The next day's practice plan had already been decided.
Coach Kataoka wanted Ushijima Wakatoshi to use his curveball while pitching batting practice.
Ushijima didn't object.
"…That's fine," he said calmly.
"I haven't thrown a curveball in three months anyway. I'll use tomorrow to get the feel back."
He paused, then added casually,
"It'll also let that bastard Miyuki get familiar with the trajectory in advance."
"That way, we can use it in crucial moments during the finals—just in case."
Then his tone turned more serious.
"But let me be clear."
"Whether it's the semifinals or the finals…"
"Don't call for my curveball unless it's absolutely necessary."
He glanced toward Miyuki.
"To be honest, I don't like throwing it."
"I'm worried it might affect my feel for my fastball… and my control."
Coach Kataoka nodded slightly.
That concern was completely valid.
For a pitcher, rhythm and confidence mattered just as much as technique.
Forcing a pitcher to rely on a pitch they disliked could easily disrupt their performance.
If the curveball was reserved as a decisive weapon, it would be far more effective.
After all, Ushijima's core style was clear:
Fastball + sharp moving pitches.
Miyuki leaned back slightly, crossing his arms.
"Hey… you bastard."
His tone sounded casual, but his eyes were sharp.
"Exactly how many pitches do you know?"
"Just tell me everything at once."
He didn't expect much.
At most, he thought Ushijima had only been hiding the curveball.
After all, during Golden Week, Ushijima had mentioned there were pitches he didn't like because they were too slow.
Miyuki had already assumed—
That meant the curveball.
"…Yeah, I'm curious too," Kominato added with a smile.
Around them, everyone else turned their attention toward Ushijima.
Even Coach Kataoka and Takashima Rei were watching him closely.
Ushijima thought for a moment, then answered plainly,
"…How should I put it?"
"I can throw most pitches I know by name."
The room instantly went quiet.
Then he continued.
"Fastball types: Four-Seam, Two-Seam, Cutter, Sinker, Shootball, Forkball."
"Breaking balls: Curveball, Slider."
"I haven't really worked on changeups yet."
"…."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
The entire room exploded.
They had all expected something…
But not this.
They thought he was hiding one pitch.
Instead—
He had been hiding three more.
"Damn it!!"
Isashiki slammed the table.
"You know this many pitches and never told us?!"
Yuki frowned.
"You've been keeping all of this to yourself?"
Kominato smiled gently—
but his hand was already raised like a blade.
"Ushijima… that's not very nice, is it?"
Masuko puffed his cheeks angrily.
"Even I'm mad this time…"
Kuramochi cracked his knuckles.
"You could've helped us practice against them earlier!"
Meanwhile, Miyuki stood frozen.
"…I shouldn't have asked."
He rubbed his forehead.
"I seriously shouldn't have asked."
"I thought the 'slow pitch' you hated was just the curveball…"
"…but it includes sliders and forkballs too?!"
His expression twisted.
He felt like he'd just dug his own grave.
Ushijima blinked, confused.
"What are you all getting so worked up about?"
"Curveball is something I've known for a long time. That's what I meant before."
"But the forkball…"
He scratched his cheek slightly.
"I saw Tanba-senpai practicing it."
"And Furuya too."
"I thought it looked interesting, so I tried it myself."
"I haven't mastered it yet though."
"My control is pretty bad."
The team calmed down slightly after hearing that.
At least it wasn't fully developed.
That made it… slightly less ridiculous.
"As for the slider…"
Ushijima continued casually,
"That one's a bit awkward."
"I could already cut the ball naturally."
"Later, while practicing my Cutter, I adjusted my grip a bit…"
"And the pitch became slower, but the movement increased."
"It dropped more than a Cutter."
"After seeing Kawakami throw a Slider, I realized…"
"It was basically the same pitch."
"So I looked it up to confirm."
"That's when I found out—"
"…I had already been throwing a slider."
He shrugged.
"It was unintentional."
"I was just trying to improve my control."
"In the end, my control didn't improve much…"
"But I ended up figuring out another pitch."
He added calmly,
"But since it's slower…"
"I don't really like using it."
"So I just leave it alone."
The room went silent again.
Then—
"YOU'RE INFURIATING!!!"
Multiple voices shouted at once.
Knowing so many pitches…
…and ignoring them just because they were slower?
That was just absurd.
Miyuki slowly covered his face.
"…Eight pitches…"
He started laughing.
"What kind of monster pitcher is this…"
Chris and Miyauchi exchanged glances.
As catchers, they understood that feeling perfectly.
A pitcher with this many pitch types—
Even if the control wasn't perfect—
Was an absolute treasure.
Because in a real game…
You didn't need perfection.
You just needed one unexpected pitch at the right moment.
And with eight different pitches…
The possible combinations were terrifying.
Even using just three-pitch sequences, the variations multiplied rapidly.
Change the order, adjust the location…
The possibilities became nearly endless.
For a batter—
It would feel like facing an unsolvable puzzle.
Miyuki looked at Ushijima again, eyes shining now.
"…We're testing everything tomorrow."
"If we can make even a few of those usable…"
"…the finals will be a lot easier."
He grinned.
"Honestly…"
"Getting a pitcher like you…"
"…is a catcher's dream."