NOVEL NEXT V7_Chapter 1: Victory or Defeat!
V7_Chapter 1: Victory or Defeat!
“GAME! SET!!”
On the massive scoreboard in the stadium, the final score was displayed in large digits:
2:1!
The match between Seidou High School and Inajitsu High School had come to a close.
In the background, the players from Inajitsu High School were collectively raising their arms and almost leaping into the sky, visibly happy and overjoyed.
They certainly had reasons to celebrate!
Inashiro Won!!
They had finally knocked down Seidou High School, previously considered the National Tyrant Team after Sawamura joined.
Besides advancing to the quarter-finals, defeating Seidou High School and avenging their summer loss was enough to make them fulfilled and triumphant.
On the field, the victorious side claimed everything.
Media reporters in the stands eagerly pressed their cameras to capture this moment.
This was monumental news that would undoubtedly headline across the high school sports news.
After their defeat, the dominant team lose their luster.
Typically, this would mean very few would pay attention to them now.
However, the atmosphere was different. Most of the crowd's attention was focused on Seidou High School, and more specifically, on one individual.
In front of the dugout, Sawamura Eijun was gasping for fresh air, giving the impression that he might collapse at any moment.
He swayed unsteadily but remained upright, his gaze fixed on the sky as if pondering why Heaven denied him his victory.
On the field, all of Seidou's players were slumped and crying in frustration!
Even the second and third string in the stands were crying too.
In the middle of this, only Sawamura and Miyuki were able to keep a straight face. But the frown and the frustration were evident on Miyuki’s face.
And Sawamura, after standing still for a moment, walked to slumping Haruichi and said with a calm voice.
“Haruichi, we need to stand in line.”
“Eijun-kun…” Amidst his crying, Haruichi looked at Sawamura.
“Can you stand? I want to help you up but I am so tired that I might fall on you instead.” Sawamura said with a strong smile despite looking so tired.
“Eijun-kun…’am sorry…” Haruichi tried to say anything but he didn’t know what to say.
“Come on, don’t say that, you have also tried hard, right? Now let’s go, the umpire will get angry.” Sawamura replied to Haruichi gently and they both moved to stand in line.
Miyuki was also holding Maezono up and they all moved to with the rest of the team to stand in line.
“Bow!”
“THANKS FOR THE GOOD GAME!”
“THANKS FOR THE GOOD GAME!”
After bowing, the players of the two teams handshake each other.
When Sawamura was hand-shaking Narumiya, Sawamura said to Narumiya solemnly.
“Congratulations, Mei-san. I fulfilled my promise last time, so don’t lose to anyone until we meet again!”
Looking at Eijun’s solemn gaze, Mei could only respond seriously.
“Yes, you got it!”
***
“The game is over!”
“After 12 innings of intense pitching battles, Inajitsu High School exploited a defensive gap in Seidou and scored the crucial run.”
“The final score is 2:1, with Inajitsu High School winning.”
“For Sawamura Eijun, the result might be very hard to accept. Despite his hard work and amazing performance during the game, the final outcome is disappointing.”
“In this game, he dominated Inajitsu's lineup for 11 innings and even tied the score with a home run late in the game, proving his worthiness of the title ‘Demon King’.
Seidou High School's other players also put in a tremendous effort. They had a good chance to score at one point but ultimately lacked a bit of luck, leading to an honorable defeat.”
The commentator spoke at length.
The audience seemed to take it in.
This somewhat unreliable commentary finally conveyed the plain truth.
Everyone stood up and applauded.
Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!!!
The applause was for both the victorious Inajitsu and the defeated Seidou High School. The audience appreciated the thrilling game provided by both teams.
Some of the diehard fans were even crying.
Kobayashi’s eyes were already moist, and at this moment, tears filled his eyes.
Through his blurred vision, he stared at Sawamura Eijun. He felt a deep sympathy for Sawamura but couldn’t blame his teammates.
During the nine innings of regulation play, Sawamura Eijun had nearly carried his team to victory. If Seidou High School had lost at that point, the blame would have fallen largely on Sawamura’s teammates.
It was their lack of strength that led to the final result.
However, in the innings following the ninth, Sawamura made two critical errors due to severe fatigue. His teammates had supported him during these mistakes, relying on their ironclad defense to withstand Inajitsu’s relentless attacks.
Obayashi offered his strong shoulder and wrapped his arm around Kobayashi’s neck so he could lean on him.
“Stop crying! Sawamura will come back stronger!”
Sawamura had faced similar challenges even during his time with the Akagi Junior High School baseball team.
After winning the national championship in the summer, they lost to Nagano Metropolis in the autumn competition. And he came back even stronger in the next season.
No athlete's career is without its setbacks. Those who reach the end are often those who have faced and overcome significant obstacles.
One cannot become great without hard work!
In baseball, only those who have faced setbacks understand the true meaning of tears and regret.
‘Sawamura will not be discouraged by this defeat.’
‘Seidou will eventually rise from the ashes.’
Obayashi was confident of this.
***
“Let’s go!”
In a corner of the stands, the mushroom-headed Wakabayashi Gao stood up straight with his hands in his pockets.
Beside him, Kazuga Hiro remarked with a hint of regret, “I didn’t expect the final result to be like this!”
Clearly, this outcome had surprised him. Although Seidou High School had been on the defensive after the ninth inning, Kazuga Hiro had always believed they wouldn’t stop there. With their strength, it would have been a shame if they didn’t make it to Koshien.
Even as an opponent, Kazuga Hiro was impressed by Seidou.
“What’s there to regret about a team of muscle-bound players?”
Wakabayashi dismissed it with disdain.
He seemed somewhat irritated by the powerful teams.
“You were also invited by Seidou High School, weren’t you?”
Kazuga Hiro suddenly became inquisitive.
Wakabayashi’s eyes drooped, and his expression became strange.
“That’s all in the past!”
“If you had joined Seidou, I wonder if Coach Kataoka would have let you play in the final moments?”
Kazuga Hiro continued down his imaginative path.
Wakabayashi glanced thoughtfully at the field.
Even though their Ace was exhausted, Coach Kataoka never proposed a substitution until the end of the game.
“Who knows!”
“The opponent was Inajitsu, which is not easy to handle.”
Kazuga Hiro seemed to realize he had said something he shouldn’t have and quickly changed the subject.
Wakabayashi sneered at the comment.
“No, defeating the Demon King comes at a high cost. Inajitsu’s Ace might be sidelined for a while.”
“Huh?”
Kazuga Hiro looked at Wakabayashi in shock.
Wakabayashi said no more, turned and left the field.
On the other side, Owada Akiko was crying sadly.
“Sawamura-kun! Miyuki-Glasses-kun!”
She felt incredibly sad thinking about the upcoming matches without seeing their performances.
Fujio was relatively calm.
“We don’t have time to cry here. Although it’s not great for Coach Kataoka, this is big news. get ready for the interview! We will also need to go back and write the report.”
With that, he stood up, pen in hand, and began walking out of the field.
'Cold-hearted guy!'
Owada shot him an unhappy glance, took a last look at the field, and then followed him.
Chasing stars is important, but she also needs to eat!
Only by keeping her job can she afford to chase stars, right?
Before leaving the stadium, Fujio glanced at Seidou High School’s rest area.
‘Tokyo!’
‘That’s just how it is here. Or rather, high school baseball is like this. Even with enough talent and hard work, success isn’t guaranteed.’
‘Compared to many, Seidou High School was already quite fortunate.’
‘Across the country, many talented players never make it to Koshien.’
‘Such is the nature of the game!’
…
T/N: So yeah Sawamura and Seidou have lost. BUUUUUUUT, the Season will not end for them here.
To be realistic, Seidou’s current problem is severe, there is a limit to how far can just Sawamura and Miyuki push the team forward like this. Therefore, even if they have not lost to Inashiro, they will also lose to other teams. Rather than losing to a different team, it is better to lose to Inashiro, so that the dramatic conflict is greater and the future stories are better conceived.
Moreover, as I said before, Seidou still has a Chance in this Season and at the Senbatsu(Spring Koshien).
After all, you guys want to see Sawamura and Seidou overcome challenges and win right? : )
So, the next few Chapters will be about the players’ determination and that Chance, and how it happened.
This is to ensure everyone understands what’s going on and that it’s not just a made-up bullsh*t. XD
In the end, Thank you all for reading and supporting!!
And I hope you all have a good day!