Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 12: First Time Here, the Homecoming Club is the Best!

The next day, Sendo briefly stood at the front of the classroom and announced his transfer, bowing as per Japanese custom to thank everyone for their care. Without staying for class, he left to join the Wildcat baseball team.

"I'm really sorry, Coach!" After explaining the situation briefly, Sendo bowed deeply.

"There's nothing we can do about it," the coach replied. "Sendo, I see a bright future for you in baseball. If you ever get the chance, I hope you'll continue playing."

"Oh right, didn't you say you needed to buy some things? Let me give you a list and a new workout plan. The list includes some exercise equipment, and the new plan is something I learned from a friend overseas. It's a method to train your reflexes—it's said that the person who taught this can catch objects traveling at 330 kilometers per hour barehanded."

The coach handed him a sheet of paper. "The plan also includes methods for explosive strength training and other exercises. Whether for baseball or other sports, I believe it'll help. I had meant to give this to you today anyway. Didn't expect this situation to arise."

Sendo took the paper and bowed again. "Thank you for your guidance during this time." He then left.

"Sigh..." Coach Nakani sighed as he watched Sendou leave.

There was a deep sense of helplessness—he didn't want this rare talent, someone he had never seen or heard of before, to go to waste.

Back home, Sendo rode his bike and bought the fitness equipment according to the list.

Even though he had decided to join the "go-home club" (meaning no extracurricular activities), that didn't stop him from training his body.

He also got a haircut while he was out.

His parents were surprised when he returned, but they figured it was for the best and didn't say much.

Sendo fully understood how much the coach valued him, but he also knew that he might never be able to live up to those expectations.

He simply didn't have that deep of a passion for baseball.

But that didn't stop him from taking the new training plan with him to Nagano.

Upon reviewing it, he found that it wasn't just baseball-specific; it was a well-balanced regimen that could be applied to many sports, just as the coach had said.

…

"Now, let's have the transfer student introduce himself!"

"I'm Akira Sendo, from Teiko Elementary in Tokyo. Please take care of me!"

"Alright, that makes Sendo-kun a part of Class 4-2! Your seat's over there—it's the typical protagonist's spot in a manga!"

And so, Sendo's life in Nagano officially began.

"Hey, transfer student! After school, do you want to play baseball with us? It's really fun!" Before the last period, a cheerful boy came over to chat.

"Oh? Is there a field nearby?"

"Of course! There are plenty of open spaces around here! Though the ground is hard, so we can't play too rough," the boy answered.

"Sorry about the noise. This loud guy is Sawamura Eijun, and I'm Aotsuki Wakana. Nice to meet you!" said a cute girl who walked over.

"Oh, I see. No problem, I was just asking. Are you two dating?" Sendo couldn't help but tease, fully aware by now that he was in the world of Ace of Diamond.

"Huh?" Both of them responded in surprise at the same time. Sawamura was genuinely shocked, while Wakana seemed a bit... well...

"Just kidding, just kidding!" Sendo laughed it off.

"Who would've thought Wakana would like Sawamura this early on?" he thought to himself while maintaining a playful expression.

"About earlier, I'm sorry, but I want to take some time to adjust to life here, and I'm not really interested in joining any sports for now," Sendo gently explained after the joke.

"I see, I see. Well, you're welcome to join us anytime, my friend! Hahaha!" Sawamura laughed loudly as he left.

"He's kind of a fool, isn't he?" Wakana commented.

"Totally."

"Well, I won't bother you anymore, Sendo-san!" Wakana also left.

"Looks like things will be interesting from now on," Sendo thought to himself as he rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window.

School ended quickly, and as expected, Sawamura was at the center of attention, leading a large group of people as they excitedly rushed off, with Wakana gently following behind.

Originally planning to head straight home, Sendo changed his mind and decided to check it out.

After being used to watching professionally trained little league baseball teams, seeing a casual pick-up game would be a refreshing experience.

Standing on the outskirts of the open field, Sendo watched as the group batted, made errors, ran, and shouted.

He found it surprisingly entertaining. Wakana, noticing him on a small hill, gave him a nod, to which Sendo nodded back.

After watching for a while and deciding to head home early, Sendo left without much fanfare.

"I'm back!"

"Welcome back! It seems like you're getting along well with your new classmates, huh? That puts my mind at ease. Did anything good happen today?" Sendo's grandfather asked, noticing his good mood.

"Nothing special. I just watched some of my classmates play baseball at an outdoor field after school."

"You didn't join them? I heard from your mother that you were a star player and cleanup hitter in a prestigious little league. A 4th grader who was that amazing—I've never heard of such a thing!" his grandfather marveled.

"Is that so? It was nothing special. Honestly, I'm not really interested in playing sports right now. I just don't feel motivated. Maybe being in the 'go-home club' suits me better," Sendo replied.

"I see! Well, if you ever find something you like, feel free to join in."

Though he said that, Sendo's grandfather understood what his mother had mentioned about Sendo's somewhat solitary personality.

"Thanks!"

"No need to say that to us! We're family. By the way, what kind of people are your classmates? Anyone you particularly like?"

"There's one interesting guy, a fool named Sawamura Eijun. He's the one who invited me to play baseball. Even though he's a fool, he's a popular one. Wherever he goes, he seems to be the center of attention. And his girl is really cute."

"Don't call him a fool all the time! I know that kid—he's the grandson of an old friend of mine. Though, yes, he's a bit of a fool, but he's a good boy."

"Wait, did you say his girl?"

"Her name is Aotsuki Wakana. She's cute, for sure."

"I teased her a bit, and it turns out she likes that fool. But he's completely clueless about it."

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling him a fool all the time? Jeez. But from the way you talk about him, it seems like you have a good impression. You should try getting closer to him. I can vouch for his character! Anyway, I'm heading out."

"Be careful out there!"

After exchanging the usual farewells, Sendo headed to his room. Without any practice scheduled, he was home earlier than usual.

Sendo's room wasn't small, but with all the neatly arranged items, it felt cozy despite not being very spacious.

There was always a sense of warmth to it. He grabbed a few novels and manga from a nearby shelf, tossed himself onto the bed, and thought to himself:

"Being in the go-home club is the best!"

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