Late August.
After winning the national championship on the stage of Koshien, the entire Seidou High School baseball team returned to West Tokyo.
In anticipation of their arrival, the school organized a grand welco ceremony, making the usually quiet campus co alive despite the ongoing sumr vacation.
Many students from Seidou High School ca to the campus on their own initiative.
Why?
Because their baseball team had brought ho the prestigious honor of a national championship.
As proud mbers of Seidou, they felt a shared sense of glory and pride.
In Japan, where baseball is practically a national sport, everyone—whether a fan or not—understands the weight of a Koshien victory.
The excitent wasn't limited to current students.
Alumni, local residents, avid baseball fans, and Seidou's die-hard supporters all gathered.
Not to ntion the swarm of dia and sports journalists eager to capture the mont.
Banners hung everywhere, bearing phrases like:
"Congratulations to Seidou High School on winning the championship!"
"The Kings have risen to the top!"
"Ruling the nation!"
As the Seidou players entered the school grounds, they were t with overwhelming cheers and applause.
For a mont, Eijun, Miyuki, Yuuki, and the others truly felt what it was like to be treated as heroes.
Even the usually strict principal and head of discipline were grinning ear to ear.
Eijun swore their faces looked happier than if they'd won the lottery.
After the official welco at the school gates, the team was led to the auditorium for a formal celebration ceremony.
Thankfully, the principal seed to understand the players' exhaustion and didn't prolong the event unnecessarily.
Once the ceremony ended, Eijun let out a huge sigh of relief.
"These ceremonies are more draining than playing ten gas back-to-back," he muttered.
...
Seidou High School – Dormitory, Room 5.
"Ah, finally over! It feels so good to be back ho!" Eijun exclaid, tossing his luggage aside and collapsing onto his bed with a contented grin.
"You sure are full of energy, Sawamura," Masuko said with a hearty laugh, gently placing his own bag on the bed.
"Haha, of course! Love makes people energetic!" Ca a teasing voice from the doorway. Kuramochi strolled in with a sly grin, clearly itching for so mischief.
"W-What are you talking about, Kuramochi-senpai?!" Eijun stamred, his face flushing with embarrassnt.
"Don't play dumb! What were you up to after the ga, huh? Getting all chummy with Wakana? That's Wakana we're talking about! How dare a simpleton like you—ugh, so unfair!" Kuramochi exclaid dramatically, throwing himself onto Eijun.
"Ahhh! Kuramochi-senpai, stop! That hurts!" Eijun cried, writhing under Kuramochi's "submission hold."
"Don't play innocent! Childhood friends, huh? We all know that's where it starts! And to top it off, you've got an army of fangirls screaming your na, holding banners and photos of you! You're worse than Miyuki! You're way too full of yourself, Sawamura!"
"No, I swear it's not like that! Please, Kuramochi-senpai, stop!"
The chaotic, noisy scene filled the room with warmth and familiarity. Masuko watched the antics with a gentle smile, shaking his head.
"Ho is truly the best," he muttered to himself with a satisfied nod.
...
As the golden hues of the setting sun bathed the school grounds, a sense of peace settled over the dormitory.
Earlier, Coach Kataoka had announced that there would be no practice today, allowing everyone to rest and recover.
For these boys who regard baseball as their second life, going even a single day without touching a bat or a ball makes them feel uncomfortable.
Baseball has already beco an inseparable part of their lives.
So, after finishing the welco ceremony in the morning and taking a short rest in the afternoon, all the first-string players appeared on the field.
Yes, that included the third-year seniors as well. As Isashiki Jun put it, "We're here to properly supervise you little brats and make sure you train hard."
This was especially true for the second-string players who were already practicing on the field.
With 13 vacancies currently open on the first-string roster, which needs to be filled for the upcoming regional tournant, these spots would be selected from the current second-string players.
Although the third-year seniors were technically retired, as forr teammates, they couldn't just walk away.
The idea of winning the championship in the sumr only to be eliminated in the first round of the fall tournant would be far too humiliating.
Naturally, they were deeply invested in the team's replenishnt and training.
For second-string players like Maezono Kenta, Toujou Hideaki, Kijima Rei, Kanemaru Shinji, and Takatsu Hiroomi, who were most likely to make it to the first string, this marked the beginning of a bittersweet journey.
Having seniors like Isashiki Jun and Yuuki Tetsuya personally guide them was sothing they could never have dread of before.
However, the strictness of these seniors far exceeded their expectations.
For instance, when Isashiki was teaching Maezono how to refine his batting posture and strength, his fierce and intimidating deanor made it clear that even the slightest mistake would not go unpunished.
As a result, Maezono spent most of the day on the verge of tears. Seeing a "gorilla" with teary eyes was far from harmonious, but such was the pressure exerted by Isashiki's presence.
It wasn't until the golden rays of the setting sun bathed the field that the Seidou team finally wrapped up their training for the day.
Even then, a crowd of onlookers remained near the Seidou baseball field, including a number of dia reporters who were still stationed there, hoping to snag an exclusive story.
They especially aid to interview star players like Yuuki, Isashiki, Miyuki, or Eijun. Scoring an interview with any of them would have been a major win.
Unfortunately for the reporters, Eijun and the others were in no mood to entertain interviews at this ti.
While Yuuki and the other seniors might have been more willing, they were currently preoccupied with helping form and refine the new team.
Thus, the Seidou players gradually left the field, ignoring the regretful and disappointed looks from the reporters, and returned to their dormitories for the evening.
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