Chapter 81: Extra: Their Unique Partnership
After the first game of the Summer Tournament, Shinomiya proposed something new: instead of focusing on strikeouts, their pitching strategy would center on letting the batter hit—but directing the ball exactly where Shinomiya wanted it to go.
Of course, this was entirely Shinomiya's idea. If Rinichi ever changed catchers, the whole method would collapse. In other words, it was a unique form of "partnership" that existed only between the two of them.
But to achieve the effect Shinomiya envisioned, everything depended on the pitcher's ability. The placement of the pitch… the spin speed and rotation count… the velocity itself—all of it demanded extreme control.
For Rinichi, it was torture.
This wasn't just a practice experiment—Shinomiya was asking him to do it in an actual game.
Before the match, they had practiced for two days. Shinomiya's evaluation? "Good enough—for now."
Rinichi: "…"
During those bullpen sessions, Rinichi realized something: to control the spin speed and rotation, grip strength was the key.
The strain on his hand was enormous. His grip wasn't strong enough yet, and only occasionally could he throw the kind of ball Shinomiya wanted. Using this in real games felt like a pipe dream.
And yet, during the game, Shinomiya really did call for it.
On the mound, Rinichi exhaled.
Lowering his velocity…
The thing he hated most.
Irritated, he delivered the pitch.
Just as expected, the ball was hit—straight to first base. The runner was barely safe, but the ball landed in the first baseman's glove with his foot on the bag.
The one who celebrated wasn't Rinichi—it was Shinomiya.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Rinichi thought, Barely managed to throw the ball he wanted. But if he missed the target by too much, runners would get on base—something he hated above all else.
He shot a glare at the runner on second, then back at Shinomiya, his displeasure obvious.
Shinomiya gave a small apologetic gesture. Fine, calm him down first.
The very next sequence was a clean three-pitch strikeout.
"Strike! Batter out!"
Rinichi's velocity soared, and this time he was genuinely satisfied.
Of course, Shinomiya wasn't reckless. These "experiments" wouldn't come at the cost of losing games. Only by winning could they continue to test new strategies.
As for Rinichi's batting, it remained unstable.
In middle school, his batting average was only around average.
Each time he returned from the batter's box, Shinomiya always had something to say.
Rinichi: "…"
He chose to ignore it.
His excuse? "That's too much thinking."
Shinomiya: "…"
Didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
If memory served, Rinichi was a top student at school.
So did that mean he'd "sacrificed" all his thinking ability for academics?
Before long, Shinomiya started giving him batting drills.
Rinichi: "…"
The Summer Tournament only just ended…
Why didn't they win the national championship? Many reasons, but the biggest one was simple: Shinomiya wasn't satisfied with Rinichi's pitching yet.
Rinichi thought to himself, He must be a Virgo.
But in reality, Shinomiya wasn't.
Three consecutive whiffs.
Rinichi: "…"
"Watch the ball! Watch the ball! Stop swinging blindly!" Shinomiya barked through a megaphone, banging on a steel pole.
On the fourth pitch, Rinichi managed contact. The ball flew high—almost clearing the fence for a home run. Almost.
Right now, as a first-year middle schooler, it was just a long fly. By third year, that swing probably would become a home run.
Shinomiya: "…"
He knew it was a mindless swing, pure luck.
Exhaling, he restrained his temper, walked over, and said patiently:
"Focus. Yesterday I gave you that pitcher-catcher game footage. You should've studied it… Think about what pitch the catcher will call, what the pitcher will throw. You have to earn back the runs you give up. When your teammates can't be relied on, you'll have to score yourself."
A string of words left Rinichi stunned into silence.
Shinomiya's serious gaze pulled him back to reality. Rinichi glanced away and muttered, "I got it."
Still, practicing batting against adult club players… there weren't many who got treatment like this.
At first, Rinichi felt uneasy about it. It seemed disrespectful, like they weren't even treating those men as real players.
But Shinomiya, almost as if he had read Rinichi's mind, said calmly:
"There's nothing to feel guilty about. Their actual skill level isn't that high. The fact that they can play in a club league at all is already pretty good."
Rinichi choked up, unable to find a response.
Shinomiya relaxed at the sight of his expression, then returned to the dugout.
Rinichi flexed his grip on the bat, exhaled, and took his stance at the plate. His emotions leveled out as he stared at the pitcher.
It was his first time facing someone this tall… So this is an adult.
The pitcher's height gave him a much higher release point, yet he still drove the ball low in the zone. That contrast in angle was incredibly uncomfortable.
Still… it wasn't impossible to adapt.
Rinichi tightened his grip. Swung.
Foul ball.
The next pitch—another foul.
The pitch after that—driven all the way to the wall. A solid double.
Even Shinomiya was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected Rinichi to show this much natural batting talent.
And those three swings hadn't been mindless. Rinichi had actually thought through them.
On the fourth pitch, after his first foul, he produced another double to the wall.
The adult catcher muttered under his breath:
"…What's with this middle schooler?"
Before, Rinichi's swings had been wild. But now he was locked in, reading their pitcher completely.
This—this felt like his true ability. Terrifying, for a boy his age.
Rinichi stretched his grip again and set his stance.
The pitch movement was far different from what he'd seen in youth league games. The velocity, too, couldn't even be compared.
It was tough to hit.
But not impossible.
He swung with all his strength. The ball soared high.
A routine fly ball.
Rinichi: "…"
His mood grew complicated.
Then came several more fly balls, all easy outs.
Dejected, he returned to the bench. His expression clouded with frustration.
Shinomiya watched him silently.
"Those hits you sent to the wall earlier… On our home field, they would've cleared the fence. They'd be home runs."
But Rinichi didn't seem to hear him. He just sighed softly, looking lost, like a soul drifting without anchor.
Shinomiya: "…"
---------------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21