Seidou playground B
10.30 at night
Whoosh~ whoosh~
In the dark on the playground there was the sound of something hitting the air echoing. If you look closely to it
Pant pant pant
Whoosh~
"pant,.. ninety-eight"
Whoosh~
"Pant pant,.. ninety-nine"
Whoosh~
"Pant pant,... hundred"
Thud!
Sound of a bat dropping on the ground.
"Puff ahh ahhh,.."
Heavy breathing sound
"Ahh.. it's past 10 already I should be going."
Sawamura murmured while breathing heavily.
He took the bat and started walking towards the dorm.
"Ah,.. even after preparing for 2 years before coming to seidou I don't have enough stamina after all it's not my mistake, that time I was only a 13 years old I can't do heavy training at that age, sigh.. at least I won't lose control of my pitches and concentration"
This past first weeks after joining seido
And formed a battery with Kariba, after every afternoon training , The independent training after 6pm was indulged with various pitching sequences and training.
And Sawamura got to know his weakness too that he never thought about, basically stamina I neglected it, and this past 2 years
I didn't get to reach my limit of my stamina and my time was limited in middle school.
Unlike manga I didn't have a baseball club in my school and I didn't pitch continuously like self driven pitching in manga.
My in middle school went like, after getting up I start doing my morning workout than after coming from school in afternoon I spent my time with family then I went to indoor baseball facility at 4.30 or either 5 there I spent 1 and a half hour practising pitching (with catcher or sometimes vs a batter) and ( batting vs a pitcher) divided time for two things after coming from there at night again some training for my body and recovery time, so my time was limited, in that sense I never saw my limited stamina, and it was my mistake from my part that I neglected it , I planned everything but only stamina, this are fact I can't change it now do I.
Right now how I am, I can't even pitch 5 innings with going all out from the start. There are many factors, once I cross 55th pitch tiredness on shoulder starts to catch on me but still there's control and velocity to my pitches I can pitch more 10 times but once it passes 65th pitch my control starts weakening and more and more meatballs I will throw and more I try to strain my arm to throw the pitch control and velocity the more it gets worse.
And don't talk about improved forkball in that situation it just a meatball without stamina and ball control, I revealed to kariba about my improved forkball, I told him that it's imperfect that why I didn't throw in test, once I perfect it I will throw well he believed me.
He was quite unhappy after all who will be happy to get hit by the pitches, he subconsciously moves his mitt when he can't see my arm but he soon after started getting used to this after few days he had no problem catching for me but me like a demon came with a new pitch at first two days he caught out of 10 to non, but slowly
Slowly he is getting used to it but still it's quite hard to catch my improved forkball.
My improved forkball velocity goes '126,127 and 128 km/h' afterall it depends on my fastball due to new grip.
While talking about the fastball, it feels like my velocity is improving. Right now it feels like, for the first time in this life I have encountered a wall in pitching, I have perfect control on my pitches, it's not as crazy ball control as that glasses guy shunshin where he can pitch everywhere.
I can pitch to low and way, low and inside , high and outside , high and inside,
And in the middle at both outside and inside corners.
After coming here I didn't trained reckless
I know what I should do knowing my weakness, I'm training for stamina so that I can pitch more innings. It's not an easy task. It's a long term project same like ball control but I know for sure slowly slowly I will be able to pitch more, patience is the key
For me batting is quite important too, what's my ideal pitcher is pitcher who leads his team with his pitching and with batting to he doesn't able to pull big hit but people don't have to say that's a good pitcher but his weak batter after that's my ego as a pitcher is talking
While he was thinking about all these things he reached the stairs going downhill towards the entrance of the dorm.
"Ahh, I should better not walking while thinking this stuff"
Sawamura murmured with awkward expression
If I miss a step from this height then I will break a hand, leg or worse. Sigh, I will be more attractive from now on.
"___"
Days continued on….
Physical exercise in morning, some base fielding exercises, independent pitching practice at evening and some personal straightening of exercises, this is daily life of eujin in the first few weeks
Even when he comes back with a bat, he basically comes when the lights are off after training which made kuramochi and masuko look surprised at first.
Because Sawamura was sweating profusely, it was obvious that he had just finished his training.
It was also first time for kuramochi to see a pitcher who gives time to Swing the bat at night even after having independent pitching practice at evening he still does it and comes late at night, and
when they asked him why he was working so much hard? Can't you just focus on pitching and resting the remaining time?. His reply overwhelmed them.
"My ideal way of pitcher is to lead the team in batting and pitching, even if he doesn't hit long hits it's fine but to be at least a decent enough batter that can advance bases! With short hits."
Sawamura said with oppressive force
After hearing this in their mind they thought from the bottom of their heart that this kid might really be able to become their future seidou ace, nothing sure this was their only opinion, only the future will tell what will happen.
And Sawamura's daily life is passing quickly under such a situation.
With the passing of time quietly.
The day of the spring tournament also arrived quietly. April, this is the month when the Tokyo metropolitan spring tournament will be held. It is an annual baseball tournament that is considered the preliminary to the Summer Tournament.
qualified Teams from all over Tokyo were obtained from last year's annual tournament.
And the winners and runners-up of the spring tournament in the 7 prefectures of the Kanto Region as well as the third and fourth place finishers of the prefecture-host of the tournament, amounting to 16 schools in total, are then qualified to participate in the Kanto Tournament which is also an annual tournament which is held in May,
So basically both these annual tournaments are called the preliminaries before the main tournament in summer. All the teams use this time to adjust their lineup and test some tactics
" from tomorrow the spring tournament start"
" Can we watch the match"
"It should be ok, I asked a senpai in my dorm. There is a special bus for first years as a support team in the game"
" Than I can't wait for it, it seem we will encounter ichidai high in few round if we keep winning"
"Seido is powerful, we will definitely win the championship!!"
" Yeah that's how it is, you then definitely heard our slogan right?'
" oh oh oh, that why I joined seido"
"Yeah that really cool"
When the spring tournament is about to start everyone in first year knows about it, every freshmans is with a look of anticipation on their face.
After All this is their first competition after joining even if they aren't on main team there's still that joy to see their team's powerhouse performance
Eijun knew some things about current team it's weakness is pitcher or an ace,
Tanba who is always unstable but gets awakened but soon injures follows him and Kawakami throws some good stuff but he has an inferior personality.
Due to that in manga sawamura+Furuya got the chance to play as a first years
And two first years showed their strength and potential which was higher than any pitcher they had for the last few years.
Then only seido stumbled into the regional final vs prestigious Inashiro Industrial, with the final desperate situation,one stay away from Summer koshien were defeated and in that match sawamura got yips.
This time it won't happen 'yips'. After all, I'm not from manga. I'm a new sawamura who has experienced many big things.
"Well first years vs upperclassmen match going to take place soon after tomorrow match" sawamura thought
Well I guess I'm going to go all out in that match. After all, I don't like to lose especially for brilliance vs Furuya hehehe…
Meanwhile at seido High school in the office of coach kataoka
Supervisor kataoka looked at desk where many data of first years were present
And two reports of two students were separately kept coach kataoka look at them
" Sawamura eijun and satoru Furuya"
Said with a look you can't describe
These two names were kept so conspicuously in front of him.
"Both have weakness and have strength but they are completely opposite of each other, one is speed and other is control…"
Supervisor kataoka murmured quietly
" Supervisor kataoka?"
Rei takashima asked professionally
"Let's focus on our upcoming match, let's talk about the specifics later."
Supervisor kataoka waved his hand and said calmly.
"Yes!"
Rei takashima nodded solemnly, immediately picked up the some documents from table and left the office leaving coach kataoka alone in the office looking out of the window
He couldn't help but sighed faintly.
Director Kataoka's eyes became deeper…
"_"
Next day
At the playground A
"...THE ONLY GOAL WHICH CAN SATISFY PRIDE OF OUR SCHOOL IS"
" NATIONAL DOMINATION!!!!"
Whoosh~
" LETS GO!!!!"
"YEAHHHHHHH!"
Everyone from the main team shouted and pointed their fingers upward with unison.
"Wh whoaa"
"It's like completely different aura"
" Soo cool"
"I saw the battle cry on the tv and I really looked up to them".
"jeez I gotta get into that lineup soon!!"
Every freshmans were amazed by their battle cry
" Everyone we are leaving for the field now,
Anyone who wants to watch the game gets on the bus!!"
Assistant coach shouted towards first years
"All right".
"Yes sir"
First years responded
Sawamura started walking towards the dorm someone shouted towards him
"Hey, what's with you, you're not comin's to watch us play?"
Kuramochi who was with masuko said
"I'm going to stay behind"
Sawamura replied with a serious face.
"Well I gotta practice, watching will do nothing good for me if I want to be in starting lineup"
Phew~
"thats cold men, fine do you best"
Kuramochi said
"Jeez I dunno if he's too proud or too focused on his goal but men he might really be suited to be an ace just on the force of his personality.."
Kuramochi thought in his heart with interest
Roll~ roll~ roll~
"Huh wha"
When sawamura was going to turned around
"Look ou"
Voice of a girl sounded
At the last He dodged the tire
But he still fell to the ground due to being unbalanced.
"ah ahh Men that ahh was dangerous"
Sawamura murmured with terrified look
"S-sorry are you alright? I really did this time"
A girl's said with worried face
"What's with the tire?..."
Sawamura calmed down and started standing up with a curious face.
"oh..uh.. I was just thinking if you're going to be practising alone."
Girl said with same expression
"Huh"
Sawamura was confused, why did she ask that …. For a few seconds there was silence when he was going to break the silence she started to speak.
"Uh I, you really moved me today, I was so impressed by the way you told them about your goal even though they were seniors
And I have been seeing you practising Hard all day to reach your goal without hesitation, that's the kind of person I want to be!"
The Girl spoke with nervous face and excited voice and subconsciously she came to close to sawamura
Sawamura face was not showing any expression but his cheeks were little red
"huh? Want to be a person like me!? And and what's with this distance lady you're too close for my consent"
Sawamura thought in his heart his face was showing normal expression but inside it was chaos.
"Actually I have kind of lost as a manage lately, I'm clumsy and they get mad at me I thought there was no way to be a cool manager like all the older girl"
She said with downcast expression
She continued.
" I have always admired players like you.
I really want to cheer on the players who are towards one goal with all their strength."
She told
Sawamura didn't know what to say right now.
"... So here do your best on your path to becoming a member of main team I will be cheering you on"
She said with a simile.
Flashback of previous life
"will he get retired " "it's such a pity to have an injury like that in his hand" "will he be able to pitch like before?" " It's such a loss of talent" "will he be able to come back from that" "yeah it's a great loss to the baseball community" "will the team keep his contract null"...
"Ah what is he oh… he is that guy who got injured two years ago? What he came again". "what's this horrible" " he should just stay at home". "so he thinks he can still pitch with his talent lost" "mhhh I had little expectations for him but it seems it's over for him". " Drag him down the mound he already lost many runs he will keep losing it". "Just don't play already, it's useless for you". "Just what he thinks he can pitch like old times" " his already over" "he should just stop playing baseball"
In sawamura's mind previous lifes getting pitied , criticised by people and scoffed by your teammates flashed this moment and it felt like something was holding him back just disappeared
Sawamura reflected his past years what he did, but if you see spending time with family that normal, and training and playing baseball other than this he didn't do anything, when someone wanted to be his friend he pushed them aside and in middle school he stayed far away from other he only approached them when he only needed something and he came to seido and became roommates with seniors he always was distinct with them kept them at a arm distance and for Kariba he just used him for his practice and outside that only talked out this and that small things.
Until now what I did was the same as my previous life, always into baseball and didn't balance my life enough.
Click..
"I started my new journey of baseball but with same idoitic mindset,"
The one who woke me up was she.
"Ah huh. Hello?"
Girl in front of him called him
This time sawamura realised that he had been staring at her in dizze.
He felt quite ashamed.
But he quickly collected his thoughts with a new mindset and he thought why don't I start from here.
"Thanks for that, I will use it but let you tell my correct Goal I want to be best pitcher and ace in the world that's my goal and one tire isn't enough for me"
Sawamura said with a simile
"Huh"
"And by the way if you don't know my name then it's sawamura eijun!, so what's yours?"
Sawamura asked with without hesitation
" Huhh.. Yoshikawa Haruno"
Haruno said nervous face
"Oh.. okay then I will remember your name, you will be getting late for the game"
Sawamura said while turning around.
"Ah huh. Yes they will get mad at me"
Sawamura suddenly stopped from walking and turned towards haruno
" Hey if you ever feel upset and have doubts come to me I will listen to it when I m free"
Sawamura said with serious expression
"Ah .Huh.. o-okay"
Haruno got overwhelmed with the way he said
"Ah"
"There you are"
"What are you doing haruno?we are going to a game"
Haruno's senior managers shouted.
"Ahhhh! I m sorry"
Haruno responded.
Pant pant pant
Ksh ksh ksh
Sound of breathing and tires being dragged echoed.
"Ohh ah ah..it's been more than hour I been running with this two tires, ahhh I guess I will rest for a while under a shade"
Sawamura Said while looking at the sky
After resting few minutes with eyes closed.
"Huh I m the only one in the field right."
Sawamura said to himself while looking around him
"Well I remember in manga Furuya was left behind because he slept"
Sawamura thought
" Well I will just roam around here"
Sawamura thought about it and started walking here and there without a proper destination.
"Are you're like me too?"
Sawamura got suprised that's someone was there and he saw that it was Furuya
"men you suprised me there"
Sawamura said to Furuya
"I went to bathroom and bus left without me I didn't feel like chasing for it well to be honest I dont care about game I m not in"
"Oh"
"But you are also here too so that makes you're like me?"
Furuya asked without any expression
"I guess you can say like that'
Sawamura said casually
"I m getting bored why don't we play catch"
Sawamura asked Furuya with interest
"Okay"
"_"
Thwk~ tap tat tat
Ball hit the Furuya's glove and fell on the ground
"I can't see where you throw"
Furuya said without changing expression
"Well than don't move the glove I will throw the ball sharply"
Sawamura replied
"Okay"
Thwk~
This time he catched it he only closed the glove when ball entered
"Ohh"
Furuya expressed
"What"
"It's hard to catch but a pitch that hard to catch is also hard to hit right? You might make a good pitcher"
Furuya
"Hmm"
Sawamura just similed at that
"I think my arms about just warmed up too can I throw something faster"
Furuya said and threw the ball with power
Ball was little High
Voooooom~
Thwackk~
Sound of ball colliding to glove resounded
And sawamura was with his glove quiet high and ball was intact in it, he was pushed a little bit backwards it was visible.
"Well that pitch has good velocity but wild ball if u can't control it down a little than good batters won't Swing on it"
Sawamura said with relaxed simile
"Huh you catched my pitch"
Furuya said with shocked and Suprised face
"What's with this suprised face"
Sawamura said with intent to tease.
"Back in hokkaido there wasn't anyone who can catch my pitches then I saw this article in the magazine so I decided to take this school's entry exam"
Furuya was going to continuing Interrupt him
"Oh so because of Miyuki kazuya you came here ah"
Sawamura said with a simile
"Yes I wanted to know if he can catch mine strongest fastball but now you can catch mine strongest fastball."
Furuya said with relaxed face
"Yo don't keep your High hopes on me I can catch your pitches but I m not a Catcher but I m a pitcher, you should probably search for Miyuki kazuya to catch"
Sawamura said
"Ah yes you're right. You're a pitcher like me"
Furuya said with his always face
"Hmm"
Sawamura just similed
"So we are going to compete with each others?"
Furuya asked
"I guess so yeah"
"Okay"
Furuya was just silently staring at sawamura, he didn't knew what was going into his head but he want to break this silence
"Hey let's continuing playing catch"
" So I can throw faster"
"Yup I don't mind"
"Okay than"
Voooom~
Thwoch..
Like this they continued playing.
But this was their first encounter, and from here on their rivalry begun…