Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 401: Reflection Meeting

The third-round match between Seido High School and Ugumori High School has come to an end.

However, the shockwaves from this game have spread throughout the Tokyo region.

Whether it was Ugumori High School's fierce pursuit of Seido High School or the overwhelming strength Seido ultimately displayed, both have caused a significant stir across Tokyo.

The powerhouse teams in the East Tokyo area will now have to reassess and take note of Ugumori High School as a formidable opponent for the coming year.

Similarly, the issues exposed by Seido High School during this match have not gone unnoticed by teams like Yakushi, Inashiro Industrial, and Ichidaisan.

Whether it was the unexpected vulnerability of Furuya, the run Eijun conceded in the ninth inning, or the shortcomings of Seido's batting lineup throughout the eight innings of offense, these flaws have given rival teams ample reason to reevaluate Seido High School.

For the teams set to face Seido in the near future, Ugumori High School has essentially done them a huge favor by revealing these weaknesses.

Of course, these are matters for later. Right now, after the match, Seido High School has its own internal issues to address, which are of greater immediate importance.

For instance, there's the issue with Furuya—a problem that not only concerns him but also requires serious consideration from Coach Kataoka and Assistant Coach Ochiai.

Then there's the matter involving Miyuki and Maezono.

While Miyuki has resolved his personal struggles and no longer intends to step down as team captain, Maezono's issues remain unresolved.

Eijun even considered seeking advice from Isashiki-senpai, as in the original storyline, it was Isashiki who helped uncover the root of the problem, not only resolving Maezono's inner conflict but also helping him mature further.

However, upon hearing that Captain Tetsu and Chris-senpai had already taken action on this matter, Eijun decided to drop the idea.

After all, Eijun is still a junior. Even though he is now the team's irreplaceable ace, the hierarchical relationship between seniors and juniors remains intact.

While the dynamics in Japanese baseball clubs are not as rigid as they were in the past, this is still Japan, and certain unspoken rules about seniority and hierarchy cannot be easily ignored.

Despite Eijun's inner identity as a foreigner soul, he is well aware of these cultural nuances in Japan.

Therefore, it's best not to speak up or intervene unless absolutely necessary.

Besides, Eijun has his own issues to address. During the match against Ugumori, he identified several areas in his pitching and batting that need improvement or adjustment.

"Whoosh"

"Thud"

"Right, this is the spot. Eijun, your changeup and fastball tend to drift toward the middle of the strike zone after a few pitches. Moreover, these pitches aren't as effective against left-handed batters as they are against right-handed ones. This is likely why Ugumori High's lineup managed to capitalize on them later in the game."

In the cafeteria, the TV displayed footage of Eijun's performance during the match. Watanabe Hisashi adjusted the video, pointing out Eijun's movements with a serious expression as he explained the issues.

"And in the latter half of the game, Eijun, your control seemed a bit off, didn't it? I think it might be because you were throwing too many breaking balls, which unconsciously affected your finger control. Although it's not a major issue, look at this pitch—and this one—they both ended up slightly elevated and inside."

Seated beside Watanabe were Eijun, Miyuki, and Ono, as well as the hard-throwing pitcher, Furuya.

This was a small gathering of pitchers and catchers, essentially a reflection meeting about the previous game.

At this point, Furuya seemed to have moved past the shock of the game two days ago, at least outwardly appearing calm and composed as usual.

As for what he was really thinking—well, given his naturally stoic demeanor, it was hard to tell.

Oh, and there was also the ever-low-profile Kawakami, who hadn't played in the previous game but had voluntarily joined this reflection meeting.

As he put it, it was a great learning opportunity. At the moment, Kawakami sat quietly like a good student, listening attentively.

"Is it a problem with my form?" Eijun frowned as he watched Watanabe point out the issues, muttering this question under his breath.

"Let's set aside the fastball for now. That pitch is still new to you, so any issues with grip or adaptability can be adjusted. As for the control problems, yes, you did throw a lot of breaking balls in the latter half. Plus, Ugumori High's lineup was quite persistent. The main issue now is the changeup," Miyuki, sitting next to Eijun, remarked while stroking his chin.

Originally, this problem with Eijun's changeup had been apparent since he first mastered it during the summer.

Specifically, it wasn't as effective against left-handed batters.

Several times, even weaker left-handed hitters managed to track the trajectory of his changeup.

This issue was also present in the original storyline, as seen during the intra-squad game.

However, unlike in the original, the problem had become more pronounced in this match.

In this lifetime, Eijun had developed his "Numbers" series earlier and had grown in multiple aspects simultaneously.

In his previous life, he had focused on the changeup as his decisive pitch, but this time, with his priorities shifted, the issues with his changeup had become more pronounced.

Since the changeup was a core pitch in Eijun's arsenal, relying on its speed differential to outwit batters, this problem had reached a point where it needed to be addressed and resolved.

"During the next phase of training, let's focus on experimenting with my form and grip, or perhaps adjusting the way I apply force," Eijun said with a serious expression, nodding in agreement.

If Ugumori High's lineup could exploit this weakness to score a run, what would happen against a team like Inashiro Industrial?

Even more terrifying, what if they faced a monster hitter like Raichi? A mistake like this could easily result in a home run. Therefore, this issue had to be fixed.

"Right."

"Next up is your issue, Furuya," Watanabe said, shifting his gaze to Furuya. At this, Eijun noticed that Furuya's posture stiffened slightly, and his expression grew more solemn.

"To be honest, from a pitching perspective, Furuya, there isn't much in your performance from the last game that truly needs to be pointed out."

As soon as Watanabe spoke these words, Kawakami, Ono, and even Furuya himself showed looks of surprise. Only Eijun remained unfazed, and Miyuki wore an expression that suggested he had anticipated this.