The team meeting concluded.
The players of Seidou High School's baseball team were clearly unsatisfied.
According to team rules, they didn't need to continue practicing.
They could take the afternoon off to rest and preserve their energy for the next game.
This would be the logical choice for most teams.
After all, not everyone is made of iron or steel.
Most people need a healthy balance between work and rest.
Especially in a major tournament, conserving physical strength is critical.
It can greatly impact their performance in later games.
But the players of Seidou High were clearly the exception.
As arguably the most rigorously trained team in the country—
The Seidou players had poured blood, sweat, and tears into their daily grind.
Their standard practice volume was already extreme.
Today's match against Seiko Academy ended early, after just five innings.
As a result, many of Seidou's players encountered a shared dilemma:
They hadn't had their fill.
They weren't satisfied with how little action they saw.
Except for their at-bats, the entire game felt like a blur. And then it was over.
This wasn't arrogance. It was simply the situation.
Seiko Academy wasn't lacking in offensive strength—
Quite the opposite, actually.
While the final score made them seem far inferior to Seidou,
They had still managed to put up five runs.
Before this game, Seidou had not given up a single run in the tournament.
But Seiko's five points didn't come from consistent pressure or tactical offense.
They hit five home runs.
In other words, Seidou's defensive system was barely tested.
By the end of the match, it was early July, and the temperature had climbed to nearly 30 degrees Celsius.
Despite that, Seidou's players weren't even sweating from exertion.
Whatever perspiration they had was thanks to the sun, not physical exhaustion.
Where was the enjoyment in that?
The coaching staff, including Coach Kataoka, clearly understood the players' frustration.
So, they turned a blind eye when many players voluntarily returned to the field.
"I'm pissed I didn't hit a home run today, even though the opportunity was perfect. Even Zhou Hao did!"
Jun Isashiki muttered bitterly as he trained alongside the third-years.
If even a first-year player like Zhou Hao could manage it, why couldn't he?
"Come on, be real. You can compete with anyone else… but Zhou Hao? Look at that guy. Does he look like an ordinary human to you?"
Other Seidou players couldn't help but tease him when they heard his complaint.
After all, if it were someone else, maybe they'd have a point.
But Zhou Hao—
The monster rookie—
Had shown nothing but strength since the start of the season.
Zhou Hao was the type of player who drew attention no matter where he went.
He became the center of focus effortlessly.
At first, the third-year players were skeptical of his physicality and strength.
Even though Zhou Hao had many hits to his name,
They firmly believed there was a gap between him and themselves.
But as time passed…
The reality of Zhou Hao's talent and potential became harder and harder to deny.
Their prior assumptions? Completely off base.
Zhou Hao's strength wasn't unreachable—
But his talent was something very few could match.
So Isashiki Jun's complaint came off as just venting his own frustration.
"Damn it!"
He understood clearly, of course. His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging.
Not as strong as the third-years…
Not as strong as that monster Yuki…
And now not even as strong as Zhou Hao, a freshman?
"I'm going to train again! I'll swing the bat 500 times today!"
Jun Isashiki did have a remarkable strength—
Whenever he saw the gap between himself and others,
He didn't whine or give up.
He changed direction and pushed himself to improve.
"He's got the potential to become the team's core hitter in the future."
Watching him storm off toward the practice area, several third-years pulled out their bats and whispered this assessment.
Almost all the first-string players went back for extra training.
Why "almost" and not "everyone"?
Because Zhou Hao wasn't part of the extra training group.
He was lounging comfortably in a deck chair, enjoying the breeze and chatting with teammates.
He wasn't practicing, but he was still keeping everyone company.
"Zhou-san, why aren't you going?"
Kuramochi walked up to him holding a newspaper.
"They're all monsters. I'm just an ordinary guy," Zhou Hao sighed innocently. "Considering the next game, I should save some energy."
He was telling the truth.
But when Kuramochi heard that, it sounded just a bit like… showing off.
"You really are something else—so carefree! Oh right, did you read this article about Sensen High School?"
Because of Seidou's popularity, many reporters had requested interviews.
However, few were granted access.
So some clever journalists decided to flip the angle.
If they couldn't interview Seidou, they could talk to Seidou's next opponent.
How does Seidou's upcoming challenger see them?
Turns out, fans would be very interested in that perspective.
So they took action—
And scored an interview with players from Sensen High School.
"Zhou Hao's just a first-year kid. His fame doesn't match his skills."
"His screwball? That thing's nothing special."
"When we face him, we'll definitely hit it."
Kuramochi raised the newspaper, pointing out the trash talk.
Meanwhile, in Coach Kataoka's office…
President Ota also had the newspaper in hand, reading the quotes aloud.
"Sensen High School is full of confidence. They're itching to teach Seidou's rookie a lesson."
After reading, Ota couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Arrogant little punks."
Coach Kataoka didn't say a word.
Then he calmly issued the decision.
"Let Zhou Hao start."
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