No one brought up the interview they did without Coach's permission.
They were on edge for a day, but when things seemed normal, they relaxed.
The interview? They forgot about it.
It was tournament season.
And everyone on the team had the same goal.
Get the team to Koshien.
They were already in the West Tokyo Top Sixteen.
So, just four more wins to get to Koshien.
With that in mind, they weren't focused on much else.
Everyone was training and prepping for their opponents.
Things seemed set to continue smoothly, but then something happened.
The Baseball Weekly came out.
Usually, not a big deal. They'd beaten Hachiya Oji, so they were in the news anyway.
Other teams in West Tokyo aiming for Koshien were getting coverage, too, though some more than others.
Seidō got a bit more attention than most.
They were doing well, after all.
The players figured the Baseball Weekly report was just another article and wouldn't stand out.
Turns out, they were dead wrong.
Kataoka showed up to the meeting with a magazine.
Baseball Weekly.
The cover caught everyone's eye.
It was a shot from Seidō's locker room.
The whole First String was there, smiling big for the group picture.
Originally, Minamoto Haruka was in the photo, too.
But she'd been cropped out.
So, just the First String in the picture.
"How could she?" A couple of the third-years hissed, feeling the burn of betrayal.
Minamoto promised not to make a big deal out of the report.
Guess she changed her mind about the photo.
Hard to make excuses now, even if they wanted to.
"Can someone tell me exactly what's going on?" Kataoka demanded, barely containing his anger.
If he wasn't the coach, he might have already lost it.
Takumi was enough of a handful.
That wild card on the mound, throwing heat like there was no tomorrow.
Now everyone knew they had a monster rookie.
Kataoka and the managers had to play along and make stuff up.
Let the other teams sweat it out, overthink themselves into the ground.
But this? His whole team sneaking around behind his back?
"You guys that hungry for attention?" He exclaimed, dripping with disappointment. "You know, if we get to Koshien, you'll have your chance. But if we don't, this whole thing's just going to look silly."
The media circus could turn anyone's head.
Even grown-ups struggled to stay grounded in that kind of storm.
So it's easy for these sixteen and seventeen-year-olds to get carried away.
Suddenly putting them on a pedestal? Recipe for disaster.
That's why he always kept a tight leash on interviews.
Never thought they'd pull a stunt like this.
"And you, Yamamoto!" He roared, the room vibrating with his anger. "What's this 'genius prodigy at a powerhouse school' nonsense?"
The Baseball Weekly article spelled out Takumi's whole story.
Stuff no other report had, meaning someone spilled the tea.
Like his freakish pitching talent popping up out of nowhere.
No baseball experience, then BAM, a star on the field.
Especially that line about playing baseball for a little over a month.
"Forget before high school, even counting from when you joined the team, it's been over three months. 'Little over a month'? Seriously?" Kataoka's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"I meant as a pitcher!" Takumi retorted defensively.
"Out! Thirty laps, cool your head," Kataoka barked, his fuse finally blown.
A baseball field is huge, each lap stretching for hundreds of meters.
Thirty laps is basically ten thousand meters.
Takumi hung his head and trudged out to the field.
His teammates snickered.
Then Kataoka's eyes landed on them.
And they all shut up.
"You're all running, too!" He snapped, leaving no room for argument.
Watching them head out to the field, Ōta Kazuyoshi, the baseball club president, smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Can't really blame 'em; that reporter just popped up out of nowhere. The guys are suckers for that kind of attention—"
"Ōta-sama, it's fine," Takashima Rei interjected calmly. "Coach isn't mad."
She'd slipped in sometime during the commotion, her heels clicking a subtle rhythm.
Kataoka wasn't mad?
Ōta blinked, totally confused.
He gave Kataoka a once-over, and yeah, he didn't look particularly ticked off.
So, what was with the death glare he'd just given the players?
The way he spoke, the look on his face...
Felt like he was about to drop the hammer on them.
"They got a little too cocky; they need to be knocked down a peg," Takashima observed thoughtfully.
She adjusted her glasses, her expression serious. "We can't have this happening before the finals."
The first couple of games were a breeze, but that wasn't the real deal.
The semifinals were where it got serious.
They needed to get their heads in the game before then.
"Good thing they're all in this together!" She added with a hint of pride.
With so many players, not one ratted anyone out.
Even when Kataoka grilled them, they didn't spill the beans on Azuma Kiyokuni, the ringleader.
That kind of loyalty is gold on the field.
Means they trust each other.
"We've been getting more fans watching practice lately," Takashima pointed out, a little worried. "I think some of them might want more than just autographs."