Chapitre 70: <70> A Small World, Two New Monsters
Chapter 70: A Small World, Two New Monsters
The next day, since they were just going to watch the game, the meet-up time wasn't too early.
"Looks like everyone is here!"
"Yeah, now we just need to wait for Sano-sensei's bus, and we can head out!"
All ten of the team members, including Sendo, were dressed in casual clothes. After storing their baseball gear in the clubroom, they waited on the field since they would have to practice after watching the game.
"Here it comes! A bus! This must be the one Sano-sensei arranged, right?"
Sure enough, a bus approached and came to a stop right in front of them.
"Everyone, get on board!" Sano called out, poking his head out of the bus window.
"Let's go, everyone!" Sendo commanded.
"Yeah!!!" The group cheered as they got on the bus one by one.
"Hey, Sano-sensei, where did you rent this bus from?"
"What do you mean? This is our school's bus!"
"No way!" The team members were quite surprised. Akagi Junior High School had been struggling with low enrollment in recent years, with rumors circulating about it possibly shutting down.
"Well, we are a public school. Even though there aren't many students, we still have a school bus. It's old, but it's far from being scrapped!"
"Awesome! With this bus, we could even go on away games!" Sawamura said excitedly.
Smack!
"Idiot! What are you babbling about? There's no way we'd need to go that far for matches!"
"Stop hitting my head! It'll make me dumber!" Sawamura complained, repeating something he must have heard somewhere.
"Don't worry; you can't get any dumber. Now sit down properly!"
"Tch!" Although annoyed, Sawamura obeyed and sat down, but he made a show of clicking his tongue at Sendo in protest.
...
The ride was uneventful, and soon enough, the bus arrived at Tokumei Academy's campus. They spotted another bus already parked there.
"Looks like the Sakura Girls' team is already here. Has the game started yet?" Takada asked curiously before the bus even stopped.
"No way. Teams usually warm up before a game, and Sano-sensei already made arrangements with Tokumei's coach. They wouldn't start without us," Sendo replied.
"That makes sense!"
"Alright, everyone, let's get off the bus!"
A Tokumei student was already waiting for them, having kept in contact with their coach.
"Excuse me, are you the students and coach from Akagi Middle School?"
"I'm the club advisor, Sano. However, the coach is actually this kid, Sendo Akira!"
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry! Please, come this way!" The student, without asking further questions, led them inside.
...
"I'm sorry we're a bit late. I'm Sano from Akagi Junior High School. Thank you so much for letting us watch the match today!"
"No problem at all! I'm Yashiro, the coach of Tokumei. Nice to meet you!"
"Hello, I'm Mitani, the coach of Sakura Girls. Pleased to meet you!"
"Sendo!" Sano called him over after the introductions.
"I'm not much of a baseball expert, so this is our team's coach, Sendo Akira!"
"Aren't you a player?" Coach Yashiro of Tokumei looked surprised.
"This kid isn't that interested in baseball, but in elementary school, he was a player at a prestigious Tokyo youth team. He's childhood friends with many of our current players, so he came to help us out as a coach."
"I see!"
"Wait a moment! Did you say you're from Akagi Junior High School?" Mitani, who initially didn't pay much attention when Sano introduced himself, suddenly perked up when he heard the school's name again, especially after hearing Sendo's name.
"Yes, that's right!"
"Well, this is quite the coincidence!"
"Huh?"
Not only Sano but also Coach Yashiro was curious, so they both waited for Coach Mitani's explanation.
"Here's the thing: I was actually planning to contact Akagi Middle School for a practice match!"
"What?! Why…? We got eliminated in the first round of the summer tournament!" Sano was shocked.
"Let me mention one name, and you'll understand: Tokyo Seiwa Middle School! A few days ago, we had a practice match against them, and I heard about your team. Sendo-kun, you were coached by Nakani, right? I'm envious!"
"Speaking of which, I often consult Nakani-san when I'm in Tokyo! He's a highly respected mentor, a renowned coach, and a former Major League player. I have immense respect for him! So, naturally, I'm very interested in his only disciple. The practice match with Seiwa also had something to do with this connection. I heard you defeated Seiwa—that's quite a formidable team! Coach Takei even mentioned you a few times. You're very impressive, Sendo-kun!"
Though Coach Mitani praised them, he chose not to mention that Seiwa was shut out in their loss. After all, even though his team was the national runner-up, it wasn't an easy task to defend against a standard middle school team. The gap between male and female players is still quite significant.
"You're too kind, Coach Mitani. But honestly, having a practice match against a team like ours doesn't seem very beneficial for you, does it?" Sendo replied humbly.
"No, no! Sendo-kun, you're underestimating the current state of baseball in Japan! The physical differences between male and female players are significant, of course. We play softball, and while there are boys' baseball teams only at the middle school level, the talent in middle school baseball these days is no joke, even if we exclude the players participating from elite youth teams."
"National-level middle school softball teams have players who are already stronger than us. There are even some middle schoolers who can pitch at speeds nearing 130 km/h, which surpasses the speed record in women's baseball."
"Even though their control may be erratic, making it extremely difficult for female players to hit against them, their batting lineups are no joke either! Players who have undergone professional-level training, especially those who are top performers among their age group in youth baseball, are incredibly intimidating."
"We typically play practice matches against male teams of similar skill levels, around the third or fourth level, who don't have elite youth baseball players filling in. Even finding time to schedule such matches is difficult, so we rarely get practice games against strong teams. Seiwa may be a stronger opponent than us, but strictly speaking, they're still in the same tier as our team."
"Besides, Coach Takei is also an outstanding coach who was mentored by Nakani. Given that connection, I'm very interested in you as well. A player who Nakani himself holds in such high regard must be special.'
"Coach Nakani's background is extraordinary; being a former Major League player already gives him a prestigious standing in the baseball world. Not to mention, his coaching is highly reputed. He's a renowned coach for a reason."
"In the Tokyo and Kanto regions, everyone in the baseball community knows him and would likely show him respect," Coach Mitani explained patiently. His interest in Sendo only grew, given that even Nakani, a highly respected figure, held him in such high regard.
"I see," Sendo nodded.
"By the way, Sendo-kun, did you know that there are two exceptional players from two years ahead of you? Although Coach Nakanichi mentioned that those two still couldn't compare to you, I've seen them play, and they're a cut above the rest. That's why I'm very curious about your talent, Sendo-kun," Coach Mitani added, recalling a conversation he had with Nakani, which piqued his curiosity even more about the mysterious Sendo.
"I'm sorry, but I don't really know much about that. I've only played baseball for a month, and I've never paid attention to other players. Besides, I haven't played in a match for over three years," Sendo responded.
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