<35> The Reckless Man

Chapter 35: The Reckless Man

Top of the ninth inning, Seidou High School was at bat.

No outs, no runners on base.

At the plate, Miyuki carefully assessed his opponent. He appeared confident, but in Seidou's dugout and among the die-hard supporters in the stands, there was little optimism about their main catcher's upcoming performance.

"This guy doesn't unleash his full potential unless there are runners on base. If the bases are empty, his energy seems to dwindle," commented a fan who seemed familiar with Miyuki's tendencies, clearly not expecting much from him.

"You don't have to be so pessimistic. I still think Miyuki is a star on the field..." A fan who liked Miyuki tried to defend him.

However, Yokohama Kohouku's ace threw a slider that easily avoided Miyuki's bat and landed straight into the catcher's mitt.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

The stadium fell silent. Even those who were previously confident in Miyuki felt a heavy weight in their hearts. The situation seemed unfavorable.

The player they admired appeared to be facing a tough battle.

"Is something wrong with him?" As this thought emerged, it quickly spread like wildfire among Seidou's supporters and teammates, filling them with dread.

From Miyuki's past performances, they could almost predict the scene of their main catcher striking out.

While everyone was anxiously waiting, Yokohama Kohouku's ace threw the second pitch without mercy.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball went straight down the middle of the strike zone.

"A breaking ball right down the middle? Is it a slider or a curveball?" Miyuki's mind raced through the options.

He committed to one and swung his bat. But the result was that he completely missed the ball. Both of his guesses were wrong; it was a straightforward fastball.

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

After missing two consecutive pitches, Miyuki, who had been highly anticipated, suddenly became the target of criticism.

Fans who had doubted him couldn't resist saying, "I told you, without runners on base, he's just a decorative pillow—nice to look at, but not much use."

Such criticism didn't reach Miyuki, and even his supporters couldn't bring themselves to defend him.

The facts spoke for themselves.

Judging by the current situation, Miyuki striking out seemed highly probable. What could they counterargue in this scenario? If outmatched, any rebuttal would sound like mere excuses.

It wouldn't just be pointless; it might even provoke ridicule.

Just as despair seemed to settle in the hearts of Seidou's supporters, Yokohama Kohouku's ace hurled his third pitch.

Having missed twice, Miyuki's eyes lit up as he fixated on the approaching ball.

"The first was a slider on the outside, then a fastball down the middle, and now, it should be an impossible-to-hit, inside low cutter! Right?"

Since the game began, Miyuki had been studying the pitching patterns of Yokohama Kohouku's ace. Even though they had researched beforehand, fully understanding the strategy of one of the nation's top aces wasn't an easy task.

It wasn't until his fourth at-bat that Miyuki seemed to finally grasp the pitcher's pattern.

Seeing the ball slide toward the inside corner at his feet, Miyuki stepped back decisively, contorting into an awkward position to send the ball flying.

"Ping!"

The Yokohama Kohouku catcher was stunned when he saw the ball connect with the bat.

"How is this possible?"

He never imagined that Miyuki had been targeting their ace's signature pitch from the start. Their ace's cutter had never failed before.

Regardless of their disbelief, the ball flew into the outfield gap.

Miyuki dashed to first base without hesitation and continued on towards second.

"You're asking for it!"

The Yokohama Kohouku outfielder reacted quickly. Although he didn't catch the ball on the fly, he quickly intercepted it and relayed it to second base.

The outfielder's speed was impressive, but Miyuki's was even more so.

Just before the ball reached second base, Miyuki touched the bag.

"Pop!"

"Safe!"

No outs, runner on second.

Seidou High School's players and supporters erupted with excitement, their earlier doubts making this moment all the more exhilarating.

"This guy is absolutely amazing!!"

Amidst his teammates' praises, Miyuki showed no embarrassment. He even waved to the dugout and to the fans in the stands, acknowledging their support.

As a second-year player, Miyuki lived with a certain swagger, supported by his senior teammates.

With no outs and a runner on second, it was Furuya's turn at bat. As he stepped into the batter's box, he heard the taunts from Yokohama Kohouku's supporters.

"First-year rookie, go back to junior high!"

"Just because you can pitch fast doesn't mean you can hit the ball."

"You're way out of your league!"

These words were filled with malice, but Furuya paid them no mind. Having spent a considerable amount of time on the baseball field, he had learned an essential truth.

The more your opponents taunt you, the more they fear you.

The reasoning is simple. If you didn't pose a threat, they wouldn't bother with you. Only when you stand out do they get riled up to this extent.

"Should I observe a pitch first and play it safe?"

Facing a top-tier ace from one of the nation's elite teams, even among national stalwarts, Furuya considered the merit of caution. He understood well the saying that haste makes waste.

As this thought crossed his mind, the Yokohama Kohouku ace delivered the ball. Against opponents with unknown strengths, he often liked to probe with an outside slider. This intent was so evident that Furuya almost felt compelled to swing.

Seeing the pitch coming, Furuya took a step forward. The Yokohama catcher instinctively frowned, observing Furuya closely.

"What is this reckless guy thinking?"

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