A week later, the Spring Metropolitan Tournament ended, and Seido finished as runners-up.
That day, every first-year pitcher was called into the Bullpen. Kataoka Manager, Assistant Manager Takashima Rei, and Ota Manager stood nearby. They wanted the boys to lay all their cards on the table and see which pitchers were worth using.
Kōshū went without saying. After another half month of training, his weight had risen back to 80 kilograms. During warm-ups, he held the ball, leaned forward slightly, and tossed it. Throwing a ball at nearly 110 kilometers per hour looked as effortless as tossing a feather.
"That guy looks so relaxed."
"His upper-body strength is incredible."
For a while, everyone grew curious about what he would look like pitching at full power. They watched him dawdle until he had finally loosened up his arm and shoulder, then he raised a hand to the catcher opposite him. "Ono Senior, I can start now."
At 1.89 meters tall, even his stride was a little longer than the other pitchers'. With a smooth arm swing, a fastball flew from his hand. Bang— The ball landed perfectly in the mitt. For a pitcher, having a catcher with good receiving skills was a pleasure. The same went for the catcher. Catching a ball that went exactly where it was supposed to, Ono couldn't help but tremble.
"NICE BALL!"
"Whoa—That was already over 140 kilometers, right?"
Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses and lowered the radar gun in her hand. "143 kilometers. It seems Kōshū-kun has adapted well to our school's meals. His weight has finally gone up."
"When did you get a radar gun?" Ota Manager jumped in surprise.
"Well, Kōshū came to see me a few days ago. He said—" Before Kataoka Manager could finish, he was interrupted by a huge commotion