Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9627ht/58/
“Her name is Kitajima Towa san. She is the woman I want to marry.”
At these words, Towa san, who was behind me, walked to my side.
“My name is Kitajima Towa, and I am pleased to introduce myself to you. He told me, ‘I want to introduce you to someone who has been very helpful to me,’ and here I am. If I see the players on the ground, I can clearly see what a good leader coach Sudo is. I believe that coach Sudo’s guidance is at the root of your kindness and sincerity.”
At Towa san’s words, coach Sudo laughed happily.
“I don’t want to raise people who are ‘good at baseball’. Especially in elementary school kids like these guys. I value ‘greetings’ and ‘civility’ more than that. Well, it is what is called ‘common sense’ in society. And I believe that if they learn these things, even if they leave baseball, they will treasure them for the rest of their lives.”
“I think that’s a very wonderful thought.”
At Towa san’s words, coach Sudo looks at me and smirks.
“now thanks to all that ‘common sense’ I drilled into you, you’re bringing in such a solid, pretty girl, huh?”
“Haha. She’s too good for me.”
When I said this, coach Sudo pondered for a moment and then made this suggestion.
“Kitajima-san. Have you ever seen Sakurai playing baseball seriously, especially the part where he is throwing the ball? Have you ever seen him throw a ball?”
“No, I have not. I have only seen him hitting at the batting center and hitting a home run in softball during gym class and breaking the window of the school building.”
Towa san’s words make coach Sudo laugh.
“T-Towa san……you don’t have to tell him I broke the window of the school building.”
I protest to her with a bitter smile.
“Hey, Sakurai. There’s a spare pair of my uniforms in the locker room, so go change into them. You can wear my spikes, too, right?”
“…… Eh?”
W-What are you talking about, coach Sudo?
“I’ve got a left-handed glove, and after you do your warm-up exercises and play catch, you can take the pitching mound.”
“Eeeeeeeehhhh!!!??”
You’re serious!?
“Well, now that she’s here. Why don’t you show her your coolest look?”
Coach Sudo smirks.
He knows about ‘that incident’ of mine.
But looking at me now, he knows I’ve ‘gotten over it.
“Yes. I want to see it too!”
“T-Towa san?!”
She looks at me with sparkling eyes and I flinch for a moment.
“…… Okay. I’ll go change my clothes.”
I said and handed the bag of sports drink in my hand to coach Sudo.
“Here’s a little something for you. Please have a drink with everyone while we prepare. I gave her the chocolate bar, so you can have that too.”
“Oh! Thanks for everything!”
The coach says, and accepts the gift with a smile.
Then I tell the players who have been waiting in line behind him.
“Sakurai’s got something for you! All of you! Bow!!!”
“Thank you very much.!!”
Nineteen elementary school students bowed their heads in unison.
“I-it’s overwhelming. ……”
“Haha …… then wait a bit.”
I left it at that and walked toward the locker room.
After bowing to the ground, I walked out and headed for the changing rooms inside the stadium.
“Changing Rooms.”
I knocked on the door, and after checking to make sure no one was there, I opened the door.
Inside, my belongings are neatly organized, and I can see the coach’s unchanging leadership skills.
I opened the locker coach Sudo uses, which should be the same as before.
Inside were spare uniforms and spikes.
Although he is taller than me, his foot size is the same, 29cm.
The uniform was a spare, but it had been properly laundered.
I neatly took off my one-of-a-kind uniform, folded it up, and put it away in my locker.
Then I put on the coach’s uniform and put on the spikes.
When I put on my hat, I look like a baseball player.
When I look at my reflection in the mirror, I feel tightened up.
Of course. I want to look good, don’t I?
I leave the locker room and head toward the field.
Then, I bow and step onto the field.
“Thank you for waiting.”
“All right, let’s do some warm-ups and then we’ll play catch. I’ve got the gloves right there ready for you!”
Coach Sudo’s gaze fell on a left-handed glove.
“Thank you.”
I thank him and begin my warm-up exercises.
I firmly stretch my arms, elbows, and shoulder muscles.
Then I go on to stretch the lower half of my body.
My body gradually warms up, and the voltage of my motivation rises.
“Coach. Let’s start with a light game of catch!”
“I’ve been waiting for it!”
The coach replies in a very happy way.
I’m sure this “I’ve been waiting” doesn’t just mean now, but also since summer.
And I’m excited, too, because it’s been a while since I’ve been able to play catch with the coach.
I pick up the glove I put down.
“…… Huh?”
Unlike the glove for softball, the skin is thicker.
When I looked inside the glove, I saw a hardball in it.
“Coach Sudo! This! It’s a hard ball!!”
The coach laughs at my words.
“You’re in high school now, so why don’t you just use a hardball? You’ve even touched it for fun!”
Well, ……yeah
Although I am puzzled by the feeling that this is not my first time, it is an opportunity for me to enjoy it.
“Roger that!!! Let’s have some fun!”
I put on my glove and grip the hard ball.
I start catching the ball from a distance of about 10 meters.
I throw the ball at the coach’s chest.
The weight of the ball is different from that of a softball, and I am puzzled, but the ball is controlled and reaches the coach’s chest.
Patsun!
I hear a nice sound.
“Good spin!”
“Thank you.”
Patsun! Patsun! Patsun!
And we play catch with our conversation.
Fun!!! Really fun!
Catching the ball is still fun.
And after repeating the catch at a distance of about 20 meters, the coach said.
“All right, Sakurai! Go to the mound!”
“Yes!”
I followed the coach’s instruction and ran to the mound.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen Sakurai-senpai’s pitching practice! Everyone, move your asses!”
“Yeah!”
The elementary school students all run to the back of the back net at once.
“Come on, Sakurai-senpai’s girlfriend, this way, this way!”
“Eh……, Ah, yes!!”
Towa-san also goes to the back of the back net, accompanied by the elementary school students.
“This is a first-class seat, so I’ll give it to Girlfriend san.”
“T-thank you very much.”
“Sakurai-senpai. Usually, he is a soft and gentle person, but when he throws the ball, he is as cool as a different person.”
“His fastball is fast, his breaking ball is sharp, he has good control, and most importantly, he has a cool pitching form!”
“A fast left fielder is the ideal of a man, isn’t he? A technical guy is not bad, but a straight ball has to be fast.”
“He not only brings us goodies, but he also comes along to practice with us, so there is no one on this team who is not a fan of Sakurai-senpai.”
“So, Kirito-kun is well-liked. I’m glad too.”
“Until recently, we used to practice pitching once or twice a month with the coach like this,”
“Since last summer, he’s been a little gloomy. He’d bring us food and help us practice with tossing, but he’d never throw a ball like this. But when I look at him now, he looks like he’s back to normal, so I’m a little relieved.”
“I’m probably going to like him again. Sakurai-senpai is really cool on the mound.”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
What a conversation I heard.
Oh, I hope I’m not raising expectations too much. ……
“First, stand up and throw 10 pitches. After that, go sit down and throw mainly straight pitches. The breaking ball comes after that!”
“Yes!!!”
I get my instructions from the coach, who’s in front of the back net.
I brush the dirt off the plate on the mound with my foot and dig a hole where I will step my right foot.
I turn my left arm lightly and look ahead and my eyes meet Towa san’s behind the back net.
I give her a light cheek smile and say to her.
“Thanks to your words, I’m standing here again. Thank you, Towa san. From here on out, all my pitches are dedicated to you!”
Towa san’s face turned red at my words.
Cute. Very cute.
“I don’t care if you’re flirting with her, but I won’t forgive you if you throw a ball that’s too feckless!”
coach Sudo said with a laugh.
“Coach, please don’t be careless and get a broken finger!”
“Don’t be so careless! I’ll take even a straight ball of 160 kilometers with a little time to spare!”
The coach holds up his catcher’s mitt.
I quit smiling and started to pitch with a serious expression on my face.
“I’m going!”
“Come on!”
A pitching technique called “windup” in which the pitcher throws with a big swing.
It has nothing to do with the power of the pitch. What is said is that it is cool, so of course it takes precedence over everything else.
The right leg is swung wide, the glove is placed in front of the chest, the center of gravity is placed firmly on the left leg, and then the weight is shifted to the right leg.
Lower the right foot onto the foothold you have created and place your weight on it. At this point, firmly build a wall with the right arm so that the upper body does not stick out and the shoulders do not open.
Keep the upper body upright and do not sink the lower body deeply. The image is that of a throw down from above at an angle.
The swing of the arm is called an overthrow. The elbow is raised and swung down in a firm vertical motion.
The left arm is swung like a whip, with an awareness of the flexion of the arm from the rotation of the lower half of the body.
Stand up with the wrist and make a tight spin on the ball with a snap.
I am conscious of a pitching form that produces power rather than a form that makes it difficult to see where the arm is coming from, which is often seen in southpaws.
My pitching form is modeled after that of Imanaka Shinji san
The way he throws is really cool.
I watched videos of him many times and repeated shadowing him many times.
I have an image of him throwing waist high, but he uses his lower body well, so he is not a hand thrower by any means.
And I throw the ball with about 70% effort.
Bashin!
The ball lands in the mitt.
I could not throw with even this amount of force when I was in junior high school.
“Nice ball!”
“Thank you!”
And after I repeat about 70% of my pitches.
“Next time, sit down and throw 10 straight pitches!”
“Yes!”
The coach sits down and demands the ball.
He’s poised in the middle of the field and I throw the ball into the middle of the field.
Bashin!
“Next! Outcourse!”
Bashin!
“Next! In course!”
Bashin!
I throw the ball exactly where the coach has set it up.
If you throw 70% of your pitches, control errors don’t happen that often.
I looked behind the back net and saw Towa-san looking at me with a twinkle in her eye.
Hahhaha. Not a bad feeling.
Then, as I threw a curve, a slider, and a change-up
“You’re doing something interesting!”
A voice echoed on the ground.
“…… what?”
I looked in the direction of the voices and saw two gussied-up men standing there.
“Oh! Muto and Taiga, isn’t it!”
The coach looked at them and laughed.
Sudo Taiga san. He is the coach’s son.
And the person next to him is Kirisaki-senpai’s best friend and the ace of the baseball team.
He is Muto Ken senpai
They bowed to the ground and came over to us.
“I finished my club activities in the morning, so I came over with some goodies to play with, and you’re having fun, aren’t you?”
Muto Senpai looks at me and says with a smile.
“You’re Sakurai Kirito, right? The guy Yuto wanted.”
“YY-yes! That’s right!”
When I replied, Muto-senpai said
“You were a member of the baseball team in name only. I heard lightly that you can’t throw because of the yips, but that doesn’t seem to be the case, does it?”
He asked.
“Yes! Thanks to the girl over there, I can now throw.”
When I replied, Muto-senpai grinned and said
“Hey, Sakurai! Come on, you, let’s play with me!
Show me what you can do.”
That’s what he said.
(TL/N : This ‘sports’ scenario will remain for 2 chaps at least…I don’t know about you guys but I found it boring)
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