Hearing the explanation, even Jinguuji had nothing more to say.
The coach had said this was no longer a contest of individual strength but a competition between grades. To account for that, the freshmen had been given a ten-point head start to compensate for the gap in practice time and overall strength. What they would be competing on from here was talent, comprehension, and future potential. They were on the same starting line as the senior team now.
"We have no retreat either. Let's go all out!"
The game resumed.
After the timeout, the freshman team players took their positions and returned to where they had been.
There was still a clear difference between practice games and official games. A three-run home run had just been hit, and the game had been paused without any formal process. The freshmen had gathered together to discuss strategy openly. None of this would be possible in a real official game.
But in today's contest between the new and old students, Coach Kataoka had made these kinds of arrangements deliberately, with the goal of identifying future first string players. Everyone understood that, and accepted it without complaint.
For the senior team, there was someone to give orders but no one to set up tactics or direct play. They needed this time to communicate among themselves. For the freshman team, although they had Coach Ochiai, his command didn't extend this far. They needed to encourage each other, work through their tactics, and steel themselves for the fight ahead.
One out, nobody on base.
The next player to step into the batter's box for the senior team was their fifth batter, Chris, the first string substitute catcher. He had directly replaced the original outfielder in that spot. It was a direct order from Coach Kataoka.
From that order, it seemed Chris might also be used as an outfielder in future games.
Both Chris and Miyuki had put up dazzling performances at catcher. But that didn't mean they were limited to that position. Both were players with very high overall ability, and keeping either one sitting in the dugout would feel to Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff like cutting off their own flesh. They were very reluctant to do it.
So they had to find another way.
The infield carried too heavy a defensive burden, and Chris wasn't quite as versatile positionally as Zhang Han. That was always a slight concern. But the outfield was different. As long as a player could track and catch fly balls and had a strong arm, they could handle the position. Chris had both, along with an extremely strong bat. Placing him in the outfield was likely something Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff had worked out in advance.
Before Chris stepped up to hit, Zhang Han asked him one question.
"Senior, have you thought it through?"
"Of course. I still want to compete for the catcher position. But on that basis, I won't refuse any order the coach gives me, not for the team's sake."
After more than half a year of recovery, Chris had come through it, but it would be wrong to say it hadn't changed him. The Chris before his injury would never have accepted any position other than catcher. Even Miyuki might not have been willing to entertain a proposal like that.
Zhang Han said nothing more. He gave a thumbs up.
Sometimes Zhang Han himself found it a little strange. His favorite position was the pitcher's mound, but he didn't seem to feel any real resistance toward other positions. Shortstop before, outfielder and substitute pitcher now. He had adapted to each without much discomfort.
As for why he loved the mound but wasn't fixated on it, Zhang Han thought it came down to this: he just liked winning.
Standing on the pitcher's mound was the position that gave him the most control over a game's outcome. No other position could do that. As a batter, even if he hit a home run every time up, he still couldn't guarantee the team would win.
It was just a pity that the position he loved most had a difficult fate attached to it.
His right-handed pitching had been evaluated as lacking in character and distinctiveness, too easy to read, with no real destructive power. His left-handed pitching, on the other hand, was extraordinary, approaching the top tier. But precisely because it was so exceptional, it seemed to carry a kind of curse with it, coming with serious limitations on its use.
Zhang Han was powerless against any of that.
As Chris stepped into the batter's box, the first string players immediately turned their attention to him. Miyuki especially had his eyes locked on Chris without wavering.
"Is it an overwhelming sense of crisis? Feeling that if Senior Chris performs well today, he might take your place?"
Hearing Kuramochi's teasing, Miyuki didn't get angry. He answered without missing a beat.
"I feel the same way."
You feel the same way... what exactly are you saying?
Kuramochi stared at Miyuki, wondering if this guy had lost his mind. Miyuki paid him no attention. His eyes stayed on Chris.
He felt as though a very long time had passed, and now he finally had the chance to properly measure himself against Senior Chris. He just didn't know how much damage eight-plus months of downtime had done.
Out on the mound, Toujou had already anticipated what was coming after being hit by Zhang Han.
He had thrown what he considered his best pitch earlier, but Zhang Han's presence had been simply overwhelming, almost unconquerable. Even Toujou had felt that kind of pressure when facing him, the kind that makes it impossible to properly resist. Because he had that awareness going in, when the ball was hit, he didn't panic. He reset and found a decent pitch.
But whatever luck Toujou had brought into today's game, it had already run out.
His opponent, Chris, watched the ball coming in and swung immediately, not even waiting.
The swing was as clean and fluid as it had been more than half a year ago.
"Ping."
The ball climbed into the sky, traced an arc, and dropped into the outfield. The outfielder was still mentally processing Zhang Han's home run and hadn't reacted in time. By the time he ran to collect the ball, Chris had already rounded first and jogged easily into second.
"Safe!"
One out, runner on second.
Watching it all, Miyuki shook his head quietly.
Terrifying.
Eight months away had left no mark on this man whatsoever.
Unlike Zhang Han's home run, Chris's double drew loud cheers and warm congratulations. The third-year seniors who had fought alongside him in previous games could barely contain themselves. If circumstances had allowed it, they would have run out to hug him on the spot.
"As expected of a genius. Just on a different level from the rest of us."
"Someone's position as the class standout might be up for grabs."
A smile crossed Yuuki's face. Even with Isashiki Jun's teasing ringing in his ears, it didn't fade.
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