Though Kanzaki Ryou had some guesses, he shook his head. "I'm not sure, you'll know when you go, but Coach Kataoka's face looked a bit off just now."
"Coach Kataoka is in a bad mood?!!!"
Tanba's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but worry.
"Hurry up, or Coach Kataoka will get angry," Kanzaki Ryou said, trying to suppress his laughter.
Tanba nodded and then left Seidou Dormitory. Looking at his retreating figure, there was a tragic sense of a hero departing.
In the Coach's office, Tanba cautiously pushed the door open. The first thing he did when he saw Coach Kataoka was to observe his expression. Hmm, expressionless! Coach Kataoka had always been poker-faced, and Tanba was already used to it, but at this moment, he felt very uneasy.
"Tanba, come in."
Seeing Tanba standing motionless at the door, Coach Kataoka called out, puzzled.
"Hello, Coach," Tanba walked to the desk.
Coach Kataoka put down his pen, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and then said, "How has training been recently?"
"Very good," Tanba replied with his hands behind his back.
"Hmm, get yourself in good shape. These two days, practice the vertical Curveball with Tanaka Wataru," Coach Kataoka said.
Upon hearing this, Tanba was stunned for a long while. Practicing the vertical Curveball with Tanaka Wataru—did this mean he was going to be sent to pitch?
"Get ready. Not to mention the next game, as long as the team makes it to Koshien, your strength will definitely be needed then, Tanba. Can I trust you?" Coach Kataoka looked at Tanba seriously and asked.
"Yes!" Tanba suddenly shouted.
Koshien! Coach Kataoka trusted him so much, wanting him to pitch at Koshien.
When he left the office, the excitement in Tanba's heart had not yet subsided. His mind was filled with what Coach Kataoka had just told him until he saw Kanzaki Ryou leaning out from the second floor, waving at him, and he suddenly realized.
That scoundrel's earlier comment about Coach Kataoka being in a bad mood was just him deliberately trying to scare him! That hateful, arrogant scoundrel!
"Yo, Tanba-san," Kanzaki Ryou raised his hand and called out with a smile.
Tanba looked up at the second floor, glared fiercely, and then walked into his own dorm, slamming the door shut.
On the second floor, Kanzaki Ryou wore a mischievous, triumphant grin.
"Ryou, what are you laughing about?" The dorm door next to him opened, and Miyuki, who came out for some fresh air, saw Kanzaki Ryou giggling outside.
"Nothing, my sow just gave birth," Kanzaki Ryou said.
Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "You keep pigs at home?"
Kanzaki Ryou smiled and didn't answer. He took out his phone and started fiddling with it. Since the game ended today, he had been waiting for news from his sister, but by night, his phone hadn't reacted at all.
How strange!
As the saying goes, unusual events often indicate something amiss. Kanzaki Ryou didn't call to ask; he had a premonition that something good would happen soon.
In the afternoon two days later, Kanzaki Ryou was on the field discussing various pitches with Kawakami, completely unaware that on the path outside the field, two beautiful, youthful girls were walking towards the field. One, with a lively and cute chestnut jellyfish haircut, walked cheerfully ahead, looking around as if searching for something. The girl following her had long flowing hair, wore a long dress, and a hat.
"Sis, hurry up," Kumiko turned back, pouting and whining to her sister.
Mami's high heels clacked, unable to keep up with her sister's pace.
"Why walk so fast? Ryou isn't going to run away," Mami said helplessly.
Kumiko stopped, snorted, and said, "Nee-chan, you're in Tokyo, you can come here anytime. It's hard for me to come even once; I haven't seen my brother in a long time."
Listening to Kumiko's slightly aggrieved tone, Mami sighed. She just couldn't understand it; her younger brother and sister had such a good relationship, practically wanting to stick together all the time.
"Come on, come on, we'll be there soon. Look how anxious you are."
The two sisters walked arm in arm to the outside of the field and peered into the field through the fence.
"So many people!" Kumiko exclaimed, watching the Seido High School Baseball Club players training on the field.
At this moment, all the players on the field, except for the first string, were training desperately. Various shouts and the sound of baseball bats hitting balls intertwined.
"It's scary," Kumiko suddenly said. Just watching their training made her feel terrified; it was too hard.
"Yeah, I don't know how that kid endures it," Mami said.
"Brother is over there!"
Kumiko pointed to the corner of the field and shouted.
On the field, Kanzaki Ryou was constantly gesturing with a baseball, and his grip on the ball was actually the grip for a Fast Forkball.
After discussing pitches with Kawakami for a while, Kanzaki Ryou had the idea of learning a new pitch. Among the pitches he currently mastered, the Two-seam fastball and the Slider (Modified) were both horizontal changes. If he could also master a vertical changing pitch, that would truly be like adding wings to a tiger. Then, combined with his Changeup, it would definitely become any batter's nightmare.
"Ryou, I don't think you need to rush right now. You haven't fully mastered your Slider yet, have you?" Kawakami said.
"Hmm, I know. I just have this idea now; the real practice will have to wait until after this summer's games are over," Kanzaki Ryou said after stopping his movements.
Not to mention there's no time to practice new pitches now, even if there were, Miyuki and Coach Kataoka wouldn't allow it.
Seeing that Kanzaki Ryou had a plan, Kawakami didn't say more. "Then, Ryou, if there's nothing else, I'll go train."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead."
Seeing Kawakami leave, Kanzaki Ryou walked towards the outside of the field, looking down at the baseball in his hand. Tomorrow was the final day, and all members of the first string were strictly forbidden from excessive training, fearing they might waste physical strength and perform poorly in the game.
"Ryou."
"Hmm? Rei-chan, what's wrong?"
Kanzaki Ryou stopped in front of the bullpen. Takashima Rei walked out from inside, smiled, and said, "Come with me, you have a visitor."
"Visitor?" Kanzaki Ryou frowned, puzzled. Could it be a reporter?
"Come with me," Takashima Rei smiled and didn't explain immediately.
Thinking of the message she had just received on her phone from Mami, Takashima Rei was also a bit curious about what the sister of Kanzaki Ryou, this well-known siscon, looked like.
The two walked out of the field, one after the other. Just as Kanzaki Ryou was about to ask Takashima Rei who the visitor was, a familiar figure ran towards him.
"Ni-chan~"
The girl brought a gust of wind as she threw herself into Kanzaki Ryou's arms.
Kanzaki Ryou subconsciously reached out and held the girl's butt. Only when the girl's natural scent wafted into his nose did he react, his eyes filled with surprise.