Chris's eyes lost focus the moment he heard the doctor's words. The sudden blow was too heavy to accept.
A few months ago, he had already known something was wrong with his shoulder, but he had kept pushing through—training, playing, and carrying the team like nothing was wrong. He performed flawlessly, all while hiding the pain.
When he learned that Miyuki would be joining Seidou, Chris had felt a strange mix of relief and comfort. Perhaps in another six months, or a year at most, when Miyuki was ready to take over, he could finally ease his burden a little.
But he never expected that his shoulder would be injured so severely… that it might actually end his baseball career.
The truth was, the pain had been getting worse lately. He'd felt the warning signs but didn't dare to face them. Maybe he just didn't want to admit it. As long as he didn't get it checked, he could keep pretending nothing was wrong.
After all—Seidou still needed him.
Even today, he had only come to the hospital to accompany Kanzaki Ryou. But in the end, he was the one receiving the bad news.
Logically, he knew the doctor was right—stopping now was the best choice.
But emotionally…
Chris turned his head toward Kanzaki, his eyes filled with silent pleading.
Kanzaki shook his head firmly.
Chris looked up at the ceiling, eyes turning red. He took a deep breath and forced a faint, trembling smile.
"Ryou."
"I'm here."
"You have to become… the pillar of Seidou."
"…Yes!"
On the way back to school, Chris didn't say a word. He simply stared out the car window, the city lights reflected in his eyes.
When they arrived, Kanzaki followed Chris straight to the baseball field.
It was not yet seven o'clock—training was still underway.
As soon as the two appeared, Coach Kataoka, Takashima Rei, and President Ota looked over.
Just one glance was enough for them to notice that something was terribly wrong.
Takashima was the first to approach. "Chris, what happened?"
Chris smiled bitterly, his eyes dim. "I might have to… leave the baseball club."
"What!?"
The expressions of the three immediately changed.
Coach Kataoka strode forward, his eyes falling on Chris's right shoulder, now hidden beneath his uniform jacket. His voice was tense.
"Chris, what do you mean?"
Chris handed over a folded sheet of paper. "This is my examination report."
Kataoka took it solemnly. As he read the diagnosis, his hands began to tremble. For a long while, he said nothing—then finally whispered, voice hoarse, "Chris… I'm sorry."
No one understood better than him how talented Chris was—how deeply he loved baseball and this team.
How could a player like that be forced off the field by injury?
If only he had noticed sooner. If only he hadn't pushed him so hard…
"Coach, it's alright," Chris said gently. "The doctor said it's serious, but if I rest for half a year, I can recover."
Takashima's eyes were already glistening.
They all knew how hard Chris had worked. Why… why hadn't anyone realized sooner?
The heavy silence made Kanzaki hesitate to even breathe.
"Ryou, go train," Chris said suddenly, turning back. "Coach and I still have things to discuss."
"…Okay."
Kanzaki nodded and quietly walked off toward the bullpen.
The unusual atmosphere around the coaches didn't escape the players' sharp intuition. As Kanzaki approached, a group quickly gathered around him.
"Don't ask," Kanzaki said before anyone could speak. "You'll all find out soon enough."
His tone made them back off immediately, though Miyuki and Kuramochi lingered nearby.
"Ryou, Chris-senpai… he—" Miyuki began, but Kanzaki cut him off.
"Miyuki, let's warm up. You'll be catching for me later."
Expressionless, Kanzaki jogged to the bullpen and began running laps.
Kuramochi leaned closer to Miyuki, watching Kanzaki's back. "What happened?"
"Don't ask questions you're not supposed to," Miyuki said quietly. "Just focus on training."
Half an hour later, Miyuki was catching for Kanzaki in the bullpen. Each pitch came screaming in like a bullet, slamming into the glove with a deafening boom.
The sound alone made Nanjo Taishi, who was practicing nearby, flinch each time.
Even though he had already accepted that the Ace number would go to Kanzaki, standing beside him now, feeling the overwhelming pressure of his pitches, Nanjo couldn't help the flicker of unwillingness mixed with admiration in his chest.
"Hey, ease up a bit!" Miyuki yelled after barely catching another 150 km/h fastball. "It's hard enough catching for you as it is!"
"Sorry," Kanzaki said, wiping sweat from his brow. "I'll buy you a drink later."
Miyuki snorted, gripping the ball tightly. "Forget it. Just pitch with everything you've got."
Even without knowing the details, Miyuki could tell his pitcher was angry—hurt, even. If throwing the ball as hard as he could helped him vent, then so be it.
By 7:30 PM, training was over. Just as everyone was preparing to head to the cafeteria, Coach Kataoka, Takashima Rei, and President Ota returned to the field.
After gathering everyone, Coach Kataoka stepped forward.
"An announcement!"
The chatter immediately died down.
"Starting today, Chris will officially withdraw from the first team. The position of main catcher will be vacant. Tanaka, you'll temporarily take over Chris's spot."
"Yes, Coach!" Tanaka Wataru, a third-year catcher, shouted. "Coach, what about Chris—?"
"Chris is injured."
"What?!!"
Nearly a hundred members turned toward Chris, who stood silently behind Kataoka.
The second- and third-years especially looked stricken. Every one of them had been guided, helped, or supported by Chris at some point.
"Everyone!" Kataoka's voice was firm. "Although Chris is stepping down as a player, he will remain with the team as a training advisor. The Spring Metropolitan Tournament is in two days—I don't want to see anyone slacking off! Even if Chris isn't on the field, we'll play with everything we've got!"
"YES, COACH!"
Their voices echoed across the field.
But despite their shouts, unease lingered in the air.
Seidou was already lacking a true Ace pitcher. Nanjo's pitching was solid—his high-speed slider made him a formidable threat—but against their old rivals like Ichidai Third High and Inashiro Industrial, his power still fell short.
And now, without their main catcher…
This was, without a doubt, a huge blow to Seidou High School Baseball.
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