use your speed and bunting. As long as you guys get on base, you'll put pressure on the pitcher.
Rinichi immediately understood.
So basically… we'll be practicing bunts for the next three days, huh?
And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
The weather was clear and mild—no intense sun—perfect for training.
"Wow, their batting form looks great."
"They're not just about big swings. Their bunt coordination is on point too."
"No wonder they've scored in double digits in back-to-back games. They're a serious threat to any team, especially their captain, Yuki-senpai—what a commanding presence."
"I heard a lot of pro scouts are watching them now too."
"But it seems like he's not interested. All he cares about right now is leading his team to Koshien."
Outside the fence, reporters crowded around.
Rinichi watched his upperclassmen execute flawless bunts, gripping his bat with admiration in his eyes.
Alright, time to practice hitting too!
Just as he was about to step into the batting cage—
Kuramochi kicked him from behind.
"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the bullpen practicing pitching?!"
Miyuki appeared, too:
"Knew I'd find you here. Get your butt to the bullpen."
"You're the ace pitcher, don't mix up your priorities."
"Seriously, stop making me come drag you out every time. Try thinking about how your poor senpai feels."
And so Miyuki dragged him back to the bullpen.
"Wasn't that the kid who became Seidou's ace right after entering high school?"
"Not exactly how I pictured him…"
"I remember him—he was the ace of the national champion team in last year's junior tournament.
To already be Seidou's ace as a freshman… that's no joke."
"Exactly.. Against Murata East, he literally struck out batters on three pitches each—pure domination."
Rinichi walked behind Miyuki, silent.
"Don't forget what your primary role is," Miyuki said.
"You don't need to worry so much about hitting—focus more on your pitching."
"I know you're consistent, but that's not an excuse to slack off."
"Your fastball's velocity has been fluctuating within a 5 km/h range lately—that's because you haven't been throwing enough."
Back then, no one really pushed him to train this much.
But maintaining pitch quality, keeping the opponent scoreless—
Even so, Rinichi still believed his weakest area was batting.
In his mind, being an ace meant not just protecting the team from the mound—but also contributing runs.
That, to him, was what it truly meant to be an Ace—
not just a "pitcher."
Miyuki let out a sigh:
"Let me see your pitching form. If it looks good, I'll let you go back and practice batting."
Rinichi's eyes lit up:
"I'll throw my best!!"
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