Swoosh!
Clang!
"I've got it..."
Swoosh!
Clang!
"Safe!"
Unlike the first four innings, Tsukishima Aoba's pitches began getting hit frequently. For a moment, the Seishu Academy Junior High School baseball team started to look a little flustered.
"Looks like they're starting to get a read on her pitches. Tsukishima, keep your spirits up!" Keiichirou Senda watched nervously.
"No, she's doing it on purpose," Kitamura Kou said in a low voice.
"Eh?" Keiichirou Senda didn't quite understand what he meant.
Swoosh!
Clang!
The baseball was hit toward right field. The right fielder caught up to the ball, picked it up, and threw it to first base.
"OUT!"
"Right field, great job!" Seeing his teammates complete a wonderful defensive play, she didn't hesitate to praise them.
Noticing Tsukishima Aoba's intention to let the balls be hit in order to sharpen the team's defense, Kitamura Kou said softly, "Because it's a practice match."
Soon, the game reached the seventh inning with the score at three to zero. Seishu Academy Junior High was leading, and now it was Fourth Middle School's turn to attack.
"Put pressure on the Pitcher and swing aggressively!" the Fourth Middle School coach encouraged his players.
Since it was the final inning, Tsukishima Aoba stopped holding back and returned to pitching at full power like she had at the beginning.
Swoosh!
Thwack!
"Three strikes, batter's out, game over!"
In the end, Seishu Academy Junior High School defeated Fourth Middle School three to zero.
"Aww, how boring. They didn't follow my advice at all."
After watching the match, Keiichirou Senda and Kitamura Kou strolled through the streets.
"Nobody needs your advice anyway," Kitamura Kou said.
"Oh! The new GUN FIGHTER game! Let's play a bit before we go," Keiichirou Senda said, pointing at a nearby arcade.
"I'll pass."
Kitamura Kou didn't pay him any attention and left directly. Keiichirou Senda was a little puzzled. Kitamura Kou used to be a huge fan of this game, yet now...
Kitamura Kou stopped in front of a shop and stared blankly at a water bottle in the display window.
On the other side, Keiichirou Senda, having separated from Kitamura Kou, was wandering the streets alone. Suddenly, someone appeared in front of him, planting a bat on the ground with one hand and blocking his path.
"Mi... Midori!" Keiichirou Senda exclaimed as he looked at the person standing before him.
The newcomer was a tall girl.
"You really do ignore our promises all the time, Keiichiro!" The girl Keiichirou Senda called Midori rushed forward, grabbed him in a headlock, and angrily questioned him.
"It hurts, it hurts... Did I really forget?" Keiichirou Senda cried out in pain while being held.
"Don't lie! When I called yesterday, your voice sounded so reluctant!" Midori challenged him, clearly unconvinced.
"That's because I didn't want to go practice baseball even on a Sunday..." Keiichirou Senda argued guiltily.
"As I thought, you were with a young girl!" Midori tightened her grip angrily and roared in annoyance.
"No! I went to watch the juniors' practice match. Seishu versus Fourth Middle. Seishu won with a three-to-zero shutout," the suffering Keiichirou Senda hurriedly explained.
"See, you're still lying! This year's Fourth Middle is a team with a powerful batting lineup; they're very famous!" Midori didn't believe him and continued interrogating him.
"It's true! They only got four hits, no runs, and twelve strikeouts. If you don't believe me, you can ask the people from the junior high," Keiichirou Senda said aggrievedly. He had told the truth but wasn't trusted, and he was so upset he was almost about to cry.
"Twelve strikeouts? Who was the Pitcher?" Midori asked in surprise.
"Tsukishima Aoba, the captain of the Seishu Academy Junior High School baseball team," Keiichirou Senda said.
Midori released her grip on Keiichirou Senda's neck, still somewhat in disbelief.
"Even you could become an Ace Pitcher, so I thought the Seishu baseball team didn't have any impressive men."
"She's not a man, she's a girl," Keiichirou Senda said.
"Ah! She's a girl..." Hearing this news, Midori was even more shocked.
...
Outside Mifuji Station, Tsukishima Aoba, who had just exited the station, was stopped by someone.
"You're Tsukishima Aoba, right? I'm Koganezawa Midori, a first-year from the Satomi High School hardball baseball team. I've heard about you from Keiichiro," the girl named Koganezawa Midori introduced herself.
"Keiichiro?" Tsukishima Aoba couldn't remember who that was for a moment.
"Isn't he in the high school division of Seishu Academy? Keiichirou Senda—he's my cousin," Koganezawa Midori explained, holding a photo Keiichirou Senda had secretly taken with Tsukishima Aoba—well, it could barely count as a group photo.
"Why do you have a photo like that?" Tsukishima Aoba asked.
"Since elementary school, I've never lost to a boy in baseball. I chose to attend Saiomi Girls' High School because their girls' baseball team is prestigious. However, so far, I haven't met a Pitcher who is my equal."
Having said this, Koganezawa Midori pulled a bat from the backpack on her back and pointed it at Tsukishima Aoba.
"One at-bat is enough. Let's settle this!"
Tsukishima Aoba looked at the girl named Koganezawa Midori, ignored her request, and walked straight past her.
"Wait a minute!" Koganezawa Midori hurriedly tried to stop Tsukishima Aoba from leaving.
"Ah, sorry, my kitten is waiting for me with an empty stomach," Tsukishima Aoba said, then left.
That left Koganezawa Midori standing there alone in a daze.
Meanwhile, on the porch of the Tsukishima family residence, Tsukishima Momiji looked at the kitten lying on its back on the floor with its round belly and teased, "NOMO, you've eaten way too much."
"Meow!"
...
At the Tsukishima Baseball Batting Center, Kitamura Kou walked in carrying a box full of baseballs.
"Hi, Kou, thanks for your hard work," Tsukishima's father said with a smile.
"Please sign here." Kitamura Kou placed the box on the counter and handed a form to Tsukishima's father.
"Okay!" Tsukishima's father took out a pen and chatted with Kitamura Kou while signing.
"Feels like I haven't seen you in a long time. You haven't come to our house lately."
"Ah? Uh, well, my waist seems to be a little uncomfortable," Kitamura Kou said, making up an excuse because he was short on cash.
"So that's how it is. The machine malfunctioned recently and spit out a lot of game tokens. I was thinking of letting you use them all," Tsukishima's father said, opening his left hand to reveal a large pile of game tokens.
"Yeah! I don't know why, but my condition seems pretty good today!" Kitamura Kou quickly twisted his waist and moved his body around to show that he was perfectly fine.
Tsukishima's father looked at the clowning Kitamura Kou speechlessly.