H2
	 Volume 28
	  Chapter 8 (276)
	   Spreading Dirt

 - Page 131 -

(Ch. 8) Spreading Dirt

 - Page 132 -

Hikari: Why didn't you tell me?

Hideo: Because I'm strong.
	I do everything by myself.
	And I'm surprised you went off to the Koshien if you knew my eyes were going bad.

Hikari: Hide-chan.

 - Page 133 -

Hideo: Come on, let me needle you.
	I would have gone along if I could.
	Anyways, I'm sure he's getting his hero's welcome return,
	so we can celebrate with him once it all dies down.

Hikari: Yeah.

Hideo: You're probably tired from the trip.  You should go home and get some sleep.
	We've got school starting tomorrow.

Hikari: Right.

 - Page 134 -

Hikari: Yeah.
	We'll be seniors now.

Hideo: Yep.
	Take the brightly lit streets home.

Hikari: I know.
	See you at school.

Hideo: Hikari.

 - Page 135 -

Hideo: Keeping in mind that I believe your friend is undoubtedly the best high school pitcher in Japan...
	Not even Kunimi Hiro can stop Tachibana Hideo.

Hikari: Probably not.
	Goodnight.

 - Page 136 -

Sign: National Baseball Champions, Senkawa High

Top Right: SENKAWA Spring champions
Bottom Right: First V Senkawa
	Victorious Hero [Kunimi]
Left: Senkawa's Spring [Invitational]

 - Page 137 -

[Anyways,]
[The celebrations have died down...]
[And we're third-year students...]

 - Page 138 -

Guy: Huh?
	Where's Kunimi?

Noda: Not here.

Guy: Well,
	my dad wants an autograph.
	From the Koshien hero.

Noda: Here, let me see.

Guy: I'll come pick it up later.

Noda: All right,
	got it.

Guy: Oh yeah,
	and my dad's name is...
	What are you doing?

Noda: All right,
	got it.

Vertical: To: What are you doing
Horizontal: The Koshien hero!  Spring Champion Catcher

 - Page 139 -

 - Page 140 -

 - Page 141 -

Hiro: Our first showdown was the time he laughed at me during the scrimmage game in the first year of middle school.
	Since then, there hasn't been a single time
	that I've struck him out...

 - Page 142 -

 - Page 143 -

 - Page 144 -

Hiro: (sniff)

 - Page 145 -

Hiro: (cough)(cough)
	(cough)

Girl: Haruka,
	what are you doing there?

Haruka: Spreading dirt.

Girl: Dirt?

 - Page 146 -

Haruka: From the Koshien...

Girls: What?!
	What a waste!
	Why here?!

Haruka: I want to.
	This is where we started walking to the Koshien.

 - Page 147 -

[And,]

 - Page 148 -

[Drawn by the success at the Koshien...]
[An assortment of hopeful and hopeless new team members,]
[And...]
[One idiotic man.]

Koga: Gentlemen!
	I am the drill sergeant Spring Champion Coach Koga Fujio.  As seen on TV!

[And...]
[And...]

Koga: (Now, baseball, you see...)

 - Chapter 8 End -