Training camp had entered its latter half. Every time they headed to another field, the scenery around them changed slightly. Fresh, tender green took up more and more of their view, and the strong winds that had blown up in the evenings a few days ago had become much gentler.
Kinoshita Little League's training camp had also reached its tenth day. The continuous games had brought accumulating fatigue. Physical exhaustion was manageable—after all, they had gone through daily summer practices and Winter Training—but there was also mental strain, including a barely noticeable weariness toward the games.
For several days in a row, Kōshū had dreamed about games whenever he slept. It made him wonder whether he cared too much about the details and outcomes of the games. In the end, these were only a series of practice matches.
"What's wrong? Get up already."
When he came back to himself, the floor around him was empty. He was the only one still sitting in his bedding. "In a second. Help me fold my blanket."
Lang Zhi looked around and found that everyone else had already gone to wash up. He could only resign himself to helping Kōshū tidy up.
With toothpaste and toothbrush in hand, Kōshū ran into teammates returning from washing up along the way.
"Morning, ace."
"Counting on you again today."
"Let's settle this today."
Kōshū nodded in response to each of them. The fresh morning air swept away the exhaustion from a night of dreaming.
Kinoshita Little League's current record was six wins, two losses, and one draw. Of their three pitchers, Kōshū had been responsible for the draw, while Shibasaki and Sato had each taken a loss. Today's opponent was Eimei Little League, the team that had drawn with Kinoshita Little League last time. This team's style