Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 319: One Step, Then Another Step

It's not just about strength.

Fame is also a symbol. Just look at the crowd around the baseball field during training at Seidou High. Among the onlookers, there are many young girls holding signs, shouting Eijun's name.

You can tell from their excited and joyful screams just how huge Eijun's fame is now.

He's powerful, but also a bit handsome.

Plus, that bright smile, his friendly personality always on display, and his commanding presence on the field with unmatched confidence—all of this has made him a well-known figure throughout the summer.

Eijun has already gained recognition from many people.

Referring to the original story, after Narumiya Mei's national fame, Eijun, who won the championship, is even more impressive. You can see how many people are now paying attention to him.

As the star player of Seidou High, Eijun is recognized by many. People believe he will undoubtedly make a name for himself in the professional world.

To catch the attention of so many professional scouts in his first year is something most players can't compare to.

So, on the day the new team was formed, especially after returning from the training camp, it seemed like Eijun hadn't been seen pitching in the bullpen.

Many were watching him with different thoughts.

Of course, they didn't know that Eijun now mostly practices pitching at night, with moderate training to maintain the feeling in his fingers.

And today, once again, many were disappointed.

Eijun still didn't enter the bullpen to pitch.

This led to speculations about whether, during the summer, Seidou's ace had burned out. Of course, nothing could be concluded until the official games began.

But this didn't stop people from making their guesses.

As for Eijun, the person involved, he didn't care about what others thought. Step by step, he moved forward, firmly believing that as long as he did what he had to do and did it well, that was enough.

This is the caliber of Seidou's ace, Eijun Sawamura!

"Starting tomorrow, you'll begin bullpen practice, Sawamura."

After training, as they walked to the bathhouse, Miyuki wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled at Eijun.

Eijun nodded.

"Yeah, it's about time. Thanks to Chris-senpai's rehab training, my fatigue is almost gone after this past week."

"Rest after dinner today, then come to the indoor training hall to check your condition—ball feel for each pitch, and see if there are any other issues."

Miyuki said seriously.

"Autumn will begin soon, and as the team's ace, you can't slack off."

"Haha, don't worry, Miyuki-senpai. The summer tournament was a great experience. I learned a lot. This autumn, I won't let victory slip away, not even to Narumiya-senpai."

Eijun's eyes sparkled with confidence as he spoke seriously.

"Heh, then I'll leave it to you, Ace."

"Same to you, Captain!"

That night, in Seidou High's Seishin Dormitory, Room 5, only two figures remained—Kuramochi Youichi and Eijun Sawamura. The third-year player, Masuko Tooru, had already moved out the day before.

After all, he had retired.

And now he needed to prepare for exams, so it would be more convenient at home.

If he wasn't selected for the professional league or didn't receive a college baseball recommendation, he'd have to take the regular route.

But considering Seidou's achievements this year, two or three players were likely to be invited by professional teams.

For the others, receiving invitations from the college baseball league wasn't impossible. Plus, Coach Kataoka would surely help his students.

The absolute key players in the third year, like Kominato Ryousuke, Isashiki Jun, and Masuko Tooru, all have no issues with their future paths.

Preparing for exams is just a precaution.

The real issue is minimal; even the so-called ace, Tanba, in the original story, was able to get into university through baseball.

The rest likely don't face any significant problems either.

As for Yuuki, there's no doubt he's heading to the professional league.

This news was learned from Yuuki just a few days ago.

Unlike in the past, this time Yuuki has decided to enter the professional baseball world.

While in the original story, there was also an offer from professional teams to Yuuki, the situation is vastly different.

This year, Seidou High School has won the national championship, and Coach Kataoka is not facing a crisis of resignation.

Yuuki's three-year dream has come true.

As the cleanup hitter and captain of the championship team, his remarkable batting ability has been recognized by many scouts, leading multiple teams to extend invitations to him.

With a high-paying offer, and given Yuuki's deep affection for baseball and his own ambitious goals, combined with Coach Kataoka's encouragement, Yuuki has decided to pursue a career in the professional world, with the possibility of one day even making it to Major League Baseball.

"This offer is much better than what Azuma-senpai from last year got. It seems like the team's performance really has a big impact," Eijun thought as he lay on his bed, flipping through a magazine aimlessly.

"Hey, Kuramochi-senpai…"

Just as Eijun was about to call out to Kuramochi, who was engrossed in his video game, his phone on the bedside table suddenly vibrated. Eijun's brow furrowed slightly.

His eyes were drawn to the screen of the phone, where a familiar name flashed.

"Wakana."

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped himself from calling out to Kuramochi.

"Hm? What's up? Sawamura, were you calling me?" Karamochi, with his back to Eijun, didn't even glance away from his game as he casually asked.

Eijun took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, and played it cool.

"No, it's nothing," he said calmly, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"I'm going to the restroom, Kuramochi-senpai."

"Mm," Kuramochi replied, his focus entirely on the game, unaware of Eijun's subtle movements.

Eijun quietly got out of bed, opened the door, and closed it behind him.

Once outside, he quickly left the room, finding a dimly lit corner. He let out a breath, relieved. Thankfully, he always kept his phone on silent in the dorm.

Otherwise, that would've been a disaster.

Eijun chuckled to himself as he answered the call.

"Hello? Wakana? What's up, calling me this late?"

The moment he heard Wakana's familiar voice on the other end, Eijun couldn't help but smile, his face lighting up with happiness.

The warmth in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Well, you usually have practice, so I didn't want to disturb you. I thought you'd be asleep by now," came Wakana's soft, slightly hesitant voice on the other end of the line.

Eijun's expression softened further.

"It's fine, I just finished training and got back to the dorm. I'm just flipping through a magazine," he replied with a smile, feeling an odd sense of warmth every time he heard Wakana's voice.

It wasn't just the feeling of childhood friends—it was something deeper. Just hearing her voice seemed to stir something special inside him.