Short Program 33

Short Program, Volume 3, Chapter 33 (pp. 213~244)


<213>
Idol A: Chapter 1
[x3]=One more!

=—Now!//Just one more out to complete a second consecutive no-hitter!

=On the mound is Asamidai High School senior, ace pitcher Keita Hirayama!

=The kick—

=He throws!


<214&215>
Idol A: Chapter 1


<216>
WHAM

=Azusa Satomi, age 17.

=With her popularity rising rapidly among teenagers,
=She's now a teen idol, with offers flooding in from every teen magazine in existence.

=—And,

=Her classmate and childhood friend...

=—This dude.


<217>
=Keita Hirayama, age 17.
=Ace pitcher and clean-up hitter for the Asamidai High School baseball team.//The new hero who suddenly appeared in this summer's regional tournament.

=E-Excuse me...//You're Miss Azusa Satomi, aren't you?
=UCK

=Oh, I'm a huge fan!//Can you take a picture with me?//Oh, and an autograph, too!

=No, look...//You see...
=I'm Keita Hirayama, age 17, and...

=Game, set, and match!//A second consecutive no-hitter!


<218>
=Hey,//Where'd she go?
=Oh?

=You're so great, Keita-kun!//You're the best!
GUFFAW
=Thank you, thank you.

=Oh, coach...//I'm gonna go run to the bathroom first.
=Right, hurry up.

[sign]Locker Room

=C'mon, hurry!//Your agent was looking for you.
BATHUMP
=—Gosh!//I can't believe they made so many errors in the second half.


<219>
=Can't help it.//Our baseball isn't all that—
=Hey!
=Don't look!

=Oh,//My bad.

=Wig!
=Right right!

=—Alright,
=Take care of the rest.

BATHUMP

=Oh,//It's Azusa-chan!
=Hey guys!//Congrats on making it to the Final 8!//Good luck with your next game!

=Are you going to work now?
=—Yep, I'm flying to Okinawa.//Off I go—!


<220>
=Man,//She's so cute.

=Hey, I always thought Azusa-chan looks kinda like Hirayama...//Now that you mention it...
=Guffaw!

=They don't look alike at all!//Don't you dare mention that slut and Hirayama-kun in the same breath!
=Asamidai High baseball team manager, Fujimi Ichihara (age 17).

=Hoo hoo hoo...

=Scrolling back half a year...

=Join the baseball team?


<221>
=Asamidai High baseball team head coach, Yuichi Satomi (age 45).
=—That's right.
=Father of teen idol Azusa Satomi.

=Try changing into those clothes over there.

=—Hey wait!//This is a girl's school uniform!
=You should've noticed beforehand.

=—And,//The wig...

=OHHH—

=What's so OHHH— about this?
=Well well,//I always thought you two looked alike when you were little,//But at this age...//And to this extent!

=—Alright, it's a deal!
=What is?


<222>
=The father was obsessed with baseball.

=—And,

WHAM

=His daughter was born with natural talent.
Satomi Azusa (In 8th grade)

=90 mph...?
=And plenty of it...

=There's no way we'll make it through the regional tournament with our current team!//We need Azusa's pitching!//—And, now that she's a senior, this is our last chance!//To make it to the Koshien!

=—But, girls can't participate in the tournament...
=Exactly!


<223>
=C-//Could it be—!?
=Yes it could!

=It would be a huge scandal if they found out!//They might even disband the team!
=I've already considered that. Please!
=This is my dream!//—And Azusa's dream!
=Please!

=I've never really felt it,//But other people say I'm a pretty unlucky guy.
=...Very well.

=OHHH—! So you'll do it!?//For our dream—!
=—Yes,//For Azusa's dream.

=Thank you! Please try your hardest!//For our dream!
=I will.//For Azusa's dream.

=—Yep, it's that stupid.
[x2]BZZ—T


<224>
=KYAHH—!//Hirayama-ku—n!
=KYAHH—!!
[bubble]GLARE

=So you usually don't take pitching and batting practice?
=Yes,//It's too tiring.

=Wow!//What a genius!
=I have no baseball experience.//—And no talent, of course.

ZWHISHH—

Z-ZWISH..

[x2]WHOOSH


<225>
WHOOSH

=Azusa-cha—n!//We're gonna start the photo shoot!
=Oh,//Oka—y!

[x2]CLICK//CLICK

[bubble]...Hey
[bubble]CLICK

[sign]Hirayama

[x2]=OHHH—
[headline]Second consecutive!!//No-hit shutout!!


<226>
=Wow, that was amazing, Keita!
=Your picture's all over the front page!

=I never imagined you'd have so much baseball talent.//Guess you inherited these strong legs of mine. I placed 30th in the school marathon, after all.//What are you talking about!//It must be the springs and kicking power that got me to 6th place in the town swimming competition!
=Father
BLAH BLAH
=Mother

=You should know better.//It's your own son...

[sign]Meiji Jingu Stadium

WAAA—H

WHAM


<227>
=Steeerike!//Yer out!

=That's my son.//My son—!
=Hoo-hoo...

=We were only childhood friends till middle school.//These days, I hardly ever get a chance to talk to her...

=—And especially now that she's a popular teen idol.//I can't just go up and talk to her because of the fanatics in the Sato-Azu school fan club.


<228>
=He—y, Azusa-chan!//Long time no see!

=You should know better.//...Idiot parents.

=Hey!//It's Sato-Azu!
=Ohh—//It's Sato-Azu! Sato-Azu!

=You should know better.//...Idiot dudes.
[x2]RUN AWAY

WHAM

WAHHH—


<229>
BOP...

BOP

BOP

=What's wrong, Hirayama...?//Looks like you're having a bad day today.
=Hah-hah...

=What the hell are you doing...!?//They'll catch on if you don't stick to jogging!
=Oh, well...//I just started feeling like I could hit it...

=Here goes—!

CRI—NK

=Whoa.

=Alright,//That's it.
=Whoa.


<230>
=North Tokyo Tournament Semifinals—

=Batting 4th, the pitcher—//Hirayama-kun!

=Wow!//Listen to those fangirls in the stands!
KYAHHH—

RWARRR—

=—Oh?//Sounds like a stray cat has snuck into the Asamidai dugout...
[bubble]Meow?

=Top of the 2nd, up to bat is the team's powerhouse...//The star of this tournament, Keita Hirayama!


<231>
WHOA

=Oh!

=Azu!//—Oh, I mean...
=Hi-//Hirayama!

=A bean ball!

=Around the left knee, I suppose!?//The coach is helping him back to the dugout!

=Keita Hirayama has been pitching for Asamidai this entire tournament—//An injury here would be devastating!


<232>
RUMBLE RUMBLE...

BLAM

BLAM


<233>
BLAM

=A 1-hit shutout!//Asamidai High School advances to the finals!
=No way...

=What!?//When!?

=Oww...

=He told me he wanted one at-bat in front of a huge crowd...//And he threatened to spill the guts on the switching, so...

=—Remember, yesterday...?//I got a pretty good hit in practice, didn't I?

=Impeccable timing, as usual...


<234>
=Alright,//Take care of the rest.
BATHUMP

=Hey,//Did you go in knowing they were planning something...?

=I've also heard some bad rumors about those two...

=Huh!?//Then they purposely—!?

GATHUCK
GONK
THUD
[bubble]ACK

=Just an unlucky guy, huh...

=—No,

=I'm definitely not an unlucky guy.


<235>
=At any rate, I'm childhood friends with my idol.

=—Plus...

=Weren't you going to wash that uniform, dear?
=—Yeah,//Just let me just sniff it a little more...
[x2]SNIFF

=...Hmm.

=Well, either way...//If you make it big in the Koshien, it'll even things out a little bit.
=And that dream I once gave up...//The "Marrying Azusa-chan into the Hirayama Family Project" might actually come to fruition.
[bubble]HOO

=A high school baseball star,//And a super-popular teen idol...
[bubble]Ohh—
=Now that would make a nice match!

=Wouldn't be a match, would it?//Not when it's really the same person...


<236>
[bubble]CLICK//CLICK

=Are you okay, Azusa-chan...?
=Huh?

=You seem a little tired...

=Oh,//Not at all...
=I'm totally fine!

=Throwing 100 pitches, day after day, under the scorching sun—
[bubble]CLICK
[bubble]CLICK//CLICK

=1-days rest...
=Will it be enough for our ace?

=—And...
[x2]RABBLE


<237>
=Hey,//Hey,//Did you hear, Keita-kun...?

=I heard that idol-slut tripped on the stairs and fractured her leg.
=Serves her right.//And she's making a huge fuss about it by wrapping her leg up,//She's so pathetic.

=You didn't even complain when you got hit so hard by that bean ball.

=—Yeah...

=She's a good-for-nothing girl.//Arrogant and selfish...
=Can't say a word of appreciation even when she wants to...

=—Yeah yeah!//I knew you were different from all those other guys, Keita-kun!//Isn't it incredible how a stupid girl like that could be so popular—!?

=Hah-hah...//Isn't "stupid girl" going a bit too far?
=I don't think so.


<238>
=They must be editing those photos like crazy.//There's no way she's really that cute.//—Actually, she's kinda ugly if you look closely.

=Right.//Let's go, Hirayama.
=Yes sir.

=The tournament final—

WAHHH—


<239>
[bubble]BZZ...


<240>
=Too bad you couldn't make it,//...To the Koshien.

BZZ...
=Not really—

=That was my Dad's dream.

=I just wanted a shot at really doing my best against boys in a real game.
=Now I can really buckle down and concentrate on my work.

=Wig!
=Oh,//Right right.


<241>
=I heard there's gonna be a couple interviews afterwards,
=So just say whatever you think would sound right.

=See ya...

BATHUMP

=Going to the Koshien was...
=Her Dad's dream?

=Azusa-cha—n!//Hurry hurry!

=Oka—y.


<242>
BATHUMP

VRR—

=Anyhoo, summer is over—

=—And,

=Autumn...

=Azusa Satomi has become more than just a teen idol.//With TV appearances and a movie deal, she's on the fast track to becoming a huge star.


<243>
=And now she's gone even farther away from me than before...

PAT

=3 professional baseball teams are saying they want to pick Keita Hirayama in this year's draft.

=Huh?


<244>
[cover title]2nd Grade Class 3//Class Compositions
[cover bottom]Nantara Elementary School

[bubble]CLIP//CLIP
[bubble]CLIP

Class 3//Dreams for the Future

=I'm definitely not an unlucky guy.
[x2]WUSH

=Keita's hair//Should be about this long, huh...?

=At any rate, I'm childhood friends with my idol.

I want to be a professional baseball player no matter what.//Azusa Satomi

=Plus...
[one of the letters of the name crossed out and rewritten; terrible handwriting]=Supermarket person//Keita Hirayama

Idol A: Chapter 1 (END)