<42> Someone's Vicious Cycle

Chapter 42: Someone's Vicious Cycle

"The Wildcat team is really amazing! Even though we wanted to hit, we didn't manage to hit a single ball!" As soon as they left the Wildcat Little League team, everyone started chatting as they walked.

"Yeah! But it was Coach Nakani's guidance that was really impressive! He only said a couple of things, and I gained a whole new understanding of base running!"

"Same with defense! The reactions were so fast, I've never seen anything like it! The pitching speed must have been over 100 kilometers per hour, and they could place the ball precisely on the corners. It felt like the strike zone got bigger and the speed faster! Pitching machines and real pitchers are just on a completely different level—so hard to hit!"

"Looks like everyone gained a lot today! But that coach did say your judgment of balls and strikes still needs work."

"It's fine if you can't hit the ball yet. With pitching machines, you need to hit 80 to 90% of the pitches before you're ready to face a real pitcher with the same speed."

"And even then, they'd still only have about a 30% batting average, assuming the pitcher only throws the same type of pitches as the machine. But if they can control the ball to the corners, the difficulty multiplies."

"There are many factors, like the angle of the pitches at the edges of the strike zone."

"Inside and outside pitches come with tricky angles that make it harder to hit. Plus, mixing inside and outside throws can make batters feel like the strike zone is larger than it really is. But that illusion depends on a batter's spatial awareness," Sendo added, joining the conversation.

"That makes sense!"

"So don't worry about it. Spatial awareness can be improved with practice. Over time, even if you can't avoid the illusion entirely, it will gradually get better."

"Today's training was really straightforward. I didn't expect there to be group drills—some people were watching in the bullpen while others rotated for practice on the field."

"That was my idea. That coach isn't sharp enough to come up with something like that. After all, this kind of cooperative training was a first for him," Sendo said.

"Really?"

"Of course!"

At that moment, Sendo noticed someone looking at him with a resentful expression.

"Alright, starting tomorrow, when Shin takes a break, you can help him catch a few balls. It's time for you two to start working together as pitcher and catcher. But don't throw too hard at first, Eijun! Let him gradually get used to your pitching—he won't be able to handle your full power yet."

"I understand!" Sawamura was still happy, despite the caution. After months of waiting, he finally had another chance to pitch!

"Hurry up, or we'll miss the train!"

"Oh!!!"

...

That evening, everyone began their self-practice as usual.

Even Shin caught a few bad balls before reviewing what they learned during the day. Seeing the professional team's practice and hearing the advice from a professional coach—even just a few casual words—had been incredibly beneficial, and everyone was busy reflecting on their experiences.

Self-practice didn't just involve batting; some players were standing with their eyes closed, mentally running through baserunning drills from the day's games.

Even Wakana swung her bat dozens of times!

"Oh, I just thought of something. During group drills, there's still some downtime, right? The outfield group and you two, the pitcher and catcher—why not practice long throws during that time? Even if no one's catching, it'll help with your endurance! Especially you, Eijun! In the tournament, you're our only pitcher!"

"Make sure to rest early and don't push yourselves too hard."

"If your body starts to show any signs of stress, stop immediately—that's your body telling you it's reaching its limit. If you keep going, you'll end up injured. If any of you get hurt, our team won't be able to compete! Got it?"

"Yes!!!"

After everyone agreed, Sendo left the field early. The others usually finished their self-practice after one or two hours, heading to shower and rest.

After all, the only truly passionate one among them was that one fool.

...

At 10 PM, after everyone had finished showering, Fumino went to Sendo's room. Even though he had already helped her study earlier, she felt the need to check on him.

Seeing the empty room, Fumino sighed and said, "I knew it," before heading downstairs and out the door.

... A few minutes later!

Bang!

A tall boy stood in the now-empty batting cage, wearing a helmet.

"As expected!" Fumino said as she opened the door and looked at the figure.

"Fumino? Why are you here?"

"I went to your room looking for you. When I saw you weren't there, I figured you'd be here. You really haven't changed at all—still as stubborn as ever."

"Maybe so. Did you need something? I thought I didn't have to tutor you tonight?"

"That's true. I just wanted to check on you and confirm my suspicions."

"Alright then!" Sendo was indeed stubborn. The lucky hit he made earlier in the day had fooled everyone else, but he couldn't fool himself, and that feeling of frustration had pushed him back into practice.

"So, how's it going?"

"It's still so fast!" he said, raising his bat again.

"I see!" Fumino watched him in silence as he continued to hit.

Whoosh!

Bang!

A ground ball to the infield.

Whiff!

A swing and miss.

Clang!

Thud!

A foul ball behind him.

...

"This is way too fast!" Sendo grumbled after who knows how long of hitting.

However, his frustration was purely internal.

He loved the feeling of the bat making perfect contact with the ball—the sensation of hitting the sweet spot, the recoil, and the thrill of seeing the ball soar far.

It was nothing like when he hit the ball awkwardly or mistimed it.

That being said, grounders and foul balls were becoming less frequent.

He was no longer swinging and missing like at the beginning.

He was getting more solid hits, both infield and outfield, and a good number of balls were being sent toward the home run zone.

While hitting them there would likely count as a home run, the feedback from the batting machine lacked the excitement of the high, far, and fast home runs he had seen with the Wildcat team.

And besides, the machine used softballs, which felt completely different from the hardballs used by the Wildcat Little League.

"Ah!" Fumino yawned softly, sleepily patting her mouth with a small, adorable gesture.

"Are you going to keep playing?"

"Yeah, just a few more hits. I'm feeling frustrated. The more I hit, the worse it gets, and the worse I feel, the more I want to keep hitting! Damn it!!!"

Sendo wouldn't say something dismissive like, "Why don't you just go back?" to Fumino.

Instead, he vented his frustrations without holding back, his mood trapped in a vicious cycle. Only Fumino ever got to see this side of him.

After a while...

"Let's go back!" Sendo said, still visibly annoyed.

"You're done?"

"We have to get up early tomorrow."

"Do you feel better?"

"Not at all!!!"

"...I'll just hit more tomorrow!" He paused for a moment before speaking.

"Alright, we'll continue tomorrow!" Fumino smiled as she responded.

"...Yeah!"

And with that, the two walked back together. Fumino returned to her room to sleep, while Sendo went to take a bath alone.

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