"Where did this lunatic come from?"
As the representative of the third-years and the leader of the team, Azuma Kiyokuni was the first to step forward, blocking the young man.
With his burly build, he practically swallowed the figure standing in front of him.
Facing a man nearly a head taller than himself, the young man's voice wavered.
"C-Coach… Coach Kataoka. I, I.."
Coach Kataoka walked past Azuma and approached him, frowning slightly.
"You know me? What do you need?"
The young man immediately bowed.
"My name is Komi Jiro. I'm a reporter from Baseball Weekly. I was hoping to arrange an exclusive interview with you."
"Didn't I already make it clear?" Kataoka replied calmly. "We aren't accepting interviews. Everyone is preparing for the finals right now.."
"Not now," Komi hurriedly clarified. "I mean after you win the finals. We can do the interview then."
Zhang Han peeked through the gap between Azuma and Coach Kataoka, studying the unassuming young man.
This guy had potential.
Whether someone could speak well depended largely on whether their words resonated. Komi's phrasing was comfortable to listen to. Even Zhang Han felt it, let alone Coach Kataoka.
A request made like this, at a time like this, was hard to refuse unless one was truly heartless.
Sure enough.
Coach Kataoka's stern expression softened slightly.
He nodded and said to Ota behind him, "Give Mr. Jiro a contact number. After the finals, he can call to arrange the interview."
Kataoka didn't want reporters interfering with the team's focus, but timing mattered.
Once they officially qualified for Koshien, he wouldn't be able to stop it anyway.
Rather than letting the players be overwhelmed all at once, it was better to let them adapt gradually.
This way, there would be a buffer.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Komi bowed repeatedly before leaving.
Neither he nor the Seido players realized the significance of this meeting.
The team returned to school, showered, and rested.
According to the Baseball Club's tradition, no training was scheduled on the afternoon and evening after an official game. Players were free to relax both physically and mentally.
That went without saying after two consecutive grueling battles.
Many of the starters went straight back to their dorms and fell asleep.
They were exhausted.
Ichidai San.
Inashiro.
Both games had looked smooth on the surface, but in reality, they had been extremely dangerous. The margin was only one or two runs. Any mistake could have completely reversed the outcome.
Fortunately, they were both strong and lucky.
Though the process had been nerve-wracking, they endured to the very end.
Zhang Han was no exception.
Although his stamina was higher than most freshmen, and he hadn't been idle since joining Seido, there was still a gap between him and the second- and third-years.
He was even more exhausted than some of them. He nearly nodded off in the shower. If Yuuki hadn't pulled him away, he might have ended up collapsing and being sent to the infirmary.
After washing up, Zhang Han felt much better. The fog in his head finally cleared.
"So, what's the plan tonight?" Miyuki asked with a grin.
Zhang Han glanced at him.
"You're a catcher. You squat all game. You should be more tired than me, yet you look perfectly fine."
Miyuki discreetly hid his trembling hands behind his back and tilted his head with a smile.
"Natural talent, I guess."
"I'm impressed," Zhang Han said sincerely. "You're amazing, big brother. I'm heading back to sleep."
Watching Zhang Han walk away looking relatively fine, Miyuki smiled bitterly.
You're the real monster. Two straight games with such heavy defensive responsibility…
Especially near the end.
Truth be told, Zhang Han and Tanaka's double-play coordination had always been criticized.
Individually, both were excellent fielders. But whenever they had to work together, mistakes happened. Yet in the final defensive play of the last game, the two of them had cooperated perfectly to secure a crucial out.
It was unbelievable.
Maybe, deep down, they trusted each other.
They just didn't get along well enough most of the time.
"Zhang Han, come here."
Just as Zhang Han was about to return to Dorm 11, someone was waiting at the entrance.
"Little Rei?"
"How many times have I told you not to hang around that brat Miyuki all the time?" Takashima Rei scolded. "Have some manners. I'm your teacher!"
"Alright, alright," Zhang Han replied lazily. "What's going on?"
"You'll find out when we get there."
Zhang Han yawned helplessly.
He really missed his dorm bed. Hard as it was, he could sleep anywhere on it.
How comfortable it would be to lie down right now…
But when a beautiful woman invited him, how could he refuse?
Resigned, he followed Takashima Rei upstairs.
They stopped in front of Coach Kataoka's office.
To be honest, Zhang Han felt a little nervous.
Aside from Ono Binchi, whether back in Shandong or after coming to Tokyo, he had never been comfortable dealing with teachers.
Perhaps due to how strictly he'd been taught to respect them, he always felt constrained around teachers.
Takashima Rei was the exception.
Zhang Han had never really thought of her as a teacher.
More like a close friend. At least, that was how he saw it.
Being summoned for a private meeting by the Director made Zhang Han uneasy.
Had he done something wrong?
Even if teachers were gentle, the idea of making a mistake still bothered him.
But thinking it through…
He hadn't.
Against Inashiro, he hit a home run and a timely hit. His earlier performance hadn't been outstanding, but no hitter could maintain perfect form every game.
Luck was always part of hitting.
"Director! Manager!"
Inside the office, both Coach Kataoka and Ota were present.
The three top figures of the Baseball Club. This looked less like a talk and more like an interrogation.
Zhang Han nearly felt like confessing out of instinct.
But there was nothing to confess.
Just as he was spiraling in his thoughts, Coach Kataoka suddenly asked:
"Zhang Han… when you were a child, when you used chopsticks, did you use your left hand or your right hand?"
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