The Painful Days Were Over

"Really!"

You're so full of energy!

As someone who wants to protect you on your path to becoming an ace, I can't afford to be too lazy!

Third base is a liability... well! Although he was snapped back to reality by the assistant coach, Sendou's eyes blazed with Fighting Spirit.

Just as Coach Kataoka commented, Sendou only considers slacking off when he is satisfied with himself.

Conversely, you will see his competitive side.

"Ping!"

"Ku!"

"Puff!"

"Smack!"

"Smack!"

The assistant coach hit another shot, Sendou made a diving save, causing the ball to bounce directly into his glove. He then used the momentum to roll once on the ground before unleashing a powerful, fluid throw that shot into Captain Tetsu's glove.

"That was a beautiful shot!!!"

In terms of pure defensive ability, you're second to none.

"Keep going!!" The coach exclaimed in approval.

One advantage of high-intensity training is that it ends earlier each day.

The day's practice ended while it was still bright outside.

However, the group of people looked completely exhausted and needed to catch their breath for a while before they could leave the field.

After finishing their exercises, the second-year students gathered on the benches, while the first-year students rested next to them.

"My butt hurts so much!"

"My calves feel swollen and painful!"

"Why is Sawamura always so energetic?!" Ono-senpai was already questioning his existence.

"Damn it! I really want to touch the ball!" (Sawamura)

"I have no idea how much longer this running practice will last!" (Kanemaru)

"Running around like this every day is really unbearable!"

If you do everything with all your might, you'll be able to persevere!

"You have to learn to be clever at being lazy!" Aso said, looking like he was having trouble breathing.

"Oh!!!

That's it! Don't let his pained expression fool you, he's actually quite good at slacking off!

If Sendou is the King of laziness, then this guy is the minister of laziness!

"Hey! Hey! Lazy minister! Hey!" Guan-senpai exclaimed.

"I didn't slack off!" Senior Asou immediately retorted.

"Are you an idiot?"

"First, do the things in front of you well."

Didn't the coach say the same thing yesterday?

You see, Sendou hasn't been slacking off at all lately!

"Don't you think that practicing one-on-one with a supervisor will make him put away his willfulness?" Maezono said.

"But! Isn't it during a major competition right now?"

"Now..." Aso was about to say that now was not the time to practice this when Maezono interrupted him.

"I only run because the coach asked me to."

If you maintain this passive mindset, you'll continue running in the future.

"Zen-san!" Koharu was shocked by Senior Maezono's resolve. (Although his efforts were misdirected.)

"And the supervisor didn't say that we weren't allowed to touch the ball during independent practice."

Upon hearing this, Sawamura and Furuya's ears instantly widened.

"Am I right? Miyuki!"

"Ah!

Normally, practice wouldn't end this early!

..."Miyuki was about to continue speaking, the other two couldn't help but chime in.

"So, does that mean we can go to the Bullpen?" Sawamura asked as the representative, Furuya exuded the aura of a gas canister.

"Then I'll go practice batting on the Pitching Machine first!"

"Come on over if you want! Kominato, let's go!" Maezono made a move to leave.

Senior Asou had an expression of resentment at being lectured by his classmates.

"Um! Wait a minute!"

"Practice is over for today, so it's time to tell you!" At this moment, Miyuki realized what was happening and called out to Maezono.

"What's wrong?" Maezono asked, turning around.

Aso also lost his expression and looked up blankly.

"We'll have a Practice Match tomorrow!"

The supervisor said he could only tell you after practice was over!

"A match?!?" Sawamura jumped out and shouted.

"That means the painful days are over."

"Where is the Practice Match taking place? Was it decided at the last minute?" Maezono pressed.

Having just finished this kind of practice, and not having touched a ball for several days before the match, Maezono didn't understand what this was all about.

"We are addressing... the seniors from the third year!"

This marks the first time the Sendou has joined forces with our First Team!

"Why?!!!"

A gasp of surprise erupted from the stadium.

"Which position does Sendou play?" Aso asked quickly.

This is crucial to whether he can start.

"Naturally, I'll be a key player, and this weekend will be no different, one game a day!"

The Drawing Lots is Monday!

The national sports competition of our predecessors is about to start!

It's probably the end of the month or the beginning of next month now!

This kind of match is beneficial to both of us!

As for what happens after the Drawing Lots, it depends on our and our seniors' specific match schedule. (Miyuki was unaware that Sendou would be joining the third-year team in the Second Match match.)

"Soga!"

If Sendou were here, we wouldn't be completely outmatched!

"At least the seniors had to get past Sendou before they could hit the ball to the outfield!" Maezono said.

"First, you have to get a hit!" Ono-senpai was instantly heartbroken.

"That's right!"

I really want a hit!

"I'm going to practice!!" Maezono burst into tears.

"Whoosh!" Someone was already relieved that Sendou hadn't come out as the third baseman.

"Bullpen! Bullpen! Bullpen! Bullpen! Bullpen!" Sawamura had already started chanting prayers next to Miyuki.

Furuya continues to use his own aura as a backdrop to complement the scene...

"Does Sendou know about this?" Kuramochi asked.

"It's said that it was that guy who came up with the idea, and he even knew the specific match time before me, and probably knew more than I did!"

"Don't forget, the coach trusts that guy a lot! Whether it's this or this!" Miyuki pointed to his hand and head respectively, completely ignoring the Double Pitcher.

"However, someone beat me to my place as the team leader!"

Haha!

You seem genuinely happy!

But it doesn't matter if I didn't say it, right?

As long as there are people who can properly understand the meaning of supervision, there will be no problem!

You didn't know? Sendou almost became our captain!

"What?! This is...!"

Isn't that something everyone already knows?

Moreover, Maezono and I were even consulted!

Although the supervisory decision had already been made!

"Is that so?" This was the first time Miyuki had heard of such a thing.

"Hey-hey!

The supervisor said, "Let us help you look after the team."

"And if you need anything, you can talk to Sendou. Don't you feel like you've been completely sidelined? Hahaha!" Kuramochi said with a wicked grin.

"It's nothing! Actually, I'd prefer that guy to be the captain!"

"He's the one who can lead this team properly!" Miyuki said.

"What did you say? You bastard!"

Have some self-awareness as a senior, okay?

"Letting a junior be the captain means we seniors are no good, right? You bastard!!!" Kuramochi cursed, but seeing Miyuki's wicked grin, he knew he'd been tricked again.

"That's exactly what I hate about you!!!"

"Thank you very much!"

This isn't a compliment!

I'm going to the city tomorrow to buy some New Year's goods and get a new SIM card, since I don't have one in my phone yet.

After getting a new phone, I discovered that all my current SIM cards are micro SIM cards...

Finally, I'm asking for your votes...