Chapter 27 : Hell Week II
"Damn! I know I am bad, but I don't know I am that bad." Sawamura cursed out loud. Furuya nodded gloomily, sharing the sentiment.
It had been three days since the training camp started, yet their performance was abysmal. In physical training, they always lagged behind, couldn't keep up with the pace. Hell, even Haruichi, the petite boy who looked the weakest out of the three newcomers could adapt faster than the two pitchers. Now, Sawamura and Furuya were the burden who held back the team.
Their situation was no better in the fielding training. Some said it was even worse. When they were on the mound, they made a lot of mistakes, whether not knowing how to handle a pickoff runner, being confused about where to throw in a double-play situation, and even unnecessary movement that would cause a balk. And when they were placed as a fielder, let's not describe the disaster they were. They couldn't even track an easy fly ball, for God's sake!
To be honest, they were embarrassed to face the team now. They entered the first team with a lot of doubts, yet they proved that the doubters were right, they were not ready to be on the highest-tier team here. They didn't even know why Kataoka-sensei hadn't demoted them to the second-team or even lower yet.
Fortunately, the senpai on the first team was kind enough to reassure them that it was alright. Since the coach hadn't given up on them yet, they should strive for better improvement, saying that this would be a good experience for rookies like them.
'Even Miyuki was depressed when he joined the first-team for the first time, whining all the time whenever Kataoka-sensei forced him to train in the other position while panting like a dog dying of thirst after the physical training.'
That was what Isashiki said, followed by the laughter of the others. There were also a lot of embarrassing stories about the players who were able to advance through the first-team for the first time like Chris and Kuramochi. Even though the players mentioned were embarrassed, they still let the story run, helping the other put their kouhai at ease.
For Sawamura and Furuya who had never received any guidance from the others since the beginning, having good senpai like them of course was a big help. However, they had no intention of being burdened for too long. They clenched his fists, determined to get better.
"Should we go for another extra training?" Sawamura asked. Even though his body was itching after another day of hard training, it was still better than the humiliated feeling they felt right now.
"I want to throw," Furuya answered shortly.
"Oh, yeah! It has been a long time since we were allowed to throw normally! I forget about that!" Sawamura slapped his forehead.
Even though they stood on the mount several times, it was all for the fielding practice. The last time they trained their pitching was before the camp began. That didn't mean there was no pitching training on the camp, though. But since it was held specially for the pitcher, the coach put this training at the end of the day, when both Sawamura and Furuya had already collapsed. So, it was usually Tanba and Kawakami who would be there.
"Are there pitching training today?"
"No." Furuya shook his head. "Today was an off-day for us. I think it is because Tanba-senpai and Kawakami-senpai were too exhausted and Kataoka-sensei didn't think we would be good enough to join the training."
"Hmm…" Sawamura pondered. "Should we ask Kariba-kun to act as our catcher?" Seeing the blank expression Furuya gave him, Sawamura chuckled in embarrassment, suddenly realized the problem. "Yeah, he cannot handle your fastball. Let's go to that Tanuki's room."
Furuya had a sweat drop on his face, still amazed by Sawamura's boldness in giving the others very strange nicknames. For all he could remember, Sawamura used Spitz-senpai to call Isashiki, Shisou for Chris, Onii-san for Ryousuke, Cheetah for Kuramochi, and even Boss for the coach. Strangely enough, none of them were bothered by it, as if they enjoyed the amusement caused by Sawamura's shenanigan.
If Furuya wasn't an awkward introverted boy, he would like to follow Sawamura's path and join him in calling the others strange names, especially Miyuki. The Tanuki name Sawamura gave was fitting toward his personality, a trickster with a very bad taste. However, he wasn't Sawamura whose speed of the mouth sometimes was faster than the speed of the brain. He could think of a lot of reasons why calling his senpai strange names was a bad idea.
"Well, let's go to his room." Furuya nodded.
They both went out, searching for Miyuki. They thought they would find their glasses senpai on the training field doing more extra practice with the other. However, they were surprised when they met Miyuki on the way to the dormitory, looking fresh after taking a bath.
"You are not practicing?" Sawamura asked, surprised.
"Do I look like a training addict to you?" Miyuki retorted, wiping his hair dry with a towel.
"I thought all the senpai like to do extra training. It seems you are the odd egg here. I shouldn't be surprised though, that it is you who have the problem with training." Hearing Sawamura criticizing him, Miyuki twitched his mouth in annoyance.
"It was already dark outside, so there shouldn't be anyone else doing extra practice now." Sawamura and Furuya were stunned for a second, looking up to the sky, and just by then they realized that the sun had already gone from the sky. "And you don't have the right to criticize me now. Do it when you are at least good enough to be on the mound." He threw the jab at Sawamura and Furuya at the same time, making fun of their terrible performance during the camp.
"That's what we are trying to do!" Sawamura whined. "We are searching for you before to ask if you want to accompany us doing extra pitching training. But since you have already taken a bath, it seems we have to find another catcher here."
Miyuki raised one of his eyebrows slightly, turning around to Furuya, silently asking for confirmation. When he saw the Hokkaido pitcher nod, he couldn't help but ask, "You both want to pitch now? Weren't the two of you dead tired after the base running training before?"
"Yeah! I want to throw at least one pitch!" Sawamura exclaimed.
"Then, I will do at least ten," Furuya added.
"What?! Then, I will do 15!"
Hearing those two bickering with each other, Miyuki flummoxed, then laughed out loud. "Hahaha! How interesting!" He shook his head. 'Those two didn't even see if I was willing or not. They just assumed I would accompany them whenever they wanted. They really are egoist bastards.' The wry mixed with amusement on his smile.
"Well, since you are so energetic, how about coming to my room? Oh, take a bath first, okay?"
"Eh?" Sawamura tilted his head. "Are we going to pitch in the room?"
"Whatever it is, just go bathe first! Quick!"
"Okay, okay!"
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It took about ten minutes for Sawamura and Furuya to take a bath. Recognizing their fresh state, both pitchers realized they wouldn't go for extra practice. Even though a bit reluctant, they were still going to Miyuki's room, driven by curiosity. When they arrived though, the door was slightly open and by the sound inside, they could guess there were crowds gathered in the room.
"Excuse me.." Sawamura knocked on the door for both him and Furuya. To their surprise, they could see almost all the senpai from the first team there, chatting and laughing with each other.
"Oh, you are finally here! Quick, come in!" Miyuki grinned, rose from the floor. Then, he whispered to them, "The two of you still have a lot of energy to burn, right? That's good! It is so troublesome when they gather in my room every day."
"Oi, first year! Come here and give me a massage!" Isashiki who used the bed there to lie down and relax shouted at them.
"Oh, before that, Sawamura, buy us juice! Ask Isashiki-senpai for the money! I want an orange one!" Kuramochi interrupted, his eyes still on the TV as he played a game with Hiroto.
"Oh! That's a good idea!"
"Before that, do any of you know how to play Shogi?" Tetsu asked, in front of him was a shogi board.
"No." Furuya shook his head quickly.
"U-Um… I know the basics of the game... Grandpa taught me how to play when I was a child." Sawamura answered.
"Good." Tetsu nodded, satisfied. "The juice can wait later. Sit down first and play with me. Yoroshiku onegaisimashu."
"E-eh?! Yoroshiku onegaisimashu!" Sawamura also bowed, inwardly cried. 'That's why that Tanuki bastard asks us to be here! He wants to throw us to the wolves!' Furuya's fate was similar to him as the quiet pitcher had to give Isashiki a massage on Miyuki's bed. The two of them glared at Miyuki angrily, yet didn't dare to make any complaints.
"Don't look at me like that." Miyuki chuckled. "Tetsu-san has always come to my room every day, so I have to play shogi with him almost every night. Then, I have to give a massage to Jun-san too. Sometimes, Ryousuke-san would join the fun too, playing games with Kuramochi and Hiroto. And yes, it is Masuko who sleeps on the bed next to mine. It is so troublesome for me to handle it alone, so I bring you to tag along. Besides…." He paused, smiled genuinely. "Is it good for you to know who exactly are the people who defend for you when you pitch?"
Sawamura and Furuya were stunned, somehow felt touched by Miyuki's thoughtfulness. 'So, it is because he wanted to let us know more about these people that he… It seems we are wrong about him….'
Unfortunately, that illusion was shattered by Miyuki himself a second later, when he walked away from his own room. "Well then, I will leave the rest up to you guys! I will be going to sleep in the other room! Bye!" He ran away quickly, his mischievous giggle could be heard echoing in the hall.
"Eh?! Wait here!"
"What's wrong, Sawamura-kun?" Before Sawamura could get away and chase Miyuki, Tetsu stopped him. "Quick, make a move!"
"Oi, Furuya! Come here! Massage my foot!"
"Sawamura, quick! Go and buy some juices for us! Oh, and biscuits too while you are at it!"
'That Tanuki bastard!' Sawamura cried comically. 'How could he just run away and throw us into a pack of wolves like this?!'
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"Furuya-kun! Sawamura-kun!" Chris called the two pitchers when they were doing their morning physical training with the team a day after that. "You will be going to the bullpen in the afternoon, so prepare yourselves!"
"Eh?" Sawamura who was still panting after running around the field for the sixth time was stunned, Chris's words weren't registered in his head as quickly as possible. It was still better than Furuya though, who collapsed on the ground from the exhaustion. However, when those words finally sunk in, their faces lightened up in joy. "Really? Are you sure we can finally throw, Shisou?!"
"Yeah." Chris nodded, smiled at them. He knew how hard those two worked in the last few days to meet the requirement set by Kataoka-sensei.
"You both look like you are about to collapse from fatigue, though." Haruichi teased. "Are you sure you want to do more practice?"
"What do you mean by that, Haruichi!" Sawamura cried. "There is no way this Nagano pitcher will collapse just by this training! And it is pitching training, you know?! Do you understand how important it is for us?" Seeing Furuya also nodded in agreement, Haruichi just chuckled, leaving them both in their own world.
"So, who will be our catcher? Is it you, Shisou?"
"No." Chris shook his head. Then, a muscular figure suddenly appeared from behind.
"That would be me Brats," Miyauchi said coldly. "Any problem with that?"
"Oh, no, Senpai!" Sawamura shook his head quickly.
"Good. I will wait for you in the bullpen. Don't be late." The two pitchers stared at Miyauchi as their senpai walked away without giving any hint of emotion.
"Do you know that Miyauchi volunteered to be your catcher?" Chris suddenly said.
"Eh?"
"Even though he is not as loud as the others, Miyauchi is probably the most competitive person on the team. In fact, if not for Miyauchi, Miyuki wouldn't probably work as hard as he is right now. Miyuki knows once he is careless and makes a mistake, Miyauchi will always be ready to replace him."
Sawamura and Furuya were dumbfounded, starting to see Miyauchi in a different light.
"So, when he heard that you both have an interesting style, he wanted to catch it himself, trying to figure out what is so interesting about it." Chris suddenly smirked before continuing, "And it is rare for him to get excited like this. So, don't disappoint him, okay?"
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BAAAAM!!!
The sound of the ball hitting the mitt could be heard even from the outside of the bullpen. If anyone novice in baseball heard that, they would wince unconsciously, imagining how hurt their hand was after catching that cannonball. However, Miyauchi was an experienced catcher. He didn't even flinch when the ball suddenly appeared in front of him, catching and framing it perfectly in the strike zone.
"What happened, Furuya-kun?" Chris who held the radar gun to measure the speed of the ball couldn't help but frown. The number shown by that tool was 147 km per hour, which was already impressive for any high school pitcher. However, Chris had already seen Furuya throw the ball at 155 km per hour, and based on what Miyuki said, his top speed was 159 km per hour, the standard of top pitchers in the Major League. That was why Chris wasn't impressed with Furuya's pitch earlier.
"Are you worried that Miyauchi couldn't catch the ball?" Chris asked knowingly. He didn't need to see Furuya's reaction to know he was right. "Don't worry, just go all out. Miyauchi is a capable catcher."
"Um." Furuya nodded, wiping off the sweat on his forehead.
Little did Chris know that he got it wrong this time. It wasn't like Furuya deliberately threw the ball slower than usual, but due to his exhausted state, he couldn't exert the maximum power from his body.
"Damn, I really need to improve my stamina." He muttered.
Seeing Furuya in a dazed state and Sawamura wasn't in a better condition to continue, Chris knew he had to drop the bomb to motivate them better. "For today and tomorrow, you will be allowed to practice pitching in the bullpen together with fielding practice to condition yourself. In that short period, you need to strive for improvement, because Kataoka-sensei would observe your condition. If he thinks you are ready, he will give you both chances to play in the Saturday match."
It took a few seconds for his words to register through those two heads. But once it sunk in, shock, disbelief, and excitement suddenly mixed into a complex expression on their face,
"A match?! Are you serious, Shisou?!"
"Of course, I am," Chris answered. "It was all Kataoka-sensei's word, and I am just the messenger here."
Sawamura and Furuya looked at each other for a second, determination burned through their eyes. "Yosh! I will work harder before Saturday! Furuya, if you are too tired to play, you can just sit on the bench and watch me do the job!"
"You? No chance." Furuya snorted. "Senpai, can I throw again?"
"Not yet. You will take turns with Sawamura." Chris smiled, knowing his strategy worked. "Sawamura, are you ready?" He called.
"Yes, Sir!" Sawamura grinned, excited. He started his windup before unleashing the ball. Miyauchi who was on the other side was ready to catch it. However, to his surprise, the ball suddenly disappeared from his sight, and before the catcher could react, it flew straight toward his face. Fortunately, the ball missed a few inches from his face, preventing Miyauchi from an unnecessary injury.
The third-year catcher was too stunned to react. He was frozen on the spot, not knowing what to say. The sound of the ball whizzing as it passed his ears was still fresh in his memory, when he suddenly recalled what Hiroto said about Sawamura.
"If you are his catcher, always be careful with his breaking ball. It is so volatile and only changes its direction when it is within the batter's reach. When he can control the ball better, he will be a pitcher worthy compared to Narumiya, especially in breaking ball."
At first, Miyauchi thought Hiroto overestimated Sawamura because of their friendship. However, after feeling the taste of the pitch by himself, he knew that what Hiroto said didn't do justice to the real thing.
"Interesting, right?" Chris's voice snapped him from his thoughts. When Miyauchi glanced at the catcher, he widened his eyes, couldn't believe the number he saw on the radar gun.
'Only 137? I swear it is faster than that!'
"It is in his windup," Chris answered his silent question. "He kept his body tight until the last moment before starting to turn around and throw the ball. It doesn't help that he is a pitcher with quick windup, making it easier for him to mess up the batter's timing."
Miyauchi was also an experienced catcher, so just based on Chris's short explanation, he could understand the principle behind Sawamura's pitching. It only astonished him more, though. It was his first time seeing a pitcher, a completely rookie pitcher with a unique weapon on him, ready to unleash whenever the team needed. He knew that if developed right, Sawamura would be the secret weapon for Seido in critical situations.
"You are right, Chris." A small grin formed on Miyauchi's stoic face. "He is indeed interesting."
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After about an hour and a half in the bullpen, Sawamura and Furuya finally went back to the field, joining the fielding training with the rest of the team. They didn't last long, though. It only took 45 minutes for them to collapse before Kataoka-sensei kindly asked them to step aside and watch their senpai.
The same fate couldn't be said for those senpai, though. Despite the exhaustion, even though the sun was about to go down and the sky started to get dark, Kataoka didn't show any sign of stopping the training. He kept blowing the whistle constantly, reminding his players to keep going.
"Come on, Kuramochi! Where is the laughter you have on the lunch before?!"
"Shirasu, Come on! I cannot hear your voice!"
"Masuko! Miyuki! Keep moving! Don't stop now!"
Sawamura, Furuya, and Haruichi who were only included for half of the training were still down on the ground, didn't have the energy to even curse the coach. This was a rude awakening for them that they still had a long way to go if they wanted to be regular.
"This… This is… Crazy…." Sawamura lay down on the ground, sweat drenched all over his shirt.
"Yeah…." Haruichi nodded, his condition wasn't that better. "Even Onii-san looks horrible, and he is a stamina monster. No wonder this was called a hell week."
Furuya also nodded in agreement. For those three, since they were not from a good middle school team, they had never been exposed to intense training like this. Today was the first day they felt they could vomit because of baseball. Fortunately, Kataoka took pity on them and let the three newcomers finish the training far earlier than their senpai.
Now that they were done with their training, all they ever wanted was to have a cold shower and go to bed as quickly as possible. However, when they saw the unfriendly gaze of the second team's players, they threw away that thought immediately.
Those three knew that a lot of senpai were not convinced by Kataoka's decision to choose them to fill up the list of the first team. Now that they did horrible in the camp, the minor voice from the outside would be aired once again, which to be honest would make them feel uncomfortable.
"We need to show them our worth the next Saturday." Sawamura clenched his fist.
"Yeah." Furuya nodded.
Compared to Kominato who had a solid basic ability, Sawamura and Furuya were completely amateurs in all the things except for pitching. And even in pitching, their ability was still full of flaws, making them have the most doubters out of all the first-team players. Even though they won their place fair and square, they still have a lot to prove on the pitch.
"Come on, Hiroto! This is not over yet!" Kataoka's sound roared all over the field.
"Yes…. Coach…." Hiroto gritted his teeth.
"Ryousuke, what happened?! Where is your smile?! And Isashiki, is that how I teach you how to catch the ball?!" Kataoka kept roaring, sweat rolled down his face. His eyes then landed on the captain, the proud disciple of his. "Are you going to give up now, Yuuki?"
Even though it wasn't a shout like how the coach treated the other, his words stung more for Tetsu. The captain suddenly recalled the memory when he was called to the coach's office the time when he was given the captain status.
"I don't need you to handle everything in this huge team perfectly. You just need to lead everyone with your performance."
Recalling what the coach said, Tetsu gritted his teeth, knowing that it was for this time Kataoka-sensei gave him the captain status. With a lot of struggles, he rose from the ground, holding his knees to support him standing.
"One… More…." He panted, struggling to keep his breath steady. However, it wasn't enough to hold him back as determination flared through his eyes, showing his warrior spirit to his teammates. "Please… Hit another one over here, Sensei…"
The people who watched from the sideline were speechless, some even shed tears, touched by the captain's spirit. Then, even with their struggle, one by one, all the players on the field rose from the ground, following Tetsu's example.
"Come here…. Sensei…"
"Huff… Come…"
"ORAAAAA!!!!"
Seeing that even exhaustion couldn't hold back his players' spirit, a small smirk formed on Kataoka's face, his eyes that were hidden underneath the sunglasses glinted in satisfaction.
"Okay! This will be the last ball! Keep yourselves focused till the end!"
"Yes, Sir!
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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 36, 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 174 on that page.
Thank you for your support! I appreciate it! :)
-Zeta Faes-