Tokyo: The story begins with a confession.

Page 40

Seeing that the baseball was easily hit away by Uesugi Kenichi, Kato Megumi nodded. She explained that she was using this speed because she was worried that Uesugi Kenichi might not be used to it and wanted him to get used to it first.

After thinking for a moment, she adjusted the speed to 130 km/h, which is not low. Generally, the speed of a high school baseball pitcher who has undergone special training is around 135 km/h.

The ball was thrown again, and with a thud, it flew out once more. Kenichi Uesugi swung his bat, finding it quite interesting; the feeling of hitting the baseball with the bat was fantastic.

"Faster."

That speed wasn't enough; he could easily track the ball's trajectory.

"Okay, be careful from now on." Kato Megumi responded and adjusted the ball speed to 150.

"call out"

With a whooshing sound, the white baseball flew out, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Uesugi Ken's pupils contracted in one glance, but he didn't make a move. The baseball slammed into the wire mesh behind him with a thud.

He didn't swing this time. A ball speed of 150 km/h is indeed very fast. He saw the previous ball clearly, but he didn't expect it to be so fast again. He hesitated for a moment and then didn't swing. Swinging would most likely have missed anyway.

Although he conceded a goal, there was no sign of frustration in his eyes; on the contrary, he was even more excited. It's only fun when there's a challenge; otherwise, what's the point of 557?

He was genuinely interested now, finding swinging the bat much more fun than throwing the ball.

……

"Uchida, you're here today too."

"Yes, I came to take a look."

After greeting everyone with a smile, Rikuto Uchida went straight to his practice area. As a former professional baseball player, although he has now retired, he still can't give up the sport he has fought for for decades and occasionally goes there to train.

Although there are other practice fields, he still prefers to come to this baseball stadium. Occasionally, he can practice with others and discuss the current state of baseball games. Moreover, this baseball stadium is owned by a friend.

"Huh, someone actually rented this place all by themselves?" Rikuto Uchida was somewhat surprised to see a young man practicing on the right side of the field as he headed to his training area.

It seems like the Koshien preliminary rounds are just around the corner, so this is probably a special training camp for the Koshien tournament.

Koshien Stadium, ah, I really miss it.

His eyes revealed a sense of nostalgia, and he couldn't help but feel a little sentimental as he recalled his baseball days in high school. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and he has already retired from professional baseball.

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was unable to reach Koshien Stadium. This was indeed one of the few regrets in his life, as once he missed the Koshien tournament, which was only open to high school students, he would never have the chance to participate again.

As he was thinking this and about to leave, he saw a baseball fly out of the pitching machine.

So fast!

A look of surprise flashed in his eyes. Although he didn't know the exact speed of the ball, based on his experience, he judged that the speed should be above 148.

Are high school students these days really that good? Practicing with such fast ball speed.

Although it's nothing compared to professional baseball, this is clearly a high school student. Could it be that we just randomly encountered a genius?

Before he could think any further, the boy, before he could even swing, had already hit the wire mesh.

He shook his head and smiled. Sure enough, he was still too young. He probably just wanted to take on the challenge. He didn't intend to say anything and turned to leave. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a crisp bang.

The sound was extremely familiar; he heard it countless times every day—the sound of a baseball hitting a bat.

He turned his head and looked over; the baseball hit the wire mesh above and quickly fell back down.

Did you hit it? Was it luck or did you adjust your speed?

He immediately became interested and stopped in his hurry to leave, standing still by the barbed wire fence.

He frowned as he observed Uesugi Kenichi's grip and stance, wondering which school he attended and who his coach was, allowing him to use such an amateurish posture. However, he nodded in satisfaction when he noticed the smile on Uesugi Kenichi's face.

Playing baseball is indeed a very enjoyable activity.

Soon another baseball flew out, his eyes fixed on Uesugi Kenichi. The ball's speed remained unchanged, the same as before.

With a bang, the baseball flew out like a shooting star, hitting the wire mesh with a teeth-grinding sound. If it weren't for the net, it would probably have been a home run.

It doesn't seem like luck. To hit a baseball at such high speed twice in a row with such force is not something that can be explained as a coincidence.

He watched a few more balls, and his expression gradually became serious. He swung the bat powerfully with each ball, sending it soaring high into the air each time.

This……

Although they were all straight balls without any variation, it was quite astonishing that every single one of them hit the ball at such high speed, and all of them were powerful shots.

Even if he were to play, he couldn't guarantee that every shot would be as powerful as this young man's, given the ball's speed.

interesting.

Oh, is he tired? He really needs to adjust his pitching speed. Swinging so many powerful hits puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders and wrists. Rikuto Uchida understood instantly when he saw the boy waving at the girl standing next to the pitching machine.

This boy looks like the strong baseball player who aspires to play in Koshien High School. He thought back carefully but didn't see any information about this boy in the report, which means he is a hidden secret weapon.

He was thinking of going into the training field to talk to the boy. It was rare to encounter such a talented young man, and it would be a shame not to talk to him. He was so young and so talented; he might even see him in professional baseball in the future.

With a whoosh, another baseball flew out of the pitching machine at extremely high speed.

How is this possible? A look of shock flashed in Rikuto Uchida's eyes. That speed was definitely over 160. After fighting for so long, he still wanted to increase his speed?

What he witnessed next made him question his existence. The balls coming out of the pitching machine were getting faster and faster, and the boy was able to hit each ball with great force.

The boy finally missed his shot when the ball was so fast that he couldn't even see it clearly.

hiss~

He couldn't help but gasp. This wasn't some genius; this was a monster!

Chapter 84 I've been underestimated! (Please subscribe)

"Okay, let's take a break." Kato Megumi waved and jogged over.

"Hmm." Uesugi Ken nodded. He was also feeling very tired after playing for so long. The continuous swinging and the extremely fast speed of each ball were a huge drain on both his arms and his mind.

Once he got used to how to hit the baseball and grasped the speed, it became very simple. It wasn't until the ball speed reached 190 that he felt the pressure increase and started to miss.

He took the towel that Kato Megumi handed him and wiped his sweat. Perhaps because it was his first time playing baseball, he found it quite interesting.

With a smile, Kato Megumi asked, "I never expected you to be so amazing, Kenichi. Have you ever considered participating in the Koshien tournament? Or perhaps pursuing a professional baseball career?"

"I haven't thought about that, and I only have a general understanding of the rules of baseball, so let's forget about it," Uesugi Kenichi said with a smile after thinking for a moment.

"That's a real shame." Kato Megumi said with some regret. She really wanted to see Uesugi Kenichi in a baseball uniform, galloping across the baseball field. Moreover, someone with his talent might only appear once every ten years or so. It's such a pity that he's not playing baseball.

Moreover, professional baseball players not only enjoy high social status, but also have very considerable incomes. Well-known baseball players earn 2 to 3 million yen a year, and some even earn more than 5 million yen.

"There's nothing to regret. In life, you always have to give up some things." Uesugi Kenichi didn't feel there was anything to regret. With his current physical condition, he could participate in many professional sports. He couldn't possibly do them all.

"That's true." Kato Megumi gave a gentle smile. She knew that someone like Kenichi would become the center of attention no matter what he did, and she firmly believed that he would succeed.

"Excuse me, I'm Rikuto Uchida. Would it be convenient for us to get to know each other?"

Uesugi Kenichi turned his head, and a burly middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties walked over and extended his hand to him.

"Hello, Kenichi Uesugi." Kenichi Uesugi stood up and extended his hand.

"I wonder which school Uesugi-kun is attending now?" Uchida Rikuto asked with a smile, giving Uesugi Kenichi a thorough once-over.

"It's truly unbelievable that such a body could harbor such immense power. He's truly gifted," Rikuto Uchida exclaimed. Although the boy before him was very strong, he wasn't the muscle-bound type. His performance was truly perplexing.

"Is there anything you need?"

"Sorry, don't misunderstand, I meant no harm. This is my business card. I was attracted here by Uesugi-kun's fierce attack just now." Seeing Uesugi Kenichi's wariness, Uchida Rikuto immediately took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over.

Kenichi Uesugi took the business card and realized that the man was a professional baseball player.

"Daiwa Private Academy."

"Won't it be boring to play baseball alone? How about I play with you?" Rikuto Uchida nodded. He seemed to have heard of this school before, but it didn't seem to be a baseball powerhouse. Calling it a weak team would be an understatement.

"No need, I'm planning to go back," Uesugi refused.

"What's the point of hitting a straight shot? Don't you want to hit a more challenging shot, or are you just too scared?"

Rikuto Uchida was certainly unwilling to let Kenichi Uesugi leave like that. He was determined to train such a rare gem into a professional baseball player!

Uesugi Ken's eyes narrowed. "Then let's have a go."

Although he could tell that the man was trying to provoke him, he was not one to back down, and he also wanted to see what the level of a professional baseball player was like.

"Okay, that's great. Wait a moment." Uchida Riku gave a thumbs up, glanced at the small-armed Kato Megumi, and then jogged off. A moment later, he returned with a person wearing full-on catcher gear.

"Is this the kid? He doesn't seem as good as you said." Takeda Koichi muttered to himself after sizing up Uesugi Kenichi.

"Stop talking nonsense. Don't you trust my judgment? Be serious, or I won't forgive you if you embarrass yourself." Uchida Rikuto responded in a low voice, then walked up to Uesugi Kenichi. "This is my good friend Takeda Koichi. I invited him to temporarily serve as the catcher."

"Hey, young man, I heard from Lu Dou that you're very capable. Let me show this old man what I'm made of."

"Let's begin." Kenichi Uesugi wiped the sweat from his brow, picked up his bat, and walked to the batter's box to wait.

"You're quite impatient, aren't you? Let me teach you a lesson, young man." Takeda Koichi smiled and shook his head as he walked to the catcher's area to wait. He really didn't think there was anything special about this young man. Apart from being a bit handsome, there was nothing else that impressed him. But being good-looking is useless in baseball.

Rikuto Uchida stood on the pitcher's mound, wiped the sweat from his hands with a powder packet, and looked at Kenichi Uesugi with a serious expression.

· ·Requesting flowers· ········

He used to play infield in professional baseball, mainly responsible for defense, but that doesn't mean his pitching skills were bad. Before playing professional baseball, he was a pitcher who could carry the ace number.

However, once he entered professional baseball, his pitching skills were not up to par. But he could still throw a ball at a speed of over 170 when he pitched at full power, which is not something that can be done casually. In Koshien, that would be a complete game-changer.

However, having just witnessed Kenichi Uesugi's swing, he knew that this speed might not mean much to him, but baseball is more than just fastballs!

He nodded to Takeda Kouichi to indicate that he was ready, then shook his head at Takeda after seeing where the gloves were placed. Throwing a straight ball would only result in it being hit and sent flying.

..... ..... .......

Koichi Takeda glanced at Rikuto Uchida with a puzzled look. After observing Kenichi Uesugi's stance and grip on the bat, he concluded that Uesugi was an amateur and didn't need any fancy pitches; a straight pitch would be enough to defeat him.

A ball speed of 170 is not something a high school student can achieve, but Uchida actually shook his head at him.

He moved his glove back to the center and pointed, indicating that he would throw it there. He didn't believe that a high school student could hit such a fastball.

Uchida hasn't been retired for many years, and his skill level has declined so much that he doesn't even have this much confidence anymore? If he can't throw 170, even 160 would be enough to give him a hard time.

Seeing that Takeda Koichi insisted, Uchida Rikuto's face darkened. He then nodded to Takeda Koichi, agreeing with his decision.

"A straight ball is fine, it's not a game anyway." He took a deep breath, stretched his body backward, and pulled his right hand back. The white baseball in his hand instantly transformed into a white streak and shot out.

That's right, that's it. Koichi Takeda nodded when he saw the high-quality pitch, and then got into position to receive the baseball.

Pong!