After returning to the dormitory, Kanzaki Ryou changed into his training uniform and headed to the field with Arima Kazusa.
In the bullpen, Sawamura had been especially active lately due to Furuya's injury.
In his mind, Furuya's absence meant even greater responsibility rested on his shoulders.
Just like Furuya, he was a hot-blooded idiot who firmly believed the team couldn't survive without him.
Watching from nearby while warming up, Kanzaki finally spoke.
"Sawamura, stop for a moment."
"Huh?"
Sawamura had just finished a pitch and was still balancing on one leg from his follow-through. He turned his head and looked at Kanzaki with a confused expression.
"Ono, have him try throwing a Changeup."
"A Changeup?"
Both Ono Hiroshi and Sawamura froze.
Ono was surprised.
Sawamura was ecstatic.
"Aniki! I can learn a new pitch?!"
Sawamura instantly zipped over to Kanzaki's side.
"Yeah."
Kanzaki pushed him back with one hand.
"Your control has reached a decent level, and your fundamentals are solid. If you can learn a Changeup, it'll become a major weapon during games."
"But Sawamura has been practicing the Two-Seam recently," Ono pointed out as he walked over.
Kanzaki smiled.
"There's no rush for the Two-Seam."
"Right now, his Fastball alone isn't threatening enough."
"A Changeup will amplify the effectiveness of his Fastball far more quickly."
Ono nodded thoughtfully.
The Two-Seam project had been something he and Sawamura had started on their own.
Because the movement direction was opposite to the modified Cutter, it would allow Sawamura to better utilize the width of the strike zone.
Still, Kanzaki's reasoning made sense.
A Changeup would produce results much sooner.
"And what kind of Changeup do you recommend?" Ono asked.
At that moment, Miyuki walked into the bullpen.
"A Changeup?"
"You're finally letting Sawamura learn a breaking ball?"
He casually stepped beside Kanzaki.
"Yep!" Sawamura nodded enthusiastically.
"Aniki finally approved it!"
"I see."
Miyuki crossed his arms.
"That's good news for me."
"Calling pitches for you is exhausting."
"It's always Fastball, Fastball, Fastball."
"Half the time I'm basically gambling on what the batter is looking for."
"Huh?!"
Sawamura exploded immediately.
"Are you calling me troublesome, you idiot Miyuki?!"
Among Seido's pitchers, Miyuki worked most comfortably with Kanzaki.
They were Seido's championship battery.
Kawakami was next, thanks to his variety of pitches.
Furuya was simpler. His velocity alone overwhelmed most batters.
Sawamura, however...
He was exhausting.
But also strangely entertaining.
"Good luck learning it," Miyuki said with a grin.
"Breaking balls aren't easy."
"Hand size, finger length, body structure, weight distribution, throwing mechanics—even personality can affect how a pitch develops."
"The same grip can produce completely different results depending on who's throwing it."
Then he smirked.
"Though with your brain, I doubt you'll learn it anytime soon."
"Damn you!"
Steam practically rose from Sawamura's head.
Kanzaki immediately flicked him on the forehead.
"Focus."
"Oh."
"My own off-speed pitches include a Circle Changeup and a Palmball."
"As for what kind of Changeup you'll develop..."
Kanzaki shrugged.
"You won't know until you throw it."
"The key isn't the grip."
"The key is deceiving the batter."
"As long as you can reduce the speed while maintaining your normal throwing motion, you're on the right track."
"How do I start?" Sawamura asked.
"First, learn the feeling of taking velocity off the ball."
"Use the exact same motion as your Fastball."
"Same arm speed."
"Same mechanics."
"Just reduce the force at release."
"Ono, go catch for him."
"Got it."
Ono jogged to the opposite end of the bullpen.
Sawamura gripped the baseball and carefully recalled Kanzaki's instructions.
Just as he was about to throw—
"Wait."
Kanzaki stopped him.
"Don't focus only on your hand."
"Your lower-body movement is already breaking down."
"Pitch exactly like you're in a game."
"Pay attention to your weight transfer."
"Got it."
Sawamura reset his stance.
Leg lift.
Stride.
Arm swing.
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Not bad."
"Your arm is still too tense."
"Try again."
Whoosh!
Smack!
Whoosh!
Smack!
After several attempts, Sawamura gradually found the feeling.
"Good."
"Now try changing the grip."
Kanzaki pointed at the baseball.
"Use the grip you had when you first started pitching."
"Huh?"
"The five-finger grip?" Miyuki laughed.
He knew exactly what that meant.
Back then, Sawamura's pitches had been completely unpredictable.
"That's right."
Kanzaki nodded.
"That's probably the grip he's most comfortable with."
"After all the control training he's done, maybe it'll produce something interesting."
The moment he heard that, Sawamura became excited.
After receiving the return throw from Ono, he took a deep breath.
He carefully adjusted his posture.
Lower-body rotation.
Center of gravity.
Arm path.
Everything.
Then he threw.
Whoosh—
The baseball left his fingertips.
Immediately, everyone noticed the difference.
The velocity was noticeably slower.
Even slower than the previous attempts.
Ono raised his glove.
Then—
Swoosh!
The ball suddenly accelerated.
At the same time, it tailed sharply.
Smack!
The ball slammed into the glove.
Ono's eyes widened.
"The tailing movement is back."
Miyuki stared intently at the ball.
"Slow at first, then it accelerates..."
"Interesting."
Kanzaki nodded.
The return of Sawamura's natural tailing movement wasn't surprising.
The late acceleration, however, was unexpected.
It gave the pitch a uniquely deceptive quality.
"Hahaha!"
Sawamura spun around excitedly.
"I threw it!"
"How was it?!"
"It felt amazing!"
"It's good."
Kanzaki gave him a thumbs-up.
"Keep working on that."
Then he demonstrated another grip.
"Now try this one."
Sawamura's eyes immediately lit up.
"Eh?!"
"A Circle Changeup?!"
He had admired Kanzaki's Changeup for a long time.
Now he finally had the chance to try it himself.
"Relax your body."
"Don't stiffen your arm."
"Trust the grip."
"Okay, Aniki!"
Sawamura carefully positioned his fingers around the baseball.
Then he slowly swung his arm several times, searching for the right feeling.
Finally, he nodded.
"I'm throwing it!"
"Bring it on!" Ono shouted.
Sawamura stepped forward and released the ball.
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