Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

Chapter 430 - 430: Zhou Hao’s Girlfriend

For this final, the Seido High School Baseball Team carried only one obsession—Revenge.

With both teams bound by the same restrictions, today's clash between Seido and Inashiro Industrial was as fair as it could possibly be.

And in the end, the result spoke for itself.

10–9.

To be honest, Seido's players weren't completely satisfied with that score.

They believed they could have widened the gap.

But reality was reality.

A one-run lead was still a victory.

More importantly—

They had achieved their true goal.

They had defeated Inashiro head-on and avenged their loss from the Autumn Tournament.

That alone was enough.

With their mission accomplished, the Seido players prepared to head back to school.

To them, this final—an almost symbolic, optional match—didn't carry much weight.

Even winning the championship didn't change that feeling much.

At least, that was how the players saw it.

The organizers of the Tokyo Spring Tournament, however, thought very differently.

Until now, the final had always been treated as an afterthought.

Even the committee had grown used to handling it casually.

But today—

The stadium was packed.

Every ticket sold.

It was obvious just how popular these two teams were.

And that realization sparked an idea.

Tokyo was full of powerhouse schools.

Matchups like this weren't rare in the Spring Tournament finals.

The problem was—

Everyone believed the game didn't matter.

So once teams reached the final, they often relaxed, holding back instead of going all out.

That was one of the main reasons the stands were usually half-empty.

But what if…

They raised the stakes?

What if this final actually meant something?

The thought spread quickly among the organizers.

And once it took hold—

They acted immediately.

No waiting until next year.

They would make changes right now.

"Please return for the awards ceremony!"

"Haven't we already received our medals?"

The Seido players were caught off guard when staff members hurried over to stop them.

Wasn't everything already finished?

"We've prepared prize money, live media coverage, TV broadcasts, and interviews."

The announcement had come together hastily, so the notice reached them late.

Otherwise, they would have been stopped much earlier.

"There's prize money too?"

"And an MVP award?"

"This is the first we've heard of it."

Even though it was sudden, the players immediately realized—

This wasn't a bad deal at all.

They had already won the championship.

Any additional rewards would naturally go to them.

As for MVP…

Even though Zhou Hao hadn't pitched today, his performance spoke for itself.

Three home runs.

That alone made him the obvious choice.

Both the honor and the rewards—

There was no reason to refuse.

"The organizers sure moved fast. We've never seen this before."

"I heard the director's new—someone born after 2000."

Manager Ota quickly gathered the details, as he always did.

A young director, eager to prove himself,

was using this opportunity to make a statement—

and perhaps impress his future father-in-law.

Pulling in resources, arranging media, adding incentives—

He had mobilized everything he could.

And why now, instead of waiting until next year?

Because Seido was at the peak of its popularity.

They were a guaranteed draw.

Miss this window, and the opportunity might never come again.

Coach Kataoka nodded thoughtfully after hearing the explanation.

"Then we'll go back."

After a brief consideration, he made his decision.

The benefits were simply too great to ignore.

It wasn't just about the prize money—

It was about exposure.

Every player on Seido was talented.

But naturally, some shone brighter than others.

As their coach, Kataoka felt it was his responsibility to give more players a chance to stand in the spotlight.

So he decided to bring additional members of the team along.

The organizers had no objections.

The ceremony itself felt more like a press conference.

Key players sat on stage, rising one by one as their names were called to receive awards.

The prize money was generous enough to excite everyone.

After all—

Who wouldn't like money?

Seido High wasn't lacking in funds.

The school wouldn't mind distributing a portion of it to the players.

Whether as meal upgrades or direct bonuses—

Either way, it was a win.

"A few thousand yen each?"

"That's enough for new cleats!"

"Or even a jacket!"

The players whispered excitedly among themselves, already planning how to spend it.

Taking advantage of the moment, reporters began asking questions.

"How did it feel facing Inashiro today?"

"They're strong. We had to give everything we had just to edge them out."

"Why didn't your ace, Zhou Hao, pitch?"

"Our main objective was already achieved. To prepare for the upcoming Kanto Tournament, we needed to conserve our strength."

Then came a different kind of question—

One that caught everyone off guard.

"Zhou Hao, you're quite popular with the girls. Do you have a girlfriend?"

Zhou Hao froze.

Since Seido rose to prominence, he had dealt with all kinds of tricky questions.

Reporters weren't exactly known for their restraint.

Over time, he had learned how to respond smoothly.

But this—

This was new.

For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

Given his upbringing, being asked something like this in public felt almost… inappropriate.

He glanced around.

His teammates were watching him with nothing but curiosity.

No one thought the question was strange.

Only then did Zhou Hao realize—

He might have been overthinking it.

After all, times had changed.

High school relationships were common now.

Most teachers simply turned a blind eye.

Except in a few particularly strict schools.

In Tokyo high schools, it was even less of a big deal.

Some bold girls were already dating older guys outside of school.

Having a boyfriend or girlfriend on campus was practically normal.

"Right now, all my focus is on baseball. I'm not looking for a relationship."

The moment Zhou Hao gave his answer, the Seido players visibly relaxed.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Their training was already exhausting enough.

They barely had time to rest, let alone think about romance.

And Zhou Hao—the team's ace—was busier than any of them.

If even he didn't have time for a girlfriend…

Then neither did they.

That thought brought them all a strange sense of comfort.

They were still on the same starting line.

Whether I date or not is my business…

But my teammates absolutely can't get girlfriends before I do.

The reporters couldn't help but smile at Zhou Hao's response.

He really was a once-in-a-generation talent.

As long as nothing unexpected happened, his future in professional baseball was almost guaranteed.

Anyone with a trained eye could see it clearly.

And precisely because they saw it so clearly—

They found him hard to relate to.

How do you empathize with someone who excels at everything?

But now, they finally had something in common.

Back in their own high school days, they'd had relationships.

Some had even dated multiple times.

In that regard, they actually had the upper hand over Zhou Hao.

"So… have you ever received any love letters?" one reporter pressed.

"That's personal. No comment."

Zhou Hao shut it down cleanly.

Behind him, the Seido players nearly ground their teeth to dust.

The reporters didn't know—

They couldn't possibly know.

But his teammates knew perfectly well.

Of course Zhou Hao had received love letters.

Not just a few.

He received them in piles.

Some even came from boys.

After opening one of those, Zhou Hao had almost lost interest in reading any of them at all.

Still—

He kept every single letter.

To him, those were sincere feelings.

And sincere feelings deserved respect.

Coach Kataoka had hoped to give more players a chance to shine.

But wherever Zhou Hao stood, he was the undeniable center of attention.

Miyuki Kazuya and Yuki Tetsuya managed to answer a few questions—

But most of them were directed at Zhou Hao.

As for the others…

The reporters simply weren't interested.

Even when they did ask a question or two, it felt more like a formality.

After all, readers wouldn't pay much attention to unfamiliar names.

Even so—

Bringing everyone in front of the cameras still had value.

The lenses swept across the entire team.

Their faces would appear in group photos, printed in newspapers.

Most readers might gloss over them.

But some—

Seido's die-hard fans—

Would look closer.

They'd wonder who that player in the back row was.

What position he played.

With enough exposure, recognition would come.

After the interviews, the team boarded the bus back to school.

Since Zhou Hao didn't live in the dorms, his afternoon training was canceled.

He said his goodbyes and headed back to his rented apartment, planning to rest.

"The principal's hosting a celebration banquet tonight—don't miss it!"

Manager Ota called out as Zhou Hao was about to leave.

"A Spring Tournament title is worth celebrating?"

Zhou Hao didn't quite understand, but he didn't argue.

He could tell this year's final had been hyped up far more than usual.

Great matchups.

Heavy investment from the organizers.

But whether that level of attention could last…

He had his doubts.

For most teams, the Spring Tournament simply wasn't that important.

From a practical standpoint, it made sense.

The Kanto Tournament had two slots—

Both the Tokyo champion and runner-up would qualify.

Beyond that, the Spring title didn't carry much weight.

Putting in too much effort here could even hurt performance later.

So most teams chose to conserve their strength.

Whether you finished first or second—

It didn't change the bigger picture.

Changing that mindset wouldn't happen overnight.

Back home, Zhou Hao took a quick shower and slept for two hours.

Then his phone rang.

It was Manager Ota.

"Zhou Hao, the banquet's about to start. Where are you?"

Several teammates were on the line as well, their voices filled with concern.

Honestly—

Zhou Hao appreciated it.

Being alone in a foreign country, without teammates around, could feel isolating.

He quickly threw on a jacket and called out to the housekeeper.

"I'm heading out for the banquet!"

"Xiao Hao, should I save you some dinner?"

She sounded worried.

Banquet food wasn't always reliable.

"No need. If I get hungry, I'll just cook some noodles. We still have Lao Gan Ma, right?"

"You can't keep eating like that—it's not healthy."

She frowned at his casual attitude toward food.

Even an ordinary teenager needed balanced meals.

Let alone an athlete like Zhou Hao.