SWNOVELXO Chapter 187: <187> Two Names
Chapter 187: Two Names
The antics of the benchwarmers aside, the appearance of a runner tying the score brought unusual excitement to the stands.
"That bastard! He's really enjoying himself out there!" Sawamura muttered jealously, envious of Sendo's chance to play in the game.
"He's amazing! Sendo-kun!" Haruichi added, sharing in the admiration.
"Hmph!" Although Sawamura was proud to see his close friend being praised, he couldn't help but feign indifference, showing a bit of tsundere behavior.
"Batting eighth, right fielder, Shirasu-kun!"
Shirasu stepped into the batter's box, while both Sendo and Shirasu looked toward Coach Kataoka for any signals.
Coach Kataoka gave Sendo a deep look, and Sendo gave a slight nod in return. No signals meant they were free to play as usual, prompting Sendo to start leading off.
"As expected, there he goes with that exaggerated lead-off," Yokohama catcher observed, already accustomed to Sendo's aggressive base-running style. A runner as fast as Sendo on base doing otherwise would have seemed odd.
But knowing didn't mean doing nothing.
Snap!
"Safe!"
After a pick-off attempt, Sendo, unfazed, led off again once the ball returned to the pitcher.
"This guy is tough to deal with," Yokohama catcher admitted, recognizing that small tricks would have little effect on someone like Sendo. If he got up slowly, they'd quick-pitch. If he led off without confirming the ball's return, Inou wouldn't hesitate to pick him off.
Yet, despite his still-developing technique, Sendo avoided basic errors. After several pick-offs, the Yokohama Kouhoku battery realized that Sendo, having gauged their throw speeds, was taking even bigger leads.
Aware that their attempts had backfired, Yokohama catcher shifted focus to the batter.
Seeing Shirasu adopt a bunt stance, Yokohama Kouhoku's infielders moved in for a forward defense.
From first base, Sendo felt a thrilling sense of going head-to-head with his opponents, as if in a knife fight.
Unable to resist, he licked his upper lip, knowing their defense couldn't stop him.
...
"Eijun-kun, I'm so nervous watching this! Do you think Sendo-kun will run?" Haruichi asked anxiously.
"Of course, he will! It's Sendo we're talking about!" Sawamura replied confidently.
"Don't worry," Chris reassured them. "Sendo's base-running time is about 3 seconds, and with that lead-off distance, it'll be even faster. At the high school level, there's no catcher who can stop him."
"The only thing that could stop him is himself—his takeoff smoothness, acceleration, and overall condition. Everything else is left to fate," Chris explained, his analysis impressively accurate.
Although no one had measured Sendo's exact base-running stats, Chris's encyclopedia-like knowledge made his estimations extremely precise.
Compared to Kuramochi, Sendo's speed might not seem much faster, but considering Sendo runs 5 to 7 meters more due to his lead-offs, his efficiency was astonishing—at least 0.1 seconds faster than Kuramochi.
With his exaggerated lead-offs, as Chris said, only Sendo's own condition and fate could prevent him from advancing.
...
"He's stealing!"
As expected, on Yokohama Kouhoku's first pitch, Sendo bolted for second. To scout Seidou's tactics, the pitch was intentionally off-target, and Shirasu refrained from bunting, leaving everything to Sendo's personal ability.
"Don't underestimate us!" Yokohama catcher yelled, angrily throwing to second after seeing the batter not even attempting to cover.
But it was futile. Before the ball reached second, Sendo had already stolen the base.
Not even Miyuki's exceptional arm could stop Sendo in this thrilling showdown.
Sendo's unique running strategy was simple: steal bases aggressively to advance while providing opportunities for the batter.
Even stealing home wasn't off the table if it meant creating a distraction to score.
These tactics imposed enormous pressure on the defense, contributing significantly to Seidou's high-scoring rate.
...
Sendo successfully stole bases consecutively, reaching third base with the count at 1-1. At that moment, Shirasu adjusted his cap brim.
"Playing it safe, huh? Maybe he thinks this pitcher isn't easy to handle?" Sendo thought, choosing to cooperate.
The Yokohama Kouhoku ace threw the third pitch.
"Squeeze play!"
Seeing Shirasu execute the squeeze play, the infielders tensed. As the ball hit the ground, it was clear that the run couldn't be stopped.
"First base!" Yokohama catcher commanded, glancing briefly at Sendo before focusing on the play.
"Safe!"
"Out!"
"Squeeze play successful! In the bottom of the fourth, Seidou High evens the score after being overturned earlier!"
The inning ended there, with both teams' pitchers still holding up. The game entered a stalemate, with no runs scored in the next two innings.
By the seventh inning, Tanba reached his limit, allowing a walk, a hit after the batters adjusted, and eventually conceding five runs in one go.
Seidou managed to hold on defensively, but the score gap widened to five runs.
...
"Top of the eighth inning, player substitution for Seidou High. Replacing Tanba is Furuya-kun! Batting ninth, pitcher Furuya-kun!"
"Huh? A substitution? Does Seidou have another pitcher capable of suppressing Yokohama Kouhoku's powerful lineup?" A scout from an unknown team questioned in surprise.
"Furuya? That Furuya is a first-year!" Someone checked the roster and exclaimed in disbelief.
"Seriously? Has Seidou given up on the game, letting a first-year take the mound in this situation?"
"Not necessarily! Didn't Seidou's starter also include a first-year?"
"But that one's a bakemono!"
...
In Seidou's cheering section, Haruichi sighed, while Sawamura felt an overwhelming sense of urgency, becoming visibly flustered.
Aside from the Seidou players, no one really had faith in him.
"Teach that rookie a lesson about the harsh reality of high school baseball!"
"Yes, sir!" The opposing coach's voice was so loud that even Sendo, standing in centerfield, could hear it.
"Who's underestimating who here? I hope you won't regret it later," Sendo muttered to himself.
Furuya's frame was undeniably slim, even thinner than Sendo's, who wasn't exactly burly himself.
Miyuki, with his cunning personality, wasn't the type to warn the opponent about underestimating them. Instead, he played along, planning to let Furuya's performance deliver the message.
BOOM!
"…"
The stadium fell silent in an instant.
With just one pitch, the entire crowd was stunned into silence, as if their throats had been choked.
"Strike!"
When the umpire called it, the crowd finally reacted, erupting in astonishment.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Furuya struck out batter after batter.
Even as Chris and Sawamura's subtle conflict flared on the sidelines, the Yokohama Kouhoku lineup found themselves unable to adjust to Furuya's pitches.
Instinctively swinging, they were struck out repeatedly, bringing the game to the final inning before anyone realized it.
"Unbelievable! Yokohama Kouhoku's lineup has been struck out five times in a row!"
"Who is this guy? Another unknown monster?!"
"Where does Seidou keep finding these beasts?"
"One more!"
"One more!"
"One more!"
The crowd's cheers grew louder as Furuya struck out his sixth batter in a row.
"Six consecutive strikeouts! It's official!"
"This guy is the real deal!"
"Seidou's got themselves a powerhouse pitcher!"
"This year's Seidou team is one to watch out for!"
Furuya's electrifying performance momentarily overshadowed Sendo's contributions.
However, the price of striking out six batters in a row was enduring relentless teasing from the middle infielders later.
Inspired by Furuya's display, Seidou's lineup finally came alive in the final inning.
The seniors couldn't let the game end without a fight, and the team's momentum began to shift.
And then...
PING!
After being stopped by the defense in his previous three at-bats, Sendo redeemed himself in his final plate appearance.
Smack!
"It's in!"
"Home run!"
"Is this guy trying to remind everyone not to forget about him because of Furuya?"
"Amazing!"
"Four at-bats, three hits—he's definitely the better player!"
With Sendo's solo home run, Seidou narrowed the gap to just one run.
Although Seidou ultimately failed to complete the comeback, their two first-year players left an indelible impression on the powerhouse teams of Kanto.
"In the end, my home run didn't even matter!" Sendo shrugged as the game concluded.
"Ya-ha-ha! It wasn't completely pointless!" Kuramochi chimed in. "At the very least, you stole the spotlight from Furuya at the end, didn't you?"
Whether Kuramochi was comforting or teasing him, it wasn't clear.
Since the Kanto Tournament wasn't a critical competition—more of a warm-up like the Spring Tournament—the loss didn't dampen their spirits.
In the end, it was simply a productive game, nothing more.
Even back at the dorms, the team couldn't stop talking about the game.
...
"Hey! You sneaky glasses!"
"Don't call me sneaky glasses, you jerk!" Miyuki retorted in mock frustration.
"When Furuya first went on the mound today, what did the opposing batter say to you? You looked so smug, grinning like that!" Sendo teased.
Miyuki found Sendo's words strangely irritating.
"What's with this 'smug equals evil grin' nonsense? Is that how I come across?" He thought, but he decided against saying it out loud, knowing Sendo would just roast him further.
"The batter said Furuya was too skinny, that he hasn't built up his body yet, and that we must have a hard time every year."
"Ah, I see! So, you just went along with it and led them straight into a trap, didn't you, you sly devil?"
"Hey! You're one to talk, you sneaky bastard!"
"Calling me a devil is a bit much, don't you think?" Miyuki muttered in weak protest after snapping back.
"So, what does Furuya's pitch feel like at home plate?" Sendo ignored Miyuki's complaint and continued.
"Haha! Didn't think you'd be interested in his pitches!"
"I'm just trying to figure out how to deal with them. So, what's special about that guy's pitching?"
"Basically, they're hard to catch. The ball has a slight unpredictable movement. It's tough to make solid contact from the batter's box."
"Unpredictable movement?"
"It's not as exaggerated as you think, just a slight deviation. If it were as crazy as that idiot's pitches, who'd be able to catch them?" Miyuki explained, noticing Sendo's thoughtful expression.
"I want to face him in the batter's box someday."
"Shouldn't be a problem. We're both on the first string, and there won't be many practice games coming up. Whether we want to or not, we'll be facing his pitches regularly."
"Poor guy. Just got promoted to the first string and is already a batting pitcher!"
"Hey, hey! It's not as bad as you make it sound!"
As expected, their conversation flowed effortlessly.
They had a natural rapport where many things didn't need to be explained to be understood, making their chats thoroughly enjoyable.
"Alright then! I'm off to take Fumino and the seniors back. Goodnight!"
"I'm heading to bed too! Goodnight!"
"Who are you kidding? It's way too early to sleep!"
"Can't help it!"
"Wow, lying has become second nature to you?" Sendo gave Miyuki a strange look.
"Don't look at me like that! You're making it seem like I've done something bad!"
"Later!" Sendo said as he turned and walked away.
"This guy…"
After the pleasant conversation, Miyuki was in high spirits and cheerfully returned to the dorm.
Sendo, however, didn't head back to the dorm. Instead, he informed Pudding-senpai he wouldn't be keeping him company tonight and went straight to the practice field.
At the field, there was only one figure dragging a tire as they ran.
Sendo stayed silent, waiting in the shadows.
Sawamura had confided in Sendo about his recent struggles.
This understanding was why, in this lifetime, Sawamura hadn't resisted Chris as much—because Sendo had assured him it was for his own good.
The tension between Sawamura and Chris was inevitable, and Sendo knew better than to interfere.
Instead, he simply stayed by Sawamura's side, watching as he vented his frustration through running. Later, he would talk to him once he was done.
...
"Huh? Sendo? What are you doing here? How long have you been waiting?" Sawamura, drenched in sweat after finishing his workout, spotted Sendo leaning against the gate.
Though he asked, his heart felt warm knowing someone had been waiting for him.
These two were like polar opposites:
One wore his emotions openly, acting impulsively on whatever came to mind.
The other was reserved, hiding his true feelings while quietly supporting others.
-------------------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21