"Do you really want to join Osaka Kiryu High?"
Sawamura Eijun's grandfather asked, frowning. "Don't say I didn't warn you—they haven't even invited you."
"Of course not! I'm joining Seidou!"
The boy's voice was firm, his eyes shining with conviction.
When he had first been invited to visit Seidou, Sawamura's thoughts hadn't been so strong.
He'd just been curious—he wanted to see what a prestigious baseball school looked like.
But as he learned more about Seidou—its history, its discipline, its players—something inside him changed.
A fire began to burn.
Now, he wasn't just curious.
He wanted to go there.
He wanted to stand on that same mound and pitch in Koshien, just like Zhou Hao.
It was the same feeling as a student accepted into his dream university—
that anxious, bubbling excitement as enrollment day drew closer.
Meanwhile, back at Koshien, Seidou's victory celebration was drawing to a close.
Defeating Osaka Kiryu had filled them with boundless joy,
but everyone knew—this was only the first game.
The road to the championship was long.
While Osaka Kiryu could now rest, cry, and go home,
Seidou had to prepare for the next battle.
The game had drained their stamina, especially Zhou Hao's.
Coach Kataoka needed to plan their rotation carefully for the matches ahead.
After thanking the audience and their defeated opponents,
Seidou followed Koshien's postgame protocol—the televised interview.
The organizer's staff approached with their request.
"Please make sure Yuki, Zhou Hao, and Miyuki participate in the postgame interview."
They wanted the stars—the players who had made the biggest impact.
Notably, all three weren't third-years.
That wasn't an accident.
Usually, the team's seniors were pushed into the spotlight to raise their profiles—
helpful for college recommendations or future pro recruitment.
But the organizers had a different motive.
They didn't care about graduation—they wanted viewership.
The more popular the interviewees, the higher the ratings.
And with Zhou Hao's rising fame, they knew exactly who would draw the crowd.
Coach Kataoka frowned but nodded.
"Understood. Yuki, Zhou Hao, Miyuki… Azuma, Shimoi, Yoshida—you're with me."
Even if he'd wanted to include the seniors, there wasn't room.
Too many people on camera would ruin the frame, and leaving someone out might hurt morale.
So he kept it small.
Just as Kataoka was about to lead them to the waiting media area,
a familiar voice called out.
"Zhou Hao!"
It was Kuroda, the ace slugger from Osaka Kiryu.
The Seidou players exchanged knowing looks.
They'd seen this many times before.
"He's looking for Zhou Hao, isn't he?" someone smirked.
Every team they'd faced had at least one player drawn to Zhou Hao—
as if the guy had some sort of magnetic charm.
After each game, someone would always approach him: to talk, to congratulate him, or to ask for contact details.
"Couldn't he be looking for me instead?" Azuma crossed his arms in mock annoyance.
"You wanna bet?" Yoshida grinned.
"No bet," Azuma said flatly.
"I'm not stupid enough to lose money on something I already know."
Yoshida pouted.
"Where's your pride?"
"Pride doesn't win bets," Azuma replied, smirking. "Brains do."
As they bickered, Kuroda reached Zhou Hao and handed him a folded slip of paper.
"This is my number," Kuroda said seriously. "Add me later."
Then, turning to leave, he paused—and looked back.
"Zhou Hao… what are your plans after high school?"
The question caught Zhou Hao completely off guard.
Since awakening his System, his entire life had revolved around one thing—
playing baseball.
He'd never once thought about what comes next.
The teammates around him all turned their heads.
They wanted to know too.
Even within Seidou, Zhou Hao stood apart now.
He wasn't just their ace—he was on a different level entirely.
The path ahead of him would not be the same as theirs.
Zhou Hao lowered his head, thinking.
The staff nearby glanced nervously at their watches; time was short.
Yet none of them dared interrupt.
Even the impatient organizer's assistant, who'd been fidgeting for minutes, held his tongue.
He too had been moved by Zhou Hao's performance.
To put it bluntly, he'd become a fan.
What would his idol say?
After a moment of silence, Zhou Hao raised his head.
"Sorry," he said calmly. "I've never really thought about that before.
Right now, I just want to—dominate the nation with my teammates!"
The words hung in the air, ringing with confidence.
Dominate the nation.
For a second, no one spoke.
Then, slowly, the Seidou players' eyes began to gleam.
Their hearts pounded in unison.
Because that wasn't just a line—
It was a promise.
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