Source
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n9627ht/59/
“How did this happen? ……”
I was stunned by the scene unfolding before me.
“Hey, Sakurai! You, come play with me!”
“Show me your full power.”
After being told this by Muto Senpai, the conversation proceeded quickly, and Coach Sudo put on full equipment, including leggings, to play the catcher.
Taiga-san put on a mask and other gear to play the umpire.
All the youth baseball players take up defensive positions in the outfield.
Towa-san is behind the back net watching the game unfold.
“Come! Sakurai!”
And then, standing in the right batter’s box is the ace Muto Ken, the ace of the Kaio High School baseball team and the top candidate for the first pick in the draft.
He is wearing a shirt and slacks, but he is wearing his own spikes, helmet, and bat.
He had been active in the club in the morning, so his body was probably quite warm.
My shoulder is pretty good thanks to the pitching practice I did with the coach.
And since I’m wearing my uniform, unlike Muto Senpai in his school uniform, there are no obstacles to my performance.
I-I guess I’ll just have to do it. ……!
Let’s throw with the intention of getting it off our chests!
I think, and turn my firm gaze to Taiga-san.
“Play ball!”
Hearing his voice, I took a big swing and went into a throwing motion.
No control mistakes are allowed.
I throw a straight ball low to the outfield.
I throw a straight ball with 70% of my power, just short of the low out.
Okay, I threw it on a good course!
However, Muto-senpai throws that straight ball…
“Don’t underestimate me! Sakurai!”
and he stepped to his left and pulled it as hard as he could toward left field!
Pulled it straight out of the outfield!?
Gain!!!
The sharply hit ball flew toward left with a sound
Bang!!!
and hit the fence in the ‘foul zone’.
What kind of power does an out-course straight get pulled and hit directly into the foul zone fence? ……
The first time I saw the ball, I was stunned at where it went, and Muto senpai carrying a bat on his shoulder said, as if he couldn’t hide his annoyance.
“What happened to that gutless straight! You could have hit that for a home run no matter where you threw it! That was an intentional foul!”
“…..I-I’m sorry!”
Muto senpai shrugs his shoulders and holds up his bat.
“Come on with everything you’ve got! Sakurai Kirito! coach Sudo is not the kind of player who can’t take your full force! Don’t underestimate him!”
“Y-Yes!!”
What a mistake I made! I’m not supposed to throw a lukewarm pitch like that!
Throwing a lukewarm pitch like that is not giving it your all!
It’s disrespectful to everyone!
“Coach Sudo! I have a favor to ask!
Please give me a rosin bag!”
“OK! Use this!”
Coach Sudo takes the rosin bag out of his butt pocket and hands it to me.
“Thank you!”
I use it to dust my left hand firmly with white powder.
Bang
and drop the rosin bag to the ground, white smoke drifts to my feet.
“…… cool.”
It looked like Towa san was muttering something like that when she saw me.
Yes, I don’t want her to see anything uncool.
I’m going to subdue this overpowered senpai and make her fall in love with me all over again!
I put my hat back on and took a big swing.
Here I go! My all-out pitch!
Muto-senpai laughed as he went into a pitching motion.
I’ll …… erase that smile!
With all his might, he swung his left arm down and slammed a straight ball into the out course, just as he had done earlier.
The roaring white ball whizzes 18.44 meters.
Bang!
With a sound, my straight throw lands in coach Sudo’s mitt.
“Straight!”
“Heee,……140, that’s a little over a hundred and forty.”
Muto Senpai, who was looking away from my straight and smiling, looked at me with a grin.
“It’s pretty fast. This is a high school freshman who just graduated from middle school? And you have good use of your arms. I’d like to see the data on the lapsword. The axis of rotation is also vertical, and there is no chute rotation. I’m guessing his RPM’s are over 2500.”
“Not many high school students …… or even college students have such a high quality straight. I’ve not seen anything like this since Ken.”
“He said he would never play baseball seriously again. This is a waste of skill”
I heard Taiga-san and coach Sudo having such a conversation.
I’m sorry. If I were to seriously play baseball in the future, it would be to charm Towa-san with a cool picture.
“That’s right, go throw that pitch!”
I throw a straight ball to the out-course once again to the senpai who is holding up his bat.
But
“You can’t hold me down on the outside alone!”
Clang!!
I step firmly into the air and send the ball flying, this time in the direction of the lights.
Bang!!!
And again, it hits the fence in the foul zone.
“You’ve got to throw it in-course or I won’t be able to hold you!”
“……!”
Incourse …… it’s a zone that reminds me of my middle school ‘nightmare’ ……
Can I throw it, now that I’m here. And it’s not a rubber ball, it’s a hardball……
The other guy is a potential treasure in the world of baseball. If I hit someone like that,……
“Kirito-kun!!! Good luck!”
“…..Towa san!”
Her cheering reaches my ears from behind the back net.
She puts her hands together and looks firmly at me.
Making sure she doesn’t miss my every move.
That’s right. I said I would dedicate every pitch from now on to her.
I can’t dedicate a pathetic ball to her!
“Sakurai-senpai! Please do your best!”
“Sakurai-senpai! Show us the coolest thing you’ve ever done!”
“Sakurai–senpai, you’re our idol! Please don’t let the past get the best of you!”
“Sakurai-senpai! Sakurai-senpai! Sakurai-senpai! Sakurai-senpai!”
“Everyone ……”
A shout out to me from the junior school kids guarding the back.
Haha ……If they say this much, I’ll just have to throw it ……!
I can do it. I’m sure I can throw it. Into the in-course.
And that too in the in-high, where control errors are not allowed!
I put on Rozin firmly and get into throwing motion.
I throw into the in-high ball zone.
If I make a mistake, it will be a dead ball.
If I’m afraid of that, it’s just a home run ball up the middle.
I swing my arm as hard as I can and control it well.
I should be able to throw it in now!!!! Be brave and go!!!!
Show Towa san and my lovely juniors how cool I am at my best!!!
The white ball I threw was not exactly what I was aiming for, but it gouged Muto-senpai in the chest.
Zuban!
“Ball!”
“You can do it, can’t you?”
Muto Senpai looked away without blinking at the straight ball in the in-high ball zone that passed right in front of him.
He didn’t seem to be moved at all. But the straight line should have been burned into his eyes.
One ball, two strikes.
It was time to choose the winning pitch.
I’ve been keeping it straight so far. A breaking ball would be good for the last.
Curves and sliders are pitches that Muto senpai, a right-handed hitter, can easily see the trajectory of.
However, my change-up has a screw-like trajectory that falls and sinks on the outcourse. It should be difficult for a right-handed hitter to hit it at first sight.
I gave coach Sudo the sign for my change-up and got into the motion for the pitch.
I aim for a changeup that is low to the outcourse and becomes a ball.
If he has an in-high straight ball burned into his eyes, he should be able to get his hands on it.
I swing my arm hard and firmly so that no one can tell by the swing of my arm that it is a change-up.
The change-up was thrown low to the outfield, and Muto senpai stepped forward at the right time to take a swing.
“I knew it was a good change-up pitch!”
“……!”
He knew it was a change-up. But from there, my changeup runs away and sinks!
“……! A screw?!”
Muto-senpai noticed that the trajectory of the change-up was in the ball zone, so he stopped his swing midway through to avoid swinging!
Seriously! How can he stop at that timing!
“I-it turns?”
“No. It’s a two-ball two-strike.”
Taiga-san, the ball referee, shook his head at my comment, and then made a peace sign with both hands. It was the sign for two balls, two strikes.
Oh no. …… what should I do? If I miss that pitch, I won’t have any pitches to throw. ……
As I was thinking that, coach Sudo gave me a sign.
“Straight, low, in-course.”
Coach Sudo smirks. Yes, this ball was still there.
I shook my head at the sign.
Then, from “the far end of the plate on the first base side,” I took a big swing and went into pitching motion.
Along with the low out pitch, this is another winning shot that left-handed pitchers throw with great power to right-handed batters.
It is called the “diagonal pitch” and is thrown low to the right batter’s inside track. It is a straight throw to the knees.
This is a straight shot that only fastballing southpaws are allowed to throw with all their might, aiming for a missed strikeout.
I swing my arm out as hard as I can!
And the white ball, the fastest of the day, flew in a straight line into the mitt of coach Sudo, who was poised at Muto senpai’s knee.
Zuban!!!
“Straaaaak!!!”
“Batter Out!!!!”
Taiga-san, raising his right hand, calls for three strikes.
“Yes!”
“W-Wait Taiga san! You sure it’s in there?”
Muto senpai and I, with both hands in the air, are approaching the referee, Taiga-san.
“No, it’s in. It was a beautiful cross fire.”
“Oh, I knew the moment he took it, but it was a strike.”
Muto senpai’s shoulders slumped as Coach Sudo and his son assured him.
“Ughh,……lost,…….”
No, Muto senpai,…… sure I held him down, but I could have hit him anytime I wanted to, couldn’t I?
I knew I was a great candidate for the top draft pick.
“Kirito-kun!!! That was very cool!”
“Haha. I think Muto-senpai was pretty out of touch with me. ……”
“Even so! I think that last pitch was awesome!”
Towa san’s eyes are sparkling.
Ah, if I could see her like this, I’m glad I gave it my all and got the results I did.
“It’s all thanks to you. If Towa san had not helped me get back on my feet that day, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“Fufufu. Then. I guess it’s mutual.”
As we were laughing like that.
“Sakurai-senpai was really cool!”
“That crossfire was numbing!”
“When are you coming back this time?”
“Will you watch my pitching form later?”
“Sakurai-senpai! Sakurai-senpai! Sakurai-senpai!”
And the juniors were gathering around me.
“Hah-ha. I have to go home today. But I’ll be back soon. And I want to thank you all.”
I bowed to my cute juniors.
“It’s because of your support that I’ve been able to overcome my past. Thank you for helping me get over the past.”
“We all love you, Sakurai-senpai! I’m honored if I could be of help!”
The team captain said on behalf of the team, and everyone hugged me.
“Haha! Guys, baseball is fun, isn’t it!”
“””Yes! It’s fun!”‘””
“I had a really good time today too!!!”
I could say that from the bottom of my heart after that summer day.
(TL/N : I really don’t like the ‘sports’ scenario and it confuses me…)
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