Diamond No Ace: Echoes Of The Ace

Chapter 20: The Captain's Journey - Extra Story

"Sawamura, after discussions with the coaching staff and recommendations from the previous captain and vice-captain, we've decided that you will be the captain for this season," the coach announced.

Eijun Sawamura, who had been called over during training, initially thought he might have done something wrong.

But hearing this unexpected declaration felt like a giant weight dropping on his head. For a moment, he was stunned.

"Eh? Me?"

Realizing the heavy responsibility placed on him, Eijun grew nervous, his eyes narrowing like a cat's as his anxiety spiked.

Seeing Eijun's familiar panic, the coaches were relieved.

If Eijun had calmly accepted the captaincy, they might have worried that something was wrong with him instead.

"You've steadily made progress step by step," Takashima said. "You've earned the respect of not only your peers but even the younger players look up to you. You have the right attitude and the skills to match."

"Sawamura, I'm not asking you to become the best pitcher to lead the team, but when the team faces adversity, you are the one who can save Seidou—just as you've done before."

"Like you once led Akagi Junior High as captain, your optimistic and uplifting spirit can inspire the team. If it's you, I believe you can do it."

Takashima's words felt odd to Eijun, but being entrusted with the captaincy was a recognition of his efforts.

Ignoring the peculiarities in her phrasing, he earnestly looked at the coaches.

"Yes! I, Eijun Sawamura, will do my best!" he declared.

As the coaches watched Eijun's serious gaze and barely contained excitement, Coach Kataoka couldn't help but reflect on the boy's journey from when he first entered Seidou to becoming one of its star pitchers.

The sweat and tears Eijun had shed for his dreams embodied Seidou's mantra of relentless effort.

Even so, Kataoka felt a twinge of guilt for what he had to say next.

"Sawamura," Kataoka began, his tone heavy. "There's one more thing. Based on our evaluation of the recent games, the coaching staff has decided that moving forward, the pitching rotation will be centered around Furuya."

The coach's words echoed clearly in the quiet room. For a moment, Eijun thought he had misheard.

But looking at Kataoka's serious expression, Takashima's sympathetic gaze, and the department heads avoiding eye contact, reality hit him.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Eijun stood there, silent.

He wanted to speak, but it felt as if something was lodged in his throat, making it impossible to form words.

The coaches said nothing further, waiting for Eijun to respond.

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

Eventually, Eijun found his voice. It came out hoarse and trembling.

"Does this mean... Furuya will be the ace from now on?"

"Yes," Kataoka confirmed. "If nothing unexpected happens, we plan to have Furuya wear the ace number for the upcoming fall tournament. He's had experience as the ace before and may perform even better this time. Of course, we'll continue to use a relay pitching strategy, as our ultimate goal is to win the Summer Koshien championship."

Lowering his head, Eijun listened as Kataoka explained the decision.

He realized that being made captain wasn't about leading the team through his pitching.

It wasn't about him stepping into the shoes of past captains like Yuuki or Miyuki.

Instead, someone else would be guiding the team as the ace.

Takashima's earlier comment now made sense—not asking him to be the best pitcher wasn't to ease his burden, but to signal that someone else had already been chosen for that role.

Eijun clenched his fists tightly at his sides. His short, neatly trimmed nails left faint marks on his palms.

"In that case, shouldn't Furuya be the captain? It makes more sense for the ace to lead the team!" Eijun's voice trembled, a mixture of frustration and pain choking him.

He wasn't even sure if it was from sorrow or anger.

"You know Furuya's abilities as well as anyone," Coach Kataoka replied. "His talent has already blossomed. In high school baseball, very few can match his speed and pitch power."

Eijun's thoughts spiraled.

Is it because my talent hasn't fully developed?

Is my quirky pitch even a talent?

He couldn't blame the coaches.

This year, he had been the ace.

He had pushed himself to be his best, but Furuya still outshone him.

At Koshien, Furuya had delivered a better performance.

In the match against Inashiro, it was his mistakes that had cost them the championship.

Talent.

A cruel word.

A term that defined and divided people.

Furuya, with his natural gifts, had struggled to enjoy baseball in middle school and came to Seidou searching for someone like him—someone equally talented, like Miyuki.

Eijun had once thought he had talent, too. But now, it was clear talent existed in tiers.

Could he even compete with Furuya anymore?

I won't accept this.

Even if the truth stared him in the face, Eijun couldn't accept it.

He wanted to plead with the coaches not to give up on him.

To give him one last chance in the fall tournament to prove himself as both ace and captain.

But then Coach Kataoka added,

"Next year, you'll all be third-years. The coaching staff wants to use this opportunity to develop the younger pitchers. As for catchers, Okumura and Yui both have tournament experience, but our pitching staff is still weak. That's why we need to use the fall tournament to strengthen them."

Hearing this, Eijun unclenched his fists.

The younger players... When the upperclassmen were here, all he had to do was focus on himself.

But now, as one of the seniors, he had to step up and lead the juniors.

Takashima watched Eijun's dejected figure with a heavy heart.

She had personally scouted him and always believed he could become Seidou's true ace.

But Furuya's presence was overwhelming, overshadowing not only Eijun but even Kawakami.

In high school baseball, the allure of raw speed and power often outshone the finesse of breaking balls.

The crowd's eyes were drawn to players like Furuya and Hongou, whose records broke barriers.

Furuya had become an undeniable force—a singular, blinding presence.

The sound of knocking broke the silence in the room.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in," the voice from inside said.

Kanemaru and Takatsu stepped in, immediately sensing the unusual tension in the room.

They instinctively held their breaths when they saw Eijun standing there, trembling slightly.

Something about the situation felt beyond their comprehension.

"Coach, you called for us?"

"Yes," Kataoka began. "Kanemaru, Takatsu, with the third-years retiring, we've decided on the new team captain. Sawamura will take over the role, and the two of you will serve as vice-captains to assist him in managing the team."

"Vice-captains? Me and Takatsu?"

Kanemaru was surprised.

He had no doubts about Eijun becoming captain but hadn't expected to be named a vice-captain himself.

Would he even get along with Takatsu?

Takatsu, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, as he usually was in front of others.

"Is there a problem?" Kataoka asked, his gaze steady.

Both players quickly shook their heads.

"No, sir! We'll do our best," they responded in unison.

After a few more instructions, the three of them left the coach's office together. Kanemaru, unable to contain his excitement, exclaimed,

"Congratulations on becoming captain, Sawamura! Captain Sawamura, huh?" His enthusiasm even caused him to slip into a nickname.

Takatsu, as usual, was more reserved.

"Congratulations, Captain Sawamura," he said with a small nod.

Hearing his name, Eijun turned his head toward them, his expression blank.

Kanemaru and Takatsu immediately noticed something was off.

Ever since they arrived, Eijun hadn't said a single word.

"Hey, Captain, are you stunned from shock or just so happy you can't speak?" Kanemaru teased.

The word "captain" seemed to snap Eijun out of his trance. Seeing his friends looking at him with concern, he forced a wide grin.

"Of course I'm happy! This is the captaincy we're talking about!"

"Your face looks all twisted, though," Kanemaru pointed out.

"It's because I'm so happy!"

"But... your eyes are tearing up."

"That's just excitement! Ahh, stop talking about it—it's embarrassing! I'll treat you guys to juice, but you have to promise to keep this a secret!"

"Secret? That you cried about becoming captain?"

"I said stop talking about it!!!"

...

Inside his head, Eijun repeated to himself:

---I'm the captain now. I can't show uncertainty. Even if I'm not the ace, I'm the core of Seidou. I have to smile and encourage everyone, just like before. That's what a captain does. That's my responsibility.

...

In the coach's office, Takashima voiced her concerns.

"Coach, wasn't it a bit early to tell Sawamura about the ace decision? That kid has always aimed for that title. Now we're making him the captain, but..."

She trailed off, thinking about how much effort Eijun had poured into his journey. It felt cruel.

"He'll handle it," Coach Kataoka said firmly, watching the trio outside. The sound of their laughter echoed up to his window. "Sawamura may seem noisy and childish, but he's a reliable and dedicated young man. He carries his responsibilities seriously. It may be harsh, but there's no one more suited for this role."

...

The initiation ceremony for the new team was simple, as always.

The captain and vice-captains were announced, followed by a short speech.

Eijun did his best to ignore the teasing smiles from the third-years, bravely sticking to his prepared script to finish the speech without faltering.

The team's dynamic remained mostly unchanged.

Everyone continued their training, preparing for the fall tournament.

Furuya was still Seidou's "runaway train," always full of firepower. Haruichi's mischief increasingly resembled that of his brother, Ryousuke, as he casually set traps for others.

Kanemaru kept up his "mom-like" concern for everyone's well-being, growing ever more nagging.

Takatsu's batting became more polished, solidifying him as the cleanup hitter.

As for Sawamura, his voice remained as loud as ever, but his responsibilities as captain grew.

His time spent fielding and batting now often overshadowed his bullpen sessions.

Even in the bullpen, he found himself paying more attention to the younger pitchers, much to their annoyance.

Whenever they invited him to pitch, he'd often decline.

"The previous captains were strong in both defense and offense. I don't want to lose to them," Eijun would laugh. "Don't worry, though—I give my all in the bullpen, every single time! Hahaha!"

...

On the eve of the fall tournament, Furuya was the first to receive his jersey number from the coach—#1.

Eijun's number, however, was 10, marking him as a bench player.

"Congrats, Furuya. Make sure to throw a brilliant opening tomorrow. Just don't blow up from being too excited, alright?" Eijun joked with a bright smile.

Watching him, the team finally realized what had been bothering them lately.

"Hey, Sawamura, you knew all along, didn't you?" Kanemaru asked, frustrated, when they were alone with Takatsu.

"What do you mean? Why are you so angry?" Eijun asked, his usual goofy grin plastered across his face.

Kanemaru and Takatsu grew even more annoyed.

"About the ace! It should've been you—the ace!"

"Yeah, I knew from the start," Eijun said, shrugging nonchalantly. "The day they made me captain, they told me."

"Then why..."

Kanemaru stared at Eijun, who still wore that carefree smile.

This isn't right, he thought.

This isn't how you should look. As someone who's worked with you the longest—aside from the catchers—I know how much you've poured into becoming the ace. You've worked so hard for it. So why are you still able to smile like that?

"Captain Sawamura, the coaches are calling for you. They want to discuss tomorrow's strategy," a younger player called out.

"Oh, got it. I'll head there now," Eijun replied, quickly walking off.

"Wait!" Kanemaru reached out, trying to stop him, but Takatsu stepped in, blocking his path.

Takatsu shook his head and said quietly,

"He's the captain now."

Hearing those words, Kanemaru couldn't hold back his tears.

They streamed down his face as he pressed his forehead against the wall.

"Damn it. Is being the captain really such a heavy burden?"

Takatsu didn't answer, silently watching Eijun's retreating figure.

"That day... he didn't cry because he became captain, did he?"

"No."

"He's in so much pain, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Damn it!"

"Kanemaru," Takatsu said firmly, "Sawamura is walking down a dark and lonely path right now. The only way we can support him is to work harder so we can keep up. He's already chosen to move forward. As his vice-captains, we have no choice but to follow. We can't leave him to face that road alone."

Kanemaru wiped his tears and stood up straight.

"Yeah, let's move forward."

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