Baseball and the Azure Blue Sky

Chapter 19: Baseball Idiots finally free!

The rest of the hellish winter camp passed rather quickly. After their last exercise on their last day when coach Kataoka finally declared the end of winter camp, Sora and Sawamura pumped both of their fists high into the air and broke out in a triumphant roar of survival.

"Freedom!"

"We are alive!"

All their other teammates were sitting or lying on the floor, almost unable to move their bodies any further and the third years as well as the managers were distributing water bottles, amino acids and energy bars. Kataoka, Takashima, Oota and Ochiai were standing nearby and watched their baseball team with a mixture of pride and pity.

However, to everybody's great amazement, two of them were not only able to still stand and yell their lungs out, no, they even started to dance. And on top of it all, even the girl managers joined after someone had turned on the background music on a smartphone. It was a song of a new and very popular top idol girl group and Sora, Sawamura and the four mangers were performing their dance choreography in perfect sync with each other. With bright grins plastered on their faces the two dorks were looking like they were having the fun of their lives after they had endured hellish torture. They honestly had the nerve to do a jig in front of the whole suffering team.

"Victory dance!" Sora cheered completely out of breath, causing her dance partners to start laughing.

Meanwhile the first-string members seemed to be utterly flabbergasted at the sight of the dancing group. Many of the boys just stared at them with their mouths wide agape and didn't even realize what was going on. The third years blinked a little confused and exchanged glances with each other, but since Fujiwara was also within the choreography, they just shrugged it off and Takigawa had a little smile on his lips watching his former protégé. Sawamura really hadn't changed much after his master's retirement. Takashima just sighed and once again fixed her glasses as always.

"Bundles of restless energy", the female scout of Seidou grumbled under her breath before turning her attention to the blue haired girl. "Aoki-kun, when you're finished with your little performance, you can make your announcement to the team now, if you want"

The young girl stopped in her movements and beamed at the brunette woman. She threw the head coach a questioning glance and also Kataoka gave her a nod of approval. Winter camp was officially over, so it was finally time. Her dance partners finished their choreo as well and turned the music off, while Sawamura eyed Sora curiously. Even the always energetic southpaw pitcher didn't know what his blue haired friend had planned this time. Sora clapped her hands together with excitement and cleared her throat.

"Alright, everybody! If I may have a moment of your attention, please", she chirped and her exhausted teammates looked up to her from their places on the ground. "First of all, thank you very much for your hard work, you have all done an amazing job giving your best and pushing through winter camp the last days! So, as the latest teammate who has arrived last at Seidou, I have a little reward for you. As you all know, my family runs a sports and wellness center we have been building up and establishing here in Tokyo for quite a while now and my parents have given the permission for me to invite my team over to spend the last day before you all go back home for new year in our private little oasis. So, please go have a quick shower and pack your towels, swimming trunks and everything else you might need and gather in front of the main entrance. Departure will be in an hour. Let's have a nice last day of this year as a team, you guys! This will be our Seidou new year's ceremony, although a little early"

A short moment of stunned silence occurred. Nobody dared to talk or to ask a question. The boys just gaped speechlessly with wide, incredulous eyes. Until the coach's patience came to an end.