"The seniors are amazing, right?" Kanzaki Ryou asked.
"Amazing," Kawakami said, eyes wide.
Just then, Isashiki stopped swinging and walked over. "Ryou, come on! I want to hit your ball!"
"Senior, you must be tired already. You want to hit my ball now?" Kanzaki Ryou asked, smiling.
"What? Looking down on me? Even if I'm tired, I can still hit your ball out!" Isashiki snapped, his expression like a delinquent daring someone to challenge him.
Kanzaki Ryou shook his head. "I'm not pitching today."
"Then why are you here?"
"I want to practice my batting and try to hit another home run in the next game."
"You're quite greedy, aren't you, kid? Are you trying to surpass Senior Azuma's record?" Isashiki said incredulously.
Kanzaki Ryou chuckled. "A pitcher who doesn't want to hit a home run isn't a good center fielder."
"Huh? Kid, you want to snatch my position?" Isashiki's face darkened. Center field was his territory—was this kid really aiming for it?
"Just kidding, Senior, don't be so anxious. But speaking of it, Coach Kataoka really did tell me to practice outfield defense. Can Senior teach me?"
"And you said you weren't targeting my position, kid! Come here and die!"
Isashiki lunged at Kanzaki Ryou like a dog in heat.
After a brief but chaotic tussle, Isashiki finally stood upright, triumphant, and glanced at Kawakami, who was visibly flustered and uneasy.
Is this how Ryou gets along with the seniors? I can't learn this! Kawakami thought.
"What about you? Are you going to pitch?" Isashiki asked, still glaring.
"I… I…" Kawakami stammered. This Senior was terrifying.
"Are you pitching or not?" Isashiki pressed. He was eager to swing.
Kawakami swallowed hard. "Pitch."
"Hahaha, come on, let's go over there." Isashiki laughed loudly, grabbing Kawakami's arm and dragging him off.
Kawakami sent a helpless look at Kanzaki Ryou.
"Kawakami, good luck! I want to hit your ball too," Kanzaki Ryou said with a mischievous grin, waving.
Soon, Kawakami was cornered in the batting cage by Isashiki.
"Come on, Kawakami, entertain me!" Isashiki shouted, wielding his bat like a weapon.
"Isashiki, you're too impatient. Our junior hasn't even warmed up yet," a calm, measured voice interjected—Kominato Ryosuke.
Hearing Kominato's voice, Kawakami shivered. Two seniors, now? This was beyond intimidating.
"Quick, warm up!" Isashiki barked, giving Kawakami a hard pat on the back.
A few minutes later, Kanzaki Ryou joined Kominato Ryosuke's side. "Senior, you want to hit too?"
"Yes, I want to see our junior's skill," Kominato Ryosuke replied, tone gentle but intimidating.
"That's a bit cruel, isn't it?" Kanzaki Ryou worried aloud. One Isashiki was enough for Kawakami. Two seniors? His spirit might crack.
"Well, isn't this what you wanted to see?" Kominato countered, smiling slightly.
Kanzaki Ryou shook his head but didn't interfere further. He had brought Kawakami for a reason. This was psychological training, not punishment.
"Senior is indeed amazing. Then I'll leave it to you," Kanzaki Ryou said with a smile.
"It's nothing," Kominato waved it off. "Hey, Ryou, aren't you afraid other pitchers will grow and threaten your position?"
Kanzaki Ryou chuckled. "No. It's a good thing for the team to have another great pitcher. Otherwise, no matter how good I am, Seidou won't win Koshien."
"Championship? You have big ambitions," Kominato Ryosuke said, surprised.
"Of course. This is a goal that must be achieved," Kanzaki Ryou said, eyes on Kawakami, who was getting ready to pitch.
"Besides, my pitching speed is too high. You should know what happens if I overuse it," Kanzaki Ryou added.
Kominato frowned. A growing high school pitcher throwing at 150 kilometers per hour—overdoing it could be dangerous, even career-threatening.
"Have you told Coach Kataoka?" he asked.
"Not yet. He's already busy enough. I know my limits, so no need to worry him," Kanzaki Ryou replied.
Kominato nodded. "I'll keep an eye on you."
"Haha, Senior, if you want to help me, why not train Kawakami more?" Kanzaki Ryou suggested.
"You think highly of him?" Kominato asked.
"Of course. If he masters his Slider and sinker, he'll help the team tremendously next summer. I might be a bit arrogant, but I can't carry the team alone. Senior, you wouldn't want me to burn out, would you?" Kanzaki Ryou smiled sincerely.
Kominato stared for a moment, then smiled. "Without you, we'd be in a lot of trouble."
Just then, Isashiki, having finished his round, walked over triumphantly with his bat.
"Ya haha, my batting is awesome!" he boasted.
"Being so serious with a first-year is tasteless," Kominato said gently, though his voice carried quiet authority.
"Kominato, you're getting more and more annoying," Isashiki grumbled, standing beside Kanzaki Ryou.
Kominato didn't argue. After a brief nod to Kawakami, he stood opposite him.
Kanzaki Ryou observed Kawakami carefully. The boy looked composed now, showing no signs of backing down.
Kawakami's biggest problem wasn't talent—it was his personality. Lacking confidence, he had ambition but couldn't express it, especially in front of seniors or Coach Kataoka. Kanzaki Ryou knew he couldn't teach Kawakami pitching techniques, but he could shape his mindset.
Isn't he weak? Isn't he unable to handle pressure?
"Kawakami!" Kanzaki Ryou suddenly shouted.
Kawakami, about to pitch, trembled and dropped the ball.
"Ryou… what's wrong?" Kawakami stammered.
"Bottom of the ninth, Seidou leads by one run, two balls, runners on first base and second, no outs…"
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