<157> Sawamura's Instinctive Pitch!

Chapter 157: Sawamura's Instinctive Pitch!

Early Morning at 6:30!

"Hmm... Ah?"

As Fumino gradually opened her eyes, she realized that she was entirely nestled in Sendo's arms.

The two of them were tightly holding each other, and thanks to neither having the habit of tossing and turning while asleep, they had spent the entire night like that.

Fumino, now awake, slightly lifted her head, her expression a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

However, she refrained from making any noise that might disturb him.

"His sleeping face is so peaceful... and cute! He's really handsome, with such fair skin. And his hair—still perfectly styled! It seems what his grandmother said about his naturally strong hair is true. So enviable!" Fumino thought to herself as she quietly observed Sendo's sleeping face.

After a moment of admiration, her head slowly returned to the same spot where it had been resting earlier—a small hollow near Sendo's neck that seemed perfectly designed to cradle her head.

Feeling a sudden impulse, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, holding it for about five seconds.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned her head to the hollow by his neck and chin.

"Does this count as my first kiss?" she wondered, a sense of satisfaction washing over her.

Yet, unable to resist, she mischievously moved her head again and planted a small kiss on his neck.

She decided to linger a little longer in this cozy spot.

Suddenly, in his sleep, Sendo shifted positions, and with a subtle roll, he ended up partially on top of Fumino, pinning her beneath him.

Though he wasn't entirely on top of her, Fumino didn't resist.

Time passed unnoticed until she reluctantly wriggled out of his embrace.

Sendo, true to his lazy nature, remained sound asleep despite her movements.

Quietly, she grabbed her clothes and went out to change before heading downstairs.

...

"Ah, you're up, Fumino! Did you sleep well?" Sendo's grandmother greeted her warmly as she came downstairs.

"Yes, thank you," Fumino replied politely.

Sendo's grandfather was also present, preventing his grandmother from prying into what had happened between the two the night before.

"He's still sleeping, isn't he? Knowing him, he probably won't wake up until past eight. If you ask him, he'll just say, 'Waking up early won't make you better at baseball, and waking up late won't make you worse,'" Fumino imitated Sendo with a playful smirk, even using her left hand to mimic his mannerisms.

"That sounds just like him! He'd definitely say something like that," Sendo's grandmother chuckled, approving of her spot-on impression.

"That boy has never been one to stress about anything. He's always so confident, knowing exactly what he can do and what he just has to trust others for. You don't have to worry about him—he's never been flustered a day in his life. He knows his limits," his grandfather chimed in.

"I heard he told everyone yesterday to head to the field on their own. He probably just wanted to sleep in a little more," Fumino added as she began helping his grandmother in the kitchen, preparing ingredients and arranging dishes.

Despite her culinary shortcomings, Fumino was self-aware enough to avoid trying to cook unless she felt absolutely confident.

...

After breakfast, Sendo's grandparents left early to meet Sawamura's grandparents and secure seats in the stadium's family section.

However, even with reserved spots, they wanted to arrive early to chat. This left Fumino waiting alone for Sendo to wake up.

...

By 8:30 AM, Fumino finally lost her patience.

"How long are you planning to sleep? If you don't get up now, you'll miss breakfast—and worse, you'll be late for the game!" she called out as she opened his door.

Thud!

...

Meanwhile, at the stadium, the game was about to begin, but there was no sign of Sendo.

"That guy really told us to come by ourselves just so he could sleep in!" Sawamura grumbled, frustrated by Sendo's absence.

"You just figured that out now?" the others silently thought to themselves.

"Anyway, Sendo will probably show up just before they submit the roster," one of the players speculated.

"Hmph. Typical," Sawamura muttered, eliciting a round of laughter.

...

When the lineup was announced and the cleanup hitter was revealed to be Sawamura instead of Sendo, the audience was stunned.

"What's going on? Where's Sendo?"

"I don't see him on the bench either!"

"Does anyone know what happened? I came here just to see his batting!"

Even Takashima Rei, standing in the audience, was visibly shocked.

Sendo's grandfather frantically dialed his phone, but no matter how many times he tried, it went unanswered.

The same happened when he tried calling Fumino.

Worried, the elderly couple hurried home.

...

With Sendo missing, Akagi's players were visibly out of sorts.

Their faces betrayed emotions ranging from confusion and worry to disappointment, none of which were conducive to playing well.

Even Sawamura, usually confident, couldn't hide his unease.

The absence of their star player turned the team into a shadow of its former self.

Their batting lineup, paralyzed by anxiety, struggled to connect with the ball, leading to three consecutive strikeouts in the first inning.

Sawamura did his best to hold the opposing team at bay with his pitching, but without Sendo's strategic guidance, mistakes began piling up.

Defensive errors that hadn't been seen in two years resurfaced, leaving the team floundering.

By the third inning, Akagi was trailing by four runs.

Though their batting lineup began to recover, their concentration issues persisted, and the team was far from its usual self.

The spectators, while sympathetic, struggled to muster the enthusiasm to cheer for such a lackluster performance.

Without Sendo, both the players and the fans felt an undeniable void.

Where had Sendo gone? No one had the answer.

...

As Fumino opened Sendo's door, she froze in shock at the sight of him curled up under the blanket, clearly in excruciating pain.

The backpack she had been holding slipped from her hand and hit the floor.

"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Fumino panicked, her mind spinning, unsure of what to do.

"Right, an ambulance!" Regaining a shred of composure, she quickly dialed emergency services.

The ambulance arrived promptly and took Sendo away, with Fumino accompanying him.

In her rush, she silenced her phone to avoid disturbances, while Sendo's phone remained forgotten at home.

This explained why neither of their phones were answering the frantic calls.

At the hospital, tests revealed it was nothing more than an acute case of enteritis, albeit an unusually severe and painful one.

Throughout the ordeal, Fumino stayed by his side, witnessing sweat the size of beads streaming endlessly down his forehead.

Despite the intense pain, Sendo remained silent, clutching his abdomen tightly, his resolve to not make a sound astounding even the hospital staff.

...

Meanwhile, the game had reached its late stages. Akagi, plagued by defensive errors and a lack of spirit, struggled to stay in contention.

Their only hope was a miraculous comeback from the offense once they regained their focus.

...

After receiving treatment, Sendo's pain had subsided, but the toll it took left him utterly drained, lying silently on the hospital bed.

About ten minutes earlier, Fumino had remembered her phone was on silent and discovered dozens of missed calls.

She immediately called Sendo's grandfather to explain the situation.

Upon hearing the news, relief washed over everyone.

Unfortunately, with the game underway, there was no way to relay the information to the team on the field.

Sendo, overhearing Fumino's conversation, clenched his fist in frustration.

Despite knowing it wasn't his fault, he was consumed by guilt.

...

"Damn it! How could it end like this? What the hell am I doing? Why? Why did this happen now, of all times? This was supposed to be everyone's final summer!"

Sendo's anger and self-loathing threatened to overwhelm him as he recalled the past three years.

The pride, the confidence, the smiles of his teammates—all of it felt shattered by his own failure.

He remembered how, just a week ago during the intense game against Tokugawa, his teammates had smiled at him, telling him to make this final summer the best one yet.

And yet, here he was, having ruined it all.

Even though he understood it was beyond his control, that it wasn't because of laziness or negligence, the outcome remained the same.

What hurt the most was knowing there was no way to make amends.

This summer marked the end of their journey together.

Sawamura would part ways with his teammates to pursue his talent at a higher level, leaving Sendo with no chance to redeem himself.

Sendo's strong heart, the one that had always carried him through adversity, couldn't mask his pain this time.

His left hand trembled as he grappled with the weight of his emotions.

...

Noticing his distress, Fumino gently took his trembling hand in hers.

Though Sendo didn't react, she leaned in, resting her head near his neck like a small, comforting animal. Without saying a word, she conveyed her support, silently sharing in his pain.

In both their hearts, the same thought echoed:

"Ganbatte, minna! (Keep fighting, everyone!)"

...

Back on the field, the game had turned into a fierce battle of endurance.

Akagi's defense remained shaky, but their offense grew increasingly aggressive, clawing their way back to tie the game at 7-7 in the seventh inning.

With the game on the line, every player fought desperately to push it into extra innings.

The final inning came down to a tense moment: bases loaded, two outs, a full count.

Sawamura, embodying the instincts of a natural pitcher, threw an extraordinary pitch with an unprecedentedly high leg kick.

The result mirrored the original storyline—an uncatchable wild pitch that led to Akagi's loss.

High above the field, Takashima Rei watched in awe, her determination solidified.

This wasn't just about Sawamura anymore; Akagi's players had captured her attention.

"I want them," she thought, her resolve firm.

Though Akagi's summer had come to an end, Takashima vowed to do everything in her power to bring both Sawamura and Sendo to Seidou High School's baseball team—assuming Sendo's health allowed him to continue playing.

...

For Akagi, this was the end of a bittersweet journey.

Their summer had concluded, not with a triumphant bang, but with a lesson in resilience, camaraderie, and the unpredictable nature of baseball.