"Awesome! We get to join the Second String together!" Yōichi exclaimed enthusiastically as he scooped up Takumi and spun him around several times.
"You're choking me!" Takumi gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
His small frame barely withstood the playful assault, and he quickly shoved him away, laughing.
Meanwhile, Ōta Kazuyoshi, having caught wind of the news, approached Takashima Rei with a concerned expression.
"Isn't this moving too quickly?" he voiced hesitantly. "I admit Yamamoto Takumi performed well today—especially that hit—but promoting him based on just one game? Won't that stir unrest among the other players?"
He had no personal objections to him.
It was simply that the Seidō, the nation's premier baseball powerhouse, upheld strict rules for promotions.
Players were promoted based on consistent performance and potential.
Takumi's performance was impressive, and everyone acknowledged it.
But promoting someone solely on one game felt premature.
After all, no one could guarantee whether that hit was a one-time fluke or genuine skill.
Takashima Rei waved her hand dismissively and remarked, "If time allowed, I wouldn't make such an exceptional promotion either. But this is the last chance for the new students. If he isn't promoted to the Second String now, he'll lose any chance of making the First String before the Summer Tournament."
Ōta Kazuyoshi's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean Yamamoto still has a chance to enter the First String?" he inquired, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"That depends on his performance in upcoming practices. I can only say there's a possibility, Ōta," Rei responded calmly.
When it came to professional baseball matters, Ōta Kazuyoshi, as club president, clearly deferred to her expertise.
He was a sensible man, always willing to listen to those more knowledgeable.
"Then let's proceed. Let him join the Second String starting tomorrow," he consented firmly.
News of Takumi's exceptional promotion spread quickly among the first-years.
Although he wasn't the only one promoted this time.
His friend Yōichi, Kawakami Norifumi—whom he had faced earlier—the impressive Maezono Kenta, Shirasu Kenjirō, and the second-year senior who had helped him score were all promoted as well.
A total of six players.
The number of players in the Second String immediately exceeded the quota.
According to the Seidō's standard roster, both the First String and the Second String each have twenty players.
All remaining players, regardless of grade, are assigned to the Third String.
With the addition of six new players, the Second String swelled to twenty-six.
However, since the third-year seniors were about to graduate and leave the team, these six additions effectively filled the vacancies left by their departure.
Moreover, for those third-year seniors, this was their final chance.
With less than two months remaining, if they couldn't make the First String, they would leave the team in June.
The team was still compassionate.
If you couldn't prove yourself on the field, then focus on studying hard and aim to get into a good school.
The next day, when he attended class, his classmates greeted him warmly.
"Congratulations, Yamamoto-san!"
"A true talent always shines. I knew you could do it."
"You'll play in Second String games, right? We'll come cheer for you!"
He smiled and responded to each of them warmly.
"Thank you all. I'll do my best."
Only then did he truly understand the allure of a baseball powerhouse.
At this school, baseball players were undoubtedly the true stars.
No matter where they went, they were the center of attention.
After finishing classes as usual, he arrived early at the training ground for afternoon practice.
The team also held morning training, but it consisted mainly of simple runs with no specialized drills. Morning practice was almost the same for First String regulars, Second String, and Third String players alike.
In other words, he officially joined the Second String starting that afternoon.
"Hello everyone, I'm Yamamoto Takumi from first-year group three. Please take care of me!"
His self-introduction was as simple as ever and barely drew any reaction from the third-year seniors.
The seniors were truly focused on only two players.
One was the pitcher Kawakami, and the other was his close friend Yōichi.
Kawakami was a given; Seidō had always struggled to find good pitchers. Their current third-year Ace was Minamoto Haruto.
His pitching had unique qualities.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the Ace of a powerhouse like Seidō.
However, Minamoto tended to get overly passionate on the mound, which caused problems.
The team's relief pitcher, Kōichirō Tanba, had very refined pitching skills but suffered from personality issues. Rumors had long circulated that the First String needed a new pitcher.
Kawakami's promotion to the Second String naturally positioned him as a competitor to the main pitchers there.
As for Yōichi, it was purely about skill.
Though his batting wasn't notably better than the seniors',
he was fast!
Even the fastest base-stealer in the current First String was half a step behind Yōichi.
He was highly likely to be promoted to the First String as a pinch runner.
This was what truly caught the attention of the third-year seniors competing for a spot in the First String.
Takumi's promotion was based on one game—or more accurately, one hit.
That only meant he was lucky.
He might have great potential, but for the third-year seniors, that potential posed no threat.
Potential needs to be developed; by the time he matured, they would have already graduated.
Why would they bother with him?
Since no seniors paid him much attention, his training in the Second String proceeded as usual.
Overall, it went smoothly.
It was just exhausting.
Compared to the Third String's training, the Second String's regimen was significantly more demanding.
When he was in the Third String, he could barely keep up with the team's training intensity.
After his promotion to the Second String, his lack of stamina, endurance, and poor resilience were all laid bare.
Takashima Rei didn't offer him any special treatment.
She simply let him figure things out on his own.
Fortunately, he possessed a tenacious spirit; although he was always the last, he stubbornly caught up little by little through sheer willpower.
Though still last in the Second String, the gap between him and the others had noticeably narrowed.
This training continued for a full week.
Just as he was starting to find his rhythm,
Takashima Rei announced that the Second String players would have a practice game. Their opponent would be Ichidaisan High School's Second String, another powerhouse team.
Logically, with the Summer Tournament looming, the two rivals wouldn't usually face each other at this stage.
But since both teams were Second Strings, it made no difference.
"Finally, we're going to play a game!" Yōichi exclaimed excitedly.
"I wonder if we'll get a chance to play?" he asked with hopeful anticipation.
"Don't worry, you definitely will," Takumi assured him confidently.