"So fast!?"
Honestly, a girl as a pitcher is clearly not very suitable, because what a pitcher needs most is arm strength, and there is a natural physical difference between men and women in this regard. However, Lemon easily threw a baseball at nearly 120 km/h.
"I'm just warming up. Pitching isn't just about power; it's also about control and technique." Lemon bent down to pick up a ball, looking triumphant. Kiyono felt that her athletic talent was far superior to his.
A large bucket full of balls was at her feet, showing the girl's excitement—she had always looked forward to fighting alongside Kiyono like this, even if it meant playing ball all day.
"Hmph, that's all there is to it. If you don't keep improving, you'll be easily hit out."
Kiyono raised his bat. How should he put it? If he were facing someone else, he might not feel much, but if it was this innocent, straightforward girl in front of him, he felt his fighting spirit ignite.
Whoosh, clang.
Ah, that looks like so much fun.
Eriri sat to the side, watching the two of them, sighing softly. She had never understood the charm of baseball before… In fact, even now, what truly moved her was the atmosphere they exuded at that moment.
"Hey, you blonde young lady over there, go pick up the balls!" Kiyono shouted.
"You're actually telling me to pick up balls!?"
"Otherwise, what do you think I brought you here for?" The boy looked completely justified.
Ugh, how mean.
"I–I'm going to die…"
As the sun set, Eriri lay on the field, looking utterly lifeless, almost groaning. She no longer cared about her image as a young lady. Lemon wasn't much better, lying peacefully on the other side.
Kiyono went to a nearby convenience store and bought some hot food and drinks, which he handed to her.
Even though she craved them, she still thanked him elegantly before taking the drinks and food.
She opened the soda cap and gulped down half the soda, even burping from the carbonation. A blush spread across her pretty face as she secretly glanced at Kiyono.
Kiyono didn't pay any attention to this. He drank a bottle of water and ate a hot dog bun. Eriri had initially wanted to complain, but when she saw the boy pick up the bat again, she suddenly swallowed her words and looked stunned:
"Are you still going to play?"
"Because it feels really fun," he said with a smile. "Besides, I haven't reached my limit yet. Don't worry, I'll stop at the appropriate time."
"In that case—"
The athletic girl jumped up, a combative expression on her face. "I can keep going too! Right now, I'm the strongest pitcher who doesn't need to worry about future physical effects!"
Eriri's expression was extremely complex. Why were these guys pushing themselves so hard? Were they trying to demonstrate the theory of effort to her? That was the only thing she could be sure it wasn't.
She sighed deeply and lay on her back on the grass, gazing at the gradually appearing night sky and stars. A strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
She was incredibly tired, as if her thighs didn't belong to her, but she felt so relaxed. She didn't need to think about those messy things anymore. Looking up at the night sky, her heightened emotions made her want to express something involuntarily.
How could her mood calm down when she saw them like that?
After saying goodbye to Eriri and Lemon, Kiyono, dragging his incredibly sore body and arms, slowly opened his front door.
"…Welcome home, Kiyono."
In that instant, he seemed to see an angel.
Under the soft light, the black-haired girl, with a beautiful waist-length black ponytail, wore a vintage-style apron with a large bow at her waist. She stood naturally in the kitchen, her face slightly flushed, and waved at him.
Because he often saw Sister Hina, Kiyono wasn't too shocked. He tentatively said:
"Why are you here?"
Yukino pursed her lips, turned around, and continued cooking. After a while, the girl's slightly softer, awkward voice, accompanied by the gurgling sounds from the kitchen, began to speak.
"Aren't you going to participate in next week's baseball game? Anyway, with your personality, you'd probably practice silently until you collapse, right? I have a duty to look after you and supplement your nutrition."
After all, this was also for her.
Was this… Yukino's unique tsundere-style concern?
Kiyono blinked and said with a smile, "Then I'll ask you to serve me two more bowls of rice."
"…Mm."
After eating Yukino's special dinner, Kiyono lay on the sofa, drowsy. The television program rustled, and the sound of washing dishes in the kitchen was reassuring.
At one point, the television sound suddenly stopped, and footsteps sounded. He felt someone sit next to him, and a soft touch came from his shoulder.
"You must protect your shoulder blades and hands well."
Her gentle voice blurred the line between reality and dream, and he slowly fell into a world of tenderness.
Today, Eriri slept exceptionally soundly. Although her body was incredibly tired, she didn't have any annoying or disheartening dreams. She slept beautifully until morning, at the cost of waking up half an hour later than usual.
Baseball.
This was the first thought that came to her mind, or rather, a certain person's face.
She seemed to be reconnected with the world. The girl was radiant and habitually pulled back the curtains—
She rubbed her eyes.
Was it a hallucination?
Downstairs, the boy, with a sunny smile, waved at her.
So dazzling.
Eriri showed an embarrassed expression, feeling that if this continued, she would soon be writing a summer film.
Today was still a hot summer day. Eriri could clearly feel that Kiyono and Lemon's strength and vitality were not as abundant as yesterday. This was natural, as they had experienced high-intensity training right from the start.
Even so, their enthusiasm had not diminished in the slightest.
"Kiyono, your swing speed has slowed down. If you perform like this on the field, you won't be able to impress the audience."
Lemon seemed to be in much better condition. She had been exercising since she was a child and knew how to eliminate physical fatigue.
"I'm charging up a special move."
Exercise is not something that can be achieved overnight. In fact, he felt even worse today than yesterday, but he didn't care. He just kept practicing, at least doing everything he could.
Swing, swing, swing.
His eyes saw only the white balls flying towards him, one after another.
Lemon's pitching skills were also constantly improving. Various tricky pitches alternated in attack, keeping his mind highly focused. The two of them stared at each other, their gazes somewhere between combative and gentle.
Whoosh, clang.
Just as Lemon was about to throw another soft pitch, Kiyono's baseball bat suddenly fell to the ground.
"What's wrong?"
The two girls' hearts tightened simultaneously, and they quickly ran over.
Their gaze focused on the boy's arm, finding it shaking uncontrollably. There were also faint bloodstains on the grip of the metal bat on the ground.
"It's nothing, I'll be fine after a short rest."
Although he wasn't in good shape, his mood was inexplicably excited, with a faint feeling of reaching his limit and breaking through. He simply sat cross-legged on the grass.
Lemon, who was beside him, took his hand and helped him remove his batting glove, revealing that his skin was indeed broken and bleeding.
The athletic girl pursed her lips, showing a helpless expression. If it were an ordinary girl facing this situation, she would definitely comfort him and stop him from continuing to play, but she was already used to such things. Although she felt pity, her approach was very concise.
"Remember to take good care of it afterward. Just get through these few days."
"Don't worry, I have my exclusive coach."
Why… go to such lengths?
Eriri's heart was deeply moved, and her eyes sparkled with moisture.
It was the first time she had seen Kiyono practice so hard. No, he must have done his best in places she couldn't see, too.
Lemon also lay down beside him, looking at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky. Beside her was the man to whom she could pour all her passion. Her mood was incredibly high.
She turned her head.
"Kiyono, will you become a baseball player and aim for Koshien in the future? Even if it's not baseball, whatever sport you want to pursue, I'll be with you—"
"No way, it doesn't pay enough." Kiyono's voice was filled with a businessman's greed.
"So materialistic!?"
Lemon extended her fist and punched him.
"Then, when I'm competing in a tournament, will you come with me?"
"Only if it's occasionally." His words were still stubborn.
Eriri just watched the two of them silently. An atmosphere she couldn't join enveloped them, and that should have been her place. For a moment, emotion, regret, and a faint flame all appeared in her heart.
"Come on, let's continue." About ten minutes later, Kiyono stood up, pulled down the brim of his cap, and raised his bat.
"—I'll be with you."
Lemon just gave a bright smile.
She knew that Kiyono was already very tired, and stopping here today would be a normal person's thought—but as an athlete, she knew very well that some things could only be mastered through such training. Kiyono's moment was almost here, and his passion deeply moved her.
"If you don't catch my next ten pitches, I won't practice with you anymore today," she said deliberately.
"Bring it on, I've entered phase two," Kiyono chuckled.
Whoosh.
He moved about three centimeters based on instinct, but his movements were a bit sluggish, and the ball flew straight out to the left.
In that case, he would relax his right wrist slightly and hit with a more relaxed posture.
—Whoosh, whoosh.
The first few balls indeed missed. Lemon thought the same would happen next, because he could no longer control his body as he wished. She could understand that feeling.
But, huh?
On the ninth pitch, Kiyono raised his bat with an incredibly relaxed and fluid posture.
Then—
Clang.
The clearest sound of a hit in the past two days echoed in their ears.
It was an incredibly graceful hit, as beautiful as a fleeting rainbow.
—Ah.
"Was that… a home run?"
Eriri stared blankly at the white ball. He had clearly, clearly reached his limit…
Her eyes welled up, and she almost shed tears.
Why? She could inexplicably understand this feeling. It was a miracle that only occurred when one was fully immersed in something, so tired that one couldn't think. Because of the fatigue, neither the body nor the mind could exert force, and it was at such a time…
One would enter a very strange state, as if the brain and body were synchronized. The mind became clear, movements became fluid, and the body naturally chose the most suitable way.
Ah, so they were the same.
"Hmph, it's not that hard, hahaha…"
Hearing Kiyono's laughter, Eriri also relaxed all her strength, feeling as if her weight had halved.
"Amazing, really, you're a genius!"
By the time she realized it, the words had already slipped out.