"The match is over!"
As the result was announced, the atmosphere in the stadium turned dramatically.
Komadai Fujimaki High School achieved a stunning comeback, clinching victory after a fierce 12-inning battle.
Their players were extremely excited.
This win was far from easy.
On the other side, many players from Hoshiryu High School had tears in their eyes. For them, who had already reached Koshien in the summer, a good performance there was no longer enough.
As their skills grew, so did their ambitions.
Now, they were pursuing the throne of national supremacy.
Having not reached the final, they certainly had reasons to cry.
Both sides saluted each other, exchanging compliments.
"You defeated us so don't lose to Seidou!"
Hosho firmly shook Hongou's hand, sincerely wishing him well.
"Humph!"
In response, Hongou paid no mind.
"Sorry, he's just that kind of person; don't take it to heart."
His partner, Renji, quickly stepped in to ease the tension.
Hosho Okuchi didn't seem angry at all.
"It is okay. Coordinating with such a partner must be exhausting, right?"
'Eh? He understand?'
Renji looked at Hosho in surprise.
"I imagine you are not having it easier!"
Hosho's partnership with Nanami Haruka was no easier.
In today's match, Hosho performed poorly; as the fifth batter, he didn't show a batting ability befitting his status.
But this wasn't entirely his fault; apart from Nanami Haruka and Matsumoto, no one else on the team managed to get a hit.
Hosho Ryuki stood up, thoughtfully surveying Komadai Fujimaki on the field.
"The barrier of the national top four is indeed hard."
Hosho Ryuki was quite confident in Hoshiryu High School's strength.
However, compared to the four teams before him, they still fell short.
"If we want to break through in summer, improving our batting lineup is essential."
Most players from Hoshiryu High School had transitioned from softball back to hardball.
It took nearly a year just to adapt.
So in their first year, Nanami Haruka and Hosho's performance was fairly average.
It wasn't until the summer of their second year that they made it to Koshien.
Now, after another six months, the players had significantly improved.
They believed that in another six months, this improvement would be even greater.
By that time, it would be Hoshiryu High School's moment to truly shine.
"Let's go!"
The players from Seidou High School, led by Superintendent Kataoka, lined up to leave the Koshien stadium.
Kuramochi cheerfully approached Sawamura and asked, "Most of those guys from Hoshiryu are your acquaintances, right?"
Sawamura nodded.
He had mentioned this to everyone on the team before. During the summer Koshien, Hoshiryu High School happened to be their opponent.
At that time, Sawamura had acted as a consultant for the team, helping to analyze Hoshiryu High School's strengths and weaknesses.
"Aren't you going to say hello?"
Kuramochi laughed.
After the team left, they headed straight back to their dormitory.
If Sawamura wanted to greet his former friends, he would first need to ask the Superintendent for permission.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be any opportunity.
Especially since Hoshiryu High School had already been defeated, they might leave Koshien the next morning.
"As long as we keep playing baseball, we'll meet again someday."
Sawamura left that remark and followed the team away.
"This guy is really trying hard to look cool."
Kuramochi pondered Sawamura's words for a while before understanding his meaning.
So, they would probably meet again in the summer.
Sawamura was quite confident about reconnecting with his old friends.
"The day after tomorrow is the match against Komadai Fujimaki High School. Everyone, let's eat first, and we'll have a meeting in the evening."
After four intense matches, it had unknowingly grown dark outside.
At dinner time, everyone naturally wanted to eat their fill before discussing how to deal with Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Sawamura returned to his room, frowning as he tugged at his left middle finger.
It felt quite strange; his finger seemed to hurt with the slightest movement.
'Did I bump it during the match?'
Sawamura was puzzled; he couldn't remember hitting his finger during the previous game.
"Coach is looking for me?"
After dinner, before the meeting could start, Superintendent Kataoka sent Miyuki to find Sawamura.
With the Superintendent's invitation, Sawamura hurried over.
"What's wrong with your finger?"
Kataoka asked with a serious expression.
Sawamura looked up in surprise, incredulous at Kataoka's concern.
He hadn't told anyone about his finger discomfort. He wanted to rest a day to see if it would improve by tomorrow.
If necessary, he planned to pitch a few balls to check if it was affected.
If there was no issue, then it was fine; if there was, he would have to confess to the Superintendent.
Although he was unwilling to voluntarily give up the pitcher's mound, he was even less inclined to trouble the team because of his condition.
Unexpectedly, before he could even test it himself, Superintendent Kataoka had already noticed.
"I'm fine-"
"Don't be stubborn!"
Kataoka's tone was firm, cutting Sawamura off before he could finish.
"If you feel any discomfort, go see a doctor immediately. The team's performance is important, but the player's career is paramount. As a pitcher, isn't it your responsibility to protect your fingers?"
Sawamura was left speechless.
Yet, he understood the Coach's kindness.
What could be better than having a Superintendent like this?
"I really am fine."
Unconsciously, Sawamura's voice became much softer.
"If it weren't for Miyuki noticing, we wouldn't have realized it either. As your Superintendent, I owe you an apology. Fortunately, it's not too late; let's go see a doctor. We cannot let Chris's tragedy repeat itself."
'At this point, being taken to see a doctor implied that there were already plans not to let me pitch in the next two matches, right?'
Sawamura glanced deeply at Kataoka and ultimately accepted his kindness.
The doctor exaggerated Sawamura's situation a bit.
In reality, it was just a bump; a few days of rest would suffice.
Such things are unavoidable in sports.
Sprained ankle, and bumped fingers!
These are common occurrences.
Sawamura insisted on trying, and his pitching wasn't significantly affected.
However, according to the doctor's advice, he needed to rest for a week to make sure.
And even if he pitched during this week, he shouldn't overstrain himself.
Superintendent Kataoka made his own judgment and didn't heed Sawamura's reckless demands, but rather followed the doctor's recommendation.
For the next two matches, he did not plan to let Sawamura take the mound.
Fortunately, an 'injured' finger didn't affect Sawamura's batting.
He reluctantly agreed to let Sawamura contribute in the outfield.
"Before the semifinals start, the Ace is actually injured?"
This news hit the teammates of Seidou High School hard.
Faced with Superintendent Kataoka's firm attitude, Sawamura felt helpless.
Sawamura injured his finger and will not be able to participate in the next two games.
Somehow, this news has leaked.
Although the outside media is still unaware, the members of the Seidou High School baseball team have already heard about it.
At this moment, wherever Sawamura goes, he is met with concerned gazes.
They seem to want to ask something, but ultimately, no one speaks up.
They probably want to confirm the news, right? Sawamura desperately wants to tell everyone that he's fine!
However, Superintendent Kataoka has clearly prohibited him from pitching in the semifinals and finals.
What can he say to his teammates?
In this silent, awkward atmosphere, it's time for a meeting to analyze their opponent.
Komadai Fujimaki High School is also an old rival of Seidou High. Although they've only faced each other once before, Seidou has always paid attention to Komadai, as both schools are of the same caliber.
They are familiar enough with each other, having honed tactics and strategies even during winter training.
In this context, strategies against Komadai quickly emerged.
Yet, not a single player on the Seidou team looked relaxed.
After outlining the tactics, the next step is to announce the main lineup, especially the pitchers.
The whispers everyone has heard remain unconfirmed. After Sawamura returned from the doctor, the uncertainty only grew.
They open their mouths to ask, but the words won't come out.
The ace pitcher is the cornerstone of the team, not to mention Sawamura, a top player nationally.
His status at Seidou High is unshakeable.
To put it simply, there are two different teams: Seidou with Sawamura and Seidou without him.
Against the difficult Komadai, if Sawamura can't play, their chances would drop significantly.
Furuya and Kawakami are good, but compared to Sawamura, they still have weaknesses.
Against average teams, those weaknesses might not matter, but against top-tier rivals, the outcome could be drastically different.
Small errors could spell disaster for Seidou High.
All the players sat cross-legged in the hall, gazing intently at Superintendent Kataoka.
They hoped to hear something different from him.
But they were destined for disappointment.
Kataoka crushed all their hopes from the start.
"Don't worry, everyone. Sawamura's hand is fine."
Before the players could even breathe a sigh of relief, Kataoka added, "However, just to be safe, I won't let Sawamura pitch in the next two games."
Who could handle this news?
The expressions of Seidou's players, still tense, suddenly tightened further.
Without Sawamura, they would face Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Their muscles tensed, and their faces grew rigid.
"What are we afraid of? We'll take him down!" Kuramochi said first.
"Yeah, we'll crush him!"
"Who's afraid?"
With Kuramochi leading, the atmosphere in the hall shifted. Everyone looked fierce as if a rough crowd had gathered.
Sawamura, who had been silent, cast a grateful glance at Kuramochi.
The previously heavy atmosphere had been lightened by Kuramochi.
He likely did this to ease his own guilt.
Though Kuramochi often put Sawamura through tough Martial arts training as a senior, when trouble struck, he was always the first to stand up for him.
'What a good senpai to have.'
He raised his hand and said directly, "Coach, I can do it!"
He wanted to assert that he was fine and could play.
But Kataoka gestured for him to remain silent.
"You have led the team so far. No one in the team can deny that."
Being praised by Superintendent Kataoka in front of the entire Seidou team made Sawamura feel a bit embarrassed.
"Next, please trust your teammates! They are also capable."
As soon as Kataoka finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall changed again.
The initially worried players became composed.
Their gazes sharpened, even turning a bit fierce.
'Yes, Sawamura wasn't the only one on the Seidou baseball team.'
'We left their homes to come to Tokyo to pursue baseball.'
'Now is the time to deliver results.'
Ochiai stood aside, watching Kataoka in admiration.
'As expected of a language teacher; when it comes to motivating players, no one can match him.'
'What could have been a major setback transformed into a challenge for the other players through his words.'
He is really a master at this.
"Don't worry!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Just sit back in the rest area and watch. We will claim the Spring League championship!"
"Eijun-kun, leave it to me!"
The teammates surrounded Sawamura, each vowing to do their best.
"But I…"
Sawamura was happy by their support yes but didn't know what to say.
No one heard what he said, but they didn't mind.
It would just be expressing gratitude anyway.
But what Eijun really wanted to say was something else…
'Although I couldn't pitch, I could still contribute in hitting and fielding!!'
'These kind fool! Are they trying to jinx me!?"
'Can't they stop talking as if I am crippled?'
'It can bring bad luck you know!'
…