From that point on, Rinichi walked down a road of no return in hitting.
Regretful beyond words, Shinomiya once couldn't help but ask him:
"Why do you insist on hitting like this?"
"Because…" Rinichi answered,
"Sending every kind of pitch flying is fun… And besides, when a batter keeps hamring out hits and ho runs, pitchers absolutely hate it."
Shinomiya fell silent. He understood perfectly what Rinichi really ant by the second half—to disgust the opposing pitcher by endlessly pounding out hits and hors.
In short, Rinichi was just petty like that.
Still, since Rinichi wanted to beco a great hitter, Shinomiya would help him.
He explained different pitch sequences to target batters, practiced them with Rinichi, and let him experience all kinds of breaking balls.
The ones Rinichi hated the most were the knuckleball and the changeup.
It took him months just to figure out how to hit those.
Shinomiya didn't bother criticizing Rinichi's "always swing for the fences" style.
So long as he could smash ho runs, the bunts and contact hitting could wait.
What mattered most was Rinichi being able to pitch the way Shinomiya envisioned—to prove that his own ideas were possible.
And that required a powerful pitcher.
Just the work on "fine-tuning pitches" took months.
During that period Rinichi felt trapped in hellish command training.
He thought his pitches were beautiful when thrown exactly as directed.
But Shinomiya always found flaws, leaving Rinichi irritated halfway through every session.
He couldn't understand—why force to throw pitches just so batters can hit them?
Striking them out in three pitches would be much easier.
Still, Rinichi never said this out loud. Deep down he sensed that Shinomiya was trying to achieve sothing, sothing only he—Rinichi—could make possible.
By the ti the Spring Tournant ca around,
they had achieved about 80–90% of that synchronization.
For only a few months of work, it was thanks entirely to Rinichi's natural talent.
Both of them were ready.
Even so, the pitches Shinomiya wanted often frustrated Rinichi.
So whether to follow through on those "let them put it in play" calls depended largely on his mood.
Still, with Shinomiya's guidance, their team surged through the tournant.
When Shinomiya held out a fist and smiled—
"Let's take the championship."
Rinichi blinked, then slowly raised his own fist to et it, smiling back.
Together, they powered Daikyou all the way to a National Championship, without giving up even a single run.
The whole team rejoiced.
Their victory was widely reported, and this pitcher-catcher duo attracted national attention.
For a long while, Rinichi basked in the joy of winning.
anwhile, Shinomiya was summoned back to Tokyo—to face his father.
He knelt on the tatami in an empty room.
The sliding door opened. His father stood there, aura oppressive.
"Baseball?" His father sneered.
"Stop wasting your ti. Don't play it again."
"I've already arranged your transfer. From now on you'll attend school here in Tokyo. Take care of yourself."
The door slamd shut.
Shinomiya's expression never changed.
He had expected this.
At least… he had led his chosen partner to a national title.
There was no real regret.
Only one problem remained—Rinichi.
How was he supposed to tell him?
If it were possible, he too wanted to walk with Rinichi into Koshien…
But he exhaled softly, as if letting that dream go.
"Hey, Shinomiya hasn't shown up at the team in days," so whispered to Rinichi.
"Probably sothing ca up," others guessed.
Since the championship, no one gossiped about Rinichi anymore.
In fact, many sought to please him.
After all, this face would be carrying Daikyou for the next two years.
Conflict with him now would be pointless.
Yet Rinichi grew uneasy.
When Shinomiya finally appeared—dressed in casual clothes—
Rinichi's joy instantly sank.
And then Shinomiya spoke the words Rinichi couldn't accept.
He stared in disbelief.
Shinomiya forced a gentle, regretful smile.
"…Sorry."
Rinichi's fists clenched tight, teeth grinding in frustration.
We just won a national title together.
There are so many more championships waiting for us.
Why… Why does it have to end here?!
Rinichi's right hand clutched Shinomiya's collar, gripping it tightly as he leaned forward, eyes fixed on the floor, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.
His throat bobbed.
He knew—he knew Shinomiya's hands were tied…
Forced…
The image of a woman's silhouette flickered through his mind.
But what about him?!
Was he supposed to just accept this passively?!
Why?!
Resentnt and frustration boiled inside him, ready to burst.
"Without you, Shinomiya-senpai…"
His voice was low, hoarse.
"What aning is there in … continuing baseball?"
"I wanted to win so many championships with you."
"Aren't we partners?"
Shinomiya froze, his smile thinning.
"As long as there's a catcher who can work with you, Rinichi… they'll be your partner."
"There will definitely be others besides who can handle your pitches."
"But if I quit baseball… is that really okay?"
"I still wanted you to take into Koshien."
He fell silent for a mont.
"Rinichi… keep playing baseball."
Rinichi's gaze darkened. He said nothing.
Keep playing baseball?
He repeated those words over and over in his mind.
And in his imagination, the catcher's box stood empty.
That feeling—was unbearable.
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