Ep. 40: Aoba burns a cafe order while Ko and Aoba catch a stalker and Ichiyo joins the team

40

Aoba burns a customer's order at Clover Cafe after being distracted by the coach. Ko escorts Akane home due to stalking fears, and together they catch a man who previously stalked Aoba but found her intimidating. Aoba punishes him by making him use batting cages until exhausted. Ichiyo tells Junpei Azuma she will marry him if Seishu reaches Koshien, leading him to join as an assistant coach. She later clarifies to Ko that she never refused to marry him if the team fails. Aoba shares her national team invitation with Akane, who advises choosing the path with fewest regrets. While scouting Ryuo, Junpei asks if Aoba likes his brother. She struggles to answer but later reassures him that Seishu will advance to Koshien.