"Kitahara, the school gate is surrounded by reporters and paparazzi. You'd better not ride your bike."
After school that day, Takashi was about to hop on his beloved little motorcycle when the security guard stopped him.
"They're still here? What, did they buy a house at Aoba's front gate or something?"
Takashi's expression was like he'd just eaten dirt.
It had been five days since the Koshien championship.
When they returned carrying the crimson banner and victory shield, they were greeted by thousands of fans.
Then came the fireworks, the helicopters, the live nationwide broadcast—the full red-carpet treatment.
It was only then that Takashi truly felt the weight of winning Koshien.
He originally thought winning would just make him popular among students. But after doing his research, he realized how wrong he was.
Though Koshien is technically a high school tournament, the treatment these teens receive is on par with pros.
Whether it's a top baseball school or an unknown dark horse, every spotlight shines on them.
The hype and traffic any future star who makes it to Koshien gets is on the level of professional players.
That's why so many are willing to push their arms to the brink just to qualify.
Only by stepping onto Koshien's field can you be noticed by scouts—and step into the professional world.
For all high school players, Koshien is practically sacred.
Just getting to swing the bat for your school and hometown is a greater honor than even scoring 700 on the college entrance exam.
And that's just the hype of making it.
The impact of winning Koshien is even more massive. It spreads not only across Japan but the entire globe.
In 2018, Osaka Toin beat Akita's Kanano Agriculture 13–2 in the finals.
That match made headlines not only in Japan, but worldwide—especially on Chinese social media, where it became a trending topic.
And Kanano didn't even win. With Aoba taking the crown this year, the hype was beyond anything seen in 2018.
Endless media coverage and public spotlight now surrounded them. Any time Takashi scrolled through trending topics, seven out of ten were about Aoba's win.
And this frenzy didn't seem like it was dying down any time soon.
As the star of this incredible story, Takashi's fame and popularity were absolutely unprecedented.
TV Tokyo, NHK, Tokyo Sports—everyone wanted to interview him and feature him in specials.
Even Weekly Shonen JUMP wanted to base a new manga on him.
Johnny's Entertainment, Burning Production, Ken-On… the biggest names in showbiz were all courting him.
But the most aggressive were the pro baseball teams.
Everyone could see Takashi's insane potential. Even with his arm injury, and the risks it posed, they were willing to bet on him.
Because if they won that bet—it wouldn't be a small gain.
It'd be like upgrading a bicycle to a Bugatti.
Right now, Takashi was on fire. If he wanted money, all he had to do was bend over and pick it up—the ground beneath his feet was paved with gold.
Because he was too popular, Takashi had to cancel his morning runs, and he didn't dare ride his bike anymore.
These days, he had to wear a mask and hat just to get food—if someone recognized him, he'd be mobbed instantly.
And that meant… no chance for dates with girls.
"Damn paparazzi are ruining my life!"
Stuffed with frustration, Takashi turned toward the parking lot.
Funny thing is, Hitomi and Narii had tried so hard to block his dates—but now the ones actually stopping him were the paparazzi.
Best Defense Award: The Paparazzi!
When he reached his white Toyota HiAce, Takashi unleashed all his anger—unable to earn system points from the chaos—on the car door.
He yanked it open and slammed it hard.
"What's wrong, Young Master Kitahara? Who pissed you off this time?"
The man in the driver's seat, a black-clad bodyguard, put out his cigarette slowly and smiled.
"Who else? The damn paparazzi. Hey, Afu, think you could take them all out for me?"
Takashi looked at the driver with hopeful eyes.
The man's name was Fukutora Taro—the one who fired a warning shot when Takashi kissed Umaru.
He was also a member of the Konoe branch family, a sniper like Hyuga Neji, tasked with protecting Hitomi.
"Are You trying to get me killed, Young Master?"
Fukutora Taro muttered.
"Exactly. I want to borrow your knife."
"I just fired one shot. Are you still holding a grudge?"
"Gentlemen take ten years to take revenge. Petty men take revenge for ten years straight."
As the two bickered, Fukutora was already driving away from Aoba.
"Where to?"
"Ginza."
"Young Master, I hate to say it, but with your current popularity, you should probably avoid crowded areas."
Concerned for his safety, Fukutora offered the advice.
"But this person—I have to see."
Takashi tapped his fingers on the seat, the corners of his lips curling faintly.
"Got it."
Fukutora didn't say anything more and silently focused on driving.
Takashi opened his phone and checked his Twitter followers.
Over this period, before he even realized it, his account had gained nearly 400,000 followers.
Compared to big-name celebrities, that wasn't much—but he had a highly active fanbase.
Some celebrities might boast millions or even tens of millions of followers, but their posts rarely even broke ten thousand likes, comments, or shares.
Anyone in the know understands how inflated those numbers can be.
Takashi only had 400,000 followers, yet every post he made easily racked up tens of thousands of comments and over a hundred thousand likes.
With more followers came more DMs.
Messages from Ginza hostesses, cereal brand mascots, divorced Tokyo rich women, college cheerleaders, and even middle school lolis and high school "traps" had all left an impression on him.
Why did they leave such an impression?
Of course—photos. Short videos. And risqué content.
As everyone knew, Takashi was the kind of guy who spoiled his fans.
Any DM sent by someone whose profile picture matched their real appearance—and who was attractive—he'd always open it.
Of course, he never replied.
Looking was a sign of respect for the fans.
Not replying was also a sign of respect.
A respect for his own life.
He knew well what he should and shouldn't do.
Most other messages, aside from a few brand endorsements, he didn't remember much.
Today, Takashi was going to meet a manager.
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