[based translations by narwhaltortellini and Levi (leviosa8) on the LJ Oofuri community.]

SUMMARY

The reporter Shimizu greets Shiga and asks if she can interview Hanai and Tajima. She is impressed that Nishiura made it so far with a team of first years. She mentions their comeback in the third inning, and Hanai explains that it was because Momokan told them about Bijou's defense moving. Shimizu is impressed the coach noticed and used their strategy against them. She asks if there's anything they'd like to improve on.Tajima prevents Hanai from talking too much about their changes of strategy during the game. After the interview, they both agreed the team wasn't trying very seriously. They weren't trying seriously enough. Hanai didn't even pay proper attention to the rival players. Tajima asks Hanai how far he wants to go. Hanai thinks about watching baseball with his mom when he was little.Tajima wants to set a common goal for the team. Hanai suddenly shoves his palm into Tajima's face before Tajima can say what his goal is. Hanai doesn't want his goal to sound influenced by Tajima and he wants to ask the rest of the team.

Kazuki talks to Takeshi about Roka. He mentions how Roka (who went to Tosei) stopped coming to visit the team after the team lost in the first round. He notes that since Roka became a coach, he must have been distancing himself from his old teammates rather than distancing himself from baseball as Kazu once thought. Kazu then realizes he's not sure he's actually talking about Roka anymore.

Takeshi asks why Kazuki is speaking with him, and Kazuki brings up Takeshi and Roka's behavior during the game. He tells Takeshi in a meaningful tone that people might make assumptions and report something like that, so they should stop. Takeshi is impressed with how Kazuki deals with the situation, and says he understands and won't do it again.

When Roka lost like Kazu did, on the first game of his senior High School year, he abandoned the team completely. Kazu realizes that Rio's message was not about Junta slacking, but worrying about Kazu. Other third years, like Shingo and Yama-chan seem to be already focusing solely on their studies. Kazu can't stand his family's words of comfort, how his kohai are still fighting, how Roka tries to win playing dirty. He doesn't seem to be able to overcome his defeat by Nishiura.

Takeshi's parents drive him and Roka to the doctor to get Takeshi's arm checked. Takeshi's dad talks about how common the injuries have been. They talk about the two boys who were injured before who are now back on the field. They hope that the injured boy from Nishiura will be all right. They ask Takeshi how his arm is and he tells them it might be pretty bad.

At the doctor's office, Takeshi's parents go off to run errands while Takeshi and Roka wait in the waiting room. Roka asks if Takeshi is really that badly hurt, but instead of answering Takeshi starts explaining that he did not hurt Abe intentionally and he won't do it again. Roka says he didn't plan to do it again anyway. Takeshi says to find someone to replace him, and begs Roka not to make them cheat either. Roka tells Takeshi he doesn't see why he's so upset and that his team should be thankful to him since they made it to the best 8 and that that's just how baseball is played. Takeshi says in that case he'll talk to Takii about it.

On the bus ride home, Wada asks Takii if he's going to cut his hair. He says Takii said he would if they made it to the best 8. Takii seems to think that wasn't exactly what the deal was, but figures it's basically the same thing. He thinks about how they finally made it, and figures it's about time he let Roka go.

Takii reminisces, thinking about how at Tosei they were to go to Tosei High and Koushien together, but how that changed when he hurt his shoulder. Not able to face Roka, he went to Bijou High instead, but ended up on the baseball team anyway as a manager. Roka realizes Takii didn't go to Tosei because Roka was at Tosei. They met in the opening ceremony their first summer, and Roka said they should play one another their senior year, but Tosei lost in the first round that year. Bijou made it to the round they would have played Tosei and lost. Roka came to see the game, and after the game Takii saw him and blurted out that Roka should help him coach Bijou next year since he'll be the new coach. Roka would rather have nothing to do with baseball anymore.

In the hospital, Roka tells Takeshi he can suit himself, as it was Takii who begged him to help him with Bijou in the first place. And he also says that, were he in Kurata's place, he wouldn't have waited for someone to tell him to play rough; he would have done it anyway. Takeshi tells Roka to say he can't play anymore because of his injury. He says he loves baseball, but he'll never play again, and he again begs Roka never to make anyone cheat again. Roka seems to be shocked by how strongly Takeshi feels.

The memories of Takii and Roka continue. Roka turned Takii down initially, but agrees after some slightly mean words from Takii. Takii thinks on how he decided to coach Bijou, losing the desire to play in games himself because of his shoulder, and figuring it could turn into a job for him eventually.

Kazuki sends a text message saying he'll come to practice tomorrow and to let everyone know. (The message is to "Akasata.") He notes that half the teams in the tournament lose in the first round of the preliminaries, and dealing with the difference between dreams and reality is something they all have to do, and that it doesn't have to scar their lives.

At the doctor's with Momokan and his mother, Abe finds he has a torn ligament. The newcomer's tournament is in two weeks, and the doctor says he might make it, but his knee will still be healing. The ligament will have scar tissue on it at that time and won't be as strong or flexible, but it will be able to move, though it will be longer before it's entirely back to normal. He talks to Abe about keeping up with exercises that don't hurt his knee, and about rehab weight training for his leg. He cautions him not to use too much weight or it will rip again, and says for the next two days he should just rest. Abe is thrilled he can make it to the newcomer's tournament, but Momokan tells the doctor the fall tournament will start two weeks after the newcomer's, and the doctor says in that case he should rest and heal more during the newcomer's tournament, since that's much more important so Abe should rest during the newcomers tournament. Abe is not happy.

Outside the doctor's office, Momokan gets a call from Hanai. Momokan tells Abe Hanai wants to make a goal for the team and tells him to write down his opinion on what it should be and Momokan will take it to them. Momokan leaves to go to the team meeting, and Abe notes if he rests for two days he won't see Mihashi for at least three. He decides to send him a text message.

Back with the team, Mihashi notes Momokan was on the phone and wants to ask how Abe is. Before he is able to try, he gets the text from Abe (with the subject line "Reply when you get this"). This makes Mihashi nervous, but Momokan comes and the meeting starts, so he decides to reply when practice is over. Hanai tells everyone they are going to make a team goal. He says first each member should write his opinion on a piece of paper. When they are done, they set their papers down in unison.