Chapter 62: After the Game
After the game ended, Coach Kataoka had a brief conversation with Coach Matsumoto. The team from Kiryu High School boarded their bus and left Seido High, returning to Osaka and continuing their expedition across the Kanto and Kansai regions to wrap up their summer tournament.
Kiryu High School wasn't slowing down at all.
They won the game, and more importantly, their skills had steadily improved a bit more!
Watching the Kiryu High School bus fade into the distance, Eijun stood with his fists clenched, a clear expression of joy in his eyes.
That goal... he was getting closer to it once again.
"Sawamura."
"Yes, Chris-senpai." Eijun quickly came back to his senses, adopting a respectful tone as the familiar, gentle voice reached his ears.
"You did well today." Chris smiled, patting Eijun's shoulder kindly.
"I'm still far off. If it weren't for the support of my seniors, I might have crumbled long before then." Eijun replied self-deprecatingly.
And it wasn't an exaggeration. From the second inning onwards, Eijun faced heavy pressure, and without the defensive support behind him and Miyuki's calm guidance, he might have collapsed.
Of course, this was also due to Miyuki's demands to hone his outside pitches, combined with the fatigue from training.
Holding on until the sixth inning, allowing just four runs, surprised even Eijun. His one precise low outside pitch caused hesitation in Kiryu's lineup during subsequent at-bats.
Even though he didn't throw many real low outside pitches afterwards, that single pitch increased the threat of his inside pitches significantly.
Suppressing Kiryu's lineup became relatively easier.
From the seventh to the ninth inning, he gave up only one run, which spoke volumes.
"Heh, you're at least self-aware."
Miyuki removed his catcher's gear and approached with a curious look, like he couldn't believe Eijun was actually aware of his own limitations.
It made Eijun grit his teeth in frustration.
Ignoring it was a tactic Eijun had learned from dealing with Furuya—when your verbal skills fell short against Miyuki, the best approach was to ignore him.
Otherwise, the more you argued, the more frustrated you'd become, leading to Miyuki laughing it off while you steamed in anger. It wasn't worth it.
A wise person knows when to pick their battles.
Eijun would never admit he was afraid of Miyuki. It was simply a strategic withdrawal.
Eijun comforted himself with this little bit of rationalization.
However, ignoring Miyuki had little effect—he was known for his sharp wit and could easily tease anyone on his own.
"In the end, your low outside pitches were just barely okay that one time. The rest weren't up to par. If the opponents hadn't gone easy on you, we might have lost this match, future ace." Miyuki's teasing as he patted Eijun's shoulder darkened Eijun's mood.
Miyuki-senpai, with behavior like this, you might find yourself friendless!
"Alright, Miyuki." Chris shook his head, intervening to stop Miyuki.
Chris had known Miyuki since middle school, and his penchant for teasing hadn't changed at all.
"Yes, Chris-senpai," Miyuki replied playfully while still giving Eijun a teasing look.
Eijun felt an intense frustration with no outlet to vent.
Honestly, Miyuki really was the type who could drive someone up the wall!
"Sawamura, Miyuki isn't wrong. Don't forget the feel you had today. The inside and outside pitches complement each other. Together, they'll widen your range and improve your specialty pitches," Chris advised Eijun.
"Yeah, I understand, Chris-senpai." Eijun continued to show his respect for Chris, not only due to the influence of his previous life's story but also because of his direct interactions in this life.
Chris's brotherly care and patient guidance evoked genuine respect and admiration in Eijun for the tall figure before him.
"Yeah, yeah, if you don't keep practicing, you might forget the feel you had today, and those last two innings will be meaningless."
Beside them, Miyuki continued his relentless teasing, but Eijun had decided to ignore him.
"Go get your shoulder iced, and Miyuki, you have to catch Furuya's pitches this afternoon, right? You should prepare as well," Chris added, directing the latter part towards Miyuki.
When it came to Chris, Miyuki wouldn't dare to mess around; the reason for this was well-known among everyone.
Once Chris spoke, both Eijun and Miyuki obediently nodded and replied, "Yes, Chris-senpai."
As if on cue, Furuya approached, seemingly having packed up his things, while Eijun was icing his shoulder with Chris's help.
Displaying an extremely serious expression, Furuya's presence caused Miyuki to feel an uneasy premonition.
"Miyuki-senpai, please practice with me!"
Sure enough, when Furuya came closer, he seemed focused solely on Miyuki, his eyes locking onto him with an unwavering determination that made Miyuki roll his eyes.
This guy, so eager right after a game.
"But we just finished a game, Furuya," Miyuki said with a hint of exasperation, feeling a bit incompatible with Furuya's earnest nature—maybe too innocent for his liking?
"The afternoon game is coming up, and I want to get into the right mindset!" Furuya insisted, his eyes practically burning with determination, leaving Miyuki feeling like he was dealing with a porcupine—unsure of how to handle it.
"There will be warm-up practice before the game. For now, go rest, have lunch, and prepare for the afternoon match, OK?"
Miyuki wasn't truly refusing to catch for Furuya, but he was considering the practicalities—everyone needed to conserve energy for the afternoon game. After a grueling training session and a tough morning game, they all needed to recharge. Furuya had started as a pitcher and then played outfield until the sixth inning before being pulled in consideration of the afternoon game.
In this situation, Miyuki had no choice but to take a firm stance and refuse. Dealing with Furuya's straightforwardness, Miyuki had to assert his seniority, sensibly refusing despite wondering how much senior authority he still had left with Furuya's straightforward nature.
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