That evening, the Seido High School baseball team gathered in the dormitory cafeteria.
Even after finishing dinner, no one left.
Tonight, they needed to analyze their semifinal opponent.
The television in front of them replayed footage of the remaining teams competing. After reviewing the final candidates, Seido's next opponent was confirmed.
"As expected… we're facing Sensen in the semifinals."
Isashiki crossed his arms, clearly unsurprised.
"…Yeah."
Chris responded calmly as he flipped open his notebook.
"I'll go over the information I've gathered on Sensen."
Everyone's attention shifted to him.
"They're a regular Top 8 team in West Tokyo, with a roster of over 80 players."
"This spring, they faced Ichidai Third High in a tight pitching duel… and lost by just one run."
At that point, one of the players spoke up.
"I remember—they have a really tall pitcher, right?"
"Over two meters?" Kuramochi added.
Chris nodded.
"He's been wearing the Ace number since his first year."
Then he glanced at Ushijima.
"Just like you."
Ushijima Wakatoshi, who had been quietly listening with a lollipop in his mouth, gave a small nod.
"His potential is considered exceptional. Even professional scouts are paying close attention to him."
Chris paused for a moment before saying the name.
"Sensen's ace… Maki Yosuke."
The room grew slightly more focused.
"Maki is 195 cm tall. He uses his height to create a wide pitching angle…"
"And his specialty…"
"…is a curveball with one of the highest release points in Japan."
At those words, Sawamura and Kominato subconsciously glanced at Tanba.
Tanba, standing at 185 cm, was also known for his curveball.
Seeing this, Miyuki suddenly spoke.
"Well, since we're talking about curveballs…"
He smirked slightly.
"Let me ask something."
Everyone turned toward him.
Miyuki looked directly at Ushijima.
"Ushijima… do you know how to throw a curveball?"
"…."
The room fell silent.
All eyes turned toward Ushijima Wakatoshi.
He remained seated, calmly flipping through Chris's notes as he sucked on his lollipop.
This was his usual habit.
Before every match, he carefully studied information about opposing batters—analyzing their tendencies so he could pitch more precisely.
But now, with the entire team staring at him…
He finally looked up.
"…Yeah. I do."
"…Huh?!"
The entire room reacted at once.
Even Coach Kataoka raised his eyebrows.
"You know how to throw a curveball… and you've never used it?"
Yuki Tetsuya frowned slightly.
"When did you learn it?"
Ushijima answered calmly,
"A long time ago."
"I actually learned it earlier than my Sinker and Shootball."
"It was the third pitch I mastered."
"Then why haven't you used it?!" Miyuki snapped, clearly frustrated.
"Do you realize how important a curveball is?"
"If you had told me earlier—"
Miyuki suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Something didn't add up.
Ushijima looked at him and replied plainly,
"…But we've never lost, have we?"
The room went quiet again.
"We already have five effective pitches."
"That's enough."
"So why would I need to show a curveball?"
"I've never been pushed to the point where I needed it to disrupt a batter's timing."
Miyuki opened his mouth… then closed it again.
He couldn't argue with that.
Ushijima continued calmly,
"I did practice the curveball before."
"But after seeing Tanba-senpai's curve…"
"…I compared it to mine."
"And I lost interest."
Everyone: "…"
"I didn't think it was worth improving."
"Besides, I don't like slow pitches."
He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"A curveball relies on a large drop and a wide arc."
"It's meant to throw off a batter's timing and obscure the landing point."
"But personally…"
"I prefer speed."
"So instead, I focused on developing the Sinker and Shootball."
Silence filled the room.
Then—
"You bastard… you really are obsessed with fastballs."
Isashiki couldn't help but complain.
Kominato Ryosuke adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
"I've never faced Ushijima's curveball before…"
"I wonder how it compares to Tanba's."
Coach Kataoka finally spoke.
"Ushijima."
"You're 188 cm tall—about 7 cm shorter than Maki."
"Starting tomorrow…"
"You and Tanba will practice curveballs together."
Tanba nodded immediately.
"I understand, Coach."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
For him, being able to contribute to the team in any way was enough.
This year, he hadn't had many opportunities to play.
The reason was simple.
Ushijima Wakatoshi was too dominant.
Complete games.
Shutouts.
Near no-hit performances.
He had already achieved everything a high school pitcher could aim for.
Meanwhile, Tanba hadn't even secured a full official game appearance yet.
Practice games didn't count.
Those didn't carry the same pressure or meaning.
But even so—
If he could help the team prepare for the semifinals…
Then that was more than enough.