As September drew to a close, our Shizuoka Oceans were in fourth place, but their chances of advancing to the Climax Series were looking slim. Considering that we finished last the previous year, it could be said that we had done well.
Meanwhile, my batting average gradually improved and reached .222. (In 56 games so far, I had 28 hits in 126 at-bats, 0 home runs, 13 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.) Although my batting average was still low, I had emerged from the limbo state I was in at the beginning of spring. I was also now able to hit strong liners to the right, though I hadn't hit a single home run yet.
One day after a game, Manager Kemigawa called me into his office. That day, I had gone 2-for-4 with a double, no errors, and a stolen base. I had no idea why the coach wanted to see me. Had they found out that two nights ago, I had snuck out of the dorm after curfew and gone to the convenience store with Mitamura? Mitamura had suddenly wanted ice cream and was afraid to go out alone at night, so I reluctantly went with him. If anyone was to blame, it was Mitamura.
Thinking of an excuse, I knocked on the manager's office door and went inside.
As soon as I entered, Manager Kemigawa got straight to the point. "You'll be joining the first team from tomorrow."
"Is this a way to create memories for players who were released?" I blurted out.
"That's interesting. Your first appearance will be your retirement match. Shall we do that?" Manager Kemigawa smirked.
"No, but why me?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Well, it's to give you some experience. Do you dislike it?"
"No, but my numbers aren't that good, so I was a bit surprised."
"Listen, of course the wins and losses of second team are important, but more than that, they are a place for development. It's true you still have a lot to learn, but you're identifying your own challenges and overcoming them. Therefore, I hope that by gaining experience with the first team, you will identify further challenges and move on to the next step. This time, I recommended it."
"Thank you," I said, feeling a warmth in my eyes.
I left the manager's office, went straight to the locker room, and started packing my bags.
"Where are you going?" Haratani asked, strolling in with his usual playful attitude.
Iijima, who had also come in, looked at me curiously. "Oh, perhaps..."
"Yeah, I got called up to the first team," I confirmed.
"That's awesome! Do your best," Iijima said, giving me a supportive pat on the shoulder.
"Thanks, I will," I replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.
As I was about to get into the taxi, Mitamura showed up. "Hey."
"Hey. Need a ride somewhere?" I asked.
"Yeah, can you drop me at the nearest station? I need to buy something," he replied.
"Sure, but you'll have to cover the fare to the station," I said, knowing I had a team-provided taxi voucher to cover my fare. If we dropped Mitamura off at a nearby station and continued to the Shinkansen station, the evidence would be destroyed.
Mitamura smirked. "I saw you get your taxi voucher from the manager. Nice try."
I laughed. "Caught me. But seriously, it's great that I got promoted to the first team."
"I'm surprised too. I didn't expect it so soon. I thought if things didn't go well, there was a chance I'd be cut from the team in the fall," I admitted.
"No way. I've heard Coach Yatsu and Manager Kemigawa say your defense is solid and your batting is getting better," Mitamura reassured me.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It would be better if you could fix your bad brain, personality, and attitude, but that's just how you were born, so there's nothing you can do about it," he teased.
I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."
"I'm serious."
"By the way, you still can't throw?"
"That's right. It'll be a while longer. I'm in a hurry, but if I rush and it relapses, it will be all for nothing. I'll take my time," Mitamura explained.
Mitamura's pitching form is called arm pitching, where he throws with his arm extended. Although arm throwing puts less strain on the elbow and makes it easier to produce fastballs, it puts a lot of strain on the shoulder, so it is not recommended up to high school baseball. Mitamura came from a high school in Wakayama that wasn't particularly strong, and his coaches didn't allow him to change his pitching form, which was probably fortunate in terms of allowing his talent to blossom. However, since turning professional, he has suffered from shoulder pain, undergone two surgeries, and has yet to pitch for the minor leagues. It wouldn't be surprising if he were cut from the team this year, even more than me.
We arrived at the station. "Well then, make sure you leave some marks," Mitamura said.
"Yeah, thank you. See you later," I replied as the taxi headed off to the airport.
It occurred to me that maybe he was trying to encourage me in his own way. Even though we were drafted at the same time, it's no wonder he was disappointed that I was sent to the first team before him. "He's a good guy, too," I muttered to myself as the taxi sped away, carrying me toward my new challenge.
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