Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 272: Hongou's Obsession

After the meeting concluded, preparations for the upcoming match under Coach Nitta's strategy commenced.

The players of Komadai Fujimaki High School began their training with high spirits and unwavering confidence—not only in their abilities but also in their trust in their coach.

Among this determined group, however, one player stood out with a consistently sour expression.

When Coach Nitta announced the starting lineup and pitching rotation, this individual's mood grew even darker.

This person was none other than Hongou Masamune, one of the team's two first-year core players.

Nicknamed the "Northern Monster," Hongou was a power pitcher renowned for his overwhelming strength.

"What's wrong, Masamune? Still unhappy with the coach's decision?" After the others had dispersed, a figure approached Hongou, smiling faintly and adjusting his glasses.

This was Enjou Renji, the team's backup catcher, wearing jersey number 12 and Hongou's closest friend.

The two had been childhood friends and teammates since their youth baseball days, forming an inseparable battery.

Renji understood Hongou's thoughts almost perfectly.

More importantly, Hongou had no talent for concealing his emotions—whatever was on his mind was written plainly on his face.

He was straightforward to the point of bluntness, always speaking his mind without pretense or subtlety.

Such was Hongou Masamune: a simple yet uniquely genuine individual.

"Hmph," Hongou snorted, casting a glance at his friend but saying nothing.

He stood, hands in his pockets, and strode out of the meeting room toward his dorm room, clearly uninterested in engaging with Renji.

Renji smiled, a faint curve at the corner of his lips.

However, a glimmer of something sharper flickered in his eyes, a resemblance to Miyuki's keen expression.

"Feel like throwing a few pitches? It might come in handy in the game," Renji suggested casually, following behind Hongou.

Hongou paused but said nothing, instead taking a turn toward another direction.

Renji shook his head with an amused smile.

Sometimes, his friend could be as petulant as a child.

Still, Renji worried about how Hongou would handle relationships with teammates in the future.

As Hongou's "assistant," even he felt it might be a challenge.

...

The sharp "whoosh" of the ball cutting through the air, followed by the loud "thud" of it slamming into Renji's glove, snapped him out of his thoughts.

The force of the pitch caused Renji's pupils to contract. He realized he might have misjudged Hongou's mood—it wasn't just dissatisfaction with the coach's arrangement.

Renji glanced at his friend, standing calmly a few steps away, his expression unreadable.

Baseball is a language unto itself, especially between pitchers and catchers.

Each pitch carries unspoken communication.

From that first pitch, Renji discerned a deeper meaning—a pitcher's stubborn resolve.

"Next pitch, outside corner," Renji called out. Though he understood Hongou's feelings, he chose not to voice them. Some things are better left unsaid.

Another "whoosh" and "thud" echoed as Hongou's fastball hit its mark with precision.

"Nice pitch," Renji encouraged, catching the ball. He knew that overexplaining or preaching to Hongou would be counterproductive. The best way to help him was to let him vent through pitching.

Hongou Masamune was a paradox—volatile yet calculated.

While occasionally stubborn, he always made the right decisions when it mattered most.

As a long-time ace since their youth baseball days, Hongou had a remarkable sense of the bigger picture, which allowed him to balance his aggressive pitching style with the needs of the team.

This was precisely why Coach Nitta, like previous coaches, tolerated Hongou's fiery temperament.

His so-called flaws only amplified his performance on the mound, turning his emotions into an undeniable force behind his pitches.

Renji, having been by Hongou's side for a decade, knew exactly how to handle his friend.

Sometimes, all Hongou needed was to vent. Once he did, everything would fall into place.

...

"Whoosh."

"Thud."

With each pitch, Hongou seemed to release every part of himself.

The faint glimmer in his eyes betrayed the emotions swirling within him.

"Sawamura Eijun!"

"Whoosh."

"Thud!"

With every throw, the image of Eijun inevitably surfaced in Hongou's mind.

Ever since their first meeting, he had felt an inexplicable sense of rejection toward Eijun.

Deep down, his instincts told him that this fellow left-handed pitcher from Seidou High, who was the same age as him, was the one person he absolutely despised.

Unlike the impression left by Furuya in previous narratives, this tournament saw Furuya making a noticeable impact.

Yet, Eijun's brilliance was blinding, overshadowing everyone else.

He was almost universally regarded as the strongest pitcher of their generation.

This praise was what irritated Hongou the most.

"Next pitch, fast forkball," called Renji from behind the plate, his expression calm as he signaled with his glove.

Hongou took a deep breath, focusing on home plate.

In his mind's eye, he could see Eijun standing in the batter's box.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, his entire presence exuding an intense, almost suffocating aura.

"Whoosh."

With a powerful swing of his arm, the ball streaked toward the plate.

Just as it neared, it dropped sharply, its trajectory mimicking a fastball before taking a sudden plunge.

The pitch landed perfectly in Renji's glove.

"Pop!"

A crisp sound reverberated through the air.

"Strike! Batter out!"

As the ball nestled securely in the catcher's mitt, Hongou could almost hear the umpire's call.

In his mind, he envisioned Eijun swinging and missing on the grand stage of Hanshin Koshien.

This final battleground was the pinnacle of high school baseball.

It was the stage where no one was willing to concede, where only victory mattered.

For Hongou, however, it held a deeper, more personal significance.

Facing Seidou High's left-handed ace, Eijun, he vowed to prove himself.

To show that in this era, among their generation, he was the strongest pitcher.

This was Hongou Masamune's obsession.

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