Chapter 442: Numbers Two
After the strategy meeting ended, the members of Seidou High quietly dispersed in small groups.
With the semifinals and finals coming up back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday, the four remaining teams had less than a week to prepare.
Every second mattered.
Whether it was dark horse challengers like Yakushi and Seiko, both hungry for the throne, or juggernauts like Inashiro, seeking to reclaim their dominance—
For Seidou, they were all the same.
A reigning champion carries the weight of its crown.
Having already tasted the thrill of standing atop the nation in the summer, they had no intention of giving up that view so easily.
The outcome was far from certain.
But one thing was:
They would fight. That was their only path forward.
...
"Furuya, remember for tonight, you need to—"
Elsewhere, after the meeting, Miyuki was reviewing a few key points from today's game with Furuya regarding his pitching.
As their discussion wound down…
Eijun stepped forward.
"Miyuki-senpai, do you have a minute?"
His face was calm, but there was a subtle spark flickering in his eyes.
Miyuki paused, momentarily caught off guard.
Even Furuya, standing nearby, tilted his head curiously.
"What's up, Ace?" Miyuki smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Got something on your mind?"
"There's a pitch I want to try out," Eijun said flatly, pressing his lips together.
"Come on, I figured as much… But seriously, Sawamura, we just finished a game today. Didn't Coach tell you to rest properly?" Miyuki sighed, shaking his head.
"I didn't pitch today," Eijun replied without flinching.
"And it's just a quick test. I won't go all out."
The intensity in his gaze left no room for argument.
Miyuki couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
Damn… totally forgot this guy's as stubborn as a mule.
Once he sets his mind on something, no one—not even a bulldozer—can stop him.
Rubbing his temples, Miyuki let out a resigned breath.
"Alright, fine. But just for a bit, okay? Next week's the real deal. You're our ace—start acting like it."
"Got it," Eijun replied, nodding obediently.
Though, what he was really thinking—
Only he and maybe the heavens above would know.
To the rest of the team, Eijun Sawamura always appeared composed, mature beyond his years.
But in certain moments, he could be surprisingly childish.
And when it came to pitching, he was unbelievably stubborn.
Maybe only Coach Kataoka could actually rein him in.
Everyone else? Good luck.
Let's just hope this little mule doesn't get too wild tonight, Miyuki thought, silently praying.
...
But as fate would have it—Miyuki had overlooked something.
Because as he and Eijun headed toward the indoor practice facility, someone quietly trailed behind them.
Miyuki turned around… and immediately felt a headache coming on.
There was Furuya, following them with a totally innocent expression, as if he had every right to be there.
Of course. What else could he possibly want?
Eijun, meanwhile, casually folded his arms behind his head and grinned, clearly enjoying the situation.
After all, he wasn't the one dealing with the problem.
And to be fair—it was kind of amusing.
...
"So… Furuya," Miyuki asked, exasperated. "What exactly are you planning?"
"I want you to catch a few of mine, too," Furuya said directly.
Straightforward. Blunt. Classic Furuya.
He didn't dance around the point—he just said what was on his mind.
And that straightforwardness?
Only made Miyuki's headache worse.
Why are all our pitchers like this?!
Why are they all so damn intense?!
Miyuki didn't even know what to say anymore.
One look at Furuya's determined eyes, and Miyuki knew—
if he didn't let this guy throw a few pitches tonight, there would be no peace.
Damn it. Seriously—can you all just chill for one day?
Miyuki sighed inwardly, too tired to even complain.
"Just a few pitches! That's it!" he barked, putting on a tough face as he pointed at Furuya.
But Furuya didn't seem fazed in the slightest. At this point, his ears were in selective hearing mode—he only heard what he wanted to hear.
Miyuki said yes? That's all that mattered.
With that, he happily followed behind Miyuki and Eijun.
Eijun, meanwhile, looked amused. Arms folded behind his head, he strolled along, a faint smirk on his face.
Miyuki shot him a glare.
Eijun responded by sticking out his tongue playfully, which made Miyuki snort in exasperated laughter.
Just wait, you little punk…
One of these days you'll find out why roses are red.
Miyuki cursed him silently, plotting revenge.
And Eijun, the ever-cheerful Ace, continued enjoying Miyuki's minor misfortune, having completely forgotten the dark side of his partner-captain.
Yes… the days ahead were sure to be colorful—
as bright and chaotic as a rainbow.
...
A few minutes later — Indoor Training Facility
By this time, it wasn't just Miyuki, Eijun, and Furuya anymore.
Since Furuya had tagged along, Miyuki decided to go all-in and invited Kawakami and Ono too.
Might as well turn it into an impromptu pitchers-and-catchers strategy session for the first string.
Besides, there were things Miyuki wanted to discuss with all three main pitchers before the semifinal and final.
And to do that, Ono needed to be there as well.
After all, Ono was a catcher on the first string.
Even if he was a backup, it was essential for him to be familiar with every one of their pitchers—their types, tendencies, movement, and personality on the mound.
Even Eijun and Furuya had to admit:
Ono's fundamentals as a catcher were outstanding.
He could handle 99% of the pitches thrown by Seidou's top three pitchers.
The remaining 1%?
Well, that included Eijun's five-seam pitch, Furuya's explosive forkball, and Kawakami's sinking cutter—
None of which were easy to receive cleanly.
Still, Ono's overall ability as a catcher was beyond question.
After all, Coach Kataoka had chosen him as a first-string catcher for a reason.
That alone said enough about his skill and trustworthiness.
When Miyuki called them over, Ono and Kawakami arrived right away.
Especially Kawakami—he welcomed this kind of meeting wholeheartedly.
...
"Alright then, Sawamura—what pitch are you trying to work on?" Miyuki asked as he finished strapping on his gear, lightly pounding his mitt while eyeing Eijun, who was casually digging his cleats into the dirt mound.
Eijun lifted his chin slightly, golden light flickering in his eyes.
A subtle smile crossed his face.
And then, he calmly said:
"Two-seam fastball."
------------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky