Don't underestimate people!
Strictly speaking, Harada only felt that Sendou's behavior during the duel was very different from his usual self, but he wasn't particularly angry and just took it as his younger brother bragging.
If he gets angry so easily, with that arrogant white-haired girl at home, he'd be driven crazy to death!
Moreover, as the eldest son, he is very caring and has a gentle personality.
That white-haired one is the youngest in the family, with two older sisters who are both the kind of people who are very caring. He was spoiled from a young age.
While Sendou is quite willful, he's been an only child in two consecutive lives, so his willfulness has its limits. Even though being an only child means he gets pampered by his elders, he can't possibly receive the same comprehensive and all-encompassing care as his peers, like Narumiya Mei's two older sisters. (So enviable!)
"Baka! Who's looking down on me?" Sendou replied coldly upon hearing Harada's words.
Once in a duel, the contrast in Sendou's demeanor is truly immense.
Harada was taken aback by those words, but after thinking about them carefully, he understood.
Sendou knows Harada inside and out, including his personality, habits, technical skills, and style of doing things.
However, Harada knew nothing about Sendou. Thinking about it, he realized that just gathering information would take at least one or two sessions, while the actual duel would only take one session.
Even three sittings might not be enough to gather all the information. That old schemer, Sendou, isn't the kind of person who would kindly deliver information to your door.
Then I thought, "He got ten Captain Tetsu in four days, and he only got three at-bats? That seems a bit modest, doesn't it?"
Harada was startled by his own thoughts. The person who understands you best is your opponent and the person who cares about you the most. Harada was exactly that person.
Although Sendou's thoughts are unpredictable, his talent is undeniable.
After the Practice Match, when we went to Wildcats, Coach Nakanishi said that this guy's talent was unfathomable.
If no unexpected events or sudden plateaus occur along the way, and he continues to develop normally, any one of his skills—hitting, base running, or pitching—could help him enter the Major League Hall of Fame.
Coach Nakanishi's eye for talent is renowned throughout the baseball world, Harada has almost never doubted it.
That's why he said a few days ago that if he had known that Sendou would go to Seidou, he would definitely have waited for him in Seidou.
Therefore, Harada drastically increased the danger level of Sendou's pitch.
"I'll just take his words as modesty!" Harada told himself.
"I'm sorry! I take back what I said!" Harada said seriously.
Seeing Harada's reaction, Sendou knew he had figured it out and smiled slightly.
"Wouldn't it be too boring if we didn't do it this way?" Sendou muttered to himself.
"Then let's begin!"
"Come on!" Upon hearing Sendou's call, Harada became serious and focused intently.
" Harada-san! If you're a wild type like Tetsu-san, I really can't say that you won't touch the ball in three at-bats!"
It's not that it's impossible, but that there are risks involved!
You have to make sure you can do what you say!
Sendou's inner monologue completely revealed that his seemingly arrogant words were actually quite humble.
He wouldn't speak unless he was absolutely certain, or he would directly state the truth, such as how confident he was. This is the character of Sendou.
He was never arrogant, and even though he was exceptionally talented in this life, he remained cautious and steady, maintaining his own style.
"Since you're so nervous, you'll definitely be observing the Ball Trajectory for the first shot!"
So I'm not going to hold back on making sure I get all the good balls!
Thinking of this, Sendou raised his arms, but that doesn't mean he can't raise his arms when he throws a slanted shot, since the foul on the shot is mainly judged by the feet, not the hands.
Furuya's overhand pitch involves pulling his arm behind his back before lifting his leg, which is why this method cannot be used when there are runners on base.
Sendou's raised arm is not a bad habit, but rather a good one, because raising the arm itself is deceptive, and he can make even more deceptive feints.
Seeing Sendou raise his arm, Harada gripped his baseball bat tightly.
Even if both sides knew that Harada was at a disadvantage in this matchup, it would be too embarrassing if he couldn't even touch the ball with his bat in three consecutive at-bats.
"Quickly recall the special way Sendou pitched six years ago, and then zoom in!" Harada frantically recalled before Sendou even lifted his leg.
Six years ago, Sendou gave people the impression of having incredibly fast ball speed and first-class ball control!
These were all very memorable, and now that his memories of the Sendou had been awakened, these things naturally became information that he could use.
"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"Bump!"
The ball pierced near Harada's chest and slammed into the iron net behind him!
" Diagonal Fastball? What a tricky Ball Trajectory! The ball control is probably better than it was six years ago, and the ball speed is also very fast, probably 140 kilometers per hour!"
But something just feels off!
"This is... he knows I'll observe the Ball Trajectory." This is Harada's analysis of Sendou's first shot. Combining this with practical experience, it's not hard to see through Sendou's strategy for his first shot.
"That was a good shot, wasn't it?" Sendou asked.
"Ah! That's a good shot!"
"If this isn't a full-power shot, will the next one be?"
No, if he can't let me touch the bat, this guy definitely won't throw a risky Ball Trajectory!
The next ball is coming!
Wait a minute! This guy! He's really good at analyzing other people's psychology, isn't he a psychology expert?
"Then!" After answering, he continued to analyze in his mind.
"Piu!"
"Huh? The central government?"
"Bump!"
"Damn it! I didn't touch it at all!"
That shot! It must have been a maximum speed shot!
That means it's 150 kilometers!
Sure enough, nothing has changed!
ba ke mo no is still the same ba ke mo no six years ago!
This shot was deliberately aimed at the center to conceal information!
If you go this fast without any preparation, or even the slightest hesitation, then you don't even have the right to swing!
This guy is seriously trying to make sure I never touch the ball!
Harada knew that he wasn't just not swinging, he was simply unable to swing!
In that moment of hesitation, the ball had already reached home plate.
That's how terrifying Fastball can be!
"What's wrong? Please don't be so polite!"
"This guy did it on purpose! Calm down!"
Harada's veins bulged as he spoke to Sendou, and the "#" sign stood out, but he also knew it was all a trick and he absolutely couldn't fall for it.
Where will the next ball be? Will he Changeup?
If the Changeup, it will normally be at the outside corner!
"No! Even if I had Changeup, I couldn't possibly hit it!" Harada had already decided where to bet on the deciding ball.
Although Harada possesses the skills for Wide-angle hitting, he cannot utilize them when the ball speed is so fast that he has no time to judge the situation.
All he can do is gamble on a pitch and then swing.
"Then! Throw the Ball Trajectory you're aiming for!" Sendou looked at Harada and immediately saw that he was aiming for a fastball to the outside corner.
Human beings' subconscious will definitely manifest in their actions, and it will absolutely show without undergoing the brutal training of a secret agent.
The reason why Sendou has difficulty concentrating is that he is always habitually observing his surroundings and unconsciously analyzing them.
Therefore, these subconscious manifestations cannot escape his eyes.
This unconscious analysis has even become instinctive; the answer immediately comes to mind the moment one sees intelligence.
Just like in real mathematics, when a genius sees a difficult mathematical problem, the first thought that comes to his mind is the answer to the problem.
The calculation process is completely omitted; in reality, the brain instinctively completes the calculation without even needing to go through its own consciousness, and naturally obtains only the answer.
This is simply a divine skill, so it can be said that the problem of Sendou's lack of concentration is a double-edged sword.
In real life, this is actually advantageous to the Sendou, because his distraction allows him to observe more than just these things.
Many fragmented details are stored deep in his brain, and he himself is unaware that he has obtained this information. However, when he needs it, such as when he needs to find the right person for something, the name of the most suitable person will automatically appear in his mind.
The principle is the same as the mathematical example. Without going through the conscious control of the Sendou, the brain directly calls upon the information he usually collects when his attention is scattered and performs automatic analysis, naturally obtaining the person's name.
At that moment, even Sendou himself didn't know why it was him, but Sendou just knew that this person could handle the problem at hand.
If he sits down and thinks carefully through reverse reasoning, Sendou might be able to recall those fragments of memory that he collected unintentionally.
Therefore, the instinctive analytical ability honed by this double-edged sword is simply a divine skill.
(This isn't made up; it's something I was able to do myself, and I've had many similar situations before.)
When faced with a difficult problem and needing help from someone skilled in the field, a name instantly pops into my mind, and only after careful thought can I understand why it was that person. I can also recall tiny details I'd unintentionally noticed before, details I'd overlooked, but my brain simply remembers them and instinctively analyzes and calculates them.
I'm no good at math problems. I can solve the simple ones, but I have to figure out the difficult ones myself. My IQ isn't that high, and my brain's processing power is insufficient...
In the first at-bat, Sendou wanted to use his superior strength to overwhelm him, to gain the upper hand and demoralize him. So even though he could see the Ball Trajectory of Sendoh's shot, he still believed in his own speed.
Because of the high speed of the ball, the eyes may not be able to see it accurately. If Harada had been able to react in time and swing the bat, Sendou would definitely not have thrown the ball that the opponent was aiming at. It's not that he lacked confidence in getting outs, but that he couldn't prevent the opponent from touching the ball.
Sendou was very clear-headed about this.
This was a one-on-one decisive battle, with no one to consult with, highlighting the terrifying nature of the Sendou Senior Chris.
However, this terror could only be felt by Harada alone after he returned home at night.
I don't know whether this is an honor or a tragedy.
"Bump!"
"Nice shot!"
"The attacker is out!"
Sendou, having struck out his first strikeout, mimicked the umpire's tone as he shouted, ending the duel. In that instant, he reverted to his usual self.
"A complete defeat!"
"Then let's have the second meal right away!"
"Now?"
Harada was somewhat puzzled. If he were to take a second at-bat immediately, it would be advantageous for him, as Harada was very impressed with the ball speed.
However, it also benefited Sendou, because Harada was very impressed with the speed of the straight shot.
Such a deep impression is not only because it's tricky, but also because it's very difficult for Harada to miss. After all, Sendou isn't Yang Shunchen, who can differentiate the distance of each ball when throwing at full power.
Ball control is a talent, and it's not something that can be improved through practice. Especially when it comes to the Four-Quadrant, the Nine Palace Grid, or even more detailed divisions, it's entirely a matter of talent, not something that can be achieved through training.
So, the main character of Da Zhen is not without talent, although this talent is not very useful without ball speed or a straight shot like Sawamura's that can completely block the drop shot point to reduce the batter's reaction time.
"If you want to rest, that's fine too. After all, it's not good to be too impressed by the speed of a straight shot," Sendou said directly, without hiding anything.
After all, it's not an official competition. You can use tactics, but there's no need to resort to any means necessary.
"Then let's go straight to the second set meal!" Harada replied.
"This guy!"
It will definitely Changeup, otherwise I wouldn't say that.
And he was well aware of this; was it for the purpose of releasing water?
Although telling me would only make me more confused, thus putting the situation in his favor.
However, as someone who saw that Fastball, I knew very well that Sendou didn't mean it that way; he was just throwing the game.
But if I still can't touch the ball even when the ball is being played poorly, that would be even more embarrassing.
That was his real purpose. Sure enough, this guy, though cute, also has some wicked tastes!
Well! This kind of quirky humor is kind of cute, isn't it?
"Hey! Harada-san!" Sendou called out to Harada just as he was continuing to analyze the situation. ( Harada just likes to think everything through!)
"Um?"
"Your goal today is to trick me into throwing the ball so you can catch it, right?"
As for deciding the outcome in the Batter's Box, that was completely a spur-of-the-moment decision, wasn't it?
"Huh?" Harada was taken aback.
Because Sendou's guess was completely correct.
"That's really amazing!" Harada thought to himself, but this was entirely referring to Sendou's brilliant mind, not his physical abilities.
" Harada-san? You're not talking badly about me behind my back, are you?"
Harada shuddered again. Although the pronunciation "ba ke mo no" means monster, it usually refers to non-human beings, such as yokai, which are beings that humans cannot fight against.
The pronunciation is similar to that of the Chinese word for monster, but the meaning is completely different. It can represent both a genius among geniuses and a monster that is used as an insult.
So it all comes down to the tone. Although Harada was praising him in his heart, he was still a little guilty because of the word.
"So they were really insulting me!"
"That's why you can't find a girlfriend!" Sendou suddenly said.
"What are you talking about? I... just for baseball, so...!"
Sendou was surprised that Harada cared about such words.
Although he knew Harada was telling the truth, because given his personality, it wouldn't be difficult for him to find a girlfriend if it weren't for baseball, Sendou simply couldn't admit it.
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