August 13, 2011, Saturday, clear skies, the sun high in the sky.
Because it's the weekend, there are plenty of spectators at Koshien Stadium today. From the open space outside the player's rest area, the stands are packed with throngs of people. Fans who came specifically to watch the match in person have completely filled the stadium.
Seeing this scene, Takahashi Shouhei, hands on his hips, smiled and said to his companion, Ohtani Shohei:
"Shohei, look! There are so many people here watching the game today—this is truly the Koshien I dreamed of!"
Seeing his good friend this excited, Ohtani Shohei, although showing no special expression on his face, felt equally fired up inside:
No matter how mature he might be personality-wise, he was, after all, only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy—a youth of this age, who wouldn't like to present themselves in front of others?
