[328] The Arrogant Extra

Chapter 328: The Arrogant Extra

Late September.

At Seidou High School's baseball field, today marks the third round of their pre-season matches. If they win this game, they'll secure a spot in the official Autumn Tournament, which starts in October.

On the A-side of the field at Seidou High, both teams have already entered their dugouts, making their final preparations. As usual, the stadium is surrounded by a crowd of spectators and media reporters.

On the first base side is Seidou High, and on the third base side is Seishou High, a private school from the West Tokyo area with some local recognition.

It's said that Seishou won two games in this year's Summer Tournament and made it to the third round.

For an average school in a competitive area like West Tokyo, making it to the third round is no small feat.

However, when compared to Seidou High, Seishou is nothing special.

This is the general opinion of most people.

Almost everyone believes that Seidou will easily crush Seishou and advance to the main event of the Autumn Tournament. It's a consensus.

But only Eijun knows the truth.

In the original story, Seidou High struggled against Seishou.

After a series of wild pitches by Furuya, Seidou seemed to lose focus.

They allowed four runs in the first inning and continued to falter, resulting in a near self-destruction of the batting lineup.

They only managed to tie the game by the seventh inning, leaving the crowd holding their breath.

For Eijun, that memory of Seishou still lingered deeply, and this time, he wasn't going to let them off the hook.

Especially not with that cocky, obnoxious manager with the pockmarked face.

Under the setting sun, Eijun vowed to make sure Seishou knew exactly how big the gap was between them and Seidou.

On the field, Eijun stood outside the dugout, his eyes narrowing with a cold glint as he observed Seishou's players, who seemed to still be excited.

Inside, he silently vowed: "Don't go crying now, Seishou's little princes."

Today's game marked Eijun's debut as Seidou's starting pitcher, a moment he had been waiting for.

In the morning's pre-game meeting, Coach Kataoka announced the starting lineup, and finally, Eijun didn't have to play left field anymore.

He was taking the mound as Seidou's ace, a momentous occasion for him.

Thanks to Eijun's debut as pitcher, Seidou's original starting left fielder, Asou, would finally get his long-awaited opportunity to play.

For the past two games, Asou had been stuck on the bench, watching as others played. It had been quite a frustrating experience for him.

Now, with Eijun taking the pitcher's mound and Asou finally getting his chance to play, it was an emotional moment for the veteran.

But as Eijun glanced towards the bench and caught sight of Coach Kataoka, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

Eijun wasn't just any ordinary starting pitcher today.

In the morning, Eijun couldn't forget the scene when Coach Kataoka made the announcement. His heart still carried a sense of excitement that wouldn't fade.

"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura!"

"Cleaning-up hitter? Didn't expect to get the cleanup spot," Eijun muttered quietly to himself.

Yes, Coach Kataoka not only made Eijun the starting pitcher for this game but also moved him to the cleanup hitter spot.

There were a few other adjustments to the batting lineup as well—Shirasu was moved to the fifth spot, while Maezono was pushed out of the cleanup position and shifted to sixth.

Coach Kataoka had carefully considered the lineup, but in the end, he didn't follow Ochiai's advice.

He still had faith in Maezono's future potential and chose to leave him as the starter, though he wasn't ready for the cleanup spot yet.

This decision was based on Maezono's overall performance and the belief that hitting in the cleanup position required a specific set of skills and consistency.

Maezono, however, didn't understand the reasoning behind this decision.

When he learned that he had been removed from the cleanup slot, it hit him like a lightning bolt.

That morning, his expression was frozen with a forced smile that was incredibly awkward—like a monkey trying to grin, which made everyone around him, including Eijun, chuckle awkwardly.

At that moment, a teasing voice came from the dugout.

"How's it feel, three-hole ace? Long time since you've been on the mound, huh?"

It was Miyuki, already suited up with his catcher's gear, walking towards Eijun with a mischievous smile.

"How does it feel? Feels great!" Eijun responded, his own smile reflecting the excitement he felt—not just for the opportunity to start as a pitcher but also because of the faith that Coach Kataoka had placed in him by making him the cleanup hitter.

For Eijun, this was a moment of pride, both as a pitcher and as the third batter in the lineup.

The trust from his coach meant a lot to him, and he couldn't hide his joy.

"Miyuki-senpai, I've got a great idea today!"

Eijun grinned, a glint of mischief in his eyes. But for some reason, Miyuki couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about the expression on Eijun's face.

Meanwhile, on the third-base side, Seishou High's bench was preparing for the game.

Their manager, whom Eijun couldn't stand, was giving his usual overconfident pep talk.

"Don't worry, don't be afraid! Yes, they're the defending champions of the Summer Tournament, but most of their main players have retired. Our core team is still intact, and we have enough fight left in us. Look, they're bringing in their ace today, who hasn't pitched in the first two games. This shows they're taking us seriously—they're afraid of us! We've got a chance to win, so let's push for victory!"

Despite his over-the-top words, the Seishou players, inspired by their manager's confidence, genuinely believed they could compete with Seidou.

Their self-confidence seemed to rise dramatically.

However, Eijun wasn't convinced by their self-assuredness.

He knew that if Seishou kept getting too cocky, they'd eventually regret it.

Overconfidence, especially in a team like theirs, would only lead to trouble.

"Form up!" shouted the Seishou manager.

"Salute!"

"Let's give them our best! Good luck!"

As the two teams stood ready, full of confidence and determination, the Autumn Tournament's regional preliminaries officially kicked off.

The stage was set for an intense battle.

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