Chapter 47: The Beginning of Summer
"Eijun, I got your message! I heard you've made it into the first string, and we're all so happy for you. As expected, you're really amazing, Eijun, and we always believed in you. Even after you left, we didn't give up on baseball. Although Shin and the others sometimes mention how they miss you and feel a bit lonely without you, it's still our shared dream. We're all looking forward to seeing you on the stage at Koshien wearing the Seido uniform. Keep it up, Eijun, we're always supporting you – Wakana."
Eijun couldn't help but smile at the delicate handwriting in the message on his phone.
Images of Wakana, Shin, and his friends from Nagano flashed through his mind. Even though it had only been six months, the bonds of friendship with his friends there had firmly rooted themselves in Eijun's heart as a cherished connection to be valued forever. Whether for himself or to meet their expectations, he felt the need to push harder.
But Wakana...
His eyes twitched slightly at the name signed at the end of the message.
Unlike Yoshikawa Haruno, Wakana was someone who, without a doubt, harbored romantic feelings towards Eijun. Theirs was a classic childhood friendship that had blossomed into more, a connection that was clearly depicted in the source material, with Wakana's feelings for Eijun being obvious.
This was a genuine, earnest affection.
During his two months at Seidou, nearly all his texts had been with Wakana. If he ever delayed a reply or intended to respond to another friend, Wakana's message would immediately follow up, leaving Eijun feeling helpless.
This was a source of major concern for Eijun. He wasn't him, and though he could openly embrace friendship, baseball, dreams, and the future, he couldn't reciprocate this inherited love, as it wasn't truly his own.
"Maybe I need to find some time to resolve this... or should I just avoid it altogether?"
Caught in his internal struggle, Eijun didn't yet realize how trivial this problem would seem compared to future entanglements he might face—ones that would prove to be even more challenging.
At that moment, a chilling voice interrupted his thoughts from behind. "Well, well, Wakana, aren't you lucky—doing well in both love and baseball, huh, Sawamura?!"
The voice carried an icy aura that sent a shiver down Eijun's spine. That familiar tone and way of speaking made his face darken.
"Oh, Kuramochi-senpai, you're back early today..."
Turning his head, Eijun saw Kuramochi seated behind him, fists clenched and cracking ominously. Eijun's expression turned a shade paler.
"Uh..."
Noticing the screen flickering on his phone, he hastily hid it and offered a sheepish smile.
"Still claiming she's just a childhood friend, Sawamura?!" Kuramochi's teeth-gritted tone made Eijun gulp, with his own smile wavering.
"No, it's not what you think, Kuramochi-senpai! You have to believe me!"
"Save it, you're toast, Sawamura!"
"Training starts tomorrow, Kuramochi-senpai."
"Aaaaaargh!"
The wrath of the 'Leopard' and the woes of the underclassmen.
That night promised to be another sleepless one...
The next day, at Seidou High's baseball field, in the bullpen...
"Whoosh"
Eijun lifted his leg high, and in a fluid motion, stepped forward, his left arm snapping a pitch that flew like a bolt.
"Pop"
Miyuki caught the ball snugly in his mitt from his crouch.
"Hey, not bad! You've got power and spin now, and you're starting to control that pitch better. Even the outside corners are starting to find the zone," Miyuki teased as he tossed the ball back to Eijun with a grin.
"Looks like those outfield drills paid off, huh?"
"Not good enough yet," Eijun replied with a serious face, the stern expression making Miyuki shrug. This kid seemed guarded against him on all fronts. Was he really that intimidating?
Miyuki rubbed his chin, pondering to himself as they continued training.
"Hmm, try to lower the pitch a bit, Sawamura," Chris said with a gentle smile.
"Yes, Chris-senpai," Eijun responded with a respectful smile, clearly showing deference and enthusiasm in his voice.
This irked Miyuki slightly.
"Hey, hey, hey, this is blatant favoritism, Sawamura! You're so respectful to Chris-senpai, but I'm a senpai too, you know!"
Eijun glanced at Miyuki, quickly turning his head away in a dramatic show of ignoring him.
Miyuki's mouth twitched slightly—this kid clearly needed some discipline.
"Alright, let's continue. Next up, four-seam fastballs and cutters," Miyuki called out loudly to Eijun.
"Got it," Eijun adjusted his cap and replied seriously.
....
"Whoosh"
"Thud"
"Hmph!"
"That pitch was too high!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, another first-string catcher, Miyauchi, was receiving pitches from Furuya. As a first-string catcher, it was crucial to be familiar with all team pitchers. Likewise, the pitchers needed to adapt to working with different catchers, although the main catcher was prioritized.
While Miyuki worked with Eijun, Miyauchi was catching for Furuya.
As for the other two first-string pitchers, they followed a rotational schedule based on current training standards, pairing Sawamura and Furuya as one group, and Tanba and Kawakami as another, rotating through sessions with the catchers.
When not in the bullpen, pitchers could act as batting pitchers or participate infield defensive drills.
"I understand," Furuya replied softly after Miyauchi's feedback.
"Furuya, don't be surprised. Miyauchi is an experienced catcher; catching your pitches isn't difficult for him," Chris said with a light chuckle.
"I understand," Furuya replied quickly, slightly surprised that his senior had noticed his inner thoughts.
He hadn't expected this senpai to read him so easily, Furuya thought quietly to himself.
"You both have unique skills and strengths that give you an edge against batters. However, remember this advantage depends on the batters and opponents being unfamiliar with you. Once they study and analyze you thoroughly, the results can change. Sawamura, you should know this well from the game against Kokushikan. If their lineup had more power hitters, you would have likely given up more than four runs."
"Yes," Eijun acknowledged seriously, his expression turning solemn.
"A pitcher is never alone on the field. You have a catcher in front of you and reliable defenders behind. Never think you can do it all yourself. For a pitcher, control is the most basic and essential skill. Especially you, Furuya, if your pitches don't find the strike zone, facing strong teams becomes risky. They'll simply wait you out. Keep this in mind, both of you!"
Chris's sincere advice resonated in the ears of Furuya and Eijun, and both listened attentively.
"Yes!!!!"
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