Chapter 4 - Marimo and the First Pitch
After the entrance and opening ceremonies, the past few days have been quiet.
As I may have mentioned before, this year's Hanamatsuri Academy has yet to officially launch the new student council that will help and correct the school society.
One member has already been decided.
It's the girl who served as the representative for the new students.
Her name is, if I remember correctly, Saeki-san.
However, it's a bit much to expect her to manage the student council after only three or four days of enrollment.
Therefore, her assembly is scheduled for the beginning of next week.
Honestly, even a week after enrollment seems like quite a bit of hard work, but she seems motivated, so I guess it's not my place to pour cold water on her enthusiasm.
Youth is a wonderful thing.
"Hey, hey, Kou-chan. What are you looking at?"
"A sports newspaper. I borrowed it from the library."
"Hmm, is it interesting?"
"Well, yeah. The professional baseball season has started, and I'm just enjoying checking out the numbers, like whether my favorite team won or how the players I support performed yesterday."
"Is that so?"
"...You're not interested, are you?"
"Hehe, you caught me! Because, you know, baseball is such a simple game."
That's a statement I can't ignore.
"Simple, you say! Professional baseball players, they go through blood, sweat, and tears. No, in the first place, while we're lazing around in the student council room, the future professional baseball players are living their youth tasting the iron."
"But in the end, baseball is just about hitting home runs, right?"
"Huh? ...Well, yes, indeed. Hitting home runs can certainly turn the game in your favor."
"A home run is basically just calculating the speed of the pitcher's ball with your eyes, then making a swing with the correct angle of incidence and adjusting your strength accordingly."
Hmm. I'm not quite sure what you're saying.
"So, you see, after calculating the mass and speed of the incoming baseball, and considering the bat's rebound power, you can roughly calculate in your head how far the ball will fly if you apply a certain amount of force. Of course, you need to build up your own strength to make use of that calculation, but since all the pro players are muscular and macho, it must be easy, right?"
That seems like a statement I could have ignored.
At first glance, it might seem like I'm committing the heinous act of ignoring a girl who's earnestly talking to me, but I wouldn't do such a thing if it were a normal girl.
"Ah! I know this girl! She's from Pure Girls! Hey, Kou-chan, do you know her?"
That's silly kid information number two.
I quickly get bored with arguments that can be easily refuted.
Once proven, I'm satisfied and just let it be.
As you can see, she naturally jumps to the next interest.
Like a home run ball.
"Hey, are you listening, Kou-chan?"
"I'm listening, I'm listening. That idol, what's-her-name, did the first pitch, right?"
"Yeah! Isn't that amazing? Uh, no pa..."
"Anyone could do that. Marimo could, with that theory of hers from earlier. Oh, that was about the batter, wasn't it? Then, calculate a new version for the pitcher. I'm curious to see how accurately girl Marimo can throw just based on theory."
"Wh-what are you saying!? Kou-chan, you pervert!"
Wait. Why am I being scolded now?
"What are you talking about? It should be easy for you, that's what I'm saying. Why don't we do it right here? It's not good to use a baseball, but look, there's some paper trash in that garbage can. I'll be the catcher, and you be pitcher Marimo."
As I was kneading the paper scraps into a ball like making a rice ball, Marimo turned red-faced, pointed her mouth, and shouted at me with a look of contempt.
"Kou-chan, you pervert! You lecher! You freak! I'm so disappointed in you!?"
Wait. Why am I being so disappointed now?
I don't remember saying anything that would warrant such scolding.
Just to be sure, I'm asking God.
Did I do something perverted, lecherous, or freakish?
If the answer is yes, then your tastes must be pretty twisted too, huh? Hey, God.
If it's forbidden to read a sports newspaper and talk to a girl normally, then you should first descend before me and clearly state what makes something perverted or lecherous.
After that, you can go back up to the sky with your twisted tastes, hey, God.
Seeing me tilt my head with a question mark icon above it, Marimo sighed deeply as if looking at a terribly made student or like Nobita's mom who's tired of him bringing home zero-point test papers.
What an insult.
If I, with the second-highest academic ability in the grade, can't answer the question, then perhaps the problem lies with the person who posed the question.
"Boys are really perverts! I believed in you, Kou-chan! It's not that I'm saying you can't be interested in perverted things. But you wouldn't normally do such things to a cute childhood friend, right!? I'm in despair, Kou-chan! Utterly in despair!"
Am I not your cool childhood friend?
The suspicion is still unclear, but aren't you despairing over your precious childhood friend on your own?
Wait, am I really that much of a pervert?
"So what's the big deal! I just invited you to try imitating the first pitch written here. Was it that bad?"
Marimo seemed to have decided there was no room for argument and then took a deep breath and shouted.
I sent my deep gratitude towards the walls of the student council room, known for their high soundproofing effect. And I didn't forget to bow.
"You can't throw a ball without wearing pants!!"
—Ah. I see, I see. Now I understand everything.
"Look closely, Marimo."
"Don't show me such text so intently!"
"Then I'll read it for you."
"Don't read it so gleefully!"
Ignoring her pleas, I say,
"It's a no-bounce first pitch. No-bounce. Not no-pants."
"...Eh!?"
It's a common trick in sports newspapers to overlay the word "no-bounce" with an idol's name to tickle the dirty minds of old men.
I wonder if there are high school girls who would fall for such a thing.
Well, there's one right in front of me.
I hope there aren't any more silly kids like this in the world.
"Ahahaha! Well done, you saw right through it, Kou-chan! I, I knew it from the beginning and deliberately tested you! Hahaha, you're something else, hahaha..."
I'll store this blushing face in the secret folder in my mind.
"Alright, here I go!!"
"Sure. Anytime you're ready."
"Take this!!"
"Splash!"
Afterward, Marimo's mysterious theory was put to the test, and a fast ball hit me in the face.
I was relieved it wasn't a hard ball and thought, "Maybe your physical abilities are just cheating?" but I kept quiet because it seemed like it would be a hassle.
Because Marimo went to pick up the rolled paper ball with the happy look of a Shiba Inu playing with a ball.
With that, I also want to perfectly catch it next time and show the pride of a man.
P.S.
...It was impossible.