You're from Sumiko?
I'm Nitta.
You came for Kat-chan's sake?
Yes.
You knew Kat-chan from before?
From Jr. High, 3rd year.
He never said anything before.
I started playing baseball because of him.
I'd never failed before at anything I tried.
I was invited to a practice game...
where I faced Kazuya Uesugi for the first time.
I struck out 3 times on 3 pitches.
I couldn't even touch his ball.
At that final game,...
I was planning to continue the challenge with Kazuya Uesugi.
Here...
Thank you.
Uesugi,...
Continue playing baseball!
Keep playing!
Your pitching at that game,...
when it came to raw power alone, it outclassed even Kazuya Uesugi.
In Kazuya's place, challenge me.
Touch 2
"Farewell Gift"
Translation by: Doug Cha
Edited by: Hitoshi Doi
Original script: NT-Anime
Script updated by: N_D
Free SOFTsub! Not for sale or HARDsub!
'Koushien' Japan's annual national high-school baseball championships.
Meisei High School
But Minami's the only one that can fill the spot!
She's so determined about it... What can I do?
To ask me all of the sudden, it's not something I can just do!
Minami-chan, you can do it!
So stubborn!
Good-bye, ma'am!
Good-bye.
Okay
I'll talk to coach Nishio and see what I can do.
Yeah, all right!
Ma'am!
Well, it isn't the busy time for baseball yet.
and I think you can do it, Asakura-san.
Thank you!
So Minami, please look over this, and learn the basics.
Excuse me!
Does a baseball team manager look like she has THAT much free time?
She's so impressed by your grace and talents,...
So why not try?
But Tat-chan just joined baseball, so he might be struggling...
That's right, how's Tatsuya doing?
He's trying his best!
Tat-chan, hurry hurry!
When I was small, I learned baseball from you.
If you try, you can do it.
There's no way I can do it!
Come on, Tat-chan, you can do it!
I haven't even played catch in a while!
You pitched fine at that final game didn't you?
That was...
Even Yuuko-sensei is behind you!
That's... umm...
And that Nitta-san from Sumiko has approved of you.
Dummy!
He's just being sentimental.
There's no way I can take the place of Kazuya.
Starting today, Tatsuya Uesugi is joining baseball.
He doesn't have too much baseball experience, so...
I'm counting on you all.
All right! We'll teach him everything.
Let's work hard together!
Don't think twice, Coach.
That Shimizu!
She says it's so easy.
Welcome!
Nitta-san?
Hi.
Shall I call Tat-chan?
Nah, I didn't come to see him or anything.
Watching the shop?
Yes, my father went out for second so.
Can I get blend coffee?
Sure.
Umm...
Yes?
Before... After we met at Kazuya's graveside...
I passed this shop a number of times.
I wanted to see you again.
eh?
That time, I told Uesugi to challenge me.
But now I want to challenge him in things other than Baseball.
I wanted to tell you that.
I intend to give it all I've got.
Minami, so you were here.
Huh?
Where's your dad?
Just went out.
Practice, practice... everyday.
It feels like my body's gonna fall apart.
Really..?
Minami, did something happen?
Nothing...
Why?
You look lost for some reason.
Really?
Tat-chan, do you want coffee?
Yeah, I guess so.
Tat-chan...
Hmm?
What do you think?
About what?
Do you think you can take on Sumiko's Nitta-san?
Dummy! Do you think it's that easy?
Yeah, I guess.
Meisei High School
Why is Minami doing rhythmic gymnastics?
As usual, Minami, you learn so quickly.
Really?
You're bound to become a gymnastics star!
What's this about?
How would I know?
What's this about Minami doing rhythmic gymnastics?
It seems that the captain of the gymnastics team got injured before the tournament.
Yup yup..
So the aerobics team asked Asakura-san for her help.
That's right..
But isn't Asakura-san OUR manager?
Yes, so she's doing both.
Both?
Yes. The coach gave special approval to let her do both, until the tournament is over.
That's right..
Minami in gymnastics?
That's right..
Don't worry about that so much... Com'n, practice, practice.
Minami in gymnastics?
Meisei's Minami Asakura's score for the last routine...
9.75!
Let's gather Minami Asakura's history!
Yeah!
Meisei High's Minami Asakura!
It's the birth of a new star!
Now she's done it.
The newspapers and magazines are going crazy.
Asakura could become the newest media idol.
If she wins with this, there'll be no doubt.
Capturing 1st place, Meisei High School's Minami Asakura!
Asakura-san, congratulations on the win.
How does it feel?
Hey, she's looking for you.
Yeah.
Go to her.
Yeah.
She's got a nice figure, too.
That Minami...
Everything she tries...
Asakura-san...
Minami, I'll go ahead okay?
Okay.
Congratulations on the win.
Thank you.
It was a beautiful performance.
Thank you.
Hey...
It's Sumiko's Akiyo Nitta.
Koushien's superstar is congratulating her.
This is great, let's get a shot!
The duel with Uesugi
I'm growing more and more anxious.
Huh?
Excuse me Nitta-san, one picture please? Asakura-san too please.
Me too! Please look this way.
A little closer together.
Hey, here it is!
Hmm? Let's see, came out pretty nice.
It was only supposed to be one time.
Hmm?
You got chosen for the regional tournament.
Meisei's heroine!
Gymnastics' star hopeful!
Celebrity!
Hey! What's with that tone?
I really do think it's great.
I'm sure Kazuya thinks so, too.
Well then, wanna go?
Huh?
You're going to temples, aren't you?
Yeah but... this year...
Kazuya's not the type to care about that.
Mom, I'll be right back.
Okay.
Take your time.
Well, any cute girls?
Uhh.. just this one here.
Great!
Tat-chan... something wrong?
No.
Minami! Let's run!
What the hell?
Following us?
You want something, you pervert!?
What do you mean PERVERT?
Well then, what the hell?
What do you mean? I'm...
Ah! Tat-chan, he's from Seinen High.
That's right!
The curve ball throwing pitcher!
I let the championship elude me,...
But I managed the #1 ERA.
I'm the summer primil's biggest hopeful...
the super-star pitcher, Isamu Nishimura!
Hmm is that so?
So?
So what do you want?
I'm a fan of Minami!
Can I have an autograph?
So Minami-chan, this year for sure,...
I'll throw a beautiful curve ball from the Koushien mound.
So by all means I hope you can come cheer me on.
A wasted request, though.
Wha- What?
Nitta-kun!
Hi.
Hey.
Nitta!
Since when did you start getting friendly with Minami?
I wonder...
I don't know if I can believe it...
But it can't a special relationship can it?
Well maybe.
I haven't hear anything about it.
Minami-chan, I have to tell you, you shouldn't hang out with a guy like that.
He may look nice, but he's a demon when it comes to baseball.
Oh?
You'll never be happy going out with a guy like that.
If you want to go out with someone, it has to be with a guy whose kindness flows from their heart.
Someone like me, for example.
Oh, really...
Minami-chan, do you like Taiyaki?
Huh?
I'll be right back.
How's your training?
Huh?
I'll be looking forward to the Summer.
Minami-chan!
Just made, and soft.
Lots of filling!
Okay then. I'm on a bike, so I'll see ya.
Meisei High School
It all happens in Spring.
All our aspirations grow in Spring.
So the Meisei baseball team will aim for Koushien this Summer, with a fresh start.
And I'm happy to announce that we'll have one more manager.
All right!
I'm Izumi Nishikubo, nice to meet you.
She's cute!
Minami-chan is great, Izumi-chan is great.
We've been blessed with such cute managers.
Nishikubo-san,...
It must be hard for Asakura-san to do both rhythmic gymnastics and manage the team
but please do your best.
Yes ma'am.
Sempai, thank you very much!
No, thank you.
Well then, let's go!
Right!
Throw from a little closer!
Okay.
Closer!
Okay.
Hey Nitta,...
Yes sir...
You don't need to go that far.
As it is, your batting can take on any pitcher out there.
No...
This summer, Uesugi will be pitching.
Uesugi?
Meisei's Tatsuya Uesugi.
Oh... I can't imagine that you're marking HIM as your rival.
No. I'm sure that Uesugi will reach the finals.
Huh?
All right, throw!
The gymnastics tournament is coming up,...
But you're trying to do two things at once.
Stupid.
Naoko Watanabe's score: 9.55!
Next will be Meisei-high's Asakura Minami routine using the ball.
A beautiful, royal flop!
That was only half-trying...
Huh?
It's impossible... doing both.
I don't want to see you when you're not at your best.
Make up your mind.
Which one?
Hmm?
Which one do you think I should quit?
I said it before, didn't I?
What?
That I really thought you are great.
Do gymnastics.
Because you can succeed if you try.
See how far you can go.
If it's because of me, don't worry.
It's no good always having you worrying about me.
Tat-chan.
Guess you're right.
Letter of Resignation
...and the batting order for Meisei High-School.
1st, Right Fielder Ohara.
2nd, 1st Baseman Hirose.
3rd, Center Fielder Sugimoto.
Tateyama
Meisei
4th, Catcher Matsudaira.
5th, 2nd Baseman Satta.
6th, Short-stop Ogarawara.
7th, 3rd Baseman Nagao.
This is Tatsuya-kun's first official start isn't it?
8th, Pitcher Uesugi.
Yeah, but Tateyama High always loses in the first round right?
9th, Left Fielder Maruyama.
It should be a breeze!
Yeah, should be.
Those are the starters for Meisei High School.
Let's do it!!
1st up, 2nd baseman Koizumi-kun.
PLAY BALL!
Ball.
Time.
Tatsuya...
You don't have to come up every time.
Just don't try to throw so hard.
Relax.
No need to worry. I slipped, that's all.
Anyhow, just like during practice is fine.
PLAY
Dead ball!
Excuse me.
2nd up, center Ooini.
Tat-chan.
It's pressure.
That can't be.
There's no way Uesugi-sempai would lose it like that.
It's heavy you know.
The burden of Koushien is on him.
BALL
OUT!
Yeah, we did it!!
1st up, Keratsu.
Uesugi, your ball's scorching.
Yup yup, doing fine.
Gosh, I wanted that one! Just a bit more, too.
Tateyama
Meisei
Uesugi-sempai... I wonder if he's okay.
He'll be fine. He's our ace, after all.
Tateyama
Meisei
Ball Four.
All right!
7th Inning
8th batter, Right Fielder Oyamada.
Uesugi... Don't forget that I'm waiting for you.
4th batter, Catcher Matsudaira.
Com'n Koutarou!
I'm counting on you.
Whew! All right.
I was wondering what we were gonna do for a while.
Hey, Uesugi, what's the matter?
Let's all celebrate, we won you know?
Only because of your home run.
What are you talking about?
You were throwing well too!
Everyone's like that their first time.
In his first game, Kazuya gave up a home run to the lead off hitter!
Kazuya did?!
Yeah, he got back on track soon after, though.
But still Koutarou, that was an incredible blast!
Yeah!!
"Go for the Koushien, Kat-chan. Minami"
How were you able pitch with such confidence?
Kazuya...
It's your fault.
You're the one who promised to take Minami to Koushien.
There's no way I can do it in your place!
Kazuya...
How can I become a pitcher like you?
Please show me how!
STRIKE!
Hey, is something wrong?
No...
That form...
It looked like Kat-chan's.
Really?
STRIKE!
Good going, Tatsuya!
Meisei
Ryokuto
You did great, Uesugi!
Really?
Yup, doing fine, doing fine.
Strike! Batter out!
Ryokuto
Meisei
Mine!
We did it!
Tat-chan.
Yeah?
We did it! Made it to the final 8!
Yeah.
Your pitching's looking really great!
Yeah.
That's Kat-chan's form right?
You can tell?
Yup, easily!
You know...
When I'm throwing on the mound,...
It's starting to feel like Kazuya is cheering me on.
yeah.
I'm sure Kat-chan is cheering you on.
4th, Catcher, Matsudaira.
5th, Right Fielder, Ohara.
6th, Pitcher, Uesugi.
7th, Short-stop, Ogarawara.
8th, Left Fielder, Maruyama....
Hi.
Nitta-kun!
Yo.
It's been a while.
You know each other?
Yeah.
He helped me out a bunch of times.
That was a while ago.
That's right,...
Congratulations on making it to the semi's.
Thank you.
So you came right away to see how Tatsuya's doing?
He's our upcoming opponent, so...
You're wasting your time.
Good afternoon, Minami-chan.
Good afternoon.
Nitta!
Taking notes won't matter because you'll never get to face him.
You'll be losing to us at tomorrow's semifinals!
THAT is a funny joke.
Minami-chan, I'll be going to Koushien this year.
So let's go on a date when I come back from Koushien, okay?
Hey...
Strike!
Uesugi's form changed didn't it?
Strike!
A great feat wasn't it?
Huh?
To shut out Ohashi High School 3-0.
For a 1st year ace, you threw flawlessly.
Kazuya's throwing.
That's what it feels like.
With no outs, Seinen High school has allowed one runner on base.
High School Regional Championships.
This is their last chance to come back
Game 1: Seinan vs Sumiko
Game 2: Sanko vs Meisei
...And the next batter is the star hitter, Nitta-kun!
Nishimura-kun.
Minami-chan?
Nishimura-kun.
Umm...
Next year, I'll go to Koushien for sure.
Then our date, okay?
OK then.
Nitta really is awesome.
He easily belted 2 homers off of Seinan's Nishimura.
He's a deadly opponent isn't he?
Hey!
Instead of worrying about tomorrow, concentrate on winning today's game.
We'll win.
Kazuya's throwing.
We'll win!
Strike!
Their definitely brothers...
Huh? What's that?
He's exactly like Kazuya.
That's because their twins!
That's right. They are twins after all.
Strike! Batter out!
Third!
All right.
Sanko
Meisei
Strike! Batter Out!
Doing great, Uesugi!
After the fifth inning, Sanko High is hitless.
One base runner on a walk. Uesugi has 9 strikeouts.
Uesugi's pitching today has been his best so far.
Yes.
Before he would make tiny mistakes.
But not even those today.
Ma'am...
For some reason it feels like Kazuya is pitching and watching over all of us.
Kazuya?
Yeah.
Safe
Win! Win! Meisei!
Sanko
Meisei
The final inning,...
and Sanko High has had 26 batters up so far.
Strike!
Today, Uesugi is really throwing hard, 2 strikes already.
Strike! Batter out!
The pitcher Uesugi grabs the pop up, 2 outs.
2 outs! 2 outs!
That's Kazuya!
It's a pop up, it's twisting over the 1st baseman Hirose.
He did it! No runs, no hits, shutout!
Meisei has advanced to the finals against Sumiko.
Punch
Today's game has been postponed.
Uesugi Kazuya
I wonder if you made it rain because you were worried about my worn shoulder.
Did you finish your talk?
Talk?
Kazuya's not here.
The flowers...
Kazuya is still on that mound at the finals.
Until he gets a ticket to the Koushien, he can't leave.
When I stand on the mound, I always feel Kazuya there.
Kazuya is using my body to pitch.
That can't....
How else could a 1st year player make it to the finals?
That's not true.
You've always had the ability in you.
You're thinking of Kat-chan,...
That he'd want you to make it to Koushien for him.
That's why it feels that way.
Kat-chan would rather be happy for your great pitching,...
than have you think of him that way.
It's definitely Kazuya.
The one who'll beat Nitta and go to Koushien is Kazuya.
Then... Where's Tat-chan?
Prefectorate High School Finals
The eagerly awaited finals were postponed yesterday...
due to the bad weather yesterday.
The weather was bad news for us, but was a good breather for all the players to recover.
Perhaps a real blessing for them.
Yesterday's rain may have been a great gift for Meisei.
Meisei
Sumiko
Hi.
1st up, Center Fielder, Fujimoto.
Play!
He doesn't have as much speed as I thought.
Don't think so little of him.
He's a pitcher with pinpoint control.
He'll be painting the corners all day.
Meisei
Sumiko
Bottom of the 1st, Sumiko's turn at bat.
1st Batter, 2nd Baseman, Mita-kun.
Let's go!
All right!
That Uesugi...
He's really becoming Kazuya.
Strike! Batter out!
It was a lucky hit.
Yeah... but we let a runner on right in front of Nitta.
4th batter, 3rd Baseman, Nitta.
Strike!
Struck out on 3 pitches?
Meisei
Sumiko
Koutarou!
Yeah
Yeah!! He's the best!
Meisei
Sumiko
Nitta-kun didn't swing his bat last time, though.
Yeah.
He might have been taking notes.
This time he'll probably give it his best.
4th batter, 3rd baseman, Nitta-kun.
Play!
Yeah! Still on top!
Nitta.
I'm sorry for being selfish.
But please let me go on just a little longer.
5th up, shortstop, Kudo-kun.
...As this scorching day comes to a close, the regional final between Meisei and Sumiko...
remains tied, with no runs at the end of 8 innings.
Meisei
Sumiko
Quickly, there is one out in the top of the ninth.
No runners on base.
But what is wrong with Akiyo Nitta today?
he has struck out 3 times,...
each time on three pitches,...
without even swinging once.
Just what is going on with Nitta?
5th up, the Pitcher, Uesugi.
Play!
Come on, run hard!
Safe
6th up, shortstop, Ogawara-kun.
Yeah! Tatsuya! Score!
Uesugi!
Please, God...
Uesugi steals 3rd base safely,...
creating a chance to take the lead!
Yeah, we're gonna win!
Why aren't you hitting?
What I'm waiting for, is your ball.
What?
Throw your own ball, Uesugi.
Kazuya Uesugi's ball can only be thrown by him.
Your pitching now is nothing more than a copy of his form.
It's not a copy.
The one pitching right now is Kazuya!
All right!
Uesugi! What about our promise?
I said I was going to duel with YOU.
Not with some copy of Kazuya Uesugi.
Nitta's great play foils Meisei's best scoring chance.
Still no score after the top of the ninth.
4th up, 3rd Baseman, Nitta.
Asakura-san, I can't compete for you against this Uesugi.
Nitta, the one standing right here is Kazuya.
If you can hit Kazuya's ball, then try and hit it.
Tatsuya Uesugi,...
This my gift...
to YOU!!
Tat-chan
I'll be waiting for a challenge from Tatsuya Uesugi next year.
I'm not the only one waiting for you.
I lost.
Yeah.
I can't take you to Koushien.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Tat-chan, you did great.
It was impossible after all.
to become Kazuya.
Next year.
Next year,...
take me to Koushien...
Tat-chan.
I promise!
This video was subtitled by fans for fans.
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