Kendo, compared to baseball, is a niche sport.

But "niche" still means tens of millions of fans.

No event survives without a fan base.

If there aren't enough fans and there's no profit, who would go through the trouble to organize a tournament?

You think capitalists burn money for fun?

If Takashi actually manages a clean sweep, the traffic, the heat, and the fan growth he'll gain would exceed that of starring in ten blockbuster dramas.

Whether you're an idol, singer, or actor—you're bound to the entertainment industry.

There's only so much pie to go around. If someone gets a bigger slice, someone else gets less.

A fan's wallet doesn't magically get fatter just because they like both Sakurajima Mai and Hoshino Ai.

In fact, supporting multiple people might even reduce the influence of each.

Wallets have limits.

But Takashi is different.

He pulls fans from both the baseball and kendo circles, which hardly overlap.

Loving baseball doesn't mean you love kendo.

And loving kendo doesn't mean you love baseball.

If Takashi sweeps the Gyokuryu Cup, he'll own the foundation of both fandoms.

Not only that, but the top brass behind both Koshien and Gyokuryu will throw their full weight behind him.

For the sake of hype and mutual benefit, the media circus will be inevitable.

With capital support, championship titles, official event promotions, and Takashi's top-tier looks, Ogitsu Yoshiko honestly couldn't think of a single reason why he wouldn't explode in popularity.

What's that—you say Takashi's a player?

And that's supposed to be a flaw?

Compared to all the major celebs with scandals—cheating, assaults, lying, etc.—Takashi is practically a delicate little flower.

That's also why Sakurajima Mai's mother wanted to stir up a fake romance with him, even knowing his reputation.

Sakurajima Mai represents the entertainment industry, while Takashi represents sports. Their circles don't overlap at all.

She wanted to absorb Takashi's baseball fans.

"Looks like I'd better start preparing ahead of time."

Takashi's goals were huge—borderline unrealistic—but that wasn't what Ogitsu Yoshiko cared about.

As a capable agent, her job was to plan ahead.

If Takashi really pulled it off and she wasn't ready, that would be a huge wasted fortune.

"Let's continue."

Takashi smiled, stood up, and resumed training.

His arm hadn't fully healed yet, so for now, he focused mainly on lower body training.

He trained from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

After showering, Takashi got into his Toyota HiAce.

He and Ogitsu Yoshiko were about to head to a Tokyo TV interview program when he received a call from Hitomi.

"They're already here?"

Sitting in the back seat, Takashi frowned slightly.

He hadn't expected those relatives from last time to actually show up now.

"If you're busy, just let them wait,"

Hitomi said indifferently.

Takashi checked the time and saw he still had a bit to spare. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's go back and settle it now."

The sooner it was done, the sooner he'd be rid of it.

He didn't want to waste too much time on these so-called relatives.

"Mm, I'll wait for you."

…

After hanging up, Hitomi looked toward the four people in front of her.

A middle-aged couple accompanied by a brother-sister pair.

The parents looked average, but the siblings were both quite good-looking—the brother refined, the sister beautiful.

Hitomi spoke blandly, "Takashi will be back soon. Just wait."

With that, she lay back on the sofa and started playing with her phone, showing no intention of entertaining them.

Seeing she didn't even offer a glass of water, the couple looked slightly embarrassed.

The girl—sweet-faced, cute, with long creamy-colored hair, fair skin, dressed in a white sundress, and holding a black bunny plush—grumbled, "At least offer some water. That's just rude."

Hitomi gave the girl a sidelong glance. The coldness in her eyes made the girl instantly flinch.

"If you weren't Takashi's relative, that comment would've gotten you killed."

Hitomi said coldly, her gaze sharp as a blade.

She was the cherished daughter of the Konoe family, raised in luxury and adoration.

People usually served her.

Unlike those anime girls who go out of their way to please every parent they meet, her background gave her the confidence to never need to suck up to anyone.

Let alone just Takashi's relatives—even his parents would only get a little courtesy from her.

Much less these "relatives."

"S-sorry, Sora didn't mean it…"

Kasugano Haruka quickly apologized to Hitomi on behalf of his sister.

"Please forgive her."

Hitomi cast a glance at the boy's handsome face, then retracted her gaze with contempt. "I don't need your pleas. I wasn't planning to do anything to her."

"Besides, your request means nothing to me."

Hitomi's ruthless tone left Kasugano Haruka awkwardly speechless.

He had never met a girl so blunt, so utterly unconcerned with what others thought.

The Kasugano parents said nothing.

They were adults—they could clearly sense the natural aristocratic aura on Hitomi.

It might sound harsh, but the truth is that kids from rich families and kids from ordinary ones were born inherently different.

Though they weren't entirely certain, they could vaguely guess that this girl came from immense wealth.

They were the ones asking for a favor—uninvited guests, really—so they didn't dare speak further.

Roughly ten silent minutes passed when they heard the front door open, followed by rapid footsteps.

Soon, Takashi entered.

The Kasugano family of four stood up, just about to greet him, when Takashi swept his eyes over them and then immediately turned to Hitomi.

His expression changed drastically. He rushed over and threw his coat over her, wrapping her up completely.

"What the heck, it's hot!"

Hitomi complained.

"Turn on the air conditioner if you're hot. You're still wearing the coat."

Takashi uncharacteristically stood firm.

"Why'd you come out dressed like this?"

"What's wrong with it?"

Hitomi looked down at her outfit.

A white sundress—nothing inappropriate.

"Your shoulders are exposed."

"I covered my chest with a blanket."

"Still not okay!"

"Are you jealous?"

A subtle smirk tugged at the corner of Hitomi's lips.

"Damn right I am."

Takashi snapped.

Takashi was a complete double standard dog.

He wanted his own girlfriend to dress as conservatively as possible—but if it were someone else's girlfriend, he'd say, "Come on, it's the modern age! Qing Dynasty's been dead for years—women have the right to dress freely."

"You can't dress like this again."

"Then you better keep a close eye on me."

Hitomi deliberately teased Takashi by brushing a strand of her hair against him.

"You don't need to tell me that."

Takashi rolled his eyes again, then finally looked at the awkward-looking Kasugano couple.

"Uncle, Aunt, it's been a while."

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