Sitting in her car, in front of nice-looking house, Rei Takashima was looking over some documents in her hands.
Sawamura Eijun:
15 years old.
Akagi Junior Highschool.
Pitcher.
'Not a single win under his belt throughout his time there.' She thought with a slight frown as she looked at the team's records.
'But I know what I saw.' She thought with a small smile on her face whilst pushing up her glasses slightly.
'That final pitch at the end of the game. Thrown without hesitation or fear. There was a glimpse of slumbering dragon finally awoken in that moment. I saw a true image of an Ace in him.'
"Pffft." She slightly let out a chuckle when she thought of the chaos after the game when Sawamura went on a slap fest.
'His wrists truly showed their flexibility when he went on that rampage.' She thought.
"Ahem." She composed herself as she put down her documents and got out of the car.
She looked at the house in front of her.
'It's a really nice house.' She thought as walked up the path towards the door, glancing over at the small front yard with trees to her left.
She finally got up to door and was about to knock…
WHOOOSH
BAANG
A sudden loud bang shocked her, making her flinch.
'What the hell was that? Is there some construction work going on nearby?' She thought.
She composed herself and knocked on the door.
After a few seconds, the opened and an old man with a small tuff of hair sticking up was standing there.
He looked a little confused when he saw a pretty woman standing at their doorstep.
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Rei Takashima. Is this the house of Sawamura Eijun?" She asked the old man in front of her.
"Eh? You're looking for Eijun? Has he done something wrong?" The old man asked back.
"Ah, no! Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Rei Takashima, the assistant director to Seido Highschool Baseball team. I've come in the hopes of scouting Sawamura to join our school when he graduates." I said to him in my usual composed tone as I handed him my business card.
"Seido? WAIT THE SEIDO?!? The powerhouse baseball school from Tokyo? That Seido?" The old man asked in shock while looking between the card and me.
"That is correct sir." I replied with a light smile.
He was slightly frozen for a second after that.
"I-I-… Come in. Come in. I'm Eijun's grandad." Sawamura's grandad said as he gestured for me to come inside.
WHOOOSH
BAANG
Again, a hammering sound came into the air as I stepped inside.
"That damn brat." Sawamura's grandad said through his teeth.
"Is there some construction work going on close by? I heard that banging sound earlier as I walked up." She asked him.
Sawamura's grandad let out a deep sigh.
"No. That sound is Eijun." He said with his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose and his eyes closed.
"What? That sound was Sawamura just now?" She asked with curiosity.
He nodded.
"Come on, I'll show you." He said walking through the house.
She followed him until they got to the back door of the house.
He opened it and walked outside, and she followed close behind.
When she stepped outside. She saw a fairly large back yard.
Then she saw him.
A young man standing on top of a makeshift mound, facing a wooden board that was split into 9 sections. The wood looked battered as there were multiple dents in and around the individual squares.
She looked back at the young boy on the mound.
He was standing in a set position.
He looked incredibly focused; his eyes were locked onto the wooden board with a fiery golden glint.
There seemed to be an invisible aura around him. She couldn't see it, but she could feel it.
As he started his wind up, she unconsciously held her breath.
He lifted his leg up high, then swung it back through with good velocity and landed his foot on the mound.
*THUD*
'Huh? His arm…' she thought as she saw the boy's left arm curled completely behind his back over his shoulder.
It looked unnatural but the boy didn't look to be in any pain, as if this was a normal thing.
'He didn't have this form in the game I saw.' She thought, properly analysing the boys form.
Then her eyes widened when she saw his left arm snap forward like a whip with a ferocious velocity, and right at the end of the throw, he slightly snapped his wrist to further increase the velocity.
WHOOOSH
BAANG
The ball landed perfectly into the top left square of the wooden board.
…..
The silence that followed was deafening.
Rei Takashima was gobsmacked.
'How could he change so much in such a short amount of time? His form, his velocity, his control. All of them have levelled up majorly since the last time I saw him. We need to get him to join our school, no matter what. I've found a hidden dragon that we need to have wearing the Seido uniform.' She was thinking at a major pace.
*****
'That one felt good.' I thought as I analysed that last pitch. 'My flexible form has started to become more stable; it's only a matter of time before I gain a skill from it.'
I was stuck in my own thoughts till grandad called out to me.
"Eijun."
I turned my head to the voice and saw my grandad standing next to a pretty woman. She was wearing a purple coloured, sleeveless shirt and a tight business skirt.
She had dark brown hair tied up into a bun that matched her dark brown eyes behind her glasses.
'She's finally here.' I thought whilst grinning inwardly.
"What's up grandad?" I asked him.
"You have a guest." He replied.
"I do?"
"Yes, all the way from Tokyo."
"But I don't know anyone from Tokyo. Are you sure they're looking for me?" I asked.
*THUMP*
Grandad gave me I punch on the side of the head that lifted me off my feet.
"You darn brat! I'm not senile! Go get washed up and come back down." He snapped at me as he turned to head back into the house with a shocked Rei Takashima with him in tow.
'That damned old man. Why's he so strong? I'll get brain damage at this rate.' I thought as I got up and headed inside to get washed up.
After getting washed and dressed into clean clothes, I came back downstairs.
I slid open the door to the dining area and found Mum, Dad and Grandad all sat across from Rei Takashima on the other side of the table.
She looked up at me with a light smile.
"Nice to meet you. You must be Sawamura Eijun." She said to me.
"Nice to meet you." I replied whilst going to sit with my family. "Who might you be, ma'am?"
"I'm the assistant director of the Seido High School Baseball Team. Rei Takashima. We would love to have you on our team." She said whilst pushing up her glasses slightly.
'This is it!!' I thought with inward glee. 'I need to be natural to not seem like I knew this would happen.'
"S-Seido High School?!" I exclaimed. "You mean that famous powerhouse school that has made nationals before? That Seido?"
"Yes, that's correct." She replied with a smile.
I put on a shocked expression on my face.
"But why would a school like Seido be looking for me? My achievements in middle school are non-existent." I asked with curiosity.
"I was present at the game you played just over a week ago and saw great talent in you." She replied.
My Grandad slightly flinched hearing that.
"But there was an incident after the game…" he said, trailing off at the end.
"Ah-ha." She replied with a slight chuckle. "Yes, the use of his wrists in his slaps truly represented his ability as a pitcher."
All three of my family were completely shocked at her response and gasped.
They all turned to me in an instant.
"This is ya chance, Eijun!" My Dad said.
"Tell her you'll accept the offer before she changes her mind!" My Grandad said.
"We need to celebrate with a feast tonight." My mum said.
I slightly giggled at their antics.
I turned back to Rei Takashima with slight smile on my face.
"Seido High School is prestigious to attend and will help me greatly improve my skills as a pitcher. I will gladly accept your invitation." I said as I slightly bowed to her.
I continued. "I've changed my mindset since the game you saw me in. I want to take baseball seriously and have started training my hardest with the mindset of going pro. So, before I come to the school. I want to see the environment in which the players train. I want to see the facilities the school has. And most importantly, I want to see the energy of the players that will be my future teammates."
Rei looked at me with satisfied expression.
'He really is hidden gem. I'm lucky I found him.' She thought.
"The baseball field is a mirror that reflects the player's spirit." She replied. "It's the only place you can find the truth Sawamura."
"The truth?" I asked.
She stared me right in the eyes.
"Your last game… That final ball you pitched… Bottom of the ninth, two outs and bases loaded. A single hit will cost you the game. That pitch wasn't like any pitch you'd made before. You raised your right leg without a hint of doubt in you. Your form, balanced on one leg, was truly beautiful. Your natural ability to prevent a bad outcome showed as you stood in danger. Or perhaps I was your pride as a pitcher, but that pitch… You threw it instinctively with your heart and soul to take that batter down. I saw the qualities of a true pitcher when you threw it."
I felt shivers run up my spine when I heard her words.
"That last pitch…" I replied. "I felt something change when I threw it. Like a chained lock suddenly released itself from me. This past week I've been training hard to throw a ball like that on every pitch. I know I'm close, but after what you just said, I think I can throw it right now. No, I think I can throw even better than what you saw that day. Would you like to see?" I asked her.
She looked a little shocked, then she gave me a smile. "Alright then, show me what you've found."
I instantly got up, put my cleats on and headed outside with Rei close behind.
I stood on the mound, getting into my set position.
I looked at her as she was standing to my side.
"You've seen one of my pitches from the side earlier right, Rei-Sensei?" I asked
She nodded in response.
I pointed towards the netting behind the strike zone.
"Have a look at it from the front." I suggested.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because you will only realise how truly dangerous my pitches are from the front." I replied with a wide grin.
She looked confused at that but still walked behind the netting.
"Pfffffff" I drew a big breath out, with my eyes closed.
'My shoulders are relaxed, my breathing steady. I can do this. I can do this. Put everything into this pitch, solidify the form. Don't waste movement.' I thought to myself.
I then opened my eyes and turned to towards the strike zone board.
****
As he turned towards her direction, Rei got goosebumps on her arms.
'Those eyes… like a burning fire ready to be unleashed.' She thought as she looked into Sawamura's golden eyes.
Then when he started his wind up, she saw the same thing from the game.
His right leg was high in the air, yet his balance was solid.
Then he swung his leg back down and planted it on the mound with solid motion and momentum.
*THUD*
He started twisting his waist and body through with great flexibility.
'Now his throwing ar- huh? Wait! Where's his throwing arm?!?' She thought in shock.
WHOOOSH
BAANG
The ball suddenly smacked against the wooden strike zone with a bang that startled her.
'What was that? Where did his throwing arm go? The ball just started flying in an instant!'
She turned back to boy on the mound who now hard a huge grin on his face.
'I've really found a hidden dragon.' She thought.
"YOSSHH!!"
The shout started her as she saw Sawamura jumping for joy in front of her.
'What happened suddenly?' She thought.
****
[Congratulations User. You have gained the skill: "Sawamura's flexible form".]
[Sawamura's flexible form: Sawamura's finished form which is unique only to him because of his flexible joints.
Effects: makes User's throwing arm unseen until the ball is released. (This is a passive skill which can be used without limitations.)]
"YOSSHH!!" I screamed when I read the systems message.
'I did it!! I finally solidified the form!' I thought as I jumped around.
Then I caught a glimpse of Rei's surprised look and calmed down.
She walked over to me after a moment with an excited look on her face.
"I now know what you mean by seeing how dangerous your pitches are from looking from the front. Batters won't have a chance at getting that if it's the first time you're throwing to them." She said to me.
I gave her a big grin in response. "Right? Hehe."
"By the way, how did you throw like that with your throwing in that position?" She asked.
"It's because of my flexible joints." I replied.
I then proceeded to show her as I curled my wrist forward and push my palm and fingers against my forearm.
She looked slightly disturbed from the action which made me chuckle a bit.
"It's the same with my shoulders and hips, their flexibility is unique. I can stretch my arm behind my back and can twist my hips quite far." I continued. "When you saw me in my last match, I didn't know how to fully utilise them and turn them into weapons. But now I know. I now have the finished product."
She smiled at me and stretched out her hand. "I'm glad to have you on board, Sawamura Eijun."
I took her hand and bowed slightly. "Please look after me in the future." I replied.
"So, when can you come give us a visit?" She asked.
"I'm ready whenever." I replied in earnest.
"Okay, I'll come back in 2 days, pick you up and take you to the school so you can have a look around and watch the training. Be ready." She said as she walked away.
"I will." I said back to her.
'I can't wait!!' I thought grasping my hand.
*****
In the coach's office at Seido High School's baseball team, a tall, butch man stood looking at of the window.
He had a slight permed hair that was slicked back on all sides, a goatee around his chin and lips, and dark glazed, circular glasses resting on his nose.
Seido High School Baseball Team's coach, Coach Kataoka Tesshin.
He stood with his arms folded, looking out at a group of Seido's players swinging their bats with all their might.
He kept watching as they kept swinging.
Minutes went by and they kept swinging.
It looked like they would be at all night.
Coach Kataoka kept watching them with straight face and a slight frown. (He wasn't angry or annoyed, that was just how his face naturally sat.)
Suddenly the door to the office opened and Rei Takashima walked in.
"I'm back." She said.
Coach Kataoka turned from the window and looked at her.
"Welcome back." He said in a deep voice.
"How'd it go today?" He asked, sitting down at his desk.
Rei walked up to his desk at and sat down on the opposite side.
She let out a deep sigh and she thought about her encounter with Sawamura earlier.
"That bad, huh?" Coach asked.
It seemed he misunderstood her tiredness as a negative.
"No, not at all! If anything, it's the opposite!" She responded quickly
"Coach, I've found a real gem. A sleeping dragon that has just woken up!"
He looked at her with his stoic face. "Tell me more." He said.
Rei brought out a piece of paper and read the contents. "Sawamura Eijun. 15. Akagi Junior Highschool. Pitcher, southpaw."
"What did you think of him?" He asked.
"At first, when I saw his team play, I only saw him as someone who had potential. His determination and will to carry his team were courageous. But his pitching wasn't great." She replied. "But then, when I saw him today. I was completely blown out of the water, Coach. It had only been a week, but he has completely changed into a different player. He still had the same heart and determination I saw in him before, but his pitching has gone to a whole new level. His pitching form was a work of art. I saw it from an umpire's perspective, and I was gobsmacked. You will be surprised at the freshman match next year. He also mainly uses a fastball, but he says that he also has a cutter as well. He said he didn't throw it in games because their catcher couldn't catch it." She continued.
"Interesting." Coach replied. "So, he accepted the invitation?"
"Yes, Coach. He's coming in 2 days to watch practise, but he has already sincerely accepted." Rei replied.
"Good, we need some good pitches next year. We can't just relay on Tanba and Kawakami. We need a good pitching line-up for next season. Even if they're freshmen, if they're good enough, I'll put them in the team." Coach said, going back to the window where the group of players were still swinging their bats.
"Don't worry Coach, if he keeps improving at his current place. He won't have any issues." Rei replied.
Coach didn't reply to that, he just kept staring out of the window.
But on his stoic face, there was a slight change on his lips, a tiny smirk that was almost invisible.
'Looks like next year is going to be interesting.' He thought.