Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

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T/N: The Second Chapter Today!

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At night, the sky was moonless!

The stars shone brightly in the sky; even without the moonlight, silhouettes of people could be faintly seen.

Today, they had just played an intense game, and tomorrow would be the finals of the spring Tournament. Although the members of the Seidou High School baseball club worked hard, they were not pushing themselves to the brink.

Thus, most players chose to return to their dormitory to rest after the meeting.

Even Maezono, who usually trains the hardest, went back this time.

As one of tomorrow's starters, overtraining at this point would be irresponsible to both himself and the team.

Originally, Sawamura and Kuramochi had also returned to their dormitory to sleep. The two first-year Kohais, Nishiyama and Asada, were still practicing, while the other had already fallen asleep early.

Nishiyama was anxious to discuss tomorrow's signs with Ono. As for the other Kohai, he had not yet fully adapted to the training pace at Seidou.

As Senpais sharing the same dormitory, Kuramochi and Sawamura were both concerned about him.

Seeing his dejected expression from the beginning, they initially thought he wouldn't last on the team at all. However, after several weeks of training, he may not have been able to eat three bowls of rice yet, but he was no longer lagging behind in practice.

He was already able to sleep soundly.

The weight and intensity of the workouts were continuously increasing.

Everything seemed to be heading in a good direction.

"This guy's characteristics are a bit similar to Tanpa-senpai. If he's trained well, by his third year, he could become a key player on the team," Kuramochi commented objectively.

Asada!

Sawamura looked at the sleeping face before him, and his thoughts wandered off.

'I hope he can get through this, and I hope he gets better and better.'

"I'll rest first, how about you?"

Sawamura was about to go to bed and said goodnight to Kuramochi.

Kuramochi picked up the bat in his hand, preparing to leave. It seemed like he was going to practice…

'When did this guy become so diligent?'

Sawamura instinctively felt that something was off.

'Could it be romance?'

Although Sawamura wasn't one to indulge in gossip, he was still curious if it involved someone he knew.

Just like Kuramochi!

After watching Kuramochi leave, Sawamura quietly put on his clothes and trailed him from a distance.

Instead of heading to the dam where he usually practiced his swings, he was walking towards the field.

'Could it really be a date? But this late?'

Sawamura's curiosity was instantly piqued.

The field was surrounded by nets, and the gates were locked at night.

So, even though it was the best practice venue, the players couldn't use it for extra practice.

Unless it was for running drills, there wouldn't be anyone there at all. It was one of the few secluded spots around the baseball club.

Some energetic team members also liked to come here for secret meetings after getting together with their girlfriends.

On the lawn, a large sign read:

"No strenuous exercise on the lawn!"

I wonder whose bright idea this was; it's a complete mess.

By the time Sawamura followed Kuramochi to the stadium, he saw that the gate had somehow been opened.

From a distance, under the starlight, it was impossible to see clearly.

But he could still make out a figure wearing the baseball team uniform.

"What are you thinking? Come over if you're curious!"

Just as Sawamura was about to creep closer to see who, Kuramochi waved at him from a distance.

'I am busted!'

Sawamura turned to run.

But considering the speed difference between them, he reluctantly stopped.

Then he stepped forward, ready to greet to see who the heart that Kuramochi managed to snatch.

"It's you?"

Only to see a young man instead of a young woman.

Looking at the young man before him, Sawamura's tone was filled with surprise.

Knowing that Kuramochi doesn't swing the other way; the last thing he expected was this scene before him.

The young man turned out to be someone he knew.

'Han Lee Hyun!'

The international student who had transferred from abroad, who had made quite an impression in the freshman trials.

After the freshman tests, Lee Hyun's presence had dwindled significantly.

After all, he had only recently started playing baseball, and compared to those around him who had been practicing since childhood, the gap was substantial.

He didn't expect this guy to have a good relationship with Kuramochi.

"How did you get the keys to the stadium?"

Sawamura asked curiously.

Sawamura had practiced relentlessly and had once thought about getting the stadium keys to come and practice at night after everyone else retired for the day.

He had tried several methods but ultimately failed.

Lee Hyun looked at Sawamura in surprise. "It's written in the baseball team's management regulations. If you want to use the stadium at night, you can apply to the coach in advance!"

'Eh?'

This was a bit embarrassing.

Sawamura had been at Seidou High School for two lifetimes, and he really didn't know the management regulations of the baseball club!

In his memory, it seemed like the team manager had shown him a glance, and he had just looked at it briefly. He never took it seriously, not expecting it to have such an effect.

"It's a pity you don't want to be a lawyer!" Sawamura smiled bitterly.

Who goes through the trouble of reading the management regulations of the baseball club in detail?

Kuramochi also looked like he was hearing this for the first time.

Sawamura's heart felt balanced instantly; it didn't seem to be an issue with his own intelligence.

It was just that this guy was too odd.

"Tell me, what are you both doing here?"

Sawamura asked curiously.

He was genuinely interested in how Kuramochi had gotten involved with Lee Hyun.

Lee Hyun's presence in the Seidou baseball club was almost non-existent.

Due to Kataoka's instruction, he had been separated from the training of other newcomers during this time.

Unknowingly, everyone seemed to have forgotten that there was such a unique person in their year.

In fact, it wasn't surprising that other freshmen overlooked him.

There were simply too many standout players in this batch, and everyone's attention was naturally drawn to them. Although Lee Hyun had strong talent, he didn't seem to have any immediate hope of making the first string.

Naturally, no one could pay him too much attention.

"Are you practicing stealing bases?"

Sawamura glanced at the scene on the field and had a general guess about what the two were practicing.

"If you want to excel in stealing bases, you can't just rely on knowledge from books. You need a lot of practice. This guy has a unique talent for speed. The only thing he lacks now is practice!" Kuramochi stated frankly.

Sawamura looked at him skeptically.

The time remaining for the third-year Senpais on the team was quite limited. During this period, the third-year Senpais had been training hard, and so had Kuramochi.

'Why not take a break if you have the time? Or keep practicing?'

It always felt a bit odd to waste time on a newcomer like Lee Hyun.

"You all have successors!"

Kuramochi had an extraordinary relationship with Sawamura, and he had no plans to hide it.

With the admission of freshmen, the main positions at Seidou High School had basically found suitable successors.

For example, after Miyuki graduates, his successors could be Yui, Okumura, or even Sawamura's Kohai Matsumoto.

Sawamura remembers that they also had game-calling lessons before Miyuki's retirement, Miyuki also held these small classes even after his retirement all the way to his graduation.

He explained the principles of game calling and leading to these younger boys.

He tried hard to pass on all his knowledge to his Kohais.

Sawamura also had heirs, Nishiyama and Asada.

It was clear that Sawamura was quite fond of these two Kohais in his dormitory and was generous with his advice every now and then.

And because he was a second-year player, he spent more time with these two Kohais, so he provided more detailed instructions.

Among the three, he was the clear-cut No. 1 player at Seidou High School and had yet to find a suitable candidate.

Originally, Kuramochi was more satisfied with Takuma!

But he later discovered that Takuma's personal habits were too prominent, making it hard to inherit his style.

In terms of stealing bases, Kuramochi was quite different from traditional runners. He was in a path of his own and could not merge with other runners.

After choosing carefully, he focused on Lee Hyun, who had outstanding running talent.

Lee Hyun's speed was unmatched throughout Seidou High School.

That wasn't even Kuramochi's greatest satisfaction; what pleased him most was that this guy was a blank slate.

Since he was a blank slate, he could be easily molded.

This was exactly Kuramochi's plan.

Sawamura nodded, understanding Kuramochi's concerns.

When it came to gratitude towards the Seidou High School baseball team, Kuramochi's feelings were no less than Sawamura's.

"If you're going to practice, count me in. If you can break through my and Kuramochi's defenses, don't just think about high school; even in the pros, you'll be working!"

Sawamura's initiative moved Kuramochi greatly.

"Okay!" Lee Hyun had nothing to say; such an opportunity was something he could only dream of.

The moon finally emerged from an unknown corner, overshadowing the stars.

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