The night in Fukuoka had yet to fully arrive, but the surrounding streets were already surging with the black and white tide: fans of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, dressed in home and away jerseys or the newest championship commemorative shirts, each wore proud and expectant smiles as they flocked to the Yahoo Dome, as if attending a long-awaited grand celebration.
After a full week of away games, SoftBank's players had finally returned to Fukuoka, to the Yahoo Dome, and could finally share the glory of their victory with the fans at home.
As the game time approached, the stands of the Yahoo Dome, the sanctuary of Fukuoka baseball, were already packed with tens of thousands; the four-sided stands surrounding the baseball field had transformed into a boundless ocean of black and white, flags waving, applause, drumbeats, and cheers thunderous.
