'Looks like we're not the only team that wants to hide their trump cards before nationals.' He mused.
Without their Ace and Carlos in the squad, Yokohama's victory was all but assured. While this would be good for morale, Ken had no interest in watching such a show.
He stood up slowly and began to stretch his arms and back, limbering up.
"Shiro let's go, it's time for our training."
A whimper came from beside him. It was so high pitched and full of despair that he wasn't even sure if this was a sound that humans were capable of making.
After a few moments without a proper answer, Ken had no choice but to lift the shorty by the jersey and carry him off.
'N-No please NO!'
Shiro screamed inwardly, however no words came out of his mouth.
By the time Hiroki walked up to bat, Ken and Shiro had already disappeared to the open space beside the field and began their training.
In the first innings, the pitcher gave up 5 runs total before he was able to strike out the 9th batter Akira for the final out. He breathed a sigh of relief before heading back to the dugout with the change over.
"Nice work Takashi."
Coach Goto placed a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him.
"Just one innings right? That's all I had to do?"
The old coach smiled and nodded. "Kazuhiro can take it from here."
In the next innings, Akira continued his good pitching form and only gave up a single hit to the clean-up batter. His confidence was at an all-time high as he retreated back to the dugout after 3 outs.
The score was 5-0 at the bottom of the 2nd, out of a possible 9 innings.
Yokohama was in high spirits as they sent Tatsuya back out to bat. However, they were surprised to see that a new member was standing on the mound for Shuei instead of the previous pitcher.
"Let's go Kazuhiro!"
"Strike em' all out"
If Ken was watching he would recognize this person as the pitcher for the Chiba Falcons in his previous life. While he was only a first year, one could tell by his demeanor that he was a force to be reckoned with.
Tatsuya instinctively knew that the new player on the mound was strong, merely by his presence. His eyes narrowed as Kazuhiro began his pitching motions.
WHOOSH
PAH
The ball was like a firework as it rocketed into the outstretched glove of the catcher, causing Tatsuya to blink a few times in disbelief.
'What the hell was that?'
It was as if the ball was alive, moving through the air on its own whim, leaving him guessing.
Tatsuya shook his head, clearing out the useless thoughts.
'I'll hit it next time.'
"Strike"
"Out."
He was forced to leave only two pitches later, scratching his head in confusion.
"His pitches are tricky Jun, be careful." Tatsuya told his brother on the way back to the dugout.
96
97
98
99
100
Meanwhile in the open area next to the baseball field, Ken was currently swinging his bat and watching over Shiro whose expression made it look as if he was being tortured.
"No slacking off Shiro." Ken barked out between swings, narrowing his eyes at his friend.
"D-Die… I'm gonna die"
Shiro's voice was meek, reminiscent of someone on their last legs.
'He's so dramatic…' Ken thought to himself, a smile creeping onto the corner of his lips.
However, to Shiro this made him look like even more of a demon, armed with a metal bat.
"Eeeek!"
In truth, today was the third day of Shiro's two week training plan. This was usually the toughest day thanks to the build up of fatigue and small tearing of the muscles. As long the boy could persist, it would only be downhill from here.
Ken could only get through half of his 500 required swing before he needed to assist Shiro with completing the workout. Like a personal trainer, he guided his friend through the rest of the workouts, providing as much support as necessary.
Quite a while later, he was interrupted by a familiar voice behind him.
"Ken why aren't you watching the match?" Yusuke said, his eyes moving to the collapsed Shiro who was covered in sweat and panting heavily on the ground.
"There's no need, I already know we'll win." He said simply.
Yusuke rolled his eyes in response, "Maybe you should check out the score then?"
"Hmm?" Ken seemed a little surprised at Yusuke's words, yet he still went to the side of the fence peaked in.
It was currently the top of the 8th inning and the score was 5 to 5.
"Huh? We didn't score any more runs off that pitcher?" He asked.
"They changed pitcher in the 2nd innings and we've yet to get a decent hit since then." Yusuke explained.
"Did the coach tell you to come get me?"
Yusuke shook his head in response. "No, I just thought you might want to watch."
Ken was thoughtful for a while, but he eventually nodded. "Thanks but I'll just watch from here."
With that, Ken took up position and once again began his bat swings. He still wanted to get his 500 in before they got on the bus today.
"Is that who I think it is?" Ken's eyes narrowed, seeing the pitcher make his way up to the mound.
The teen had an angular face and an earing on his left ear, giving him a slight delinquent vibe. His eyes were sharp, matching with his sleek hair style and overall aesthetic.
"Kazuhiro Kimura… I don't remember playing against him in my previous life." Ken mumbled, his intrigue slowly rising.
The first pitch flew forward from his fingertips, making a beautiful sound as it landed squarely in the glove.
Ken's eyes widened in response.
"Now it's become interesting." He said with a smile.
He waited for the next pitch and imagined himself in the batters box.
WHOOSH
Ken stepped forward and let his bat rip through the air, creating an almighty sound.