"Not bad, huh?"
Once again, a single stone stirred up a thousand ripples.
Although the second-string players of Seidou High School's baseball team weren't as strong as the first-string, they were still undeniably skilled. As a prestigious baseball powerhouse known across the country, Seidou High School was highly selective during recruitment, picking only one out of ten excellent candidates.
Those who managed to move up to the first-string were one in a hundred, or even one in a thousand—true baseball geniuses.
By that logic, players who could reach the second-string were also top-notch.
They not only had ability but also sharp judgment.
Even without standing in the batter's box themselves or experiencing it firsthand, they could tell how troublesome that pitcher from Ichidai San High—Makoto—was.
At the same time, they couldn't help but run simulations in their minds:
If it were me up there, facing Makoto, what are my chances?
The answer was undeniably grim.
That's precisely why the second-string players of Seidou High all wore heavy expressions. The air in their dugout was stifling with pressure.
The ace of the second-string team was a third-year senpai. While his pitching was strong, everyone could see he was being pushed to his limits.
Even though he managed to get two outs in a row, no one felt reassured.
Everyone knew it clearly: the longer this game dragged on, the more inevitable it became that they would give up runs.
And now, in this kind of situation, a first-year kid had the nerve to say something as outrageous as "Makoto's pitching is just okay"?
"A bottom-tier first-year in the second-string dares to talk nonsense like that? Where do you get the guts?"
"If we actually sent you up to bat, you probably wouldn't even make contact!"
"Zhou Hao-san…"
Zhou Hao himself hadn't expected that such a simple remark from him would cause such a commotion.
The upperclassmen standing before him—second and third years—reacted like someone had stepped on their tails, their eyes blazing red.
"That's enough. Haven't we embarrassed ourselves enough already?"
A cold voice rang out, and the agitated upperclassmen reluctantly sat back down.
"I know Makoto's pitching isn't easy to deal with," Takashima Rei said coolly. "But what were you all doing just now? Acting like someone poked you in a sore spot just because a junior spoke up? Could it be he touched a nerve?"
Faced with Takashima Rei's relentless tone, the second- and third-year players turned their heads away and muttered, "He says it like he can actually hit the ball…"
That was what annoyed them the most.
If Zhou Hao really had that kind of skill, they wouldn't have said anything and would've sincerely wished him the best.
But the problem was—did Zhou Hao really have what it takes?
If he didn't, and still spouted nonsense like that—wasn't he just slapping everyone in the face?
"Whether you can hit or not, if you don't even have the courage to stand in the batter's box, how are you supposed to play baseball? If you don't have the guts, then quit the team. Seidou doesn't raise cowards like that."
At this moment, Takashima Rei radiated the aura of a strict instructor, leaving Zhou Hao dumbfounded.
He never expected their team's vice-captain to have such a fierce side.
Takashima Rei herself was deep in thought. Judging by how things were going, not only would Seidou's second-string team lose—they might lose badly.
Ichidai San's overwhelming victory would give Makoto even more confidence.
On Seidou's side, the situation was the opposite.
"To break this deadlock, we need a surprise move—someone who can shatter Makoto's confidence."
Thinking about this, a few names flashed through Takashima Rei's mind.
Seidou, famous for its strong hitters, never lacked good batters. But the problem was—all of them were in the first-string, and she couldn't pull them down now.
She had no choice but to look within the second-string.
While the second-string players weren't bad…
Finding someone who could not only hit Makoto's pitch but also shake his confidence?
Not easy…
Her gaze landed on Zhou Hao.
Could he do it?
Even asking herself honestly, Takashima Rei wasn't sure.
But at this point, she had no better options.
If they were going to gamble on someone, then Zhou Hao, who clearly didn't fear Makoto, might be their best shot.
Now that she'd made her decision, it was just a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.
That opportunity didn't come until the top of the fourth inning.
By then, the score was already 2–0.
No matter how much Seidou's second-string ace gritted his teeth, Ichidai San's batting lineup eventually found a hole in his pitching.
Seidou wanted to fight back and recover the runs.
But Makoto's pitching continued to show no weaknesses.
Then, at the start of the top of the fourth, Makoto cleanly retired the leadoff batter.
One out, no runners on base.
Just as he prepared to face Seidou's second batter, he slipped slightly while pitching.
The ball that left his hand suddenly lacked force.
This unexpected change stunned both his own teammates and the batter from Seidou.
However, with his rich game experience, the batter instantly recognized the opportunity and swung without hesitation.
"Clang!"
The white baseball was hit and flew into the field.
Two fielders from Ichidai San rushed after it.
But the ball zipped right between them, bouncing into the outfield.
"It got through!"
"It's a hit!"
"He's on base!!"
Seidou's second batter sprinted safely to first base.
One out, runner on first.
Facing this situation, Makoto casually held up a finger.
"That one was on me. Don't worry about it. One out."
His composed demeanor made Takashima Rei twitch a little.
They came from the same team, yet their personalities were worlds apart.
If only Danba from their team had this kind of mentality, maybe the pitching position wouldn't be questioned so often.
"Don't worry about it—these kinds of accidents happen. What matters is playing well from here on out. Let's go, boys!"
Ichidai San's second-string coach was a passionate middle-aged man.
At that moment, sensing the timing was just right, Takashima Rei suddenly made a substitution.
"Seidou High School is making a substitution!"
The batter who had just gotten a hit and made a huge contribution was replaced.
Taking over as the base runner was first-year rookie Kuramochi Youichi.
"They don't have any scouting info on you. Even if they know you're fast and try to guard against it, they won't overdo it."
"Hehe, don't worry. I'll definitely show them something good."
At such a crucial moment, Kuramochi showed no nerves. Instead, he looked full of fighting spirit.