Even as an opponent, Lin Guanglai had to admit that the batting ability of this first-year catcher was truly strong—several tricky inside pitches that seemed decisive to the Waseda Jitsugyo pitcher and catcher were forcefully resolved by Mori Yuuya.

After the count quickly reached 3 balls and 2 strikes, both sides continued to engage in a fierce battle over about eight or nine more pitches—this intense clash between pitcher and batter made the local spectators watching at the edge of the field exclaim with excitement.

This continuous high-intensity competition was a tough challenge for both parties: both Lin Guanglai and Mori Yuuya's stamina and energy were significantly affected by the ongoing confrontation.

Receiving the baseball thrown back by Uesugi Yasuyuki, Lin Guanglai took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, made a slight adjustment, and then started pitching. The baseball flew out as he swung his arm—as if he was determined, Lin Guanglai's target for this pitch remained the inside corner, aimed at Mori Yuuya!

Seeing the opponent still choosing to attack the inside corner, Mori Yuuya was undaunted, continuing to meet the incoming baseball with his exaggerated and violent swing.

Head-on confrontation! Hard against hard!

"Clang!"

Although the inside corner pitch squeezed by Lin Guanglai was challenging, Mori Yuuya's strong adjustment ability allowed him to connect with the baseball—yet as soon as he hit the ball, unlike usual, he didn't sprint full speed toward first base, but lowered his head, resembling a soldier who had lost a battle.

As his body language indicated, Lin Guanglai proved superior with this pitch: under the powerful squeeze of his inside pitch, Mori Yuuya only hit a high but shallow fly ball to the outfield, which Kenshu Yasuda, who had been waiting in Central Field, caught with ease.

Resisting the urge to slam the bat to the ground, Mori Yuuya dejectedly walked back to the position of his team's bench. Anyone with sharp eyes could feel the low pressure surrounding him.

Yet when Mori Yuuya raised his head again, he was met with the smiling face of Nishikawa Koji, his plump supervisor:

"Well done."

Nishikawa Koji patted Mori Yuuya's shoulder and then added:

"Now go back and reflect on that at-bat, and next time when you encounter him, hit the ball out."

Mori Yuuya remained silent for a while before finally responding with a "Hmm."

Before he could reach his seat on the bench, Mori Yuuya was surrounded by his excited teammates; the first to speak was Kume Kenji, a fellow first-year catcher and Mori Yuuya's closest friend in the team.

Kume Kenji threw his arm around Mori Yuuya's shoulder, using exaggerated gestures and tone, he said:

"Awesome! Yuuya—wow, just a little more, that ball looked like it was going to scrape past the foul pole, gee, your batting skills are incredible, haha."

Hearing these words from his friend, Mori Yuuya shrugged: "So what, in the end, it was still caught by the opponent."

Clearly, Mori Yuuya was not satisfied with his performance in that at-bat—from the first pitch, he swung with all his might, aiming for something other than being struck out.

"You can't say that, after all, the opponent isn't just any pitcher to be easily handled. Facing this kind of national top-notch, high school-level pitcher, Mori can still deliver such a performance, isn't that something worth celebrating for us all—your future is long, with plenty of opportunities to face Lin Guanglai again. As long as you keep this mindset, hitting a long ball off him won't be a difficult task."

The one speaking now was Mizuhara Gakuto, the second-year student regarded as the next captain of the Osaka Tsubaki team. His standing and prestige among teammates were high, and his words garnered nods from many of them.

"Gakuto is right, Mori. You're just a first-year now, and time is on your side—and if I may think further ahead, aren't you aiming for a professional baseball career in the future?"

Hirohata Real, the current captain of the Kiyonokura Baseball Club, also stood out and asked Mori Yuuya this question.

"Yes."

Receiving a positive answer from Mori, Hirohata Real's lips curled slightly as he slowly spoke:

"In the future, it might be several years or even decades, but you'll likely find yourself entangled with this pitcher again—being struck out just now was merely an event in one at-bat."

"At Koshien, at Meiji Shrine, or even on the professional stage, you two will undoubtedly face each other numerous times. Can you ensure you'll hit a hit from him in every at-bat? Likewise, can Lin Guanglai guarantee to strike you out every single time? You know, that's completely unrealistic."

"So, given that, what is there to be troubled about?"

"Moreover, let me ask you one more question: with what attitude did you come to play this game?"

This lengthy discourse from the team's captain indeed stirred Mori Yuuya somewhat; the final question pierced directly into Mori Yuuya's deepest thoughts—prideful as he was, he began reflecting on his attitude towards the game:

It was at this moment that Mori Yuuya realized how from the very pre-game greeting ceremony, he'd become trapped in his own mindset.

The black marks of middle school had left him somewhat sensitive within the team, straining relations with many teammates—in the lead-up to this match with Waseda Jitsugyo, Mori Yuuya's aim was to earn the recognition of his teammates through his performance facing Lin Guanglai.

"See, even a champion pitcher of Senbatsu is still knocked out by me"—this was his most genuine thought, immature like a child.

Under the influence of such thinking, Mori Yuuya realized that he hadn't truly acknowledged Lin Guanglai as his opponent from the start of the match—he merely regarded the opponent as a stepping stone for his debut and a tool to showcase his prowess to his teammates, falling completely into a self-centered mindset that he couldn't extricate himself from.

This explains why his emotions got so stirred after Lin Guanglai's rebuttal to "get a starting position in Tongying first."

Reflecting now, perhaps it was this provocative behavior that woke the slumbering lion Lin Guanglai, leading to their Osaka Tsubaki's struggle on the field.

Though his personality might indeed be somewhat rebellious, Mori Yuuya held a sincere attitude towards the sport of baseball:

He knew he'd made a mistake in this match; and when mistakes are made, it's necessary to admit them in time and compensate for them through performance on the field.

Looking at the teammates gathered around him, Mori Yuuya took a step back from the crowd; then, in a rare 90-degree bow, he apologized to all his teammates with respectful language:

"Sorry everyone, for the trouble I've caused due to my issues!"

The players of Osaka Tsubaki were unaware of Mori Yuuya's inner turmoil; seeing his unusually humble attitude compared to usual, the surrounding people showed somewhat shocked expressions, as if they'd seen a ghost; they glanced around at each other, mouths slightly agape, silently communicating.

In the end, Hirohata Real was the one who broke the silence, accepting his apology on behalf of everyone; afterward, the player area returned to laughter and cheerful banter.

Standing in the center of the crowd, Mori Yuuya took in all the compliments and praise from his teammates—not that it was his first time being praised, but for some reason, it felt distinctly different now.

Listening to the continuous sounds of praise, a strange emotion suddenly arose in Mori Yuuya's heart—if someone could read his thoughts, they would know it was a feeling called belonging.

Having been in Osaka Tsubaki for almost three months now, it was at this point that Mori Yuuya finally felt like he truly became a part of this great team.

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