The Blonde Saint Only Makes Strange Noises In Front Of Me, What Should I Do? - Episode 26: Light Pink Magic Ball (Part 1)

Episode 26: Light Pink Magic Ball (Part 1)

Perhaps it was because it was a weekday evening and no one was using the baseball field on the riverbed,  I could stretch out and play catch without worrying about my surroundings. I hadn’t played catch since I was in elementary school. I even missed the feel of the glove. Not that I was a baseball player, but I used to play baseball every day with my friends after school like this.

I wonder what the guys I played with back then are doing now. Thinking about this, I threw the ball that Sana had thrown to me towards Asuka. Asuka then threw the ball to Kazuharu, who threw it to Sana again. The order of throwing was: Sana ➾ me ➾ Asuka ➾ Kazuharu ⇒ Sana in a loop.

Sana, as expected of her outstanding athleticism, took the ball as usual. However, when Sana threw the ball hard, I couldn’t catch it well and drop it.

“Hey, you’ve got to catch it. I’m throwing it right down the middle, aren’t I?”

Sana said a little unhappily as the pitch fell for the second time.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, sorry.”

I apologized, tilted my head, picked up the ball, and threw it at Asuka.

I thought I had just caught it properly. It’s a strange feeling. This has been happening a few times now, and even when I catch it, it doesn’t feel right. It’s like my core is off, or something.

“Oh, Kaoru-kun. I’d like to throw it as hard as I can, if that’s okay?”

As she threw the ball a few times, she seemed to be having a lot of fun. Sana’s eyes were shining.

She was throwing the ball with a little more force than before, so I could somehow tell that she wanted to throw the ball as hard as she could.

“All right, but don’t throw it into the river.”

“No, I won’t.”

As she said that, I moved to the back net and sat down in front of home base like a catcher. It’s not a catcher’s mitt, but it’s a girl’s ball, so it should be okay. As long as she doesn’t throw it too hard, I should be able to handle it.

“Oh, I’m going to be able to see Itsuki Sana give it her all? I’m looking forward to it.”

“This is rare.”

Kazuharu and Asuka came up to the batter’s box as if to say it was an interesting spectacle.

“Hey, don’t go hard on me.”

”It’s fine, it’s fine.” Kazuharu shushed Sana as he said that.

“You want me to throw from here?

Sana stood on the pitcher’s mound and leaned her head.

“It’s too far from there, you can go closer. I’ve heard it’s hard to throw a no-bound on a girl’s shoulder.”

The distance from the pitcher’s mound to home base is 18.44 meters, which is a bit far for a girl with no baseball experience to throw.

Although celebrities often throw out the first pitch, there are not many people who can get it from the mound to home base – and if it’s a strike.

“Is that so? Well then, I’ll give it a shot from here.”

I’m sorry if I throw it in the wrong place, she added, and stood on the pitcher’s mound. Even if it bounces off the ground and I can’t get it off, I’m sure the back net will help.

I don’t know why she has this strange rivalry with me. I’ve only known her for a few days, but she’s pretty competitive. It was the same when we were playing the game.

“Okay, then throw it at this mitt.”

With her aqua blue eyes, she looked at my mitt and nodded her head.

Her expression is that of a pitcher. It’s serious.

Then, after taking a breath, Sana – probably imitating her – swung at it and threw it overhand as hard as she could. Her long blonde hair was swept away by the wind.

“Aaaaa…”

“Ooooo…”

Kazuharu and Asuka, who were beside her, let out a yelp. The moment I threw the ball, I saw a light pink fabric fluttering from inside Sana’s skirt.

I was torn between wanting to yell, “Hey, you guys, don’t look at it!” and wanting to take a closer look, but before I could even think about it, the white ball came flying towards my mitt.

(Wait, wait. Isn’t it normally fast? I mean, there’s plenty of time to deliver this—)

I hurriedly returned my attention from the pink fabric to the ball, and tried to catch the ball just as it arrived—

Quickly. The ball bent in my hand. Thanks to my hasty shifting of my glove, the ball settled into my glove with a creek sound. My hand hurts.

“Yes! I got it! That was a strike, right?”

I nodded and said, “Yes! It was amazing!” Sana was jumping up and down with joy.

“…Really fast. I mean, Itsuki-san’s throws are usually pretty fast, aren’t they?”

“I wish I had a speed gun. I don’t think it was a hundred kilometers, but it was ….pretty fast.”

“So, Itsuki-san’s tension is pretty high…”

“I don’t know how to respond to that because there’s so much information. …Also, it was pink.”

“It was light pink.”

Kazuharu and Asuka looked at each other with a wry smile on their faces.

(No, no, it was fast, it was accurate, it was light pink, but more importantly, it curverd! Didn’t these guys notice?)

Could it be a moving ball? (Didn’t they notice?) Maybe it was a moving ball, or maybe her grip was weird and it bent like a two-seam ball.

By the way, a two-seam ball is thrown by placing your index and middle fingers on the two seams of the ball. The ball is straight with a subtle bend.

I went to the pitcher’s mound once to ask her what kind of grip she had on the ball.