"Awesome! We're going to Second String together!"
Kuramochi excitedly lifted Zhou Hao and spun him around in place several times.
"You're choking me!"
Zhou Hao's small frame couldn't handle that kind of excitement. He quickly pushed him away to escape the bear hug.
On the other side, after hearing the news, Club Director Ohta personally sought out Rei Takashima.
"Isn't this a bit too fast? I admit Zhou Hao performed well today, especially that hit of his. But promoting someone based on a single performance… Won't the other players have concerns?"
Ohta didn't have anything against Zhou Hao personally.
But Seidou High School's baseball club was one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Promotions followed a strict set of rules: those who performed well and showed potential got rewarded.
Zhou Hao's performance was certainly eye-catching—everyone saw it.
But promoting him based on just one game? It was a bit excessive.
After all, who could guarantee that hit wasn't just a fluke? Maybe it was just beginner's luck?
Takashima Rei waved her hand, clearly unconcerned. "If we had more time, I wouldn't push for such a special promotion. But this is the final chance for freshmen. If we don't move him to Second String now, he won't have any shot at reaching First String before the Summer Tournament."
Ohta's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean… Zhou Hao has a chance of making it to First String?"
"It depends on how he performs in the upcoming practices. I'm just saying—it's possible, Director."
When it came to baseball expertise, Director Ohta clearly wasn't on Takashima Rei's level.
But he was a reasonable man. He was always willing to listen when it came to things outside his specialty.
"Alright then. Let's have him join Second String starting tomorrow."
News of Zhou Hao's special promotion to Second String spread quickly among the freshmen.
Though he wasn't the only one being promoted.
His friend Kuramochi, his former opponent Kawakami, as well as Maezono and Shirasu, who had also performed well, were all promoted too. Even the second-year senior who had cooperated with Zhou Hao to score a run made the list.
Six people in total.
That bumped Second String's roster over capacity.
Normally, Seidou's baseball team consisted of 20 players in First String and 20 in Second String. All remaining players, regardless of grade, were assigned to Third String.
With the new additions, Second String now had 26 members.
But considering the third-years would soon be leaving the team, these promotions came just in time to fill the vacancies they'd leave behind.
More importantly—
For the third-years, this was their final opportunity.
With less than two months left, if they couldn't get promoted to First String, they'd be leaving the team in June.
The club was considerate.
If you couldn't prove yourself on the field, then it was time to focus on your studies and aim for a good university.
The next day, Zhou Hao went to class as usual, and his classmates were buzzing.
"Congratulations, Zhou-san!"
"I always knew you'd shine someday!"
"Second String means you can play in official matches, right? We'll come cheer for you!"
Zhou Hao responded to everyone with a smile.
"Thanks! I'll do my best."
Only now did Zhou Hao truly understand the allure of playing for a baseball powerhouse.
At this school, baseball players were undeniably the stars.
No matter where they went, they drew attention.
After finishing his classes, Zhou Hao headed to the training grounds early for afternoon practice.
There had been training in the morning too, but it was just light jogging—no real drills. First String, Second String, and even Third String all did the same thing.
So, Zhou Hao's official journey with Second String started this afternoon.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Zhou Hao from First-Year Class 3. Please take care of me!"
As always, his self-introduction was brief and to the point. It didn't stir much reaction from the upperclassmen.
They were focused on just two of the newcomers: pitcher Kawakami and Zhou Hao's friend, Kuramochi.
Kawakami needed no introduction. Seidou's biggest weakness was the lack of quality pitchers. Their current ace, Inoue, had a unique pitching style—otherwise, he wouldn't be the ace of such a top-tier team.
But Inoue often got too fired up on the mound, which made things complicated.
Backup pitcher Tanba had excellent technique, but his personality was problematic. Rumors were circulating that First String still needed a solid new pitcher.
So Kawakami's promotion was instantly seen as a threat by Second String's current pitchers.
As for Kuramochi, his case was purely about skill.
Though his batting wasn't that impressive compared to the seniors, his speed was undeniable.
Even the fastest base-stealer on First String was a half-step behind Kuramochi.
He had a real shot at being promoted as a pinch runner.
For the third-years desperately aiming to make First String, these two were the ones to watch.
Zhou Hao? He was promoted for one performance. One hit.
They assumed he was just lucky.
Maybe he had potential, but for the third-years, that didn't matter. Potential needed time to grow—and they'd already be graduated by then.
So why worry about him?
With no pressure from the upperclassmen, Zhou Hao was able to focus entirely on training.
Overall, things went smoothly—
Just exhausting!
Compared to Third String, Second String's training was on a whole different level.
Back in Third String, Zhou Hao had barely managed to keep up.
Now in Second String, all his weaknesses were exposed—lack of stamina, poor endurance, and limited resilience.
Rei Takashima didn't give him any special treatment.
He had to survive on his own.
Fortunately, Zhou Hao was stubborn. Even though he lagged behind every time, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward with sheer willpower.
Though still ranked last in Second String, he was no longer far behind.
This kind of training went on for an entire week.
Just as Zhou Hao was finally getting used to the pace—
Rei Takashima gathered the Second String players and announced an upcoming practice match.
Their opponent? The Second String of Ichidai Third High—another baseball powerhouse.
Normally, with the Summer Tournament so close, two rival schools wouldn't meet now.
But since it was just the Second Strings, no one cared that much.
"We're finally going to play a match!"
"I wonder if we'll actually get a chance to go on the field…"
Kuramochi looked forward to it with stars in his eyes.
"Don't worry," Zhou Hao said. "You'll definitely get your shot."