"All new players, gather at Field B. You don't need to do basic training today; just warm up and prepare for the game."
Manager Ota suddenly announced this during afternoon practice.
Most of the freshmen looked confused.
It was obvious they didn't know what was about to happen.
Of course, there were exceptions. Including Kawakami and Zhang Han, a few others seemed calm. Clearly, they had already received the news.
"What are we doing?"
"Who knows."
"But I'm happy to play baseball."
"Me too!"
"It's been almost three weeks since I touched a ball~"
Freshmen at Seido High School didn't have many rights. Aside from the entrance test, most had barely touched a baseball since joining.
Why "most"? Because there were exceptions. Led by Zhang Han and Miyuki.
Four first-year newcomers were already practicing defense with the second team. Those who trained with the second team naturally touched a ball every day.
But even they, when the second team wasn't doing defensive drills, still had to do basic physical training alongside the other freshmen.
The process was tedious and boring. Still, since all freshmen were treated equally, no one said much. Maybe this was simply tradition for the Seido High School Baseball Team.
In an unfamiliar environment, even if they were unhappy, they endured it. Enduring didn't mean they felt no resentment.
Now that they could finally play a practice game—no matter what type, no matter what rules—everyone was eager to perform. They had to let the Seido senpais and the Director see their ability.
Especially the freshmen who hadn't been chosen to join the second team felt unwilling.
It was just test scores. Zhang Han and the other four simply performed better that day. But in a real game, who was stronger was still unknown.
"We definitely can't lose to them!"
Many newcomers stared at Zhang Han and Miyuki with obvious hostility. They didn't even bother to hide it.
Zhang Han felt it. Miyuki felt it too.
The two exchanged glances and smiled bitterly. The difficulties ahead seemed greater than they expected.
All freshmen would form one team, without a Director overseeing them. Leading such a group was already hard enough.
Not to mention several of the more capable freshmen were actively hostile toward them.
First, the freshmen fought internally. Then, their opponents would be the First-string substitutes and the absolute main force of the second team.
Because Zhang Han and Miyuki practiced with these senpais daily, they knew exactly how terrifying they were. There were many very strong upperclassmen. In certain aspects, they could completely crush the four first-years.
Surrounded by wolves on the outside, unstable on the inside.
"Internal strife and external threats" summed things up perfectly.
And in this situation, Zhang Han and Miyuki were expected to perform, to stand out, and even lead the team forward.
Their personal pressure wasn't small. Maintaining their current standing required at least a decent showing.
But neither Zhang Han nor Miyuki wanted to stay where they were. To them, failing to advance to the First-string in this opportunity counted as failure.
In May, Seido had no chance to compete in the Kanto Tournament. So the school scheduled nearly thirty practice games from early May to mid-June.
Within forty days, there would be almost thirty chances to play.
Whether they joined the First-string for these games would directly determine whether they could earn a uniform number before the Summer Tournament.
Zhang Han wanted to make a name for himself as soon as possible.
Miyuki's target was Chris, the First-string catcher. He wanted fair competition and to knock Chris out of the starting spot.
Both had big ambitions. But right now, the challenges in front of them seemed even bigger.
Freshman Welcome Game!
The second-years and third-years stood together, their eyes cold and bloodthirsty. There was no doubt they weren't going to hold back.
According to Miyuki, the senpais had already marked them as targets.
They weren't the only ones with ambition. Those senpais wanted to reclaim their positions, or even rise higher, through this game.
"Let's wipe out these stinky brats one by one. Hidezawa, it's up to you! Haha…"
Azuma senior, with his big belly and newly implanted tooth, spoke with a bit of air leaking through—but even that didn't weaken his intensity.
"If you don't score twenty or thirty points, don't bother coming back to the First-string."
Captain Tanaka's tone was even harsher.
Originally, the freshmen had had a good impression of these two captains.
Their words might have been strict, but they clearly cared about the team, so their strictness felt warm.
But now, this impression seemed incomplete—maybe even wrong.
When facing each other as opponents, the kind seniors could instantly turn into merciless demons.
Under the stares of the second- and third-year senpais, Field B felt like a grim battlefield. Terrifying pressure spread across all freshmen before the game even began.
"It's just a freshman welcome game. Do they need to be this serious?"
One freshman who entered through the entrance exam muttered under his breath.
"If you have that kind of mindset, then it's better not to play."
Zhang Han spoke seriously. He wasn't joking. Many freshmen didn't truly understand the weight of this match.
Especially for the third-year senpais—this might be their last chance. They would definitely go all out.
"Miyuki, Zhang Han, Kawakami, Shirasu, Kuramochi, Maezono, Asou, Higasa, Yamaguchi—you guys go first!"
Zhang Han and Miyuki had imagined countless possibilities for how Director Kataoka would arrange the freshman welcome game.
They never expected that the Director would immediately pick out the most outstanding freshmen to start.
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