Kazuhiro felt his body turn cold.
The home run from the completely unknown first year was something that he had not expected at all. After getting smacked out of the park by Ken, his confidence was already teetering on the edge.
Yet his pride was wounded as the unassuming first year took his victory lap around the bases.
"Nice hit Ryo!"
The slightly shy teen's face reddened, feeling a little overwhelmed at the cheers from his teammates. His head was lowered slightly as he made his way back to the dugout.
The first face he saw was Coach Hanada's gloating expression.
"Well done! He he he."
Ryo shied away slightly, finding the coach's reaction to be rather creepy, however it was overshadowed by the big reception he received.
"Wow Ryo! That hit was awesome." One of his close friends Mamoru congratulated him, holding his hand up for a high five.
"I-It was alright." He said, feeling a little embarrassed.
Ken's eyes focused in on the first year, his scrutinizing gaze garnering a self-conscious reaction from the teen.
"Senpai?"
Seeing their Captain looking at him in such a way made the teen feel rather uncomfortable. However, there was a part of him that craved some praise from the figure that he looked up to.
"Mmm, nice hit. Keep up the good work." Ken said simply.
While it might not have seemed like much, it had a great effect on the first year.
"Y-Yes Captain!" He shouted, feeling a sense of excitement run through his body.
"Strikeout. 3 outs, changeover!"
***
"Thanks for the game!"
The two teams stood on the field and bowed to each other after the completion of the game. With their new line ups, this match was only a preview of what was to come in the future.
"Ken…"
After the bow, Kazuhiro walked over to Ken's tall figure and addressed him, his body language speaking volumes.
"Mmm? What's up?" Ken replied. He hadn't spoken to Shuei's Ace many times, so he felt that it was a little odd for the guy to approach him on his own volition.
Kazuhiro felt a myriad of emotions as he stood in front of his rival. He wasn't sure if Ken viewed him in a similar light, but it didn't matter to him.
"Koshien…"
Ken raised an eyebrow in question. The guy had his head lowered and his voice was quivering, a sign that he was emotional.
"We'll be going to Koshien next year… Just you wait."
With those words, he walked away, having said what he needed to say.
Ken watched the guy's retreating back and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. They were in the same prefecture which meant they would have to face one another again in the National qualifiers.
Him saying this much showed his intentions.
"We'll see about that." Ken replied, feeling his mood improve.
On the other side of the field, a silent battle was taking place between the two coaches.
"Ahh, what a wonderful game. Thank you so much for your hospitality Coach Goto." Seiji said, extending his hand for the handshake.
This would be a perfectly normal and respectful thing to say if it weren't for the gloating expression on the man's face. His face was practically screaming to get punched.
The Buddha-like smile on the older man's face faltered for a moment, almost crumbling completely.
"Yes of course Coach Hanada, you are welcome to come back any time." He spat through gritted teeth, accepting the handshake.
CRACK~
Seiji's face morphed as he felt his hand begin to crumble under the pressure of Coach Goto's intense grip. He did his best to resist the older man's strength, but could not regain the initiative.
"Coach, the bus will be leaving soon." The assistant coach approached him, putting an end to the post-match fight between the Head Coaches.
Seiji retrieved his hand, quickly placing it in his pocket despite it throbbing angrily.
"Ahem, if you'd excuse me coach, we have some celebrations to attend to. I hope we'll have another great match in the future." He said, turning on his heel and leaving.
Coach Goto gnashed his teeth as he watched the retreating figure of Yokohama's coach. He didn't mind losing to any other team, but for some reason this guy always managed to piss him off.
He eventually let out a sigh, composing himself.
His eyes moved to the tall figure amongst the Yokohama players and couldn't help but sigh once more.
'It'll be tough to beat Yokohama while he's still in the team.' He commented inwardly.
The team arrived at the bus not long later, their spirits high. With this win they had qualified for the Jingu Tournament which would be held in Tokyo in around 2 weeks.
While not as prestigious as other tournaments on the High School circuit, they had pretty much punched their ticket to the Spring Koshien, no matter what result they achieved.
"Well done team, we took out our bitter rivals Shuei with a convincing 5-0 scoreline. To celebrate, let's go get some ramen!"
"YEAH!"
The first years were instantly excited, not expecting such a reward.
However, the 2nd years were well aware of Coach Hanada's rivalry with the Shuei Head Coach and had come to expect the celebration.
The bus ride back to the school was full of fun and jubilation as the players talked about the game animatedly.
Yusuke was busy poking fun at Shiro throughout the duration, his foghorn laughter escaping his lips every so often.
They soon arrived at the school and set off for the nearest ramen shop. Thankfully there was one only 10 minutes walk away.
Seiji did his usual dance at the reception, apologizing in advance for any rowdy behavior his players would exhibit during their stay.
Like usual, he was not stingy, pulling out his credit card and paying for a special and a drink for all of the players.
To him, splashing out after beating his rival coach wasn't an issue.