Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 24: First Encounter

"I'm free!!!"

"Free!!!"

"Idiot, stop shouting!" Sendo slapped someone on the head.

"You're probably only getting single-digit scores anyway!"

"Mind your own business!"

"Hmm? Was it this mouth that was speaking just now?" Sendo said as he pinched and stretched Sawamura's cheek.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please stop! It hurts! Sendo, aren't you usually all talk?"

"But I don't feel like talking today! By the way, did you just call me 'all talk'? That's not very polite, you know?" He pinched harder.

"I'm sorry, someone save me!"

But everyone else quickly looked away, either at the sky or the ground.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop now. Eijun, thank me—your face is getting more elastic and softer from my pinches!" Sendo said, releasing his grip.

"Elasticity, really? Ugh!" Sawamura immediately started rubbing his face gently with both hands.

"So it needs more elasticity, huh? Let me…"

"No!!! No!!! No!!! Stay away from me!!! My face is elastic enough, look!" he interrupted Sendo with a desperate scream, tugging at his own cheek.

"Hahaha!" The others laughed so hard they could barely stand.

"Well then, I'll leave it at that," Sendo said, timely.

"Phew!!!" Sawamura sighed in relief.

"I'm never going to mess with Sendo again; he's terrifying." Sawamura thought to himself as he continued to rub his cheek. Yet how effective this resolve would be against his forgetfulness was anyone's guess.

"Alright, it's summer vacation now. Gather your essentials, we're meeting at 6 AM tomorrow to head to Tokyo!"

"Oh!"

…

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Really, really?"

"Yes, really! Including me, it's nine guys and one girl! The teacher just didn't want to come along!"

"Oh!"

"??? What's up?"

"Nothing at all!"

"Fumino! You should come over too for the summer! You can stay with Wakana!"

"Wakana, huh!"

"What's really going on?"

"Nothing!"

"Okay, anything else you want to ask?"

"Nope!"

"Will you come tomorrow then? To my family's villa?"

"Do you not want me to come?"

"Not at all!"

"Hmph, I'm going!"

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd do!" Though he only muttered that to himself without sending it.

"See you tomorrow then!"

"Yeah!"

"She's such a troublesome and aloof woman! I really don't understand her! Whatever, I'll go take a bath and then sleep!" he said, putting down his phone and heading to the bathroom with his toiletries.

.....

"Alright, everyone's here, so let's head out!"

"Oh!"

"What did everyone bring?" Sawamura asked.

"Clean clothes, toiletries, baseball gear, and my baseball books and notes, along with summer homework!"

"Me too!"

...

"Wow, it seems everyone packed pretty much the same things!"

"Yeah. So what did you bring? Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh no! I forgot my summer homework!"

"This idiot probably just said that on purpose! Look at this slowpoke only now realizing he forgot his homework and making a fuss about it."

"I did not!"

"Oh, is that so? Then go back and get it. We'll wait for you at the station!"

"No, don't!"

"Well, there's no choice. We'll all accompany and supervise this dummy to get his homework. Otherwise, he definitely won't bring it!"

After a whole day's trip, they finally arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon, around 3 PM. From there, they took a bus to Sendo's house.

"We're here, this is the place!"

"So big!"

"So beautiful!"

"Is this really your house?"

"Come on in!" Sendo led them through the yard.

"Wait! Let me go ring the bell!"

"Does anyone live here?"

"Nope!"

"Uh…" Sawamura suddenly started sweating and turned pale.

"Heh!" Sendo grinned mischievously.

"There's a ghost girl here!" he whispered into Sawamura's ear.

"Ah!!! Stop saying that!" Sawamura crouched down with his hands over his head, even though the others were a bit tense. Seeing Sendo's grin, they understood it was a joke. Wakana was the only one who remained unfazed, knowing the truth.

"Ding dong!"

"Click!" As the sound of the lock was heard, all of them jumped, and just as Sawamura looked up, the door opened.

"It appeared!" he screamed upon seeing a beautiful blue-haired girl.

"Ah!" The others exclaimed too.

"You're the childhood friend, right? Nice to meet you, I'm Aotsuki Wakana."

"Wait, childhood friend? Sendo, did you trick me again?" Sawamura protested.

"?" Fumino scrutinized Wakana from head to toe, finally stopping at her chest, then subtly touched her own.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let us in already!" Completely ignoring Sawamura's questions, Fumino gently tapped Wakana on the head.

"Oh, nice to meet you all. My name is Furuhashi Fumino, please come in," she said as she stepped aside.

"Let's go inside!"

"Oh!"

After brief introductions, everyone got more comfortable with each other, although Sendo noticed that Wakana and Fumino, who he thought would get along well, didn't seem to be clicking as much.

"It's probably just my imagination," Sendo thought to himself.

"Fumino, did you get cleaners to tidy up?"

"Yes, it hasn't been lived in for several years, after all!"

"I see!"

"You all must be hungry. I'll prepare dinner for you."

"Oh! Thanks! I'll help you with that!" Sendo offered.

"I'll help too!" Wakana offered enthusiastically.

"No need!"

"It's better if I help you! There are too many of us for you to handle alone. You just stay put! We girls will handle it, and it's not appropriate for you to come in!"

"Alright," Fumino agreed.

"Okay," Sendo didn't protest further.

But Sendo wasn't aware of what it could mean for Fumino to be alone in the kitchen. Had he known, he would have been grateful Wakana was there!

Saying that, Wakana led Fumino into the kitchen.

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