For the next activity, Kōshū refused to squeeze his way forward. He dragged Lang Zhi up to the stands, where they happened to run into Shibasaki, who had gotten separated from the main group.
"Shibasaki, why are you here?"
"So sad. Not one of you noticed I got lost?"
"I never saw you. I thought you hadn't come."
Shibasaki immediately replied, "Because I got left behind by the main group from the very beginning! Think back—in the bus, I was sitting behind you, okay?"
"Seriously, what kind of captain is Hayakawa? One person was missing from start to finish, and he didn't even notice?"
"Don't blame someone else. You were the same. I went to the bathroom and told you to wait for me, but then you left."
"Ah—sorry." Kōshū pressed Lang Zhi's head down with his own. "It was all this little brother's fault. He's kept me restless day and night, so I was too sleepy this morning."
"Forget it. I made new friends anyway."
Only then did Kōshū notice that the person sitting on the other side had been secretly watching him. When their eyes met, the other boy took the initiative to greet him. "You're Kōshū-kun, right? Your pitching is amazing. I'm Luan Chuan from Taiyo Little League. I'm a pitcher too. Please take care of me."
As he greeted him, Kōshū noticed the similar uniform on him. That Shibasaki... With how dazed he looked this morning, he probably mistook the uniform and followed someone else's team.
Then came greetings from a group of boys in similar uniforms seated to his right. Kōshū felt as if he had been swept into a tide of acquaintances, continuously nodding in acknowledgment.
Kōshū had originally intended to pretend to watch the event seriously afterward, but Luan Chuan seemed to have