I jogged across the field with Mihashi trailing behind me. I looked ahead and saw a tall guy in a Mihoshi uniform. “How Yawl doin’?” he asked. “Hey.” I said. “Hey, what’s up?” Mihashi said. He looked at me, tipping his cap, and then at Mihashi. “You got a girl on your team? That must be nice.” He said as we ran by. “You know that guy?” I asked him. “No.” Mihashi said, stopping to look. “Why?” I started back at the giant. “He sounds like he’s from Osaka.” I said. “Oh yeah,” Mihashi said. “So?” I looked at him as if he didn’t know. “Well…if Mihoshi recruits from out west we kinda need to know about it…” I said as I spotted Shinooka. “Hey,” I said trotting over to her. “Can I have a look at the roster?” I asked. She nodded and handed it to me. I showed the list to Mihashi. “Okay, who here don’t you know?” Mihashi looked it over carefully. “The guy who’s batting cleanup, and 6^th and 7^th and 8^th…” he looked disappointed. “And the rest I know.” He finished. “Okay, batters 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th, and the rest you know?” I asked. He nodded surprised I wasn’t upset with him. “Hey, Mihashi!” I heard someone shout from the field. It was the same person that tried to say hi to him before. “Kanou…” Mihashi mumbled. I looked at the boy with shaggy light hair and watched as he gripped the ball with a forker. That must be his best pitch. He noticed I was looking at him and stared back, changing his expression. I got embarrassed and looked away, missing him throw his forkball. I looked again for a retake and analyzed it. I could definitely hit it. Some of the guys in the dugout were worried though. Abe tried to reassure them. “Right Akira?” he asked. I looked at him bewildered. “You can hit a triple off it, right?” I looked back at everyone, and then watched Kanou pitch another forkball. Without even knowing it, I smirked and said, “With a forkball that high, I may even hit a homer.” I said before I had a chance to catch myself. I blushed under my cap and didn’t look at them. Tajima shot up from his seat. “Wow really, I wanna see that!” I looked at him and saw him smiling energetically.  “How about this, if I hit a triple, you have to hit a homer! No holding back and no excuses, got it?” he said. I stared at him for a moment, and then realized what he was trying to say. “Okay, shake on it.” I said holding out my hand. He took it and we agreed. The first three batters on our team couldn’t even make it to first base, so that threw us off. We’d be out in the field next. “Um, Takizawa?” Mihashi asked. “What’s up, you need something?” I asked. “Could you…I mean would you throw the first set for me?” at first I was puzzled, but then I realized what he meant. “You can’t hide from them forever you know. Sooner or later you’re going to have to go up there, and there’s nowhere to hide on the mound.” His shoulders tensed up and he started to quiver. “You’ll be fine.” Abe intervened, handing Mihashi a glove. Mihashi was hesitant, but he ran to the mound any way. Despite how he hand acted, he struck out everyone that came to the plate. I patted him on the back when he came to dugout. “Nice job, keep it up!” I said. The other guys agreed, and Mihashi actually started to accept the complements. “Yo, Takizawa I’m up next!” Tajima told me. “Just watch, I’ll hit a triple and when you bat I’ll get to see your amazing homer!” he said confidently. At first I knocked the idea, but then I remembered that Tajima had a great arm and got scared. What if he really did it? Clink Tajima ran to first base, then second, and stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wouldn’t have to hit a homer, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t either. Hanai tried to hit a forker like Tajima, but ended up striking out. We were on field again, and it was my turn to pitch. What would the other team think, would they under estimate me? “Don’t worry about the other team.” Abe said, sneaking up on me. “Get on the mound; we’ll take a few practice throws.” I nodded and ran up. I pulled my hat down far enough so I couldn’t see the other team. Too bad it couldn’t work both ways. Abe got into position and threw me a sign. Okay, curveball from the left I thought. I wound up and threw with half my speed, making the glove whap. One more practice throw. Fast ball, straight down the middle…half speed Abe only wanted half my speed? That was a new one. But when I wound up, I did it for more and had to use all my control to lessen the speed. In doing this I almost fell over. “You okay?” Abe shouted. I stood up and nodded yes as he threw the ball back. “Let’s try one more for good measure.” He said. Fast ball, full speed I guess he changed his mind. I was going to shake it, but then I remembered what Abe said. So instead I wound up, bringing my knee as high up as I could, and leaned in. I could say I threw the ball, but with the speed and strength I used, it looked and sounded more like I whipped it. I actually knocked Abe over a bit, and that made me sweat. Then I felt my back muscles tense up, and my scars start to burn. I wiped my forehead and sighed trying to shake it off. I knew full strength was a bad idea.

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