Summary
The chapter opens with a view of the grounds at Yakushi High School, located in the Suginami ward of Tokyo. The two reporters, Mine and Oowada, is seen approaching Raizou.
Oowada comments that their facilities look improved compared to their previous visit. Raizou explains that ever since their appearance at Koshien, they have received considerable funding that he himself wonders if it really is proper. Now that the tournament has started, they’ve been receiving goods on a daily basis. They also have three new pitching machines, including the latest Mark III model that is capable of throwing any type of pitches, such as Amahisa’s slider, Mei’s slider, Furuya’s fastball and Hongou’s splitter.
Raizou continues that there are plenty of high-level pitchers in their west district so they need to score more runs or they won’t be able to win any game. For an upstart team like theirs, reinforcements of any kind would be comforting. Ookawa agrees that with the new machines, they will be able to strengthen the batting lineup. But Raizou continues that he also wishes they could have an indoor training facility, or a shaded bullpen, and a coach’s office…
One of the reporters noted that that the training atmosphere has also changed. Raizou agrees and adds that they are limited by the field space so the players, especially the third years, are desperate to use the time to improve their skills. Now that they have lively first years joining the team and the regular positions are constantly in flux, they have been seriously swinging their bats daily. Raizou continues to say they now have enough capable players to fill the first string that they no longer need to crack their heads trying to make it through each game.
However, it seems that the expectations from the school has also become quite lofty with Koshien as their goal. Raizou turns white with worry as he notes to himself that he has been unable to sleep well lately.
Ookawa notes that Raichi is missing and asks about him. Raizou replies that he does not want to hit the pitches from those machines. According to Raichi, he has all the pitches from the “amazing pitches” memorized already. We see Raichi swinging his bat with his eyes close, imagining Amahisa pitching to him.
For Raichi, the smell of the baseball scraping the bat, the feeling in his hands, the sound of the ball … the matches just continues to be replayed again and again in his mind, preparing him for the eventual day. Initially, Raizou thought perhaps Raichi was just spinning on his heels after Senbatsu but apparently he wasn’t. And so Raizou feels that things are starting to get interesting.
With that, we see a flashback to the past where we see Raizou’s ex-wife leaving them behind, saying that his living a life just doing what he loves, is a very self-centered way to live. And so she has no intention to sacrifice herself for their way of living. Eventually, they file for a divorce. So Raizou says to himself, that he is not satisfied with where they are at, and asks if Raizou feels the same way. Raizou, who is practicing his batting, gives his trademark laugh and shouts that he wants to crush everyone ASAP!
The scene switches to a training gym where Sanada is seen stretching his legs on a machine. Tomobe walks up to him and asks about the condition of his legs. Sanada responds that his leg is completely alright now. It seems like muscles that he has never used have been awaken ever since he’s been going to the gym. He asks Tomobe if the has been coming to this gym ever since junior high. Tomobe confirms and adds that his senior league coach had recommended this place.
Sanada responds with a thanks for everything, because of Tomobe, he can now face summer without regrets. Tomobe accepts his thanks and adds that he was glad to be of help to him. He also adds he was amazed that Sanada got so far without any help (i.e. self-study). Sanada agrees, saying that he should have watched his diet earlier. Tomobe replies that this might mean he has room for growth. Sanada laughs at that, saying that it’s a little late for him, to which Tomobe disagrees.
Meanwhile, at Ichidai-sankou at Machida, we see Hoshida sitting on a bench in an indoor training facility holding his bat, eyes closed in quiet respite. Amahisa walks up to him and asks him (Amahisa calls him ‘Hosshan’) what he is doing. Hoshida responds that he is trying to listen to his bat’s voice. Amahisa asks what he heard from it. Hoshida responds that he feels like it is telling him to take it easy and rest today. Amahisa comments that the bat seems like a nice guy especially since there is no point for them to flounder around just before the match.
Just then, Amahisa receives a reply from Sawamura: “Oh? What type of pitch is it? Do share more about it.”
Originally serialized in Shuukan Shounen Magazine Issue #28, 2019.
All images are copyrighted by Terajima Yuuji / Kodansha.
Thoughts
An interim chapter. I’m not really a fan of Yakushi so I won’t comment on things.
But I do wonder how Sawamura’s conversation with Amahisa went…