A Mariner's reference? Ah yes, the elusive MLB team that is part of an ever shrinking club of teams that have never, and probably will never, win the World Series. But hey, Japan loves them because Ichiro once played for them.
Sad that it will be put on hiatus but I do hope the mangaka will recover and be coming back (and still with drive for this series).
But damn bro, Taiyou seem to have felt that he already lost his chance on Asahi. Seeing her eyes lighting up when she's with Souta the same way her eyes light up when it's about volleyball must have given Taiyou the big hint that all chances are gone.
But still, gotta hand it to Souta for being the best chad I've seen in recent manga. Best development for an MC so far.