"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
Even the most loyal supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team don't know the name of Lee-Hyun.
Let alone cheer for him individually.
And it's not just Lee-Hyun—very few players on the baseball field ever receive such treatment.
Typically, only the pillars of the team get this kind of attention.
Just like the key players of the Seidou High School baseball team—Sawamura and Miyuki—or Narumiya from the Inajitsu High School baseball team.
Other players, at best, might get a few individual cheers, and even then, it's hard to hear them amid the roar of tens of thousands of people…
It's the same right now. There are quite a few people in the stands discussing Lee-Hyun, but at this moment, those on the field can't hear what they're saying.
Because the hardcore supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team have already shouted their cheers out loud.
When it's not possible to shout out a player's name in unison and cheer for them individually, what should the fans do when that player performs outstandingly?
It's simple—shout the name of Seidou.
No matter who performs well, shouting the team's name is always right.
Tens of thousands of people on the field waved and banged anything they could use as props, chanting the name of the Seidou High School baseball team.
"SEIDOU!!"
"KING SEIDOU!!!"
"SEIDOU!"
Lee-Hyun, who had just scored, basked in the attention of the crowd.
The other teammates of the Seidou High School baseball team had already experienced this feeling when they performed well before.
It felt as though they had become the center of the world!
It was so amazing, so great!!!
Even though they had experienced this multiple times, they still couldn't contain their excitement each time.
This is one of the reasons why the Seidou High School baseball team plays so hard on the field.
Although many of the teammates had already felt it, this was Lee-Hyun's first time.
He never imagined that such a normal school match would attract so much attention.
And standing on the field, he truly felt as though he was standing in the center of the world.
Everyone was cheering for him!
'Isn't this how a man should feel?'
For the first time in his life, Lee-Hyun became infatuated with this field.
Although he had enjoyed playing baseball before, most of it was because he didn't want to disappoint those who cared for and liked him.
Such as the directors of the exchange program, and his parents who would be lonely without him, but supported his decision to travel abroad.
Including the friends he traveled to Japan with, his coaches who gave him the opportunity, and his seniors who took him under their wings and supported him...
In Lee-Hyun's heart, they were the best people in the world.
After training every day, Lee-Hyun would also work hard on extra practice.
Again, it was to not disappoint all of those people.
Later, with the selfless help of Kuramochi and Sawamura, Lee-Hyun felt the weight of their expectations growing.
It was moving for Lee-Hyun to meet such seniors in a foreign country.
It was because he didn't want to let them down that he practiced with Kuramochi every day.
This was how he came to be where he is today, standing out on the field.
On the path of baseball, today's Lee-Hyun was just beginning.
At this point, he didn't think about how this would change his future life.
He simply sighed in relief, glad that he hadn't let down Kuramochi-senpai's and the Coach's expectations.
And this feeling felt really good.
The cheers of tens of thousands of people were enough to make anyone intoxicated!
"I want to keep playing baseball!"
In the heart of the young man, such a naive thought was born.
Under the gaze of tens of thousands, Lee-Hyun returned to the rest area.
Ready to celebrate with his teammates.
Although he wasn't too familiar with most of the second-and third-year seniors, his roommates, Kominato and Maezono, his mentor Kuramochi, and the seniors like Sawamura who helped him should come to congratulate him, right?
Smack!
To his surprise, as soon as he returned to the rest area, he received a slap from Kuramochi.
"You idiot, do you realize how dangerous your action was just now? You could've ruined your baseball career like that!"
Kuramochi said, deeply relieved.
"Don't do that dangerous move again!"
Coach Kataoka, instead of celebrating the tied score, ordered seriously.
"Be more careful! We don't want to have to replace a player because of injury!"
Miyuki, as usual, spoke with sharp words.
Several first-year teammates, who had planned to rush up and celebrate, obediently backed off after hearing this.
They felt it wasn't right to celebrate with Lee-Hyun right now.
Lee-Hyun, who had successfully completed the task, was treated like this.
Anyone would feel wronged by this.
Lee-Hyun, of course, felt the same way!
After putting so much pressure on himself and successfully helping the team score, there was no praise, and he was even scolded.
But despite this, Lee-Hyun felt pleased inside.
These people around him were truly good people.
Whether it was Kataoka, who never joked, or Miyuki, the sharp-tongued captain...
They cared more about his body than the victory.
"Are you okay?"
President Ota nervously rubbed his hands and checked Lee-Hyun from top to bottom. Fortunately, nothing serious was found.
There was just a bruise on his arm, but it didn't look like a big deal.
Normally, under full-speed running, diving, and tucking in the waist...
These were very dangerous actions.
Let alone Lee-Hyun, considering his speed, the move he made was really scary!
After confirming that Lee-Hyun was fine, the teammates of the Seidou High School baseball team cheered.
"You're amazing!"
"It is good that I don't have to give up K-Pop!"
"This match, you were more dazzling than the dozen or so games I've played!"
"Don't flatter yourself, you were on the field for less than a minute and outshone my performance of over ten hours…"
The praise Lee-Hyun received for his performance in this match was not excessive.
Even if Lee-Hyun hadn't scored that point, the Seidou High School baseball team may not have lost.
But in future matches, the Seidou High School baseball team would certainly be in a passive position.
But now, with this point scored, even if Miyuki was replaced, the Seidou High School baseball team could still take control of today's match.
Sawamura was the last to approach Lee-Hyun. He patted Lee-Hyun on the back and simply said two words.
"Thank you!"
Lee-Hyun looked at Sawamura in confusion.
"Don't worry, I've got the rest of the match covered!"
Sawamura, thinking Lee-Hyun was worried, reassured him.
Lee-Hyun opened his mouth to say something, but after hearing this reassurance, he closed it again.
Although Sawamura had misunderstood his meaning, Sawamura now seemed extraordinarily reliable.
For Sawamura, as long as the point was equalized, he would never accept failure.
As for Miyuki being substituted...
Sawamura certainly knew that this was a huge source of unease.
With the level-four breaking ball sealed, Miyuki was the only catcher in the Seidou High School baseball team who could catch Sawamura's level-four breaking ball.
Even the level-three breaking ball, required caution when using it.
Now, in the rest area of the Seidou High School baseball team, there were three substitute catchers.
They were all quite skilled, and their catching skills were top-notch.
If another pitcher was in, these three could probably catch the ball after some time of training.
But unfortunately, their partner was Sawamura.
None of the three were confident they could catch all of Sawamura's breaking balls 100%.
To be honest, this wasn't entirely due to their lack of ability.
Sawamura's breaking balls, because of his characteristics and the daily fluctuations in his condition, could vary greatly.
Simply put, even if you were able to catch Sawamura's ball today, tomorrow when he threw the same breaking ball, you might not catch it.
It couldn't be helped, since Sawamura's breaking balls changed every day.
Only someone like Chris or Miyuki, those monsters, could keep up with Sawamura's changes.
The lower-level breaking balls were fine—they didn't stray too far.
But high-level breaking balls were completely different.
The higher the level of breaking balls, the more complex their changes were. These balls were most affected by a player's condition.
In the words of Yui, Sawamura's breaking balls weren't something a human could pitch.
As a catcher, you had to adapt to Sawamura's different throws every day and catch his ball.
Is this something a human can do?
Some might ask, how did Miyuki manage to do it?
Yui would surely smile wryly and say, "Miyuki-senpai, can he even be considered human?"
This was the opinion of the remaining three catchers in the Seidou High School baseball team towards Sawamura and Miyuki.
These two main pitchers and catchers had already surpassed the level of high school.
Now that Miyuki was substituted and couldn't continue playing in the next inning, Coach Kataoka had no choice but to select one of the three remaining catchers.
Although the two teams were tied, the pressure on the Seidou High School baseball team was still immense.
If the coordination wasn't right, the Inajitsu High School baseball team might score.
At this point, being substituted in as a catcher, the pressure on the new player was obvious.
Coach Kataoka originally wanted to pick a catcher who still had a fighting spirit in his eyes.
To be honest, even though Yui and Okumura were two years younger than Ono, their abilities were not that inferior to Ono's.
From game reading ability to receiving skills and all other aspects of catching techniques, these two first-year catchers were perfect.
The three were almost equal in skill, and choosing anyone to go on didn't seem like a big issue.
In the case of similar skills, what mattered next was their fighting spirit.
Coach Kataoka had always preferred players with strong willpower.
So he sincerely hoped to find a catcher with a strong fighting spirit.
However, the performances of the three catchers disappointed him.
It wasn't that the three didn't have fighting spirit—on the contrary.
The fire in their eyes was nearly burning.
If their faces could speak, they'd probably write "Choose me! Choose me! Pick me!!" on their faces!
In such a case, who should be sent on? Who should stay?
It became a dilemma.
It wasn't a matter of whether the player on the field would perform poorly or lack effort.
It was more about how the remaining two would handle the situation.
When there are no usable talents under the Coach, the Head Coach will undoubtedly be very troubled.
When there are too many talented players under the Coach, the Head Coach still cannot relax.
Last year, Kataoka struggled with the abundance of talented pitchers, making it hard to decide who should pitch in less crucial games.
The current situation is similar. Now, with too many excellent catchers, he also faces difficulty in making a choice.
In the Seidou High School Baseball Club's rest area, all three catchers are standing excitedly, fearing that the Coach might not notice them.
Ono's gaze is steady, clearly prepared for the moment, and he believes that he should be sent out at this time.
If Sawamura can't go on, who will step up for the crucial match?
It must be Furuya! He is Seidou High's first substitute pitcher.
Ono Hiroshi is like Furuya at Seidou's catcher position.
At times like this, he believes he should be the one to take the lead. Among the three catchers, he has trained with Sawamura the longest and caught his pitches the most. Not to mention, his jersey number is #12.
This is the number for the backup catcher!
Now that the team needs someone, he naturally has to step up first.
Right behind him is Yui Kaoru, who almost seems like he's ready to write it on his forehead.
"Sir! I'm ready at any time!"
No wonder he was once the captain of the national team. He shows no fear or hesitation when facing a big occasion.
On the contrary, he's the most proactive.
If it weren't for Ono, Kataoka might have impulsively sent Yui onto the field.
But considering Ono's presence, sending Yui out seems a bit insufficient.
Could it really just be because of his fighting spirit that he should go out?
Ono also has a fighting spirit, but his personality isn't as bright and outgoing as Yui's, which makes it harder for him to show it clearly.
The last of the three is Okumura Koushuu. He doesn't look as eager as the first two, but the aura around him is undeniable.
This guy is also eager to get on the field. However, due to his personality, he can't express it as openly as Yui.
This is tricky!
It seems like any choice could work, but also not quite right.
Take Okumura for example.
At this stage, Kataoka's most favored candidate for the next main catcher is not Yui, who was once the national team's captain.
Nor is it Matsumoto Jun, who catches the ball the best.
Rather, it's this guy in front of them, Okumura, whose basic abilities aren't as good as Yui's and whose catching technique isn't as good as Matsumoto's.
Compared to the other two freshmen, Okumura has an advantage they can't match.
That's his intelligence and understanding of the game!
For players in other positions, it's fine. But as the actual commander on the field, the ability to read and understand the game's situation as a catcher is undoubtedly a very important factor.
To put it practically, when the three catchers are standing together, Kataoka is most looking forward to Okumura's performance at the catcher position.
If possible, he actually wants to send Okumura out now.
Earlier, Coach Ochiai had secretly approached Kataoka and given him some advice about the catcher position.
"Ono has always been a backup player on the team. Okumura is too strong-minded. I think, at this time, Yui's abilities are the most trustworthy."
This is very clear; it's almost like telling Kataoka who should play.
Even though Kataoka still hoped to see Okumura's performance as a catcher, when he heard this, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
Ono has always been a backup and has played in some high-profile games. But whether he can withstand the pressure now is a question.
Okumura is the most independent of the three, but the problem is that he is too strong-minded. Can he cooperate with Sawamura?
Yui, once the Captain of the national team, is never intimidated in any situation.
His abilities are adequate, and he seems like the most suitable candidate.
Kataoka hesitated for a few seconds before turning around to look at Sawamura.
Sawamura was already geared up and ready to go.
In the meantime, Shiratsu had already been dealt with.
He aimed at Narumiya's fastball and was able to send it to the outfield.
But with Carlos's speed and fielding range, he was able to catch it.
Snap!
"OUT!!!"
Three Outs, offense and defense switched.
The game moved to the top of the 8th inning. The Inajitsu High School Baseball Team was up to bat.
"Ono! You will be the catcher! Pair up with Sawamura and complete the rest of the game."
"Yes, Sir!"
Ono Hiroshi's response was loud and clear.
…