Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter Has Arrived

Chapter 461 461: Live TV

The upcoming Tokyo Spring Tournament quarterfinal match between Seido and the Yakushi High School Baseball Team was drawing enormous attention before it had even begun.

Online discussions were multiplying by the day.

When the Seido High School Baseball Team defeated the Hongmo High School and advanced to the top eight, posts about it topped the homepage of Baseball Kingdom Magazine online.

At that point, even Tokyo Television couldn't sit still.

Their executives held an emergency meeting and ultimately decided that their first live broadcast would be this very game.

"Only semifinal-level matches are held at Jingu Stadium. Standard ballparks probably don't have the same broadcasting conditions," someone raised at the time.

He wasn't questioning the game's popularity. His concern was the practical difficulty of broadcasting from a smaller venue.

"We'll coordinate with the organizers and set it at Hachioji Stadium. The conditions there are better.

Our crew will set up in advance, and all filming equipment, including drones, will be ready," said Nitta, the program's producer, with complete confidence.

This might have been a difficult task for someone else. For Nitta, it was not a problem at all.

The person who had raised the concern thought it over and stayed quiet.

It was often said that society was fair. But how fair could it truly be?

The social resources available to the son of Tokyo's wealthiest man and the son of an ordinary family, graduating from the same university and starting work at the same time, were simply not the same.

Anyone who believed otherwise was being naive.

With a single word from Nitta, countless people moved on his behalf.

He didn't need to lift a finger. The advance setup at the filming location was handled, and the program schedule was rearranged entirely.

After coordinating with the organizers, the response was so enthusiastic it was almost embarrassing.

Although hosting the Tokyo Spring Tournament was primarily about supporting student baseball, earning revenue was a secondary objective.

And if revenue was available, why turn it down?

The person in charge at the organizers nodded repeatedly, clearly afraid Nitta might change his mind.

The matter was settled. To fit the television station's afternoon programming, the game, originally scheduled for the morning, was moved to the afternoon.

Both teams were contacted, and both readily agreed.

Seido, having just played a game, hadn't expended much energy, but extra rest was always welcome.

Even a few additional hours made a difference.

The Yakushi High School Baseball Team was eager to build its profile, and having a television station ready to help promote them was more than they could have hoped for.

Yakushi's attitude was even more enthusiastic than Seido's.

Because of that enthusiasm, Nitta, who hadn't originally planned to interview Yakushi in advance, had a sudden idea.

During their conversation, he suggested visiting Yakushi that evening for an interview.

Yakushi High School hesitated briefly, then checked with the baseball team's head coach.

When Todoroki Raizo received the news, he didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Let them come. Hurry and bring them in before they change their minds."

The Yakushi principal, with his characteristic mid-length hairstyle, rubbed his forehead, sensing something was slightly off.

But he said nothing, and simply called Nitta back to confirm they were welcome.

Nitta brought two assistants, one male and one female, and drove his Maserati directly to Yakushi High School.

By the time they arrived, it was already close to 5:30 in the evening.

In early April, darkness fell around six o'clock.

And yet the players on the Yakushi field had not dispersed. They were still training.

Nitta was genuinely moved. His first impression of the Yakushi High School Baseball Team was very positive.

Diligent preparation had its own quiet power.

Whether Yakushi belonged in the category of teams that compensated with effort, he wasn't entirely sure.

But that Yakushi was sufficiently dedicated was not in doubt.

"Tomorrow is the game against Seido. Is it alright for the players to be training this late?" Nitta asked, approaching Todoroki Raizo in what he thought was a casual manner.

He thought he was keeping a low profile, unaware that he had arrived with two assistants, one of whom was quite striking in appearance, alongside conspicuous filming equipment and a microphone.

Even an idiot would know what they were there for.

"Someone's here for an interview at this hour. Looks like I've really become famous, huh?"

Mishima said with a proud smile.

Where that confidence came from, no one could say.

His teammates, well aware of Mishima's character, paid him no attention.

The third-year Yakushi players, however, were genuinely taken aback.

In recent days, countless people had come to interview them.

They had never imagined they would see a day like this.

They had always assumed this kind of attention was something only prestigious schools enjoyed.

Coach Todoroki Raizo and his son joining Yakushi had truly brought many changes to the baseball team.

Some changes were so significant that even the players themselves could hardly believe them.

If someone had told them half a year ago that the Yakushi High School Baseball Team would one day receive this kind of treatment, they would have assumed it was mockery.

But now, all of it was real.

"Speaking of which, that female assistant is quite attractive."

"She must be at least..."

"What are you talking about?"

The players murmured among themselves.

Todoroki Raizo, meanwhile, had already begun his interview.

"They're happy to do it themselves. And I believe that once players are accustomed to daily training, suddenly stopping for a day doesn't do them any good. Better to keep the same rhythm every day and let them stay in their routine."

Nitta had researched this area in advance, and he had to admit that this coach named Todoroki Raizo appeared to have a very effective approach to developing players.

Perhaps not entirely conventional, but the results spoke for themselves.

"In the previous game, your son caused quite a sensation. How did he train, exactly? We looked into it earlier, and it seems he never joined any little league or junior baseball program, and never played organized school baseball either."

Given the level of ability Raichi Todoroki had displayed in that game, if he had ever played in any formal program, he would have become well-known long before now.

That kind of ability would not have stayed hidden.

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