Post-Match

"Sendou... Akira, huh?

Is your friend really that good?

Is he still injured somewhere?

No wonder he was a batter who even Raichi Todoroki couldn't compare to!" Amakusa said to Sasaki beside him in the stands.

That soul-searching question from the King of Snark left Sasaki completely dumbfounded.

After all, aside from Raichi Todoroki, he had never seen this senior take an interest in anyone else!

For a moment, Sasaki had no idea how to answer.

Luckily, the coach's call for them to get ready and head into the Changing Room saved him...

This senior usually acted all cool and aloof, but once he opened his mouth, his snark...

"Don't cry, Atsune!!"

"You already pitched really well!!"

"Great job!"

Watching Ogawa collapse against Osada's shoulder as he headed back to the dugout, the Seikou players in the stands shouted encouragement.

"Ke... aaah!!!

Damn it!!! Aaah!!!

Aaargh!!!!"

But those words of comfort only made Ogawa relive the moment the ball had been hit.

So Ogawa threw back his head and wailed as if his heart were being torn apart.

"That Atsune... he really doesn't care what anyone thinks..."

"When we lost in summer, he didn't even cry. He acted like he felt absolutely nothing, yet now he's..."

The others in the dugout stared in shock at Ogawa, whose crying sounded a little like a pig squealing.

Watching him sob so bitterly completely shattered their image of Ogawa...

"Was that last pitch... too easy to hit?" Ogawa asked, forcing back his grief as he stammered.

"No! There was nothing wrong with the pitch itself!

For that instant, I thought we had gotten him out..." Masu Shinichiro said in a low voice.

His mood was clearly just as heavy, but he was forcing himself to endure it.

That was the dignity of