Chapter 244: Post-Match Meeting
After returning to the dorm, the upperclassmen immediately started practicing.
Just like Jun-san said, they've been holding back their frustration for a while now. With plenty of time left in the day, there was no way they'd skip practice.
Why only the upperclassmen? Because Sendo slipped away right after returning.
This time, it wasn't because he was slacking off — he was deep in thought.
Whether the others believed him or not… well, that's another story.
In his mind, Sendo was running simulated matches — an incredibly difficult task.
Not only did he have to account for his own performance, but he also had to fully immerse himself in the opponent's perspective. That required an in-depth understanding of each opposing player — their techniques, personalities, and even psychological tendencies.
Only by knowing how they think can he simulate a reliable match scenario.
It wasn't about predicting who would win or lose — it was about imagining what kind of strategies the opponent would use.
...
That evening, at the dining hall meeting...
The entire team gathered to watch the footage of today's Inashiro Industrial game.
The recording was filmed from the right diagonal angle behind the catcher.
"In the end, he only threw six changeups in the whole game," Chris-senpai summarized.
"White hair…!" Sawamura shivered all over.
"There were only three forkballs and seven sliders! From start to finish, his pitch selection was centered around his fastball," Chris-senpai continued.
"Even though Sakurazawa High's lineup is weak, being able to pitch that well while also keeping an eye on us is pretty impressive," Jun-san commented.
"Looks like he didn't want us to get too much information on his breaking balls," Sendo shared his first impression after hearing the analysis.
"Yeah… and as expected, he made great use of that diagonal fastball aimed right at the chest of right-handed batters.
That's something we need to be particularly careful of, considering most of our lineup are right-handed hitters."
"Hmm? Diagonal fastball? Why does that sound familiar…?"
Sawamura said with a serious face, showcasing his signature cluelessness.
"Huh?" Haruichi was left speechless.
"Hey, hey! You threw that pitch yourself today!" Miyuki couldn't help but scold him.
Sawamura's face filled with disbelief.
"The pitch that struck out Maki! Don't tell me you've become this dumb, Eijun!" Sendo chimed in with a jab.
"That pitch was…?"
"A fastball that tails right into the chest of right-handed batters — a unique trajectory for left-handed pitchers. That's the diagonal fastball," Miyuki explained.
The chaotic duo was in perfect sync.
"Whaaat?!"
"What's with that face? Why are you acting like it's some amazing discovery when you're the one who threw it?" Sendo was speechless.
"Wait… don't tell me you threw it without even knowing what it was?" Miyuki asked, genuinely puzzled.
"N-no way! Fire Ball has always been my ultimate weapon!" Sawamura panicked.
"It's Crossfire, not Fire Ball," Haruichi corrected him, unintentionally throwing him under the bus.
That correction made the atmosphere even more awkward for Sawamura.
"Right! That's it! The Black Fire Fighter!" Sawamura gave up and just blurted out nonsense — which was, of course, wrong.
"No, no, that's not it!"
"Still, it's not just a regular diagonal fastball.
Even if we explained it to this idiot now, he wouldn't understand anyway," Miyuki muttered to himself.
"Ha ha ha! How dumb can you get? Chris-senpai, you've really had your hands full with this one," Sendo laughed.
"Ah…" Chris-senpai let out a small sigh through his nose but smiled warmly.
"Master!" Sawamura protested.
"So, how about you, the only one who hit a double off Narumiya last year?" Ryo-san turned to Captain Tetsu for his opinion.
During last summer's tournament, Tetsu was the only second-year to start, while the rest were backup players.
"We've got a leadoff duo who can disrupt the opponent's rhythm.
We've got players who can adapt and adjust at the plate.
Most importantly, every player in our lineup can take a full, powerful swing without hesitation.
With the team we have now, we can definitely crush Narumiya!
Let's fight our way to the very end with Seidou-style baseball!"
"YEAH!!!"
"Amazing! The atmosphere of the whole team changed in an instant," Haruno marveled.
"As expected of our captain!" Sachiko shouted.
"Yuuki-kun!" Senior Takako said, deeply moved — though it was admiration, not romantic affection.
"Let's all cheer together!" added Senior Yui.
"Yeah!"
"Sendo, why don't you say something too?"
"Sendo, do you have anything to add? Also, you really gave Narumiya a headache today — aren't you going to explain the rest to everyone?" Miyuki asked.
The upperclassmen were already aware of what Sendo had been doing during the day and his goal, so all eyes naturally turned to him with curiosity.
"There's not much more to say — that guy has very few weaknesses. Hmm… but no matter how good that white-haired guy is, there's no way he can maintain that kind of pitching for an entire game. Even though his pitching seems flawless, there are actually risks hidden in there. His stamina, and even his coach, can't always accurately judge his condition. If that white-haired guy were on our team, how would we handle him? We'd probably focus on managing his stamina first, right? That could create an opportunity for us to exploit."
"Good point! That's true — Narumiya's human too!" Jun-san gave Sendo a hearty slap on the shoulder.
"Anything else?"
"Of course! We should also do everything we can to wear down his stamina. That way, we might get an unexpected chance at some point."
"I see!"
Without realizing it, Sendo had actually repeated part of the strategy Coach Kataoka used in his previous life.
"Inashiro's lineup will probably target the specific weaknesses of each of our pitchers the day after tomorrow. For example, Tanba-san's fastball occasionally lacks precision…"
Sendo only mentioned it briefly — the finer details of the pitching plan were best left to Miyuki and Chris-senpai.
Seeing this sense of unity and focus, Rei felt reassured about the strength of Seidou's lineup.
At the end of the meeting, Tanba-senpai suggested holding a separate meeting with Chris and Miyuki. The proposal was approved right away.
At Chris-senpai's command, Sawamura immediately stood at attention like a soldier, saluting in full obedience.
Everyone else scattered to their own tasks, leaving behind a few managers, some of the third-year regulars, Sendo, and Kuramochi, who was discussing something with Ryousuke.
"This is a gift from the wind band!" Senior Takako brought out a large wreath made entirely of folded paper cranes.
The baseball team truly carried the hopes of so many people.
"Oh! Are these paper cranes? That's a lot of them!" Jun-san exclaimed, touched by the gesture.
"Well then, we'll head back now," Senior Takako said as she and the other managers prepared to leave.
Sendo stood up as well — he was always the one who walked them home. Not out of chivalry, but pure laziness since it was an excuse to slack off.
"Hey, Manager!" Jun-san suddenly called out to them.
"Yes?"
"We're counting on you for these next two days! We'll fight with everything we've got!"
The managers clutched their chests, deeply moved by Jun-san's warmth.
"It's not just two days, Jun! There's more after that…" Tetsu butted in, clearly looking to stir up trouble.
After all, the two of them had been bickering since the fall of their second year.
"Shut up! I'm talking about the immediate future You're the one who should be saying this, but you're too awkward with words!" Jun cut him off.
"This summer's going to fly by fast. Be ready for that," Tetsu said to the managers, completely ignoring Jun's remarks and accusations.
"That's what I'm saying — stop thinking so far ahead!"
"All the way until the end of August!" Tetsu continued ignoring him.
"That's basically winning Nationals, isn't it?"
"Ugh! Yeah!"
Their constant bickering was always entertaining to watch.
Meanwhile, Kuramochi had just noticed Ryousuke's injury — and the rest, well, there's no need to explain what happened after that.
...
"Sendo! You've got to give it your all in the match the day after tomorrow!"
On the way back, Senior Takako called out to Sendo.
"Crush that Narumiya!" Sachiko raised her fist and shouted.
Over the past few months, even though it was only on the nights when the managers stayed late, Sendo was the one who always walked the female managers home. Naturally, they had become quite familiar with each other.
Overall, Sendo was a warm and thoughtful person — his usual sharp tongue never showed itself around girls.
Because of that, the relationship between him and the managers was far from ordinary. They spoke casually, like close friends.
"Ah, I've been looking forward to this game for a long time now!"
"Really? That's a relief to hear!"
"Seriously though, the pressure before a match like this is no joke… We can't lose… right?" Sendo thought to himself.
That night felt like it would be a long one.
...
"Yo! What are you up to? Not practicing, I bet Congrats on making it to the finals! I can't believe you and him are going to face off again in the championship match — it really feels like fate!"
After walking the managers home, Sendo got a call from Coach Nakani.
"Fate? Who?"
"Inashiro's cleanup hitter and catcher — Harada Masatoshi!"
"Ohhh, so that's why… I knew he felt familiar somehow. I just couldn't remember from where."
The pieces finally clicked in Sendo's mind — that odd sense of familiarity with Harada.
"You actually forgot about him? Well, I guess that's fair — it was just a brief meeting. Do you remember that one and only practice game you played six years ago? The cleanup hitter and catcher on the other side was Harada."
"Ohhh! Now I remember! That really is a crazy coincidence. But our roles have completely reversed now — this time, his team is the powerhouse."
The memories slowly came back to Sendo.
"Haha! What you don't know is, after the Mariners Little League team got knocked out that summer, Harada actually came looking for you at the Wildcats' field."
"I'm not really interested in that kind of stuff."
"Soga, fair enough. Anyway, good luck in the finals! I'll be there cheering for you — with my trusty partner."
"Oi! Old man! Why are you bringing that thing?" Sendo knew exactly what Coach Nakani's "partner" was — his ridiculously loud megaphone.
A bad feeling crept up on him.
"Of course I'm bringing it! There's no way my voice alone could dominate the crowd at Jingu Stadium!"
"Oi oi!"
"Hahaha! Oh, by the way, did Sasaki get in touch with you? That kid asked me for your number."
"Ah…"
Thinking back to a few nights ago, Sendo remembered how Sasaki, whom he hadn't seen in six years, had suddenly reached out.
That little kid who used to follow him around everywhere had now joined Ichidaisan High and was already their new No. 5 hitter.
"Anyway, you should get some rest tonight, old man."
"Haha! When you get to my age, you don't need much sleep. You're the one who needs to get to bed early!
…Hey, Sendo."
"Hm?"
"Remember — you're the strongest. Your talent is far greater than you give yourself credit for. Don't ever think there's anyone out there you can't beat."
"Got it."
This time, Sendo didn't brush off his mentor's words as over-the-top flattery.
It wasn't because he thought he was some unbeatable player — but somehow, those words gave him a quiet sense of confidence.
A half-outsider like him, daring to challenge the strongest pitcher.
For Sendo, this final wasn't just any game. His mentor, Wakana from Nagano who came all this way to cheer, Eijun's entire family, his own grandparents, even his parents watching from far away — they were all going to be at Jingu Stadium.
And above all, this was the last summer for the seniors he admired and respected most.
But none of that felt like a burden. It wouldn't shake him.
Sendo knew very clearly what it was he wanted.
...
"I'm so tired! Can I go to bed now?" Narumiya yawned lazily.
"It's only eight o'clock…" someone beside him muttered.
"At least make sure you've memorized all the data on Seidou's lineup first! Their average runs over the last three games is 12.8! They're on a completely different level compared to the teams we've faced so far — their lineup is national-class! Especially the 4th and 5th batters, Yuuki and Sendo. Those two could very well be the strongest batting duo in the country!"
Sitting across from Narumiya, Harada laid out the facts.
"They're the perfect opponents for what's basically a prelude to Koshien — especially that bastard!" Narumiya, still bitter about what happened earlier that day, pretended to stay calm.
"That kind of carelessness is exactly how you'll drag the team down…"
"Leadoff batter Kuramochi's speed is definitely a threat, but as long as he doesn't get on base, he's not scary at all. If anything, the one to really watch out for is their No.2 hitter, Kominato."
"…But the one we need to pay the most attention to is their cleanup, Captain Yuuki. He hit a beautiful double off you last year, remember?"
"And then there's their No.5 batter — Sendo."
The moment Harada mentioned his name, Narumiya's expression stiffened slightly.
"He swings at a lot of bad pitches. It's hard to tell if his pitch selection is just bad, or if he's confident enough in his batting to go after anything. Either way, in nearly every game so far, he's made contact with almost every hittable ball. His RBI count is through the roof, but he's never taken a walk. One key point — we have no record of him ever striking out, and his power is insane. He's averaging one home run per game over the last five games — the highest among all players in West Tokyo this summer. And on top of that, he's ridiculously fast. Although, this summer he hasn't really had a chance to show off his full speed on the basepaths — so that's something we need to watch out for as well. You've seen the footage from their spring match against Ichidaisan High, right?"
"If we can completely shut them down, it'll be a huge boost for our morale too. Anything else I should know?"
"That's enough for now. Just make sure you get a proper massage before you sleep!"
"Yeah, yeah." Narumiya replied nonchalantly.
But as soon as he turned his back, his thoughts immediately turned to Sendo, his teeth practically grinding in frustration.
"Just you wait, I'll make you cry on the mound."
"When the hell did Narumiya start studying Seidou's lineup so closely…?"
"And his analysis is spot on too!" some of the others whispered.
"That guy only cares about hitters he personally wants to face. Everything else gets dumped on me." Harada said with a perfectly straight face, as if describing his tragic fate.
"…Wow, that sounds rough."
"Eh, I'm used to it."
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