"Good afternoon, Senior Kōshū." This junior, whose complexion always looked poor, was surprisingly polite.
"Okumura-kun, you're here. I don't think we've worked together before." After the morning's heavy exertion, he could relax a little in the afternoon and get acquainted with the other first-year catchers.
"Yes, I understand. I've already gathered information on you, Senior. You have a Four-Seam Fastball, Two-Seam Fastball, Cutter, changeup, and Slider, correct? Your fastball can reach a maximum speed of 150 kilometers per hour. What pitches would you like me to catch this afternoon?"
This guy was being overly cautious. It was only a small practice session. Then Kōshū wondered whether the kid had been waiting for a day like this all along.
"Haha, I'll let you see the movement of every pitch. Oh, right. You've been working with Eijun a lot lately. How are Eijun's pitches?"
Unexpectedly, those words doused Okumura's spirits like water. Seeing Kōshū's puzzled expression, Okumura had no choice but to speak with difficulty. "They're extremely hard to catch. Every pitch breaks away once it reaches my glove." Because of that, he had contributed more passed balls than he had in the rest of his life combined.
"That's the thing Eijun and Senior Miyuki developed, right? It really brings out the characteristics of a moving ball to the fullest." Without getting familiar with it beforehand, it was difficult to catch comfortably, which was why Eijun had been sent off to practice with Yui.
Of course, there had also been Senior Miyuki's sudden bout of theatrical acting in the middle of it.
"Huh? Why do you need to get familiar with a rookie catcher who isn't on the First String in the afternoon?" Miyuki knowingly asked. After seeing that pitching in the morning, he had unexpectedly developed a reluctance to give up