At a table in the baseball team's cafeteria,
"Who do you think is suited to be captain?" Kanemaru asked Sawamura directly.
This question was tricky. In reality, it was a matter everyone had been privately discussing.
Choosing a suitable Captain usually came down to a few options. Eventually, it always circled back to Sawamura and Miyuki.
In terms of ability alone, Sawamura was unquestionably capable. This was something all Seidou High School players agreed on.
However, saying he was the most suitable was another matter. Apart from Sawamura, there were other capable players at Seidou. Being a year younger than the other candidates made it seem somewhat odd for him to lead the Senpais.
When Kanemaru posed this question, everyone nearby turned to look at Sawamura. Clearly, they were very interested in his thoughts.
At that moment, Sawamura felt a strong urge to choke Kanemaru.
He had no interest in becoming captain. Not only did he doubt that Coach Kataoka would ultimately choose him, but even if he were chosen, he would absolutely decline.
Becoming Captain meant enduring Miyuki's sarcasm and Kuramochi's antics.
In their dynamic, the Captain's role didn't garner much respect.
Even if Miyuki had eventually become a captain before his regression, Sawamura and Kuramochi wouldn't hold any special reverence for him. When they were in a foul mood, they often ganged up on him, threatened him, pranked him, and teased him. (Poor Miyuki XD)
By teasing the Captain, they derived a sense of satisfaction! Putting a black-hearted schemer like Miyuki in his place even when he became Captain was always refreshing.
But, what would happen if Sawamura became Captain? Wouldn't he bullied by Miyuki and Kuramochi? He was already bullied by Kuramochi, and now he will be giving Miyuki a reason to bully him!!
It was clear to Sawamura how undesirable that would be.
Would Kuramochi stop bullying him just because he became the Captain?
It was a joke. Would they truly treat him with respect if he became the Captain?
Sawamura himself didn't place much importance on the role of Captain. Therefore, he couldn't expect others to respect him after he became Captain.
In their era, they were the comrades who dominated the nation, completely different from the previous era of Seidou.
Thus, the captain they chose and the previous captain were entirely different.
Were there any benefits in taking on such a captain's role?
There is also the problem of responsibility, Sawamura didn't have the time for that. His ambition is already big, and so is his required training, and this team didn't lack capable people. So for this, he was ready to be a bit selfish.
If Kanemaru had asked this question in private, Sawamura would have patiently told him all of that.
The current Captain position naturally brought no reward for him only unnecessary trouble, which was only natural. Why should he accept this unless his head had momentarily short-circuited?
However, if this question were posed in front of Miyuki and Kuramochi, what would it imply?
What should Sawamura say to Miyuki!?
Sawamura knew that Kuramochi harbored ambitions of becoming Captain. As a Kohai in the same dormitory, how could he side with the opposite candidate?
Was Kuramochi willing to shut it and ignore his desires?
In reality, it wasn't entirely impossible for Kuramochi to become captain. However, compared to Miyuki, his suitability was considerably lower in the third year Kuramochi from before his regression is different through.
In terms of ability and leadership, Miyuki could compete with Sawamura in the current Seidou, but others were not his complete rivals.
But if he said it like that in front of all these people, it would be disastrous.
Therefore, at this point, Sawamura truly wanted to throttle Kanemaru.
As Kuramochi's intense gaze grew, Sawamura prepared to apologize to his ancestors for the lies and the shameless words that were about to come out of his mouth when Yuuki called him to a halt.
"Sawamura! The coach is summoning you to his office."
'Tetsu-san!!' Sawamura looked at Tetsu like he was the saint who saved his life.
Immediately, Sawamura rose from his seat and made his way to the coach's office like a rabbit running from wolves.
Kuramochi's gaze was so sharp that Sawamura ran while in tears.
***
In the coach's office.
In Kataoka's heart, there was nothing more important than strengthening Seidou High School.
The preparation time given to Seidou High School after the summer Koshien was very short.
At that moment, he had to select a captain who could quickly deliver results.
After hearing Yuuki's answer, his choice began to lean toward Sawamura.
"Do you want me to become captain?"
Upon meeting the coach, Sawamura was taken aback by his initial words.
"Is this your decision, or is it the agreement of the coaching staff?"
After a brief moment of bewilderment, Sawamura asked.
"I've had a brief discussion with the coaches. There were no significant differences of opinion. Of course, I'd like to hear your thoughts as well."
In other words, after weighing their interests, all four coaches had concluded that Sawamura was the most suitable.
'Is this some kind of joke?' Sawamura knew he was exceptional, but please stop joking like this. Someone might end up dead.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the confidence to take on this responsibility."
"Huh?"
Coach Kataoka didn't utter another word, simply letting out a noncommittal "Hmm." With his sunglasses on, Sawamura couldn't discern his facial expression at all.
The moment Sawamura voiced his refusal, his thoughts crystallized.
"My schedule doesn't allow me to balance the team. My batting and pitching is still in the trial-and-error stage, and improving my skills will require a lot of time..."
"I'm not expecting you to do anything. Just lead everyone with your baseball skills!"
Clearly, this issue had been on Coach Kataoka's mind for a long time. He also believed that Sawamura didn't intend to disrupt his training time, but the current coaching staff was sufficient in number, and many tasks could be delegated to them.
"Understood. You want me to be the standard-bearer for the team. I'm honored by that. However, being the standard-bearer and being the Captain is different. Even if I am the standard-bearer, I don't need to be the captain. The standard-bearer doesn't hinder everyone's progress, but the Captain's role is to manage internally. Initially, Tetsu-san performed well as Captain because most of the third-year Senpais were very earnest. Also, the Senpais at that time grew alongside Yuuki..."
Sawamura halted mid-sentence, but Coach Kataoka instantly grasped his meaning.
'Exactly!'
Yuuki was outstanding, but strictly speaking, he was like the teammates of his grade.
Initially, they were all members who had been frustrated and overlooked by everyone.
Therefore, after Yuuki made strides, everyone felt they had grown alongside him.
There was a fundamental difference between Sawamura and Yuuki, and he arrived at Seidou with the aura of an already-established star.
"I understand! So, who do you think is suited to be captain?"
"It's Miyuki-senpai. Although he recently joined as a key player, his situation is completely different from mine. He's a savior who shined in Seidou High School's adversity. I believe everyone trusts him, and he can lead everyone toward greater glory."
"I see. Then, please go out and bring Maezono and Kuramochi."
Sawamura let out a heavy sigh as he exited Coach Kataoka's office.
'You want me to become captain? Why?'
Back when he was on Akagi Middle School's baseball team, it was unavoidable, but there was no way Sawamura would willingly take on this arduous task.
Seidou High School currently had excellent candidates for captaincy, so it was unthinkable for him to shoulder this burden. He didn't want to cause any discomfort to the seniors.
And there was another reason Sawamura didn't voice aloud: He didn't come here to play baseball alone!
...
T/N: The New Era starts with Challenges!
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