A wave of excitement rippled through the stands, especially among the cheering squad made up of Seidou High School students.
Earlier, they had received a request from President Ota to cheer as loudly as possible when the first-year pitcher came on. They hadn't quite understood why at the time—but now, seeing his performance, they did. Seidou had just unveiled a monster-level newcomer.
"Nice ball!"
"Nice ball!"
In the blink of an eye, Kanzaki Ryou threw two more pitches. The batter swung and missed twice, walking off the box in frustration as Kanzaki secured his first career out in high school.
After striking the batter out, Kanzaki looked toward the dugout and lifted his chin toward Miyuki Kazuya.
"Damn it…" Miyuki gritted his teeth. He understood that look all too well.
That was a challenge—I'm coming for you.
He really wanted to play. He really wanted to compete.
"Beautiful pitch!" Tanaka Wataru said, tossing the ball back. "Keep this rhythm. Let's finish this game strong."
The batter walking up next overheard those words and unconsciously tightened his grip on the bat.
But—
"Nice ball!"
"Nice ball!"
"Nice ball!"
Three pitches later, the batter was gone—three straight strikes.
"He's amazing! Kanzaki is incredible!" President Ota shouted, gesturing wildly.
Takashima Rei pushed up her glasses, hands trembling slightly. After so many years of hard work, Seidou was finally starting to bear fruit.
Coach Kataoka clenched his fist unconsciously.
This summer… we're going to Koshien.
The third batter stepped up next—and received the same fate as the others. Three straight four-seam fastballs. Three strikes. Out.
"We won!"
"Three up, three down!"
"Strikeout, another strikeout!"
"Seidou really found a treasure!"
"With that kind of power as just a first-year… the summer tournament's going to be insane."
Spring Tokyo Tournament — Fourth Round, 1/8 Finals
Seidou High School vs. Towa High School
Score: 11–0 (Game called in 5 innings)
Seidou High School wins!
As soon as the umpire announced the end of the game, Seidou's players rushed toward the mound.
"Kid, well done!" Azuma Kiyokuni laughed heartily, giving Kanzaki a strong pat on the shoulder.
"Nice pitch!"
"As expected of the genius Seidou picked up."
"Kanzaki, you're seriously strong," Yuki Tetsuya added with a smile.
At that moment, Kanzaki truly felt like he was part of the team.
"Thank you, Azuma-senpai."
"Alright, line up!"
Both teams gathered at the center of the field, bowed, and exchanged handshakes.
Afterward, under Coach Kataoka's lead, the team boarded the bus to return to school.
On the way back, Kanzaki sat in front of Miyuki, who was glaring daggers at him.
"Senior, you filmed that so steadily—are you a pro?" Kanzaki asked Fujiwara Takako, sitting beside her while rewatching his debut highlights.
"Really? I just balanced the camera on a chair," Takako replied with a small smile.
"Wow, you're so clever," Kanzaki said with genuine admiration.
The compliment made her flustered.
"Let me see that!"
A big, tanned hand suddenly reached out and snatched the camera. Azuma Kiyokuni watched the video for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
"I've never looked this cool! You damn brat!"
"Azuma-senpai, no matter how you look at it, 'cool' doesn't really suit you," Miyuki quipped.
"Miyuki, you're asking for it!"
"Ya ha ha ha!"
The bus was filled with laughter and relaxed chatter as Seidou returned victorious.
Coach Kataoka, sitting at the front, looked back at his players and smiled slightly.
Although today's opponent wasn't particularly strong, what he saw gave him confidence.
Third-year ace Nanjo Taishi pitched steadily—nothing spectacular, but reliable.
Second-year Tanba Koichiro, who had been inconsistent since joining the first string last fall, showed clear improvement in his relief innings.
And finally, the first-year rookie, Kanzaki Ryou.
For Kataoka, Kanzaki's debut was flawless.
Three consecutive strikeouts in his first high school inning. No hits. No hesitation.
It was only a short appearance, but Kataoka had already confirmed it—this was Seidou's core for the next three years. Their true future ace.
That evening, the news spread like wildfire:
"Seidou's first-year pitcher throws 149 km/h fastball!"
Every rival school in Tokyo took notice of the name Kanzaki Ryou.
The next day — April 12th.
After morning practice, Kanzaki, Kuramochi Youichi, and Miyuki Kazuya—having devoured three bowls of rice each—headed to class together.
In front of the shoe lockers, Kanzaki squinted. Something pink peeked out from the gap of his locker door.
"What's wrong? Hurry up and change your shoes, we'll be late," Miyuki said, noticing Kanzaki standing frozen in place.
"Hey, Kazuya."
"What is it?"
"Take a look at this," Kanzaki said, pointing at the locker.
Miyuki leaned in, opened the door—and blinked. Inside was a pile of colorful envelopes.
"Love letters. They're love letters!"
Kuramochi shoved between them like an overexcited dog. "No way! For real?!"
"Why are you so excited? They're not for you," Miyuki deadpanned, pulling out the envelopes and counting them. "Eight letters."
"Eight!? Eight love letters?!" Kuramochi snatched them from his hands, pressing them against his face. "They smell so good…"
"Ew." Miyuki stepped back two paces. "You're disgusting."
"Uh, those came out of my locker," Kanzaki said flatly.
Kuramochi froze mid-sniff—then pounced on Kanzaki. "Damn it, why doesn't anyone give me love letters!?"
"Because you're ugly, that's why," Miyuki shot back calmly. His timing was so precise, it could've broken a man's spirit.
After a round of teasing, the three finally entered the classroom. Along the way, more students—especially girls—greeted Kanzaki with smiles.
He flipped through the letters, each one written in a different style. Some were direct confessions, others hinted shyly at meeting up—but none were signed.
It felt like opening a series of mystery boxes, each full of possibilities.
Still, fearing heartbreak, Kanzaki decided he'd quietly destroy them all after school.
But when classes ended, he opened his locker again—only to find several more envelopes stuffed inside.
Kuramochi's face turned green. "Miyuki! How can you stay so calm!?"
"Why should I?" Miyuki asked, genuinely puzzled.
Kuramochi stared at him, dumbfounded. For a brief second, he even questioned Miyuki's preferences.
The trio returned to the dorms for a quick rest.
By 4 p.m., Kanzaki walked onto Seidou's baseball field, carrying a small box of strawberry shortcakes.
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