Manga Chapter 57

Based on summary by Levi (leviosa8) on the LJ Oofuri community.


THE GOAL, Part 2

Hanai and his mother (Pages 1 to 9)
Hanai returns home after running. He thinks how aiming only to get to Koshien, symbolized with 100 steps, if they fail even at step 99, they won't be able to go. However, if they go aiming to WIN Koshien, even if they miss a few steps, they will be able to go. Hanai then reflects on Tajima's words: a goal is not a goal if you feel it is realistically achievable. A goal is something you promise yourself you'll aim for. And it is no good if it is not a BIG GOAL. He wants to get closer to that goal even if it's just one step!

He gets home (they meet in the lobby of their apartment building) at the same time as his mother, who returns from the parents & coach meeting. She comments on Hanai's scary face and how he reeks of sweat, of manly sweat, not a boy's anymore. Hanai replies that she reeks of alcohol. Her mother compliments him on having been out running and when Hanai says that he will go up by the stairs (they're waiting for the elevator), she mentions how the coach complimented him too. The coach is happy that the captain suggested what she already had in mind: to decide the team's goal.

(They go up in the elevator together.) Hanai's mother continues explaining how Shiga is someone who doesn't drink at all, while Momokan held her drinks well and told them a lot of stories. For instance, how in her high-school days, it was still soft ball, and so it was difficult to get members for the club. In the end there was just one player left. Hanai asks if that was Momokan, and his mother replies that Momokan was the manager. Hanai realizes that there were just one player and one manager. Wow.

Her mother continues explaining that that was the time when it became baseball (hard-ball). But it seems that the "older" generation were against the change in baseball or something, she doesn't know well how it was, but the thing is that the link to them was broken. So in Momoe's time it was not possible for the team to play in official games. And then the new club members... Wait... Did they get them? Or maybe there weren't? Well, they did get in the team but then? ...Eh? (She doesn't remember well the rest of the story.) Well, the thing is that when the team members became ZERO, the "baseball club" disappeared. (Maybe most high school teams went to hard ball but the Nishiura school board was against it. The club didn't have that many members to start with so after a while it just disappeared.)

"Do you want to hear more?" she asks him. Hanai wonders where that one player went. His mother then tells him that Momoe later went to nurse's school. She doesn't know whether that is more exceptional or rather fitting for her. Such a nurse as Momoe would be something from Heaven or from Hell. Hanai says that certainly. And his mother agrees again.

Hanai is the kind of person who has a hot bath even in Summer. The following morning, he tries to remember something he wanted to ask his mother, but can't. The twins are eating breakfast after doing their "radio gymnastic exercises."

Hanai and his teammates (Pages 10 to 17)
It's seven in the morning and Hanai wants to get early to school to convince those he finds into his new way of thinking. The first person he meets is Mihashi. It's 20 minutes before the scheduled meeting, so Hanai asks what's the matter? Mihashi stutters that he has something to tell Hanai. About the goal. Hanai wonders if Mihashi has come earlier for the same purpose as him. So Hanai pats his head and tells him that he has changed his goal to winning the Nationals! Mihashi beams.

Then Izumi comes skidding to a halt in the road with his bike. Hanai comments on how early he i. Mihashi says "good morning" and Izumi just replies: "Hanai, I'll change my goal to becoming number 1 at Nationals". Upon both Mihashi and Hanai's beaming looks, Izumi asks "Uh-oh? What?" Enter Mizutani... Lalalala Mizutani. "Good Mooorning. You are all here early, aren't yooou?"

As they change, Mizutani explains that he did a lot of thinking the previous night, and he is wondering whether he'd be able to follow a training menu that was harder even than what they already got. Hanai replies that of course he can. Izumi says that they all have more or less the same strength. It's not impossible just for him. Another thing that worries him is whether if the goal is too big, they will never reach it. Hanai DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR, LALALALALA NOT LISTENING. Then explains that he had those same thoughts yesterday but he threw them to the wastebin and closed the lid. The glue is still fresh, dammit = he's still trying to pull those thoughts down into the wastebin, but has his doubts, so they can surface again. "Is that so?", asks Mizutani. "Yes, that's how it is." "And you, Izumi?" "Well... Me too." "And you, Mihashi? If the training menu is too hard or the goal is too big, won't you feel like running away?"

These are Mihashi's thoughts: "I want to throw more. I am the ace. I won't give up the mound."

"No, you won't, right?"
Mihashi then tries to speak to Mizutani ("Is this a chance to speak?"): "What's your goal, Mizutani?"

Mizutani (after all he's said...) : "Me? To win Koshien!"
Everybody: "Whaaaat!?"
Hanai: "Then what was all that about!?"
Mizutani replies that he might be worried about his physical endurance or whether the goal is too big, but of course he wants to do it! Then he thinks to himself that, leaving aside Tajima, who is of a different sort, if someone like Mihashi says that he aims to win, even someone like HIM feels compelled to try his best as well, right?

Then the following exchange takes place:
Mizutani: "Well, it'd be cheesy to say that it's all for Mihashi or something... Hahaha"
Izumi: "Hehehe, put it like that, it would have to be for Shinooka's sake or something."
Mizutani: "WHAT!?"
Izumi: "...What?"
Mizutani: ...
Izumi: "I didn't mean anything by that, you know."
Mizutani: "Neither did I, OK?"
Izumi: "... Is that so, Mizutani...?"

Momokan and the boys (Pages 18 to 24)
Hanai tells her that they have all decided to aim for victory in Koshien.
She asks them whether they have thought carefully about what she said yesterday, whether they are really mentally prepared. She takes their determination for a yes.

So she asks them to explain how far their determination goes. For instance, Hanai. Hanai says that from now on he will practice at home everyday... 300... no, 500 swings. Momokan asks him if that's what he feels he needs to practice more at home. She says that probably all of them have thoughts along Hanai's line. Do they think with only that they can win Koshien? Momokan wants them to think what's the best way to improve themselves without any unnecessary effort.

Talking about how many hours a day has and how many of them are spent training and at school, she wants them to maximize every possible hour in the day. They have to think about baseball not only when they are training in school or at home, but in every other hour. They have to train their muscles even when they are going to school, when they change classes, in summary, everything is a chance for exercise. Even tedious lessons are useful for practicing their power of concentration!

Tajima: "Really?"
Momokan: "Also when you go to pee..."
Hanai: ("Pee...")
Suyama: ("This is funny...")
Momokan: "You have to pee away the anxiety and frustration that are piling inside you!"

She wants them to get the mental image. In order to win Koshien, they can't waste a single minute. From now on, every single hour will be devoted to baseball! That's the extent of the determination they need!

Momokan then asks Chiyo to deliver some clipboards with a sheet to them.

The Goals Sheet (Pages 25 to 38 )
Explanation: It is a list of objectives in long and short term, for life and sports. There are 30 questions for 2 different categories that must be filled in no more than 10 minutes, so they have 20 seconds for each question. The order in which they write is important. It starts with "A dream goal", continues with "minimum goal", "goal in 50 years", "in 30 years", "10 years", 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 year, this year, in half a year, this month, this week, today's goal. First they have to fill the "Life goals" from top to bottom, then the "Sport goals." In order.

Hanai is quite confused.
Mihashi looks quite lost: "It is embarrassing to write that my dream goal is to become a pro baseball player..." "In 50 years I won't be a baseball player anymore, right? If I am 16 now, then I will be 66. What kind of grandpa do I want to become? Me? A grandpa?".

While Mihashi thinks all that, Tajima is already done with the "Life goals." Tajima's "Life's dream goal" is to live 200 years. And his "Sport's dream goal" is to play baseball until he is 200 years old. The minimum sport goal is to play baseball all his life. In the short term, sports goals, 5 to 3 years from now, he wants to win at the Jingu Stadium and be the batting champion for three years in a row. His goals in short term are all about to hit balls at 140 Km/h in perfect timing to the outfield (this week) and to the mitt (today). His goal for today is to finish this questionaire in less than 10 minutes. Done!

Momokan announces that time is over. Tajima, Sakaeguchi and Nishihiro seem to be done. Momokan asks them how they feel. Nishihiro replies that he wants her to "knock" (hit practice balls to fielders). Tajima wants to hit! And so does Sakaeguchi. Hanai hasn't managed to fill even half of it. Then Oki speaks. He manages to blurt out that he hasn't finished and (blushing) could he have another 3 minutes? Momokan thinks: "Oki's finally there". And she asks him to explain the reason a bit better. While his teammates are cheering for him in their heads all the way, and he is wondering "The reason? The reason I want to write it?" And then explains that he finally feels like aiming for a huge goal so... He doesn't want to start stumbling from the beginning!

Momokan replies that it is very good to be able to explain oneself that way!
And it is also important that the content is filled with positive energies. So how many people haven't finished yet?
Hanai, Mizutani and Suyama raise their hands immediately. From his corner, Mihashi also raises his hand.
Momokan: "Do you think you can write it in 3 minutes?" They reply that yes. And she also returns their sheets to the three that finished in time, so that they can try to do it again. OK, 3 more minutes!

START!!

Hanai: "Write!"
Dream goal: to eat from baseball (make his living from baseball)
Minimum goal: play catchball with my children
Life goal in 50 years: play catchball with my grandchildren
...in 30 years: be in the first team of an active team somewhere
...In 20 years...
Hanai: " No matter what, just write!"
...in half a year: have enough power to hit over the fence
...this month: make the most of gasshuku (training camp) and win the Newcomers tournament!
...this week: be able to take Mihashi's curve in front of my body! (catch or hit his curveball maybe)
...today: to follow the coach's tasks!

And the 3 minutes are over!
Everybody wrote it this time. Momokan asks them how they feel.
Hanai replies that he feels as if he could do everything!
Suyama agrees. Mizunatine agrees too. And Oki. Everybody feels full of energy.
Momokan is pleased. She announces that they will do this at the start of every month, because she expects the contents will change gradually.

She then proceeds to explain that it is all going to be much more strict than it's been so far, but she doesn't want for them to feel discouraged or see too much waste of time and energy, so for them to make the most of training, hey have to focus on one thing at a time! And in order to concentrate, they have to ENJOY TRAINING! The moment they feel they have grown or got closer to the goal, that's when training will become fun. They have to keep their goal in mind at all times and use their heads to think. So they can...

Momokan: "Have fun! And let's win Koshien!"
"YES!"

Hanai then takes them for stretching. Chiyo, who is all fired-up as well, asks Momokan if she wants to take a look at the sheets before she files them. Chiyo leaves them with Momokan and goes to prepare the water.

Momokan finds Mihashi's sheet: he hasn't written a single thing. She reflects on how in spite of being along Tajima in team spirit and goals, he doesn't have a clue or expectation about his own future. Probably, Mihashi is enjoying himself now, but after the baseball club, life continues...

Mizutani comments on Tajima's speed at writing, because it is difficult to fill that in only 10 minutes, but Tajima replies that he used to do the same in Jr. High every month.

Momokan keeps thinking how for Mihashi, as for everybody, there is a wider world out there, that they will discover from now on...

Sakaeguchi comments how he too did that in the Senior League. (The three who managed in 10 minutes were Tajima, Sakaeguchi and Nishihiro).
Tajima asks Nishihiro, who replies that "It was my first time". And they go "Oooh!"

Hard training STARTS! (Pages 38 to 42)
They finished warming up and the real hard work starts. Momokan tells them it will be tough at first, but they will get used to it in the two weeks to Newcomers tournament.
Momokan: "Let's show a explosion of power at Newcomers'!"
"YES!"

Then you get a sample of the sort of exercises they perform (for some reason, they laugh at the steps...)
Once they are half exausted, Momokan tells them how while their arms and legs are throbbing, it is the best chance to practice their swings (so that they don't make useless swings or moves, I think, that is what they have to learn).

As Hanai hits: "Low, too low! Don't slack! Rise them more! Don't soften the pace! Visualize higher!"

Hanai falls to the ground, after 30 swings, exhausted, while saying "Thank you very much". At the background, Tajima asks for balls faster, faster! 18, 19! Momokan looks at Hanai, who is still panting on the ground, and then crouches beside him: "You are fortunate to have Tajima." Hanai is shocked: "..."

Momokan: "You don't seem to get your drive from wanting to surpass your rivals. Instead, you... feel you have to surpass Tajima."
Hanai: (I've just remembered... what I wanted to ask this morning...)
Momokan: "Let's improve your (hitting) distance. To a level in which you will put even Tajima to shame."
Momokan: "From today on, everytime you swing the bat you will concentrate on high and outside, while getting to learn first how to swing at the shortest distance." (?)
Hanai: (And the question was...That one and only player in her team... Where did he go?)