Coach Hanada watched his players complete the drills he had set out with an enthusiasm that was infectious. He was a little suspicious at first, however he simply chalked it up to them being excited about the upcoming prefecture tournament.
They had played 6 games over the past 2 months, trying out different line-ups around the same core players. To his surprise, everyone had improved greatly up to now, with the standouts being Shiro and Yusuke.
Hiroki also seemed to have gone up a notch in the last 2 days, bringing him a sense of joy.
His gaze moved over to Ken who had seemingly taken over the drills, yelling out at players if they were slacking and encouraging everyone as they worked up a sweat. It was surreal, almost as if he had ascended to the Captains position organically.
Even Akira who was supposed to be his rival seemed to greatly respect him, doing his utmost to excel in training.
Seiji was not dumb, he was very aware of what his players were up to after practice finished up for the day. Which was why he made sure that club practice was fun, focusing on game scenarios and practical skills that were used on the field.
This was his way of showing his trust in Ken that he would handle the physical strength and conditioning, while also ensuring that the teens weren't overworked.
There was an unspoken agreement between himself and Ken, a mutual respect of sorts.
Once he was happy with everything, he moved forward and blew his whistle, telling everyone to gather around.
"Well done everyone, we're shaping up well so far." He said with a smile.
"I have just received the Kanagawa prefecture fixtures and placed them in the locker room. Our first game is next weekend. Once you're done cleaning up, go have a look."
At his words a wave of excitement broke out within the players who seemed to be chomping at the bit to play.
What happened next seemed like a blur to the coach. One moment he was looking at his players fondly, caught up in their excitement and the next everyone was sprinting towards the equipment.
In record time, the field was cleaned and all equipment collected and packed away, leaving the coach flabbergasted.
The players piled into the locker room, their attention focused on the notice board that was placed at the entrance.
Makoto muscled his way to the front of the pack, climbing over anyone and everyone in his way. As the captain, he felt that it was his right and duty to announce the fixtures.
"Ah so we're playing Zama High first."
A voice came out from behind him, causing his eye to twitch in response. He slowly turned his head and was about to start throwing obscenities to the person who would dare take this away from him.
However, once he saw the handsome face and chiseled jaw of the perpetrator, he quickly swallowed his complaints. Due to his growth spurt, Ken was at least a head taller than most on the team, making him easy to spot in a crowd.
There was also the fact that he'd been punishing the entire team with extra workouts after practice, paying special attention to those who were caught slacking or spoke out against him.
"Our draw is a bit unlucky this year." Yuta said, a frown forming on his face.
Ken was also frowning, but for a different reason. In his past life they had received a bye in the first round and had an easy run of teams all the way up to the finals. Yet now they were up against one of the big four in the very first round.
Since it was a single elimination tournament, if they lost that would be it.
"It looks like Shuei are on the other side of the bracket too. If we both win all our matches we'll meet in the finals." Hiroki added, yet he was sporting a grin.
Ever since he made his breakthrough, Hiroki had felt unstoppable. Not only was he in the best physical shape in his life, his mind also felt clearer, as if it had pierced the veil of fog that used to cloud it.
Of course with these factors, it wasn't surprising that he would gain a tremendous amount of confidence.
"I'm fired up!"
Hiroki's enthusiasm seemed to lift everyone's mood considerably. If their best player was like this, then why wouldn't they also be confident. They cheered out together, breaking into chants.
"BEAT ZAMA!"
"TO KOSHIEN!"
"YEAH!"
Seeing how everyone was in such a mood, Ken couldn't help but smile.
'I guess a lot has changed since my past life. We're a lot stronger and closer as a team.' He thought inwardly.
"Alright! Let's train extra hard today." Ken shouted, feeling himself get swept up in the atmosphere.
Silence.
Everyone who was fired up earlier suddenly felt all of their enthusiasm disperse. Some even felt their stomach churn uncomfortably as they thought about having to go through such crazy exercises right now.
"As expected of the Training Demon." Hiroki said with a grin. He was the only one who shared the same level of excitement as Ken for such things.
"Ah, I also brought some pastries." A soft voice called out from the entrance of the locker room.
"And I brought some sliced Oranges to keep your sugar levels up!"
"I-I…" The cute girl with dimples held out a container which held some rice balls, feeling a little too embarrassed to continue her words since a certain twin was looking at her intently.
Seeing their cute managers Ai, Yuko and Kaori arriving with all sorts of treats, what teen could keep quiet? Once again the excitement levels broke through the roof, eliciting some cheers.
Ken turned to see Ai staring at him and sent a smile her way, seeing her cheeks redden.
***
First round of the Kanagawa Prefecture Tournament, Yokohama High vs Zama High.
Ken was one of the last off the bus. His tall figure stuck out amongst the team as he looked at the neutral field in front of them.
'Today is the day, the first step towards Koshien.'
It almost felt surreal.