"Don't mind!" Eijun patted Tōjō on the shoulder to comfort him as he returned to the dugout with his head lowered.
Since Tōjō generally did not hang around with the First year five-man group, he could only twitch the corners of his mouth in what counted as a smile in response.
"Don't mind!" Kōshū followed suit with the same encouragement. With Eijun having broken the ice first, Kōshū did not feel awkward around Tōjō.
"That guy's pretty underhanded, isn't he?" Lang Zhi wore an expression begging for agreement. Tōjō froze before he could nod, and Lang Zhi revealed what he really meant. "That's why any catcher with a good Pitching Strategy has a black heart."
Tōjō: Who exactly do you think you're hinting at?
But if anyone in the dugout was feeling the worst, it had to be Maezono. As the fifth batter, the fourth, sixth, and seventh batters before and after him had all gotten On Base, while he alone, part of the Central Batting Lineup, had failed to reach base.
Even the most hardworking person could not help but begin doubting himself.
Lost in thought, Maezono followed everyone out of the dugout when Kataoka Manager suddenly called out from behind them. "During defense, keep your minds on your defensive responsibilities! You are not allowed to think about batting!"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered together, but Maezono felt especially ashamed. He even felt that Kataoka Manager had been specifically reminding him.
Yet because of that stern reminder from the manager, by the time Maezono ran to first base, the only thing left in his mind was the first-base bag beneath his feet.
Bottom of the second inning, Inajitsu's turn at bat. Their first batter this time was Inajitsu's cleanup hitter, Yamaoka, with Narumiya Mei waiting behind him in the on-deck circle.