Tokyo Girlfriend Illustrated Book

"I'm...out?"

Hojo Kyosuke was a little dumbfounded. Two home runs turned into one out.

Ryota Tsuchiya next to him came over with a look of annoyance and explained the rules. It was indeed a base crossing foul and there was nothing to be confused about. It was just that everyone had encountered this situation before so they didn't react.

In fact, with someone's memory, although he has not studied the rules of baseball seriously, he can remember them all after just reading them once. The reason why he made such a low-level mistake just now was entirely because he did not take Komatsukawa seriously enough, and he definitely did not want to show off in front of his girl.

No one would blame Hojo Kyosuke, seeing the white lightning just now made them even more excited than winning the game. Everyone reflected on themselves, thinking that it was because of their negligence that Hojo-sama's opening show made such a mess.

"Ahhh, damn it, it's all my fault!"

Nekoda Jujuu knelt on the ground, crying and shouting that he wanted to commit seppuku. Tsuchiya Ryotai, who was also a seppuku enthusiast, hurriedly stopped him, saying that dying was the most cowardly act, and they still wanted to stay alive to serve the emperor... ahem, to serve the beloved Hojo-sama.

Then Maotian Juju suddenly realized, grabbed a handful of red and black sand and rubbed it hard on his waist, leaving a mark. Then he raised his arm and shouted:

"The slow and cowardly Nekoda of the past is dead. The one who lives in the world now is the brand new, swift Nekoda, who lives for Hojo-sama and for entering Koshien!"

"Nekota-kun!"

Taiqing Tsuchiya Ryo was very moved that he had a new companion in his loyal cause.

"Tsuchiya-kun!"

Maotian Juzhuqing was also very touched that he could meet such a good minister.

Hojo Kyosuke closed his eyes in pain. Why were all the subordinates around him abnormal? They were either idiots like Onizuka Eikichi, or idiots like Tsuchiya Nekoda.

He was about to scold them to stop playing because it was embarrassing with so many spectators, but then he saw Shizuka Hiratsuka coming over.

Um??

Maotian and Tutani, who were having fun, were stunned and looked over there in confusion.

Hiratsuka Shizuka looked down at the two of them and said seriously:

"Apologizing is not such a frivolous thing! If you want to remain useful, then cut off your useless little finger!"

"ah……?"

Maotian opened his mouth wide.

Teacher Jing swung her skirt and said unhappily, "Also, the way you kneel is too ugly. Are you trying to sneak attack the master by placing your feet like that, Kunoya Deer?"

Ryota Tsuchiya opened his mouth and was kicked immediately.

"And you! Minister Tsuchiya! If you want to kneel down, be serious! Kneeling down is not about being servile, but about expressing your apology with your dignity. You can't even stop your waist, so where is the dignity?!"

"Hi--!!"

Nekoda and Tsuchiya quickly responded loudly, and then learned from the respected Hiratsuka sensei how to do the dogeza to express respect and apology, and how to perfectly cut off the little finger to apologize.

The other members of the baseball club all retreated ten meters away, trembling as they looked at the captain and Nekoda who kept getting up from their seats. An idea came to everyone's mind -

"Is Mr. Hiratsuka too professional?"

Hojo Kyosuke was holding a glass of ice cola and watching the farce here with a smile. The slight unhappiness he had just felt was long gone.

Originally, Sobu High School should have had three more players, but now there are only two.

Having just experienced the suffocating pressure from Hojo Kyosuke, the people of Komatsukawa were worried about their ace, fearing that his self-confidence would be destroyed from then on. After all, even a bad ball from that angle was hit out and it almost resulted in a two-run home run. This kind of thing is enough to destroy a high school student who is not so mentally strong.

Even Keihito Matsuo himself, when he stepped into the batter's box as the third batter at Sobu High School, was still immersed in the memory of Hojo Kyosuke running the bases just now.

It was so fast. That tall and nimble figure was so handsome when he ran between the bases. It was just like what the lady at the commentary desk said just now, "So it is fast like the wind, slow like the forest, invasive like fire, still like a mountain, unpredictable like the shadow, and powerful like thunder."

When Hojo Kyosuke didn't swing the bat, he was like Acala, with no flaws to be seen and unpredictable, which brought great psychological pressure to him and his partner. Even if they used the most reliable four-ball walk tactic, it was still useless.

Previously, he had mocked the Sobu High School baseball team as a bicycle equipped with a top-level racing engine, but when Nekoda and Hojo Kyosuke started running wildly with the same resolute attitude, he truly felt that they were a real team. Once these guys started moving, they completely abandoned any hesitation, moving like thunder, as fast as wind, and plundering like fire...

Now, facing the unknown third batter of Sobu High School, Matsuo would have thrown a fastball to test him in the past. If he could hit it, that would be the best. If he didn't, it would just be a test. But now he planned to use a hard-to-hit ball to test him. This was also the signal sent to him by the catcher.

Because if it were other players, the first batter would habitually observe and not rush to swing. But Sobu High School...

These lunatics can definitely swing the bat!!

And they will definitely start running immediately after swinging the bat! No matter where the ball lands, as long as there is a slight chance to get on base and score, they will immediately seize it!

call--

Taking a deep breath, Matsuo nodded to the catcher, and the two of them finally confirmed the pitch.

To be honest, apart from being a little afraid of those crazy people at Sobu High School who would open fire at the slightest disagreement, Matsuo felt that he was in pretty good shape now. He even felt like he had just finished a sauna. Although he was very tired, he felt extremely relaxed, as if a huge stone had been lifted from his chest.

Hojo Kyosuke...

He stole a glance at someone grinning at the sidelines.

It's a real monster!

But fortunately, apart from that monster, everyone else in Sobu High School is relatively easy to deal with.

In the moment before pitching, Matsuo smiled in his heart, because he noticed the movement of the opponent's batter's body and knew that the opponent would definitely swing the bat, so his ball that deviated from the strike zone would become a good ball!

Pitch the ball "Swoosh!"

Swing the bat "Whoosh!"

The baseball fell into the catcher's mitt and "Pah!"

The referee yelled, "Strike!"

Sobu High School's third batter, Fujikawa Masashi, twisted his neck in frustration and swung the bat twice to get a feel for it. Voices of comfort came from his teammates on the sidelines.

“Don Mai!!”

"Don't worry, just swing hard like this!"

"Come on, former ace!"

Fujikawa Masao was annoyed by the noise and turned around and yelled, "Stop making so much noise! ​​Just watch quietly!"

Matsuo Keijin suddenly realized in his heart - this guy will still swing at the next pitch!

He almost laughed out loud. This kind of young man is the cutest. All he needs to do is keep throwing bad balls.

Pitch the ball "Swoosh!"

Huh? Why didn't the idiot swing?

Along with this doubt, Matsuo was reminded of the referee's "ball!"

Did I throw it too fast and he didn't react? He guessed, but his partner on the opposite side sent him a signal, telling him not to throw the bad ball next time and to throw his best slider directly.

Damn, was I fooled? This guy is not a fool, right?

Matsuo cursed inwardly, then calmed himself down, gripped the baseball tightly, and threw it out quickly, and then...

"Bang!"

As if the scene was replayed, Fujikawa Masashi hit the baseball, then started running without even looking at it. These guys didn't care whether the ball they hit would be caught or not, as long as the referee didn't shout, they would run straight back to home base.

But unfortunately, although Fujikawa's ball was not caught, he only ran to first base.

Sobu High School successfully got on base again. Matsuo kept a straight face and said nothing. He did not turn his head to look at the coach because he knew he would not be replaced because the ball he pitched was perfect. Both the first ball and the second slider were perfect. Especially the second one, maybe it was because of the pressure from the monster Hojo Kyosuke that he broke through himself, the speed of the ball and the angle of the glide were perfect.

At least that's the case relative to his past performance.

When the fourth batter from Sobu High School came on the field, Matsuo frowned.

Why do all these guys from Sobu High School have scars on their faces? Do they like fighting so much?

He didn't have much time to think, because his partner on the opposite side motioned for him to look at first base, and his face immediately turned livid as he turned around.

He saw that Fujikawa Masashi, who had just reached the base, was at least three meters away from the base. He was in a sprinting posture, not hiding his intention to steal the base. When he saw him looking over, he grinned foolishly.

Asshole...this is not stealing bases, it's robbery. That stupid smile seems to be saying, come on and throw the ball, how can I steal bases if you don't throw?

Fortunately, Komatsukawa's infielder was not an idiot. He walked straight to Fujikawa and stood next to him, making a restraining gesture, ready to catch the ball and tag him at any time.

Matsuo exchanged glances with his partner and decided without much hesitation to defend the base stealer first.

Matsuo stood above the pitcher's mound with his feet apart, tilted his body and looked coldly in the direction of first base, then looked at the catcher at home plate.

Baseball is a game of hitting, hitting, and running. The rules may sound complicated, but they are not simple at all. Even the simplest pitcher can easily commit a foul if he is not careful. Which side of the body should be facing when pitching, the pivot foot, the position of the foot...

In Hojo Kyosuke's understanding, this is actually to make the game more entertaining and interesting, that is, to facilitate stealing bases. Because the speed of a person running can never be as fast as the flying speed of a baseball, in order to make stealing bases possible, the pitcher is restricted so that the stealer can better judge whether he will be defended.

The pitcher also has to design tactics and think clearly about the next strategy, which makes the simple game more complicated and increases the playability and fun. It is not like a basketball game, um...

In short, after Matsuo made the decision to throw a defensive pitch, before closing the ball, he kept his upper body still, then turned slightly and threw the baseball directly to the first baseman.

At this time, Fujikawa Masashi had already run between first base and second base.

When Komatsukawa's first baseman caught the ball, the catcher immediately shouted to pass the ball to second base. It was unrealistic to run after it, as the ball would be much faster as long as it was not missed.

The first baseman passed the ball to second base without any hesitation, and at this time Fujikawa was only five or six meters away from second base.

At this moment, his mind was filled with the first practice match with Hojo-sama, and Hojo-sama's movements that seemed like teleportation.

It was like magic, they could clearly touch each other with their hands, but the next moment they strangely passed each other by.

Afterwards, Hojo Kyosuke naturally explained the relevant principles to the people in the baseball club and the kendo club. It looks magical, but to be honest, it is just the lower body being still for a short time while the upper body dodges at a high speed and then returns to its original position. This is nothing for him who needs to master the coordination to practice kendo.

After that, everyone in the baseball club practiced hard, but no one succeeded.

This is not a skill that humans can use! How can you keep your lower body still while sprinting at top speed, you bastard! Are you talking like a human being?

So, at this moment, facing the second baseman who was holding a baseball and wanted to kill him, what was Fujikawa Masao's choice! ?

Return to first base? Impossible. Running away like this would only turn into a ridiculous game of tag. As a teammate of Hojo-sama, I, Fujikawa, would never do such a shameful thing!

While running, Fujikawa exerted force on his right foot and rushed forward as if in a swimming competition.

Block!

It is even banned in some areas because the action is indeed very dangerous.

Strictly speaking according to the data, the speed of base diving is not actually as fast as running, but when running, the whole body is facing the enemy, while when base diving, only one hand can be touched by the enemy, which greatly increases the safety factor.

Komatsukawa's second baseman's face changed instantly. He was prepared for the collision because Fujikawa's sprinting speed was too fast, but he didn't expect that the opponent would actually dive at the base.

Is this idiot crazy?! He blocked the ball at this speed?! It could kill people!

Thinking this in his mind, he did not hesitate and bent down directly, wanting to kill the other party, but!

What does a distance of five or six meters mean? Fujikawa is 1.76 meters tall, and just by turning his body sideways he can offset half of the height, not to mention that he is in a top-speed sprint.

"Bang!!"

Fujikawa's face hit the base heavily. The second baseman who was closest to him clearly saw his nose being squeezed and deformed first, and then his mouth opened uncontrollably and bit the base. He saw that the opponent was about to leave the base due to inertia.

The second baseman was shocked to see that Fujikawa actually bit the base with his teeth, causing him to stop at the second base.

By the time Fujikawa Masashi got up, his face was covered in blood. Red liquid kept coming out of his nose and mouth, directly moistening the sand on his face and making his face covered in blood.

hiss……

The second baseman grimaced in phantom pain. I said this guy is crazy! (End of this chapter)