Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 34: Wonderful Dorm Interactions

"Game over!"

"Line up."

"Salute!"

"Thank you for the match!!!"

After Seidou High School's second string successfully defeated Komashiro High School, claiming victory, the first string also gained an advantage against Teito High School. In the end, the first string won against Teito as well, securing victories in both practice matches this weekend.

In the match between the first string and Teito High School, Furuya unexpectedly replaced Tanba as the starting pitcher. His powerful fastballs threw the prestigious Teito High School off balance at the start, allowing Furuya to strike out six batters. However, due to a bleeding finger, Furuya had to discreetly leave the game early, with Tanba taking over as pitcher.

Despite the setback, Furuya's reputation grew louder after this game. From then on, scouts from various teams began visiting Seidou High School more frequently, eager to observe Furuya.

On the other hand, Eijun, being on the second string, did not attract much attention from outside schools. However, within Seidou High School, Eijun had already become a pitcher whose potential was viewed as equal to Furuya's. Of course, except for those steadfast supporters of fastball speed who still believed Furuya was superior.

Within Seidou High School, most people began to see the two as equals. In particular, the second and third-year seniors on the second string started to place more trust in Eijun, which made him the happiest. After all, earning the recognition of his teammates and becoming the ace who stands tall on the mound had always been Eijun's unwavering goal.

That evening, at Seidou High School, in Room 5 of the Seishin Dormitory.

After finishing a day's training, Eijun took a bath and returned to the dormitory, only to find that Tooru Masuko and Youichi Kuramochi had also finished their training and returned to the dorm.

"Oh, Masuko-senpai, Kuramochi-senpai." Eijun was slightly surprised, not expecting the two to return so early. After all, lately, the first string had not only been training but also holding meetings, usually returning around ten o'clock. He didn't expect them to be back by nine tonight.

Previously, Eijun would return to the dormitory around the same time as them. Besides his pitching training, Eijun also placed extra emphasis on his batting practice. His goal wasn't just to appear as a pitcher; he wanted to be able to provide necessary support to the team with his batting when needed.

However, after Chris noticed this additional training, he sternly reprimanded Eijun. Chris seriously told Eijun that he needed to prioritize and consider the burden on his body. The severity of his tone and seriousness of his expression were the first times Eijun had seen Chris so angry.

Perhaps Eijun's intense training reminded Chris of his own past. As a pitcher, whether on the mound or during practice, it's crucial to balance work and rest. Overtraining in pitching could lead to arm injuries.

Eijun obediently accepted Chris's criticism and followed the new training schedule Chris arranged, reducing his evening training time. He used the remaining time in the dormitory for stretching and flexibility exercises.

As a result, Eijun started returning to the dorm about two hours earlier.

Proper training without overexertion—Chris's reminder made Eijun realize that his recent training had indeed been putting too much strain on his arm. While it might not show now, the issue could eventually surface over time.

This made Eijun feel fortunate in his heart, recognizing how lucky he was to have a reasonable and qualified coach guiding him.

As Eijun returned, a glint of mischief flashed in Kuramochi's eyes.

"Hey, how does it feel to win your first game, future ace?" Kuramochi grinned mischievously as he addressed Eijun.

"Well, it was just okay," Eijun replied with a light smile.

"Heh, pretty humble, aren't you?" Kuramochi's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief as his pupils darted about, his tone laced with a teasing edge.

"Gulp..." Eijun couldn't help but swallow nervously, a cautious expression spreading across his face.

Youichi Kuramochi was definitely one of the most "mischievous" seniors at Seidou. It wasn't that he had bad character; rather, his personality was somewhat devious. In the original series, he frequently messed with Eijun, even replying to Wakana's texts on Eijun's behalf, among many other pranks.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to stay on high alert around this guy, as well as Miyuki.

"Haha, it was just a regular second-string practice match. It's nothing compared to you seniors, who won against Teito today. That's truly impressive." Eijun cautiously moved around, his eyes fixed on Kuramochi, his entire body on guard as if expecting Kuramochi to pounce at any moment.

But Kuramochi didn't seem to care about Eijun's wary behavior. He remained as laid-back as ever.

Suddenly, Kuramochi spoke up, "By the way, Sawamura, you mentioned before that you don't have a girlfriend, right?"

For some reason, a deep chill ran down Eijun's spine the moment Kuramochi said those words. Although Kuramochi's expression remained a smiling one, his eyes seemed to glint with an icy light.

This extreme contrast, far from being cute, only made Eijun more anxious.

This doesn't seem like it's going to be good...

"Ah, that's right," Eijun answered cautiously.

"Oh~~~ is that so?" Kuramochi drawled, "Then, this phone isn't yours, huh?"

In Eijun's line of sight, Kuramochi pulled out a phone from his pocket and started flipping it up and down in his hand.

Eijun's eyes widened. Wait, isn't that my phone?!

All of a sudden, Eijun recalled a certain possibility, one that seemed to mirror a scene from the original series. And if he remembered correctly, the outcome wasn't great either. A chill ran up from the soles of his feet, straight to the top of his head.

"Haha... cough... Kuramochi-senpai, well... that's actually my phone..." Eijun hesitated for a moment before speaking with some difficulty.

"So now you admit it?" The smile on Kuramochi's lips grew even wider.

Eijun couldn't help but shiver slightly, pressing himself closer to the wall behind him, an awkward smile on his face. He tried to appear cheerful, but to Eijun, Kuramochi's smile seemed anything but warm—it felt downright cold.

"Well, if it's my phone, then of course, I need to—"

Whoosh

Before Eijun could finish his sentence, Kuramochi leaped at him with the speed of a pouncing leopard. Despite Eijun being on high alert, he couldn't react in time and was quickly pinned down by Kuramochi.

At that moment, Kuramochi's expression turned downright vicious.

"You little punk! What do you mean you don't have a girlfriend? Who the hell is Wakana, huh? Don't tell me Wakana's a guy!!!"

Kuramochi's joint-lock technique, a move he had mastered, had Eijun completely immobilized beneath him. The pressure Kuramochi applied made Eijun's face turn from pale to flushed in an instant.

"Aaah! It hurts, Kuramochi-senpai! Wakana's just a childhood friend! Please believe me, I really don't have a girlfriend! Aaah, go easy on me!"

"Like hell, I believe you! You're riding high on the mound and have a cute girlfriend on the side? Unbelievable! Just who do you think you are, Sawamura? It's driving me crazy!!"

"Please, Kuramochi-senpai, I'm going to break! I swear, she's not my girlfriend! Please, it hurts so much! Kuramochi-senpai!!"

"You lying scumbag! There's no way she's not your girlfriend! Damn it, just die, you smug bastard!!!"

"AAAAAHHHH!!!"

The intense jealousy from his senior was palpable.

That night, a pitiful protagonist once again suffered under the hands of his dormitory seniors. The heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the entire dorm area, leaving behind an unforgettable legend.

"Damn you, Sawamura! You lucky bastard! I want a girlfriend too!!!"

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