"Hey, hey, hey, Furuya-kun! I said, Furuya-kun!"
"Hmm?"
Furuya seed to have been daydreaming. He blinked in confusion at Eijun, wondering why he was being called so loudly.
Seeing Furuya's innocent expression, Eijun didn't even know what to say.
What a simple-minded kid…
But still—
"Ahem, Furuya-kun, class has already started."
Eijun cleared his throat and pointed ahead. Furuya turned his head and was t with the sight of their Japanese teacher standing at the podium, smiling at him with a kind yet unmistakably knowing expression.
It was only at this mont that Furuya seed to fully snap back to reality.
He stood up, bowed slightly to the teacher, and apologized, "Sorry."
Then, he turned back to Eijun and said sothing that nearly made Eijun lose his mind.
"I'll co back at lunch break."
And with that, the simple-minded Furuya left Eijun's classroom and returned to his own.
Watching Furuya walk away, the corner of Eijun's mouth twitched slightly.
My god, you're coming back at lunch too?
Forget it, forget it. If I can't provoke him, I can at least run away. No, I must run away the mont class ends!
With that thought in mind, Eijun made his plans.
"Alright, class, open your textbooks to page sixty. Last ti, we covered…."
...
After a full day of regular classes, the Seidou High School baseball field was already packed.
Over a hundred baseball club mbers, assistant coaches, and the two leading figures of the coaching staff had gathered.
In Japan, student club activities are taken seriously in over 90% of schools, except for a few that focus solely on academics.
Even among those elite academic schools, club activities are still encouraged, akin to the philosophy of holistic education—balancing academics, morality, sports, and the arts.
For a private school like Seidou, this emphasis was even stronger.
Not to ntion the baseball club—any student activity that was deed positive and beneficial for youth developnt was supported by the school. And if a club achieved significant results, the support only increased.
Seidou's baseball club was the pri example of this. As the school's most prestigious and nationally recognized team, it was highly regarded at every level—from the board of directors to the individual subject teachers.
Nobody would make things difficult for the baseball team mbers, especially those on the First String.
After all, the teachers understood that these First String players were future professional prospects. At the very least, they could secure university recomndations through baseball.
For them, academic studies were more of a supplent than a priority.
Thus, it was common for teachers to be lenient with these players, sotis even offering slight accommodations.
"Outfielders! Where's your voice? Did you skip lunch or what? Move it! Run faster!"
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the baseball field was alive with energy.
Seidou's baseball club mbers were diligently following the training nu set by the coaching staff, with assistant coaches supervising and assisting.
anwhile, the two titans of the coaching staff—Head Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai—stood solemnly near the dugout, quietly observing the players' training.
"Wow, they added a few more batting cages. The setup looks even more impressive now."
Standing behind the two coaches, Club Manager Ota watched the free batting practice with a smile.
Ever since Seidou had secured a dominant victory over Teito High, he hadn't stopped smiling.
Anyone who saw him these days was t with a cheerful expression.
"This was Coach Ochiai's suggestion, wasn't it?"
Beside him, Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses and spoke calmly.
"Yeah, the players enjoy practicing their batting, and our school has always been known for its strong offense. Adding more outdoor batting areas not only enhances training but also allows our many pitchers to participate in live pitching practice. It's a win-win situation."
Ochiai stroked his mustache with a satisfied look.
"I've been thinking a lot about training lately."
Sohow, Ochiai seed unusually energetic these days.
Before, he had only paid special attention to a few select players. But now, he was focusing on the entire team.
Did sothing happen to make him change?
Ota found this shift sowhat strange but intriguing.
Over the past month, Ochiai's presence and influence had undergone a noticeable shift.
"Oh, and Coach Kataoka, regarding the team integration training and the player assignnts we discussed last night—have you made a decision?"
As Ochiai observed the players training on the field, a thought seed to strike him suddenly, prompting him to bring up the topic with Kataoka.
"Hmm, let's proceed according to your recomndations."
A contemplative glint flashed in Kataoka's eyes, but after a brief mont of thought, he nodded in agreent.
Upon hearing Kataoka's response, a faint, satisfied smile curled at the corners of Ochiai's lips.
Individualized and Team-Oriented Training.
This was the most distinct training philosophy Ochiai had introduced since joining Seidou High School.
At first glance, it might seem like a form of preferential treatnt.
But in reality, it was simply tailoring the training to each player's needs.
Differences in skill levels, natural talent, and individual playing styles inevitably ant that, beyond the fundantal training, each player required a personalized approach for advanced developnt.
Of course, the overarching structure of training remained the sa.
For example, batting training could be broadly divided into three main categories:
1. Physical conditioning
2. Technical refinent
3. Power developnt and, most importantly, power control
These fundantal aspects were the sa for everyone.
However, the specific details varied greatly. Take Maezono Kenta and Yamaguchi Ken, for example—both were classified as power hitters, yet their training approaches were vastly different.
Maezono needed training focused on refining his batting techniques to fully utilize his raw power.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand, required training on controlling the release of his power, ensuring it was properly directed for consistent results.
The sa principle applied to other players.
The three core pitchers each had distinct styles, which ant their bullpen training programs also had to be customized accordingly.
This was the result of Ochiai's ticulous month-long preparation—a comprehensive training plan tailored to every starting player in Seidou's roster. Naturally, there was also a broader training plan for the entire baseball club.
The goal was to enhance both the team's overall cohesion and individual player developnt.
Particularly in the batting lineup—its strength had to be elevated.
Because, to put it bluntly, Seidou High School's pitching rotation was already among the top three in the entire country.
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