"An interview?"
Coach Kataoka was not completely opposed to the idea.
He knew very well that as the Seido High School Baseball Team's reputation continued to rise, this day would eventually come. However, looking at the still-young faces of his players, Kataoka worried that early exposure to the media might hinder their future growth and development.
They had made it to Koshien and performed brilliantly.
Even without thinking too hard, he could imagine how excessively those reporters would praise and elevate the players.
Kataoka had experienced this himself.
When he was a student, in the autumn of his first year of high school, he became the team's ace. In the summer of his second year, he led the team to Koshien and finished as runner-up.
Even within a powerhouse school, such an achievement was astonishing.
At that time, the media went completely wild, almost placing Kataoka on a pedestal. To be honest, Kataoka believed his temperament was relatively mature. As a teenager, he already had the mindset of someone in their twenties or thirties.
Even so, he had still been somewhat dazed by the overwhelming praise around him.
He made the dream of dominating the nation his sole objective. His relationship with his teammates deteriorated, and his excessive training eventually led to injuries.
Simply put, even though he did not become arrogant, his overwhelming sense of responsibility made him incompatible with those around him.
Even in a powerhouse school, not everyone could train for such long hours like he did, nor could everyone's growth keep pace with his.
In his third year, Kataoka failed to reach Koshien and was eliminated in the regional tournament. While part of that failure was his own responsibility, the media also played a significant role.
This was why Kataoka had always been wary of letting his players face the media too early.
It was not only strategic caution, but also a shadow left by his own past.
However, the current situation was completely different from back then.
No matter how selfish he might be, he could not judge everything solely from his own past experience. Back then, he was a second-year student, with another year of competition ahead of him.
Now, most of Seido High School's players were third-year students.
This was their final tournament.
If they were not allowed to shine now, they would never have another chance.
After all, they would soon retire from high school baseball.
"Let the reporters come. Who do they want to interview?"
"Mostly you, Azuma, Hidezawa, Yuuki, Miyuki, and…"
These names were all expected.
Coach Kataoka's contribution to Seido High School's return to Koshien was undeniable. Even without that, any reporter who wanted to interview the players would naturally show respect to Kataoka.
Next was the famous Azuma Kiyokuni.
Even before reaching Koshien, Azuma already had a certain level of national fame. Now that he had arrived and hit two home runs in a single game, even though he only scored three runs, those two homers alone were enough to draw massive attention.
Hidezawa was the ace.
Although not the most eye-catching player on the team, he was unquestionably one of the most important. Naturally, many reporters wanted to speak with him.
Then there were Yuuki and Miyuki.
One of them was the team's next leader.
This was an open secret to everyone except, perhaps, Yuuki Tetsuya himself.
If Chris had not been injured earlier, there would have been no discussion at all. Chris would have undoubtedly taken that role. But with Chris injured, among the second-year players, only Yuuki had the qualifications to step up.
Of course, skill was the most important factor.
Although Yuuki's hitting in this game had been overshadowed by others, his performance still stood out. His batting ability was formidable, not inferior to Azuma Kiyokuni's.
As for Miyuki, he was the savior of the Seido High School Baseball Team.
Not only was he brilliant on the field, but his background was also legendary. Many people were deeply interested in his story.
"And who else?"
Those names already seemed to cover everyone.
Then Kataoka realized someone was missing.
"And Zhang Han."
Although Ota mentioned Zhang Han last, Kataoka knew that Zhang Han would likely be one of the most sought-after interviewees.
As the first Chinese player to reach Koshien, reporters would naturally be curious about him.
They wanted to know his thoughts, his experiences, and how he viewed everything.
Even if Zhang Han had not performed outstandingly, their interest in him would still be intense.
Although East Asian countries often have differences in customs and perspectives, there are also shared traits.
For example, people love to hear praise.
When Zhang Han was interviewed, he would undoubtedly talk about how well he was treated at school, what the Director had done, how his teammates supported him, and what kind of growth he experienced.
These were things Japanese fans would love to hear.
In fact, it was the same in China.
Chinese fans also enjoyed hearing about the daily life and training of athletes who grew up on the mainland.
Who in this world did not like hearing praise?
Perhaps such people existed, but in regions close to China, they were exceedingly rare.
"How well did Zhang Han memorize the things we told him to prepare?"
"No problem at all. Zhang Han has a very good memory. Besides, we didn't lie. It's all based on his daily life, just slightly embellished at most. He only raised one concern. What if the reporters don't ask these questions and ask something else?"
"Those guys don't have that level of intelligence."
Kataoka snorted softly.
He himself had once been in the spotlight, chased relentlessly by the media.
He could not even remember how many interviews he had done back then.
At least dozens.
The questions reporters asked were always the same few, easily counted on one hand.
Baseball players were baseball players, not entertainment celebrities.
They were not that entertaining, nor did they conduct long-term exclusive interviews.
Even when they appeared on programs, most of the time was spent on activities rather than questioning.
"What if?"
"There is no 'what if.' Zhang Han is not the type to cause trouble. He won't bring trouble upon himself."
Kataoka had great faith in Zhang Han.
If Zhang Han were not someone likely to become a professional player in the future, Kataoka would not even have bothered preparing standard answers for him and would have let him speak freely.
Zhang Han was intelligent, diligent, and had solid life experience.
Especially with that face of his.
Even without prepared answers, he would probably manage just fine.
Of course, having standard responses would leave a better impression and make Zhang Han's future path smoother.
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