Located in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, about 10,000 people live in Shirayama Town, among which 40% are over 65 years old. At the nearest JR station, Yake Station, there is only a tram passing by every 2 hours.

The people of the town mainly live in the east near Tsu City, where some residential and shopping streets are distributed.

Life in the town is peaceful and comfortable.

In such a thoroughly rural place, Baishan High School is located on a high ground overlooking the residential and shopping streets below.

The road starts from the main entrance and runs down the steep slope. On both sides of this one-way road, electrical stores, restaurants and convenience stores are lined up, with some old houses, rice shops and old-fashioned laundry.

On such a summer afternoon, the atmosphere gradually became hot on the baseball field next to the school building.

However, the court is not playing games, but preparing the court.

Pulling weeds, loosening soil, cleaning pergolas, collecting missing baseballs, unblocking drainage channels, equipment maintenance, etc., is underway. A major cleaning before the three rounds of battles comes.

It’s not just about training that is called preparation.

During the process of preparing the stadium, the players deeply realized how difficult it is to walk on the stadium with their companions. Perhaps for the third-grade officials, this is the last time they have prepared their own stadium in this way.

"Kaya, you're not good at this."

"Hey? Is my movement wrong?"

Near the pitcher hill, Takashi Iwada and Kazuya Nishino were holding tools to arch the soil, but compared to Takashi Iwada's skillful techniques, Kazuya Nishino's movements seemed very clumsy.

"Don't the pitcher have an exclusive idea of ​​the pitcher mound? In the future, the entire pitcher mound will belong to you, so you have to prepare it yourself."

Takashi Iwada joked with a smile.

"No, Senior Iwata, don't leave me behind, just let me go together, you can't figure it out if I look..."

Kazuya Nishino quickly stopped Takashi Iwada who was about to leave and begged.

"Then you guys just be serious!"

"From just now, 90% of the work I do, don't think I didn't see you paddling."

"Well……"

Kazuya Nishino also has troubles.

Before, the seniors in the third grade were responsible for these tasks. They were picking up balls and rubbing the balls in the first grade. Now they have to hand over the tasks to them. Not only are they unfamiliar with their actions, but they also have a little panic in their hearts.

The changes in the baseball department day after day reminded them all the time that the seniors had not had much time left in the department.

If the three rounds of battles are lost, these few days will be their last collective departmental activity.

Kazuya Nishino felt a little sad.

But he immediately thought that today would be a parent-child day, so he had to do his job well as soon as possible.

In public high schools, most students live in accommodation and rarely go home, so there are few opportunities to meet their families.

For clubs like the baseball department that require a lot of time, it is even more difficult for the members of the department to meet their families, and they are almost forgetting the taste of the food they cooked by their parents.

Therefore, before important competitions, traditional schools and departments will carry out parent-child days and other activities.

Simply put, the players' mothers make bentoes together, bringing the school to the children to share.

After all, the players have always lived in the school, so what my mother’s bento tastes can only be savored in my memory.

The materials needed for the preparation activities are carried by senior Amana Moriyama and Tetsu Nishino.

On the street.

Moriyama and Takashi Nishino walked towards the convenience store below again. I guess this time I could buy all the napkins, cloths, cups, drinks and other miscellaneous items.

The two walked together, and Tetsu Nishino was slightly behind.

Because the streets are quieter, even if the footsteps are not loud, they can be clearly heard.

Morihara was wearing a beige vertical striped dress, tied with a blue belt, and her long hair draped over her shoulders.

Takashi Nishino looked around and suddenly found something that surprised him, and couldn't help but blurt out.

"Senior, your hair has grown longer?"

“Eh?”

Moriyama's face was stunned. She didn't expect Tetsu Nishino to notice.

"Um……"

"It's been left for a long time."

Walking beside Taku Nishino, Moriya unconsciously put his hair behind his ears, and his voice was very light, but the silence at this moment allowed Taku Nishino to hear the sound clearly.

When he entered the school in spring, Tetsu Nishino remembered that Senior Amiya Mori's hair was overheard. Now it was summer, and he noticed that Senior Amiya's hair was overheard.

"oh……"

Tetsu Nishino was a little curious about the reason why Amiya Mori began to grow long hair. In fact, he also found that Amiya Mori's skin had become fair, but he thought about it and still couldn't ask directly.

The two of them were silent for a moment.

When asked just now, Moriyama was shocked. If Tetsu Nishino continued to ask why, she wouldn't know what to answer.

Why?

Maybe I really think what my sister said, I have to prepare for my future college life, so from spring to summer, I started to keep my convenient short hair long, and started to take sun protection every day before going to the court.

It’s just strange that when others know about one’s own changes, they can’t help but be excited.

"Um?"

Tetsu Nishino noticed the subtle expression on Moriyama's face, and the green joy made him a little surprised.

According to his analysis of the hitter in the catcher's seat, this is the same as the expression that will appear inadvertently after capturing the ball path. Did the senior sister remember something happy?

"Hey, Nishino-kun, you... have grown taller too."

The silent atmosphere made Moriyama clearly hear her heartbeat. She was not good at talking and had to ask back deliberately.

But after this sentence was expressed, Mori Yamakura felt a little panicked, and walked forward with her hands behind her back, looking away.

"It's true, seniors can discover this, Si Guoyi!"

Tetsuo Nishino was really surprised this time.

After all, he is still in the high school stage, and he has grown taller and stronger since he joined the department, but it is difficult to detect if he meets him almost every day.

"It's still...it's okay."

Avoiding Nishino Tetsuya's surprised gaze, Moriyama's face had a hint of blush for some reason.

Uh-

What am I saying to my juniors? It's really inexplicable.

In order to hide the ups and downs of his mood, Moriyasu speeded up, and Tetsu Nishino, who was unknown, also determined to follow.

After entering the convenience store.

"Niye Jun, go there, just follow the table."

Moriya Awaki said, letting the two of them take action separately.

"Okay, senior."
Chapter completed!