Sports Festival and Reward

TL: Daemon

ED: PuffyPyjamas

“How are you feeling right now?”

After ending up alone in the sports equipment room, Hiiragi-chan posed me that question.

“Ummm, I’m quite dejected after being shot on camera like this.”

Hearing my reply, Hiiragi-chan pouted and expressed her frustration.

“A word for your hopes at today’s sports festival!”

“I’ll do my best.”

Hiiragi-chan pushed the button on the camera and then set it down.

“Seiji-kun, good luck! It’s okay!”

She gave me an encouraging cheer. The match was just about to start in a bit, and yet I was already dejected inside the equipment room.

Even with the encouragement there’s no way I would be able to live up to her expectations. I’m not even that great at sports in the first place…

Today was the day for ball competitions between classes.

Boys and girls were both chosen to play in either volleyball or softball.

The day before, we discussed who would be participating in which competition.

In terms of the starting lineup, it included those from various athletic clubs and other classmates that were more athletic.

With softball, there were a few substitute players, and so I tried to be included in that number, however…

“Sanada, didn’t you catch a foul ball with your bare hands at the last baseball match?”

One of the guys had witnessed that scene.

“That means Sanada is the second baseman.”

I ended up being forcefully chosen for a position. When I let out a sigh, Hiiragi-chan strongly held my head still and kissed me.

“Uhaah!? With that timing!?”

“Seiji-kun, no feeling down!”

“Even if you say that…”

I don’t want to play.

As I was hesitating, I heard the sound of the in-school broadcast.

“The second softball mat between second year class B and third year class A will soon begin. Will the players please—”

Hiiragi-chan sat down on the mat and patted her lap. I put my head there and lay down.

“Good boy good boy. Seiji-kun, you can do it if you put your mind to it.”

She patted my head.

“If you do your best, I’ll give you a reward!”

“A reward?”

“Yeah. What do you want?”

Since I had nothing to lose, I immediately thought of something to try.

“A while ago… when we were doing the thing where you would pretend to show me your panties, there was that request. Is something like that alright?”

Perverted things are not okay! I thought she would say that as I peeked at her expression. Hiiragi-chan blushed after remembering it, and nodded once.

“Y-yeah… i-if it’s just a little bit…”

“…”

I quickly stood up.

“Then let’s do this.”

It’ll be pretty simple if I do say so myself. Hiiragi-chan panicked and added on.

“I-it’s not that I want to do it or anything, okay? I-I was just trying to think of a way to get Seiji-kun into it!”

“I know. I’m really into it now. Thanks, Sensei.”

“It’s Haruka-san when we’re alone, right!?”

I waved my hand at the seemingly enraged Hiiragi-chan, and after checking that there was no one outside, I left the equipment room.

At the grounds nearby, my team and the opposing team were already lined up.

The class representative… Shinohara-kun is the captain, and is currently announcing the position and batting order.

“Number 8, the second, Sanada.”

“Y-yeah…”

I did tell them that outfield was better, but after being told that if I messed up back there, no one could cover, I got scared and ended up going with the second baseman.

I can’t show myself to Hiiragi-chan after missing the ball and having to chase after it….

“Now then, will Sanada be able to hold at second base?”

Fujimoto with a self-satisfied look. This guy… just because there’s no plan for him to play, he’s fanning the flames…!

“Fujimoto, why don’t you just spend your youth in a way that no one will ever remember.”

“Kuu…!”

“Last time, you just rushed over to the girls that were cheering.”

“Last time?”

I shook my head telling him it was nothing.

If I remember correctly, I was also the second baseman last time. There was never a chance for me to get me involved. Just like I told Fujimoto, it was certainly an unmemorable day.

Even if I say I don’t want to stand out, it’s still more fun when I can get involved. Moreover, there’s a reward if I work hard. At least, that’s what I told myself.

It’s true that I don’t like it, but I can’t help getting nervous.

The teams lined up and greeted each other. The senior team got to their positions and started talking amongst themselves.

“Hiiragi-chan came to watch?”

“Really…? Just for our match…?”

Beyond the net, Hiiragi-chan waved her hand.

“Did she come to watch me…?”

“No, she came to watch me.”

“You mean me.”

“Nono.”

All of a sudden, everybody started fiddling with themselves, brushing aside their bangs, or tweaking their gym clothes or jersey.

She probably came to take pictures of me. She did say before that she could get drunk just off of my videos.

“Good luck!”

Everyone waved back at her. The upperclassmen that had taken their positions suddenly put on serious expressions.

“Well well, senpai—”

“Hiiragi-chan”

“Came to see”

“Us.”

Other than me, everyone on my team had their bat resting against their shoulder and a serious expression. Everyone is super conscious of her.

Within the high tensioned atmosphere, the match began.

“Kouhai! Hiiragi-chan is still too early for you guys!”

Zudooon. Unlike the supposedly friendly match that it was supposed to be, the sound of something hitting the mitt rang out.

W-what was that just now? That was super-fast! Last time, it was just casual slow balls that followed a parabolic trajectory! I could at least somewhat hit the ball with the bat last time.

T-they’ve all awakened… Thanks to Hiiragi-chan coming to watch. That’s the difference between last time and this time.

My team got depressed for a moment. We were all in funeral mode.

Even before thinking of taking points off of our awakened upperclassmen, we couldn’t even get a runner out onto a base. However, it seems that there weren’t any good upperclassmen on the team, we were somehow able to overcome the situation.

Then, on the last round—

Just as I was thinking that it would be okay for this to be a scoreless draw, we were able to get one runner on base, and then another—and now it was my turn to bat.

Why!? Why couldn’t it have just ended before it got to me!?

It seems that the first upperclassman overdid it. The balls were now the parabolic slower ones.

It was the first time our team had a chance. Uwaah… so much pressure…

“Sanada-kun, you can do this.”

“You can hit it!”

I didn’t notice it before, but there were actually girls that came to cheer us on.

Seeing the girls from our class cheer for me, Hiiragi-chan’s eyes became empty, pitch-black like the abyss.

“Of course… he’s cool after all… from a girl’s perspective, you would want to support him…”

While holding the camera, she was muttering something, reminding me of a Buddhist monk.

Amidst the nervousness, I stepped up to the plate, and the referee started the play.

“Hey hey, the batter is scared!”

Fujimoto, whose ally are you?

“H-Hiiragi-chan is still, too early for you…!”

Saying the same thing as before, the upperclassman threw the ball.

Hiiragi-chan is my girlfriend, so talking about whether it’s too early or too late—

“Don’t grip it too hard with your left hand!”

That’s the only sports advice you know!?

“““Sensei…”””

Because of the strange retort that was added in, everything was one tempo off—However, it worked.

The bat I swung hit the ball. The impact was felt by my hand. The ball flew off at an angle.

The ball headed left of the middle, and held a long trajectory.

R-really? While running, I was the most surprised.

“Amazing, amazing!”

Hiiragi-chan expressed huge excitement as she jumped up and down while clapping her hands from behind the net. Her camera is bouncing around everywhere. Is that okay?

Off the back of those two scores, the team was able to keep the other team to a score of zero and earned a splendid victory.

“Nice bat!”

I exchanged some high-fives with my teammates.

“Sanada-kun, you’re pretty good.”

“That was amazing, Sanada-kun! I was super surprised!”

I even gave high fives to the girls that came over.

My friend, Fujimoto, sat on the corner of the bench.

“If I played… would the girls be all over me like that…?”

With his heart 100% full of tears, he watched with distant eyes.

“Well, there may have been a chance.”

“I-I’m playing the next match!”

Nice! And so, I ended up being a substitute in the next match. However, it wasn’t that anyone was bad, but that the other team was too good. So it ended in an uneventful loss, ending the sports festival.

With this, I’ll be able to get my reward from Hiiragi-chan. I did ask for that… In the first place, being able to see her panties like that was…