"As I thought... an outfielder?"
After thinking for a long time.
Hikigaya felt the position most suitable for him was still an outfielder.
Although every position should not be underestimated, as long as the pitcher is strong enough, the outfield should be the simplest position.
"Eh!?"
Shibata and the others were suddenly dumbfounded.
And rightfully so.
The class's two main combat powers.
Hikigaya and Ichinose both went to the outfield; how could they even compete?
"Let me just ask."
Ando Sayo teased playfully: "Hikigaya, you don't want to go to the outfield just to be all lovey-dovey with Honami, do you?"
"How could that be..."
Hikigaya tightened up inwardly and waved the record in his hand.
"You guys saw it too, right? I really haven't played much baseball. If I have to participate, an outfielder position is the most appropriate."
If one isn't careful.
Such thoughts might arise, potentially affecting class morale.
Fortunately.
Ando Sayo seemed to be just joking.
In the end.
Everyone's gaze turned back to Sumida.
After all, he was the best at baseball among them; even if he wanted to avoid responsibility, he couldn't.
"Um..."
Sumida clearly understood this and said in a somewhat hesitant, tentative tone:
"Hikigaya, how about you serve as the catcher?"
"Reason?"
"Compared to other positions, the catcher needs to maintain a squatting position for a long time and often needs to jump and run. It requires more physical and psychological quality than other positions."
"In my view, the only ones who can fill this position are you, Shibata, and Kanzaki."
"Furthermore, the catcher is the brain of a captain. It requires strong commanding ability and the mastery of various pitching strategies and tactics."
"You should be more suitable than Kanzaki!"
Although it was well-reasoned.
But for some reason, Hikigaya felt like this guy was just trying to dump the blame onto him.
Originally, Hikigaya wanted to refuse, as his catching ability was really not up to par.
Catching a fly ball and catching a high-speed ball thrown with full force by the opponent.
Are two completely different things.
But feeling everyone's gaze, Hikigaya abandoned that idea.
Once sitting in this position, every word and action would greatly affect team morale.
No wonder Ichinose always liked to bear things alone in the past.
There really was no way to tell anyone.
"Alright then."
Hikigaya took a deep breath and looked at Sumida with a smile.
"I'll do my best to become a catcher worthy of you within two months."
"Eh? Why does that feel a bit strange?"
"I'm kidding. Anyway, I'll train seriously, so I'm counting on you, Sumida."
"That's not funny at all... but regarding training, I can take care of everyone. If there's anything you're unclear about, you can ask me anytime."
Sumida patted his chest, promising he wasn't afraid of trouble at all.
As long as he didn't have to take responsibility.
He was the reliable ace pitcher of the team.
"Then it's decided. I'll be the catcher."
With this.
The positions of the nine formal members were temporarily determined.
Pitcher: Sumida Makoto.
Catcher: Hikigaya Hachiman.
Shortstop: Shibata Sou.
First baseman: Kanzaki Ryuji.
Second baseman: Beppu Ryota.
Third baseman: Yonezu Haruto.
Left fielder: Ichinose Honami.
Center fielder: Watanabe Norihito.
Right fielder: Moriyama Takuya.
Eight males and one female.
Although such a configuration wouldn't have a very high reward, it was safer.
"Additionally."
Hikigaya turned to everyone and said:
"When the time comes, we might also need substitutes. The boys can't relax either. As for the girls, just choose a few subjects you like and focus on studying hard over these two months. I'll leave that to Honami and the others."
"Understood!"
The girls' side naturally wasn't easy either.
Assuming the bases are loaded.
Three bases would need to answer questions simultaneously, and if the questions were all in the same subject, say, Mathematics.
Although the possibility was low, it wasn't non-existent.
Then.
Three students with an academic evaluation of B, or those who were specialized and good at Mathematics, would be needed.
Otherwise.
The points that could have been obtained would disappear.
In that case.
Everyone would need to master two to four subjects they were good at.
To some extent.
Whether they could successfully score points depended more on the study group.
Correspondingly.
Those who were both academically and physically gifted would surely be more outstanding.
Hikigaya felt a deep lack of strength.
However, since Class B was in this situation, Class C's situation was probably much the same.
At night.
After showering, Hikigaya's right hand trembled slightly. He felt his whole body howling and lay on the bed full of exhaustion, unwilling to get up.
130 kilometers per hour.
It was simply beyond imagination.
And this was what Sumida called a below-average level.
The sports clubs really couldn't be underestimated.
The catcher's job was difficult beyond imagination.
Every ball.
Felt like a hammer hitting his hand, leaving his palm numb from the shock.
Moreover.
Sumida hadn't touched baseball in two years.
His control rate wasn't very high.
However.
This wasn't a major problem.
With two months of training, he believed Sumida would gradually regain his feel.
More importantly.
Sumida used to be better at breaking balls.
One person would never have the chance to face such balls that drift everywhere.
He simply couldn't catch them.
Several times, the ball had hit his body.
Even with protective gear, his whole body still felt sore.
Opposite him.
At the low table.
Karuizawa, Ichinose, and others were sitting...
Studying.
"Honestly."
Karuizawa pouted, somewhat unhappy, but also felt pained looking at Hikigaya lying on the bed.
"Why did your class have to choose baseball? Because of it, I have to study all the time for these two months, and you guys have made yourselves so tired."
Hikigaya said weakly:
"It can't be helped. Even with other projects, it would probably be the same."
Since it was an exam where the project was chosen before the rules were announced, it wasn't strange for people to complain afterward. However, Class B probably didn't have such people.
Glimpsing the whole from a part.
The unity of Class D wasn't true unity.
"But, Hikki."
In front of the desk, Hasebe Haruka, who was studying, turned her head and said:
"You contacted Hondo and the others again today, right? They told Horikita immediately. Why do you always do these useless things?"
"Who knows. Whether it's useless or not, we'll only know in the future."
Hearing this.
A slight curve couldn't help but appear at the corner of Hikigaya's mouth.
It couldn't be helped.
Even if he didn't ask.
Hasebe Haruka and the others would occasionally mention things about Class C.
From that, he could occasionally scout for information on Class C.
Unsurprisingly.
Hondo and the others had clearly told Horikita Suzune on purpose, specifically to demonstrate their loyalty.
However.
The more one emphasizes something, the more guilty one feels.
Considering it from another perspective.
It undoubtedly showed that Hondo and the others didn't actually trust Horikita Suzune or Class C, fearing they would be cut off by Horikita Suzune and the others.
Therefore, they deliberately emphasized their loyalty.
Of course.
It was also possible they did so because they were sufficiently loyal.
That would depend on their actual performance.
At least.
Hikigaya didn't believe.
That every single person in Class C would be so loyal.
The bottom-rank elimination system wasn't something that could be easily managed.