Saturday, July 15th.
The exclusive bus of the Seido High School Baseball Team slowly made its way toward the stadium.
Inside the bus, it was unusually quiet.
More than twenty people sat together, yet not a single one spoke.
Two first-year players sat in the back row, occasionally glancing at each other.
Although the upperclassmen appeared calm on the surface, the upcoming match against Ichidai Third High School clearly weighed heavily on everyone's mind.
Without a word, the bus arrived at the parking lot outside the stadium.
Before the players could even get off, several groups of reporters had already surrounded the bus door.
"Coach Kataoka, could we have a few minutes for an interview?"
"I'm from Baseball Weekly. May I ask a few questions?"
"It's already the quarterfinals. What arrangements has your team made?"
"What is Seido's goal for this tournament?"
…
Watching the lively scene through the bus window, Zhang Han couldn't help but sigh.
The aunts and uncles in his neighborhood would probably never understand what baseball truly meant in Tokyo.
They couldn't imagine that a high school baseball game could attract so many reporters waiting in advance.
Here, outstanding high school baseball players were treated almost like professionals.
As long as they performed well enough, stepping into professional baseball was a natural next step.
In Zhang Han's view, Japan's entire high school baseball system was essentially a massive sports draft. And Koshien was the highest-level stage of that draft.
Entering professional baseball under the spotlight of thousands didn't seem like a bad life choice at all.
For the first time, such a thought crossed Zhang Han's mind. But it was only fleeting.
Neither Lan He nor his grandfather would ever agree. In their eyes, if Zhang Han didn't attend university, his life would be incomplete.
Zhang Han himself was also more inclined to return to China for university.
He liked baseball, but it was still just a hobby.
Being able to reach Koshien and play two games there was already his greatest pursuit for now.
The players disembarked one by one. Kataoka, Ota, and several coaches formed a human barrier, blocking the reporters from getting close.
"We'll accept interviews after the game. Please allow the players to enter first."
The reporters stopped pressing.
"Ichidai San's bus is here!"
Someone shouted, and the reporters immediately swarmed toward the other side.
Since they couldn't get anything from Seido, they might as well try Ichidai Third High School.
Director Tahara, unlike Kataoka, was very willing to speak with the media. Soon, his voice, mixed with bits of English, could be heard near Ichidai San's bus. Taking advantage of the distraction, the Seido players headed toward the locker room.
As soon as they arrived, they saw a stadium official standing there, bowing repeatedly.
"I'm very sorry, everyone. I made a mistake. Your locker room is over there. This one belongs to Ichidai San."
"How can you make such a mistake?" one of Seido's coaches snapped. "Is this how you do your job?"
The frustration was understandable.
The stands were already full. If they had run into the opposing team's dugout, it would have caused serious trouble.
Matches between powerhouse schools were completely different from ordinary games.
The number of spectators and the intensity of fan support were on an entirely different level.
And for a game like this, there would definitely be die-hard fans.
Those fans were much like the players themselves, their hostility toward the opposing team deeply rooted.
If an overly emotional fan rushed into the bullpen mid-game, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Forget it. Let's go."
Kataoka quickly intervened.
Getting angry over something like this before a crucial match would only ruin the mood. With the Director speaking, no one objected. The team turned and headed toward their proper locker room.
At the same time, Ichidai Third High School had finished their interviews and were also heading in.
Without warning, the two teams met head-on in the narrow corridor connecting the locker rooms.
Kataoka, walking in front, took the initiative and stepped forward.
"Director Tahara, please take care of us today."
"I should be the one saying that," Tahara replied with a smile. "Your team's performance this year has been very impressive."
Despite his words, his expression didn't change at all. That familiar, inscrutable smile remained firmly in place.
"Old fox," Kataoka cursed inwardly.
No one knew how many people had been fooled by Director Tahara's honest appearance. When it came to scheming, that man never hesitated.
The two Directors exchanged brief pleasantries and passed by one another.
Next came the players.
Ichidai San's leader was Kameshima.
Seido's ace was Azuma Kiyokuni.
Normally, in such situations, leaders would hang back while subordinates clashed.
But neither of these two had that kind of personality.
"Haha, Kameshima!" Azuma laughed loudly. "This time, I'm definitely smashing your pitches. Don't you dare run away, got it?"
It was crude, but extremely effective.
As long as Kameshima had even a shred of pride, he wouldn't intentionally walk Azuma later.
"You brat," Kameshima shot back. "Just wait. You won't even get a single hit today."
They laughed a few more times, appearing almost friendly.
But the moment they turned away, both faces filled with disdain.
The remaining players behaved themselves. Though they disliked each other, it hadn't reached the point of open hostility.
At the very end of the line, Zhang Han finally encountered Hoshida and Miyakawa. As first-year players, they naturally brought up the rear.
"Zhang-san!"
"Zhang-san!"
The two greeted him enthusiastically.
Zhang Han smiled and waved.
"Good luck in today's game."
"You too!"
Zhang Han nodded. "You helped me a lot yesterday. If I don't work hard today, how could I justify that?"
At the word "helped," several Ichidai Third High School players ahead abruptly turned their heads.
Zhang Han smiled innocently, as if he hadn't said anything at all.
"You little brat," Miyuki muttered after they parted ways. "You're way too wicked."
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