Chapter 24: Already Started

Ten minutes before the game started, the players from both teams had already settled into their respective dugouts.

"Where are Furuya and Sawamura?" Kuramochi asked, frowning at Kanemaru beside him.

"Damn it…"

After a week of rest, Sawamura's condition had finally improved, and Furuya had performed well in practice. The team was in excellent shape!

Yet, just before today's game, both Furuya and Sawamura had vanished. This rhythm is a disaster!

Though Kuramochi had faith in Kawakami, having only Kawakami on the mound was unsettling, especially with Sawamura not playing.

Kanemaru shrugged helplessly. "Furuya seems a bit nervous. The three of them went to the toilet!"

"This airheaded guy!" Kuramochi grumbled.

Usually, Furuya had a cold demeanor, like an edgy character from an anime. It was hard to believe he could be nervous. It was surprising that in the second round of the autumn competition, he would be so ineffective.

"I can't entirely blame him. After all, this is the first time Sawamura isn't playing in an official match. The anxiety isn't just Furuya's alone," Miyuki said calmly.

"When did Sawamura become the keystone of the team? It feels like the world would stop spinning without him," Kuramochi said, dissatisfied.

"It's not just him. Without the main players, any position feels insecure. If it were Sawamura, the Ace, the situation would be even worse," Miyuki explained.

Meanwhile, in Ugumori High School's rest area:

"Of course, when playing against us, King Seidou isn't planning to send their Ace," a Ugumori player said.

Next to him, Oonishi Terumi, with his sharp features and big buck teeth, smiled. "Let's show them our strength."

"Even their backup pitcher is formidable. He's Furuya, the fastest pitcher in the country, with speeds close to 155 km/h," another player noted. (96 mph)

"155 km/h? That's outrageous!"

"That's from the Koshien test. It's not a joke—many people have seen it."

"Isn't it impressive that even their backup pitcher is so terrifying?"

"That makes us seem like we might not be their match," someone said.

"Not necessarily. Our first and second batters will use speed to disrupt him," Oonishi Terumi replied.

"The pressure is still high!"

"Dai-chan, what do you think?" someone asked.

Dai-chan or Kondou Daiki, with his flat expression, dead fish eyes, and lack of height, seemed unmotivated. But his calm tone suggested confidence.

"I'll just run."

"How reliable!" The Ugumori players were reassured by his confidence.

Matsubara Nao, in a wheelchair, smiled with satisfaction.

'Despite Seidou's recent dominance and their remaining strong players, our players seemed relaxed and positive.'

Facing Seidou, it was rare for players to perform confidently without being intimidated by the opponent's strength and reputation.

"By the way, where's Umemiya?" one player asked curiously.

"Went to the toilet!"

"Strange, why hasn't he come back yet? The game is about to start."

The players from both sides appeared simultaneously in the toilet. The toilet was indeed a magical place where many fateful encounters happened.

Sawamura, Furuya, and Kominato walked side by side in the stadium corridor.

"What's bothering you?" Sawamura, wearing a large mask, asked Furuya.

"The opponent's runners are very annoying! If there were only one or two, it would be manageable, but most of them are troublesome," Furuya replied.

After replacing Sawamura, Furuya had mentally prepared himself like he was the Ace.

Sawamura frowned and said quietly, "No one expects you to perfectly defend against Ugumori's offense. Don't put too much pressure on yourself from the start. Your only task now is to suppress their batters and just keep the score low."

Furuya looked surprised and dissatisfied.

Sawamura raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I know you're not satisfied and want to compete with me for the Ace position, but you need to wait until you've mastered the basics.

Worrying about what you can't control will only disturb your state and affect your performance. Trust in your pitching, take it step by step, and move forward steadily."

Sawamura comforted him. Furuya, being a typical stubborn character, needed help to keep his focus.

Furuya nodded and said nothing, clearly having understood.

Meanwhile, Kominato Haruichi admired Eijun. He was impressed that Sawamura could not only pitch well but also help others effectively.

The three of them entered the toilet, where Sawamura recognized a familiar voice.

"Hey! Could someone outside pass a roll of toilet paper? I promise to repay your kindness even after death."

The voice sounded familiar to Sawamura.

No matter who you are or where you are, being stuck in the toilet without toilet paper is just a cruel fate. It is something you won't wish for your worst enemy.

So Sawamura grabbed a roll of toilet paper from the adjacent bathroom and handed it to the person who requested it.

"Thank you! Thank you! I thought it was the end! I never realized before how important toilet paper is."

As the toilet door opened, a teenager with a distinctive "airplane head" hairstyle stepped out.

He was very tall, even slightly taller than the tallest of the three, Furuya.

'So it is him!'

Seeing his striking hairstyle, Sawamura couldn't help but smile. It turned out to be someone he knew.

The person was none other than Umemiya Seiichi, the Ace of Ugumori High School, whom he had encountered earlier at the draw event.

"What a coincidence!"

Sawamura smiled. Even though his large mask covered his face, the amusement in his eyes was clear.

"Wow, who would have thought? It's our esteemed Maou-sama!"

Umemiya's eyes were narrowed into slits. It was unclear how he recognized Sawamura despite the mask.

"If you want to thank me, there's no need. Being stuck in the toilet without paper is no joke," Sawamura said with a joke, but Umemiya didn't find it amusing.

"The game is about to start, and I've received such a favor from the opponent. How can I repay this kindness? I can only repay it by working harder on the field. Please take care of me during the game, Sawamura-kun."

Umemiya's eyes, sharp like those of a cunning wolf, stared at Sawamura with an ominous intensity.

Sawamura shrugged indifferently. "If the opportunity arises, I'd love to face you in the game."

"Really?"

Umemiya grimaced, covering his forehead in apparent pain. "At our level, it's a pity to let someone of your caliber handle it personally!"

If Sawamura didn't know Umemiya, his seemingly sly attitude might have annoyed him. However, Sawamura was well aware of Umemiya's true nature and found his act amusing.

A person who capitalized on every chance he could get would hardly feel regret about not being able to face him. Even if he did, it would only be because he couldn't defeat himself with his own hands.

Although Sawamura knew Umemiya was putting on an act, he chose not to expose him.

He was curious to see what tricks this guy would come up with.

Sure enough, Umemiya soon shifted his focus to Furuya.

"So, you're Furuya-kun? It's an honor to meet you in person. I thought you'd be stronger. I heard your fastest pitch is 154 km/h, close to 155 km/h. Is that true? With your physique, is it really possible to throw a ball that fast?"

Furuya was clearly taken aback by this challenge in the restroom.

He stared blankly at Umemiya for a while before turning his puzzled gaze to Sawamura.

"Who is he?"

'That was intentional!'

Sawamura was twisting with laughter inside. He was 10,000% sure that Furuya was playing dumb on purpose.

Just the previous night, Miyuki had briefed Furuya on every player from Ugumori High School, including their key player, Umemiya Seiichi.

Umemiya was Ugumori's Ace, Captain, and Fourth Batter.

Just by looking at his position, it was clear how important he was to Ugumori. To defeat Ugumori, they needed to target Umemiya. Did Furuya really not know who he was?

'That would be absurd!'

Sawamura was thoroughly entertained by the situation, while Umemiya seemed unfazed.

His eyes remained slightly narrowed, giving the impression of a smirk.

Perhaps he thought it was natural for Furuya not to recognize him.

"Hee hee, I'm just a small fry. Nothing to talk about.

But I'm quite confident in my hitting. I once used a pitching machine to simulate a 155 km/h fastball! To be honest, the ball was so fast, that it felt like a bullet train.

It zoomed by in the blink of an eye, and there was no time to swing the bat. It's hard to imagine any high schooler throwing a ball that fast. I'm really looking forward to seeing it in the game."

Umemiya's eyes gleamed as he stared at Furuya.

"The game's about to start, so I'll say goodbye for now."

With that, Umemiya walked past the three and prepared to leave.

As he reached Furuya's side, Umemiya suddenly stopped, as if he had just remembered something. He leaned in and whispered deliberately into Furuya's ear, "After nearly a week of hard training, I can finally catch a 155 km/h ball. Don't hold back and throw with your all!"

"Or more like, Don't Run Away!"

Hearing this, a fierce determination blazed in Furuya's eyes. Umemiya had successfully provoked him.

Kominato Haruichi frowned, clearly displeased with Umemiya's manner.

"What's up with Ugumori's Ace?"

He didn't understand if the 'airplane head' was simply overconfident or had another scheme. It felt like a deliberate provocation.

Sawamura snorted coldly and turned to Furuya. "Aren't you going to use the restroom? If you don't go now, it'll be too late."

After Furuya finished, the three of them returned to the Seidou High School rest area.

"How many minutes until the game starts?" Kominato asked Kanemaru.

Kanemaru checked the time and replied, "Five minutes left!"

Sawamura frowned. He glanced at Kominato and Furuya, who showed no particular reaction and sighed with a wry smile.

"The game has already started."

'Our encounter with Umemiya in the restroom had marked the beginning of the game.'

The moment Umemiya successfully provoked Furuya, the match had already entered its first crucial phase.

True confrontation often starts beneath the calm surface, where the undercurrents are already raging.

Sawamura wanted to offer a reminder but hesitated. How could he suggest that Furuya avoid a showdown with Umemiya? Such advice was contrary to Furuya's nature and would only backfire.

The two would certainly face each other directly. Umemiya had no need to provoke Furuya!

However, the provocation had not been without purpose. At the very least, it had planted a seed of trouble in Furuya's mind.

Whether that seed would grow into something significant remained to be seen.

...