Chapter 49 Savior, Fumihashi

“No, it’s… Fumihashi-san, why are you here?”

I was not expecting to meet my classmate in the park on my day off, so I asked the girl with the short cut hair with a slight stammer.

“What? Because this is my usual running course. When I don’t have club activities, I feel uncomfortable unless I run like this.”

“Oh, I see… You are on the track team, aren’t you, Fumihashi-san?

If you looked closely, you could see that Fumihashi was slightly wet with sweat and her summer sports t-shirt was tightly attached to her body. It was a little… hard to look at.

“‘So, what the hell were you doing? I could see you from a distance, but is it a game where you throw a ball up and then chase it until it falls down and then watch it?”

“No way!”

How lonely can I be?

“I don’t do that kind of thing alone in the middle of the day on a holiday! I was practicing my catching for a softball game!”

“Catching practice…? But you can catch a fly that’s right above you if you take out your glove, right?”

“I can’t catch it! No matter how many times I try, I can’t do it!”

「…???」

“Stop looking like you don’t know what you’re talking about! You’re making me look like some kind of pitiful creature!”

Damn… I felt a disparity in the athletic sense that the Fumihashi is not agitating me, but seriously does not understand what I am saying…!

“…From that response, Fumihashi-san, are you good at softball?”

“Huh? Well, I was on the softball team in junior high school, so I’m pretty good at it.”

A former softball player…!　Seriously!

“I’m sorry to interrupt your run, but would you mind demonstrating how to catch a ball thrown from a distance? I’m a little out of my depth here…”

In this day and age, you can’t even watch a softball reference video on your phone, and I would love to see someone who is good at it set an example.

“I’m not particularly good at it, but… that’s no problem! I’ll borrow your glove for a minute!

With a smile on her face, she agreed and put on his glove, keeping her distance from me with the ball between the batter and the lights.

“Okay… then let’s go!”

I declare, and throw the ball high into the sky.

I imagined a big fly, but the course was…

(Oh, man, it’s getting too steep…)

Just when I thought she was going to go over the head of the Fumihashi-san, she started running.

With a calm, unhurried dash, she took a large step backward and stopped precisely at the point where the ball would fall.

There was a thump sound, and the ball landed in her glove as if it were a matter of course.

「…」

When I couldn’t help but keep a straight face, Fumihashi replied, “Next!” I silently threw the second pitch, which was a powerful ball that passed through the right hand of Fumihashi.

But Fumihashi quickly ran in that direction, blocked the path of the ball, and easily caught it. She even threw it to first. TLN: Threw it to first is term throwing the ball to first base

I asked her to return the ball again, and this time I threw a ball that resembled a powerful liner to the left of her — but the athletic girl quickly slid to the left and caught it easily.

“Well, here’s what it looks like. Did it help? Huh? Why are you approaching me with such a serious face?

“Fumihashi-san…”

I approached her with a serious face, and she was a little flustered, but I didn’t care.

“Please! Please teach me how to catch!”

I bowed deeply, my knees and head coming together.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, keep your head up! Wow, I’m being watched by a lot of people walking around…”

“Please, please! I desperately need you, Fumihashi-san…!”

“Oh my god! I’m embarrassed to say this, but I don’t feel bad.”

I was desperate.

I probably wouldn’t be able to make remarkable progress if I practiced alone any longer.

The only way to make progress in a short time is to get help from Fumihashi-san, who just happened to be here.

“‘I’m not saying for free…! From now on, I’ll lend you my notebook as a top priority!”

“Oh… really? That perfect notebook that everyone started fighting over after Nihama-kun won first place in the school year?”

“Oh, that’s not all! When the next midterm comes around, I’ll lend you a notebook with all my predictions! It’s the one that helped me get first place on my final exam!”

“Oh, my God, that’s amazing…! It’s beyond what I want!”

Fumihashi-san, who often dozes off in class, gets a twinkle in her eyes. She looked like she had melted her fortune in the stock market during the final exam, so this suggestion seemed to have an extraordinary effect on her.

“Okay, okay…! I don’t have any plans today anyway, and I’ll take responsibility for making you a full-fledged softball player!

“Ohhhh! I’m in your debt…! Fumihashi-san is a real savior!”

When I made a heartfelt expression of joy. Fumihashi proudly said, “Mwah! I’m really grateful to be of use.” It seems that being relied on is not a bad thing.

“But don’t get the wrong idea. But don’t misunderstand me, I didn’t really take the job because of the notebook.

“What…?”

“I want to help you because you’re the same person who helped me get through the taco hell at the festival, and you’re the same person who I look up to… on a regular basis! Even if you don’t have a notebook, all you had to say in response was okay!

“Fumihashi-san: ……”

I was more than a little in awe of the girl who could say that straightforwardly.

I was more than a little in awe of the girl’s heart that she could say such a thing so honestly and quickly.

“Thank you… for being such a good woman. Fumihashi-san…”

“Mmmm…! After receiving such a sincere compliment, I was wondering…”

“Hmm?

“Well… that’s why I’d like to have priority over perfect notes and test prep notes. …If I get a red on the next midterm, I’m in serious trouble…”

After the cool line. Fumihashi said, looking in the direction of the day after tomorrow, as if she was somewhat embarrassed to say that she wanted to be rewarded so much.

“No, that’s fine, of course, but… if you don’t study on a regular basis, you’re not going to get a high score from my notes on that alone, okay?”

“‘I know, I know…! Don’t bully me with good arguments!”

The girl, whose lifestyle was completely devoted to sports, said with a very painful tone in her voice.