"How's the game going now?"
Goro Otaki squeezed through the crowd with a bag of drinks.
"Oh, Otake!"
Hattori Heiji turned around. "Still no score. Both sides are going back and forth!"
"Just what you'd expect from two strong teams..."
As Goro Otaki spoke, he handed out the drinks.
Today was Monday. Normally, Otake should have been at work.
But to watch the Koshien game, he had specifically taken the day off.
And he had bought all of their tickets, too.
Ultimately, it was because he had once been a high school baseball boy himself.
As if reminiscing about his youthful days, Goro Otaki could not help sighing. "Watching these kids play reminds me of chasing after baseballs soaked in sweat and dirt with everything I had. I never made it to Koshien back then, but honestly, a place where people chase their dreams like this is really great."
"As they say, men remain boys until they die."
Fujino rested his chin on his hand. "When you look back and see someone else going through what you once did, you can't help relating to them. You might even want to go up there and play a few rounds yourself?"
"Like you, old man?"
Goro Otaki chuckled awkwardly. "That's true. Maybe I just had no talent for baseball back then. Still, it was a precious memory. Looking back now, police work really does suit me better."
"He's breaking for third!"
"Is he going straight for third base?"
"That's way too reckless!"
As the game continued and the innings grew more intense, Conan, Otake, and Hattori all got caught up in the excitement.
Fujino simply held a drink and watched silently.
He really had no interest in sports like baseball...
Or rather, he had no interest in any sport.
Did kendo count