<22> Goal

Chapter 22: Goal

Sitting in the dugout, Rinichi yawned.

He still felt like he hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Pulling his cap lower, he subtly glanced over at Inashiro Industrial's dugout.

Their opponent in the first game was none other than Inashiro.

If he remembered correctly, Inashiro had been to Koshien before. They were also a powerhouse from West Tokyo, just like Seidou.

Scanning the players on the field, he noted that Inashiro wasn't even using their strongest lineup…

Oh well, not like it mattered—he wasn't going to play today anyway.

Still, he couldn't help but feel bad for Kawakami. He gave up five runs just in the eighth inning.

"Inashiro and Ichidaisan have totally dominated Koshien spots the past five years. If this game's any indication, we don't stand a chance this year either."

"But I heard they beat Osaka Kiryu yesterday."

"For real?"

The game ended quickly.

Seidou scored 4 runs; Inashiro scored 8—a four-run difference.

After both teams bowed and dispersed, Inashiro was set to play Shuhoku next.

As Rinichi packed his things and got ready to leave, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Rin!"

Narumiya Mei ran up to him.

"I knew it—you really did come to Seidou! If Ryuu-nii hadn't told me, I still wouldn't know which high school you went to!"

While speaking, he looked a little pissed off, cracking his knuckles. "Three months! You didn't reply to my messages for three months!"

"And you even blocked me!"

"I'm your big bro, you know!"

Especially when he said the last line, he looked pretty smug.

"You're so loud," Rinichi replied, his face full of annoyance.

Narumiya puffed up angrily and changed the subject.

"Are you playing today?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I pitched yesterday. Coach won't let me play again today."

"For real? I wanted to see how fast your pitches are."

They'd never actually played baseball together—just knew the other played.

"Don't worry. My pitches are faster than yours,"

Rinichi said offhandedly, glancing away.

That instantly set Narumiya off.

Meanwhile, Miyuki and Kuramochi, wondering why Rinichi was taking so long, came back to check on him.

To their surprise, he was being pestered by someone from Inashiro.

Miyuki laughed loudly, "Wow, that's not something I ever expected to hear from Kamishiro."

Narumiya, seeing Miyuki, immediately forgot Rinichi's comment. "Miyuki and Rin both ended up in Seidou… now that's interesting."

Miyuki blinked. "You know Kamishiro?"

Then Narumiya raised his chin like he was king of the world. "Of course I do—I'm his big bro!"

Rinichi: "…"

"For real?" Miyuki was a little shocked.

"We're just cousins," Rinichi clarified.

"Still counts as a big brother!"

"…"

Narumiya had two older sisters and was the youngest in his family. No one to bully—he was always the one getting picked on by his sisters.

So he'd always longed for someone younger he could boss around.

Then came Rinichi—perfect victim material.

Only, every time he tried to mess with Rinichi, he ended up getting burned himself.

He still remembered every single snide remark Rinichi ever threw at him when they were kids.

"The sisters like me the best."

"Don't compare me to you—I'm a genius. It's just not fair."

"Oh, you're starting baseball too? Guess you're copying me."

"You don't even know that? Are you stupid?"

"He's clearly a year or two older than me, but he always feels like the younger brother. Even my big brother and two sisters think so."

Thoughts like that kept looping in Narumiya Mei's head.

Rinichi had always had a knack for teasing him.

He was acting surprisingly well-behaved today.

"…Why do I get the feeling Rin is acting a little antisocial?" Narumiya muttered.

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

That brought Narumiya's emotions bubbling up again.

"He's got such a seriously bad attitude!"

"But from the moment I saw him today, he's been so well-behaved."

"…Is that true?"

Rinichi: "…"

"Aren't you supposed to be playing soon? Go already," Rinichi said, waving him off.

Narumiya put a hand on his hip, suddenly striking a dramatic pose. "Don't get scared by my pitching, alright?"

Rinichi smirked. "I won't. But when we meet in the Summer Tournament, I'm going to send every pitch you throw flying."

"Try it if you can," Narumiya shot back without hesitation.

Their eyes locked—sparks of confidence clashing in silence.

Still, Miyuki thought to himself, Why are they talking about batting the ball instead of a pitching showdown?

And what's with Rinichi's obsession with batting?

He's almost more passionate about hitting than pitching…

Once Narumiya left, Kuramochi glanced over at Rinichi. "You serious about that? Smashing every pitch?"

"Last summer's regional semis, that guy struck out Azuma-senpai," he added.

Rinichi knew who Azuma-senpai was—a monster hitter.

Rinichi tugged at the brim of his cap, lips curling into a faint smile. "Isn't beating someone that strong the most fun?"

Besides, there was still someone waiting for him at Koshien.

If he wanted that ticket to Koshien, he had to crush every single team in West Tokyo.

Miyuki chuckled. "I think you should focus on building stamina first."

Kuramochi burst out laughing. "Seriously."

Rinichi: "…"

"Mei wasn't the ace during his first year at Inashiro, right?" Rinichi asked.

"Nope," Miyuki replied.

"Then I'll be Seidou's ace in my first year," Rinichi declared, deadly serious.

Kuramochi cackled. "You really are something else—"

But this time, it felt different.

Rinichi truly meant it. He had made up his mind to become the ace.

And that was a good thing, Miyuki thought.

Everyone watched Narumiya take the mound, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Even Rinichi's face hardened into rare seriousness.

His pitches were fast, with sharp drops, and his throwing form was smooth and fluid.

So this is his strength?

"He completely shut down the rising power from the East District—Shuhoku High."

"Five hits through six innings, but he held firm at every key moment. Definitely has the presence of an ace."

The spectators murmured in awe.

"That little brat… he was holding back during the first half. Now he's finally showing his true power," said Isashiki Jun through gritted teeth.

Rinichi, meanwhile, was deep in thought—figuring out how to pitch more efficiently.

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