Whoosh!
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
After a long day of training, an exhausted Kitamura Kou fell asleep on the train home.
"Next stop: Mifuji Station, Mifuji Station!"
The announcer's voice echoed through the train, but Kitamura didn't stir.
When the train arrived at Mifuji Station, the doors opened—but he was still out cold.
"Ah! That hurts!"
A school bag smacked him in the face, jolting him awake.
"The doors are closing—please be careful," the announcer continued.
Kitamura glared at the platform and scrambled out before the doors shut.
"Seriously! You hit me in the face with your school bag, didn't you?!" he demanded, spotting Tsukishima Aoba ahead of him.
"I woke you up so kindly, and this is your attitude? Not even a word of thanks?" Aoba shot back without turning.
Kitamura rubbed his nose, noticing the blood trickle down. "Come on… don't you even know the word 'kind'? Look—my nose is bleeding!"
"It's not like it'll kill you!" she replied, walking on.
"Well, missing one station wouldn't kill me either!" Kitamura grumbled, hurrying to catch up.
They walked down the dimly lit street in silence for a while.
"Could you… stay a bit further back? I don't want my friends seeing us and getting the wrong idea," Aoba requested.
"Tch!" Kitamura stopped, stepped back, and resumed walking behind her.
"I heard from Wakaba that you joined the Yakushi High baseball team. Why'd you join?" she asked.
"Ah… did you say something?" he pretended not to hear.
"I asked why you joined the baseball team!" Aoba raised her voice.
"Obviously… because I want to play baseball," Kitamura replied casually.
"Oh? I thought you always looked like you were forced into it," she teased.
"True. At first, Nakanishi made me join. But one day, I faced a pitcher on the opposing team… and he was amazing. The way he threw—so cool," Kitamura reminisced, a distant look in his eyes.
(Though her personality isn't great, and she still doesn't know how to use the word 'kind,') he added with a mischievous grin.
Aoba stopped, gave him a long look, then turned and continued walking.
"Back then, I thought… if I could pitch like that, it'd be so much more exciting. I was serious," Kitamura muttered to himself as he entered his house, closing the door behind him. Aoba remained outside, thoughtful.
The next morning.
After finishing his workout and breakfast, Kitamura decided to take advantage of the rare weekend break for a stroll.
As he pushed his bicycle out, his father's voice called from inside.
"Kou, heading out?"
"Yeah, just to the bookstore by the station," he replied.
"Then deliver these balls to the Tsukishima family while you're at it," his father added.
"In the opposite direction!" Kitamura groaned.
"Don't worry—the earth is round," his father said dismissively and disappeared inside.
Kitamura muttered to himself. "Go around the whole world, huh?"
At the Tsukishima Baseball Batting Center, Kitamura set down a box of baseballs.
"Hey, Kou, thanks for the hard work," Mr. Tsukishima greeted him warmly.
"The stock arrives the day after tomorrow. My dad said to send these over first," Kitamura said, setting down the box.
"I heard you joined the baseball team," Mr. Tsukishima said, smiling.
"Yeah… figured I'd get some exercise," Kitamura shrugged.
"That's something to look forward to! You set the home run record here after all," he chuckled.
"I hope I won't disappoint," Kitamura said. "Anyway, I'm heading out."
"Kou, take me to my swimming lesson on your bike!" Tsukishima Wakaba's voice came from behind.
"Huh?"
"Hurry! I'm late!" she urged. "Quick, quick, class is about to start!"
"Why not ride your own bike?" Kitamura asked.
"It had a flat tire yesterday," she replied cheerfully.
"They really do get along," Momoji, one of the Tsukishima sisters in the café, observed.
"Why is a guy like him so… good?" Aoba muttered, disgruntled.
"Destiny," Ichiyo said mysteriously.
"Huh?"
"They were born on the same day, in the same hospital, and have been neighbors ever since," Ichiyo explained.
Suddenly, the bicycle wobbled.
"Hold on tight! This is dangerous!" Kitamura shouted.
"Got it!" Wakaba wrapped her arms around his waist happily.
"Don't hold so tight! I can't ride properly like this."
Nakanishi, seeing them pass, yelled teasingly, "Whoa! Are you two on a date?"
"Idiot! I'm just taking her to swimming class!" Kitamura called back, stopping briefly before riding off again.
"Traitor! Chooses girls over friends! Hope you never get a girlfriend!" Nakanishi shouted behind them.
"A date… sounds kinda nice," Wakaba murmured, tightening her grip.
The bike wobbled again.
"Hey! Not so tight! If anyone sees us, they'll tease us more!" Kitamura warned, steadying the bike.
Fifteen minutes later, they reached the swimming pool.
As Wakaba walked toward the entrance, she suddenly spun around.
"Oh! By the way, my lesson goes until five o'clock."
"So?" Kitamura asked.
"Right… right." She ran forward and kissed him on the cheek.
"This is your reward for the ride," she said with a radiant smile before dashing inside.
"Ah? No one said they'd pick you up," Kitamura muttered, trying to remain composed.
"Bye-bye! I'll be done at five!"
Kitamura rode away, speechless.
Tsukishima Wakaba… cutest girl in the class—no, the entire grade.
And he wasn't just saying that because she kissed his cheek. Those words echoed in his heart as he pedaled along.