Episode 41: Koshien, Here I Go!

Akane tells Aoba that she drew a lot as a child because she was sickly and could not play outdoors, unlike Wakaba. Akane claims Wakaba had no weaknesses but before Aoba can name one, Ko suggests her taste in guys. Ko visits Wakaba's grave on their 18th birthday, after which both Akane and Aoba give him cake and he buys the scheduled, slightly expensive earrings for Wakaba. A younger player tells Ko that the team has gotten a lot better because of Aoba's influence and gets Ko to confirm that she and Azuma are not yet officially dating. The brackets for the summer prefectural tournament are announced, which have Seishu meeting Daimon's current school, Kurokoma, in the second round. Aoba surprises Azuma by praising Ko's pitching, but that night she cannot guess what Akane and Wakaba see in Ko. Akane tells Aoba that she and Ko are a lot alike and that if she learns to love herself, she will see what Wakaba saw in Ko. At practice the next day, Aoba is surprised to see how hard Ko works. She asks him if he likes Akane, and he replies that she looks too much like Wakaba