The ga was over.
As the air raid siren blared for the ceremonial finale, it was drowned out by the passionate cheers of tens of thousands of fans in the stadium.
"We won. We really won!"
"We're the champions!"
Every teacher and student from Aoba Private High stood up, waving their fists and shouting.
The Aoba cheerleaders hugged each other and jumped for joy.
Among the wildly celebrating crowd, the most emotional were the Aoba alumni who had co from all over just for this day.
They had waited so, so long for this mont.
"Did you see that, old friends?"
Ichika noticed that the elegant elderly man she had interviewed was already crying with joy.
His once-straight back had finally bent.
"What we couldn't accomplish… our juniors did."
Most of the first generation of players who made it to Koshien had already passed away.
For those still alive, witnessing Aoba win a championship had beco a lifelong obsession.
"A mont with nothing left to ask for."
In the Koshien Showdown broadcast booth, Suzuki Ichiro removed his headset and looked out at the roaring Hanshin Koshien Stadium, unable to hide his emotion.
"Before I ever dread of turning pro, my only wish was to help my alma mater win the Sumr Koshien."
Otani Shohei deeply related.
"Sadly, I never achieved that dream before graduating."
"I even cried secretly after losing in my third year."
At the mont Takashi won the ga, Sakurajima Mai also found herself feeling inexplicably happy for him and spoke more freely than usual.
"Eh? Even you cried, Otani-senpai? I rember the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' scouts had already promised to take you as their first pick, right?"
At the ti, Otani had signed a contract with a signing bonus of 100 million yen, an annual salary of 15 million, and incentives totaling 50 million—a deal that shocked all of Japanese sports.
To Sakurajima Mai, it was unbelievable that soone who earned that much at 16 had ever cried over Koshien.
"It's different."
Otani Shohei watched as Takashi was thrown into the air by his teammates, his eyes revealing a hint of envy.
The youth, passion, and dreams of teenagers—all burn brightest on the final field of Koshien.
But after turning pro, that pure love for baseball fades, replaced gradually by the pursuit of money and fa.
The easiest way to ruin soone's passion is to turn it into their job.
Otani Shohei hadn't felt joy from baseball in a long ti.
He had beco stronger, yes—but the ga he wanted to win the most had long since passed.
Just like that girl who once didn't care how poor you were and only wanted to be with you—she wouldn't co back just because you got rich.
The regrets of youth are sothing we spend a lifeti trying to co to terms with.
"I really envy him."
Suzuki Ichiro stared deeply at Takashi, who was laughing with abandon, and finally spoke his true feelings.
If he could, he would trade everything to be Takashi .
Watching him was like watching his own wild youth—and all the tis he could never go back to.
They had lost the ga they most wanted to win—but Takashi had won it.
…
"He really did it."
Arisu watched Takashi being lifted high into the air, her feelings mixed.
This outco—was not one she had ever expected.
She had never thought Advanced Nurturing would lose.
She acknowledged that Takashi was strong—and that Aoba, under his leadership, was also strong—but she hadn't believed they would be the final victors.
By all rights, Advanced Nurturing was the stronger team.
They had the ability to win.
But in the end, they lost to arrogance.
"Kitahara never brags—and he never disappoints."
Sitting beside Arisu, Ichinose Honami couldn't hide the joy on her face.
If she weren't still wearing the Advanced Nurturing school uniform, she might've clapped for Takashi on the spot.
"Between him and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who do you think is better?"
Arisu suddenly asked this question out of the blue.
Ichinose was briefly stunned, then replied thoughtfully, "He and Ayanokoji-kun are different types of people."
"Ayanokoji-kun is incredibly strong—but his strength is personal. It's the strength of an individual."
"But Kitahara-kun's strength lies in his charisma—or more accurately, in his will to power."
"You rarely see any negativity from Kitahara-kun.
He's overflowing with energy, always striving forward, always believing in his own agency, always convinced that victory belongs to him."
"Many people who are extrely smart and talented have weak hearts. They fall easily into nihilism, and it's easy for them to grow pessimistic about the world and life."
"Takashi may not be as smart as they are, but he has a rare power to draw in those who can feel his energy."
"Countless people will entrust the aning of their lives to him."
"Sakayanagi, haven't you noticed? As long as Kitahara-kun is there, Aoba always fights with high morale."
Arisau recalled the Chukyo University ga—how when Takashi was injured and looked like he might have to leave, the despair on the Aoba players' faces was palpable.
And now, even facing the far stronger Advanced Nurturing team, those sa faces carried only fearless resolve.
"I see."
Arisu nodded in realization, then glanced sideways at Ichinose with a teasing smile. "You sure observe him closely. I feel like you could write a whole thesis on him."
'That's because I've always been watching him.'
Ichinose Honami stared at Takashi , whose brilliant grin was shining on the field. She answered silently in her heart.
…
"Wooohooo!!!"
"We won, we actually won!"
"I can't believe he actually pulled it off!"
Cheers continued outside the private box. Inside, the heads of the Kujou, Takatsukasa, and Ichijo families all stood up and clapped heavily, offering their congratulations to Aoba.
Their faces were flushed—not just from excitent but also from the alcohol they'd been drinking.
Hitomi slid open the glass door, intending to cool off her tipsiness.
But as soon as the door opened, the sumr heat rushed in. Accustod to air conditioning, the guests all felt uncomfortable in the sudden warmth.
Yet right after, they felt the barrier dissolve—the real atmosphere of the stadium ca flooding in.
"Takashi !! Aaaaahhh!!!"
Even louder cheers erupted from this side.
Everyone could hear the entire stadium screaming the sa na.
Perhaps the fans were too emotional to form actual sentences. All they could do was scream his na with hysterical force.
The cries surged from all directions.
Their voices rose into the sky, echoing together and disturbing people several kiloters away from the stadium.
From their vantage point, they could see people throwing pre-prepared strears into the air.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One burst of party poppers after another.
Golden strears fell from the sky like rain, landing on the heads of the players—glistening in the sunlight like a shower of gold.
Watching the high-spirited Takashi , Hitomi felt a swelling pride in her heart.
"He's mine."
She pointed at Takashi and proudly declared it to everyone.
She couldn't wait to tell the world that Takashi was her man.
___
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