After a week of training, the team members finally received half a day off.
Zhang Han took this opportunity to go home.
Ms. Lan He was not there. She had gone to work at the factory. She was now a line leader in the workshop, though Zhang Han had never really understood what that position involved.
The most obvious benefit was her salary. It was now fifty percent higher than that of an ordinary textile worker. It used to be around 3.5 million yen a year, but now it had risen to more than 5 million yen.
His younger sister, Lan Yu, had gone straight back to China after school ended. Their grandfather paid for her round-trip airfare, and it was said that he also planned to take his beloved granddaughter to the beach.
After retiring, his grandfather received a pension of more than ten thousand yuan a month. Compared to Ms. Lan He's income, it did not seem particularly high, but the house was already paid for, and medical and social insurance were covered by the state. Economically, he was far more secure than Zhang Han's family.
Originally, Zhang Han was supposed to go back as well.
But now he had to participate in Koshien, and after Koshien, he would need to prepare for the Autumn Tournament. At best, he might get two days of rest.
With such limited time, returning to China was harder than ascending to heaven.
Since no one was home, Zhang Han made himself a lavish instant noodle meal.
Two packs of braised beef noodles, one sausage, and an egg.
Back when he lived in his hometown, Zhang Han hated instant noodles the most. Eating them too often made them tasteless and boring.
Now, however, they felt like a rare indulgence.
After eating his fill, Zhang Han left a note for Ms. Lan He, then grabbed his backpack and returned to school.
They were heading to Hyogo Prefecture tomorrow.
Although he did not know how long he would be gone, Zhang Han still felt it was necessary to let his mother know. He hoped she would not worry.
Then again, Zhang Han felt he might be overthinking it. With his mother's personality, she probably would not dwell on it too much.
Back at school, most of the First-string players were still awake.
Late at night, under streetlights and beneath bridges, they were drenched in sweat. It was not that they were deliberately pushing themselves. They were simply used to daily practice. If they skipped a day, they could not fall asleep at night.
There was also another reason.
They were about to go to Koshien, and the excitement was overwhelming.
Although they pretended to be calm, Zhang Han could clearly sense that the hearts of the third-year seniors were pounding nonstop.
On the other hand, he and Miyuki were different.
They had just entered high school and were already key players, heading straight to Koshien.
They were like newborn calves, unafraid of tigers.
Especially Zhang Han.
During junior high, he had already competed in the National Tournament with Matsukata Little League and achieved a national runner-up result. Although the scale of that competition was far smaller than Koshien, it was still a national stage.
That experience made a difference compared to players who had never stood on such a platform.
He was relatively calm.
At the very least, Zhang Han was confident that he could sleep tonight.
As for the seniors, he could not say that all of them would suffer from insomnia, but there were certainly a few who would not be able to sleep.
After practicing his swing for a while, Zhang Han showered early and returned to his dorm room.
It was a little past nine, almost ten, when he lay down.
By the time the other First-string player in the room, Kou Shunmin, returned, it was already 11:30 p.m.
"Are you asleep?" Kou Shunmin asked.
"I am."
"If you're asleep, how can you talk?" Kou Shunmin said irritably.
"If you hadn't talked to me, I probably would be asleep."
Zhang Han opened his eyes and sat up.
"I don't have anything specific to say. I just wanted to chat," Kou Shunmin said.
At Koshien, a team could only register eighteen players.
Seido's First-string had twenty.
Two third-year players had to withdraw from the First-string due to roster limitations, even though the team had already earned the right to go to Koshien.
To be honest, Zhang Han felt this was extremely cruel.
But what could be done?
Rules were rules. They had existed for so many years, and no one had ever challenged them. Who was he to complain?
Even if he felt sympathy for those two third-year seniors, if he were asked to give up his own spot for them, Zhang Han knew he would not be willing.
Perhaps because of guilt, or perhaps for other reasons, Zhang Han had found it difficult over the past week to face the third-year seniors, especially the two who had withdrawn.
As Coach Kataoka said, his way of thinking was still immature.
He always felt as if he had stolen their spots.
But in reality, whether in terms of contribution or individual ability, Zhang Han had earned his position through his own strength.
There was no reason for him to feel guilty.
Yet people were often like this.
When he first joined the Seido High School Baseball Team, he had no emotional ties. Taking a spot from a senior would only have brought excitement.
Now it was different.
He had fully integrated into the team. Everyone around him was a close comrade. Watching those comrades miss the chance to go to Koshien left him with complicated feelings.
Kou Shunmin talked endlessly until after two in the morning, and only then did they finally fall asleep.
Later, Zhang Han could not even remember what Kou Shunmin had said.
Even Kou Shunmin himself probably could not recall it clearly.
His urge to talk was simply a way to release the excitement and pressure of going to Koshien. Zhang Han only needed to listen. Whether he understood or remembered it was not important.
The next morning, Zhang Han, who had wanted to rest properly, showed up to practice with dark circles under his eyes.
It had to be said that Seido High School Baseball Team's culture was astonishing.
Originally, there was no training scheduled for today. They were about to head to Koshien. Logically speaking, there was no need to exhaust themselves early in the morning.
Yet the players had already formed a habit.
Their biological clocks woke them up on time. Sleeping in was impossible.
With nothing else to do after waking up, they spontaneously lined up and began running.
After breakfast, the players boarded the baseball team's dedicated bus and headed toward Hyogo Prefecture.
That place was the most sacred ground in the hearts of countless high school baseball boys across the country.
Koshien.
After five years, the Seido High School Baseball Team finally stepped onto this stage again.
Would they make history, or would they leave in disgrace?
No one could say.
But one thing was certain.
For some of Seido's players, their lives would never be the same again.
Zhang Han was one of them.
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