Chapter 92: Interest
"Seidou's lineup changes a lot this game… at first I was a little worried…"
"But it all came together nicely…"
"Kamishiro's pitching is still as beautiful as ever…"
In the top of the 2nd inning, Seidou only scored one run.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Rinichi retired all three batters with no pressure at all.
In the top of the 3rd, with runners on first and second:
"Fourth batter, pitcher, Kamishiro."
When Rinichi stepped into the batter's box, Shimosen Academy suddenly felt a suffocating pressure.
They absolutely couldn't let him swing—
"Ball four! Walk!"
Rinichi: "…"
They'd rather load the bases than face him.
The batter after him, Miyuki, cracked a double, driving in two runs for Seidou.
Standing on third, Rinichi had a strange feeling he couldn't quite put into words.
He had thought he would be the one crossing home plate to score, but in this inning, he didn't. Instead, he just lingered at third for quite a while.
Rinichi: "…"
Silently, he returned to the dugout, silently put his cap back on, and silently walked out to left field.
Everyone else: "…"
From that inning onward, it was Furuya who took the mound.
The spectators were a little puzzled.
"They switched pitchers…"
"Who?"
"If I remember right, he's also a fastball pitcher."
And Furuya didn't disappoint them.
"That pitcher just now was Furuya, right?"
"Seidou!"
Just standing on the mound throwing made Furuya beam with satisfaction.
In the top of the 4th, the lineup rolled back around.
Back in the dugout, Rinichi had already picked up his bat.
What frustrated him was that this inning, he was once again walked on four pitches.
Rinichi: "…"
Seidou picked up two more runs this inning.
While everyone else was celebrating, the joy suddenly froze.
Their eyes all slid toward the gloomy figure sulking in the corner—Rinichi.
Everyone: "…"
By the 5th inning, the game ended early.
Seidou won by an overwhelming 14–0 shutout.
Leaving the field, they happened to run into Shimosen Academy's players.
Rinichi halted, shot them a cold look, and muttered under his breath:
"Cowards…"
Shimosen Academy didn't hear him; they just thought he was glaring for no reason.
Seidou's teammates walking alongside him: "…"
Clearly, he was still holding a grudge over those two walks.
As they left, someone ahead suddenly shouted,
"Inashiro lost!"
"Inashiro lost?"
Rinichi, who had been fuming, instantly deflated. He went silent, tightened his grip on the strap of his bag, pushed through the crowd, and climbed onto the bus first.
Everyone's eyes followed his back until he disappeared, then they pulled their gazes back.
Inashiro's sudden loss was, indeed, a shock.
When the team eventually boarded, they found Rinichi sitting near the back, chin in hand, staring out the window.
Shinji Kanemaru went over.
Kuramochi and Miyuki were about to stop him but withdrew their hands, rubbing their foreheads instead.
"…Huh?" Hearing the reason Rinichi was upset, Kanemaru froze.
Rinichi, a little displeased, repeated it anyway:
"I said… it's all Inashiro's fault for losing. Now I've lost my chance to crush Narumiya."
Kanemaru nearly exploded: "That's the only reason you're sulking?!"
He looked ready to grab Rinichi by the collar.
"What else?"
Kuramochi and Miyuki exchanged looks: "…" As expected.
"What, do you expect me to bawl my eyes out over Narumiya's loss?" Rinichi scoffed. "Honestly, I'm not even surprised he lost."
Everyone: "…"
You clearly were shocked just a minute ago.
"His old catcher who could handle him isn't there anymore. The new catcher isn't strong enough, which limits the pitcher. Of course they'd lose…"
At that, Miyuki's eyes darkened slightly.
"Besides, Narumiya is all arrogant and doesn't trust his catcher. With his pathetic game-calling skills, of course it was bound to blow up on him…"
The others were stunned—Kamishiro was actually… accurate.
He snorted. "He's not me. Play like that and you're guaranteed to crash and burn."
Everyone: "…"
That… actually makes sense. Hard to argue.
Still, some couldn't shake the feeling that Rinichi sounded exactly like Narumiya—self-important and smug.
"Too bad, though. I won't get to see Narumiya bawling again."
Everyone: "…"
…What a jerk.
Evening.
All the regular members were gathered in the cafeteria, waiting for Watanabe to return with the scouting report.
"I'm back," Watanabe said as he walked in. "You all want to watch the game footage now, right?"
Kuramochi replied, "We're counting on you."
"How did it feel watching Ugumori live?" Miyuki asked. "Their overall strength?"
That question caught Rinichi's interest too.
Watanabe thought for a moment. "Some might think Inashiro didn't play at full strength, but Ugumori did reach the top sixteen last summer. They're the real deal."
"And… how was Narumiya's performance?" Rinichi asked.
Watanabe's eyes settled on him. "He didn't look bad… but there seemed to be some issues with the pitcher-catcher signs."
At that, almost everyone turned to stare at Rinichi — the Great Prophet.
Rinichi: "…"
"But actually, that's pretty lucky for us. It means we don't have to face Narumiya."
"Right?"
"No wonder you can't hit properly if that's your mindset."
"…Huh?"
The room erupted in chatter.
Rinichi gave the noisy second-years a side glance, then pulled his gaze back.
—They're just bench players anyway.
And the captain wasn't stopping it, so someone else would eventually step in and calm things down.
Fortunately, watching the footage went smoothly.
A slow curveball… a vertical slider…
Two types of breaking pitches.
But… that slider seemed to have a hint of a curveball's movement.
Slider mixed with curve?
Rinichi mimicked a slider grip with his right hand, adjusted slightly, and ran through it in his head.
No… that's not right.
He switched to a curveball grip—then froze.
To throw that pitch… use the thumb for power… then the wrist…
A slider's trajectory… with a curveball's grip… powered by the thumb!
Rinichi's eyes lit up, and he suddenly stood.
The guy behind him nearly jumped out of his chair.
"Kamishiro, you—"
Before anyone could finish, Rinichi pointed at the video and said to Miyuki, "I want to throw that pitch tomorrow!"
Miyuki: "…"
"A curveball?"
Rinichi already knew how to throw a vertical slider.
And he'd thrown curves before too.
"Let's go now!" Without waiting, Rinichi marched out.
It was the first time anyone had seen him so eager to pitch.
But the footage wasn't even finished yet.
Oh well, just this once, they'd make an exception.
With that thought, Miyuki followed him out.
"Isn't that just an ordinary vertical slider?" Miyuki asked as they walked.
"No…"
"It's that pitcher's unique curveball—a curveball with slider movement." Rinichi's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Like he'd discovered some fun new toy.
Miyuki froze.
Just from watching the video, he could see the pitch's essence?
And then replicate it?
He broke into a grin, watching the starlike spark in Rinichi's eyes. There was a bit of helplessness in him, but deep down he couldn't be more satisfied with a pitcher like this.
Inside the training hall, Miyuki watched as Rinichi unleashed the pitch. The ball whistled and thudded into the mitt with a beautiful sound.
He recalled the "vertical slider" from the video.
Rising, he tossed the ball back. "Good pitch."
"How did you throw that one?"
Rinichi smiled. "Curveball grip, powered by the thumb."
Miyuki's smile deepened.
So that was the true identity of Ugumori's pitcher's "vertical slider"—
"It's his signature, isn't it?"
"And what's your reason for throwing it?"
Rinichi beamed like the sun. "To make it no longer his alone."
Miyuki: "…"
That was downright mischievous.
"I want to see their ace's face when I throw his 'unique' pitch. It'll be priceless."
Miyuki: "…"
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