Sensing the shift in Kanzaki Ryou's gaze, Coach Kataoka suddenly felt as if he'd returned to his high school days—standing on the mound in the Koshien finals.
It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of pressure.
If I had gone pro back then…
The thought flickered briefly before he refocused. His fingers subtly adjusted their grip on the baseball.
"Hey… doesn't the atmosphere feel kind of tense?"
"Yeah… it's like I can't even breathe."
"Watch carefully—Kanzaki and the Coach are both serious!"
"I wonder who'll win this duel…"
The players gathered at the sidelines stared intently at the field. Even Ochiai Hiromitsu found himself trembling slightly, stirred by an unexpected surge of excitement.
He wanted to step in and try it himself—but unfortunately, his pitching ability had never been anything special. As a coach, he was exceptional. As a player… not so much.
On the field, Coach Kataoka made his decision.
After giving Kanzaki a small nod, he delivered the pitch.
Whoosh!
The ball wasn't as fast as before, but its trajectory was sharp and deceptive. It carved a perfect arc through the air before diving toward home plate.
Crack!
Kanzaki's bat met it cleanly, sending the pitch screaming off the barrel.
"So heavy…!" Kanzaki gritted his teeth.
The power behind the pitch was immense—Coach Kataoka's ball wasn't just fast, it carried serious weight.
The ball soared high but drifted beyond the third-base line.
"Foul!"
Kanzaki exhaled and glanced back at the mound.
This was the Ace who once led Seido to the Koshien finals. Even now, past his prime, his stuff was still terrifying.
What a waste…
Kanzaki couldn't help but feel a hint of regret. If the Coach had gone pro, how far could he have gone?
But then again—if he had, Seido wouldn't be what it is today.
On the mound, Coach Kataoka felt a flicker of dissatisfaction… but also pride.
This kid really is something.
Seido's future was standing right in front of him.
"Kanzaki, get ready!" he called out, already gripping the next ball.
"Bring it, Boss! I won't go easy on you!" Kanzaki shot back.
Coach Kataoka smiled.
Good.
The next pitch exploded out of his hand.
Whoosh!
Kanzaki locked onto it instantly.
Fastball!
He swung decisively—but just as the ball crossed the plate, it shifted ever so slightly, slipping away from the sweet spot.
Thunk!
The ball struck the thin end of the bat.
"…A high-speed splitter?" Kanzaki muttered.
The contact sent the ball popping weakly upward—an easy out in a real game.
"Heh. Didn't expect that, did you?" Coach Kataoka said, a hint of smugness in his voice.
"Haha… Coach, that was nasty. You've still got tricks like that?" Kanzaki replied with a grin.
From the sidelines, the team was stunned.
The speed. The movement. The precision.
It was hard to imagine just how dominant Coach Kataoka must have been in his prime.
After retiring Kanzaki, the Coach rolled his shoulders and turned away.
"Next!"
Time flew by.
Before long, Coach Kataoka had thrown two full rounds—over 120 pitches.
Fortunately, as a coach, he didn't need to worry about conserving stamina like the players did.
When practice finally ended, plenty of players had made contact—but only three managed to drive the ball deep:
Kanzaki Ryou.
Yuki Tetsuya.
Masuko Toru.
On the walk back to the dorms, Miyuki chuckled.
"The Coach is definitely going to regret that tomorrow. I saw him earlier—he could barely straighten his back."
Kuramochi grinned. "Yeah, he hasn't gone all-out like that in years. Tomorrow he probably won't even be able to get out of bed… or hold chopsticks."
Kanzaki rolled his eyes.
"Why don't you two say that a little louder? Maybe Rei-san would like to hear it."
Both of them immediately shut their mouths.
That evening, in the meeting room, Coach Kataoka announced the starting lineup for the next game:
Kuramochi Yoichi — Shortstop
Kominato Ryosuke — Second Base
Isashiki Jun — Center Field
Yuki Tetsuya — First Base
Kanzaki Ryou — Left Field
Miyuki Kazuya — Catcher
Arima Kazusa — Third Base
Shirasu Kenjiro — Right Field
Sawamura Eijun — Pitcher
"Kawakami will relieve. Furuya will close. Any questions?"
"No questions!"
Early the next morning, Kanzaki was already out for his run.
By the time the others arrived, the sun was fully up.
"Still five kilometers today?" Kominato asked.
"Ten," Kanzaki replied casually.
"Ten?! Are you trying to sabotage your own game performance?" Miyuki said.
Kanzaki shrugged. "I'm not pitching today. I'm in left field."
Just then, Kuramochi shuffled over, yawning.
Kanzaki smirked. "Didn't sleep well? Maybe we should replace you as leadoff."
Kuramochi snapped awake instantly.
"Over my dead body! Anyone who tries to take my spot—I'll fight them!"
By 9:30 AM, the entire Seido team had assembled.
At 11 AM, the game would begin.
They boarded the bus and headed to the stadium.
Kanzaki sat quietly, headphones on, listening to soft, cute songs like "Fuwa Fuwa Time."
A tough guy with that kind of playlist…
Strangely fitting.
As the bus pulled in—
"They're here!"
"Seido's here!"
"Where's the Ace?!"
"That one! The guy with the headphones!"
"Ahhh—he's so handsome!!"
Even through his headphones, the shrill screams pierced straight into Kanzaki's ears.