H2
	 Volume 27
	  Chapter 2 (260)
	   Go Win the Koshien

 - Page 23 -

(Ch. 2) Go Win the Koshien

 - Pages 24 & 25 -

(Ch. 2) Go Win the Koshien

 - Page 26 -

 - Page 27 -

Sign: Congratulations Senkawa Baseball Team
	First Invitational Tournament Appearance

Flag: Senkawa Private High School Support Club

Hiro: Burp.

 - Page 28 -

Hiro: Man,
	all those words of encouragement have left me stuffed.

Noda: Well,
	it's the first thing a team leaving for the Koshien has to pack.

Yanagi: Yeah, local expectations are the same,
	no matter where in Japan you look.

Hiro: We're contenders until the point we lose.

 - Page 29 -

Hiro: Hideo still hasn't called to offer his congratulations yet.

Kine: I'd be surprised if he had, frankly.

Hiro: What do you mean?

Kine: What, you hadn't heard?
	He got hit in the face with a ball when pitching for batting practice.  Got sent to the hospital in an ambulance.

 - Page 30 -

Noda: When?!

Kine: Let's see,
	three days ago?
	I heard about it from Miho.
	Oops, should I have said "Osanai"?
	I'm speaking of Meiwa Ichi's manager, of course.
	We've been talking on the phone like everyday.
	Man, you wouldn't believe it.
	Like, just last night...
	Just last night!

Player: Huh?

 - Page 31 -

 - Page 32 -

Hikari: Hey.

Hiro: Don't hey me.
	Why didn't you tell me?!

Hikari: What?

Hiro: That Hideo was taken to the hospital in an ambulance!

Hikari: He wasn't.

Hiro: He wasn't?

Hikari: I mean,
	about the ambulance.
	He DID get sent to the hospital.

 - Page 33 -

Hikari: Just for a quick scan and some treatment.
	The swelling around his eye was pretty bad, but he was fully conscious and his skull is just fine.

Noda: It hit him on the face, didn't it?

Hikari: Hide-chan said it broke through the net, so it wasn't totally direct.
	He was running around the field just fine today.

Hiro: I'm going to go make sure.

Hikari: You don't believe me?

Hiro: Of course not.
	I'm not going to believe what he tells you.
	He'd say anything to keep you from being worried.

 - Page 34 -

Hideo: You're right.
	It's actually a deadly serious injury,
	and the doctors think I might not even live to be 100 anymore.

Hiro: Let's go, Noda.

Hideo: Hey, wait.

 - Page 35 -

Hideo: This is good timing,
	I wanted to go visit you and cheer you on before you left for the Koshien.
	I know it's not much, but you should have it.

Hiro: You think I want that?
	My dad'll love it.

Noda: Anyways,
	at least it wasn't serious.

Hideo: Yeah,
	it easily could have been.
	Just a few centimeters in a different direction...

Hiro: That's what you get for trying to be a batting practice pitcher.

Hideo: I see,
	so you were THAT worried, huh?
	That's really great.

 - Page 36 -

Hideo: Friends really are worth having,
	right Noda?

Hiro: Knock it off,
	you creep!
	You DID get your head checked at the hospital, right?

Hideo: Ahem!
	Now, for your words of encouragement...
	Go win the Koshien, Hiro.
	Don't you dare lose at the Koshien when I'm not there.

Hiro: Wait a minute.

 - Page 37 -

Hideo: Last summer's champions against the spring champions.  It'll be the best summer ever!
	Japan will be caught in a fever!
	Hideo and Hiro, the two heroes, "H2"!

Hiro: Listen to this.

Hikari: He was drunk at the time.
	He doesn't remember.

Hideo: C'mon!
	I'm being serious!
	After that comes the pro baseball arc!
	H2 2!

Hiro: Yeah yeah,
	toodly-doo.

 - Page 38 -

[Well then...]

 - Page 39 -

Paper: Spring Starts
	[High School Invitational]
	Begins Tomorrow

 - Page 40 -

[Spring drama.]

 - Chapter 2 End -