After dealing with the two troublemakers, Coach Kataoka's sharp gaze swept across the freshmen lined up before him.
"Not bad. Everyone looks full of spirit."
"First of all, welcome to the Seidou High School Baseball Club. Since you've chosen this place, I believe you already understand one thing—"
He paused for a second, his tone hardening.
"—At Seidou, strength is everything!"
"No matter what glory you achieved in middle school, from today onward, everything resets to zero!"
His voice boomed across the field like thunder.
"Do you understand!?"
"Yes!!!"
The chorus of energetic voices echoed, the freshmen fired up and ready. Naive or not, their enthusiasm filled the air.
After the usual welcome speech, it was time for self-introductions. With so many recruits each year, standing out here could earn you some attention from both seniors and coaches.
Starting from the left, each freshman stepped forward—some confident, others trembling—giving their names and backgrounds.
Among them, Kuramochi Yoichi left the deepest impression on Kanzaki Ryou. The guy rambled so much, he almost started talking about his underwear preferences.
Then came a voice loud and confident.
"My name is Miyuki Kazuya, from Edogawa Little League! The position I aim for is catcher!"
Miyuki's confident grin, clear voice, and sharp eyes instantly drew everyone's attention.
Even before high school, his name was well-known across the Kanto region—a genius catcher who had already made waves.
"Tch, genius, my ass…" a mutter came from Kuramochi nearby, his expression sour.
Kanzaki smirked silently. Making enemies on day one—typical Miyuki.
"Next!"
"My name is Kanzaki Ryou, from Kyoto! My position—pitcher! No other considerations!"
He clasped his hands behind his back and shouted louder than anyone before him.
Just volume? Please, anyone could do that. But the confidence behind his tone carried weight.
"You're something else," Miyuki murmured with a grin.
Unlike the other freshmen, Kanzaki's introduction made the seniors restless. Their eyes burned with intensity—the same guy who had challenged Seidou before was now one of them.
A few minutes later, the introductions ended.
"Morning practice begins now. Second and third years, head to Field A for independent training. First years, to Field B. You're free to warm up however you like. Defensive evaluations start at 4 PM!"
Coach Kataoka barked out orders.
"Yes!"
"Miyuki, Kanzaki—you two, go run!"
"Yes~"
While the other freshmen bonded or played catch, Kanzaki trudged behind Miyuki, face dark with resentment.
"An hour and a half... Miyuki Kazuya, you're a demon!"
After their punishment run, Kanzaki returned to the dorm for a shower and breakfast. By the time they headed to class, he was already glaring at Miyuki beside him.
"Go on, why are you stopping?" Miyuki teased.
Kanzaki sighed. "If only we weren't in the same class."
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
When they entered Class 1-A, the first person they saw was Kuramochi Yoichi, sitting by the window.
Seeing the duo, Kuramochi clicked his tongue in disbelief.
"Kuramochi-kun, fancy seeing you here," Kanzaki greeted with a calm smile.
Smiling tiger, Kuramochi thought. Dangerous type.
"Haha, what a coincidence! Our seats are even close together," Miyuki said cheerfully from behind Kuramochi.
Idiot, Kuramochi sighed inwardly, but still gave a reluctant nod.
Their seats? Back row by the window—the perfect spot for a king.
A few minutes later, the bell rang, and their English teacher entered.
"Rei—Rei-chan!"
The entire room froze.
Takashima Rei's cold glare could have frozen steel.
"Sensei!" Kanzaki immediately corrected himself, sitting straight. Miyuki's smirk vanished instantly.
No more sleeping in class, apparently.
Class dragged on forever—or at least that's how Kanzaki felt.
By the time the final bell rang at 3 PM, he bolted out like lightning, leaving Miyuki behind.
At 4 PM, the second and third years headed to Field A for their own training, while the freshmen assembled on Field B for their defensive tests.
Seeing some of the newcomers trembling, President Ota stepped up after Coach Kataoka's briefing to calm them down.
"Students, today's test is only for us to understand your current ability. Don't overthink it. In Seidou, very few freshmen are chosen for the first-string right away."
"Focus on building a solid foundation. Your time to shine will come."
His reassuring tone eased some tension. Kanzaki noticed Ota's eyes flick briefly toward Kawakami Norihiro, who stood quietly at the back.
The test began.
Under the assistant coach's instructions, the freshmen lined up for the first event: throwing distance.
The first up was Shirazu, a quiet, honest-looking boy. He didn't stand out—until he threw the ball.
"110 meters!"
Murmurs rippled through the line. A solid start.
One by one, the freshmen took turns, most throwing between seventy and eighty meters.
"Kazuya, you're up," Kanzaki said, nudging Miyuki's back with his knee.
"Ow—fine, fine." Miyuki grabbed a ball, took a deep breath, and let it fly.
"115 meters!"
Gasps followed. Even among the prodigies, that was impressive.
"Heh." Miyuki turned and grinned at Kanzaki, flashing his trademark teeth.
"Next—Kanzaki Ryou!"
Kanzaki walked forward and high-fived Miyuki.
"Do well, Ace," Miyuki whispered.
"Of course."
He took the ball from the assistant coach, exhaled slowly, and threw—not at full strength, but enough to make a point.
Whoosh—!
A white streak cut across the field like a laser.
The assistant coach froze, staring at the measurement in disbelief.
For a full ten seconds, no one spoke.
"...One hundred twenty-five meters!"
The field erupted in noise, louder than before.
And this time, the center of attention was none other than the once "ordinary" Kanzaki Ryou.
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