125. The Concept and Training of "Augmented Humans"

"Josei Shonan is the school that first entered the radar of the middle school sports world since its founding. The school places a heavy emphasis on athletic achievement; it is not limited to tennis, but also includes volleyball, table tennis, baseball, hockey, badminton, and more. Josei Shonan dabbles in everything—with the exception of basketball, which the school does not offer. Any sport you can find at other schools, Josei Shonan has it," Mamoru Inoue said.

"Why is it specifically basketball that they don't have? That should be even more popular than baseball or hockey, right?" Shibasaki asked with curiosity.

"Actually, in the beginning, Josei Shonoku did not exist in Saitama Prefecture. It was a branch school of Josei Shonan, a specialized sports academy dedicated to cultivating basketball players. Compared to Josei Shonan, one could say it was even more formidable. If Josei Shonan is like a garden where a hundred flowers bloom, then Josei Shonoku is a single flower standing out in its own excellence," Mamoru Inoue said, turning back.

"I see... though I don't think I've ever heard of this Josei Shonoku school..." Shibasaki nodded as if being enlightened.

"Josei Shonoku is a branch school, after all, so people naturally focus on Josei Shonan. However, I have heard that because Josei Shonoku specializes in basketball, they are considering establishing a main campus in Kanagawa, a region teeming with powerhouse schools, in the near future."

"Wow... Senior Inoue, you don't just know about tennis; you're very knowledgeable about basketball too," Shibasaki remarked with admiration.

"As a newcomer who just joined the company, you also need to work hard to enrich your knowledge, Shiba," Mamoru Inoue said with a paternal smile.

"Understood, Senior Inoue."

"Speaking of Josei Shonan, I only know of a first-year student who has recently risen to fame. His name is Hiroshi Wakato. He participated in last year's Junior Tournament. Although he didn't achieve a ranking like Yukimura, Sanada, or Atobe, he stole the show by imitating the techniques of tennis superstars. The report on him was covered by other colleagues in the editorial department."

As he spoke, Mamoru Inoue rummaged through his briefcase and pulled out one of many tennis monthly magazines, handing it to Shibasaki.

"Just by looking at him, you can tell he's a show-off. But those narrow eyes of his really do have the potential of a star..." Shibasaki opened the magazine and looked at the boy with long, orange hair, posing with his cap worn backward.

"Oh, right, there is an interview below about Hiroshi Wakato shining at the Junior Tournament. Take a look." Mamoru Inoue pointed his finger at the section below.

Shibasaki's eyes, clear as autumn water, moved gently to read the dialogue text below.

"I'd like to ask, is it a regret that you didn't place in this Junior Tournament?" the female reporter asked.

"There's nothing to regret. If the Junior Tournament were purely about getting a ranking, that would be too utilitarian," Hiroshi Wakato said, shrugging his shoulders and crossing his arms with a smile.

"You'll be graduating next year. Have you considered which school you'll be attending?" the reporter asked.

"Naturally, it will be Josei Shonan, which focuses on sports. Well, I did consider the prestigious Seigaku, but I gave up as soon as I thought about it being a greenhouse for weirdos. Don't you think their regulars are all hilarious? Not to mention their lack of flashy techniques while playing, the most critical thing is that they haven't even named their special moves. That's really not good enough!" Hiroshi Wakato chuckled.

"Oh, right, right. Speaking of which, I'd really like to see what the coach who leads these uninteresting regulars looks like. I'm really looking forward to seeing that person's face!" Hiroshi Wakato added jokingly.

"...This Hiroshi Wakato really knows how to talk..." Shibasaki arched her delicate eyebrows after finishing the report.

"However, if Seigaku hadn't been eliminated in the regional qualifiers, it wouldn't have been easy for Josei Shonan to beat them," Mamoru Inoue sighed.

"But I always feel that a Seigaku without Tezuka and Fuji isn't that strong..." Shibasaki’s sentiment differed from his.

"In any case, we can look forward to the performance of the evergreen team. Compared to the previous Rokkaku, Josei Shonan, which treats tennis not as a hobby but as a specialized project, will be even more troublesome," Mamoru Inoue said with a smile, offering no rebuttal.

...

Tennis court.

"Josei Shonan is a school that places great importance on sports. The students here find their truest selves after undergoing aptitude training, allowing their original potential to be fully unleashed. Whether in actual combat or training, they bring their strengths to the forefront," Sadaharu Inui explained.

"Wow... that sounds pretty impressive, eh?" Shinya Yanagisawa clicked his tongue.

"Because they focus on athletic training from the time they are freshmen, their starting point is a cut above ours," Renji Yanagi said calmly.

"Actually, at Josei Shonan, anyone can develop in any area, so they have the concept of 'Enhanced Humans'," Sadaharu Inui said, opening his notebook.

"'Enhanced Humans'?" Everyone looked puzzled upon hearing this.

"It means subjecting everyone to rigorous, mechanical training to ensure they possess high-level competitive standards, regardless of the sport. This is the so-called 'Enhanced Human' concept. These 'enhanced' students aren't just ordinary pupils; they are products created through 'enhancement,' much like scientific research," Sadaharu Inui explained.

"What a strange school, treating students like products..."

"Sounds a bit scary..."

"I feel like they'll be locked in a dark room and have their parts swapped out or something weird like that." Everyone whispered among themselves.

"Because it's a sports-focused school, even the powerful Midoriyama Middle School in Saitama Prefecture was no match for them. Though there is no record of a match against Knight Kids Middle School, judging by team depth, Josei Shonan is clearly superior," Renji Yanagi added.

"Midoriyama lost probably because their talented players are in the next grade, right?" Matsubara Naruya recalled seeing that episode of Saitama Midori somewhere. At the time, most of the Midoriyama regulars were second-years, just like Fudomine, and even the captain was a second-year. According to the current timeline, those regulars were still in elementary school, just like Takeshi Momoshiro and Kaoru Kaido.

"It is worth noting that the Shonan tennis club has very sophisticated training equipment. It is said that this sports fitness equipment was introduced by the coach who joined this year, Aoi Hanamura. The concept of 'Enhanced Humans' was also proposed by her. The so-called 'enhancement' training generally involves tasks like catching a football with both hands or catching a spinning football and returning it, which can greatly improve players' ball control. Since the freshmen enrolled this year, they have been focusing on this type of training," Sadaharu Inui gave an example.

"But a football should be quite heavy. Can holding a football really improve ball control...?" Kumakiri Shibayama found it hard to believe.

"It's not just ball control; it can also indirectly improve the players' explosive power. Then there's placing cones on both sides of the player and having them move laterally to quickly grab the tennis balls on top. This is fundamental training for reaction and rhythm, and it also has a great effect on improving balance," Sadaharu Inui said.

"With training like this, they lack individuality. Even if they are strong, they are nothing more than a group of robots whose true human potential has been stifled in the cradle," Matsubara Naruya said dismissively.

"However, 'Enhanced Human' training like that of Aoi Hanamura will soon become popular nationwide. While the training philosophy she proposed is indeed too mechanical, as Matsubara said, one must admit that this type of training can indeed perfect the human body to the greatest extent," Renji Yanagi said.

"It is said that the twin brothers Kohei and Yohei Tanaka of the Shonan tennis club integrated their skills into their doubles play perfectly under the premise of Aoi Hanamura's training, which primarily aimed at enhancing auditory perception." Sadaharu Inui opened his notebook to show everyone. Beneath the photos of the Tanaka brothers were annotated training programs specifically designed by Aoi Hanamura, noting that the two brothers had already conducted multiple practical experiments in the 'Enhanced Human' field.

"Wow... if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have thought this one with the long red hair was a kawaii girl, eh!" Shinya Yanagisawa muttered as he carefully looked at the photo of Yohei Tanaka.

"He really does look like one, with that waterfall of long red hair and the black choker on his neck. But his older brother, Kohei Tanaka, has very distinct masculine features," Kumakiri Shibayama said, walking over in agreement.

"Was he this cute as a first-year..." Matsubara Naruya looked at the photo of Yohei Tanaka. He was much cuter than in his third year. Back then, Yohei Tanaka had neat, short red hair. Who would have thought he'd grow his hair so long now? It’s even longer than his brother’s braided hair—it’s almost reaching his waist, right?

"But if this long hair were black and purple... it would be quite similar to Kumi Ijuin..." The boy thought of Kumi Ijuin, who had confessed to Shusuke Fuji, and looked up, deep in thought.