Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

That night, Sawamura slept unusually well.

Perhaps it was because he had finally sorted out his thoughts.

Perhaps it was because of that late-night call from Wakana.

Perhaps it was because he was the type who could pick things up and let them go just as easily.

Or perhaps… well, for reasons he couldn't name.

When Kuramochi returned to the dorm later that night, he found their ace junior already fast asleep, the corners of his lips curved into a faint, gentle smile.

He seemed to be having a truly peaceful dream.

Kuramochi quietly pulled the blanket up over him before turning in himself.

It had been a turbulent day, yet the night washed it all into a calm stillness.

Today would pass, and tomorrow would come.

There was no need to dwell too much on the past—better to stand firmly in the present and look earnestly toward the future.

That was what they all needed to do.

...

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the ground, Eijun's body clock woke him right on schedule.

Sitting up, he noticed Kuramochi already in his training gear.

"Didn't the coach say you're supposed to rest for a week?" Kuramochi asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "This is your chance to sleep in—why are you up so early?"

Eijun scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ahaha, I'm just used to waking up at this time. If I try to sleep in, it actually feels weird."

As he spoke, he began putting on his clothes.

For the record—his left arm might still look nasty with all the swelling and bruising, but it didn't really affect basic daily life.

The doctor had only warned him not to train, not to carry heavy loads, and not to lift his arm too high.

Washing up, eating, even dressing himself was fine.

"Can't train, but watching you guys is fine. And it's good to move around a bit," Eijun said as he grabbed his toiletries and followed Kuramochi out.

"Just make sure you don't overdo it," Kuramochi replied casually.

The morning air was fresh—a new day, a new beginning.

Eijun was even thinking to himself, After washing up, maybe I'll jog around the field a bit…

But that idea didn't last long.

The moment he stepped onto the field, Takashima Rei was already there, waiting for him with an expression that clearly read Gotcha.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

A moment later, he found himself spending the entire morning sitting on the bench, under Rei's watchful eyes, watching his teammates train.

It was… excruciating.

"Come on, it's just a little jog," he tried.

"No."

"I think I—"

"No."

"My point is—"

"No."

No matter what he said, her answer was always the same:

"No."

Her hawk-like gaze never left him.

Eijun felt like he was being treated like some national treasure—unable to move without approval.

This was, without question, the most painful morning practice he'd experienced since joining Seidou.

And to make matters worse, not far away, Miyuki and Kuramochi were smirking like devils.

"I am… very displeased," Eijun thought bitterly.

...

Morning practice eventually wrapped up, and the team headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Since they were still in the middle of the school term—and given that the semifinals and finals had been back-to-back—the morning session ended earlier than usual.

Morning practice → breakfast → school → lunch → school again → club practice after class.

By the time night fell, another day at Seidou had come to an end.

Dinner finished, and after a short break…

The reflection meeting was about to begin.

The entire Seidou High baseball club was gathered in the indoor training hall—First String, Second String, the managers, and the full coaching staff.

Tonight's agenda: review the Autumn Tournament finals, and plan everything leading up to the winter break.

It was only October.

There was still over a month until the December off-season.

That meant training schedules, practice games, and preparations for the coming year all had to be decided here.

At the front of the room stood Coach Kataoka alongside Ochiai.

To one side were Rei Takashima and club director Ota.

Facing them, the players stood in six orderly rows, each with a serious, solemn expression.

"Is everyone here?" Kataoka's sharp gaze swept across the room.

"Yes, Coach Kataoka," Takashima replied after adjusting her glasses. "Current active roster—First String, Second String, plus other members—a total of sixty-seven. All present."

Kataoka gave a slight nod.

"Yesterday's game—no matter what we say now—the fact remains: we lost."

He stepped forward, his eyes cold as they swept over the assembled players.

That single, simple statement made Eijun, Miyuki, Kuramochi, Maezono, Furuya, Haruichi, and several others stiffen. A faint unease flickered in their eyes.

"After a loss, any reason you give becomes nothing more than an excuse. Don't talk about bad luck, or anything of the sort. A loss is a loss. At times like this, extra words are powerless—hollow. What we need to do is engrave this defeat into our memory. For you, this is especially important. One loss means everything is reset to zero."

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

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky