While the regulars were fooling around, Okumura had already given the first signal of Asada's debut game.
"Low outside fastball...
After everything he just said, I thought he'd demand something more aggressive!
So he's starting in a normal way after all!!
That's true~!
He must be nervous too!!
About what kind of pitch I'll throw!!
Even though we've known each other for a while, he's only caught a few of my pitches during practice!!
From a pitcher-catcher standpoint, everything in front of us... is completely unknown!!
I don't have any confidence either!!" Asada saw Okumura's first signal and thought of many things.
A self-conscious kid like him loved to put himself in a very lowly position and overthink things!
He was terrified of making others dislike him, and thought it was only natural for others to look down on him, so he lived very cautiously!!
"...
Asada Hirofumi!!
Your high school baseball debut... starts now!!" Asada gave Okumura's resolute eyes one last look, swallowed, held his breath, and threw his first pitch on that breath!
"Pff!"
"Whoosh!"
"Crack!"
He was so focused on suppressing his wildly pounding heart that he threw an incredibly hittable pitch...
"Ah!! He hit it!!" Sawamura suddenly screamed.
"Why are you the one screaming, you idiot?!!" Senior Kuramochi physically silenced him.
"Waaahhh!!!" Then Asada's scream rang out across the field as well!
"A long hit into the air over left field!"
"Uwah!!
I died right from the start!!!
Ah!!" Asada watched the ball fly far away and screamed madly in his heart, until he was nearly stunned at the end.
The ball had flown far too high. His fragile little heart simply could not bear such a blow.
"Leadoff batter Kawashima opened with a double!!
Looks like he's got his sights set on the First