Chapter 32: So Embarrassing

In the match between Inajitsu High School and Sankou High School, the scout sent by Seidou was Watanabe. After focusing on the information and tactical side of the team, Watanabe has now become an important member of Seidou High School's baseball team.

Watanabe has demonstrated extraordinary talent in gathering intelligence and analyzing opponents. He played a significant role in helping Seidou High School navigate a recent crisis. Sending him to scout today's game shows Seidou High School's concern about these two teams.

Any match between two of the three giants of West Tokyo is big news. Thus, in addition to Seidou's scouting team, many other teams sent scouts, along with reporters and media representatives.

Fujio, a Senpai reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, and his partner Owada Akiko, who had been closely following Seidou High School, surprisingly chose not to attend Seidou's first game but instead came to this match.

"Inajitsu!" 

"Mei!!!" 

"Sankou!" 

"Amahisa!!!"

Before the game even started, the fans from both teams were already going head-to-head, rallying their supporters to cheer for their Ace players.

"Wow, is the opponent's momentum really that strong?" Carlos remarked, gazing at the intense crowd on the other side. He had sensed their strong momentum early that morning.

"They're probably feeling envy and jealousy right now!" Shirakawa scoffed.

West Tokyo currently respects Seidou High School, followed by Inajitsu, Sankou High School, and Yakushi High School. If the audience were to rank the seed teams, Seidou High School would undoubtedly take first place, followed closely by Inajitsu. Despite Yakushi having previously beaten Sankou High School, if we were to select, the third spot would likely go to Sankou. After all, they are an established powerhouse with a strong fan base, with Yakushi trailing behind.

In this context, the other three teams performed excellently in the Spring Koshien, securing the Championship, runner-up, and quarterfinal spots respectively. Looking at the results, West Tokyo's performance is indeed impressive; they've almost swept half of the top spots in the nation.

These three teams have made quite a splash in Koshien, gaining nationwide recognition and even earning the title of the Tokyo Great Era. They now seem to have become the Heroes Of Tokyo, which understandably leaves Sankou High School feeling unbalanced.

"It's likely that the opponents are just biding their time, wanting to crush us," Carlos said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Then let's show them what a difference in strength looks like!" Narumiya Mei's gaze was sharp enough to seem almost predatory. Having lost to Seidou High School in the Spring Koshien, his heart has been aflame with determination.

"The opponent's Ace is no ordinary player; he's quite famous lately," Yabe warned.

"No matter how famous he is, it depends on who he's being compared to. It's time to let him know the sky is high," Narumiya replied casually.

His Ace's attitude successfully inspired the other players. 

"Okay!" 

"Well said!"

In the stands, a boy named Akamatsu was brimming with excitement as he watched the match unfold. 

"We will have them know from the very start of the game what the difference in strength is!" he declared confidently in favor of Inajitsu.

The game starts; Inajitsu takes the first attack!

Inajitsu was the first to attack, and stepping into the Batter's Box was the little dynamo, Carlos. 

'Let me see what this renowned genius pitcher has to offer!'

Amahisa Kosei, who had just taken on a crucial role during last Fall's Tournament, had performed exceptionally well since taking the mound for Sankou High School. The players from Inajitsu had Amahisa's name echoing in their ears, and they were eager to see for themselves.

Whoosh! 

The small ball flew forward, heading straight for the inside corner. 

Calmly, Carlos watched the pitch, not swinging his bat. He observed closely; the baseball did not enter the strike zone.

'The opponent's speed is good!' Carlos noted that Amahisa's pitch reached 145 km/h. While this speed is certainly fast among high school pitchers, it is considered a bit above the standard compared to the rising overall level in Tokyo.

For excellent players like Carlos, their perspectives have changed dramatically. A pitch of this speed, which would have seemed fast before, now appeared normal. Previously, they faced pitchers like Furuya Satoru, making Amahisa's speed seem less impressive in comparison.

Snap! 

"BALL!"

As Carlos predicted, the ball did not make it into the strike zone. He felt confident that he had deciphered the opponent's pitch. 

Ping! 

The moment the bat connected with the ball, Carlos was stunned. 

'This break was unexpected!'

Snap! 

"OUT!!" 

The baseball was hit and fell neatly into the second baseman's mitt. Carlos had been cleanly shut out! 

"Nice pitch!" 

"Beautiful!"

"You are doing great Kosei!" 

At that moment, Amahisa seemed to have awakened, his pitching suddenly sharpened. Carlos walked off the plate, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

On the opposite side, Shirakawa approached him. 

"How does it feel?"

Carlos knew Shirakawa was asking how he felt about the last pitch and if he had found a way to counter it.

Awkwardly, Carlos shook his head. 

"His breaking ball is very sharp; don't aim for it until you see it first."

This statement surprised Shirakawa. Carlos usually appeared carefree, as if nothing fazed him. However, both his skills and understanding of baseball ranked among the best on the team. For him to suggest avoiding targeting the breaking ball was surprising.

Thoughtfully, Shirakawa glanced at the pitcher's mound. 

'Is this guy's breaking ball really that sharp?'

Carlos' words made Shirakawa curious, but he didn't completely abandon the idea of targeting the breaking ball. Opinions from peers can serve as references, but they should not be taken as gospel—a principle shared by Coach Kunitomo and well-recognized by every player on the team.

Shirakawa was no exception. He needed to confirm the opponent's strengths and the effectiveness of their breaking ball with his own eyes.

Whoosh! 

The white ball soared toward him in the blink of an eye. 

Calmly, Shirakawa swung his bat.

Ping! 

The ball was hit and rolled out.

Snap! 

"OUT!!"

The baseball was caught by Sankou High School's third baseman and sent directly to first base. 

"Tsk!" 

Shirakawa clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. 

Initially, he believed that the pitcher and the main team would lack synergy after only a short period of cooperation like before. 

However, the reality was different during the actual competition. 

The opponent's entire defense showed excellent coordination.

'No wonder they were also a powerhouse!' 

Even though Sankou High School was not known for their defense, their overall defensive strength was commendable.

With two Outs and no one on base, it was now the turn of the third batter, Narumiya Mei. 

"You two are really disappointing. At least get on base! You made it too easy for them to get you Out, making my hits feel meaningless!"

Narumiya's unique way of rallying his teammates was as irritating as ever. 

Even the stoic Shirakawa felt inclined to punch him a few times.

He absolutely didn't want to be the target of Narumiya's taunts. 

But there was nothing he could do, as he had just been shut out.

As Narumiya stepped into the Batter's Box, he boldly announced his intention to hit a home run. 

It was as if he wanted Amahisa to know, "I'm going to hit a home run."

Facing Narumiya's haughtiness, Amahisa threw his Winning Shot. 

The meaning of a breaking ball differs entirely between pitchers.

When it evolves into a decisive pitch, the impact is even greater. 

Some breaking balls aim to interfere with the batter's judgment, confusing it with straight pitches or other types, creating gaps to exploit.

Others are simply sharp pitches that the batter cannot hit. 

Amahisa's breaking ball undoubtedly fell into the latter category.

The unexpected change caught everyone off guard. 

Even Narumiya struggled to find his rhythm, missing several swings.

"STRIKE!" 

"STRIKE!!" 

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

Amahisa Struck Out Narumiya directly! 

As Narumiya returned to his dugout, dismayed, he was immediately met with his teammates' relentless ridicule. 

"How disappointing!"

Not long after Narumiya taunted his teammates, he received the same treatment in return.

"'I'm going to hit a home run!' he said."

"That is one hell of a choke!!"

"He looked so lame!"

"So Embarrassing!"

While they merely got Out, Narumiya had been Struck Out! 

In comparison, it seemed Narumiya was the one who had embarrassed himself.

"That was so humiliating!!"

"Amahisa didn't hold back at that one!"

"And that is why you kids shouldn't let your mouths run!"

"I kinda feel embarrassed for him!"

It was actually embarrassing enough that some of the audience felt embarrassed for Narumiya.

'D-D-D-Damn!!!!'

Narumiya's face turned red and twisted in frustration and embarrassment.

He teased his teammates and shouted big words, only for all of it to be reflected back at his face with three times the power.

Magnified by all the people in the stands watching this!

Even his usually thick skin couldn't handle this.

But he won't let it go.

Since the opponent had caused him to choke hard, he had to get his revenge. 

'Just wait, Sankou!'

'No, Amahisa Kosei!'

In the bottom of the inning, Sankou High School took their turn to attack.

Facing their batters, Narumiya's eyes screamed murder.

…

T/N: …Seeing Narumiya being ashamed is strangely satisfying.

Well, That's it for now.

Thank you all for reading!

Have a good day!

You also can check my Patre0n for extra Chapters.

patre0n /ColdColt

There are +135 Chapters there.