As Coach Nakamura was coaching Kazuki on his catching technique, a thin figure with white hair suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Narumia, you're late again," Coach scolded.
"No, I'm not that late, just a little bit," Narumia replied casually.
Hearing Narumia's response, Coach's mouth twitched. "Because of that darn extra class, I'm late. Sorry, Coach," Narumia explained.
Coach's mouth twitched even more upon hearing this excuse. "Every time you say the same thing."
"Hehe," Narumia chuckled nervously.
Shaking his head, Coach sighed. "Then go and practice Pitching
As Coach scolded Narumia for being late, Narumia noticed Kazuki approaching. With a surprised expression, Narumia stepped forward, leaving Coach momentarily baffled. "Kazuki! You're here!" Narumia exclaimed childishly, ignoring the scolding. "Why didn't you come to the park with us after that day? It wasn't fair!" Kazuki, taken aback by the sudden confrontation, tried to explain, "I had an urgent family matter, I couldn't make it." Narumia, pouting, replied, "That's not a good excuse! You promised!" Kazuki, finding Narumia's childishness a bit annoying, said, "I'm sorry, I really couldn't help it. Let's plan another day out, okay?"
As Coach scolded Narumia for being late, Narumia noticed Kazuki approaching. With a surprised expression, Narumia stepped forward, leaving Coach momentarily baffled. "Kazuki! You're here!" Narumia exclaimed childishly, ignoring the scolding. "Why didn't you come to the park? I waited for you there, you promised to come!"
"I never promised to you," Kazuki replied calmly.
"You did promise!" Narumia retorted, starting to sound frustrated.
Kazuki, finding Narumia's childishness a bit annoying, tried to explain, "I'm sorry, I must have forgotten. I had other plans."
"Hateful! How dare you ignore me!" Narumia's frustration was growing.
"I never ignored you," Kazuki replied defensively, realizing Narumia was upset.
"You did! I'll never forget this!" Narumia's voice was filled with anger and hurt.
"I didn't mean to upset you. I just had other things to do," Kazuki said, trying to calm Narumia down.
"You... you're hateful!" Narumia's voice trailed off as Kazuki walked away, not wanting to argue further.
As Coach Nakamura saw Kazuki and Narumia talking, he quickly approached them. "Hey, you two, what's going on here?" he asked, trying to diffuse the situation.
Narumia pouted, "Kazuki didn't come to the park like he promised!"
Kazuki looked confused, "I never promised..."
"Enough, both of you," Coach Nakamura interjected. "Let's focus on something else. Narumia, how about you try pitching today? And Kazuki, you can catch."
Narumia brightened up, eager to try something new. "Pitching? That sounds fun!"
Kazuki nodded, "Sure, I can catch. Let's give it a try."
Coach Nakamura smiled, pleased with their enthusiasm. "Great! Let's head to the field"
Coach Nakamura led Kazuki and Narumia to the bullpen, a secluded area of the field with a mound and a home plate. "Kazuki, I want you to go and sit behind the plate" he instructed, pointing to the catcher's position. Kazuki nodded and made his way to the designated spot, looking eager to take on role.
"Narumia, I want you on the mound," Coach Nakamura said, gesturing towards the pitching mound.Narumia went with excitement.
Coach Nakamura stood between them, explaining, "Kazuki, your job is to catch the ball Narumia throws and give him feedback on his pitches. Narumia, focus on your form and try to hit Kazuki's.
Kazuki walked confidently towards the home plate, where he took his position as the catcher. He sat in the catcher's posture, as Coach Nakamura had taught him earlier. Adjusting his gear and glove, he ensured he was ready to receive Narumia's pitches. With a focused expression, he looked out towards Narumia, who was standing on the pitching mound, ready to throw. A sense of thrill and excitement filled Kazuki's mind.
Narumia stood tall on the mound, gripping the baseball tightly, his gaze locked onto Kazuki's glove. Taking a deep breath, he wound up for his pitch. With a fluid motion, he released the ball, sending it hurtling towards Kazuki's waiting mitt.
As the ball traveled through the air, Kazuki's eyes tracked its path. With a satisfying "thud," the ball landed securely in his glove. Kazuki quickly examined the pitch, nodding in approval. "Good pitch, Narumia! Nice speed and accuracy," he called out, offering encouragement.
Narumia beamed with pride at Kazuki's compliment, feeling a surge of confidence in his pitching.
"Very good pitch, Narumia, and very good catch, Kazuki," Coach Nakamura chimed in, appreciating their efforts
Together, the three of them continued their practice, each pitch and catch bringing them closer as a team.