Chapter 08 : Sawamura Taking Over the Game!

"Damn! That brat is awesome!" Kuramochi grinned.

"Yeah!" Ishashiki nodded with an identical grin, satisfied with Sawamura's performance. "He had some skill there."

"It was impressive." Tetsu nodded in approval.

Sawamura's performance, even though it was just one inning, had already received the approval of almost all the first-team players. Coupled with his temperament on the field and his never-give-up spirit, they feel like he was born to join Seido.

Furuya who sat beside Miyuki could only watch Sawamura silently, looking at the boy with envy. For a pitcher, all he ever wanted was just acknowledgment from his teammates. However, even with his monstrous pitch, he never received the praise he deserved. Instead, he was isolated in his middle school team because nobody could handle his ball. Coupled with his cold and introverted personality, Furuya's former teammates started to avoid him one by one.

That's why when he saw Sawamura in the limelight and got approval even from the first team players, he couldn't help but feel jealous and started to compare himself with Sawamura. Sawamura is warm, confident, easy to be friends with, and would always be able to encourage his teammates to go forward no matter what happens. This was the temperament of a leader that every team would want, and this was also everything Furuya wanted to have but would never be.

Thinking about it, his mood dropped drastically in a second.

'Well, it doesn't matter. 'Furuya shook his head, trying to get rid of his depressing thought. 'The road to being the number one would always be cold and lonely. I should get used to it now.'

Having said that, he started to consider Sawamura as his rival. And as a rival, he of course wanted to know everything about Sawamura.

"His pitching…." Furuya suddenly spoke, gaining the other's attention. "It was so slow, but why the batters couldn't send it outside of the field?"

"This…."

All of the first team players looked at each other, trying to see if there was one who had the answer to that question. It was indeed a mystery, how the three cleanup batters from the second team couldn't blast that kind of easy ball outside of the field. However, the spot they sat right now didn't have a good angle to observe Sawamura's pitch. That's why they could only guess what happened.

'It wasn't a breaking ball, right?" Kuramochi asked hesitantly.

"No." Ryousuke shook his head, denying the idea quickly. "Even though this spot is bad, it wasn't enough for us to mistake a fastball with a breaking ball. There should be something else there."

"What about the speed?" Shirasu Kenjiro, the quiet second-year left fielder asked. "How fast that pitch was?"

"It wasn't that fast, probably around 132 to 135."

Furuya was surprised at how confident and how fast Ryousuke was to guess the speed to the exact number like that. However, the same couldn't be said for the others. Having known the pink-haired boy for a long time, they all know he had one of the best observational skills on the team, probably second to Hiroto and Tetsu. They even thought it was strange for him to have not figured out what happened on the field before. However, before Ryousuke could say anything, Tetsu suddenly spoke.

"The ball changed its direction in the last second, making it harder for the batter to adjust."

"Eh?"

Everyone turned their heads to their captain. Seeing the confusion on his teammates' faces, Tetsu began to explain.

"At first, it was indeed a fastball, or that was what the pitcher aimed for." The captain spoke. "However, I don't know how he did it, but in the last second before the bat could hit it, the ball changed its direction drastically, messing up with the batter's angle. That's why the result is either a ground ball or a fly ball."

"As expected of Tetsu-san." Miyuki who also noticed that nodded in approval. "The ball indeed changes right before it gets to the batter."

"But, should the batter also notice that?" Kuramochi asked confusedly. "I mean, those cleanups are not that bad, right? If it was just 132, they would notice the ball changed its direction, right?"

"Not really." Miyuki shook his head. "I think, they were too blinded by their arrogance and forgot about the basics of facing an unknown pitcher, letting the first ball slide and observe it carefully to get the information of the pitcher's characteristics first. They always swung the first time they saw the ball, and as a result, they had no data to play against him. Unless they calmed themselves down, they wouldn't be able to figure out Sawamura's trick."

Hearing Miyuki's opinion, all the third-year players there smiled wryly at each other. Unlike the genius Miyuki, those who climbed their way from the second team know how eager they are to impress the coach. They would never let such an easy-looking ball like Sawamura's pitch slide that easy. So, they can't ask the second-team players to do that.

"Who do you think would figure it out first?" Furuya couldn't help but ask However, to his surprise, all the first-team members answered his question simultaneously without hesitation,

"Of course, it is Hiroto-kun!"

Seeing Furuya's confusion, Miyuki took pity on him and explained, "Well, Hiroto-kun is the one who blasted your pitch far out of the field. He is also one of the best hitters on the team alongside Tetsu-san. So, it is normal for him to figure it out first."

Hearing Miyuki mention Hiroto, Furuya's mouth twitched in annoyance. However, it lasted for only a few seconds before he realized something.

"Wait, you said he was one of the best hitters? Then why was he on the second team?!"

There was silence for a second as all heads turned to Furuya, making him uncomfortable. However, it was broken by the sudden laugh from Ishashiki and Kuramochi.

"BAHAHAHA! Brat, do you think that Monster is a second-team player? Are you kidding me?! He is one of our best players, whether in offense or defense! If he wasn't qualified for the first team, then who would?"

"Yeah, Hiroto-kun indeed is a monster." Kuramochi nodded in agreement. "Do you remember when he robbed Carlos's home run in the game against Inashiro last year? That jump was awesome."

"Oh, I remember that one." Ryousuke chimed into the conversation. "It was the one who saved us from the Sayonara home run, right? It was also the first time I saw Kataoka-sensei so dumbfounded about a play."

"If only he was healthy until the end…." Ishashiki sighed regretfully. Hearing that, the atmosphere suddenly turned somber as they all remembered what happened in the past. Furuya himself could guess from Ishashiki's statement that Hiroto was not on the second team due to his bad performance or not qualified, but because of the injury. Realizing that, he suddenly let out a relieved sigh that he unknowingly held for a long time.

'If it was the best hitter in Seido, no wonder he could hit my pitch.'

Having said that, Furuya clinched his fist in determination, vowing silently that he would practice harder in the future so no one would be able to touch his pitch. For now, he decided to observe the game carefully, trying to pick up any information that could help him improve himself.

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Back to the game, the atmosphere in the newcomers' dugout was lively after the last inning. Now, that it was their turn to attack, they were determined to do better than Sawamura and Haruichi last year. Unfortunately, the second team came prepared, not allowing them to get to the base again.

"Ball! Ball! Strike!" *Clank!* "OUT!"

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

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

The momentum that they gained hardly before vanished in an instant, making them feel pretty regretful. And among them, the most frustrated one is Kanemaru who was one of the best hitters in Japan when he was in middle school last year.

'Damn!' He gritted his teeth in anger. 'What the hell is wrong with this game?! Tojo got destroyed in the first inning, and I couldn't even touch the ball with my bat! My performance is worse than that loudmouth, and I have only myself to be blamed! Goddamnit!'

The gloomy atmosphere that had disappeared before suddenly haunted them again as they started having their depressed thought back. However, Sawamura didn't intend to let them lament their misfortunes for too long.

"Hey, hey! What is wrong with you guys?! It is just one inning! Sooner or later, we would hit that goddamn ball! Come on! We have the momentum here!"

To be honest, all the newcomers who heard Sawamura's words couldn't help but feel guilty. They all were the top national players in middle school, yet it was Sawamura, the unknown player from Nagano who kept encouraging them to fight. Several of them even noticed that since the game began, Sawamura had never stopped talking and encouraging the others, even when he sat on the bench. Thinking of that, they were ashamed of themselves.

"He is right!" Haruichi stepped up too, trying to wake his teammates up. "Sooner or later, we would be able to hit it! If you want to give up, then wait at least until our turn again! We will show you how it should be done!"

Of course, the 'we' that Haruichi mentioned were him and Sawamura. He had a trace of red tint blush on his cheeks as everyone turned their heads onto him. To be honest, unlike Sawamura, he was an introverted boy who wasn't comfortable being in the limelight. However, this gloomy atmosphere needs to be changed, and what is the better way to do it than hurting their ego and flaming their anger?

And just like he thought, his provocation worked like a charm.

"HA?!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

"You better shut up, no name player!"

"You want to talk big with that lucky hit? What a joke!"

"Come on! Let's show those two unknown players what national-caliber players could do!"

"BAHAHAHA!" Sawamura laughed out loud. This was the provocation tactic he had used before. By hurting their ego, they would be able to forget their depressing thought and come up with a new motivation to shut him up. And to see this work for the second time in a day, he couldn't help but feel funny at his new teammates. "That's the spirit! Come on! The ball would fly later! Fielders be prepared!"

"Yosh!"

"Don't mess this up, Sawamura!"

"Come on! We have your back!"

With the new determination, they defended every ball as if it was the last thing they could do on the field.

*CLANK!*

"RIGHT FIELD!"

"I GOT THIS!"

"OUT!"

*CLANK!*

"IT FELL SHORT! CATCHER!"

"DON'T WORRY!"

"OUT!"

*CLANK!*

"FIRST BASEMAN!"

"OK!"

"OUT! THREE OUTS! CHANGE SIDES!"

"YOSSHAAA!!!!!"

Even though Sawamura hadn't delivered even a single strike in this game, he had already sent out six second-team players, including three cleanup hitters in the last inning. His status rose immediately in the newcomers' hearts, and even though they still mocked him as a no-name player, they started to listen to what he said.

However, no matter how hard the newcomers' batter tried, they couldn't get into the base like Haruichi and Sawamura did before. The next few innings went pretty much the same. They couldn't get even a single hit from their senpai, yet Sawamura was able to defend perfectly on the mound. And when the excitement rose to the peak, the final boss for the newcomers finally came.

"Oh! It is Hiroto's turn! That brat is done!"

"He had a good run, though. It wouldn't be long before we could see him on the official game."

Hiroto walked calmly toward the batter box, ignoring the excited chatters and cheers from the outside. He gave his kowhai a small smile before inhaling a deep breath, raising his bat high with full confidence. Sawamura himself also feels excited. Even though no one expected him to be able to defeat Hiroto, the impressive run he got in the last few innings gave him enough confidence to face his senpai.

He grinned excitedly, shouting out loud toward Hiroto.

"SENPAI! LET'S HAVE A GOOD BATTLE!"

Hiroto just nodded silently, already knowing this was Sawamura's way of dealing with his nerves. A few seconds later, Sawamura started his windup, lifting his right leg high while covering the ball with his right hand. Hiroto opened up his eyes carefully, trying to guess where would Sawamura throw the ball.

And when the ball is finally released from Sawamura's hand, Hiroto coils his right foot back, shifting all the weight into his left foot. He was ready to blast the ball mercilessly. However, remembering the failure of his teammates to deal with Sawamura's pitches and how Sawamura's ball went when his kouhai was on the right field, he held back until the last second.

'If there is nothing wrong, the ball would change its direction right before the bat could hit it. I need to be careful.'

And indeed, right when the ball is on his reach, it suddenly changes direction. From an inside pitch aimed at Hiroto's knee, it flies away to the middle of the strike zone in the last second, just like what Hiroto expected.

'If the other swung their bats before they could see it changed its direction, it is no wonder they couldn't blast the ball far away. Their timing would be off.'

Having said that, Hiroto who had already seen that trick swung the bat decisively.

*CLANK!*

Everyone had their head high, trying to follow the ball's movement as it soared high into the sky. The right fielder kept stepping back while his eyes were locking into the ball, trying to anticipate if it fell short. However, it didn't happen, as the ball vanished out of the field.

A second later, cheers and roars were broken in the second team's dugout as they all celebrated Hiroto's home run while venting out their frustration about not being able to blast the ball out.

"YOSSHAAA!"

"NICE HIT, HIROTO-KUN!"

"SHOW THEM THEIR PLACES!"

Hiroto just shook his head amusedly as he high-fived his teammates who ran to the coach box excitedly. He took a glance at the mound just to see Sawamura's body tremble. At first, he wanted to ask whether he was okay or not. Hiroto thought this home run hit his kouhai harder than the double play before, and he was afraid it would mess up with Sawamura's brain. However, his worry was unnecessary at all.

"HAHAHA! AS EXPECTED OF HIROTO-SENPAI! YOU ARE AWESOME!" He laughed out loud like a maniac, gaining strange and worried gazes from everyone. "BUT I WILL NOT LET YOU HIT MY BALL THAT EASY AGAIN, SENPAI! JUST WAIT!"

Hearing that declaration, the smile on Hiroto's mouth broadened wide. Everyone who heard that also let out a deep breath; relieved that there was nothing wrong with Sawamura.

"Hahaha! This brat had a gut! I like it!"

"Yeah! He is awesome!"

"The next is Masuko, right? I cannot wait to see how he would handle another first-team player!"

Unfortunately, that hope was shattered when Kataoka-sensei walked from the spot and signaled both teams to come over.

"Both teams, line up! I have already seen enough of this game, let's end it up now!"

And unlike before, there was no protest this time as everyone had already had a chance to show off their ability. They were also convinced by Sawamura's ability as a pitcher, and even though they couldn't get into the base even for once, they knew Sawamura would be promoted to the second team, and they would have a lot of chance to take revenge.

The only one who was not satisfied was probably Masuko who had no chance to taste Sawamura's pitch. However, he was the first team's player, and Sawamura was just a newcomer. He didn't want to bully his kouhai, especially after the home run from Hiroto before.

As for Sawamura himself, even though he still wanted to continue, he could see his teammates were too exhausted to even stand on the ground. He knew they couldn't continue, so he decided to follow the arrangement quietly.

Seeing there was no protest from his players, Kataoka-sensei had a slight smile on his face. The harvest on this intra-game exceeded his expectations, and he couldn't wait to see how far his team could go with the addition of the new players. However, he still had the default stern expression on his face, not giving any hint to the others about his feelings.

Noticing that it started to get dark, he gathered all the players for the last time.

"Okay, everyone! Line up!"

All the players there knew the custom as they made two lines quickly, the second team faced the newcomers. After a while, they bowed down simultaneously, showing respect to their opponents.

"Arigatou gozaimasu!"

And that ended Seido's intra-game between the second team against the newcomers. There were a lot of expressions that could be seen as the players started to disperse. There was excitement, worry, solemn, and even depression that was expressed by the players. However, even though no one said it out loud, they all thought the same.

'This year has just begun; I need to work harder than anyone else!'

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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 15, 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 154 on that page.

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

-Zeta Faes-