After waving goodbye to Kondo Kensuke, the players from Waseda Jitsugyo, guided by the staff, walked into Koshien Stadium.

Counting this summer, it was already Lin Guanglai's third visit to Koshien Stadium—the Holy Land that others dream of, yet he has never missed a single time.

Perhaps having visited too many times, Lin Guanglai wasn't as excited about this field visit as he was when he first came here last summer; he just symbolically pitched a few balls on the mound under the coach's arrangement.

Compared to him, Ogata Kazuyoshi, who just made it onto the team's main roster this year, and Tanaka Justice, experiencing Koshien for the first time as a player, seemed far more excited:

Usually talkative, Ogata Kazuyoshi fell silent, simply gazing around the stands as if trying to engrave the entire scene in his mind; Tanaka Justice, the team's third/fourth pitcher, even trembled with excitement while pitching on the mound.

The practice time passed quickly, with many schools present and a tight schedule, the staff kept urging; Waseda Jitsugyo players gathered their belongings, put on their gear, and walked toward the player tunnel.

As they walked into the player tunnel, beside the entrance to Koshien Stadium, there was already a long queue, with several schools waiting to enter—their players' faces displaying a complex mix of awe and excitement.

Coming out from inside Koshien Stadium, just as Waseda Jitsugyo players were waiting for a bus to take them to a pre-arranged training field, a team clad in gray-purple jerseys approached.

Lin Guanglai glanced at their chests, his gaze immediately becoming solemn:

"Hanamaki East."

By raising his sight just a bit higher, he could easily spot that familiar yet unfamiliar face amidst the crowd.

Saying something to his teammates beside him, Lin Guanglai walked over to where Hanamaki East High School was waiting at the entrance.

"Mr. Ohtani, long time no see." He first stretched out his hand toward Ohtani Shohai's direction and greeted him.

Ohtani Shohei, who was talking to his teammates, looked toward the direction the voice came from when he heard his name; when he discovered it was Lin Guanglai, he showed a slightly surprised expression.

But he quickly recovered from this surprise, also extending his hand toward Lin Guanglai's direction:

"Mr. Lin, long time no see."

Standing at the front of Hanamaki East's team, Lin Guanglai could sense many eyes were on him—but he didn't mind; in his eyes, at this moment, only the figure before him, similar in height, on the same level, mattered.

Although they had crossed paths once, it was nearly two years ago—but Lin Guanglai had always remembered that game vividly.

When he learned that Hanamaki East High School had made it to Koshien, he was probably the most thrilled person aside from the Hanamaki East players.

This meant he had the opportunity to face Ohtani Shohei head-on once again on the Summer Koshien stage!

Their hands firmly clasped together, just like that first match they met.

"Mr. Ohtani, I look forward to this Koshien, where we can face off once more—this time, I will win the game."

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