Chapter 282: Spine-Chilling
"Finish him, Kawakami!!!"
It wasn't just Maezono — the entire Seidou cheering section was filled with excited, joyful smiles.
"One more pitch!"
"One more pitch!"
"One more pitch!"
Hearing the shouts from the stands, Harada didn't waver at all.
Narumiya pulled off the towel from his head and walked out of the dugout.
"Harada-san!"
"We're counting on you!"
"One more pitch!"
Even with the game nearing its climax, the crowd's passion refused to cool.
Kawakami stared seriously at the batter in front of him.
"Huff—ha!"
"Pop!"
"Ball!"
"The fourth pitch is high — a ball!"
Against right-handed batters, Kawakami had the advantage.
His sidearm delivery from right to left gave huge lateral movement across the outside and middle part of the zone.
His slider also swept from right to left with both downward and sideways break.
"Good! Kawakami!"
"Just one more!"
"Finish him!"
"Be careful!"
Yoshizawa shortened his grip completely on the bat.
Fwoosh!
Clink!
"Foul!"
"Good read! Good read!"
"The outside slider is fouled off! One more! Just one more strike and Seidou goes to Koshien! Can he do it?! Kawakami on the mound!!"
"Your timing's great, Yoshi-san!" Even the usually silly Yamaoka cheered desperately for his senior.
"Keep pestering him!"
"We're counting on you!"
"You can hit it!"
"Kawakami!"
"Finish him!"
"Tear him apart!"
"Carlos, Yamaoka, Shirakawa… and Narumiya!Everyone keeps saying Inashiro's main force is the second-years! I know that! BUT—We third-years have our own resolve! A cleanup hitter also has his pride!!"
Yoshizawa's eyes gradually took on a hint of madness.
Yes — madness.
Everyone was fighting with everything they had, but Kawakami had never seen eyes like that before.
Still, the confidence he had built up wasn't that fragile.
If it were, he wouldn't deserve to stand here.
Of course — facing a batter growing increasingly unhinged…to say he wasn't afraid would be a lie.
"Just one strike left! Damn it… I can't back down now!!"
Kawakami clenched his teeth, suppressing his fear.
Carlos began hopping off the base, adjusting his rhythm — something he always did.
It kept him in the best condition.
To everyone else, he just looked like he was bouncing left and right.
"Don't mind the runner, Kawakami! If you get the batter — the game ends!"
"For Inashiro, from this moment on, it's one pitch deciding everything! Just one pitch could determine victory or defeat! The pressure on both batter and pitcher is immense! The entire team's future rests on their shoulders! The final out is always the hardest!
A hitter like Yoshizawa, at a moment like this, without a perfect pitch to swing at, will purposely foul off ball after ball! Waiting for his pitch…or a walk…or a mistake! No pitcher can maintain perfect control forever! Kawakami must use his strengths and end this quickly! If not, they won't get that final out. Instead, Inashiro — the trailing team — will seize the momentum!"
Mine explained to Owada in the most professional tone.
Both sides' supporters were screaming themselves hoarse —as if trying to lend their strength to the players.
Carlos attempted several steals but had to return each time because the ball went foul.
This made Miyuki hesitate — should he throw a waste pitch?
"No — this won't end! Better to decide it now than die slowly! Besides, he's seen enough outside pitches!Let's go!"
"Inside fastball! We've come this far — there's no way I'll run away!"
"Steal!!"
"Don't worry about the runner — end it with this pitch!"
Miyuki's firm gaze told Kawakami to throw normally.
"Ghh—! YAAAHHH!"
The usually gentle Kawakami unleashed a roar like a wild beast.
FWOOSH!
"RAAAHHHH!!"
Yoshizawa screamed too, psyching himself up.
CLINK!
Thud!
POP!
The ball bounced off the ground and popped into Kominato's glove.
"AAAHHH!!!"
Yoshizawa roared as he sprinted toward first.
But the ball popped out — he slapped it back, grabbed it, and threw—
"Too late?!.It was right there! Victory…! Damn…!"
Haruichi's hesitation made the throw go wide.
Thud!
"SAFE!"
Yoshizawa was on base.
Tetsu reacted instantly, diving full-force for the ball.
The moment Haruichi hesitated, Inashiro's third-base coach windmilled his arm —
Carlos flew past second and charged toward third!
"KOMINATO!"
Knowing a throw to first was impossible, Tetsu threw instead to Haruichi at third.
Hearing Tetsu shout woke Haruichi from his shock, and he successfully threw to third, preventing Carlos from scoring.
If Tetsu hadn't yelled —it would've been disastrous.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Yoshizawa roared toward the sky.
Ugly, lucky, whatever — it kept their attack alive and swung momentum to Inashiro.
A single error turned what should've been two outs with runners on first and second into two outs, runners on first and third.
A massive blow to Seidou —and especially to Kawakami.
Especially with Carlos on third…
And the next batter—
"Batting fourth! Catcher — Harada!"
Harada said nothing.
Head down.
Eyes locked onto Miyuki like a man marching toward
death.
It was chilling.
He looked like a warrior embracing death.
"A fast runner reaches third — the sayonara run is on base! Cleanup hitter steps into the box! Bottom of the ninth, two outs, runners on the corners! Inashiro, trailing by one, now faces its greatest opportunity!!
Seidou is one out from victory —but at the final moment, faces its greatest trial!! Seidou High has requested a defensive timeout! Delivering the message — their ace, Tanba!"
Both teams now had only one defensive timeout remaining.
Sendo also jogged in from the outfield.
No one complained now — after these games, everyone understood:
Sendo was practically the second brain of the team.
...
The Team Conference
Tanba arrived at the mound.
"With runners on base — get the surest out you can!
And everyone near the mound — keep talking and supporting each other!"
"Yes!" Tetsu responded first.
"Kawakami! Your pitches are fast! Go all out!"
Tanba mimicked Coach Kataoka's tone and expression perfectly.
Even the smile was convincing.
Sendo suspected they might actually be related.
"Yes, sir!" Kawakami shouted like he was facing the coach himself.
"So stiff…" Tanba sighed internally.
"Yahaha! Take the good stuff with you!"
Kuramochi tried to break Kawakami's tension with humor.
(Sendo thinks: "Idiot. Not everyone likes showing off.")
"You're totally copying Sunglasses-Coach, Tanba-san!
You really look like you could be his relative!" Sendo said bluntly, fully intending to pull attention away from Kawakami's nerves.
"Sendo…"
Tanba sighed. Ever since they got close, Sendo had been teasing him nonstop.
"Hahaha!"
"Tanba! Can I trouble you for a moment?"
Tetsu understood Sendo's intention.
When Tetsu asked, Tanba turned—
And immediately suffered his fate.
Kawakami approached, and Tetsu snatched Tanba's cap and immediately began rubbing his bald head.
Tanba went lifeless inside.
Why did Tetsu need to rub it too?!
What did this have to do with him?!
"Alright! That should do it!" Tetsu declared.
Kuramochi burst into laughter.
"Sendo-san, you being fine doesn't help anything!"
Sendo pointed out.
"Really?"
Tetsu blinked innocently, having forgotten the purpose entirely.
Kuramochi was laughing so hard he couldn't even say "stomach hurts."
Kawakami removed his hand from Tanba's head, timidly savoring the feeling.
"Kawakami, are you good now?" Tanba asked, unsure.
"I'm sorry! Let me touch it once more!" Kawakami said sincerely.
"…Okay."
Tanba resigned himself.
"Hey! Didn't you say you were done?!" Tanba asked, realizing two hands were still on his head.
"Hm?" Tetsu blinked — his hand was already gone.
Which meant—
Kuramochi shrieked with laughter.
The other hand — the big one — belonged to only one person:
Sendo.
Tanba turned and saw Sendo enjoying the head-rubbing like a connoisseur.
Tanba wanted to cry.
"Kawakami! Want to try this one too?"
Pudding-senpai removed his hat, revealing another shiny bald head.
"AHAHAHAHA!!"
Kuramochi collapsed laughing.
"Ah! I want to!" Sendo said before Kawakami could answer, reaching out with his OTHER hand.
Two bald heads, two hands.
The height advantage was unfair — he didn't even need to stretch.
"Sendo…" Pudding-senpai sighed. He couldn't reject him — not today.
Kawakami didn't dare continue.
"What's wrong? Both heads feel great, you know,"
Sendo said, puzzled.
(Actually thinking: Please finish soon; it's awkward if only I keep rubbing…)
"What are you guys doing?! Let ME rub too!!"
Isashiki from left field shouted jealousy.
"What ritual is that?"
"Is it magic??"
The Seidou fans with blue cheer sticks looked utterly confused.
"Well done, Tanba! Glorious bald head!"
Ota stirred the flames further.
Sendo finally dropped his hands and mimicked Tetsu's tone:
"Alright! Now it's fine."
"Who was it that said that earlier…?"
Everyone thought silently.
Miyuki looked at the group and couldn't help thinking:
"Reliable seniors… even if Sendo stole all the benefits."
"Trust in all the practice we've put in!" Tetsu said, raising his fist.
Everyone placed their fist in.
"As long as we play… our Seidou baseball...we'll get the results we want!"
"Let's go!!" Tetsu shouted.
"YOSSHAAAA!!!!"
"YOSSHAA!"
"YOSSHAA!!"
The dugout and stands echoed.
"We're counting on you!"
"All the benefits went to you — so don't screw up later, okay?"
Isashiki yelled at Sendo when he returned to the outfield.
"Yes!" Sendo replied.
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