(*｀･ω･´*)ゝ

The only thing you could begin to hear clearly was the crying voices of your own team members.

There was an instinctive moment where the feeling of responsibility won over everything else, and that was the moment you pulled yourself together.

Because the ones standing on the field were not only third-years.

To the very end, it was important for the captain to remain a captain.

For the remaining team members.

If they see tears on your face, they would unmistakably feel responsible.

It wasn't very much "I won't show it"; it was more that "I am not allowed to show it."

Perhaps, after the last bow, you were the only person whose eyes did not show any trace of tears.

You were going ahead — you made sure to meet his eyes, and you accepted the result. (*)

...

You really wanted to go to Koshien.

You thought you could do it with this team.

Maybe something would change if you'd practiced your swings more.

The what-ifs are never ending.

You don't regret it, but still you feel envious looking at the backs of the winning team.

That was the match.

"From now on, we will become the past."

But you know there are players who think "This team is invincible", so you feel relieved from the bottom of your heart.

You have passed on your determination, so from now on, you hope that they could feel even more joy of victory, even for one more match.

Thank you for all the support.

The feeling of emptiness inside me started to feel a little better.

This was even harder than my own work ending. (laughs)

I'd like to express my gratitude to him, the person who's made me feel these wonderful emotions.

Thank you.

Let's play baseball with everyone again.

Thank you very much.

The feelings that I can't write, let me tell you directly next time.

Ueda Yuusuke

Of course, that's obvious! That's probably what you'd think, but I performed a side of him that wasn't shown in manga and anime. At this point of time, what was he thinking? Why did he get angry? Why was he laughing? While I was contemplating about all this, I finally came to an answer — "He's still a high school student, huh."

For example, the scene from their first year.

When he wasn't anyone's senior, and he wasn't anyone's older brother.

He was only one mere high school student.

He had a complex of having a small body, but to make up for it, he strove with hard work.

He used a lot of strength while running.

He ran and practiced until he was out of breath.

Unquestionably, he was able to work hard because he had comrades alongside him.

And then in his second year, he became a senior, and for the first time in high school he had juniors.

This part, I played a little bit in The LIVE IV.

He could say, "You suck" to Kuramochi, only because he's worked so hard in his first year to the point he could say, "I can't go on anymore!"

Second year was when he obtained confidence.

And then in the third year, his little brother entered the school.

This was the first time that Kominato Ryousuke, senior and older brother, was complete.

But that isn't all — high school is a time in your life where you get excited and laugh with your friends.

It's fun.

And times like when he looked through Sawamura's phone in the dorm, they were definitely fun.

That's why I really had fun doing the last scene.

Ah, but before I go on, all of this is only my interpretation, so if there's anyone who thinks, "That's totally wrong!!", I apologize.

I'll write what I've thought during the 2 years that I've played him.

He was irritated when his leg injury was pointed out by Kuramochi.

What was he irritated at?

The first and foremost was probably that he didn't want to worry anyone.

A match where a leg injury can change and end the game.

I myself do karate and play handball.

Of course there were times I played even when I had an injury.

It's true that the adrenaline makes you not feel the pain, but if it hurts even a little bit, it will still hinder your movement.

Especially legs that support your whole body weight, it would definitely hurt in the latter half of the match.

Pain while fielding, pain while batting... They all piled up, until finally it became clear even to himself that he couldn't move like usual.

When Kuramochi managed to cover for him, there was no dialogue on stage, but in my heart I was yelling,

"You saved me."

In the letters that I received from everyone, there were lots of messages that asked, "At what point did he decide to substitute himself?"

I think he started to feel that way when Kuramochi had to cover for him and he felt "I think I can't go on anymore."

But he reached the decision when Tanba was pulled from the mound.

When Tetsu said, "We won't let this be the end... One more time... We will definitely make you stand on the mound one more time."

Of course Tetsu said this about Tanba, but if he noticed Ryousuke's injury (he most probably did), he would be saying it to two people...

Somehow hearing that on the stage made his heart lighter. "These people would make it happen. They would turn the game around and win", he was able to believe this from the bottom of his heart.

After Sawamura was called to the mound, he didn't care anymore about his leg. If the ball came his way, he would definitely catch it!! That's a burning thought he had in mind.

But in the end, the inning ended with three strikeouts.

Nice pitching, Sawamura.

And then came the announcement for his substitution.

To the little brother he was proud of.

From this point on, a lot of things were happening to his mental state. I had my own emotions and thoughts during this scene, but then I thought — wouldn't the feelings that the audience interpreted on their own while watching be good enough? And so, I decided to not to write this part.

Even though I already told you about his feeling when he was substituted. (laughs)

The match regrettably ended with a loss.

It's vexing, it's vexing, it's vexing, it's vexing, it's vexing!!

Even after they put on all that hard work!! Even with the best team there is!!

These guys can't play baseball anymore...

Even when I think of it now, I feel regret and hurt.

Even when I'd known what the result would be, it still hurt every single time I played it, so much that tears still always ran down my face every time.

I love this team. I love these casts.

I love this company.

And I love Daiya no Ace.

I still don't know if this would be the last time I played Kominato Ryousuke, but I'm very happy that I had the opportunity to live out the youth of Kominato Ryousuke.

It was truly the best kind of fun.

Thank you.