Fujio and his partner didn't leave Hachioji Stadium right away. Instead, they waited outside the stadium gate.
Although he was rushing to meet a deadline for his article, Fujio had one crucial task left: interviewing both teams.
Seidou and Inajitsu had gathered around their respective team buses, swarmed by reporters. These two teams were the center of attention, and any news about them was bound to make headlines.
Fujio and Akiko headed over to interview Seidou High School. Given Fujio's knowledge of Coach Kataoka, this was likely the last opportunity to interview Seidou before the next spring. After their loss, Seidou High School would likely enter a period of intense training, and with the winter off-season, it might be a while before they were seen again.
In contrast, Inajitsu was much more open, win or lose. Coach Kunitomo was always eager to give his players more exposure.
It took over ten minutes for the Seidou High School players to emerge. They had just finished thanking the audience, and many of them still had tears in their eyes.
"Here they come!" someone shouted, and the reporters surged forward.
Seidou High School, fully aware of their situation, stopped and prepared for the interviews. Not everyone stayed; only three key figures remained for questioning: Coach Kataoka, Ochiai, and Sawamura.
The rest of the team, led by President Ota, had already headed back to the bus. Their spirits were low, and the school was concerned about any potentially damaging statements affecting its reputation.
Naturally, the players themselves weren't eager for an interview either. Praising Inajitsu felt like rubbing salt in their wounds.
It was unrealistic to expect Seidou's players to objectively evaluate Inajitsu's strength.
Sawamura Eijun, though tempted to leave, knew it would be disrespectful to the reporters. As the top star of high school baseball and Seidou's main attraction, he had no choice but to stay.
Reporters, like hawks eyeing their prey, followed Sawamura wherever he went. If he tried to return to the bus, they would likely follow him there too.
The interview started with Coach Kataoka.
"Coach Kataoka, what are your thoughts on the game?"
The reporter, in his thirties and unremarkable in appearance, seemed more suited for a role in espionage or assassination, yet his current job was no less significant. With his question, Sawamura could almost see the wound being reopened.
Coach Kataoka maintained a serious expression and spoke with resolve.
"The failure of this game is entirely my responsibility. It was due to my shortcomings…"
Without avoiding the issue, Kataoka addressed it directly: "We were targeted from the start. The opponent's research on us was thorough, which allowed them to execute a successful sneak attack. Even though we adjusted quickly, the initial score had a direct impact on the final result."
"Do you believe Seidou High School could have won if not for the early deficit?" the reporter pressed.
The surrounding reporters listened intently. At the end of the nine innings, the score was tied 1-1, and Seidou High School had even had a chance to surpass Inajitsu. If not for the early score difference, the outcome might have been different.
"There are no 'ifs' in the game. The result is a loss. Since winning the national championship, Seidou High School has become a target for other teams. They develop various strategies to challenge us. This game was won by Inajitsu, but facing endless challenges, Seidou's path to the end was always going to be tough. The only reason for this result is that we still have shortcomings. By addressing these weaknesses, we can grow stronger and better handle future challenges." Coach Kataoka was sharp!
Immediately after the game, he understood the cause and effect. In terms of strength, the teams were fairly evenly matched. Seidou High School might not have been better than Inajitsu, but with players like Sawamura and Miyuki, they held their own. While Seidou had issues, Inajitsu also had its flaws.
Seidou High School's problem was that their scouting and preparation were lacking. After the summer Koshien, Seidou focused on Teito, Ugumori, and Inajitsu. They spent less than a third of their preparation time on Inajitsu.
In contrast, Inajitsu had likely been strategizing against Seidou since the summer competition.
Defending the title was challenging, especially in a fierce battle zone like Tokyo. Inajitsu had participated in Koshien more than a dozen times in the past decade.
Building a dynasty was proving more difficult than expected for Seidou High School. Recognizing their problems, Kataoka already had a series of training programs in mind.
He was eager to return and discuss strategies with the coaching staff and was clearly not in the mood to deal with reporters.
But the reporters wouldn't let him go. Missing such an opportunity would mean trouble back at the office.
"What are your thoughts on Inajitsu? How far do you think they can go in their next game?"
Sawamura Eijun struggled to keep his composure. The wound from the earlier question felt fresh, and this one was another painful jab.
What does Coach Kataoka think of Inajitsu High School?
You want him, the defeated one, sing praises of Inajitsu High School? Even though Coach Kataoka has good composure, right now he just wants to punch the reporter who asked the question.
'It's too much!'
But he's no longer the passionate high school player; he's now the Superintendent of the baseball team and must respond politely.
"Like our team, Inajitsu High School has a group of very talented players, but they also have issues with team cohesion."
"So you're saying Inajitsu might not make it to the end?"
Reporters wouldn't accept such ambiguous answers from Kataoka. Such vague statements in the newspaper would have no sensational effect. It would be much better if you gave a direct evaluation.
For example, Coach Kataoka could predict that Inajitsu wouldn't make it to the end!
That headline would be quite eye-catching.
Kataoka gave the reporter a vicious look; at this moment, he truly wanted to hit him.
Kataoka could only sigh helplessly and say, "No one can predict what will happen on the field. We can see Inajitsu High School's issues, and I'm sure Coach Kunitomo is aware of them and will make adjustments. How far Inajitsu High School can go will depend on how quickly they can adapt. Excellent teams grow significantly with each game they play. I believe Inajitsu is such a team!"
Although praising Inajitsu made Kataoka very uncomfortable, he had no choice. After all, Inajitsu had defeated them. If Inajitsu couldn't make it to the end, what would that say about Seidou High School, who lost to them?
Thus, despite his reluctance, Kataoka continued to speak well of Inajitsu and sincerely wished them success in winning the championship.
They had already beaten them; it would be unreasonable if Inajitsu couldn't go all the way.
After answering a few more questions, Coach Kataoka handled them all with calmness.
With most of the other questions out of the way, asking the most pressing question now seemed bearable, even if it upset Kataoka.
"This game went into extra innings, and Ace pitcher Sawamura-kun clearly began to show signs of fatigue. Did Coach Kataoka ever consider replacing Sawamura-kun? If Sawamura-kun had been replaced, this game might have…"
Upon hearing the reporter's question, Kataoka actually felt relieved.
The question had finally come!
He had always known that this question was unavoidable and that he would have to answer it eventually.
So, contrary to what the reporters might have imagined, Kataoka didn't walk away but answered seriously.
"Again, there are no 'ifs' in a game!" he interrupted the reporter firmly.
"At that moment, keeping Sawamura on the field was more reliable than sending in other players. That was my judgment."
The reporter who asked the question was momentarily stunned.
He couldn't find any fault with that answer.
The other reporters looked at each other in silence.
At this point, they had no choice but to turn to others.
"I wonder what Coach Ochiai thinks about this issue?"
Coach Ochiai, stroking his goatee, stood firmly with Kataoka.
"At critical moments, it's natural to trust your Ace. My thoughts are the same as Coach Kataoka's."
The united coaching staff left no room for the reporters to get a scandal.
Seeing they couldn't get anything out of Kataoka or Ochiai, the reporters turned their attention to Sawamura.
They were ready to ask Sawamura the same question.
Unlike Kataoka and Ochiai, who represented themselves and Seidou, Sawamura represented the era's best pitcher and the most watched and popular young player.
Annoying Kataoka or Ochiai wasn't a big deal.
Annoying Sawamura, however, could provoke a serious backlash from his zealous fans.
But not asking the question felt like a missed opportunity.
Fujio cleared his throat and took a step forward.
'As long as the question wasn't too outrageous, Sawamura would likely answer.'
"Sawamura-kun, what do you think was the reason for this failure?"
Fujio's question seemed like a request for an opinion, but it was more of a trap for Sawamura.
Sawamura rolled his eyes in exasperation.
'Reporters really are really like that!'
Fujio, though familiar with them, was equally ruthless.
Sawamura opened his mouth and responded calmly.
"It's our lack of strength."
His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
"Our teammates worked very hard, the coaching staff made appropriate tactical adjustments, and I did my best. The final result is that we lost, and all this can be attributed to our lack of strength."
Inajitsu, having beaten Seidou, would have attracted a lot of attention, but now Sawamura was elevating them even further!
This left the reporters stunned.
It was clear that the next day's reports would cause quite a sensation.
"If we lose, we lose. There's nothing to be ashamed of. We simply were outperformed."
Winning should be done with honor, and losing should be done with grace.
"We will win it back!" Sawamura declared decisively.
With this statement, the interviews have come to a close.
Seidou's management refused any more questions and they all returned to the bus ready to go back to Seidou.
Sawamura returned to the bus too with cool down gear still on and sat at the back of the bus.
'I lost.'
Thought he tried to keep his calm in front of everyone, he was sad and frustrated to no end.
He knows that winning and losing is part of baseball, it doesn't make losing any less bitter.
'I lost!'
His fist clenched and teeth gritted. He can no longer hold back all of these emotions.
'I am still weak as shit!'
Even through he knew it wasn't fully his problem, it is still a problem he has. There is no running away from it.
Even after all of this training, he still lost these two Runs. This is why they lost. He was the one who was pitching, no one else but him.
'DAMN IT!!!!!'
And he won't run away from it.
…