The crisp Monday morning air buzzed with the energy of a new school week. Kaito and Ken strolled down the hallway, still chatting about their weekend practice when a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, newbies!" Haruka's voice cut through the chatter, making the pair stop in their tracks. She stood leaning against a wall, her clipboard in hand and a smirk on her face. "Good to see you both.
Ken nudged Kaito with his elbow and grinned. "Morning, Haruka. What's up?
"The trial's on Wednesday, by the way. I'll be watching, so show me if you really have something."
Ken puffed out his chest. "You bet we will!"
Haruka chuckled. "Confidence is good, but don't let it go to your head. Tomorrow, our team is playing in the quarterfinals of the Spring Prefectural Tournament. You two should come watch. It'll give you a glimpse of the first string players you'll be competing against."
Kaito and Ken exchanged glances before nodding. "We'll be there," Kaito replied, nodding firmly.
When classes ended later that day, Ken and Kaito made their way to their usual practice spot behind the school. As they walked, Kaito suddenly stopped, squinting up at a tall tree.
"Hey, Ken," he said, pointing. "There's a baseball cap up there."
Ken tilted his head, following Kaito's gaze. "Where? I don't see anything."
"It's fancy-looking—maybe someone left it there by accident."
Ken shook his head, laughing. "Impossible. Who'd leave their cap in a tree? You're imagining things. Let's go practice—pitching will definitely fix you."
Still puzzled, Kaito took one last look at the tree before following Ken. The image of the cap lingered in his mind, but he pushed it aside and followed Ken to continue their drills.
Quarter finals day, the energy at the stadium was electric. The quarterfinal match between Ichibu Gakuin and Kedan High drew a sizeable crowd, with Ichibu's cheering squad leading the chants. The students, decked out in their school colors, waved flags and banged drums, their pride as one of Nagano's "Four Kings" on full display.
"Play ball!" The umpire's voice rang out, and the cheers grew louder.
On the mound, Ichibu's third-year ace, Nanao Kenta, strode confidently to his position. He waved to the crowd with a grin, shouting, "Let's do this, Ichibu!" The stands erupted in cheers.
At shortstop, Hozo Akimitsu chuckled, nudging second baseman Honda Izamu. "Kenta's at it again, playing the hero. Think he's still salty about not being voted captain?"
Izamu smirked. "Well, Akitsu-sempai, Kenta sempai is our ace now. Let him have his moment."
Kenta didn't disappoint. In the first inning, he showcased his skill, allowing only one hit but no runs. The Ichibu defense played tight, feeding off their ace's energy.
When it was Ichibu's turn to bat, the announcer's voice boomed. "Batting first, left field, Komokawa Fuji!"
A small yet composed boy stepped into the batter's box, his relaxed posture belying his sharp focus. The first pitch came—a strike. Fuji didn't flinch. The second pitch was a ball. On the third pitch, Fuji swung. "Ping!" The ball sailed between the right fielder and the second baseman, and Fuji sprinted to first base, safe.
Next up was Honda Izamu. He squared his stance, signaling a bunt. The pitcher wound up and threw. Izamu executed perfectly, advancing Fuji to second base.
The third batter, team captain Kobayashi Daisuke, stepped in. With a sharp eye, he connected on a fastball, sending it past the shortstop. Fuji reached third base, while Daisuke claimed first.
Then came a hush over the crowd as a commanding figure approached the plate. "Batting fourth, first baseman Tatsumoto Jun!"
Jun's presence was overwhelming. He stood tall in the batter's box, exuding confidence. The first pitch came, and he didn't even flinch. "Ball," the umpire called. On the second pitch, Jun swung. "Ping!" The ball rocketed to the deepest part of center field, bouncing off the wall. Fuji and Daisuke scored with ease, giving Ichibu a 2-0 lead.
The crowd roared in approval as Jun jogged back to the dugout, his job done for the inning.
The game progressed, with Ichibu holding their lead. By the third inning, the score remained 2-0. While Ichibu's top batters shone, the lower part of the lineup struggled to capitalize on opportunities, a testament to the intense competition at this stage.
In the fourth inning, Kedan High fought back. They managed to score two runs off Kenta, leveling the game. But Ichibu responded immediately in their offensive turn, scoring two more runs to maintain their lead at 4-2.
In the dugout, the coaches observed intently. Assistant Coach Hideyoshi leaned toward the head coach, a grizzled man with years of experience etched into his face. "The team's showing improvement, Sanada-sensei. Kenta's been reliable, and the second-years are shaping up as solid batters."
Coach Sanada frowned, his gaze fixed on the field. "It's not enough. Kenta's good, but he'll struggle at Koshien, he needs more refinement. And the other third-year pitchers on the rotation are even worse. As for the second-years, while they're a strong generation of batters, they've given us no viable pitching prospects."
"How's the recruitment?" Sanada asked, turning to Manager Yamashita.
"We've brought in some promising pitchers from strong middle schools," Yamashita replied. "But the top prospects still favor Kumo and Shodan. Even our prefecture's genius, Sato Inoha, who loves challenges and rejected those two, chose to go to Kumahe over us."
Sanada's frown deepened. "We're in a pinch. The gap between us and the other three Kings is growing, and even my coaching is being questioned. We need to double the intensity of training, especially for the pitchers. This year, we must reach Koshien."
The conversation ended as the fifth inning began, the coaches return their focus to the game.