Diamond No Ace: Echoes Of The Ace

Chapter 13: Self-Introduction

Kuramochi pulled the crying Eijun into the dorm room.

After all, leaving a guy bawling his eyes out at the door was too embarrassing—even if Eijun was just a kid.

While Kuramochi felt a tiny pang of guilt for scaring his junior to tears, he brushed it off with the thought,

---Well, it's his fault for being late. He deserved the enhanced version of the tradition.

Masuko, trying to comfort Eijun, offered him his treasured pudding.

Sniffling, Eijun ate the sweet treat.

Though he had initially fallen and cried out of fear, the tears that followed weren't from being scared.

He couldn't quite explain it himself, but the warmth and atmosphere of this dorm room felt strangely familiar and nostalgic.

Noticing that Eijun had calmed down, Kuramochi grabbed a game controller and handed it to him.

"Alright, let's start the welcome game tournament!" he declared.

Masuko, already sitting by the console, held up a sign that read Bring it on! while Kuramochi grinned with a provocative smirk. Eijun, his voice still nasal from crying, responded, "If it's games, I'm not going to lose!"

Eijun obediently sat next to Kuramochi, and the senior couldn't resist making a villainous face, saying with a sly tone, "Oh? Then the loser will have to be the winner's errand boy for a whole year."

"Huh? What did you just say, Kuramochi-senpai?"

Kuramochi waved him off with a smile. "Nothing, nothing! Let's just get started."

Even though Eijun had a hunch that his senior was up to no good, he still fell for the trap.

...

The next morning

Eijun rubbed his groggy eyes as he sat up in bed.

Staying up late playing games with his seniors had nearly made him oversleep, but his biological clock—honed over the holidays—still woke him at 5 a.m.

He got up, freshened up, and returned to find that his seniors were also awake.

"Oh? Dumb-mura, you're already up even after staying up so late last night?" Kuramochi teased, impressed despite himself.

After all, self-discipline and determination were crucial in the baseball club.

Feeling proud but trying not to show it, Eijun puffed himself up slightly. "At home, I always got up at 4:30 for training, so I'm used to it."

Both Kuramochi and Masuko were a little taken aback.

They hadn't expected the goofy kid to have this level of perseverance.

"That's impressive. Let's see if you can keep up with morning training. After we come back, we'll all head to the training ground together," Kuramochi said.

Morning practice at Seidou started with a long-distance run, which could be especially grueling right after waking up.

However, since it was the day for new recruits, the run was shortened to make time for introductions.

The campus was eerily quiet as the school term hadn't started yet, and some students weren't participating in the pre-term training camp.

As a result, both new and old members were fewer in number.

Eijun, scheduled as the second-to-last person in the first group, felt a little nervous.

Having never experienced such a formal introduction, he distracted himself by fiddling with a small pebble on the ground, unsure of how to introduce himself.

"Next… next…"

"Hey, it's your turn," someone next to Eijun whispered cautiously.

"Huh? My turn? But I haven't thought of anything yet!" Eijun's naturally loud voice immediately drew the attention of everyone present, making him even more flustered.

Kuramochi, watching from the sidelines, struggled to contain his laughter.

"Looks like he's from your dorm, Kuramochi," said Ryousuke Kominato with a gentle smile as he noticed Kuramochi stifling his amusement.

"Yeah, I didn't expect this, but he's just as funny as I imagined. And get this—he's ridiculously timid. Last night, he actually cried when I scared him. Hahaha!"

"Oh? So he's not as bold as he looks, huh?" Ryousuke chuckled.

The seniors' whispered conversations went unnoticed by the panicking Eijun, who grew increasingly stiff under the weight of everyone's stares, his face breaking out in a nervous sweat.

"Hurry up and introduce yourself," Coach Kataoka's voice cut through, his sunglasses adding to the intimidating aura that pressed down on Eijun like a mountain.

"Yes!" Startled by the coach's command, Eijun instinctively stepped forward—only to land directly on the pebble he had been fiddling with earlier.

His ankle twisted, and with a loud thud, he fell flat on the ground.

The bizarre chain of events left everyone stunned.

Even Coach Kataoka's usually stoic face twitched slightly.

The seniors, who had been holding back their laughter, couldn't contain themselves anymore and burst out in fits of laughter.

Kuramochi, in particular, laughed so hard he nearly fell to the ground, saved only by leaning against Masuko for support.

Hearing the laughter, Eijun's face turned beet red as he clambered to his feet.

Overwhelmed by the attention, his eyes briefly took on a feline-like gleam.

Pretending to be unfazed, he introduced himself loudly:

"My-My name is Sawamura Eijun, from Akagi Junior High in Nagano! My position is pitcher, I love playing baseball with my friends and reading manga. I hate natto, and my motto is Yuugen Jikkou (Actions Speak Louder Than Words). My goal is…"

As he spoke, Eijun began to calm down, memories of his friends in Nagano and their promises flooding his mind.

He raised his head, looking directly at Coach Kataoka with unwavering determination.

"My goal is to go to Koshien with the team and become a truly dependable ace!"

The bold declaration left the other freshmen stunned.

To them, it was unthinkable for someone to make such a scene and then boldly challenge their seniors.

Sharp-eyed freshmen even noticed that the current ace, Tanba, seemed less than pleased.

However, despite the appearance of being "challenged," Tanba didn't seem angry.

Watching the dirt-smudged, red-faced Eijun, whose eyes still shone with resolve, Tanba didn't see an arrogant underclassman.

Instead, he saw a stubborn, fiery kid—like a tiny kitten puffing itself up to look fierce.

To an older player, it was endearing rather than infuriating.

"Becoming a reliable ace, huh?" Tanba's lips curved into a small, melancholic smile.

Eijun, having made his declaration, returned to the group and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Being under so many stares was unnerving, especially with the scary guy in sunglasses.

Pretending to listen attentively to the next introduction, Eijun discreetly kicked away the pebble that had tripped him and furtively checked to make sure no one noticed.

Unfortunately for him, his every move was being observed by the seniors, who struggled to hold back their laughter to spare him further embarrassment.

When the introductions ended, Coach Kataoka scanned the freshmen before addressing them.

His presence was commanding, and the freshmen unconsciously straightened their backs.

"First, welcome to Seidou High School's baseball team. From now on, you will begin a new chapter in your lives. High school baseball is very different from middle school. At first, many of you may feel lost or unsure, but that's alright. You have reliable examples ahead of you. For now, all you need to do is follow your seniors' lead and work diligently, step by step."

As the coach spoke, the freshmen's gazes naturally shifted to the seniors.

Compared to their own slight frames, the seniors' broader shoulders and composed demeanor seemed impressive and reassuring.

Noticing the shift in the freshmen's attitudes, Coach Kataoka issued his first command. "Second- and third-years, head to Field A for basic training. Freshmen, run laps at Field B until it's time to eat. And as for Miyuki Kazuya, who's still loitering over there, you'll be joining the freshmen for laps."

Thus, the freshmen found themselves joined by an unusual participant. Miyuki, grinning as he jogged up to Eijun, teased, "So, you ended up coming to Seidou after all, huh?"

For some reason, Eijun felt conflicted as he looked at Miyuki.

Part of him wanted to say something, but another part of him felt irritated.

Still embarrassed from his earlier blunder, he simply muttered a response and ran ahead.

Left behind, Miyuki looked slightly puzzled but didn't pursue him. Some of the other freshmen, however, took note of the odd interaction and mentally tagged Eijun as "different."

After the morning training, the freshmen, slightly tired, made their way to the cafeteria.

Among them, one energetic figure stood out—Eijun, who seemed completely unfazed by the workout.

The run had helped him collect his thoughts, and he now felt more relaxed.

Curious, Eijun took in the bustling cafeteria of the Seidou dormitory.

Back at Akagi Junior High, where the school had been on the verge of closing, the cafeteria had rarely been open, and students had brought packed lunches instead.

Eating in a cafeteria again, surrounded by so many people, felt novel to him.

Kuramochi, who had arrived earlier, spotted the approaching freshmen and grinned mischievously.

"Hey, you guys worked hard this morning! You can grab your meals over at the counter. If it's not enough, you can go back for more."

The freshmen, eyeing Kuramochi's delicious-looking meal, couldn't help but swallow nervously.

Though they were tired, they still had the appetite to eat.

"But," Kuramochi added, drawing out the suspense, "you have to finish the required portions first."

Following his pointing finger, the freshmen's eyes landed on the massive bowls of rice.

"Three bowls?!" Their faces paled as they glanced between Kuramochi's bowl and the daunting amount of food.

Satisfied with their reactions, Kuramochi smirked triumphantly. Miyuki joined in the fun, adding, "It's a team requirement. Good luck!" before walking off with Kuramochi and Masuko, leaving the freshmen to their fate.