31 31: Training and Daily Life

Certainly, even though Chris didn't overtly display his shifting emotions, his gentle expression briefly flickered in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Chris's initial impression of Eijun was undeniably positive, but it remained just that—an initial impression. In his words, Chris had no intention of being overly indulgent.

"Confidence is a good quality, but arrogance can be a stumbling block. Carrying the expectations and recognition of everyone? You've only been at the school for a month, and your words are rather audacious. If you understand the significance of the pitcher's mound for the team, then you should also recognize that words have little value in the world of baseball. Actions speak the loudest. Remember that," Chris calmly remarked, his demeanor steady, devoid of emotional fluctuations, as he gazed at the young Eijun.

Chris had anticipated signs of discontent or defiance from Eijun, yet once again, he was taken aback.

"I understand, Chris senpai. I have a long journey ahead, and in the days to come, I hope Chris senpai will watch over me," Eijun replied with his trademark warm smile, maintaining a respectful tone.

In his demeanor, there was no sign of the expected discontent or defiance, which left Chris slightly surprised.

This younger student before him seemed to possess a certain uniqueness.

This sparked a growing fondness for Eijun in Chris's heart.

Taking into account his prior discreet observations, the recordings of Eijun's matches (in Seido, aside from official games, some practice matches, and the Red-White scrimmage were also recorded for reference), and the information he had gathered from Takashima Rei and Miyuki about Eijun Sawamura, combined with his firsthand impression of Eijun, overall, Eijun had already made a positive initial impression on Chris.

Perhaps, mentoring and nurturing this young man would become the most important thing in his high school career.

A different shade appeared in Chris's gaze as he contemplated.

"Alright, let's do some stretching exercises, warm up a bit, and throw a few pitches. I'll take a look," Chris said with a subtle gleam in his eyes, and these words brought a faint smile to Eijun's face.

"Absolutely!" Eijun immediately responded with enthusiasm.

In the eyes of baseball players, training was undoubtedly tough, but it was also joyful.

Stepping onto the field, maneuvering between offense and defense, for them, playing baseball was not only a dream but also a great source of pleasure. It was their passion.

With this attitude, every day of training and game time seemed to fly by for them.

For the current Eijun Sawamura, it was no different.

Today's training with a different menu, accompanied by different teammates, made Eijun appreciate the present moment even more. Training time seemed to be swiftly passing in his eyes.

During one-on-one training with Chris, Eijun could truly savor the joy of baseball. In his previous life, his favorite catcher had been Chris. In this life, being able to form a battery with Chris, even if it was just for pitching and catching drills in the bullpen and not on the actual field, was already satisfying enough for the current Eijun.

His bigger aspiration was to team up with Chris as a battery on the actual baseball field, but Eijun was well aware that Chris's physical condition at this time might make that an impossible dream.

In the original work, Chris had only pitched for three innings, and his shoulder had already reached its limit. To truly return to the field, it might take about a year for him to recover properly.

"Phew."

"Thwack."

"Well, those are the topics for today," Chris said after smoothly catching the final pitch, addressing Eijun Sawamura nearby.

While Eijun felt a bit disappointed deep down and even wished to continue pitching, he also understood that in the original work, even though Chris's father had mentioned that Chris's shoulder was nearly 100% recovered at this point, he was still in a rehabilitation state and not suitable for prolonged catching.

Moreover, it was getting late, and Eijun didn't insist on more. He simply nodded lightly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Chris senpai," Eijun said with a respectful tone.

"As for the specific training programs, I'll compile them and give them to you tonight," Chris stood up slowly, maintaining his calm demeanor as he spoke to Eijun.

"Understood, Chris senpai," Eijun continued to speak respectfully, his voice soft.

"Hmm." Chris packed up his belongings, gave Eijun a deep look, nodded, and then left.

Watching Chris's departing figure, Eijun understood very well why Chris had that expression.

It was mainly because of him.

"It seems like I showed a bit too much excitement and respect today. I really couldn't control my inner excitement..." Eijun murmured softly.

But finally meeting you, Chris senpai, in this last year, let's spend it joyfully. The regrets you had in the original work, I won't let them happen again.

I swear it on my pitcher's pride!

A gleam of determination shone in Eijun's eyes as he thought to himself.

The brief training period swiftly moved into May. Seidou High School, having secured a spot in the Kanto Tournament during the spring tournament, would also participate in the Kanto Tournament held in May, featuring champions and runners-up from various districts in the Kanto region.

All the first-year members, including Eijun, went to watch that game.

As previously mentioned by Takashima Rei, this time in the Kanto Tournament, Coach Kataoka had indeed included Furuya in the first string roster, assigning him jersey number 18.

The first match, unlike the original work, was a familiar scene for Seidou High School. They were facing Kanagawa's strong team, Yokohama Kohto Academy. As the champions of the spring tournament in a highly competitive region, Yokohama Kohto Academy had a remarkable level of strength on a national scale.

The game unfolded just as it did in the original work.

In the seventh inning, the ace pitcher, Koichiro Tanba, faltered and gave up four runs.

It was in this situation that Furuya made his first appearance in a high school official game and fired the first shot to establish his reputation in Tokyo and the Kanto region.

Striking out six consecutive batters, Seidou High School ultimately lost by a narrow margin, 5-6, in the final score.

However, the renowned pitcher, Furuya, had already become well-known throughout the Kanto region. Almost all the strong teams in Kanto were aware that Seidou High School had this formidable newcomer with a fastball speed that likely exceeded 150 kilometers per hour.

Daily life continued, with Chris conducting his usual fundamental training sessions. Eijun's diligent and complaint-free training performance continued to earn him Chris's increasing recognition and satisfaction.

It was in this setting that Eijun and Haruichi welcomed their first official high school game against another team in the second string during an inter-squad scrimmage.