Chapter 231: A Textbook Steal
Furuya wants to steal a base!
Crouching behind home plate, Harada fixed Furuya with a piercing gaze.
As Inashiro's starting catcher and team captain, Harada wouldn't let even the smallest movement escape his notice.
"A bit overconfident, aren't we?"
If Furuya made it to second base, he'd be in scoring position, and everyone knew what that meant.
The man at bat was Miyuki—a hitter whose performance soared whenever there was a runner in scoring position.
In those situations, Miyuki's ability to deliver hits was nearly on par with Seidou's best slugger, Yuuki.
This year especially, Miyuki had been almost flawless in clutch situations.
Furuya's plan wasn't necessarily bad.
It was just that he underestimated Inashiro, underestimated Harada.
And perhaps he overestimated himself.
Did Furuya really think he could pull off a steal against Inashiro as easily as Kuramochi, their true speedster?
"Go ahead, just try it!"
Harada had made up his mind—he'd teach this first-year phenom a lesson.
He'd show Furuya that high school baseball, especially at this level, wasn't as simple as it seemed.
And that Inashiro's strength was on a completely different level.
Seidou's players might have their way against other teams, but against Inashiro? "Not a chance!"
Just as Harada made up his mind, Narumiya let the ball fly.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball zipped toward first base.
Seidou's players and fans tensed up instantly.
It was so fast, so sudden.
It wasn't just an ordinary pickoff throw—Narumiya's move felt like the swift, unseen strike of an assassin.
Even as onlookers, their hearts jumped. They couldn't imagine how Furuya—already several meters off first base—could react.
Inashiro's first baseman, who had been keeping an eye on Furuya, was ready to make a play.
"Pop!"
The ball landed firmly in his glove, and he prepared to tag Furuya.
But then, he noticed something strange.
"Huh?"
"Safe!"
Somehow, Furuya had returned to first base.
Inashiro's first baseman stared in disbelief at Furuya, who now stood firmly on the bag.
"How is he here?"
The first baseman couldn't figure it out.
Furuya had been four or five meters off the base just moments ago.
How could he return so quickly?
The same question crossed the minds of many in the stands, including a certain leggy reporter.
"I didn't realize Furuya-kun was so fast!"
But Fujio shook his head.
"It's not just speed; it's skill and awareness."
"What do you mean?" Akiko asked.
Fujio nodded with admiration. "Haven't you noticed? Before the ball was even thrown back, Furuya-kun had already started moving. He anticipated the opponent's actions..."
"Not only that—he used a specific technique. It's called a shuffle step. His weight distribution between his feet changes, and while it looks like he's running forward, his subtle body movements allow him to instantly lunge in either direction."
"The combination of foresight and technique creates this almost magical scene. I imagine Inashiro's players must be utterly stunned..."
As a seasoned baseball journalist, Fujio's analysis was well-grounded.
Indeed, the players from Inashiro Industrial were visibly shocked.
Their impression of Furuya had always been centered on his pitching—most notably, his blazing 158 km/h fastball, unparalleled among current high school pitchers. Even at a professional level, that velocity would be considered exceptional.
In the history of high school baseball, his pitching speed would undoubtedly rank among the top three.
This strong impression of his pitching was so overwhelming that Inashiro's players never gave much thought to Furuya's batting ability—let alone his baserunning.
But now, with Furuya actually standing on base, they were suddenly faced with a new reality: this "monster freshman" was a formidable presence in every aspect of the game.
"Damn! Seidou's luck is just too good."
Some of Inashiro's supporters began to grumble.
If their team had a rookie as exceptional as Furuya, they'd surely have a devastating pitching duo. Against such a lineup, even the strongest teams would have no choice but to surrender.
"Stop dreaming! Someone with his talent would never come to our team just to sit on the bench."
For the more rational Inashiro fans, while they also felt a pang of frustration and regret, they understood that a prodigy like Furuya didn't make arbitrary decisions.
Choosing Seidou must have been because it offered him the best opportunity to grow.
And that choice had paid off.
In just a few short months, Furuya had become Seidou's ace pitcher.
Even though his talent was undeniable, achieving this role so quickly would have been unlikely at another powerhouse school.
"So strong and so smart?"
"The upcoming matchup is only going to get harder."
As these thoughts swirled through the minds of Inashiro supporters, on the mound, Narumiya Mei squinted his eyes.
"Interesting. You really are one tricky little guy."
He now fully recognized how difficult Furuya was to deal with.
But that didn't faze him.
From Narumiya Mei's perspective, no matter how much Furuya polished his technique, his speed could never match Kuramochi's.
Particularly over 30 meters—where explosive power and quickness are critical—the two weren't even on the same level.
On the surface, it might seem like the gap was only a fraction of a second. But in reality, it translated to several meters' difference.
Even Kuramochi, known for his speed, wasn't guaranteed to succeed every time he attempted a steal. He simply had a track record of doing it.
For Furuya, the odds were much slimmer.
Narumiya had absolute confidence in his battery partner.
"Go ahead, try running."
Resolving to not let Furuya distract him further, Narumiya turned his focus back to Miyuki in the batter's box.
"First, let's deal with Miyuki."
Squatting behind home plate, Harada exhaled sharply. As Narumiya's catcher and partner, the two shared an unspoken understanding.
There was no need for words—they knew each other's thoughts and intentions.
Narumiya had no intention of getting caught up in Furuya's antics. He simply left the problem to Harada, who silently accepted the responsibility.
"Don't worry—I'll handle it!"
On the mound, Narumiya got into his pitching stance, preparing to deliver the next pitch.
As he drew back, Furuya made his move.
This time, it wasn't a bluff. There was no hesitation.
Furuya decisively took that first step, then exploded off the base like an arrow released from a bow.
"Give me the ball!"
Harada's reaction was lightning-fast. Before anyone else could react, he shifted his position, clearing the batter's path.
Narumiya, already mid-motion, adjusted immediately upon seeing his teammate's signal.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball zipped into Harada's glove.
The Seidou players and supporters felt their hearts leap out of their chests.
To say this caught them off guard would be an understatement.
But before they could fully process what had just happened, they noticed something even more surprising: Harada didn't throw.
"Why?"
He had the ball in hand. The play was set.
Yet Inashiro's pitcher-catcher duo chose not to capitalize on the moment.
And then they saw it: Furuya had returned to first base.
"Ball!"
Inashiro's battery had wasted a pitch.
In the end, they had been tricked.
The fans in the stands exchanged bewildered glances.
No one had expected this outcome.
"What a crafty kid!"
"Another bluff? How many times is he going to get away with this?"
"A first-year ace expending this much effort just to confuse the defense?"
Even fans who weren't particularly fond of Furuya found themselves moved by his persistence.
The game remained as tense as ever.
It was becoming obvious to everyone, not just the professional baseball crowd but even the casual spectators: the first team to score would take a firm grip on the game's momentum.
Typically, Seidou's ace wouldn't push himself this hard. Such an approach often seemed like more risk than reward.
But circumstances had changed, and Furuya had decided to give it his all.
This young ace wasn't just endowed with sharp instincts; he also carried a deep sense of responsibility.
He knew exactly when he needed to step up.
He knew exactly what his role should be.
It was these qualities that made his performances on the field so exceptional.
"Incredible!"
"He's only a first-year, but I can't help admiring him."
The fans in the stands were captivated.
But Inashiro's players were far less impressed.
"This guy's becoming even tougher to handle."
As that thought spread through the team, Narumiya Mei and Harada clenched their fists in frustration.
They—Inashiro's cornerstone battery—were being played by a mere first-year rookie.
Their anger flared.
"How dare he mess with us like this!"
"That brat needs to be taught a lesson."
Their fury was coupled with a dawning realization:
They knew Furuya well—there was no doubt about that.
But they had overlooked something critical.
Furuya also knew himself just as well.
Did Furuya really not understand that his speed alone wasn't enough for a successful steal?
Of course he knew.
From the very start, his goal was never to steal a base outright.
His intentions had always been clear: to wear them down, divert their attention, and support his team.
"Forget that idiot. Let's deal with Miyuki first. That fool's not going anywhere—so what if he runs?"
Narumiya's face was stoic, betraying no emotion, but Harada understood him perfectly.
And he agreed.
"Ignore him."
Having reached an agreement, Narumiya began his pitch.
At that moment, Furuya moved again.
After a quick shift of his body weight, he sprang forward, one leg powering him ahead in a blur.
As he ran, he stayed light on his toes, accelerating with each stride.
Compared to Kuramochi's freakish speed, Furuya's running talent might not stand out.
But that didn't mean he was slow.
With his long legs pumping, Furuya's speed was still striking.
"He's doing this again!!"
However, Furuya's startling burst of action didn't seem to raise much concern among the fans in the stands or the Inashiro players on the field.
They had grown all too familiar with this scenario.
The bluff was obvious—they could sense it coming a mile away.
At least, that's what everyone thought.
But just as that assumption settled in, Harada suddenly realized the ball was almost in his glove.
And Furuya, still sprinting, showed no sign of slowing down.
"Something's not right!"
"We've been duped!"
"This rookie's planning to turn the bluff into reality?"
Harada's realization wasn't slow, but by the time he fully grasped Furuya's intentions, the perfect moment to throw had already passed.
"Tch!"
Even so, Harada wasn't disheartened.
A split-second delay wouldn't faze him—he had total confidence in his skills.
"I'm the starting catcher for Inashiro Industrial's baseball team!"
"Pop!"
The ball smacked into Harada's mitt, and he immediately cocked his arm, hurling it toward second.
"Boom!"
And with that, everyone saw just how formidable Inashiro's cleanup hitter and captain really was—not only a strong batter, but a catcher with an astonishing throw.
The fans might have been caught off guard, but even the Seidou players in the dugout sprang to their feet, tension mounting.
"This is bad!"
Before anyone could fully process what was happening, at second base, Shirakawa was already in position. He caught the ball cleanly ahead of Furuya's slide.
"Pop!"
With the ball secure, Shirakawa sneered at the approaching Furuya.
"It's fate. Just accept it."
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