<41> This Is Good Enough

Chapter 41: This Is Good Enough

"No way!"

"Is this real?"

"Did it just go in like that!?"

"Yeah! Unbelievable!"

"Sugoi~ (Amazing!) Sugoi, Sen-chan! That fastball got hit!"

"Ah, ah, ah...! Is this the same Sendo who's always lazy, only knows how to sleep? That Sendo?" Sawamura was dumbfounded, struggling to form coherent words!

"No way, this kid! That was 150 km/h!" While everyone was cheering, Coach Nakani shook his head with a smile, having recovered from his astonishment.

As for swinging early, even the best high school batters have to swing a bit earlier against a pitch like that. Why else is a 150 km/h fastball so hard to hit?

Then he looked over at Sendo and saw his opponent tilt his chin slightly, wearing a mocking expression.

Though Nakani knew it was just Sendo mocking him for his earlier behavior and not a genuine show of arrogance or satisfaction, it still made him shake his head and chuckle. He shrugged at Sendo, expressing his helplessness.

"Well, I'm going to the bathroom!" Sendo said, tossing aside the bat.

As for his earlier thought of hitting a few more, with such a perfect result, only a madman would keep going. What if he started hitting ground balls, infield hits, or even striking out?

"Did you see that, Fumino? So impressive! He hit that fastball, and it was a home run! But he doesn't seem too excited about it; he's so calm!" Wakana excitedly said to Fumino.

"It's better not to mention it!" Fumino, noticing how everyone was just as excited as if they had hit the home run, decided to keep what she saw earlier to herself.

"Coach, just how fast was that pitch?" one of the Wildcat players couldn't help but ask.

"150 km/h! Didn't expect him to actually hit it!" Coach Nakani laughed.

"1...150 km/h? Sugoi!" The group of kids, hearing that, looked toward the restroom, their eyes sparkling even more.

"Did you hear that? 150 km/h! That's insane. We can barely hit a 120 km/h pitch. The gap is just too big. No wonder he became the cleanup hitter of this team in just a month! Sen-chan!" Ohno, having heard what Coach Nakani said, shared his amazement with his teammates.

"Yeah! It gave me a shock!"

"I was shocked too!"

.....

"Can't believe I hit it, and right in the sweet spot! Though my hands hurt, it was... lucky!" Hiding in the restroom, Sendo mumbled to himself as everyone else continued their heated discussions.

The discussions soon died down, and everyone focused on their own batting practice. However...

"So this is 150 km/h? It's really tough. Sendo's pretty good, I almost got it!"

"That was 100 km/h, senpai..." Tanaka Ryota, watching from the side, couldn't help but retort.

"Don't mind him! He's always like this. Just talks big but can't back it up, a bit slow in the head too!" Someone placed a hand on Tanaka's shoulder, speaking.

"Sendo-san!" Tanaka turned around, a bit excited to see Sendo, the cheerful first-year.

Sendo didn't say anything, giving him a gentle smile before sitting down among his teammates to watch the game.

"Sendo-san is really kind!" a teammate sighed beside him.

"Yeah, he is!"

...

"Cut it out already!" After tolerating Sawamura's antics for a while, Sendo grabbed him by one hand and pulled him back.

"Are you trying to tell us you're a comedian held back by baseball? Idiot!"

"Huh?" Sawamura, hearing this, looked at Sendo with a dumbfounded expression, not quite understanding what he meant.

"Hahaha!"

"Eh?" Seeing everyone laughing, Sawamura still didn't get it.

A few minutes later, after most of the team had finished batting, they were ready to help the Wildcat players with their training.

"Wait a minute! Sendo!!! Who are you calling an idiot?"

"What kind of delayed reaction is this?" Sendo muttered to himself.

"But he's adorable, isn't he?" Fumino chimed in.

"You heard that? Well, you're right!"

....

"Listen up! The players from Akagi will stand in the batter's box and be on base to put pressure on you! They're just beginners, so imagine them as tough opponents while you train, understood?"

"Yes!!!"

"And Akagi players, don't be nervous. You can swing the bat or try bunting—just treat it like a real game for practice!"

"Oh! Thank you for your guidance!" The players from Akagi awkwardly bowed in return.

"Alright, let's begin!"

"Runner on first, no outs!"

Clap

"Ball!"

Ohno, standing in the batter's box, saw the pitch clearly.

"Omura, don't just stand still on base! Put some pressure on them! Think about your timing for stealing a base!" Sendo shouted at Omura, who was on first.

"Got it!"

Second pitch.

Clap

"Strike!"

Omura let the ball pass.

"Ohno, if you think it's a good pitch, go ahead and swing or try a bunt! How else am I supposed to know if you're seeing the pitches correctly?"

"I understand!"

"Don't worry. After each swing, I'll tell you whether your judgment was correct after the normal call!" said the coach acting as the umpire to Ohno.

"Thank you!"

Of course, this practice involved more than just one group. The substitute pitchers were practicing their throws in the bullpen.

There were also teammates standing in the batter's box, though they weren't swinging.

After each pitch, they had to tell the catcher whether they thought it was a ball or a strike, and the catcher would let them know if their judgment was correct.

This kind of group training made the most efficient use of time. Meanwhile, someone else was running laps with no complaints. According to Sendo, they just needed to work on their lower body stability.

After observing for a while and seeing that the training was running smoothly, Sendo decided to start helping Fumino study.

"!"

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"How do you feel about the results you've achieved after focusing seriously?"

"You noticed? I thought I was being pretty discreet! I guess I got a little carried away, though. I even made a celebratory gesture without realizing it!" Sendo knew what Fumino was referring to and admitted it openly.

"Isn't that fine? Didn't you feel like you were playing baseball with them?"

"No!" Sendo firmly rejected the idea.

"I see. Well, that's fine too! Let's leave it at that."

"It's starting to sound like a tongue twister!"

"..."

Pfft! The two looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Yeah! This is good," Sendo thought to himself, looking up at the sky.

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