Chapitre 71: <71> Sendo Through Nakani's Eyes and the Invitation
Chapter 71: Sendo Through Nakani's Eyes and the Invitation
"I'm sorry! I don't really know much about this! I've only been playing baseball for a month and have never paid attention to other players. Besides, I haven't played in a game for more than three years!" Sendo's response made Coach Mitani understand the situation.
"Yashiro! This is a rare opportunity. You guys don't have much planned for today, right? How about we have a doubleheader?" Coach Mitani proposed after thinking for a moment.
"Sure! But our team's pitchers..." Coach Yashiro agreed, though he voiced his concern.
"It's not what you're thinking. Our Sakura Girls' team will separately face your Tokumei and Akagi Junior High teams," Mitani clarified. As a prestigious girls' team, they certainly wouldn't lack pitchers.
"That's a great idea!" Coach Yashiro agreed.
"We're in too!" Sano glanced at Sendo and, seeing no objections from him, decided to go along.
"But, Sendo-kun, I have one condition!" Coach Mitani paused and looked at Sendo, who returned his gaze unwaveringly.
"To be honest, I've learned about the current state of Akagi Junior High. It's a good team, but not quite a match for us yet. Also, I plan to reserve our ace pitcher for the game against your team. Is that alright with you, Yashiro?"
"Though I'm not fully aware of the situation, since you're saying so, Mitani, I have no objections. I can tell you think highly of Sendo-kun, even though I don't quite understand why. But if it means forcing a reluctant player to step up, I'll fully support it," Yashiro said, recalling his respect for Mitani since their student days.
"So, Sendo-kun, what's your answer?"
At this moment, Sendo widened his eyes, staring deeply at Coach Mitani, clearly lost in thought despite his intense gaze.
"Sorry, Sendo-kun! I'm really curious about just how far your talent can go," Coach Mitani apologized inwardly as he recalled a past conversation with Coach Nakani.
---
"Nakani-san! Those two players are absolute monsters! Among peers, they are undeniably top-tier athletes," Mitani said excitedly in his memories.
"Takigawa Chris Yuu, except for his speed, which rates as a B among junior high players, everything else about him is rated a solid A.
Then there's Zaizen Naoyuki. His pitch speed and batting are also at an A level!," Mitani continued with excitement.
"You're not wrong! These two kids could definitely hold their own if they challenged the major leagues in the future! But Mitani, have you ever seen a true bakemono?" Nakani asked, using the term for a "monster," implying a talent beyond human capability.
"A real one?"
"I've seen it with my own eyes! If those two players have an overall rating of A, then that kid's rating among his peers would be an S that exceeds the limits! Speed S+, arm strength S, pitch speed S, and if his batting is anything like I imagine, it might even be S to S+. A real monster, with nearly maxed-out stats!"
"Really? Does a player like that actually exist?"
"No!"
"Huh?" Mitani initially thought Nakani was joking about a non-existent player.
"That kid stopped playing baseball a long time ago! Four years ago, when he was in the fourth grade, he spent just a month with the WildCats team, and I made him the ace and the cleanup hitter! Recently, he's been working as a full-time coach for a junior high team, even though he's only just started his first year of junior high himself!"
"Why? Was he injured?"
"No! Maybe he just lost interest in baseball."
"Why? If you have that kind of talent, baseball would be incredibly fun! Just thinking about having such talent gets me excited!"
"People who don't have something can't understand if it's good or bad, Mitani."
"Huh?"
"Do you know how to play shogi?" Nakani asked suddenly.
"Yes, I do, but…?" Just as Mitani was about to ask how it was relevant, Nakani spoke again.
"That kid told me something before moving to the countryside."
"If you call him a genius, then even geniuses can be troubled by their talents. Just like a shogi player, a strong player hopes for a worthy opponent who can fully engage them, allowing them to immerse in the thrill and tension of the match. But if the opponent is too weak, the game loses its meaning and becomes incredibly dull."
"That kid isn't particularly interested in baseball and doesn't actively seek out competitors who could match his level. That's why after moving to the countryside and leaving the WildCats, he decided to give up on baseball. But perhaps that's for the best."
"For the best?!" Coach Mitani couldn't accept or understand this statement.
"Yes, if he could endure that sense of boredom and continue playing, it's likely that in all of Japan, there wouldn't be a single opponent who could match him."
"However, if he just maintains basic training and allows his body to develop optimally, he might eventually find rivals to challenge. For instance, these two kids might reach or even surpass his level during their high school years. At that point..."
"That's why I never tried to convince him otherwise."
"But you mentioned he became a coach, right? Why is that?"
"He said it was for his teammates' dreams. Young people's dreams are so dazzling! Perhaps by becoming a coach, his teammates could compete against stronger players on his behalf."
"But knowing him, he's not that simple-minded. He probably just did it for his teammates, just as he said."
"If that's the case, he'll surely find joy in the challenge. Nakani-san, where is that kid now? What's his name?"
"He's at a school called Akagi Junior High in Nagano. His name is Sendo Akira. Recently, they had a practice game against Takei's Seiwa, and the score was 4-3. It seems he's turned his teammates into a solid team."
"Akagi... Sendo..." Mitani silently repeated these names in his mind.
---
Although Mitani's recollection took time, only a few seconds had actually passed.
Coach Mitani hadn't considered the possibility of being refused. In reality, a practice match against Sakura Girls would be a great opportunity for Akagi.
"I accept! There's no reason to refuse for the team's sake!" Sendo replied.
"Sendo, if you really don't want to, it's okay with us," Sawamura said thoughtfully, always caring about his teammates' feelings.
"It's fine! It's not that I dislike baseball; I'm just not particularly interested. Sano-sensei, could you head back and grab our baseball equipment? In hindsight, we should have brought it with us."
"Leave it to me!" With that, Sano hurried off.
"Coach Mitani, while Sano-sensei is fetching the equipment, let's watch the Sakura Girls versus Tokumei match," Sendo suggested.
"Absolutely, let's do that," Coach Mitani agreed.
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