A loud clanking sound was heard throughout the area as the aluminum bat collided with a baseball. It flew a great distance away from the open field.

Inaba covered her eyes using her hand to act as a visor and watched as the ball landed behind the tall wire fence. 

“I’ll get it.” The black haired girl stated while raising her hand to alert her team mates. She then went outside and walked over to find the ball drenched in mud.

“Jeez.” She muttered under her breath and picked it up. “It’s so soaked.”

Inaba walked back to the open field with the ball in hand and turned it over to the assigned pitcher.

The heat of the blazing sun emanated a bright transparent glow and its rays scorched the clear field.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead, sighing long and deep. It felt like her whole body is being slowly cooked under a very large fire and it also made her skin very sticky as it came in contact with the outfit that she wore.

Once she was back in front of the designated catcher. She raised the bat and its knob was pointed down toward the plate. Her rear shoulder was slightly raised higher than her front shoulder and her head was facing the pitcher with a serious expression.

A trickle of sweat dripped down to her chin and the tiny liquid fell down on to her muddy shoe.

Within a blink of an eye, the pitcher threw the ball with a strong downward spin, causing it to drop suddenly and veer to side while approaching her.

Take this!

The black haired girl’s bat came in contact with the ball once again and a very loud clanking sound was throughout the area.

_

After the practice drills, Inaba sat on the concrete bench, leaning her back on the wall. She was exhausted and drenched in sweat as all that running and striking, made her legs feel sore. She placed her aluminum bat aside and took off her gloves, dumping them alongside her bat.

“Great job today, Motoyama.” A tall black haired young man approached Inaba while wiping his sweat with a small towel and tossed his mitts on top of her pile.

“Oh, senpai!” She called out with sheer enthusiasm in her voice “Your pitch is so fast again today.”

“Was it?” The black haired man chuckled to himself and placed his towel on his shoulder. He sat beside her and turned his gaze onto the junior’s bat, smiling like a cheshire cat. “You should get your bat fixed, Motoyama. It will have a negative impact on your performance and the ball might lose momentum during our next drill.”

Curious on what her senior said, she picked up her bat, placing the head on her other hand and examined it. There were indeed small dents that were slightly visible, if you look at them closely at a distance and its length was warped as well.

“Maybe this wouldn’t happen if you pitch the ball with less force next time, senpai”

“My bad.” He let out a hearty chuckle and lightly tapped his junior’s back. “I’ll try to do that but I just know that you can take it.”

_

Later that afternoon at the Mochizuki residence

Inaba and Shigure sat on the couch, wallowing in the luxury of the central air conditioning unit that was installed a few days ago.

The interior of the house had the colors of light gray evoking the look of elegance, coupled with rare items nestling inside a glass cabinet for display along with large paintings.

The curated arrangement of the house made the house appear visually balanced and expressive.

“Ahhhh. Nothing beats this cool feeling after coming back from a drill.” The black haired girl commented as she leaned her back on the couch.

Her brunette friend nodded in agreement. With the summer heat constantly scorching their rooms, making it like makeshift saunas, the cold relaxing feeling brought by their blonde companion’s expensive appliance was truly, a lifesaver.

Eiko came back from the dining room with a platter of a sashimi in hand along with a few chopsticks. She placed it on top of the table in front of them.

“Sorry. I couldn’t find any snacks in the kitchen. We’ll have to make do with this instead.” She said, placing the chopsticks beside the platter.

Both Inaba and Shigure’s eyes widen in surprise at what was placed in front of them. The fish was utterly fresh, sliced paper thin and presented in an exquisite manner. Beside it was a small cup of soy sauce with a small green paste in the middle.

“This looks appetizing.” Shigure picked up a pair of chopsticks and broke it into two. “What type of fish is this?”

“Let me go back and ask.” Eiko turned around and before leaving, she asked both Inaba and Shigure on what they wanted to drink.

The two girls thought long and hard on deciding but in the end, they opted for barley tea instead and the blonde left shortly after that.

Inaba swallowed the meat inside her mouth and picked up another slice of sashimi. Upon further inspection, she noticed that this fish had white flecks of intramuscular fat and this same fat was lean in texture thus having a marbled appearance.

She recalled a drunken conversation between her father and her uncle after going home from school one day. They both discussed on how marbling affects the meat’s juiciness, tenderness and texture.

She never expected that the knowledge she gained from overhearing their conversation would prove useful in this situation.

This must be an expensive fish, the black haired girl thought. 

However, a sudden realization flashed through her mind. Who would serve such things like these on an average summer day?

Normally, an average person would prefer to take out snacks like off brand chips, discount store goodies and the like but to serve them with expensive meals like these right off the bat would just be a strong display of power.

Could it be that Eiko wanted to show me that she is capable of having a boyfriend first?

Inaba ate multiple pieces of sashimi in one bite, chewing it thoroughly to assess the taste.

The taste was light and subtle. Its flavor wasn’t overwhelming and didn’t have a fishy aftertaste as well. Whoever, made the sashimi platter is definitely a master of their craft.

Eiko came back with a pitcher of cold barley tea and three cups that were stacked together. She sat beside Shigure and began to eat her share.

“The chef at the kitchen said, its Bluefin.” The blonde girl stated, answering her brunette friend’s question earlier. She turned to look at two, who were busy eating their fill. “Is it good?”

“Yeah.” Shigure nodded. “I just cant stop eating it.”

“Me too.” Inaba commented. It was like they were put under a trance as this particular type of fish is just so good. “How much is this though?”

Eiko cupped her chin and appeared to be in deep thought. “If I can remember correctly, its about five million yen.”

Both Inaba and Shigure stopped eating suddenly after what Eiko said.

Five million yen?!

“It costs that much?” The black haired girl asked, her eyes were brimming with shock as she thought that this fish was expensive due to its flesh was redder and had a “meaty” flavor on it but she didn’t expect it to be that expensive.

“It has the same price range with having a VIP backstage premium concert ticket.” Shigure interjected. “Or planning for your anniversary date.”

“Huh? Dates costs that much too, Shigure?” Inaba poured herself a glass of barley. “I thought couples only spend their date, in the park, the mall or walking.”

“Of course, you musclehead.” Shigure poured herself a glass as well and took a long gulp from it. “Didn’t you see what Itou-san posted a few months ago about his date with Maeda-san?”

“You mean, Kaede? The class rep of 1-B?” Inaba asked, clarifying on who it was as there two Maeda’s in Murasaki High, namely the school’s delinquent leader, Kazuya and the representative, Kaede.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” The brunette placed her chopsticks down and picked up her bag, which was beside her. “Hold on, let me show it to you.”

Shigure thoroughly searched her baf for her phone and after a few minutes, she took it out and pressed a few buttons. “Here, you go.”

She displayed the screen of her phone to Inaba and Eiko who nodded in agreement after seeing the photo.

“Now that you mention that, it is true that an average person would spend the same amount but you forget one thing.” Eiko took a short gulp of her glass. “Maeda-san’s family owns that business. So, it’s technically free.”

“You’re probably right.” Shigure powered off her phone, placing it aside. She then picked up her chopsticks and was about to resume eating but the plate was now spotlessly clean except for the sauce. “There’s no more?”

“Aha! What a dish!” Inaba cheerfully exclaimed while placing her chopsticks down. “I’m so full.”

“I hope you still got room left as there’s still a dessert.” Eiko mentioned while brushing her long blonde hair aside.

“There’s a dessert?!” Both Inaba and Shigure exclaimed in unison.

_

The following day

The three girls traversed the concrete path along the market district in East Yokaharu. There were a lot of stalls, selling various goods like fruits, fresh meat, seafood produce and other daily necessities. The atmosphere inside was boisterous and lively as the vendors actively promoted their products.

“What’s next on the list?” Inaba asked, peering over the note on the brunette's hand.

“Let’s see.” Shigure handed the paper over to Inaba and raised her plastic bag, examining its contents. “We got different slices of chicken, fresh vegetables, various types of liquor and seafood.”

“I think guess that’s it.” The black haired girl browsed over the items on the list. “That’s a lot of food for a promotion after party.”

“You know how happy my dad was when he got promoted into a senior role.” Shigure shook her head. “I hope I wont get to clean it all up.”

“Say, doesn’t your dad work at Fujibayashi Pharmaceuticals?”

“Yeah, he’s been working there for almost forever now. Why, you want to work there?”

“Hmm.” Inaba murmured. “I guess. I heard from my mom’s friend when she came over that they pay very well.”

“I see. So, maybe that’s why, my dad was able to buy another one of those golf clubs from the mall.”

“Wow, your dad’s really active huh?”

“I guess.” Shigure shrugged her shoulders. “Let’s find someplace to sit down for a while. My feet are killing me.”

After walking for another fifteen minutes, they settled down at a cafe near the upscale restaurant that they went to from a few days ago and ordered refreshments.

Their drinks arrived shortly and the staff left them to assist other customers.

“So, you got any plans on asking Takeda-san out this week or you’re going to chicken out?” Shigure asked while sipping on her soda float through a straw.

The brunette’s sudden question threw Inaba off balance and choked on her drink. She coughed for a bit and regained her composure after a few seconds.

“What’s with the sudden question, Shigure?”

“You keep on wanting to have a boyfriend but you’re not making any movements to do it.”

“I must agree on what Shigure said.” Eiko took a sip of her tea. “You must do something or else.”

“Or else?” Both Inaba and Shigure asked in unison, curious on what Eiko meant by that.

“Or else, someone will take your place and you will live in despair.” Eiko lamented, her expression was glum. “if that happens, you’ll stare into the unknown abyss and unknowingly, it will stare back at you.”

“Yeah and you’ll spend the break, staring at the window. Your eyes seem distant and utter the words, why did it end this way?” Shigure shook her head. “Another summer break, alone and frustrated that I’m still a virgin who only knows about baseball and nothing else. Oh, what a musclehead, I am.”

“Oh, shut up you two. I’ll talk to him and we’ll become a couple! Just you wait.” Inaba scowled.