Of course the more physically fit one was, the more their athleticism could shine.
Take Ken for example, he had an SS grade in all of his Physical Fitness attributes. According to the system, that was at least the college grade, yet he was placed in the middle of the pack.
This was because his body wasn’t naturally athletic. While he had the height and fitness to make up for it, his vertical leap wasn’t all that great, nor was his lateral movements.
Grumble~
“Ah man I’m hungry after all that.” Daichi said in the middle of his stretch.
The afternoon sun in addition to the tough workout was enough to expend majority of one’s energy. He was inwardly hoping that their residence was not too far away and that it served decent food.
“Where are we staying anyway?” Hiroki asked. He didn’t know Tokyo well and since it was a last minute call up for him, he was left clueless.
“We’ll be staying at the nearby Tokyo University Campus.”
Riku seemed to overhear the grumbling of Daichi’s stomach and had walked over, wearing his trademark grin.
“Wow really? I’m surprised that they would let a bunch of High School students stay there.” Hiroki remarked, feeling rather impressed.
“Well, we’ve stayed there every time so far and they don’t seem to mind.” Riku shrugged, clearly not too concerned.
“Finish up your stretches, the bus will be here in a second.”
“Aye aye sir.” Ken did his best impression of a soldiers salute, which looked odd since he was currently stretching out his hips on the ground.
“Pffft.”
Both Hiroki and Daichi stifled a laugh, only holding back because they were in the presence of one of their seniors.
“Hehehe, you’re a funny guy. I like you.” Riku replied, his grin growing wider.
After he left, the two began to give Ken strife for his earlier display.
“Aye aye? Are you a pirate?”
“Hahaha.”
Ken couldn’t help but be infected by the laughter, feeling a smile touch the corner of his lips. Despite the circumstances, it was great that they could have a good time while under such pressure.
“Everyone! Grab your stuff and lets get to the bus.”
Chris’s deep voice roared out from the other side of the field, grabbing the attention of the players. Everyone wrapped up what they were doing and jogged over to get their bags before heading onto the bus.
Since no one had had time to shower, they were still stuck in their sweaty uniforms.
PSHHH PSHHH
Thankfully, Ken was always ready for situations like this. Ever since he’d started walking home with Ai after practice, he’d forged the habit of bringing his deodorant with him wherever he went.
“Ah, let me borrow some too.” Daichi said, letting out a sigh of relief once the cool air touched his skin.
“Mind if I have some too?”
Ken almost jumped in fright as he turned to see who had asked the question. Kuro Tojo with his pale skin and gloomy features suddenly appeared in front of him, looking like he’d just arisen from the grave.
“A-Ah sure man, here you go.” Ken handed over the spray, trying to act normal.
The teen sprayed himself briefly, being careful not to use too much. He then respectfully handed the deodorant back with two hands and bowed slightly.
“Much appreciated Ken, let’s get along in the future.”
After saying these words, he turned around and walked onto the bus, leaving Ken and the others in slight disbelief.
“That guy… was kinda nice?” Hiroki muttered, surprise evident in his tone.
Both Ken and Daichi nodded.
“I guess we can’t judge a book by its cover…”
The three were the last ones to get on the bus and had to sit up the front. Though they didn’t seem to mind.
“Alright, everyone here?” Ken’s dad hopped onto the bus and began to count the teens in his head. After ensuring that no one was missing, he spoke to the bus driver briefly before alighting from the bus.
Ken and Daichi had arrived in their dad’s car, which made sense why he didn’t ride on the bus with them.
After a few moments, the bus doors closed and then they began to move.
Thankfully, the University was not far away, only taking around 10 minutes to arrive from the field they’d been training at.
Once they arrived and everyone had gotten off the bus, they were met with a youthful girl who looked to be in her late teens. She wore the same clothes as the National Team staff and wore a serious expression.
She had long black hair was tied up into a practical bun, contrasting with her fair skin. Her green eyes seemed to scrutinize the players, seemingly able to see through the fabric of their clothes, inspecting their body structure.
A few of the players instantly felt insecure, including Ken and Daichi whose faces had already turned a shade of red in response to the probing.
Daichi’s eyes seemed to glaze over as he stared at the well proportioned figure and beautiful features of the girl in front of them. He felt his heart beat a little faster in response.
“Miho, why do you always look at us like we’re a piece of meat.” Riku stated, letting out a light chuckle as he moved to walk past her.
The woman named Miho rolled her eyes in response, before replying.
“I fear for the current state of Japanese baseball if you were the best outfielder we could find again this year.” Her words were filled with sass, as her expression turned annoyed.
“There there, a lady must remain calm and collected.” Riku patted her head on the way past, a wide smile plastered on his face.
“Hmph.” Miho puffed her cheeks in annoyance and sent her leg kicking out towards Riku on the way past.
“Hahaha.”
However, he seemed to be expecting it and dashed forward, making her kick nothing but air.
The players who were attending the National Tryouts for the first time were flabbergasted by the display.
Looks like Riku and this girl seem rather comfortable with each other.
Mass release: 6/10
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