Sendou's Slump

September 6th, Monday, inside the Bullpen on Seidou.

"Puff!"

"Huixiu!"

"Call out!"

"Smack!"

"Damn it! It's still too easy to beat them!"

"How about this...?!" Sawamura practiced Outside Corner Ball kicks in the Bullpen and hunting grounds.

"Call out!"

"Smack!"

"Damn it! Has it gone wrong this time?"

Is it still too biased?

Oh! Sendou!

"Have you finished running?" Sawamura greeted Sendou as he arrived.

"You didn't slack off and skip the runs, did you?" Miyuki with a mischievous grin.

"No!

"Not a single lap was missed!" Sendou replied, taking out his baseball bat from the side.

"Hey! Be careful, don't wave too much."

"If your recklessness leads to further injury, given our coach's personality, you might not even be allowed to participate in the Autumn Tournament!" Miyuki said upon seeing this.

Oh! Don't worry!

I was just doing a simulation Imagination Practice!

After saying that, he got into position, closed his eyes, and began to imagine.

"Kanemaru! Can you practice with me tonight?" After the day's practice was over, Sawamura found Kanemaru Mama.

"Oh?

"Stand in the Batter's Box?" Kanemaru hadn't been to the Bullpen and didn't know what kind of training Sawamura was doing. Since he'd found him, he was probably going to be the one getting hit again!

"Yes!" Sawamura nodded.

"All right!

"I've been practicing too much lately, and my body needs a rest." Kanemaru readily agreed, but the talk about needing rest was just a lie.

As for why they didn't contact Sendou, it's because Sendou also encountered a problem.

I've been recovering from my injury for too long, and I'm having some issues with how my body feels when I swing the bat.

Even though there have been times when I haven't played for a long time, I can carry the team to victory as soon as I step back into the game.

However, given the opponent's level, the fact that no adjustments are needed doesn't necessarily mean that the physical sensation will be good.

Although the injury was not serious, Sendou's absence from regular training was comparable to that of Tanba in the summer.

It took Tanba more than a month to gradually adjust Tanba ball control stability, especially after reaching Koshien.

Sendou's situation was that when he swung the bat, his body felt strange, and there was a noticeable sense of unfamiliarity compared to before.

Unfortunately, the condition of his arm at that time did not allow him to swing it too many times each day.

Therefore, the time spent on Imagination Practice has also started to increase.

It has been added that you need to feel the muscles in different parts of your body working when you swing the bat.

"You go ahead! I need to get ready!" Kanemaru said to Sawamura after dinner.

"What's wrong, Kanemaru?" Sawamura asked curiously.

"It's so noisy!"

"Go ahead if you want, I'll be there in a bit."

"Oh!

Let's go then! Hunting grounds!

Sendou is probably busy preparing menus related to explosive power right now, so he'll likely be there for a while!

"By the way! How long has Sendou been doing that?"

I always felt he was so lazy, but apart from the period right after his injury when he wouldn't do any arm exercises, he's never been lazy at all!

"That? I was doing that every day right after I met him!"

"It's probably become a habit by now!" Sawamura laughed.

When was that?

"Fourth grade!"

"That really took a long time!"

"Let's not talk about this anymore! Let's go!"

When Sawamura and Kariba arrived at the Indoor Practice Field, they found Sendou already there.

Upon noticing the arrival of the two people, Sendou stopped his Imagination Practice, chatted with them briefly, and waited for Kanemaru.

This was the first time Kariba had ever seen Sendou practice so diligently on his own.

However, he did not know that the Sendou simply belongs to the realm of discovering and solving problems.

It can only be said that he knows what he can slack off on and what he absolutely must do.

He is someone who values practical efficiency.

It's like work: if you finish ahead of schedule, then you can rest, even if others think you're slacking off.

Conversely, he's the kind of person who works overtime to finish what he hasn't done yet.

Not long after, Kanemaru arrived, but this guy was fully armed.

The catcher wears reverse-facing armor to protect his back, helmet, elbow pads, and leg protection, among other things.

Upon seeing Kanemaru arrive, the group's conversation came to an end.

"Puff!"

"Call out!"

"Smack!"

"Hey! What's going on here?"

I only came fully armed because Sawamura asked me to.

"Aren't you going to shoot Inside Corner Ball?" Kanemaru said to Kariba.

"Ah! No! Kanemaru!"

"That's not how it is..." Kariba was about to explain when Kanemaru interrupted him.

"Don't be so polite with me!! You rascal!"

You contacted me because you thought it wouldn't matter if you hit me, right?

Ah?!!

In that case, it doesn't even count as dodging practice!

Keep throwing things at me!

Okay! Come on over here!!!

"Damn it! What kind of role am I playing?!"

"I don't even have enough practice time myself!" Kanemaru cursed inwardly as he shouted at Sawamura.

"What a man! Kanemaru..." These words deeply moved Kariba.

"Thank you, Kanemaru!"

But I never intended to hit you in the first place today!

"Stop lying!" Kanemaru was so badly hurt by the previous incident that he questioned his existence. There's no way he'd believe this.

"This time it's for real, Kanemaru!" Kariba exclaimed.

"So you mean you wanted to smash it before?" Sendou interjected with a smile.

"It's so noisy!"

"It wasn't intentional before!"

"But I remember when Kanemaru asked you that it was okay if you hit him."

Your answer was, "No?"

"Uh!" Sawamura was sweating profusely.

"Isn't this just turning into cat eyes? You bastard!" Kanemaru yelled at Sawamura's reaction.

"But what's going on today?" After cursing, Kanemaru also noticed the strangeness of the day.

"This guy is practicing Outside Corner Ball kicks today!"

"So you're still safe!" Sendou answered before anyone else could speak.

"So that's how it is!" Kanemaru breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"However, if he doesn't make a mistake!" Sendou said with a smile.

"Don't say things that put pressure on me!"

"Look at that wicked grin of yours, your heart is black!" Kanemaru shouted.

"Continue, Sawamura!!!"

"Okay!"

"Puff!"

"Call out!"

"Smack!"

"Damn it! It went off course again!"

"Take another step forward? No! Let's try taking half a step first!"

I still have many shortcomings.

"Call out!"

"Smack!"

"That was much better!"

"Still a long way off! One more ball!"

"This guy!"

That's good, that's fine!

As long as you keep improving...

"I... I can't hold you back!" Seeing Sawamura 'Fighting Spirit determined look, Sendou also refocused and began practicing the simulation.

Ah!!!

What was the point of me staying up all night yesterday?!

I can't stay up late tonight; my head has been hurting all day, and it looks like my blood pressure is up again.

I'll have to leave the remaining two thousand words unfinished...