"Dadao, what's with that expression? Why are you looking at me as if we're at a memorial service?" Seeing his friend's expression, Ishijima Gen couldn't help but laugh despite feeling a bit frustrated inside.

After laughing, he shook his head and replied:

"So what? The final outcome didn't change, did it?"

"I handed him his record-breaking 22nd strikeout, and our Luzheng Society also lost this game—in other words, we have etched ourselves into Koshien's history in another way forever..."

After saying this, Ishijima Gen sighed; his gaze wandered into the distance, eventually resting on Lin Guanglai, no longer moving an inch.

"Dadao, gather everyone for the post-match ceremony."

"We're not sore losers at Luzheng Society—since the result is what it is, let's congratulate our opponents with dignity."

"As for this defeat..."

"Let's hope we have another chance this summer—by then, we must have our revenge!"

At school, Ishijima Gen and Hai Bu Dadao were roommates who shared their meals and accommodations. Their three-year friendship assured him that his friend was serious about what he said; seeing that he seemed to have moved past the pain of losing, Hai Bu Dadao also breathed a sigh of relief—he was really worried his partner might get stuck in a loop again like he had so many times in the past.

Then, Hai Bu Dadao nodded heavily in agreement:

"Yeah!"

"If there's a chance in the future, Gen, we must avenge today's defeat!"

At the umpire's call, Waseda's players dispersed and quickly stood beside the home plate position; only then did Lin Guanglai see the light of day: constantly "roughed up" by his teammates, his clothes had become all wrinkled—luckily, high school baseball players must shave their heads, or else his hair might have suffered the same fate.

After the post-match ceremony, Luzheng Society's players returned to their own area, leaving the field to Waseda's players.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, the school anthem of Waseda Industrial School once again resounded over Koshien Stadium; looking at the half-mast flags fluttering on the poles beyond the outfield, Waseda's players, as the victors, could fully release their inner joy.

The broadcast cameras kept switching, capturing the vibrant young faces of Waseda's team, eventually stopping at Lin Guanglai.

Seeing this, the commentator in charge of the live broadcast began to speak with great emotion:

"Dear viewers, I feel so fortunate as a commentator—"

"Today, we have witnessed one of the greatest pitching performances in high school baseball history, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to drop the 'one of'."

"22 strikeouts in a single game, a complete game shutout win, allowing only 2 hits throughout the game, and at one point, striking out 10 in a row..."

"What seemed like unbreakable records don't seem so difficult for player Lin Guanglai!"

"How lucky we are to witness history being made; how lucky we are, for today, we walk alongside history!"

In Luzheng Society's lineup, Ishijima Gen, with reddened eyes, stared intently at the scoreboard beyond the outfield—the score of 2:0 and that person's name were all piercingly painful to him.

"As expected, it's still so hard to accept..."

He wiped away his tears and turned to walk into the player tunnel.

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