Not long after, with the sharp sound of the whistle, the game came to an end.
There was no miracle, no dramatic reversal.
Seihou High School claimed today's victory with overwhelming strength.
"Let's go. Time to head back."
Kanzaki Ryou slung his backpack over his shoulder and spoke calmly.
"Yeah. Let's get a good rest," Miyuki replied. "We can study their data together later tonight."
The team boarded the bus and returned to the hotel. Back in his room, Kanzaki spread out the batting lineup information for Seihou High School—materials Chris had helped gather—and began studying them carefully.
"So diligent?" Miyuki said with a grin as he handed Kanzaki a glass of water. "That's usually my job."
"It's the finals," Kanzaki replied seriously. "I can't afford to lose points because of poor preparation. And I definitely don't want to lose."
Miyuki paused, then smiled.
This was the first time he had seen Kanzaki look this serious.
Come to think of it, even now, this guy hadn't fully shown his strength.
…What a monster.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day before the Koshien final.
That evening, Coach Kataoka gathered the team to finalize tactics and arrangements—and announced the starting lineup.
"Kanzaki!"
Coach Kataoka's sharp gaze landed on him.
"Tomorrow's game depends on you. Can you do it?"
"On me?" Kanzaki froze briefly before reacting. "You mean…"
"The whole game?"
Coach Kataoka nodded firmly.
"As long as you can handle it, I want you to pitch a complete game."
Boom!
Kanzaki's heart seemed to stop for three full seconds.
Koshien.
Finals.
A complete game.
…Wasn't that a bit too exciting?
"Hoo—"
Taking a deep breath, Kanzaki stood up straight and shouted with conviction:
"I can do it!"
After the meeting, the smile never left his face.
Back in the room, Kanzaki noticed Miyuki staring at him with an unusually serious expression.
"What's with that look?" Kanzaki asked.
"There's something I think you should know," Miyuki said slowly.
"Hm?" Kanzaki frowned slightly. "What is it?"
Miyuki sighed.
"Coach letting you pitch the entire game… don't you think that's strange?"
Kanzaki's expression sharpened. "There's a reason?"
"…Nanjo is sick."
"Huh?"
"He's had a high fever for two days now."
Realization flashed across Kanzaki's face.
"So that's why… I was wondering why I hadn't seen him lately."
Then Kanzaki frowned deeply.
"Wait. Why didn't anyone tell me something this important?!"
"They were afraid it would affect your condition," Miyuki said seriously. "If you knew Nanjo couldn't play, the pressure would all fall on you."
"…Then why tell me now?"
"Because I know you," Miyuki smiled faintly. "You won't collapse because of this. If anything, knowing the truth will help you prepare mentally."
Kanzaki nodded.
"You really do understand me."
"But that means," Kanzaki continued, "we need to seriously plan stamina distribution. If there's no backup behind us, we can't pitch recklessly."
"Right," Miyuki agreed. "We can't go all-out from the start like before."
Miyuki sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his chin.
"For the early innings, don't pitch too fast. Focus on the edges, avoid long hits, and let the defense handle the outs."
Kanzaki shook his head.
"No. That won't work."
"Oh?" Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Tell me."
"Not aiming for strikeouts actually increases pitch count," Kanzaki said seriously. "Once runners get on base, the pressure only increases. And Seihou's batting lineup isn't something we can underestimate. Holding back might cost us more than it saves."
Miyuki grimaced. "…You're not wrong."
After a moment, he sighed.
"Alright. Then we suppress them hard in the first half. In the second half—"
"We trust our seniors' batting," Kanzaki finished.
"Exactly."
The two continued studying Seihou's lineup late into the night.
When darkness fully settled outside, Kanzaki's phone suddenly rang.
"Your family?" Miyuki asked with a grin.
"Yeah."
Kanzaki answered the call.
"Ni-chan!!"
"We're here!!"
Kumiko's cheerful voice instantly washed away the tension in Kanzaki's chest.
"You've arrived already?" Kanzaki asked in surprise.
"Mm-hmm! Mom, Dad, big sister, and Reina are all here! We're downstairs!"
"I'll be right there. Wait for me."
Hanging up, Kanzaki quickly put on his mask and rushed out.
Less than a minute later, in the hotel lobby—
"Ni-chan!"
Kumiko ran over like a gust of wind and jumped straight into his arms.
"Haha!" Kanzaki laughed as he lifted her and spun her around.
"I missed you so much!" Kumiko whispered.
"I missed you too."
His parents walked over soon after.
"Ryou, you've grown taller—and stronger," his mother said softly.
"Mom," Kanzaki smiled and hugged her tightly.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"You've worked so hard."
"It wasn't hard at all," Kanzaki said gently, wiping her tears. "I'm happy."
Then he turned toward the man beside her.
"Dad."
"…Mm."
His father nodded stiffly, lips twitching before finally saying:
"You did very well."
Kanzaki smiled and suddenly hugged him.
"Hey—let go! You're not a kid anymore!"
His father shoved him away awkwardly.
Kanzaki laughed.
An old tsundere, just as expected.
"Hey! What about me?" Mami protested. "Are you pretending not to see your sister?"
Kanzaki sighed. "Sis, we see each other all the time."
"No way! I want a hug too!"
Left with no choice, Kanzaki gave her a quick hug.
Finally, his gaze fell on the girl standing quietly behind them.
"Kosaka-san… thank you for coming all this way."
Her face flushed red.
"Ryou-kun… just call me Reina."
"…Mm. Reina."
Her face turned even redder as she handed him a small gift.
"Congratulations on reaching the Koshien finals."
"A gift too?" Kanzaki smiled warmly. "Thank you."
"…Mm."
Then, shyly but boldly, Reina opened her arms.
Kanzaki paused for a split second—then gently hugged her.
The faint scent of her hair made his heart stir.
After settling them into a nearby hotel, Kanzaki chatted with Kumiko and Reina until evening before finally returning to his own room.
The match between Seido High School and Seihou High School became the most anticipated game among high school students across Japan.
On the day of the final, the stadium was packed to the brim—inside and out.
As the team arrived, Kanzaki Ryou stood at the entrance of the field and looked up at the massive slogan above.
"98% of high school players are defeated here—
and then become stronger."
Kanzaki clenched his fist.
This time… we'll be the remaining 2%.