[372] Beyond the Plan

Chapter 372: Beyond the Plan

Moreover, there is a major departure from the original storyline here.

In the autumn tournament, Narumiya Mei led Inashiro Industrial onto the field as the ace pitcher, cleanup hitter, and team captain.

Initially, before the official matches began, the captain's position was assigned by Coach Kunitomo to Fukui Kento, as it was in the original.

Fukui Kento was even responsible for drawing lots for the official tournament bracket.

However, because Fukui's performance wasn't strong enough to earn a regular spot in the starting lineup, combined with Narumiya's increasing maturity and ability to lead the team, Fukui made the decision to step down as captain.

After thoroughly considering the input of the team members and Narumiya himself, Coach Kunitomo decided to appoint Narumiya as captain at the start of the official tournament.

This was an extremely unusual arrangement.

Being the ace, the cleanup hitter, and the captain simultaneously placed enormous responsibility on a single individual.

This decision clearly demonstrated the coach's deep trust and confidence in Narumiya.

Narumiya's calm demeanor and ability to guide the entire team redefined his image as Tokyo's "Prince."

Though still known for his playful and self-assured personality off the field, he became a reliable and commanding presence during games.

The devastating loss in last year's summer Koshien and the narrow one-run defeat in this year's regional finals drove Narumiya to push himself further.

By this autumn, Narumiya was one step closer to reaching his full potential earlier than in the original timeline.

Under his leadership, Inashiro Industrial's performance in the autumn tournament qualifiers has been dominant.

Unlike in the original, where their progress was not as overwhelming, this time they ended every game by the fifth inning.

Both Narumiya, as the ace, and Tadano, a second-year backup pitcher, managed to keep their opponents scoreless in all three qualifier games and two official matches, reaffirming their standing as the supreme force in the Tokyo region.

As things stand, it's difficult for onlookers to predict the final winner of the autumn tournament.

The rivalry among Tokyo's new "Four Great Powers"—Seidou High, Inashiro Industrial, Ichidaisan High, and Yakushi High—remains intense.

Meanwhile, the next tier of teams—like Seiko High, Sensen Academy, Ugumori High, and Oya Metropolitan High—also possess unique strengths that cannot be overlooked.

Among the sixteen elite teams, the eventual champion will only be revealed at the end of the tournament.

Back at Seidou High, after finishing their second-round game, the players returned to their campus.

The game ended so quickly and effortlessly that many players felt unsatisfied.

They decided to engage in self-directed practice sessions in the indoor training facility—an activity usually prohibited after games.

Yet Coach Kataoka gave his silent approval, understanding that the match hadn't provided enough of a challenge to serve as even a proper warm-up.

With the players eager to expend their energy through training, the coach saw no harm in bending the rules this time.

Inside the training facility:

"Whoosh—"

"Thwack—"

"Huh? What did you say? The starter has already been decided?" Eijun caught the ball thrown by Miyuki with a surprised look, raising his voice slightly.

"Yeah," Miyuki replied. "The coach mentioned rotating the pitching staff. For the second-round opponent Nanamori, as well as our third-round opponent Ugumori High from East Tokyo, the decision was made to have Furuya start. Even though Ugumori did reach the top sixteen in the summer tournament, they're from East Tokyo, after all. The coach decided to give Furuya the start. He does have a lot of potential. Could it be, dear ace, you're feeling a bit jealous?"

Miyuki raised an eyebrow, flashing a mischievous grin at Eijun.

Eijun's lips twitched slightly in response. Jealousy?

Hey now, I'm just worried, okay? Especially knowing how that guy, Furuya, was crushed in this game in the original story.

Eijun's eyes flickered with a hint of a bitter smile. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. This situation really made him want to just yell "MMP!"

"What's wrong?" Miyuki asked, catching the faint trace of concern in Eijun's eyes. "Are you actually worried Furuya can't handle Ugumori High? You really shouldn't underestimate him now. If you slack off, who knows? That ace number might be up for grabs someday."

While Eijun's fleeting worry didn't escape Miyuki's keen observation, Miyuki himself thought Eijun was fretting over nothing.

After all, Ugumori High was just another East Tokyo top sixteen team.

Although they'd have to wait for Watanabe's scouting report for detailed information, it seemed Ugumori's main lineup hadn't changed much since summer.

If they'd only reached the top sixteen back then, Seidou's current roster and talent level should be more than enough to win. As long as they stayed focused and played their best, a victory seemed inevitable.

It wasn't arrogance, just a logical conclusion. And it wasn't just Miyuki—aside from Eijun, the entire Seidou High team likely felt the same way.

Unfortunately, this kind of reasoning left Eijun feeling at a loss for words.

"So, the coach has already made up his mind?" Eijun asked, still unwilling to give up.

Even if Furuya started and things went south like in the original story, Coach Kataoka would surely bring Eijun in as a reliever to turn the tide.

The issues Ugumori presented weren't too severe. But if the risks could be mitigated from the start, that would obviously be the best scenario.

Eijun was also worried about another potential problem—Furuya's tendency to overdo it. In the original story, Furuya injured his left foot trying to push himself too far. Eijun hoped to avoid a repeat of that situation.

Just as Miyuki had said, Eijun agreed that a strong team couldn't rely solely on one person to pitch an entire game.

Not only would that be irresponsible to the team, but it would also be reckless for the individual. If he overworked himself to the point of burnout, what would happen to his future professional career?

From Eijun's perspective, his request was perfectly reasonable. But to Miyuki, it seemed odd and out of character.

"You're acting a bit strange today," Miyuki commented. "Normally you don't fight this hard to start a game."

"Do you have some special reason you absolutely have to start? Did someone on Ugumori's team do something to you?"

Miyuki scratched his chin, adopting a thoughtful expression. He looked serious—though his words, as usual, were absurdly off the wall.

-----------------

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky