Sawamura could understand very well what this foreigner kid was going through.
Lee-Hyun had come to a foreign land to pursue his dreams. When he faced setbacks, it was only natural for him to feel homesick.
Although he pretended to be strong, talking with a certain confidence, inside, he must have felt dejected.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have behaved like this.
"Stop pretending, tell us what's on your mind. Do you feel like things are unfair?"
When Sawamura asked him again, Lee-Hyun did not deny it.
Although he knew that, based purely on strength, he could not stay in the first team.
But he had previously contributed to the team, and Lee-Hyun believed that keeping him in the first team should have value.
He wouldn't dare say much, but as long as there was an opportunity to steal a base again, Lee-Hyun was confident he could run back to home plate.
He was very confident in his speed.
Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere; it's built from practice.
That match with Inashiro had been a life-saving moment for the Seidou High School baseball team. For Lee-Hyun, it brought a complete transformation.
Although his skill hadn't improved much in a short time, his mentality had grown stronger!
He was now confident enough to face the top players in the country.
Just like when he had faced Narumiya in their match.
The boy was indeed a little overconfident now!
But of course, in that kind of scenario, having such an excellent performance, it was understandable if a teenager got a little carried away.
As long as he didn't get too caught up in it, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Lee-Hyun.
"Let's take a walk together."
Without offering any words of comfort, Sawamura suggested the three of them take a walk together.
Kuramochi gave Lee-Hyun a concerned glance, signaling him to follow.
Lee-Hyun didn't say anything, and after getting up from the ground, he followed behind Sawamura and Kuramochi.
The three of them walked, stopped, and walked again until they finally reached a dimly lit area.
By this time, Seidou High School had already reached lights-out time. Except for a few limited offices, all the other lights in the school had been turned off.
The light here was dim, seeping in from the streetlights outside the school.
Because it was so far away, the light was already blurry by the time it reached here.
It was hard to even make out the figures standing seven or eight meters away.
In this dim light, several teenagers were energetically swinging their bats.
Every swing of the bat showed their passion.
During their batting practice, they poured all their effort into it.
"Do you know any of these people?" Sawamura asked Lee-Hyun beside him.
His voice was soft, as though he was afraid of disturbing them.
Lee-Hyun had excellent eyesight. Despite the distance, he could vaguely make out a few familiar figures based on their body shapes.
There were third-year students who had already retired, as well as those second-year senpais who were unwilling to settle in the second team, such as Takatsu and others.
And there was also Hirota, a first-year student just like him.
"Those people?"
As soon as he saw Hirota, Lee-Hyun's eyes widened.
He never expected to see Hirota here.
Although Hirota was one of their competitors when they first enrolled, once they entered the first team and participated in the summer tournament, Lee-Hyun thought Hirota had been left far behind.
But it seemed that Hirota had been quietly working hard in the corner.
"Do you know what Hirota is doing right now?"
Lee-Hyun was so frustrated that he hadn't paid attention to his fellow first-year comrade.
He shook his head.
Sawamura chuckled.
"I saw that guy adding extra training in the strength training room."
"Wait, isn't the strength training room closed by now?" Lee-Hyun asked in confusion.
Sawamura smiled slightly. "He promised the coach who has the keys that after his training, he would clean up the strength training room again. And he got the Coach's permission."
Sawamura shrugged and gave Lee-Hyun a look as if signaling him to figure it out himself.
Lee-Hyun's heart felt like it had been struck by a thunderclap.
This was the first time he had heard about all this. He had never known about it before.
"Did you think you had already gotten ahead and that your rate of progress was the fastest, so you neglected to look back?"
Among all the first-year students, Lee-Hyun's progress had been unmatched.
If they were awarded a "Most Improved" prize, Lee-Hyun would surely win.
It wasn't because his talent was extraordinarily superior.
The main reason was that his starting point had been so low.
He had known nothing at first.
A completely blank slate!
On that blank slate, he could easily make progress, and it filled up quickly.
Unlike other players, who had already written a lot on their paper, and if they were to write more, they'd have to follow the previous pattern.
Thus, their rate of improvement could never match Lee-Hyun's.
But that didn't mean the other players had stopped progressing.
On the contrary.
In places where no one noticed, they too had been silently working hard.
"Do you see those third-year students? They've been working hard for this team since they were first-years. But by the time they retired, they never had the chance to play. They had to give their spot to you, a kid who had just joined the team a few months ago. Do you know why this is?"
Kuramochi's question was too sharp.
Lee-Hyun didn't know how to respond.
Fortunately, Kuramochi didn't expect an answer right away.
"The reason is simple. Because choosing you to join the first team was more beneficial for the team."
It had to be said, that Coach Kataoka was really decisive in this aspect.
To add a secret weapon to the team, he promoted Lee-Hyun to the first team.
"Have you ever thought about whether this was fair to the others?"
Lee-Hyun remained silent, not saying a word.
"We are a team, a unit. A team has its own interests. It doesn't go by seniority, and it's not always fair. Fairness is relative. For the team, the fairness they can achieve is relative to the team's needs."
"The reason you were promoted to the first team is because it was best for the team, so don't feel bad for the third-year Senpai who got eliminated. At that time, choosing you was the best option for the team."
"Now that your secret weapon is exposed, there's less room for maneuver. Considering the team's interests, you naturally got eliminated from the first team."
"If you feel reluctant, then give it your all and keep climbing up!"
Sawamura nodded at Lee-Hyun, signaling him to look at the figures swinging bats under the dim lights.
"Don't underestimate these guys, and don't underestimate high school baseball either."
The Seidou High School baseball team has never been anyone's safe haven.
It is a hellish trial ground.
Only those who pass this trial can become pure gold.
The Seidou High School baseball team has more than 100 members, even without counting those who have retired or failed to officially join the team.
Not to mention that to join the Seidou High School baseball team, one must go through a harsh selection process before becoming a part of the team.
Any player who gets specially recruited is a rare talent, chosen from a sea of candidates.
But even such elite players don't always get a chance to play.
A prestigious team!
What does a prestigious team mean?
A prestigious team is a testing ground for true geniuses.
Those talented players come here to be tested and see if they are truly the chosen ones by heaven.
Can they go further down the path of baseball?
Lee-Hyun's talent, even in the number one prestigious team like Seidou, is among the top.
His unparalleled speed, sharp instincts, and natural understanding of baseball.
These made it much easier for him to learn baseball.
What others needed months to grasp, he could learn in three to five days.
When Lee-Hyun first joined the first-string team, although everyone understood, there were still complaints.
There were plenty of whispers behind his back.
But through daily practice, these whispers became fewer and fewer. In the end, they completely disappeared.
Especially after the match with Inashiro.
Most of the players naturally felt that keeping Lee-Hyun in the first string was the right choice.
This wasn't only because of his talent and speed.
It was because his abilities had already earned the team's recognition.
For Lee-Hyun, everything was going in the right direction.
But that didn't mean he had become irreplaceable within the Seidou High School baseball team.
If he wanted to become that kind of player, he would need to continue his previous efforts and keep pushing forward.
What Sawamura Eijun wanted to tell Lee-Hyun was exactly this.
The more of a genius you are, the more flaws you have. The stronger your talent, the quicker and more fierce these flaws will grow.
To help him, one must quickly cut off these crooked branches, just like when pruning a tree.
Once those crooked branches are cut off, the tree can grow stronger.
It was for this reason that Coach Kataoka decided to remove Lee-Hyun from the first-string roster.
He was already outstanding, and now he needed more training.
This would allow him to grow into a true pillar.
But not everyone could understand this kind of good intention, especially for someone like Lee-Hyun, a foreigner far away from home.
At this moment, whether as a senior or a friend, Sawamura and Kuramochi could only offer their support through comforting words and encouragement.
As for whether Lee-Hyun could overcome this hurdle?
It still depended on him.
Watching Lee-Hyun's expression become serious, he sincerely bowed to Kuramochi and Sawamura.
Sawamura knew exactly what was going on.
'It seemed that the kid understood.'
With his talent, after the third-year players retire, he should be able to climb back up to the first string.
By then, his reliance would no longer be on speed. Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai would no longer treat him as a secret weapon.
Sawamura and Kuramochi both believed that Lee-Hyun would climb back up relying on his own abilities.
Lee-Hyun's situation was just a microcosm of the Seidou High School baseball team.
Those players who had already secured their spot in the Koshien tournament were of course eager to shine on that stage.
But there were many players in the shadows, quietly working hard.
When the third-year players retire, 10 spots will be left open.
The competition for those spots had already begun.
…
T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!
See you Tomorrow!
Until then, take care!
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