Short Program 20

Short Program, Volume 2, Chapter 20, (pp. 151~174)


<151>
Abase the Ace!: Part 2


<152>
CONK

=Hey hey,//No heading the ball! This isn't soccer!
=Oww—
=Use that glove I bought you.

=Here goes, Atsuki!

=Wa-//Wait!

CONK

=One more!
=T-//Timeout!

CONK


<153>
[bubble]CHIRP//CHIRP

TOSS

GRUCK


<154>
[headline]4th Consecutive Loss for Defending Champions Seifu Cats

[article]New foreign import Hitalot (Seifu) hitless in 19 at-bats!

=In 8 years...

=Hmph!
=I never trusted that guy in the first place.
BWHAP

=They don't even need a fortuneteller.//They should be winning anyways considering how good their roster and finances are.


<155>
=And what pisses me off most,//Is that the man who nurtured the pitching staff with the No. 1 ERA among all 12 professional teams, pitching coach Kageyama,//Was fired just 'cause of that stupid fortune teller!
=Hi-Yah!
BWHAP

BIP BIP BIP...

=Staying alert!? Fired pitching coach Kageyama.
=Yes sir!

=You can mount on me, I won't let you—

=You mean count!
=Why thank you.

CRI—NK


<156>
=Whoa.
THUD

GASHUCK

=Hey, watch out!

=Sorry sorry.


<157>
=Yah!

SPLAT

WHAP

=Did you see that—?
=What the heck was that?
[bubble]HEE

=Got a problem?//He got it right to you, didn't he!?
=Huh?
=Oh,//Y-Yeah...

[x2]GACHUK

=Hey,//At-kun.
=What's up?


<158>
=Oh—Sketchy guy from next door.//The bike handle got a little bent...
=Now now, let me take a look.

CRI—NK

=To center!
=Yeah—!

=Geez, what's so fun about baseball anyways?

=Well, all 9 players have their unique role in throwing, hitting, and fielding!
=And the strategy behind each and every pitch makes it—!


<159>
CRA—CK

=...Yeah, it's a mystery to me.
GACHUK

=Sure, I see how kids might wanna play it,
=But it's a scam when grown men play a game like that to make loads of money.

=N-Nonsense!

=Only a handful of the most talented individuals can become professional ballplayers!//Being able to play in the professional ranks for over 10 years is the chance equivalent to winning the lottery!

=Pre-war, post-war, and through years of poverty,//Baseball has brought passion, joy, and excitement to so many people!

=—I mean,

=...Yeah, it's really stupid.


<160>
WHOP—

=He—y!

=Not again...

=Wait just a second!

=Listen,//Raise your left leg this way,//Arm goes that way—

=Like,//This?

BLAT


<161>
=Hey—I got it farther last time.
=You're a pretty crummy coach.//Geez.
=Wha!?

=The pitching staff with the No. 1 ERA among all 12 professional teams was—

=No, I mean,//You see...

=Your raised leg should step approximately this far.//Keep your knees loose so your hip doesn't lock in.

=Keep your arm nice and flexible...//No! Wrong!

=Leg like this!//Arm like that!

=No!


<162>
=Darn...//My coaching instincts got the best of me.

=But still,
=It's unusual to find a kid with that little talent.

=How's the game going?
[bubble]PIP

=Seifu's new foreign import, Hitalot//Has once again struck out with runners in scoring position!
WA—

=Not again...//Lose today, and we're out of first place.
=C'mon guys.
GLUB


<163>
=How is your work going, Kageyama-kun?
=Shut up,//Leave me alone.

=I don't want to sound like a broken record, but the future of the Seifu Cats hangs in the balance.//Understood!?

=Sure, I understand...
=But shouldn't you be worrying more about that foreign import of yours?

=Heh-heh-heh... Not to worry, just wait and see.
=He'll start looking like a new man after his 40th at-bat.


<164>
=Ohh—
=Anyways, I bring good news.

=I had a vision of you becoming the manager of the Seifu Cats next year.//A crystal clear vision.
BBT

=I haven't told anyone about this yet,//But my prophecies are never wrong.
=Just something for you to look forward to.

=Well then, I bid you farewell, Kageyama-kun.

[x3]CLACK

TH-TH-THUD

GACHUK


<165>
=Are you alright?

BWHUP

=Well then, I bid you farewell, Ichiro-kun.
=It's Kageyama.

=Yes I know, Nomo-kun.

=There's just something about him,//That I don't trust.


<166>
I'm gonna be the manager next year?
Yeah sure, maybe when pigs fly!

PLOP

=Over here, Moritaka-kun—!

BLOP
[bubble]BWHIP

=What're you doing?


<167>
=Shut up! The sketchy guy who moved in next door taught me to throw like this!

=Wha.

=H-Hey, what do you mean I taught you!//That's not what I showed you at all!

=Listen!//Leg like this, arm like that.

=No look,//Like this and that.

=No!//Didn't you hear anything I said!?
=This and that!

=Gee, he really is a sketchy guy.


<168>
=Phwee—//Darn it.//My coaching habits got the best of me again.

[x4]BIP

=Is that Kageyama the fired pitching coach?
=Yes sir!

=Please rest assured! I haven't even allowed him to touch a baseball.
=Forget about it. Just get back here.

=Huh?
=Forget about that kid!


<169>
=Oh, but...//What about the fortune teller's—
=That quack has nothing to do with us any more!

=Huh?

=Our company's suffered tremendous losses this past week because of that idiot!
GACHUK
=Hey Matsui-kun, how are you?

=My name is Tsuzuki!
=Yes I know, Matsuzaka-kun.
=Buy this stock next. I guarantee it'll make you a profit.

=Get him out of my sight!
=Now now, Agent Smith.//Let's not be violent!

=Did you catch that? Just forget about it!//GACHUNK!


<170>
=I had a vision of you becoming the manager of the Seifu Cats next year. A crystal clear vision.

=—Darn.//I knew it!

PLO—CK

PLO—CK

=No!//You're doing it wrong!
=Leg like this,//Arm like that, right!?


<171>
=It's gone—!
WA—

=A grand slam in his 40th at-bat!//Hitalot of the Seifu Cats has finally done it!

=He'll start looking like a new man after his 40th at-bat.

=It's gone!//He's done it again—!

=Hitalot has homered in 2 consecutive at-bats!


<172>
Seifu Manager Sonoyama
Resigns!

Final Season as Manager!
Long-time manager can't beat old age. Will take leave due to health problems—

=Me?

=A manager?

=That's right! We crossed off all the candidates on that quack fortune teller's list,//And you were the only one left.

Pigs flew.


<173>
BWHAP

=Wow—!
=When'd all this happen!?

=One month doing exactly what that sketchy guy told me—

=I don't know why,//But when an adult tries so hard to teach you something, you just gotta do it.

=Yeah!
=Now that's a man!


<174>
=By the way, why did that guy suddenly disappear without saying goodbye?
=Dunno...

=—But, I feel like I'll run into him again someday.

=As long as I play baseball,//Then someday...

In 8 years...

Abase the Ace: Part 2 (END)