Chapter 81: An Old Friend

Regarding Akutsu's question, Sawamura really didn't know how to answer.

"You're a smart guy, so guess why?"

Since there was no way to answer directly, Sawamura immediately used a little trick to deal with reporters and asked back.

Akutsu listened for a moment.

Before asking Sawamura Eijun this question, according to Akutsu's estimation, he thought that Sawamura would definitely tell him.

The investigation data is not only Sawamura's performance in the competition but also Sawamura's character, Akutsu has conducted an in-depth analysis.

On the surface, Sawamura Eijun is a perfectionist, but in fact, he is a straightforward person with a typical loud personality.

If Sawamura Eijun loses this match, he may ignore Akutsu because he is in a bad mood.

But Sawamura Eijun actually won. According to his character, he will definitely give the answer right now.

But he didn't.

The issues here are very worthy of Akutsu's study.

After Sawamura asked back, seeing that Akutsu didn't say a word, he also shrugged, waved at Akutsu, and finally left Akutsu with a cool back.

Strictly speaking, Akutsu's analysis was not bad at all, and Sawamura wouldn't mind telling him if he could.

He never minds helping the enemy improve his strength, as long as he improves faster.

It's not Sawamura Eijun's character to hide and tuck.

But what was he going to tell Akutsu?

The most important reason why Sawamura Eijun was able to hit Akutsu's pitches is that he has a wealth of hitting experience, in addition to his own professionally honed batting skills.

With more than ten years of baseball experience, the opponents are the most difficult pitchers in the Major Leagues.

At that time, there were hundreds of pitchers who had played against Sawamura Eijun head-on, and these people were the top group in the world.

Among those people, what kind of opponent has Sawamura Eijun never met?

While they are not exactly like Akutsu, their frame of abilities is the same, even if Akutsu is a special case.

And not just that, if it is the analyses, which player in the MLB hasn't been analyzed to the very bottom?

So of course, Sawamura can deal with a situation like this.

As long as he stands on the strike zone and faces off against the pitchers in an upright manner, Sawamura Eijun can hit a lot of balls.

Practice makes perfect!

However, Eijun had no way to explain this to Akutsu.

And no matter how smart Akutsu is, he will never think of regression.

But before Sawamura moved away from Akutsu, Akutsu talked to him, making Sawamura stop in his place.

"I see."

"When I started playing baseball, I played because I felt like I could interact with my Math Problems, rather than just writing them."

"A game won is a solved problem, a game lost is an unsolved problem, it was fun, and I was happy to enjoy my youth like that."

"I am going to retire completely from playing baseball, and focus only on my study and academics, so I am glad that my final match was such a mysterious equation."

After he said those words, he turned around and left.

'Is this his way to say that he enjoyed the game?' Sawamura thought looking at him puzzled.

***

After the game, because the draw for the quarter-finals had not yet been held, the players from Seidou High School did not know who their opponents would be next.

Therefore, the school decided to put everyone back in the dormitory first, so everyone went back to rest and recharge their batteries.

They will formulate corresponding tactical countermeasures after the second round of the draw in Koshien is over.

Of course, the press conference this evening is indispensable.

Fortunately, the reporters' interviews were held in the dormitory, not on the field of Koshien, so everyone was spared the hard work of running back and forth.

When they walked out of the lounge, the next team to play had already opened the door and walked in.

Not to mention, he is still an old acquaintance of Sawamura Eijun.

"Hehe, long time no see!"

Looking at Hongou Masamune who walked over with a dark face, the smile on Sawamura's face was unnatural.

Speaking of which, this guy is just a freshman, and he has already come to the stadium to play as the main force of the team.

He wears the uniform of the Komadai Fujimaki and number 18.

A pair of uninterested eyes, looking apathetic.

When he saw Sawamura, the originally uninterested eyes suddenly stared up and became elated.

"Well, long time no see!"

Hongou nodded at Sawamura Eijun, his expression seemed extremely flat.

It's just that his teeth rattled.

"What's up with that look, do you still want to swallow me alive?"

Sawamura didn't care in the face of Masamune, who hated him so much.

Speaking of his fate with Hongou Masamune, it is very strange.

Not to mention the roller costar before Sawamura goes back to the past, and in this lifetime, it is not the first time he has met with the Hongou.

Because there were no formal junior baseball teams in the Hokkaido area, Hongou was also playing in the softball league at that time.

During his middle school days, he faced off against Sawamura Eijun twice.

The first time was when Sawamura Eijun was in second grade. At that time, Akagi Middle School, as a dark horse, entered the national competition for the first time.

In the final, Masamune Hongou was directly beaten by Akagi Middle School because of his lack of physical stamina.

This put his dream of winning the Championship in vain.

In the following year, in the semi-finals of the National Competition, Masamune Hongou met Sawamura Eijun for the second time.

It was really a battle between wills, and he had adapted to the high temperature of Tokyo in summer and performed very well.

It wasn't until the extra inning that Sawamura Eijun got him down.

Hongou Masamune's two losses to Sawamura Eijun were not a matter of skill, but physical stamina.

This is more shameful than losing to Sawamura Eijun.

He was from the countryside of Hokkaido but actually lost in physical strength to Sawamura Eijun, who was from the countryside of Nagano.

Incredible!

Seriously, the two also have same-year rivalry.

It's just that compared to Sawamura Eijun, Hongou Masamune has always been the loser. To put it bluntly, throughout his middle school years, he lived under the huge shadow of Sawamura Eijun.

"Win all the way, I'm looking forward to playing against you again!" Sawamura said.

This Hongou is a typical stuffy gourd. If Sawamura Eijun didn't take the initiative to speak up, it is very likely that this guy would not be able to say a word, and would just boil inside silently.

After saying that they had not seen each other for a long time, the two were stunned for more than ten seconds before Sawamura spoke.

"I will!" Hongou replied with his irritation showing up.

"Okay, I'll wait." Sawamura Eijun said with a wide smile.

Seihou's troubles have just been resolved, and now he has encountered his old rival, Hongou Masamune.

To be honest, none of the opponents in Koshien really made people feel at ease.

The two said a few words and parted ways.

Kuramochi approached Sawamura with a face full of gossip.

"You know each other?"

"Yeah! We are acquainted!"

"What is his position?"

"A Pitcher!"

"How's his strength?"

Kuramochi's questioning was like a series of cannons, and he didn't give him the slightest chance to relax.

"Did you see Akutsu Watari just now?" Sawamura smiled and said.

Faced with this question, Kuramochi's expression suddenly changed.

In this game, he faced off against Akutsu several times, all of which were unsuccessful.

Right now, Kuramochi's heart was simmering with fire when he heard Sawamura's words.

"The level of this Hongou-kun is roughly equivalent to two Akutsu together!"

"….EH?"

The evaluation given by Sawamura Eijun was too high. right now, not only Kuramochi but also other players of Seidou High School in front of them turned their heads in shock and looked at Sawamura intently.

…

T/N: The inspiration for Hongou Masamune is Masahiro Tanaka, the former pitcher of the New York Yankees and currently in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.