(Eijun's POV)
When me and Rei-chan got into the car, she started the engine and glanced my way.
"Sawamura-kun, can I ask you a question?" she said.
I turned to her. "Yeah, sure, Takashima-sensei."
"Your form wasn't the same as in your game. It looked more refined—and different. Also, I didn't see you throw a four-seamer back then."
"Ohhh, that! Well…" I scratched my cheek with a grin. "The form—yeah, you probably couldn't see it too clearly from the stands, but it's a bit different from my original one. The catcher on our team Nobu, isn't great at catching—not just with me, but in general. My actual form hides my pitching arm and release point until the very last second, which makes it harder for batters to time… but also harder for the catcher to handle."
I gestured with my hands, trying to show her the motion. "So I didn't use it then. But I knew Miyuki-senpai could catch it, so I used it this time. And the four-seamer? I actually learned that in the two days since you last saw me." I grinned wider.
Rei-chan blinked, clearly surprised, then said quietly, "The form works because of your flexibility, right?"
I nodded, grinning. "Yeah!"
"Did you say it took you two days to learn the four-seamer? And judging from the pitch, you already have decent control over it, don't you?"
*Wow, i forgot she's sharp.*
"Yeah, pretty much. I'd say around seventy-five percent accuracy right now," I admitted. "Don't worry though, Takashima-sensei—I'll get it to a hundred before Seido. I know I've still got a lot to work on."
I leaned back, whistling as I looked out the window.
*Yeah… I need to improve. Or I'll never become ace again this time around.*
"Sawamura-kun, what do you think you need to improve?" Rei-chan asked suddenly.
*Is she testing me?*
"Well," I said, thinking it through, "first is my control—both my four-seamer and my moving fastball. Then stabilizing my form even more, learning new pitches, increasing pitch speed, working on batting and fielding. But those are long-term things. The main focus right now is stamina and building muscle."
When I looked over, Rei-chan was smiling. "You know, Sawamura-kun, you seem to understand your strengths and weaknesses better than most fifteen-year-olds."
I frowned slightly. "I've always known what I need to improve, Takashima-sensei."
I sighed. *I knew last time too. No one really guided me, though.*
"It's just—think about it. I'm ace, captain, and coach of my team. It's hard to train yourself properly when you're also trying to teach teammates who barely know baseball. Some of them didn't even know the rules or how to catch a simple pop fly."
Rei-chan blinked. "Wait, Sawamura-kun… what do you mean by you being the coach? You don't have one?"
"We never had one," I replied. "Half the team only joined because I begged them to. I needed game experience, and I just love baseball. They joined because they cared about me. I built the team from scratch. The school didn't even have a baseball team before I came. Took ages to even get a teacher to act as our supervisor, let alone a coach."
Rei-chan was silent for a moment. "Then how did you learn your form and your four-seam fastball?"
*Boss showed me the form after he caught me pitching one night… only help he ever gave me.*
"I taught myself," I said simply. "I've wanted to be a pitcher—the ace—since I was a kid. I watched tons of videos, copied forms, read everything I could online. But none of them ever felt quite right. Then I realized it was because of my flexibility. Once I adjusted it to fit my body, the motion stopped hurting. The four-seamer I learned after you left—I knew just relying on my natural moving fastball wouldn't cut it in high school."
Rei-chan fell silent again, thoughtful. Then:
"Sawamura-kun… do you need any help with training?"
I looked over, a little startled. Her voice sounded genuinely worried.
I softened. "No, thank you, Takashima-sensei. I've got a training menu I'm following to prepare my body before I join Seidō."
She smiled faintly. "Speaking of joining Seidō… you can call me Rei-chan outside of school. Inside a classroom though, it's Takashima-sensei. Could you tell me what your training looks like?"
"Will do, Rei-chan." I grinned. "So, every morning: ten-kilometer run, a hundred push-ups, a hundred burpees, a hundred ten-meter sprints pulling a tire, a hundred pull-ups, then one hour of ballet and one hour of yoga.
"In the afternoon: fifteen pitches, then four ten-meter sprints, repeat until I reach a hundred pitches. I take five-to-ten-minute breaks between every fifteen throws. Then one hundred bat swings, and a five-kilometer run to finish.
"The next day's the same for the morning routine," I added with a small laugh, scratching my cheek, "but in the afternoon, I switch things up—five hundred bat swings, fifty shadow pitches—sometimes more if I really need to throw and get it out of my system before I can sleep. Then another five-kilometer run to wrap it up."
Rei-chan blinked. "That's… a lot. Especially for a fifteen-year-old."
I laughed. "Rei-chan, I know my body. I check myself every day, and if anything feels off, I rest. I'll just run a lighter two kilometers instead. But if I don't push myself to the limit, I'll fall behind once high school starts."
She didn't say anything—just nodded quietly.
We stopped by the shop, grabbed what I needed, then she drove me back to Nagano. I hopped out of the car, juggling my gear.
"Thanks for the tour and for driving me around, Rei-chan!" I grinned. "Byee!"
Then I dashed off toward the backyard.
(Rei-chan's POV)
Sawamura-kun ran off, yelling a cheerful goodbye.
*Really… what a baseball addict.*
I turned, seeing his mother walking toward me with a kind smile.
"Nice to see you again, Sawamura-san," I greeted.
"Likewise, Takashima-san. How was Eijun today? He can be a bit much—he never stays still and he's loud," she said fondly.
I chuckled. "He was fine. I can see what you mean though. He told me he's planning to come to Seidō."
She sighed. "He already decided before today, you know. Told all his friends too." Her expression softened, but worry lingered in her eyes. "I'm not worried about Seidō taking care of him—I'm sure you'll do great. It's just… Eijun hides his emotions really well. He's done that since he was little. He's smart—too smart, actually—but he hides it. He used to show it until he got bullied in elementary school for being too smart. Now he acts dumb on purpose."
She looked down. "He once told me, 'Being called dumb hurts less than being hit for being smart.' Please… take care of him, not just physically but mentally too. His IQ is 155, Takashima-san. His mind never stops running."
I stared at her, stunned.
*Sawamura-kun was bullied? IQ 155? He's a genius… I knew he was sharp, but I didn't expect that.*
I smiled gently. "Don't worry, Sawamura-san. I'll check up on him every week. And if he ever seems off, I'll make sure he's okay."
"Thank you," she said, eyes glistening.
I glanced at my phone—it was getting late.
"I'm sorry, Sawamura-san, but I have to head back to Seidō. It's already late."
"Oh, of course! Thank you for taking Eijun shopping," she said warmly.
I waved and headed to my car, driving back to Seidō.
Once I arrived, I went straight to Coach Kataoka's office and knocked.
"Come in," came his voice.
I stepped inside. "Evening, Coach."
He looked up from his paperwork. "Takashima. You were with that scholarship kid today—Sawamura, right?"
I smiled tiredly. "Yeah. Just dropped him back home. That kid's going to be a handful, Coach—but he's worth every bit of trouble."
"Oh?" His expression turned curious. "Why do you say that?"
I leaned forward, eyes bright. "He's a southpaw pitcher with a unique form and a natural moving fastball."
Kataoka's eyes widened slightly. "Interesting. So why do you call him a troublemaker?"
I took a breath. "Well… first, he's the one who struck out Azuma today."
That got his full attention.
"And he's not just loud and restless," I continued. "His mom told me he was bullied for being smart, so he acts dumb on purpose. His IQ is 155. He hides his emotions really well. He's got energy for days—but he doesn't really understand team hierarchy."
Kataoka frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He's never really been on a team, Coach. When he entered junior high, there was no baseball club—so he built one himself. No coach. He was the ace, captain, and coach."
Kataoka leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Ah… I see what you mean now."
"But he's a fast learner," I added quickly. "He'll adjust."
He nodded in relief. "Good. We'll give him a few days' leeway to get used to things."
"Good idea," I said, standing up. "Goodnight, Coach."
"Goodnight, Takashima," he replied.