Chapter 15: Who is the Captain

Sawamura was clearly overthinking. How could those three freshman catchers feel regret?

Despite their vastly different personalities—Yui being bright and assertive, Okumura calm and composed, and Matsumoto Jun seeming to go with the flow—each of them was brimming with confidence in their own abilities. They weren't focused on one another; instead, their eyes were set on Seidou High School's current main catcher, Miyuki Kazuya.

Right now, they were sharpening his skills in the shadows, preparing to take down this Senpais.

Unbeknownst to them, all the second and third-year players had gathered around this small group of six.

These players were already the absolute backbone of the team. With others flocking to them, this place had turned into a gathering spot for the main team.

"It seems our first string isn't willing to give up their positions to those freshmen," one player remarked.

"Isn't that only natural?" another responded.

"When the Orientation game comes around, we need to teach them a lesson so they understand the difference between high school and middle school," a third added.

"It's easy enough to win just by relying on our strength, but we need to go the extra mile if we want to completely crush them, right?" one of the second-year players murmured.

As much as they didn't want to admit it, they had to acknowledge that this new batch of freshmen posed a genuine challenge.

With their current strength, they felt uncertain about competing against them. There was a real risk of sinking like last year.

"We're aware of this, and Coach Kataoka knows it too; he won't sit back and do nothing," said Oushima, a third-year player, quietly.

As he spoke, he glanced in the direction of the first string.

There was a tradition of horrifying the newcomers at Seidou High School. After all, when Sawamura first joined, didn't Coach Kataoka send three key players from the first string to assist the senior team?

Their demands weren't high; they only needed one of Miyuki or Sawamura to join the team.

If just one of those two core players were allowed in the team, they would instantly become a top-eight team in Tokyo.

With that level of strength facing the freshmen, no matter how talented the newcomers might be, they wouldn't be able to make any significant waves.

When Sawamura finished introducing all the promising freshmen he had met, the players surrounding them fell silent.

These individuals had known Sawamura for a considerable time and understood his personality well.

Although he enjoyed joking around, he generally didn't lie. Especially on matters that concerned everyone's interests, his stance was always very objective.

This meant that there were indeed some freshmen who could pose a threat to them.

While the newcomers appeared quite inexperienced, high school baseball was a magical realm. Once these players adjusted to Seidou High School's training, their abilities would likely improve dramatically.

At that point, it would be hard to determine who was stronger.

"Damn!" Asou's face contorted with frustration.

Currently, he was merely half of a main player at Seidou High School. When Sawamura pitched, he played as a primary outfielder. If Sawamura wasn't pitching, he would remain in left field.

Such a scenario naturally left Asou feeling unsatisfied. However, he had made it to Koshien with his teammates and performed decently there.

Asou still held some small hopes in his heart.

At the same time, he silently vowed to deliver an even more dazzling performance on the Koshien stage next time.

But as it stood, he might not even attend Koshien as a main player, and even his rotation position seemed precarious.

The biggest issue for those gifted freshmen wasn't hitting or pitching skills; those could be honed in standard junior leagues.

Their most significant hurdle was adapting to the pace of high school games. To put it bluntly, they struggled to keep up.

If such rookie players were indeed promoted, leaving them in the infield would be concerning.

So, the most likely place for them was clear.

'The outfield!'

Compared to outfielders Shiratsu and Toujou, Asou's position was anything but stable.

Seidou High School!

Asou genuinely loved this school—everyone in it, the seniors, the classmates...

The only downside was the fierce competition.

Just as he had barely warmed his seat in the main position after sending the third-year Senpais off, the freshmen arrived.

'Was there any room to breathe?'

Sometimes he thought about how great it would be if his skills were so exceptional that he wouldn't have to worry about his position.

Like Toujou and Shiratsu...

Turning to glance at those two outfielders, Asou noticed their expressions were equally tense.

'They felt the same pressure!'

Although Asou thought their positions were slightly more secure than his, they weren't invincible either.

The stress from the new students was palpable.

"Huh, who's afraid of whom?" Maezono, sitting nearby, suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

With a loud bang, everyone turned their attention to him.

"Didn't we prepare ourselves the day we joined Seidou High School? At least for me, I came here to challenge myself. Whether against peers or against Kohais, I won't give my place to anyone!"

Maezono spoke passionately.

Everyone around him was momentarily dumbfounded.

After a moment of thought, they finally grasped Maezono's meaning.

"Yeah!"

"We are not afraid of anyone!"

"I Won't lose to the Kohais either!"

This was definitely not an awkward scene; everyone present erupted into excited applause.

Sawamura scratched his head, watching Maezono being surrounded by everyone, a thoughtful expression on his face.

'The human tenacity can truly be endless.'

'Just like Zono-san!'

From Sawamura's perspective, while this guy had decent skills, he wasn't particularly exceptional.

In terms of potential, he couldn't hold a candle to Haruichi, Shiratsu, or Toujou.

He likely couldn't even compare to Higasa-senpai or Asou-senpai.

Sawamura was serious; to be frank, he thought that in the current Seidou roster, if they were counting down five players based on talent, Maezono would definitely make the cut.

His talent wasn't entirely bad, but it certainly wasn't good either.

It could only be considered average.

With such talent, he could easily be a core batter in a mediocre team. But at Seidou High School, that level of talent fell short.

'He achieved his current status entirely through hard work and determination.'

Originally lacking outstanding talent, he had now secured the sixth position at Seidou High School.

And there was more.

After graduation, not many of these old teammates from Seidou High School would continue in baseball; in fact, very few did.

Maezono, however, was one of those exceptions.

'In the future, he relied on baseball to make a living.'

"Very impressive!" Miyuki mused, not overthinking like Sawamura. He observed the grandstanding Maezono with a complex look in his eyes.

"Sometimes I really wonder who the real Captain is."

"You love saying that sentence, aren't you?"

As Sawamura watched Miyuki and Kuramochi banter, he quietly stood up and slipped away from the main scene.

Maezono's reaction was unexpectedly remarkable.

The words Sawamura had originally prepared paled in comparison; he decided not to waste his breath any longer.

He turned and headed back to the dorm.

The veteran players of Seidou High School's baseball club had mixed feelings about this new batch of freshmen.

On one hand, they were thrilled to recruit such promising talent.

On the other hand, they had to face the competition from their Kohais.

That's how top teams function: they aspire to reach the heights while also keeping an eye on those below them, ensuring they're not overtaken.

This healthy competition encouraged players to train harder.

If you don't practice while others do, sooner or later, you'll be eliminated.

Fortunately, those who came to Seidou High School had already resolved to dedicate the next three years to baseball.

Those who secured positions naturally didn't want to relinquish them to others. Meanwhile, those who hadn't were eager to ride the bus of Sawamura and the others to Koshien.

In such an atmosphere, the newcomers and veterans inadvertently fueled each other's drive.

They had been training separately until Coach Kataoka returned.

So, despite meeting some of them, most of Seidou's first-string players had never seen the newcomers perform firsthand.

Fields A and B were separated by a net, and the two groups of players trained silently.

They awaited the return of Coach Kataoka for the second round of evaluations.

Sawamura was still banned from pitching for the next few days.

For this reason, he had consulted with Takashima and Ochiai multiple times.

Each time he approached them, both would grab his hands with concern, advising him.

"High school baseball is merely a transition for you. You must adjust your mindset and take care of your injuries. Don't underestimate this period. Even if there are no tough games now, if your hand is injured, you absolutely cannot pitch."

With such earnest persuasion from his coaches, how could Sawamura dare to be headstrong?

He could only comply.

So, until Coach Kataoka returned, Sawamura didn't throw a single pitch.

He had been stifled for days and now felt uncomfortable around everyone.

Fortunately, the freshmen's training regimen was also tedious. They had been practicing running without even working on passing and catching.

In comparison, Sawamura felt somewhat relieved.

When he was down on his luck, seeing others worse off could lighten his mood a bit.

After all, Sawamura was just an ordinary person!

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