Chương 739: Chapter 33: Thanks For Entering Seidou!
After Seidou High School defeated Ichidaisan, they effectively secured the final spot for the Spring Tournament ahead of schedule.
As for the additional match against the sixth-place team from Kanto, not only did the onlookers lose interest, but even Seidou High's own players were assured they would win.
So, after their victory over Sankou, the Seidou High players were exceptionally thrilled.
They roared with excitement, releasing the pent-up energy from their chests.
"Great game!"
"King Seidou!!!"
"Sawamura!"
"Demon King!!!"
"Miyuki!!!"
From the stands, cheers continued to rise.
These cheers addressed nearly every notable player from Seidou High.
Of course, Sawamura and Miyuki were the ones who received the most shout-outs.
If Seidou was a sea of joy, Sankou was a place of despair.
All the Sankou players wore frowns, with some even having tears in their eyes.
After Seidou High's win, their qualification for the Spring Tournament was almost assured.
The Sankou players understood that despite being so close, they had lost their chance at the Spring Koshien.
They had truly lost...
"Don't cry, you played well!"
"Kousei, come back stronger next year."
Although their supporters continued to cheer them on, it couldn't hide the pain in the players' hearts.
The final score was 6-0.
While not a complete crush, the margin was still overwhelming.
After such a heavy defeat, the Sankou players had little to regret but still struggled with sadness and self-blame.
"Boys! This isn't your last chance. What's most important is what you've learned from this defeat. Reflect on it and come back stronger in the next game."
The Sankou Coach, known for his expertise, was adept at uplifting his players and boosting their morale.
After the game, players from both teams shook hands.
The Sankou players offered their congratulations to Seidou's team.
Being from prestigious teams themselves, they maintained a sense of pride. Even though they lost to Seidou High, they genuinely hoped that Seidou would continue to advance and succeed.
What could Seidou's players say in response? They could only reply sincerely, "Thank you!!"
Having experienced their own share of failures, they were determined not to squander this hard-earned opportunity.
Yakushi!
Inashiro!
Hakuryu!
Komadai!
The formidable rivals from across the country, you all better be ready!
After expressing their thanks to the audience, Seidou players lined up neatly and exited Jingu Stadium.
Just after stepping out, Sawamura glanced around in surprise.
'Where had the reporters gone?'
Every time Seidou High finished a game, reporters would swarm like sharks smelling blood.
This had become almost routine for Seidou. Now, having just defeated Sankou and effectively secured the last Spring Tournament spot, there was no reason for the reporters not to be around.
As Sawamura and his teammates wondered about the reporters, a familiar group appeared before them—people they knew all too well.
Kominato Ryosuke!
Isashiki Jun!
Takigawa Chris!
Masuko Toru!
Tanpa Koichiro!
Yuuki Tatsuya!
Almost all of the third-year seniors were there.
They stood in two lines, as if in formation.
"You guys!"
Kataoka, usually reserved with his emotions, found his eyes welling up.
He hadn't expected these seniors to come and offer their congratulations at this moment.
"These lucky guys!"
At that moment, Sawamura's thoughts were a bit off. He looked at the reporters hiding among the crowd.
'They must have thought they got an interesting story!'
And he wasn't wrong. The headline for these magazines and websites the next day will be something like this:
[King Seidou! Legacy And Friendship!]
In elite teams, most players never return to their alma mater after graduation.
The relationship between top players and elite teams is generally a mutually beneficial one. The players help the team win, and the team provides the players with a platform.
Nobody owes anyone.
This is also one reason why the high school baseball system is often criticized.
Children are always pure, but becoming so practical-focused can make a lot of people uncomfortable.
But Seidou High School did things differently.
Retired seniors came back to congratulate the team.
Just thinking about it shows how touching it is.
Even outsiders are moved by this, let alone the Seidou High School players themselves.
The moment the team was out of the corridor, the third year greeted them.
"Congratulations, Superintendent!!"
"This is our second time in Koshien, and now we've won the championship twice in a row!"
"This time, we must defend our title!"
"Coach Kataoka!"
"Wow!"
The third-year seniors expressed their most heartfelt congratulations to Coach Kataoka and the team. Their joy and happiness were genuine, and they were truly thrilled for their coach.
Getting Seidou High School to this point had been incredibly challenging. It had been a long and arduous journey.
They had endured hardship, but the rainbow after the storm was the most brilliant.
Seidou High School's path to greatness had been like this.
To outsiders, understanding the emotion behind this might be difficult. But the Seidou High School players knew exactly what it meant.
Seidou hadn't always been smooth sailing. In the past, they had several years without making it to Koshien.
The pressure on the players was immense, and as the team's Coach, Kataoka faced even greater pressure.
Tokyo is such a magical place, being the center of the country.
Playing baseball here, even with all your efforts and all the support you can get, all of that may not guarantee results.
Previous Seidou High teams weren't lacking in talent or effort, they always fell just short, missing out on Koshien.
Though they never achieved results, it didn't mean that Seidou High's players and coaches didn't work hard.
In fact, no one understands better than Seidou's players how tough it was for Kataoka.
In the face of relentless pressure, only their Coach could stay true to his principles and persist.
It's precisely because of his perseverance that Seidou High School produced so many renowned professional players.
These players could only grow to where they are now because of it.
Maybe Kataoka had some shortcomings in guiding the team, but this didn't diminish the heartfelt respect of the third-year seniors.
They were fortunate to win the Koshien championship with their Coach and fulfill their dream of the National Championship.
When they heard that their juniors lost to Inashiro, they also felt a pang of disappointment.
But that disappointment was born from a desire for improvement.
Their feelings for the baseball team and Coach Kataoka remained unchanged.
Seeing their efforts recognized was a huge comfort for Coach Kataoka.
His eyes were wet, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
'You guys!'
Because he too was very proud of them.
With how they first looked when they entered the team, he was so worried that this would be the end of Seidou.
They were clumsy, unskilled, barely talented, and a complete mess of recruits.
Moreover, this was during his struggle as a new Coach, where he couldn't make any achievements. Thus, it was beyond worrying for him, it was simply disheartening.
His only way forward was to make a decent team out of them, but he did it not only for himself or Seidou but for the players' own good.
So he pushed them hard, and became extra strict with them, hoping that they could understand and become better players and people.
And they didn't disappoint him.
They persisted, struggled, trained hard, and fought harder. Until they become what they are now.
Looking at them now, the weak, clumsy, and simply hopeless student of his are now the National Champions, the Shining Stars, and more importantly for him, a better people, made him so proud that Kataoka couldn't stop the feeling in his heart.
Tears welled up in Coach Kataoka's eyes, and he could no longer hold them back.
He bowed deeply to the students he had personally trained.
"Thank you for listening to my guidance over the past three years!!
Thank you for coming to Seidou!!
The brilliance you've created has been seen by everyone in the country!!
The spirit you've left behind is also inspiring the current players!!
Thank you all!!!"
"Coach!"
Coach Kataoka's words deeply moved the third-year seniors. Overwhelmed with emotion, they rushed forward, surrounded him, lifted him up, and tossed him into the air.
This was their way of expressing their gratitude to Coach Kataoka, as words alone couldn't capture their feelings.
Behind them, the current main players of Seidou High School were also deeply touched.
Coach Kataoka's words weren't just for the third-year seniors but for them as well. They were very excited.
What they had learned and inherited from the third-year seniors profoundly influenced them, making them understand their own shortcomings and the direction they needed to work on in the future.
'I will definitely not lose to my Senpais!'
At this moment, they made this resolve.
The reporters around them went wild with their cameras.
What could be a better story than this?
The overwhelming strength of Seidou High School had been made clear to all the fans in the country. Now, it was up to the Seidou High School players to show their softer side.
Players with a human touch from Seidou High School were sure to win even more fans.
As the reporters scribbled away, Coach Ochiai, standing behind Coach Kataoka, was deeply moved.
'I'm so envious!'
Despite his lengthy coaching career, Coach Ochiai had never encountered such a situation.
Not only had no graduates ever gathered to offer him collective blessings, but even the players who visited him regularly never did.
From this perspective, he felt he had failed as a person.
Coach Kataoka certainly had a charisma that he couldn't match.
This generation of Seidou High School would likely become one of his fondest memories.
Coach Ochiai pondered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
At this moment, the reporters were quite tactful. They refrained from disturbing Seidou High School's celebration.
After blessing Coach Kataoka, the seniors also offered encouragement to the juniors.
"Miyuki, you're becoming more impressive!"
Chris patted Miyuki on the shoulder. The U18 had ended, and he would soon head to the U.S.
During this period, Miyuki had been like a persistent shadow, always by his side.
Back when Miyuki had just joined the team, he had ambitiously sought to take the main catcher position from Chris.
Unexpectedly, Chris got injured, and Miyuki was quickly promoted to be the main catcher of the new Seidou High School.
Although he was fortunate, Miyuki had always felt a deep regret.
He never had the chance to compete head-to-head with Chris for the catcher position.
He felt somewhat unworthy of the position.
Though Chris had returned from his injury by the summer of Miyuki's second year, fulfilling Miyuki's long-held wish, their actual time together had been too short.
Miyuki felt he still had much to learn.
As Chris was about to leave, Miyuki desperately wanted to gain more insights from his senior.
"There will be other opportunities! As long as you keep pursuing baseball, we will meet again—perhaps next time as opponents rather than teammates!" Chris said with a smile.
Not only Miyuki but Maezono and Kuramochi also received encouragement from the third-year seniors.
As vice-captains of the new team, their leadership was essential for future success.
Of course, the most surrounded by the seniors was Sawamura.
Yuuki, Tanpa, Isashiki Jun, Kominato Ryosuke, and Masuko—all the core third-year players, except for his mentor Chris—had gathered around Sawamura.
"What's wrong?"
Unknowingly, Eijun found himself at the center of attention again.
Although he felt a bit uneasy, to others, this scene seemed completely natural.
Tetsuya put his fist on Sawamura's heart.
"Do your best!"
"Go higher, you kid!"
"Don't lose to others like that again, or I will come back to terrorize you!"
"Take care of your health, Sawamura-chan!"
"We are rooting for you!"
"Take the Coach to the Championship again!"
The third-year seniors gathered around Sawamura saying their words to encourage him.
They knew they were putting more hope on his shoulders, but they also knew that Sawamura would handle it.
The memories of their time with Sawamura echoed in their minds.
There was a unique bond between the third-year Senpais and Sawamura. They were not just Senpais and Kohais but close teammates and rivals.
It was because of Sawamura's presence that the third-year seniors had been able to achieve so much.
Therefore, in the end, all their feelings were condensed into one sentence.
"Thank you for coming to Seidou!"
If it weren't for Sawamura, whether the third-year seniors would have been able to defeat Inajitsu and advance to Koshien would have been a huge unknown.
Without Sawamura, whether they could have grown to the point of being star players would have been equally uncertain.
To achieve Seidou's long-standing wish, there was certainly a credit to be given to them, as well as to Sawamura.
So, the third-year Senpais sincerely thanked Sawamura and were grateful that he chose to come to Seidou High School.
Unknowingly, Sawamura's eyes also grew moist.
He had only intended to make up for past regrets but hadn't expected to receive so much gratitude from the Senpais.
It was deeply gratifying to know that others understood and appreciated his efforts.
…
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