Act 6/Episode 30

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Act 6
Episode 30: First Crush Baseball

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Akiyama “Bottom of the 9th. 2 outs, bases loaded. One more strike and we’re league champions.” “In that critical moment, I, the designated pitcher... was rushing into the bathroom.” Izumi (The introduction starts with Akiyama’s monologue... The third years have graduated, and the baseball club is left with one member. This is where the story begins.) Akiyama “I’m begging you! At this rate, they’re gonna shut down the baseball club!” Inoue “It’s a tiny, weak baseball club that loses every game anyway. I hear you even lost a called game the other day. Isn’t it better if it disappears?” Akiyama “Don’t say that! If the club is shut down, how am I supposed to keep playing baseball—” Inoue “...Fine, I get it.” Akiyama “You’re going to join!?” Inoue “Just to be clear, it’s only till you find someone to take my place. I don’t intend to form a battery with you ever again.” Akiyama “Inoue....” Izumi (I can tell Kumon-kun is nervous, but he’s acting just as he does during practice. This is definitely good enough for his first day.) (I pray that everything runs smoothly till the end....) Inoue “So we need five people. Who’s the last one?” Akiyama “He’s a shut-in otaku.” Inoue “So he’s completely useless!” Izumi (Akiyama and Inoue begin practicing immediately with the members that Akiyama managed to gather....) Ono “Uwaaaah!” Inoue “Don’t avoid the ball, Ono! You have to get used to it.” Ono “S-s-s-sorry. Wh-when I see things flying my way, I-I just get so scared—.” Inoue “Why’d you join the baseball club?” Ono “Akiyama kept begging me to, so... I just couldn’t say no...” Inoue “Sigh....” Enomoto “....” Inoue “Oi, Enomoto. Keep your eyes the ball, not your phone.” Enomoto “Oh, sorries~!” Inoue “You know, you’re not allowed to use your phone on the field.” Enomoto “Seriously!? ...Currently suffering thru a lecture. He says no phones allowed~ *crying stamp*” Inoue “Don’t LIME message that!” (Tenma-kun and the others are supporting Kumon-kun and warming up the mood. Yup, they’ve got it together; this is good.) Akiyama “Hey, Uehara. Could you come to practice just once? We don’t have enough people without you.” Uehara “....” Akiyama “Uehara—.” Inoue “There’s no point. Even if he does come to practice, we don’t need a flimsy guy who hardly exercises. Let’s go somewhere else.” Uehara “...I’ll go.” Inoue “Eh?” Uehara “Ha!” Inoue “You’re surprisingly nimble!?” Uehara “I’ve been really into working out.” Inoue “So you’re that kind of otaku.” Akiyama “You’re gonna come to practice, Uehara? Thanks!” Izumi (As the mismatched teammates come together, Washimiya, the manager, joins the club.) Washimiya “Are you the captain?” Akiyama “Ah, y-yeah. I’m Akiyama Souta, a second year.” Washimiya “Now that I’m here, we’re aiming for the Koshien.” Akiyama “Eh!?” Ono “The Koshien?” Inoue “You’ve gotta be stupid. How are we gonna get there with five club members?” Washimiya “Five? You only have five members?” Inoue “We can’t even have a practice game.” Akiyama “B-but we’ll do our best to gather more members!” Inoue “You just barely managed to get five.” Akiyama “Uu, w-well....” Washimiya “That’s fine. I can easily get us four more members by tomorrow.” Inoue “What? How?” Izumi (Yuki-kun is doing well too. Things are looking steady.) Akiyama “How is Washimiya-san planning to gather members?” Inoue “The new students have all joined clubs by now. There’s no way we can get four more people.” Washimiya “....” Inoue “Why is she standing all imposingly on the field?” Akiyama “A cheerleader...!” Enomoto “Cute....” Uehara “Nods.” Ono “Oh, my nose is bleeding....” Male Student A “Wow, she’s cute.” Male Student B “She’s part of the baseball club.” Male Student C “Nice.” Male Student D “Excuse me~.” Washimiya “There, I lured in some new members.” Akiyama “Four at once!? Inoue “She’ll do whatever it takes.” Washimiya “We’re starting practice now. By the way, now that you’re here, I won’t let anyone leave the club.” “Every time you get a crush on someone, I’m going to show them a photo of you admiring me like fools.” Akiyama “!!” Washimiya “Start with ten laps around the field!” Akiyama “—Eh, but our club advisor still isn’t here.” Washimiya “Run!” Akiyama “Y-yes!” Washimiya “Fifty sprints when you’re done!” Ono “Eeh!?” Enomoto “Seriously?” Washimiya “I should change into a jersey.” Enomoto “I’ll do it!” Ono “I’ll run!” Washimiya “Now pair up and play catch.” Inoue “Despite her looks, her practice menus are solid.” Akiyama “This kinda reminds me of little league. Doesn’t it bring back memories?” Inoue “...Not really.” Akiyama “You know, back then was really when I had the most fun.” Inoue “Same here...” Akiyama “Eh?” Inoue “...Nothing.” Izumi (The practice game begins. The team members make multiple errors, but thanks to Akiyama’s steady pitching, they manage to keep the game at 0-0.) (Bottom of the 9th. Akiyama once again finds himself stuck in the bathroom in the most important moment of the game.) (The other team makes multiple hits off of Uehara, who pitches in Akiyama’s stead, and the team loses by a large margin... Inoue, tired of Akiyama’s cowardice, says he’s going to quit the club.) Washimiya “Wait. Didn’t I say I wouldn’t let you quit?” Inoue “I don’t care. Feel free to show off those photographs.” Washimiya “If you can hit just one pitch off of me, then I’ll let you quit the club.” Inoue “I don’t need your recognition.” Washimiya “Oh, so you’re scared?” Inoue “——. Fine. I just have to do it, right?” Izumi (Inoue loses to Washimiya, and is dumbfounded....) Washimiya “You know, I really want to go to the Koshien myself.” “You probably don’t understand how it feels when you have the strength but lack the qualification.” Inoue “...I take it back. I won’t quit the club.” Washimiya “Don’t be late to practice tomorrow.” Inoue “...Hmph.” Akiyama “U-um, Washimiya-san, thank you—.” Washimiya “Just so you know, unless you change, nothing is going to change.” Akiyama “——.” Izumi (After Inoue’s club-quitting incident, the general mood of the baseball club slowly begins to change....) Enomoto “Uepyon, that one was good! My arm feels all tingly!” Uehara “I’ll try it one more time.” Akiyama “Huh...? Uehara and Enomoto?” “What are you guys doing? Practicing on your own?” Enomoto “Ah, Akki. Uepyon and I have been practicing after school lately.” Uehara “If we switch pitchers again, next time, I’ll make sure they don’t get any hits off of me.” Enomoto “Ono-chin said he’s been working at the batting cage: he puts on a catcher’s mask and catches the ball with his face.” “Says he does it to get used to the ball.” Akiyama “You guys....” Izumi (Inspired by his teammates, Akiyama grows even more determined to overcome his own weakness as well.) Izumi (The first game of their local preliminary begins. The club members are making fewer errors that before, and Akiyama’s pitching is composed. They manage to win.) (Kumon-kun really shines all of the sudden during baseball scenes. He has experience, and his form is good, so he’s convincing.) (But the team’s happiness is short-lived. During the second game, Akiyama once again loses to the bare-faced pressure coming from the opposing team, and rushes to the bathroom.) (Uehara somehow pulls off the rest of the game. It’s a tough victory. After the game, Inoue submits his club retirement papers.) Inoue “You still haven’t gotten over that condition?” Akiyama “Sorry, I—.” Inoue “I can’t deal with this anymore. I quit.” Akiyama “Wait, Akiyama! We just won the game—.” Inoue “There’s no point. Our next game is against the powerhouse, East High. We’re going to lose anyway.” Akiyama “We won’t know until we try.” Inoue “Want to know why I lost interest in baseball? It’s because I got sick and tired of you looking so pathetic every single game.” Akiyama “Inoue....” Izumi (Inoue leaves the baseball club.... This scene must be painful for Kumon-kun in many ways.) (I can feel his pain through his acting....) Akiyama “...Sorry. I’m a failure of a captain.” Ono “...Akiyama, you know how every time you freeze up during a game, Inoue keeps making signals, trying to do something about it?” “He said he felt like a pathetic catcher because he couldn’t do anything to help.” Akiyama “Eh...” Ono “Because you, Akiyama, are standing on the mound alone as the pitcher. Even if you two are a battery, he can’t do anything.” “You know, I was part of the same little league as you guys. I quit in no time, but... I really admired the Inoue-Akiyama battery.” Akiyama “....” Ono “Akiyama, that condition of yours comes from mental pressure, right? You should rely more on us, your team.” Akiyama “Ono....” Washimiya “We’re going to win the next game too.” Akiyama “But Inoue is....” Uehara “We don’t have enough players.” Washimiya “I’ll take his place.” Akiyama “Eeeh!?” Washimiya “There’s no other way.” Enomoto “No no no no!” Ono “They’ll disqualify us if they find out!?” Washimiya “They won’t find out if I put on the catcher’s mask and gear.” Akiyama “Wait wait wait wait!” Uehara “It’s impossible.” Washimiya “So are we going to give up? Aren’t we going to the Koshien?” Akiyama “....” “...Sorry. Please help us, Washimiya-san.” Washimiya “You’d better throw like your life depends on it.” Akiyama “Yeah.” Izumi (Washimiya, pretending to be Inoue, takes the field as the catcher.) (As the game goes on, Akiyama’s pitches start to take their toll on her arm....) Washimiya “—Hh.” Akiyama “Washimiya-san, we need to stop—.” Washimiya “Just keep going.” Akiyama “——.” “Washimiya-san is trying so hard. I can do it too...!” Izumi (Akiyama is pitching well, and they maintain a one point lead over their opponent. But at the bottom of the 6th, Washimiya’s arm reaches its limit.) Washimiya “—Ow.” Inoue “Switch with me.” Akiyama “Inoue!?” Inoue “Don’t go using my gear without my permission.” Washimiya “You’re late.” Akiyama “You came back!?” Inoue “Let’s go!” Akiyama “Yeah!” Akiyama “——.” “...It’s all right. Even if I collapse, Uehara is here. Ono is here. Enomoto is here—Inoue is here.” Inoue “....” Akiyama “It’s all right. I can pitch.” “——.” Izumi (The team recovers their bonds, and they put up a good fight against their powerful rival school. They head into extra innings with a tie....) (Kumon-kun is pretty tired.) (The audience might see it as an expression of Akiyama’s exhaustion during the game, but...) (If Akiyama can pitch till the end of this game, Kumon-kun can pull through to the end this performance...) Akiyama “——.” Izumi (The last pitch—.) *Hit* Inoue “....” Opponent Team Member “It’s a home run...!” Akiyama “A home run....” Uehara “We lost....” Ono “No good....” Enomoto “Dammit! It was just one more point!” Akiyama “Sorry. I—.” Inoue “You pitched till the end.” Akiyama “——.” Uehara “You did good!” Enomoto “We put up a really good fight against the East High!” Ono “Uuu... uu...” Inoue “Don’t cry, you idiot!” Washimiya “You guys did really well today. You’re the best team I could ask for. I love you all!” Akiyama “Washimiya-san...!” Enomoto “I really love you, Washimiya-san!” Ono “Hey, no fair! Me too!” Uehara “Me too! Please marry me!” Washimiya “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.” Enomoto “Eeh!?” Akiyama “Washimiya-san... you had a boyfriend?” Washimiya “Look, right over there.” Akiyama “Isn’t that....” Inoue “The first-pick pitcher in the professional baseball draft last year....” Ono “A real professional baseball player...!?” Enomoto “It’s over... my summer is over....” Washimiya “Well then, I’m headed home with my boyfriend. Nice work~.” Ono “Washimiya-saaaaan!!” Uehara “I’ll never trust girls ever again....” Enomoto “But we still have the Koshien!” Akiyama “Th-that’s right.” Enomoto “Uoooooh!! We’re definitely going to the Koshien next year—-!” Uehara “Yeahhh!” Ono “Uweeeh, Washimiya-saaan!” Inoue “Sigh....” Izumi (The club members cheer each other on as they recede off stage... The curtain falls...!) Kumon —hh. Muku Kyu-chan! Kumon Pant, pant, I did it... I made it to the end—-. Tenma It’s still too early to say that. Save it for our final performance. Kumon ——. Kazunari That’s right, we only just got started! Misumi There’s still lots of fun ahead~. Yuki The first day’s not the end, okay? Tenma Let’s keep running till the final performance. Kumon Yeah! Muku Let’s go! It’s the curtain call! Kumon ——. Izumi (Thank goodness... we made it through the first day. I’m sure that the Kumon-kun now can pull through to the final performance.)
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Notes

Healingbonds