This is not the date I wanted.

"Nothing, practice makes perfect."

Seeing Mengyue looking at him with admiration, Zhenxing couldn't help feeling a little proud.

"Are you okay? You're sweating so much?"

"It's okay! This is just right. Another hundred balls won't be a problem!"

"I'm not asking you to be stubborn. If you're tired, just tell me." Looking at the junior who seemed to want to show off, Meng Yue couldn't help but persuade him with a wry smile, "Here, a towel and a sports drink. Take a break. If you play too hard at the beginning, you will be exhausted in the afternoon."

"Thank you very much..."

Taking the towel and drink brought by Mengyue, Zhenxing blushed slightly and thanked her respectfully.

(Towels and drinks used by seniors...)

Gurgle. Zhenxing couldn't help but swallow secretly.

——Yuedao, if you could choose, where would you go on a date with a member of the opposite sex?

——Hmm? This is... a movie theater, right?

——Haha…too sweet! Too naive, Yuedao!

——Is there any problem? Itsuka-senpai.

——Indeed, when it comes to dating, the movie theater is definitely one of the first recommended places that comes to mind. But that place is not suitable for a novice date.

--why is that?

——First of all, in the cinema, both people are facing the big screen, and there is basically no interaction even if they are sitting next to each other. If you want to experience the kind of quiet holding of hands in a dim space and the nervous feeling of your heart beating wildly, both parties must have a certain emotional foundation. If you touch a woman you are not familiar with, it is very likely to be regarded as harassment!

——I see!

——Moreover, the next step after watching the movie is nothing more than exchanging your thoughts on the movie. If only boring B-grade movies are shown at this time, or your interests don't match hers, then the conversation will easily fall into silence. Do you know what this means? It means that your nearly 3-hour date time is wasted! It's all useless!

——How terrible. I didn't expect there would be such a trap. Dating is really a profound science.

——Yes, this is a pitfall that novices often fall into.

——Then, Mr. Gokawa, do you have any recommendations?

——Well... there are many recommendations. Places like aquariums and amusement parks where there are more opportunities for interaction, but the specifics depend on the situation. Yuedao, where do you usually go to play?

——Eh? Me? I often go to the baseball field after school.

——Baseball batting cage... That's not bad either. A familiar place can ease your tension, and if you are confident in your ability, you may also take the opportunity to show off your masculinity. Maybe something good will happen.

(Gokawa-senpai…)

Recalling Gokawa Shido's teachings, Makoto couldn't help but feel that every word was golden and he admired him deeply.

"By the way, drinks and towels are free of charge from this store."

As if seeing through Zhenxing's thoughts, Mengyue explained speechlessly,

"You're not thinking of anything obscene, are you?"

“No no no Ryougi-senpai! I don’t want to smell your scent or kiss you indirectly or anything like that—”

After being exposed by Meng Yue, Zhen Xing hurriedly shook his head and explained in a panic.

"You've already said it... Well, since you're pretty cute, I'll forgive you this time."

Meng Yue chuckled and blinked.

"Haha... I'm so sorry."

Zhenxing couldn't help but laugh dryly. For the first time, he felt that having a feminine appearance was not necessarily a bad thing.

"By the way, Senior Liang Yi, do you want to try it too?"

"Okay."

Meng Yue nodded. This was her first time in such a place, and after watching Zhen Xing play, she became somewhat interested.

Mengyue picked up a baseball bat from the shelf and began to walk around the batting area.

"Hmm...Which strike zone would be better?"

“Basically there won’t be much difference in the batting cages, so seniors can just pick the one they like.”

“Yeah, but that strike zone is obviously different, right?”

Meng Yue asked, pointing to the batting area on the far right.

In order to increase the sense of presence, there is an LED screen next to the pitching machine corresponding to each batting area, which plays the pitching animation of professional players in conjunction with the pitching machine.

However, the picture on the screen of the batting cage that Meng Yue pointed to was out of tune with the other machines. It was a man with long black hair wearing a white sailor suit, holding a baseball and a baseball glove.

"Oh, that's Shiratama-chan. It seems to be the pitching machine that the store manager recently purchased."

Makoto explained.

"I heard from the store manager that this is a product launched in collaboration with an animation company in order to keep up with fashion elements. I played it once, and I heard that it can make different voices depending on the result of the hit."

"Oh--"

Hearing this, Meng Yue raised her eyebrows and couldn't help but become interested.

“Then I’ll choose this one.”

"Eh? Wait a minute, Ryougi-senpai—"

Before Zhenxing could dissuade her, Mengyue opened the door and walked into the batting cage.

【Two hundred yuan per time, please insert coins or swipe card. 】

(Huh? It’s cheaper than normal, so why is there so few people in this batting cage?)

Although she felt a little confused, Mengyue still tossed two coins according to the prompts.

[Ah, my goodness! How dare you challenge me? You are such a stupid and unruly person!]

Then, the "Bai Yujiang" on the screen reacted and laughed disdainfully at Meng Yue.

"A young lady with a sharp tongue... The voice actor should sound like Huabi - Xiangbi -, which is quite interesting."

While admiring the dedication of the animation and voice actors, Meng Yue gripped the bat and got ready in the batter's box.

[Then——watch this! ]

In coordination with "Bai Yujiang's" movements, the pitching machine started to operate.

----boom! !

A powerful voice rang out, like a cannonball fired from a gun. In just a blink of an eye, the flying baseball enlarged in front of Mengyue's eyes.

The next moment, the wind pressure blew across her cheek. Meng Yue looked back and saw that the baseball had fallen onto the cushion behind her.

"Huh... I see."

After being stunned for half a second, Meng Yue let out a long breath, then raised the corners of her mouth excitedly.

"Interesting woman... No, it's baseball."

“Ah…it really has become like this.”

Seeing this scene, Zhenxing sighed as expected.

I don't know if it's the store manager's or the designer's bad taste, but unlike other pitching machines, the pitching machine that comes with "Bai Yu Jiang" shoots the ball at a speed of about 150 kilometers per hour. Basically, the moment people realize that the machine is throwing the ball, it's over.

If you take it lightly just because there is a cute animation on the screen, it will leave a big psychological shadow.

(Senior Liangyi, are you okay?)

Zhenxing looked at the studio worriedly. He saw that "Bai Yujiang" threw two fastballs in a row. Although Mengyue swung actively, both of them missed.

[Tsk... You're more useless than I thought. Go away, you piece of shit - don't waste my time.]

After "Bai Yujiang" sneered with a look of contempt, the pitching machine stopped working.

This is another setting of "Bai Yu Jiang" - early end of the game. Although the rules are the same as other pitching machines, it is five minutes and twenty pitches at a time, but if there are three misses, it will be regarded as a strikeout and forced to end, which is why the price is half of other batting areas.

"Well... don't worry about it, Ryougi-senpai. I was struck out last time as well. The settings of this pitching machine are a bit abnormal. It won't be that difficult if I change to another one."

A little worried that it would give Mengyue unpleasant memories, Zhenxing hurried to comfort her.

However, Mengyue turned a deaf ear to Zhenxing's words. Not only did she not leave the strike zone, but she also threw two hundred-yuan coins into the money slot.

"senior?!"

Makoto's eyes widened in surprise.

In the baseball batting cage, there is an unwritten rule that each person plays one inning, regardless of whether they are acquaintances or not. If there is someone waiting outside, the next person will play after the inning.

Of course, except for some challengers and fanatical fans, most passengers would not choose "Bai Yu Jiang". But Zhen Xing still noticed a few scattered guests walking towards this side.

(Well... maybe Senior Liang Yi was just angry for a moment, and he will come out after the next round when his anger subsides.)

[It's easy. Want to beat me? You should practice for another hundred years.]

However, after five goals, Meng Yuebi did not leave as Zhenxing imagined, but started another game.

[Ah la la! This is the limit of what a commoner can do. ]

……

[You are quite capable, you can actually make me do something serious. You can be proud of it.]

…………

[Haha ...

Makoto opened his mouth blankly, his eyes full of surprise.

Just now, Meng Yue, who had finished the fifth round, challenged "Bai Yujiang" for the sixth round without stopping.

After these six rounds, Meng Yue was not unilaterally crushed by Bai Yu Jiang as she was at the beginning. Zhen Xing discovered that after each ball, Meng Yue's grip position, batting posture, and swing time would be slightly adjusted in order to better deal with Bai Yu Jiang's serve.

Round after round, from being struck out directly at the beginning to five balls, six balls, eleven balls, and sixteen balls later, Mengyue's confrontation with "Bai Yujiang" became longer and longer, and she gradually became evenly matched with him.

What an amazing learning ability. Zhenxing couldn't help but feel shocked. It was no exaggeration to say that in terms of batting ability alone, Liangyi Mengyue was far better than him, even comparable to baseball players who entered Koshien.

"Throat... has she hit seventeen balls already? This little girl is really amazing."

"Damn it! My record has been surpassed!"

"Ah, Bai Yu-chan's level 4 voice, this is the first time I've heard it!"

"It's the eighteenth goal! Is this lady aiming for a grand slam?"

"More than that, I think she wants to hit a home run!"

Hearing this, Zhenxing couldn't help but feel a surge of heat.

At some point, a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the batting area, but in the face of the noisy discussions, Meng Yue didn't even frown, as if she was concentrating on isolating herself from the noise.

What a concentration.

Zhen Xing held his breath. He had already given up the idea of ​​dissuading her and just watched everything quietly.

Kind and amiable, yet self-willed. Not afraid of gossip, shining as naturally as the sun, defeating darkness head-on.

It was precisely because of this that Tsukimichi Shinko was deeply attracted to her the first time he saw her.

The nineteenth ball was a straight ball with a speed of over 155 kilometers per hour, but Meng Yue, whose eyes had already gotten used to it, still bit it tightly and hit it into the corner.

[Humph—hahaha! Okay, I admit that you are my rival! Let this last ball decide the victory or defeat!]

In the twentieth ball, after hearing "Bai Yujiang's" declaration of war, Zhenxing felt that the aura surrounding Mengyue suddenly changed, as sharp as a sword drawn from its sheath.

Only then did Zhenxing confirm that Liangyi Mengyue's goal was really a home run.

(Come on, Liang Yi-senpai.)

Zhenxing prayed nervously in his heart.

----Bang!!!!

Accompanied by a loud bang, a white afterimage shot out from the pitching machine and flew straight towards Mengyue.

(no problem!)

Zhenxing secretly clenched his fists in his heart. This ball was a little slower than the previous one. With Mengyue's reaction speed and strength, he would definitely be able to hit a home run.

However, just as the ball was approaching the batting cage, the afterimage suddenly changed its trajectory and sank rapidly downwards.

"Vertical slide!?"