Chapter 337: A Dramatic Lottery Drawing Scene
"As I expected, there are quite a few familiar faces here."
While the organizers were briefly explaining the lottery rules and the format of this year's Autumn Tournament, Eijun turned his head slightly, glancing around the venue. He quickly spotted many familiar faces.
Of course, the familiarity he felt wasn't just in the sense of having met or known these individuals personally.
A good number of them were figures he recognized from his past life, from the original series he had read. For instance, there was the ace with the bowl-cut hairstyle from Ouya—Wakabayashi Gou.
Then there was the punk-looking ace from Ugumori with a spiky haircut—Umemiya Seiichi.
Kengo Inui from Teito High School.
And the good-natured captain from Inashiro Industrial—Fukui Kento, who had never made it into the starting lineup.
From Seiko High School, there was the "mini philosopher"—Masu Shinichiro.
Not to mention players from familiar teams like Sensen High and Akikawa High, who needed no introduction. And, of course, one of the most notable supporting teams from the original series—Yakushi High School.
Interestingly, the one representing Yakushi High School for the draw today was not the team captain.
Instead, it was their ace—Sanada Shunpei.
Just as Eijun spotted him, their eyes met. Sanada gave him a friendly smile and nodded in acknowledgment.
Eijun returned the gesture without hesitation.
That being said, Sanada really was a good-looking guy.
Handsome, skilled at baseball—those types always seemed to attract jealousy. With that thought, Eijun instinctively sneaked a glance at the person beside him—Miyuki Kazuya.
After all, Miyuki was also one of those legendary, ridiculously talented, good-looking guys. At Seidou High School, there was even a so-called "girls' fan club" dedicated to him. Well, nowadays, Eijun himself had one too.
Still, there was no denying it—Miyuki's looks gave him a huge advantage.
Among catchers, Miyuki was in a league of his own. His good looks alone set him apart from the rest. Some catchers, in contrast, looked so aged and gruff, they could pass for middle-aged men.
"So, being handsome is a kind of privilege too, huh…"
Eijun muttered under his breath.
"Huh? Did you just say something?"
Miyuki turned his head in confusion, eyeing Eijun curiously.
"No, nothing. Is it our turn yet?"
Eijun brushed off the question, quickly shifting the topic.
"Yeah, should be soon. A few more teams, then it's us. You'll be the one drawing the lot this time," Miyuki said after scanning the order.
Eijun froze.
"Huh? Me?"
He stared at Miyuki in disbelief. Sure, there was no rule stating that only the captain could draw lots—Sanada had done it in the original story because Yakushi's captain wasn't present.
But right now, Miyuki was literally standing here! And he was still making Eijun do it? What was this nonsense?
Eijun suddenly felt like he was being thrown under the bus. His expression was blank as he stared at Miyuki.
"Well, there's no rule saying the captain has to draw, right? And you haven't done it before, so here's your chance."
Miyuki stretched lazily, making himself comfortable against the sofa cushion, a mischievous grin on his face.
Eijun sighed and shook his head. This captain of his…
Well, it was just a lottery draw. No big deal.
Since he was already here, it didn't really matter. He only had to go up and pick a number. As he thought about it, Eijun found himself getting curious—would his actions now change the outcome from the original story?
Could the butterfly effect take hold here?
That thought excited him slightly.
As Eijun's mind drifted back to the lottery scene from the original series, the event inside the venue continued, progressing steadily along with the drawing process.
From time to time, exclamations rippled through the venue as team representatives reacted to their draws, their faces displaying a variety of emotions—joy, frustration, sighs of resignation, unwillingness, irritation, and even schadenfreude.
After all, as previously mentioned, the Autumn Tournament had abolished the seeded team system, meaning it was entirely possible to encounter powerhouse teams in the early rounds.
The probability of high-stakes matchups was not low, especially in Tokyo, a battleground teeming with strong teams.
Beyond the elite powerhouses, schools like Seiko, and Sensen were formidable in their own right. Could anyone guarantee that Seidou would easily defeat them?
Upsets weren't unheard of in the world of baseball.
Not to mention, many of these teams had solid strength. Given this context, whether it was a first-tier or second-tier powerhouse facing off, the matchups were enough to send waves through the venue.
As the drawing continued, an unprecedented gasp swept through the crowd when one particular player revealed his lot.
Eijun's eyes sharpened, and beside him, Miyuki's lips curled into a peculiar smile.
"Tsk, tsk… I never expected Yakushi to draw such a favorable lot," Miyuki chuckled, shaking his head.
Eijun, too, was left in disbelief.
His gaze landed on Sanada, who stood on the stage with a calm and composed smile. Eijun shook his head slightly—was this the butterfly effect already at play?
If he remembered correctly, in the original timeline, Yakushi had drawn number 41 and wasn't slated to face Seidou until the finals.
Now, however, they had drawn number 32.
And their first-round opponent was Kasuga Ichi, a notably strong team in East Tokyo. Based on the already revealed matchups, their second-round opponent was likely to be Akikawa, and if they advanced further, they would face Ichidaisan in the third round.
That meant their clash with Ichidaisan, which originally happened in the semifinals, had been pushed forward by two rounds.
And every single match along the way was going to be a grueling battle.
Yakushi's luck with this draw… was truly awful.
Eijun shook his head.
At this rate, when it was his turn to draw, there was a high probability that his number would also deviate from the original outcome.
That thought lingered in his mind as the drawing process continued.
Finally, it was Seidou's turn.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire venue, Eijun slowly stood up.
With firm strides, he made his way to the stage and stood before the lottery box.
All eyes were on him.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly.
Then, he reached into the box.
After a symbolic stir, his fingers confidently grasped a lot.
People always talked about hoping for a "good draw," and there were undeniable advantages to that. However, if the goal was to become the best, then luck wasn't what truly mattered.
"After all… we are the kings."
A glimmer of determination flashed through Eijun's eyes.
The next moment.
As soon as his lot was revealed to the public, an inevitable uproar exploded across the venue.
Below the stage, a certain towering figure narrowed his eyes, his fingers instinctively clenching into fists.
In his own words, recalling that moment was like having a bolt of lightning explode beside his ear.
Seidou High School, lot number 17.
First-round opponent—the reigning powerhouse of East Tokyo, the perpetual championship contender—Teito High School.
The most intense first-round matchup of this tournament… had arrived!