Date a Live:This is not the date I wanted! Chapter 418 418: Shido Juniors (Part 7)

—Clang!

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the baseball flew into the air, hitting the ceiling of the batting cage.

[Guh... I-I lost.]

After Yutsuki hit a walk-off ho run, Shiratama-chan in the screen flushed red. Glaring at Yutsuki with teary eyes, she finally unwillingly admitted her defeat.

[B-But, don't get cocky! Next ti, I will definitely return this humiliation to you twofold. You're not allowed to win and run, you hear ?!]

"Alright, alright~ I will take you on anyti. Speaking of which, I am really getting too into character."

After roasting herself like this, Yutsuki shrugged with a smile.

Although she was a bit dissatisfied that Shiratama-chan was wearing safety shorts under her skirt, Yutsuki still felt a great sense of accomplishnt after personally shattering a sharp-tongued ojou-sama's pride head-on and watching her run away with her tail between her legs.

It felt kind of like playing a sports galga. From this perspective, the 1,200 yen was money well spent.

(Speaking of which, that safety shorts Easter egg at the end was probably a censorship patch so it could be sold in legitimate stores. Maybe I'll have a chance to check other stores to see if there are different versions?)

After calculating in her heart for a while, Yutsuki collected herself, shouldered the bat, and left the batting box.

"Sorry about that, Kousuke, I accidentally got too into it—Whoa? Why are there so many people?"

Noticing a crowd of people gathered outside the door at so point, Yutsuki was startled.

(Could they be other custors waiting for to co out? I didn't expect Shiratama-chan to be so popular.)

Yutsuki felt a bit awkward. Just as she was about to apologize for hogging the machine, the onlookers suddenly started applauding.

"Amazing! Incredible, young lady! I didn't expect you to hit a ho run in that situation!"

"Especially that vertical slider at the end! A normal person couldn't possibly hit that!"

"Haha... Thanks for the complint."

Seeing that everyone wasn't dissatisfied because of her hogging the machine, Yutsuki secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. At the sa ti, she silently reflected on her actions just now.

Although her ho run was still within the bounds of what a normal person could accept, it was quite a stretch. Even a professional player wouldn't necessarily be able to deal with the pitch and hit a ho run, let alone an ordinary high school girl. No wonder it attracted so much attention.

"Hello? May I ask what baseball team or school you are from? Do you have the goal of developing into professional baseball?"

"Sorry, I am here on a date."

After casually brushing them off, Yutsuki left the crowd and reunited with Kousuke.

"Sorry, Kousuke. Did I make you wait too long? I accidentally got too into it."

"..."

However, Kousuke seed to have his soul leave his body, his mouth wide open, staring blankly.

"Hey? Are you okay, Kousuke!"

Waving her hand in front of Kousuke and seeing no reaction, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

(Could it be that he's shocked because I hit a ho run?)

Yutsuki guessed anxiously.

This batting cage was recomnded by Kousuke in the first place. From his familiarity with the place, one could tell he was a regular. He probably chose this place as a date spot to show off his strong points and leave a good impression on Yutsuki.

Putting herself in his shoes, if Yutsuki herself were complacent about achieving so results in a certain field, only to be easily surpassed by a newcor with zero experience, she would probably be quite depressed too.

And if the other party was her crush, it would be even more embarrassing.

"Um... Kousuke, actually, just now was just..."

"A... Amazing!"

Just as Yutsuki was troubled about what words to use to coax him, Kousuke finally snapped out of his shock. Looking at Yutsuki with admiration, he said excitedly.

"As expected of Ryougi-senpai! To face that Shiratama-chan' and hit a ho run off a vertical slider that ca after a straight ball! Even a batter in Koshien wouldn't necessarily be able to do that! As expected of the school's prince! I admire you so much!"

"Well, as long as you're happy—By the way, what the heck is the school's prince? When did I get such a shoujo manga-style nickna?"

Yutsuki couldn't help but roast him.

Although she was a bit overwheld by her junior's passionate admiration, seeing his sparkling eyes without a hint of gloom, Yutsuki also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, it's almost lunch break, let's go find a place to eat."

"Mhm, okay, Ryougi-senpai."

———————————

"Kotori, how is Yutsuki's affection toward Kousuke now?"

Shido asked calmly.

[Well, so-so. It is slightly higher than before entering the batting cage. It seems she has a pretty good impression of this junior's performance.]

"Is that so..."

Shido let out a long breath, his voice steady and calm.

"Well, it's as expected. After all, Kousuke is a very pure and optimistic person, easy to get along with. Coupled with my advice, it's not strange for Yutsuki to feel a sense of closeness."

Saying that, the pitcher on the screen in front of him made a movent. Imdiately after, the pitching machine threw a straight ball at the right timing.

"—Ah!"

Facing the incoming baseball, Shido, in the batter's box, gripped the bat tightly, mobilized all the strength in his body, and swung the bat with an aura as if he wanted to split the baseball in two.

And then—

... Swish.

Shido swung and missed.

[...Pfft.]

Amidst the awkwardness, his sister's disdainful snicker sounded from the earpiece.

Shido instantly felt his old face flush red.

[Wow... Brilliant, brilliant! Twenty pitches, and you swung and missed every single one. Forget a strikeout, this is a twenty-out. Although I knew my old brother's sport nerves were worse than seaweed, I didn't expect it to be catastrophically bad to this extent.]

Hearing Kotori's mockery, Shido retorted a bit embarrassedly.

"No, I can't help it! You shouldn't have expectations of a beginner from the go-ho club. Besides, this ga is much harder than I thought—"

Right at this mont, accompanied by a crisp sound, a baseball flew out from a batting box and hit the ceiling of the cage.

"...Was that just now?"

[It was Yutsuki-nee. She seems to have hit a ho run off a vertical slider traveling over 150 km/h.]

The corner of Shido's mouth twitched slightly. He coughed and explained.

"Ahem—Well, Yutsuki is a Spirit after all, her physical strength far exceeds a normal person's. Hitting a ho run shouldn't be difficult for her. A normal person—"

—Smack!

Right at this mont, a crisp sound also ca from the batting box next to Shido's. A baseball traced an arc in the air and landed far away.

Although it wasn't as terrifying as Yutsuki's hit, it was undoubtedly a ho run.

"—Tch!"

Then, hearing a displeased click of the tongue, the woman next door, who was about the sa age as Shido, turned and left the batting cage just like that.

[A normal person what?]

Kotori mocked.

"...It's nothing, I'm just terrible."

Shido admitted honestly.

...

"...Well, at least you have self-awareness."

Sitting in the commander's chair, Kotori chuckled with a lollipop in her mouth.

"But Shido, you're tailing them for an investigation, why did you suddenly get interested in playing baseball?"

[Um, about that...]

Hearing this question, Shido's expression on the screen changed, and he said sowhat stutteringly.

[Y-You see. If I went into the batting cage but didn't play anything, wouldn't it be very suspicious? I did that just so Yutsuki wouldn't notice .]

"I feel like that outfit of yours is already suspicious enough..."

Kotori roasted him speechlessly. Although this reason was barely understandable, she always felt like her brother was changing the subject.

"Hehe, Commander, you do not understand~ A man's competitive spirit and pride."

At this mont, Kawagoe,waved his hand and said.

"Hm? What do you an?"

Kotori didn't quite understand.

"Shido-kun is currently in a very complex state of mind. On one hand, he feels opposed to the idea of Yutsuki-san going on a date with a junior. On the other hand, since the incident was caused by him, he cannot brazenly interfere. That is why he is secretly competing on his own, trying to achieve a kind of psychological balance."

"Ah, I understand this feeling. Even if the person of the opposite sex cannot see it, you still want to prove that you are not inferior to the other party."

"Mhm, it is understandable. If Yutsuki-san returns ho and talks about how the junior perford, Shido can say that he can also do that level of things."

Regarding Kawagoe's words, Mikimoto, and Nakatsugawa, along with the other male crew mbers, all nodded in understanding.

"Ah, youth~"

"Hoh~ Is that so, Shido?"

Kotori asked curiously.

[No, that's not it at all!]

Shido hurriedly denied it. But this reaction, in Kotori's eyes, was clearly trying to cover it up and making it more obvious.

"It is fine, Shido-kun. There is nothing to be ashad of about this kind of thing."

Kannazuki Kyohei, like a caring older brother, softly comforted Shido.

"I know how you feel. If one day a pervert appears in front of and steals the Commander's favor towards , I will also inevitably feel jealous. I will strip naked, tie my body with ropes, and prove to the Commander that I am the more perverted one—Pfft!"

[Wrong! Absolutely wrong!]

Shido denied it firmly.

"Don't worry, Shido. Only Kannazuki would think like that."

Rolling her wrist that she just punched with, Kotori glanced at Kannazuki groaning on the floor and said in an icy voice.

"Kannazuki, go to the greenhouse garden right now and grab a potted cactus. The kind that is tall, long, and has sharp thorns that pierce the flesh. Then place it under your butt and do horse stance squats for an hour. If you fall over during this ti, restart the tir and add half an hour of penalty ti. Do you understand?"

"Ah... What a wonderful reward... Thank you very much... Commander..."

"Kotori... Yutsuki and the others... are starting to move... It seems they are going to a family restaurant for lunch."

After Kannazuki left the bridge, Reine reminded them at the right ti.

"I understand..."

Sighing helplessly, Kotori took a deep breath and adjusted her spirit.

"Shido, did you hear that? Put away your boring pride and resu stalking."

[Don't call it stalking!]