James Walker let out a cheeky laugh, but immediately straightened his face, sat up properly, and said seriously, “I’m planning to join the baseball club and aim to make it to Koshien in three years!”

“Koshien?”

“Yes, not only do I want to make it to the national tournament, I’m also aiming to win the championship, and after that, to achieve consecutive victories in both the spring and summer tournaments!”

James Walker’s words were powerful and resolute, leaving no room for doubt. Henry Carter couldn’t help but feel a bit of respect, thinking that everyone really does have their own ambitions—even jerks do!

As for baseball, although he had only been in Japan for less than ten days, he was already feeling its impact. The newspapers discussed it every day, never letting up for a moment. Baseball isn’t popular in China, but in Japan, it has a huge following and is considered the most popular sport (ranked first among men, third among women, and first overall). There are many reasons for this: for a time, it was a spiritual pillar for the Japanese people after the war; it’s a team sport that also emphasizes one-on-one confrontations, making it highly entertaining; and miracles are common— even in the ninth inning (the final inning), with two outs (only one batter left) and a huge score deficit, there’s still a chance for a dramatic comeback, which easily excites both players and spectators. When a miracle inning happens, it can even become a hot topic in society.

Koshien refers to a baseball stadium located in Hyogo Prefecture, Kansai. It was completed in 1924, which happened to be the year of the Kōshi in the Chinese zodiac, hence the name Koshien Stadium. This is the designated venue for the finals of Japan’s National High School Baseball Championship—nearly 5,000 teams participate in regional qualifiers, battling it out in single-elimination matches, and finally, 49 teams from eight regions make it to Koshien to compete for the championship. (Note: Qualification for the Koshien spring tournament is based on past performance; only the summer tournament involves 4,000–5,000 teams in elimination rounds, so the summer tournament is generally considered the most prestigious and the ultimate goal.)

Unless a team is both exceptionally strong and extremely lucky, it’s impossible to win the championship, let alone achieve consecutive victories in both spring and summer—over more than a hundred years, only seven teams have managed to do that.

But if you do win, you gain both fame and fortune. After all, Hanshin Koshien Stadium alone can seat 50,000 people, and the Koshien games are broadcast live nationwide on Japanese TV, with peak viewership exceeding 30 million. Key players even have a chance to become professional players earning over 100 million yen a year, and most of the other team members are recruited by prestigious schools.

Even without considering the tangible benefits, Koshien is the ultimate dream for Japanese youth. To make it there, they’re willing to endure three years of grueling training, even at the cost of lifelong injuries.

Henry Carter didn’t think James Walker had a chance of making it to Koshien, let alone winning both tournaments, but he still admired his ambition. He liked people with goals, so he sincerely wished him well: “Good luck, Walker! If you make it to Koshien, I’ll definitely be there to cheer you on.”

James Walker grinned, “Of course you have to come! We’re friends, how could you not?” After a pause, he patted his chest and boasted, “Carter, why don’t you join the baseball club with me? I’ll be your catcher and take you to Koshien!” As he spoke, he started to daydream, “When we win the championship, those girls will go crazy for us—getting a girlfriend will be a piece of cake!”

Just looking at his expression, he was practically drooling, as if he was already at the point of having three girlfriends a week, or maybe fantasizing about juggling five at once, with two hands, three legs, and one foot in each boat, living the life of a god.

Henry Carter was speechless. How does this guy manage to turn every topic back to girls? Looks like high schoolers are the same everywhere!

Next to them, Ryan Smith had already finished eating and was gently dabbing the corner of her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief. She shot James Walker a disdainful glance and softly asked Henry Carter, “Don’t pay attention to him! Mr. Carter, which club do you want to join?”

Henry Carter replied vaguely, “I haven’t decided yet… By the way, won’t joining a club affect our studies?” Isn’t the point of high school to get into college? Shouldn’t we be focusing on studying?

Ryan Smith looked surprised. “Why would it? If you achieve something in club activities, you can get a recommendation for university! Even if it’s not for the recommendation, participating in club activities can really motivate you, and it’s a great way to relieve stress… University interviews also take club achievements into account. It seems that top schools don’t like students who only study and nothing else.”

James Walker chimed in, “That’s right! So, Carter, join the baseball club with me—let’s go to Koshien together! That’s what youth is all about!”

Ryan Smith protested, “Don’t say things you can’t do!”

“Huh? Are you saying I can’t make it to Koshien?”

“I’d rather not say it out loud.”

“You already did, you jerk! What do you know about baseball? I remember you loved playing cat’s cradle as a kid and never joined a little league team, right? From elementary school until now, you haven’t even played softball, not even rubber baseball. You know nothing at all, so what makes you think I can’t make it to Koshien?”

“I watched last year’s Koshien finals, and I’ve seen your training… You’re ten Pacific Oceans behind those guys.”