Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 155: Before the Semifinal Match

After reuniting with Fumino, Sendo and his team headed to celebrate with a barbecue.

The formidable rival that had blocked their path for two years had finally been defeated.

Now, the dream of making their school famous nationwide before the merger was within reach.

Even Sano and the principal couldn't contain their joy.

Despite his age, the principal joined in the cheers with surprising energy when Akagi secured their victory.

Just defeating Tokugawa was reason enough for an elaborate celebration.

After the barbecue, the group bought fireworks and celebrated until 8 p.m., at which point Sendo sent everyone home.

While the next match was still a week away, their opponent, Susabano, was a tough team.

Sendo reminded everyone that underestimating them could lead to defeat.

That night, Fumino stayed in Sendo's room once again.

Why?

Simply because she could and liked waking up early.

Ever since Fumino had returned to her usual self, Sendo found it impossible to argue with her.

Her original personality was just too adorable to resist.

For instance, years ago, before Sendo realized how bad Fumino's cooking was, she made a dish so awful it was nearly lethal.

But seeing her expression, Sendo forced himself to eat it all and gave her a hesitant review:

"It's… an interesting taste!"

While others might not understand, Fumino got the hint immediately.

She dramatically dropped to the tatami mat, turned her back to Sendo, and exclaimed:

"Don't look at me! A bug-like creature like me isn't worthy of your gaze!"

At that moment, not only Sendo but even his grandmother—a seasoned and composed woman—was charmed by Fumino's cuteness.

Fumino was simply too endearing for anyone to stay upset.

Instead, everyone eagerly comforted her.

After all, how could she not have a legion of devoted fans?

With her beautiful and cute face, silky hair, fair complexion, long lashes, gentle personality, and natural innocence, Fumino exuded a charm that even girls couldn't resist wanting to protect.

Moreover, she had a naturally sweet fragrance, the kind that didn't require any perfume yet left people mesmerized.

Well, except for one "flaw"—her chest remained disappointingly petite.

If one were to compare, Fumino was like Kokomi Teruhashi from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., but even more perfect.

Her beauty and personality were genuine, without any narcissism or pretense.

She truly embodied both inner and outer perfection.

If one overlooked her natural airheadedness and her frustrations over her lack of growth in one specific area, Fumino would be the very definition of a flawless girl.

Although, let's not forget—she was still just a third-year middle school student!

...

Seidou High School

At the dormitory, Seishin Office:

"I'm back!" Rei Takashima announced as she returned.

"Welcome back! So, how was it? Did the player you had your eye on show his true abilities?" Ota, the club manager, asked immediately.

Coincidentally, with the tournament approaching, there was no practice that day.

Players were given a rest day to adjust their physical condition, so Coach Kataoka was also present and decided to listen in on the conversation.

"No," Rei replied, shaking her head. "Tokugawa intentionally walked Sendo in every at-bat. The only direct confrontation was in his first at-bat, and even then, only for the first two pitches."

"They walked him in every at-bat?!" Ota exclaimed in disbelief. Such a strategy was rarely seen at the middle school level.

"In the top of the second inning, with no outs and the fourth batter up, the second pitch was a vertical slider that was initially outside the strike zone, low and away—a complete ball. But Sendo managed to hit it into left field, and it narrowly went foul by just a few centimeters. It could have been a home run!"

"He's using the fly-ball approach currently popular in the Major Leagues. With that approach, even low pitches can be sent flying, which is terrifying!"

"He nearly turned a bad pitch into a home run…" Ota was utterly speechless. Even Coach Kataoka's expression grew serious.

"Also, I happened to run into someone important today, and I learned some things about Sendo," Rei continued.

"Someone important?"

"Yes, Coach Nakani from the Tokyo Wildcats Little League team."

"That's a big name! Wait… does that mean he's planning to take over a high school team and is scouting players?" Ota speculated wildly.

"No, he was just there to watch Sendo's game. I spoke with him briefly and learned some of Sendo's backstory."

"Backstory?"

"That's right. Sendo is a product of the Wildcats Little League and was personally trained by Coach Nakani!"

"Then why haven't we heard his name before?"

"Well, he only stayed with the Wildcats for a month before moving due to family reasons. That was back in fourth grade."

"I see…" Ota nodded in understanding.

"Even without seeing Sendo's current abilities, there's no need for further observation. Coach Nakani described his talent with one word: bakemono."

Coach Kataoka's eyes widened at the comment.

Everyone knew Coach Nakani's standards were sky-high.

A player had to be truly extraordinary to catch his attention.

"To think we've stumbled upon such a talent! But… Coach Nakani wouldn't recommend him to other schools, would he?" Ota asked, sharing Rei's earlier concern.

"Don't worry. Coach Nakani assured me that unless Sendo personally reaches out to him to join a specific school, he won't interfere. However, convincing Sendo to join Seidou won't be easy—it seems the issue lies with Sendo himself."

"But I won't give up. I'll reach out to him after the summer tournament. Also, I've noticed their team's pitcher is quite interesting too. I plan to check him out next week."

"That sounds promising!" Ota replied enthusiastically.

Coach Kataoka had no objections to Rei's scouting work.

Unlike other schools, Seidou's recruitment was solely handled by her.

While the story of Sendo intrigued Kataoka momentarily, his primary focus remained on leading the current team to victory.

After all, no matter how talented Sendo was, until he joined Seidou, he wouldn't impact the team's current matches.

...

Sendo was completely unaware of everything happening, and Coach Nakani wasn't going to bother him with details about Rei Takashima or their conversation.

However, Sendo himself felt a bit uneasy.

He worried about whether Rei Takashima had scouted Sawamura yet, and whether she would recognize Sawamura's talent in this lifetime.

Even though Sendo could eventually guide Sawamura to Yura and hand him over to Coach Sakaki for training, perhaps setting him on an even better path, there was something instinctively unsettling about the thought.

It felt like Sawamura was a piece of Seidou's puzzle—sending him elsewhere seemed wrong, almost like a compulsion or perfectionism.

Sendo couldn't shake the feeling that Sawamura belonged at Seidou, and if he didn't end up there, it would leave a persistent discomfort.

If Rei Takashima didn't invite Sawamura, then perhaps fate simply wasn't on their side this time.

After all, with Sawamura's academic record, passing the entrance exam for a private school like Seidou was a stretch.

Convincing him to go to a prestigious school, even Yura, would also be a challenge.

But for now, Sendo set these thoughts aside. The focus was clear: take things one step at a time and fight their way to the national stage.

...

The days flew by in steady preparation, and before they knew it, Friday had arrived.

"Alright, that's it for today! Everyone, gather outside the field tomorrow—don't be late! Dismissed!" Sendo kept the practice light before their match against Susabano, ensuring the team was well-rested.

"Good luck, baseball team!"

"We'll be there to cheer for you tomorrow!"

The students who had watched the Akagi vs. Tokugawa match were excited.

They knew tomorrow's opponent was the last strong team in the prefecture capable of giving Akagi a real fight.

Among the students cheering them on were Wakana's close friends.

...

"Sen-chan!"

"Hmm? What's up?" Sendo turned around after hearing Ohno call out to him just as he dismissed the team.

"We're going to win tomorrow, no matter what! We'll make this last summer in the baseball club your best summer ever!"

"Baka! Don't talk like I'm on my deathbed!" Sendo shot back, rolling his eyes. "Once this summer is over, I'll be free! I don't have any regrets. You guys should be fighting for yourselves!

If I didn't have to play baseball, I can't tell you how much happier I'd be. Living life is about enjoying it, you know?" Sendo snapped, leaving no room for argument before turning and walking away.

...

As Sendo walked off, his thoughts betrayed him:

"Trying to get me to stay with such sentimental nonsense? Hmph! Not a chance! I'm free! I'm not spending another second thinking about playing baseball with you guys!'

"I mean it… life without baseball is way more comfortable!"

But deep down, everyone—including Sendo—knew the truth.

He didn't like baseball, but he did care about his teammates.

His frequent reminders to cherish their time together over the past three years weren't just for them—they were also for himself.

...

Later that night, Sendo returned home and headed straight to the bathroom. He stood under the steady stream of water, as if hoping it could wash away the turmoil in his heart.

He stayed there for over half an hour, letting his mind go blank.

By the time he finished rinsing off and entered the bath, he had completely lost track of time.

Emerging from the bathroom, he wrapped a towel around his lower body, using one hand to hold it in place while wiping off water with the other.

Leisurely, he made his way back to his room.

By the time he reached his door, his mood had lightened, and all the negative emotions had faded.

Feeling refreshed, he opened the door.

And froze.

Standing inside his room was Fumino, elegant and composed, looking up at him. Their eyes met, and the room fell silent.

The towel in Sendo's hand slipped to the floor, but he didn't even notice.

Fumino, on the other hand, was completely stunned.

Her natural airheadedness took over, leaving her mind blank.

...

"What… why are you in my room? No, wait, why are you even here?! Aren't you supposed to be in Tokyo?!" Sendo finally broke the silence, realizing mid-sentence that this was, indeed, his room.

Fumino, still dazed, managed to stammer, "C-could you… maybe cover yourself first?"

Sendo's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered he was completely naked.

Moving with the speed of a single man's reflexes honed over years, he quickly grabbed the towel.

"Phew…" he exhaled in relief, but the realization that Fumino had already seen everything hit him hard.

Though they'd bathed together as kids, that had been different—she'd been a child, and he'd thought of her as a kid back then.

Now, however, they were both fourteen.

The room descended into an awkward silence once more. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither knowing what to say.

Sendo noticed Fumino's reaction was even more flustered than his own. It was as if she was the one who had been seen naked.

Inside, Sendo sighed.

This was going to be a long night.