The interactive activity planned by Sawamura caused quite a stir within the Seidou High School baseball club.
With 120 members, the absence of a few wouldn't typically raise any eyebrows, especially since it wasn't training time. Even if some practiced, they would find their own spots.
But who could ignore the presence of those who were missing?
Especially the pitchers and catchers on the team.
"I say, where have you all been?"
In Takuma's eyes, the flames of gossip burned brightly.
His usual companion, Okumura, had suddenly disappeared.
Moreover, the main catcher and ace pitcher were also absent...
After inquiring, Takuma found that many of the better pitchers and catchers, particularly a few freshmen, were gone.
If he couldn't see something suspicious about this, then he really wasn't paying attention.
Okumura wore a strange expression, but he still remained silent.
"Really can't say anything?"
After a bit of probing, Takuma had drawn some conclusions.
Okumura stayed silent for a few moments and then nodded.
"I've already promised Sawamura-senpai and that person!"
After Sawamura developed his new breaking ball, Miyuki quickly gathered all the players together.
"During the days leading up to the summer tournament, the matter of Eijun honing his new breaking ball is top secret. You must not reveal a word. Understand?"
His expression was unusually serious.
Even with his earlier 'failure' and 'disgrace', Okumura still knew what was important. And he won't let his personal goals be detrimental to the team.
Everyone knew that the upcoming summer tournament was crucial in determining whether Seidou High School could aspire to be champions.
This newly honed breaking ball by Sawamura could very well become one of the team's secret weapons.
It absolutely must not leak out before the tournament.
We live in an age of highly developed information.
If someone accidentally lets something slip, the consequences could be dire.
With 120 members in the Seidou baseball club, that meant 120 social connections.
No one could guarantee that these individuals had no ties to players from other schools. If one of them got caught in a trap, wouldn't Seidou be unfairly punished?
Even if this ball served as a secret weapon, it could only surprise an opponent during the tournament.
However, given the current strength of the Seidou baseball team, even if they could only catch one opponent off guard, it would be a victory.
After all, there were only a handful of teams that could truly threaten them. Moreover, before facing Seidou, those teams might end up battling each other.
Considering this, the opportunities to meet such formidable rivals during the entire summer tournament were quite limited.
The trump card in Sawamura's hand held significant meaning.
The Senpais were certainly aware of this; they were all very responsible.
The new players, on the other hand, seemed to accept the mission, each one pledging to keep it a secret.
From that moment on, the bond among these newcomers grew much closer.
They were now united by a shared secret.
And when people with a common secret come together, their connection deepens.
"Shisho isn't going to hone any new secret weapons, is he?" Hirota asked Matsumoto.
As expected from a direct student of Sawamura, he was well aware of Sawamura's patterns.
Matsumoto didn't respond; he just stared wide-eyed at Hirota in disbelief.
"No need to look so surprised. If it's a secret, it's just another breaking ball. With so many pitchers and catchers acting together, what can't you do?"
"You..."
Matsumoto opened his mouth in surprise but couldn't find the words.
Hirota sneered, "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret too. I'm a member of the Seidou baseball club, and personally, I'm also a student of Shisho."
Matsumoto had no doubts about this.
After chatting a bit more, Matsumoto saw Hirota leave, heading straight to Sawamura's dorm.
'This guy was probably eager for a direct duel with Sawamura-senpai.'
'He was truly playing with fire.'
'While his batting power was impressive, challenging the Shisho was a different story entirely'.
Sawamura's strength existed in a completely different dimension compared to the freshmen.
For Hirota to challenge Sawamura was nothing short of a pipe dream.
The gathering among the batteries ended, but their secret continued.
Meanwhile, others were quietly working hard.
"Hiroomi, want to head to the weight training room together later?"
Oka Kenichi, a second-year player actively invited Takatsu Hiroomi, who stood nearby.
"Whether it's the weight training room or the indoor ground, those spots are probably already occupied by those selected for the first string!" The young man named Takatsu stood up, hands in his pockets.
"What about us? Should we go to our previous training spot?" Oka Kenichi who is beside him continued asking.
"Yeah."
In places unnoticed, even without streetlights.
In the Seidou High School baseball club, a group of teenagers passionately swung their bats.
'Although I feel sorry for the Senpais who are in their third year but haven't made the main string, we, the second-year players, will be left behind by the first-year newcomers.'
They are still unwilling to accept their fate!
Takatsu Hiroomi's eyes brimmed with defiance against destiny.
Ever since Sawamura led that team to the peak of the nation on the Summer Koshien in his first year, it motivated them greatly but also made them aware of the wide gap between their expected levels.
The standard Sawamura sat for them was too high, but that didn't make them give up, especially when Kanemaru and the others also became part of the first string.
And with the advent of the new talented recruits, it gave them more pressure to rise.
If they can't, they will be losing more and more chances.
They want to play too!
"Damn!"
They want to climb higher!
On the other side, Kuramochi, who had just finished training in the weight room, was preparing to head back to the dorm when he spotted someone running on the field.
"Huh?"
Such a dedicated figure reminded him of Sawamura Eijun!
Intrigued, he quietly lurked closer.
Under the dim streetlight, he finally recognized the figure.
'It was him!'
With over 60 freshmen in this class, few could be remembered by Kuramochi Yoichi.
And the young man in front of him was one of them.
He was a transfer student from South Korea named Han Lee-Hyun.
Not particularly tall, he stood just over 1.7 meters. His build wasn't robust, lacking any explosive physicality.
His baseball skills were subpar...
Kuramochi remembered him mainly for his speed.
He was the only freshman to run the 100 meters in under 11 seconds.
"Pretty hard-working, huh?"
At Seidou High, strength ranked first, followed closely by diligence.
Players who could strictly enforce self-discipline and train hard earned everyone's respect and support.
Whether from fellow players or the coaching staff.
Lee-Hyun was undoubtedly that type.
This group of freshmen was even dubbed the "Super Platinum Generation" by their classmates and even labeled the strongest generation.
Originally, with Lee-Hyun's aptitude, it would be hard for him to stand out among this crowd.
After all, his exposure to baseball had been limited, and he lacked exceptional talent.
But now it seemed he wasn't entirely without opportunity.
As long as he trained hard and combined that with his talent...
"Your base running is way too amateurish!"
After watching for over ten minutes, Kuramochi finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Kuramochi-sunbae!"
The sudden voice startled Lee-Hyun.
Only when he saw Kuramochi did he seem relieved, greeting him politely.
Kuramochi nodded, not saying much, instead stepping onto the base himself.
"If you want to practice stealing bases, just running won't cut it. You need to play mental games with the pitcher and constantly observe the situation on the field."
"For example, how do you judge when the opponent has missed a catch? How do you determine if a hit will be caught? How do you tell when the pitcher is about to throw? You need to assess these situations to make your own judgments."
"Besides that, one key point is your starting position."
"When stealing a base, you can't put your weight on one leg; you have to shift at all times. What do you do when the opponent prepares to throw to first, and what do you do when you see the pitcher going into a pitch?"
Kuramochi talked nonstop for nearly half an hour before departing with a cheerful wave.
During this entire process, he hadn't exchanged a single word with Lee-Hyun.
"This guy!"
Watching Kuramochi walk away, Lee-Hyun muttered with a wry smile.
Still, he slightly bowed towards Kuramochi's retreating figure.
He wasn't used to the etiquette in Japan. Back home, this was a profound sign of respect.
No matter what Kuramochi's intent was, Lee-Hyun felt grateful for someone willing to spend time instructing him.
From that day on, almost daily, Kuramochi provided Lee-Hyun with tips on running, stealing bases, and bunting.
As they interacted more, their conversations increased.
They even became good friends outside of practice.
However, in front of others, Kuramochi maintained a facade of casual acquaintance with Lee-Hyun.
Kuramochi enjoyed playing the game of having a secret disciple.
Lee-Hyun didn't mind keeping up appearances.
Unknowingly, the two shared a secret that needed to be kept.
As time passed, the next match of Seidou High School began.
This time, they originally thought their opponent would be Sensen.
Unexpectedly, they ended up facing another team.
"Wait, WHO?!?!?!" Sawamura was shouting when he heard the name.
…
T/N: That's it for Today.
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