Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 402: Furuya's Issues

Miyuki had noticed something during the game itself, while Eijun had a deeper understanding of the situation.

This was because Eijun had been observing Furuya from an outsider's perspective, almost like a god's-eye view.

Having watched the original story in his previous life, Eijun had a thorough understanding of Furuya's personality and character.

In this life, Furuya's circumstances and position were entirely different from before. By putting himself in Furuya's shoes, Eijun could grasp the root of the problem that led to Furuya being hit hard during that game.

As expected, Watanabe didn't beat around the bush. In the next moment, he spoke up: "At that time, it wasn't so much a problem with your pitching as it was a problem with your mentality, Furuya."

Watanabe's steady gaze fixed on Furuya as he said this, causing Furuya's heart to tighten. His hands, resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched into fists.

When someone else pointed out a flaw he hadn't noticed himself, it suddenly brought many issues into sharp focus. Furuya was undoubtedly in such a state right now.

Sitting beside Furuya, Eijun glanced at him and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This simple-minded boy still had a long way to go. At the same time, Eijun shook his head with a hint of self-mockery—after all, he himself still had a long journey ahead.

"Furuya, I'm not sure what was going through your mind at that time, but I believe that pitching is pitching, and a game is a game. Sometimes, not overcomplicating things is the best approach. If you want to take a thousand steps, you have to start by taking the first one, right? Coach has always taught us that staying grounded is the most important thing. Keeping it simple is often the best way. At this stage, your pitching doesn't have any fatal flaws, but mentally, I think you need to make some adjustments," Watanabe said, choosing his words carefully and speaking in a gentle tone.

This wasn't just because Furuya was a junior and considered somewhat fragile in the eyes of the team.

More importantly, Watanabe himself was a calm and mild-mannered person by nature.

Naturally, when discussing Furuya's issues, he chose words and a tone that would be most suitable. Of course, when it came to the core problems, Watanabe wouldn't hesitate to point them out directly. He understood that being understanding didn't mean being indulgent.

Clearly pointing out a junior's shortcomings and issues was his responsibility. Moreover, everyone knew that Furuya's pitching speed could become a sharp weapon for Seido High. Naturally, Watanabe hoped that Amahisa could overcome this hurdle and become one of the reliable pillars of Seido's pitching staff.

"I understand, Watanabe-senpai," Furuya replied, somewhat unexpectedly quick to accept Watanabe's advice. His solemn expression, serious eyes, and the firm nod that accompanied his words showed that he had truly taken Watanabe's words to heart.

This made Watanabe, who had originally planned to say more, both surprised and pleased.

A player who can clearly recognize their own issues and take action to improve is undoubtedly worthy of recognition and praise.

After all, who doesn't make mistakes? Who doesn't have flaws? Being able to listen to others' correct and beneficial advice and make self-corrections is what makes a player truly promising, reliable, and worthy of future trust.

In this regard, Furuya's performance left Watanabe quite satisfied.

"Miyuki, Ono, during their usual practice sessions, I think you two need to pay attention to..."

After addressing the areas of reflection and improvement for both pitchers, Watanabe turned to Miyuki and Ono.

As the team's only two catchers, their responsibilities extended beyond just games. During practice, one of their key tasks was to control the pitchers' rhythm, as most pitchers tend to be unrestrained.

Pitchers like Eijun, who can self-correct and self-regulate, are rare.

This, by the way, was something Miyuki often complained about. He felt that with Eijun, he could hardly find any sense of dignity as a catcher or the presence of a senior. It was something that bothered him a little.

As Watanabe explained the points to pay attention to, Miyuki listened very seriously. When it came to data collection and analysis, Watanabe had truly inherited Chris-senpai's legacy perfectly.

In this regard, Miyuki had complete trust in Watanabe. For example, in the previous few games, unless the opponent had a secret weapon they had never revealed in official matches, Watanabe was able to gather all the necessary data.

Through game footage, he could also spot many details that others would easily overlook. This wasn't just due to Watanabe's talent in this area but also because he had put in a lot of effort. Naturally, both Miyuki and Ono listened carefully and took notes on Watanabe's suggestions.

However, when Watanabe turned around, he was met with a pair of sparkling eyes and an expression full of anticipation—hard to describe with words. It was Kawakami, looking at him with an eager, almost pleading gaze.

Watanabe fell into a deep silence.

"..."

"..."

Well, as the saying goes, "silence speaks volumes," or something like that.

After the reflection meeting ended, Furuya was the first to leave. His face was full of worry, making it clear that this simple-minded kid was a walking contradiction. Either he wore a poker face, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking, or, like now, he wore his emotions plainly on his face. He was the epitome of a natural airhead, leaving Eijun both amused and exasperated.

However, Eijun had a feeling that once Furuya overcame this hurdle, his growth would be exponential. Eijun firmly believed that Furuya wasn't as fragile as he appeared on the surface.

"The best pitcher in Japan, huh..."

Eijun couldn't help but recall the essay Furuya had written for his Japanese homework in the original story.

Back then, when Eijun had read it in his previous life, he had felt extremely annoyed. He thought Furuya was being arrogant, spouting grandiose claims without much thought.

But now, after getting to know Furuya up close, Eijun truly understood. While Furuya might overcomplicate things at times, most of the time, he was just an incredibly simple-minded boy, single-mindedly chasing after his unwavering goal. That was all there was to it.

"Your potential, your capacity, your future, Furuya... Starting from now, from this very second, let's see who can reach that pinnacle first."

As Eijun watched Furuya's retreating figure, a faint glimmer of determination flashed in his eyes. He murmured these words softly in his heart.

----------------

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky