Chapter 03 : Intra-Game

A week has passed since Tojo and the other first-year players came, and today was the day of the intra-game between the second team against the first year. It was also Hiroto's first game after he recovered, and he missed the feeling of standing on the field.

Hiroto's recovery itself seems to be pretty successful, as he started to get back into his peak state. However, due to Kataoka-sensei's order, he was still on the second team, waiting for the intra-game against the first year to get promoted to the first team again.

And speaking of the first team, something big also happened that shook the entire Seido team. Kataoka-sensei made a brave decision by relegating Tanba Koichiro, the supposed new ace pitcher for Seido to the second team after his disastrous performance against Ichidai-san in Tokyo Spring Tournament a few days ago.

Even though the final result was still a win for the team, they barely managed to escape from losing after Tanba hit a slump in the middle of the game. Fortunately, with the excellent guidance from Miyuki, Kawakami, the second-year pitcher, came in clutch, closing the game without letting the opponent outscoring them.

But it was not the only brave borderline controversial decision that Kataoka-sensei took. The fifth batter and the vice-captain of the team, Toru Masuko also suffered from the same fate after several silly defensive mistakes he made in the last game.

The vice-captain and the ace got relegated at the same time, it made a huge splash inside the team. However, it showed Kataoka-sensei's tough attitude toward the team. No matter your new status, if you got complacent and did something that put the team at a disadvantage, he would drop you to the second team without mercy. Now, no one on the first team would dare to be careless, or their spot would be revoked by the coach.

However, it also puts the first-year players on a hard time. With Tanba, Masuko, and Hiroto joining the intra-game for the second team, it was a guaranteed disaster for the newcomers. The first-team players just looked at their new kouhai with pity from afar, not having the intention to tell them in advance.

'I prohibited you all from sharing information about the second team or the first-year players that just become your roommates to each other until the intra-game finished. I want to see their ability to collect information and adapt in the middle of the game.'

That's what Kataoka-sensei said to the senior members a day ago. Hiroto himself didn't have any problem with that. Even though he got along pretty well with Tojo, he wouldn't hold back for the sake of the team. Moreover, he also received a mission from Kataoka-sensei.

"Hiroto-kun, I want you to go all out in the intra-game tomorrow. Don't hold back and swing aggressively. After a full cycle, I will change the first-year pitcher for you to test. I want to see the new pitcher's capability."

Hiroto could understand why Kataoka-sensei ordered him to do that. This was Kataoka-sensei's way to see which pitcher was worth cultivating for the long term, which pitcher was available instantly, and which pitcher should give up the position. After seeing how Tanba handled the pressure against Ichidai-san, he probably wanted to have one more ready-to-play pitcher as a backup to relieve Tanba and Kawakami's pressure.

'Well, let's see if there is any new pitcher worth the first team.'

Hiroto left his room at 05:00 morning while his two roommates were still asleep, getting ready for his morning run. It was still dark outside, yet the shadow of a person greeted him right before he entered the field.

"Senpai! Are you going to start without me again?!"

Hiroto winced a little as the person shouted at him. It was Sawamura Eijun, the first-year pitcher from Nagano that caught Rei's attention.

"Good morning to you too, Sawamura-kun," Hiroto replied wryly. "Are you still going to run with the tire?"

"Of course!" Sawamura nodded seriously while tying the tire to his body. "It was the boss's order, after all!"

Hiroto chuckled a little at the nickname Sawamura gave to Kataoka-sensei. For all he knows, no one has ever dared to do something like that. But since Kataoka-sensei himself didn't stop Sawamura, no one makes a fuss about it.

And to be honest, Hiroto admired Sawamura's attitude toward baseball and his positivity. At first, the first-year pitcher made a very bad impression by coming up late, and instead of apologizing, he tried to sneak into the line before Kataoka-sensei noticed him. However, after hearing the inside story of how he was dragged into playing a game until midnight by Kuramochi and got pranked by Miyuki, he only felt pity toward his Kouhei.

'A boy came to Tokyo for the first time without anyone accompanying him and got dragged into the mud by the two menaces of the team. If he is unlucky, he could say goodbye to his high school baseball career before it could even begin. He had to be a saint to not get mad at them.'

Unexpectantly, not only Sawamura didn't get mad, but he also didn't make a ruckus or ditch the two senpai who threw him into the pit. As a result, he was banned from any baseball activity for the time being until Kataoka-sensei thought it was enough. Even though Sawamura was late and deserved to be punished, this kind of punishment for a first offender which wasn't completely his fault is a bit unfair in Hiroto's eyes.

However, Sawamura still gritted his teeth and endured the punishment in silence. Besides Hiroto and the first team members, he would always be the first one to come on the field and ready to run with a tire tied up into his body. It was to train his stamina and endurance, that's what he said.

Seeing the first-year pitcher still doing the unfair punishment without whining at the coach, Hiroto had to wonder why he didn't tell the coach the truth about why he was late. Even though Kataoka-sensei is strict, Hiroto knew his coach would listen to his students' problems seriously and treat them fairly. It would also restore the coach's impression of him.

However, when he raised the issue, the first-year pitcher just grinned like a loon and shook his head.

'No matter what is the reason, it was indeed my fault. If I run away from this small responsibility, who can guarantee I wouldn't do the same on the bigger stage?'

This answer completely changes Hiroto's view of Sawamura. At first, he thought the first-year pitcher was just an obnoxious loudmouthed brat who could only bark and not bite. However, after hearing him talk about responsibility and seeing his attitude even during the private training, Hiroto had to admire Sawamura's persistence.

'If his pitching ability is half his personality, I could see him being our ace in the next year.'

Of course, Hiroto wouldn't say that to Sawamura. He didn't want Sawamura to grow conceited and think that high school baseball is easy, or he would get smacked in a crucial moment. But still, he is optimistic about his first-year friend's future.

"So, Sawamura-kun, are you ready for the game today?" Hiroto asked casually while they both were running on the track.

"Ahh…." Even though it was still dark there, Hiroto could see from the corner of his eyes that the light in Sawamura's eyes dimmed a little at his question. "I don't think the boss would be willing to put me on the mound. He hasn't forgiven me yet and let me do a normal practice. But don't worry, Senpai! I am sure the boss would be impressed by this Nagano boy's effort and give me a chance! Hahaha!"

Hiroto took pity on him and decided to bring the good news for Sawamura.

"Don't worry, Sawamura-kun. Kataoka-sensei had already known about your situation. You would have a fair chance today."

"Eh?!" Sawamura stopped running; his eyes widened in shock. "Really?!"

"Yeah." Hiroto nodded, confirming his words. "Even though Miyuki-kun and Kuramochi-kun are pranksters, they are not scumbags. They know when they are doing wrong, and they admitted it to Kataoka-sensei yesterday. Your punishment would be over after today's game and you would be allowed to train normally."

"Wow…." Sawamura's mouth gaped wide, still too stunned to process what Hiroto had just said. "I don't expect those two to save me like that…"

Even though the last part was only murmured, Hiroto could still hear it. When he saw the relief washed on Sawamura's face, he knew that even though the first-year pitcher had already accepted his fate, he was still burdened by the fact he left a bad impression on the coach and afraid he wouldn't get a chance to show off his ability.

"Well, you will have a chance to play against me today, so you better be serious, okay?" Hiroto teased with a light tone, trying to change the topic.

"Eh?! You will also play?!" Sawamura exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were on the first team!"

The corner of Hiroto's mouth twitched as he was momentarily speechless. "Didn't I tell you before that I got injured and the coach told me to join the intra-game to adapt to a high-intensity game again?"

"Ah…." A realization dawned on Sawamura's head as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah.. I just remember that…" He said the last part weakly. "But since we will play against each other, there is no reason to not go all out! Just wait, Senpai! I will show you my skills and become our ace! Hahaha!"

Hiroto nodded slightly, not taking Sawamura's words seriously. Even though he likes the first-year pitcher, he still thinks his kouhai is too simple-minded and doesn't have much experience playing against top players in the country. Even though the second team cannot be compared to the national caliber team, the intra-game would allow him to see with his eyes how big the gap between him and the players who had been training in an ultra-competitive environment like Seido is.

"Well, let's see about that…."

They continued their morning routine until the sun began to show up in the sky. Hiroto signaled Sawamura to stop before asking him to go back and prepare himself for the game.

"Don't be late and save your energy for the game. You have a chance, so don't let yourself regret it."

"Hai, Senpai!"

After that, those two went back to their room first to prepare themselves for the game. When Hiroto entered his room, he could see one of the beds had already been tidied up, and as for the other, he also saw Tojo still asleep. He couldn't help but shake his head seeing the state of his kouhai roommate which was completely different compared with Sawamura.

'Compared to Sawamura who came from an unknown school and tried so hard to improve himself, I have never seen Tojo-kun take the initiative to do an extra training. Well, he was the ace pitcher of a national middle school team, of course, he still had his arrogance and might think his current skill and resume were enough to impress Kataoka-sensei. But this intra-game would be a nice wake-up call for him, that high school baseball is completely different.'

Hiroto shook his head, preparing himself for the game before leaving his room again silently.

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Two hours later, Seido's baseball field was already filled with crowds outside who got the news about the game. Even though it was just an intra-game, a lot of alumni and fans are still interested to see how the newcomers perform.

Hiroto walked silently into the dugouts where the second team players warmed up. He could see the tense atmosphere there, as this was their chance to impress Kataoka-sensei and break into the first team. However, it wasn't the only reason for this gloomy air. The presence of him, Tanba, and Masuko makes it harder for the others to shine. That's why even though it was subtle, Hiroto could see a bit of resentment from his teammates.

"Morning, Senpai." Hiroto greeted Masuko who sat on the corner of the dugouts gloomily. His senpai only nods at him as the answer, not in the mood to talk to anyone.

Well, he could understand his senpai's mood. For the vice-captain to be demoted to the second team, if he was in Masuko's place, Hiroto would also feel insulted. But this is the consequence of his horrendous performance, so Masuko had no room to protest.

After exchanging greetings with the other, Hiroto also started to do his warm-up while the corner of his eyes took a glance at the newcomer's dugout. The atmosphere is quite different there, as the first-year players are quite united with Tojo as their leader. At first, he thought it was Tojo's charm as the leader who attracted the other first-year players to flock to him. But after seeing the uncomfortable look on his roommate's face, Hiroto could conclude that Tojo was elected as their leader forcefully due to his resume.

'Well, if that was the case, it would be easy to destroy the newcomers.'

After the players from both teams were ready, Kataoka-sensei signaled the leader from each other to come to see who got the ball first. After a quick huddle, it was determined that the second team would play defense first. Hiroto also walked slowly into the right field, the territory he was quite familiar with. However, there was no worry on his face, as he knew no one on the first-year team could hit Tanba's pitch.

And true to his predicament, right after the game started, Seido's ace threw the ball with full strength, resulting in a side change pretty quickly.

"Strike! Strike! Strike! Batter out!"

"Strike! Strike! Ball! Ball! Strike! Batter out!"

"Strike! Strike! Strike! Batter out! Change sides!"

"Dang… It only took what? Five minutes? Tanba is on fire today."

"To be honest, putting the ace of the team against the newcomer is kinda unfair."

"But that is Tanba-kun's consequence for playing badly, right?"

The murmurs from the outside of the field could be heard from Hiroto's spot. He just nods silently, agreeing with what the spectators said. However, he didn't think about it too much. It was time for the second team to go on offense, and he would be their first batter.

He walked into the batter box calmly, giving a small nod to Tojo on the mound. His new roommate also nods at him, but Hiroto can see the nervousness on the first-year pitcher's face. However, this was a battlefield, and they stood on the opposite side of the war. Hiroto would never show mercy, even for his friend.

He raised the bat slowly, waiting for Tojo's pitch a bit impatiently. He couldn't wait to see the ability of the national-level pitcher. However, he was bound to be disappointed, as right after Tojo threw the ball, it went straight to the middle of the strike zone with a slow speed.

'A fastball with a speed around 135 kmph? It seems I overestimated the ability of a middle school pitcher. Well, let's kill this ball first.'

Right before the ball could escape to the catcher's mitt, he swung his bat with full power, slamming the ball hard to the outside of the field.

*CLANK!*

All of the people who watched the ball raised their heads reflectively, trying to track where the ball would land. However, it went far away, until it disappeared from their sight. Silence descended on the field, and Hiroto could see the awe and shock reactions from the newcomers. He runs slowly, ignoring the stare of the newcomers. And right after that, cheers exploded from the second team's dugout, as they celebrated the first home run of the game.

Newcomer 0

Second team 1

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Author note :

Hey! I have written a few next chapters of this new story and posted it already on my patreon account. If you want to read it in advance, you can visit patreon(.)com/ZetaFaes .

You can read this story up to chapter 7, and I will try to update it faster. 

You can also read my other fanfiction, Kuroko no Basket: The Sixth man of Seirin Basketball Team up to chapter 149 on that page.

Thank you for your support! I appreciate it! :)

-Zeta Faes-