บท 2: <2> Talent (1)
Chapter 2: Talent (1)
In his previous life as a sports anime fan, Sendo had a decent understanding of baseball, even if it was just the most basic rules.
He couldn't play, but he wasn't completely clueless.
Overall, Sendo held high expectations for his time in little league.
Sendo was also enjoying the laid-back final semester of his third-grade year.
In April, on the first day back to school after spring break, Sendo arrived at the Tokyo Wildcats' little league camp by himself.
"I'm Nakani, the Wildcats' little league coach. Are you all this year's new recruits?
Let's start by introducing ourselves!"
"Akado Elementary, Sato Mei, pleased to meet you!"
"…"
"…"
"Teiko Elementary, Sendo Akira, I'm a beginner at baseball, nice to meet you!"
Sendo was the last to introduce himself.
There were more than ten new members, a testament to the strength and professionalism of the Wildcats' little league team.
"Now, let's begin infield practice! Line up, veterans first, and new members, watch closely."
The infielders lined up in a long row, followed by the new recruits. The coach hit balls, and the infielders practiced catching and throwing to the first baseman.
Even the experienced new players hadn't been through this level of training. Most of them would wait until the ball had almost stopped rolling before attempting to throw it.
When it was finally the new recruits' turn after the veterans, they put on a comical display—some missed entirely, others hit only the edge of their gloves, and beginners like Sendo, though lucky enough to have the ball bounce into their gloves, still fumbled it.
But no one in the upper grades laughed at them. They were beginners, and very young, after all.
The older players had all gone through the same experience. While prestigious teams were harsh, they were also very patient with newcomers.
Everyone had to catch at least ten balls.
Sendo was last. His personality tended to gravitate toward more marginal positions in situations like this.
The first ball wasn't far away, and Sendo quickly moved up to meet it.
It took a bad hop just as everyone thought he would miss it.
But Sendo's right hand swiftly shifted, and the ball landed perfectly in his glove.
Since Sendo hadn't yet chosen a specific position and didn't have his own glove, he was borrowing one from the team.
It wasn't as stiff as a new glove, so it was easy to catch the ball and quickly transfer it to his left hand to throw it to the first baseman. The first baseman didn't even have to move his glove as the ball smoothly landed with a satisfying "pop."
As murmurs of "Wow, impressive!" spread among the onlookers, Coach Nakani's eyes lit up.
Sendo's father had mentioned when signing him up that besides hitting a ball once at a local batting center, Sendo had never played baseball and had little interest in it.
However, other parents at the batting center had remarked that he had a natural talent for hitting.
Sendo didn't usually enjoy playing with others, and his father hoped that by agreeing to baseball, Sendo would begin to change.
That catch was purely the result of Sendo's extraordinary reflexes.
And his arm strength was remarkable. While most fourth graders could only throw the ball halfway to the first baseman, needing a bounce to get it there, Sendo could throw it directly into the glove. His control and power were natural gifts.
It was clear he was well-suited to becoming a pitcher, where both speed and power were critical.
The sound of that ball hitting the glove was a sign—few sixth graders nationwide could match him.
"One more ball!" Coach Nakani called out.
Sendo didn't respond verbally, but his eyes made it clear—he was ready.
"What a quiet, introverted kid," Coach Nakani thought to himself.
But his hands didn't slow, and he hit another ground ball, this one faster than before, just like he would for the veteran players.
Moreover, the ball was much harder to catch this time. When the ball left the bat and came towards him, Sendo reacted instantly, spinning and charging forward to catch and throw it.
Pop!
Once again, the ball landed perfectly in the first baseman's glove.
"No way!" This time, Coach Nakani was truly astonished.
If it weren't for his 10+ years of coaching experience and his background in professional baseball, he might not have realized the gravity of what he had just witnessed.
But precisely because of that experience, he knew how terrifying Sendo's talent really was.
Yes, terrifying.
From what he could tell, as soon as the ball left the bat, Sendo had already begun moving, meaning that right after seeing the ball leave the bat, he was able to predict its landing point and speed.
This indicated that Sendo's dynamic vision allowed him to easily track the ball's trajectory and make quick judgments about where it would land.
His calm expression even suggested he could precisely gauge the timing, showcasing an almost inhuman sensitivity to differences in speed.
Such reflexes were like a godsend for an infielder, and just as valuable for a hitter.
With this kind of ability, he wouldn't have to worry about speed differentials between fastballs, changeups, and breaking balls like other batters do. He would only need to focus on weak points and trajectory. And given his talent for tracking trajectories, his spatial awareness, and his dynamic vision, he had an extraordinary gift for hitting as well.
It was as if he could simulate everything in his mind, then aim for the exact intersection of the ball's path and the bat, making hitting seem effortless.
As long as his ability to handle fast speeds was high enough, his innate talent would be game-breaking.
Combine that with the explosive power he'd shown earlier, and his dynamic talent would make him a nightmare for any pitcher.
Of course, these were just Coach Nakani's personal assessments, but he was already extremely excited to find out just how far Sendo's natural gifts could go.
At the same time, he felt lucky—had Sendo received formal training earlier, it would have been harder to discern these raw abilities.
By then, people would have known he was good, but they wouldn't have known why.
"One more ball!" Coach Nakani shouted, increasing the difficulty for Sendo. The balls came at him faster and faster. By the fifth ball, Nakani accidentally put too much force into it, and the ball shot past Sendo before his body could even react.
To be precise, Sendo had reacted, but his young body simply couldn't keep up. His eyes followed the ball, turning his head, but his body stayed motionless.
"What is this coach doing, going crazy or something?" Sendo grumbled internally.
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