Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

After a brief exchange of greetings,

Eijun ended up sitting with Chris, Tetsu, and the others.

Since he had already been spotted, and greetings were exchanged, there was no need to purposely find a corner to study alone.

Besides—

With Chris here, the eternal straight-A genius in every exam, he could always ask questions on the spot. Such a resource absolutely couldn't be wasted.

"Eijun, how's your injury?"

Chris looked at him with a warm smile and asked softly.

"Mm, it's almost healed. Chris-senpai, I think in about two more days the swelling will be completely gone."

Eijun answered with a small laugh and a nod.

"Good. Just make sure you don't get hurt again."

Tetsu spoke in his steady tone.

"Yes, I understand, Yuuki-senpai."

"Haha, must've been hard, huh? A whole week without touching a ball, right Eijun?"

Isashiki-senpai teased with a knowing grin, eyebrows wiggling like a veteran.

But his exaggerated wink and forced nonchalance looked… seriously out of place.

Eijun bit his lip hard, struggling not to laugh.

No, he couldn't laugh. Absolutely not.

Otherwise that watchdog-senpai would definitely make him cry later. He had a hunch.

"Yeah… my body already feels a bit rusty. The doctor also said that even after the swelling goes down, I still can't throw with this arm for a month. I can do other training, though."

Eijun gave a wry smile as he said this.

"Haha, that's really unlucky, huh, Eijun."

Isashiki-senpai looked unusually pleased.

Eijun felt even more speechless—why are you so happy about this, senpai? We're talking about my injury here…

He gave his senior a helpless look.

Which only made Isashiki-senpai laugh harder.

"Hey, this should be a good lesson for you, Sawamura. Baseball isn't something you can play alone. It's not just about one person—it's nine players, no, the entire team fighting together."

With that, his big hand roughly ruffled Eijun's hair.

"No, Isashiki-senpai, I've always…"

"You've always trusted the team to fight alongside you, right? That's what you want to say?"

Isashiki-senpai cut him off.

"Yes, in every game it may have looked that way. During summer, you really did trust the team—team play. But after the new roster was formed, when you put on that ace number… were you truly thinking the same way? Aside from Miyuki, have you ever really tried to trust any other teammate?"

He smiled meaningfully, words laced with weight.

Those words struck Eijun like a jolt.

Chris-senpai and Tetsu just looked at him calmly, while Ryousuke kept his usual smile, and Masuko still had his honest, good-natured face.

But all of this made Eijun finally start to reflect on himself.

Since the third-years had left… had he grown conceited?

When he first joined, with the third-years still around, their strength and reliability made him instinctively rely on them. Back then, he truly did fight as part of a team.

But after that?

What had he done? What choices did he make?

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying the realization.

Ever since he wore the ace number, a thought had been slowly growing inside him—that this team couldn't do without him.

Especially after the third-years left, and he was made cleanup hitter as well.

That self-belief—that "only I can do it"—had grown even stronger.

Without realizing it, he had stepped into the wrong path.

Eijun let out a self-mocking laugh.

His own ability was still far from the top. He was still a long way from Narumiya-senpai. Even Narumiya, with his talent, couldn't possibly fight alone.

Baseball was a team sport.

Sitting there in front of Isashiki-senpai, Tetsu, Chris, and the others, his expression kept shifting.

At last, he exhaled a long breath.

The dazed look in his eyes cleared, like he had rediscovered the determination he had when he first joined Seidou.

At that moment, he understood what his greatest problem was.

What he truly needed.

What he had to change.

"Thank you, Isashiki-senpai. I understand now."

Eijun's face turned more serious than ever before. He looked straight at Isashiki-senpai, and with genuine sincerity, voiced his thanks.

"Haha, as long as you understand, that's good."

Isashiki-senpai broke into a smile as well.

Beside them, Tetsu, Chris-senpai, and the others still carried their calm, faint smiles.

This junior of theirs was someone they cherished deeply. He was also the one who could help them fulfill their own high school dream—to reach the very top. Naturally, they wished for him to walk the right path.

"Mm, it's good that Sawamura understands. But—Jun, did you finish that geometry problem from earlier?"

At that moment, Kusunoki-senpai turned toward Isashiki with a mild smile. His light words made Isashiki's face stiffen instantly.

"Uh… I don't think I did yet…"

"Such a simple question, and you still couldn't solve it? Jun, finals are right around the corner. If you keep this up…"

"Ahahaha…"

The usually ferocious-looking Isashiki was reduced to awkward laughter under Kusunoki-senpai's lecture, looking both embarrassed and helpless.

Watching this, a faint, knowing smile curved at Eijun's lips.

His seniors… were still the same seniors as always.

Familiar. Reliable. And reassuring.

He thought this to himself silently.

"Do your best, Sawamura. I believe you can do it."

With steady eyes, Tetsu spoke firmly.

"Yes, Yuuki-senpai."

"Oh, that reminds me—next year, my younger brother will be joining Seidou. When the time comes, I'll be counting on you to look after him."

As though recalling something, Tetsu added with a small smile.

Eijun blinked, stunned for a moment. Then an image surfaced in his mind—the broad, dependable figure he remembered from the original story.

Yuuki Masashi, huh?

"Yes, I understand, Yuuki-senpai."

Eijun's lips curved upward into a bright, genuine smile.

"Don't rush, Sawamura. Take it one step at a time, steadily forward. Your future… has yet to reach its true limit."

Chris-senpai chuckled softly as he spoke.

"Yes, Chris-senpai," Eijun replied with firm resolve.

"Heh, good luck then—our Ace."

"Yes, Kominato-senpai!!"

The autumn wind blew gently, flipping the pages of the books on the desk.

And in that moment, Sawamura Eijun finally understood—what it truly meant to be an Ace.

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

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky