West Tokyo, Nitta Stadium.
The second round of the West Tokyo Regional Tournament was about to begin.
Just before entering the stadium, the two participating teams happened to run into each other. From a distance, Kuriyama Minami waved to the Seido High School baseball team.
"Azuma!"
The voice quickly caught the attention of both teams.
"Senpai, someone is calling you..."
In the First string, Isashiki Jun, Azuma Kiyokuni's top lackey, frowned as he reminded his senior.
"Hey, I don't know that guy."
Azuma Kiyokuni, missing a tooth and speaking with a slight lisp, turned his head away with a look of disgust and headed toward the stadium.
"Dear Azuma, is this how you greet an old friend? You're too cold. It's been a long time since we met, shouldn't you be a little more enthusiastic?"
Kuriyama caught up and greeted Azuma with loud warmth.
"No way, how could I avoid you? We're friends, haha..."
Azuma forced a smile.
"I heard your baseball team has a super rookie who hit a home run off Nitta from Osaka Kiryu right after joining. Is that true?"
"That's right."
Azuma chuckled. "You better be careful too, kid. Don't think your curveball is amazing. Our junior might blast it out of the park."
"Then I'll look forward to it. Which guy is it? Let me take a look."
Kuriyama pressed on.
The Seido players all looked irritated. This guy came out of nowhere acting like he owned the place. Their teams were about to face each other, yet he still tried to probe for information so boldly.
Azuma grabbed a bespectacled boy, patted his head, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Take a good look. This is our super rookie, Miyuki Kazuya. You've probably heard of him. He was pretty famous in junior baseball."
Kuriyama studied Miyuki carefully, smiling with a gentle expression that did not match the sharpness in his eyes.
"I really envy you, Seido. Even though your results these past few years have been terrible, maybe not even as good as our Musashi High, you still manage to trick so many good prospects into joining your team."
"A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if we're struggling, we're still a powerhouse. No matter how proud you are, you'll always be from a grassroots school. Haha..."
Azuma chuckled.
"Just don't waste these good prospects."
A cold light flashed in Kuriyama's eyes.
Back in middle school, he had contributed more to the team than Azuma ever did. Yet Azuma was invited to Seido while he ended up at the far less renowned Musashi High. He wondered what the Seido supervisor had been thinking.
He shifted his gaze toward Seido's ace.
Hidezawa.
He had to admit that if Hidezawa unleashed his full ability, he would be one of the top pitchers in all of Tokyo. But he was a wild card, always inconsistent.
Kuriyama felt certain that his current ability was higher than Hidezawa's.
"In the upcoming game, you guys better do your best."
"We'll definitely do our best. We're just afraid you won't even have a chance to cheer."
Azuma was pleased. After years of bickering with Kuriyama, this was the first time he felt like he had the upper hand. It felt great. More than great.
"You should also do your best, junior. You don't mind shaking my hand, do you?"
Kuriyama turned and extended his hand to Miyuki.
Miyuki instinctively reached out and shook it.
Kuriyama's warm smile never reached his eyes.
"There, now I've caught some of the junior's luck. In the upcoming game, you might not even hit my pitches once."
The Seido players bristled with irritation.
"Just kidding. See you on the field."
Kuriyama walked away with a smile, leaving Seido's players bewildered and annoyed.
"Damn it!"
Azuma stomped the ground. He thought he had finally gained the upper hand, only for Kuriyama to dismiss him completely. It was unbearable. Once on the field, he would definitely teach him a lesson.
"Kiyokuni-san, who was that lunatic?"
Zhang Han stared at Kuriyama, genuinely confused.
"That's a good analogy. He is a lunatic, and a very sick one. Don't worry about him normally. But if he's playing, don't let your guard down."
"Oh..."
Zhang Han was surprised. He hadn't expected that kind of answer from Azuma.
Azuma's expression soured, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"In short, his curveball is annoying. You'll know once you're on the field."
Two days before the game, Seido had already obtained the video of Musashi High's first match.
Zhang Han watched it twice but didn't see Kuriyama play. The assistant coach in charge of intelligence also never mentioned him. That only added to Zhang Han's confusion.
Judging by Azuma's reaction, this Kuriyama guy should not be some unknown.
But if he were really that strong, how could Seido's intelligence team be completely unaware of him?
"Did Senpai not know he was at Musashi before?"
Miyuki had the same thought and turned to ask Azuma.
"I knew he went to Musashi, but I hadn't heard much else. With practice being so busy, I don't have time to keep up. I actually thought he quit baseball. I didn't expect to see that annoying guy again."
Musashi High, number 11, Kuriyama Minami.
Zhang Han and Miyuki exchanged thoughtful looks.
If the guy wasn't strong, it was fine. But if he had real ability and had been playing for Musashi all this time, then Seido's intelligence gathering might be worse than they realized.
Modern baseball relied heavily on scouting and information. Weak intelligence could affect the entire team.
Seido had failed to reach Koshien for several consecutive years, and Zhang Han had never been able to pinpoint the true cause. Now it seemed the problems might be layered. Details that looked unimportant might actually be the hidden reasons behind Seido's decline.
If he had the chance, he needed to discuss all of this with the Director.
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