Chapter 108 - 106: I’m Playing the Ace Card_1

Words : 1794 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

The second lesson of the morning. Hojo Tetsuji was unusually awake. Because it was time for physical education. Although he didn’t quite understand many rules related to sports, Hojo Tetsuji had his own way of determining the difficulty of an activity. In his view, those sports with numerous rules were definitely not for him. But baseball, in Hojo Tetsuji’s opinion, was a sport with fewer rules and well-suited for him to showcase his physical abilities. All he had to do was grab the baseball bat, hit the ball out, and run around the field. It was a simple matter of winning. Hojo Tetsuji wanted to show off his athletic prowess to Yoshikawa Sayuri during this PE lesson. "I’m going to hit a home run!" Hojo Tetsuji clenched his fists, his expression exceptionally excited. Aozawa glanced at the tennis court next to the baseball field. This PE lesson had boys playing baseball and girls playing tennis. Due to the limited number of tennis courts at Brilliant High School, unlike Aogaku, the girls had to take turns playing. Most of them were warming up in pairs on the side. It was quite a sight. Girls with larger busts would stretch, and their shirts would tighten, allowing Aozawa to appreciate what unstoppable forces lay beneath. Adding to that, most of the girls from class 2C were good-looking. If Yoshikawa Sayuri wasn’t in 2C, she would be considered above average in any other class. Unfortunately, being in 2C meant she was just average. "Hey, don’t just stand there, who’s going to be the first batter?" The PE teacher shouted loudly. "I will!" Hojo Tetsuji stepped forward eagerly, swung the bat a few times, then marched onto the field with an air of determination. Aozawa pulled his attention back from the tennis court next door and yelled, "Tetsuji, be careful. Furusawa is the ace pitcher of the baseball club." "I aim for the ace," Hojo Tetsuji replied confidently, gripping the bat firmly and standing tall, his eyes fixed on what lay ahead. A boy with glasses, who looked prim and proper, was standing there. Furusawa Kyoichiro pushed his glasses up and said, "I really am underestimated by the likes of you. Do you think just because I wear glasses I don’t understand sports? In this diverse era, people value both intellect and athleticism." "Quit your blabbering and bring it on!" Hojo Tetsuji, intent only on showing off for Yoshikawa Sayuri, had also forgotten to check whether Yoshikawa Sayuri was actually watching the baseball game. Furusawa Kyoichiro gripped the ball and, at the whistle from the PE teacher, assumed a very classic pitching stance, orderly as if taken from a textbook. Lifting his leg, striding forward, and as his body’s center of gravity shifted, his right arm swung up. As his foot came down, Furusawa Kyoichiro focused all his strength onto the two fingers releasing the ball. "BOOM!" The baseball was thrown like a cannonball. Hojo Tetsuji’s eyes narrowed at the sight. The baseball was fast. But within his reaction time, he immediately swung out with the bat. Hojo Tetsuji believed his swing would hit the baseball. To his surprise, he missed. The white baseball was caught steadily by the catcher behind him. "What just happened?!" Hojo Tetsuji’s eyes widened behind his sunglasses, completely clueless about what had occurred. He thought he should have hit the ball; how could he miss? The catcher calmly said, "Don’t be surprised. Kyoichiro’s specialty is the change-up pitch. It looks very fast, but slows down at the crucial moment. You misjudged the speed of the pitch, so of course you couldn’t hit it." "Is that even possible?" Hojo Tetsuji didn’t quite understand baseball, but he thought the idea of changing the pitch’s speed was unscientific. He looked puzzled for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the tennis court. He didn’t see Yoshikawa Sayuri watching him from the green protective netting on the side. He breathed a sigh of relief. His crush had not witnessed that embarrassing moment, which was a small consolation for Hojo Tetsuji. As for the other girls, Hojo Tetsuji didn’t care at all. "Tetsuji, make it count!" Aozawa shouted from the bench. "Quit nagging. I’m about to use all my strength." Hojo Tetsuji refused to admit defeat verbally, gripping the bat tightly. This time, he had to hit that slowing ball. Furusawa Kyoichiro held the baseball and smiled, "Good, the charm of sports really is irresistible, even a delinquent like you gets fired up. Then try and hit this pitch of mine!" "I don’t need you to tell me that!" Hojo Tetsuji’s eyes bulged as he watched the white baseball fly toward him again at high speed. Instead of swinging, he waited for the moment the ball slowed to strike. "THWACK!" Hojo Tetsuji froze. He hadn’t swung yet, and the ball was already caught precisely in the catcher’s hand. "That ball didn’t slow down at all!" Hojo Tetsuji’s protest made the catcher speechless. "Isn’t that perfectly normal?" he replied. "How could anyone throw only one type of pitch for an entire game?" "Tetsuji, put some effort into it. If you miss again, you’re going to strike out." "I don’t need the reminder!" Hojo Tetsuji replied irritably. He didn’t play baseball, but he knew a thing or two about it. In Japan, baseball is like a national game. If someone is talented at baseball during high school, they’re certainly a popular figure at school. Furusawa Kyoichiro was the exception. His unique interests made it difficult for the girls to harbor any feelings for him, even though they knew he was the ace who led the school to third place at Koshien. Even if they had feelings, they would not receive any response. Because Furusawa Kyoichiro was only fixated on small things. "I’m surprised, Hojo Tetsuji looks so tall and mighty, but after two swings he’s already out of breath. His body seems so weak." By the tennis court’s protective net, a group of four hot girls were slacking off, watching the baseball game. Ayatsuki Ayaka had a surprised look on her face. She had always thought that Hojo Tetsuji had remarkable endurance. It turned out he was all show and no go, good-looking but good-for-nothing. Tama Chan was an expert in this area and had a lot to say on the matter. She said with a smile, "Iroha, for a layman in sports, Hojo Tetsuji’s performance is already quite remarkable. Players on the field feel tired not just because of physical reasons, but also because of psychological factors. When I first took part in a national competition, that stretch was incredibly tiring. The gazes from all directions felt like lead weights on me. Now Hojo Tetsuji has failed twice in a row, and if he misses the third swing, he will be out. Under such psychological pressure, he would feel out of breath even if he wasn’t physically tired." Ayatsuki Ayaka said with sudden realization, "Maru, you really know a lot." Miyahara Kaoru, twirling her blonde hair with her fingers, said, "But I thought Hojo Tetsuji was the kind of guy who wouldn’t care about others’ gazes." "Maybe there’s someone he does care about," guessed Takahashi Saeko. Huff, puff. Hojo Tetsuji took a deep breath, his hands tightly gripping the bat, sweat vaguely present in his palms. He hadn’t expected such a simple batting activity would be filled with so much technique and pressure. If he didn’t hit the ball well this time, he could forget about showing off in front of Yoshikawa Sayuri. Striking out would be extremely shameful. After taking a deep breath, Hojo Tetsuji steadied his frantic mind, his eyes fixated on Furusawa Kyoichiro’s right hand—he had to hit the ball! That oppressive gaze, not even sunglasses could hide it. Furusawa Kyoichiro felt a sliver of pressure. He knew well that the Hojo Tetsuji in front of him was not an easy batter to fool. Despite not having undergone professional baseball training, Hojo Tetsuji’s exceptional physical attributes, reflexes, and strength were all formidable. He couldn’t be careless. He had to employ skillful techniques to eliminate the man in front of him. "Whew," Furusawa Kyoichiro exhaled, the spring breeze brushing his face seeming to carry a hint of a killing intent, as he lifted his leg and stepped forward. Hojo Tetsuji’s expression turned more grave than ever before. The white baseball shot out like lightning. Hojo Tetsuji kept his eyes on the ball, and within striking distance, he swung the bat forcefully. In an instant, something unbelievable happened that almost made him shatter his sunglasses: the baseball, as if alive, dipped on its own. His powerfully swung bat missed once more. "Can this even work?!" "That’s a curveball." The catcher calmly responded. "Strikeout!" called the PE teacher. "Damn it!" Hojo Tetsuji’s face was filled with anger. He really wanted to smash his bat to bits and stomped back in a huff. At that moment, no one else dared to take the bat from his hands. Aozawa stood up and said, "Leave it to me." "Be careful, he’s strong." "Don’t worry." Aozawa’s words allowed Hojo Tetsuji to hand over his bat, saying, "Make sure you don’t lose." "Who do you think I am." Aozawa grabbed the bat and strode onto the field. Inside the tennis court, Takahashi Saeko saw this scene and said with a grin, "Iroha, look quick, Aozawa is up!" "Saeko, I’m not short-sighted." "Then why don’t you hurry up and cheer for him?" "This isn’t an official match." Ayatsuki Ayaka muttered, her wheat-colored cheeks turning a bit red. She was too embarrassed to cheer for Aozawa in front of so many people. Tama Chan, seeing her slightly flushed cheeks, couldn’t help but shout, "Aokun, you have to do your best! Iroha is watching you!" "Maru, what are you talking about?" Ayatsuki Ayaka was taken aback in shock, her eyes nervously darting around. Many classmates turned their curious gazes her way, making her wish she could dig a hole in the tennis court and hide her head underground. Takahashi Saeko also waved and shouted, "Go for it! Beat that lolicon freak!" Miyahara Kaoru blew a kiss and said, "If you win, I’ll give you a flying kiss as a reward!" The two girls speaking up somewhat relieved Ayatsuki Ayaka’s embarrassment. That was their silent understanding. One was responsible for teasing Ayatsuki Ayaka, while the other two had to find ways to stabilize Iroha’s mood, preventing her from getting flustered. Seeing that the gazes of her classmates were diverted by her two friends, Ayatsuki Ayaka breathed a sigh of relief. Kaoru and Saeko were the best. She glared at Tama Chan and pouted, "Maru!" "Sorry." Tama Chan spread her hands with an ’I didn’t do it on purpose’ expression.

Chapter 108 - 106: I’m Playing the Ace Card_1

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