CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: CHAMPIONS

When the chief umpire announced the end of the game, at first, the Waseda players were a bit dazed;

But as their minds gradually caught up, a surge of ecstasy, like an electric current, shocked their nerves and made them realize the current situation:

Oh right, we won!!!

We... we’ve finally made it to Koshien!!!

Tsuchiya Ryota, squatting as the catcher behind home plate, was the first to react. He suddenly took off his catcher’s mask and sprinted towards the pitcher’s mound.

Led by him, Waseda’s players rushed towards the pitcher’s mound from the dugout, infield, and outfield. They tightly surrounded the biggest hero of today’s victory, Lin Guanglai, hugging each other, singing and dancing, all pointing their index fingers to the sky.

"Champions, champions~ ole, ole, ole!!!"

"So awesome hahaha, I’m going to Koshien!!!"

"We are the champions!!!"

Among them, the batterymates Tsuchiya Ryota and Suzuki Kensuke were the most excited. Their hearts were overwhelmed with complex emotions, and in a moment of mixed feelings, they hugged each other tightly, unable to hold back tears:

Two years ago, at the same location, against the same opponent, they were too weak and could only watch their seniors lose from the stands;

They had also dreamt of dominating the nation, but their ambitions were repeatedly shattered by failure;

Now, in the last opportunity of their three years, they finally seized it. They were no longer the losers pitied by others, and could finally head to that Holy Land in all Japanese high school baseball players’ hearts, not as spectators, but as true representatives of the entire West Tokyo, fighting for a common goal.

When their emotions finally calmed down, after wiping the residual tears from their faces, Tsuchiya Ryota, a bit embarrassed, turned to Lin Guanglai and said, "Guanglai, thank you."

Lin Guanglai simply smiled slightly at him, shook his head, and replied, "Don’t be too happy yet, you two seniors. Our summer has just begun!"

"There are still so many strong opponents we haven’t faced yet. If you cry now, what will you do when we win the Koshien championship?"

Hearing this from a younger teammate, Suzuki Kensuke and Tsuchiya Ryota were taken aback. When they came to their senses, Tsuchiya Ryota quickly walked forward, grabbed Lin Guanglai, and rubbed his head vigorously with his hand:

"What an arrogant junior! But it’s this very quality that makes me like you! Remember to follow through, you brat!!!"

Amid the applause from the audience, the Waseda players carried on for a while. It wasn’t until the chief umpire signaled for both teams to line up that they finally calmed down a bit.

After more than two hours of intense battle, the players from both teams stood again on either side of the home plate—only this time, compared to the beginning of the game, the lineup was a stark contrast of joy and sorrow on each side of the small home plate.

In the lineup of Nihon University Tsurugaoka, almost everyone had red eyes, with traces of recent tears, and some hadn’t even managed to calm their sorrowful emotions as they lined up, tears streaming continuously.

A famous athlete once said, "Second place is the biggest loser"—for the players of Nihon University Tsurugaoka, at this moment, they might feel like the most miserable people in the world.

"The match is over, Waseda Real 3:0 Nihon University Tsurugaoka. The winner is Waseda Industrial School, salute!"

Following the chief umpire’s words, everyone in the field took off their caps and bowed to the opponents while loudly shouting:

"Thank you for your guidance!"

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On the field of Shengong Stadium, the on-site staff were arranging the venue for the closing ceremony, so during this period, reporters from the Asahi Shimbun would conduct interviews with the winning school.

The interviewees on the Waseda side were the team supervisor Izumi Minoru, the main catcher and vice-captain Tsuchiya Ryota, and the main character of today’s game, Lin Guanglai.

"Hello to all Takayama fans, this is the victory interview. This is Mr. Izumi, the supervisor of the Waseda Industrial School Baseball Club, whom everyone must be familiar with," the reporter introduced to the viewers in front of the television.

Then, the reporter asked: "Mr. Izumi, after a gap of 4 years, you’ve finally won the West Tokyo Conference again, how does it feel at this moment?"

Having a nearly twenty-year career as a supervisor and frequently dealing with these occasions, Mr. Izumi smiled gleefully and said:

"I’m really very happy right now. Everyone did very well in this game. It’s because of the kids’ hard work and dedication over the years that we had today’s victory, truly happy."

"The last time you went to Koshien, you ultimately won the championship; what are your thoughts on this summer’s Koshien, Mr. Izumi?"

Izumi Minoru shook his head: "The last victory is already an achievement of the past—I don’t want the current players to be burdened by achievements."

"The summer Koshien games have too much unpredictability, so I’m afraid I can’t set any specific goals."

"If I have to say something, I’d just hope these kids fight hard game by game and have a summer without regrets."

The reporter nodded, thanking Izumi Minoru and expressing sincere congratulations.

Then, he turned his attention to the two player representatives beside him and began their interviews.

"Next, let’s interview some of the Waseda players. First, their catcher, the third-year Tsuchiya Ryota-kun."

Smiling, the reporter asked: "Tsuchiya-kun, congratulations on the victory! For the first time in three years of high school baseball, you’ve won the conference and are about to head to Koshien to represent the West Tokyo region. Can you share your feelings with me and the audience right now?"

Tsuchiya Ryota could barely conceal his excitement, speaking with a slightly trembling voice:

"Right now, I’m just excited, very excited."

"In 2006, when I was in junior high, I went to Koshien with my friends and witnessed the feats of senior Saito at the site—that’s when my determination to join Waseda solidified."

"In the past few years, we’ve lost more than we’ve won, but no one said they would give up, and everyone trained even harder. Everything was for today’s match; all the sweat we shed was worth it."

As he spoke, tears began to glisten in Tsuchiya Ryota’s eyes again: "We went through a lot, sacrificed a lot, and grew stronger bit by bit in failures—so in my view, today’s victory is the best answer to us senior members!"

The reporter was clearly touched by his words, nodding repeatedly in agreement. Then, he handed the microphone to Lin Guanglai, saying, "Mr. Lin, your first tournament final in the first year, and you pitched a no-hitter, that’s truly amazing!"

"With 14 strikeouts in the entire game, a no-hitter game, it’s simply an incredible record!"

"Thank you for the compliment." Lin Guanglai replied shyly, bowing to thank the reporter.

"As a first-year, having such a performance, Mr. Lin, what do you think about your no-hitter game?"

After thinking for a while, Lin Guanglai slowly said: "I think this no-hitter game is not just my own achievement—it’s an achievement of our entire Waseda team."

"After all, without senior Tsuchiya’s proper guidance and the stable defense of the infield and outfield seniors, I, as a pitcher, could not possibly achieve a no-hitter by myself."

"Moreover, as a first-year player, I’ve received a lot of care from my seniors in daily training and matches; being able to be the starting pitcher in the tournament final and even go to Koshien, all this couldn’t have been possible without the support of the school, the supervisor, and my teammates."

"I think instead of praising just me, it’s better to praise the entire Waseda Baseball Club!"

Having honestly expressed his thoughts, Lin Guanglai felt a great relief—regarding media praise, Lin Guanglai’s attitude was always to listen but not take it too seriously.

As a high school player, my current task isn’t to be some kind of media darling; playing well, continuing to improve, and steadily moving towards the professional stage is the path Lin Guanglai has set for himself.

Hearing Lin Guanglai’s humble response, the reporter showed a look of expected satisfaction.

After some conversation, he asked his last question: "Mr. Lin, do you have any goals for the upcoming Koshien?"

This question made Lin Guanglai silent for a while. After receiving a nod from supervisor Izumi beside him, he slowly said:

"Goals... the short-term goal is to play well in each game. The teams at Koshien are champions from all over... they’re definitely very strong... I’ll strive to make the seniors’ summer last as long as possible!"

"And the long-term goal?" the reporter pressed.

"The long-term goal is national domination!" The young man stated firmly, facing the camera once more.

His face carried a smile, modest, confident, and unrestrained.