I probably should have asked earlier, but why is she still here?
That Acting Principal transferred to a sister school
in the countryside, didn't he?
She's staying here with her mother, who runs a boutique store.
I heard rumors that her parents are about to get a divorce.
You sure are knowledgeable.
Well, considering she didn't leave with her father,
must mean she didn't want to be away from me.
She might just come and confess to me.
Hey.
There's something important we need to talk about.
Come with me for a second.
Mitsuru Adachi
（Serialized in Shogakukan's 「Weekly Shonen Sunday」）
Created by
Toshihiro Nakazawa
Nobumasa Sawabe
Planning
Masato Hayashi
Rei Anami (TV TOKYO)
Shin'ichirou Tsuzuki
Planning Assistance
Toshisato Okuno Shin Omura Takenori Ichihara
Masato Hayashi
Supervisors
Original Planning Assistance
Michihiro Tsuchiya
Series Composition
Yuji Kondo
Main Character Design
Maho Takahashi
Tomoyuki Matsumoto
Koichi Imano
Art Design
Subcharacter Design
Prop Design
Kayoko Ono
Miki Tsubouchi
Hiromi Komine
Yutaka Kuramoto
Art Director
Color Design
Photography Director
Editing
Nobuhide Tanaka Toshiyuki Kuroiwa
Kotaro Nakagawa
Takeshi Takadera
HALF H・P STUDIO
Music Producer
Music
Sound Director
Sound Production
「Summer Rain」
Lyrics／Composition: Kentaro Kobuchi
Arrangement: Kobukuro
Kobukuro
（Warner Music Japan）
Opening Theme
Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
TV-TOKYO Music
Warner Music Japan
Music Assistance
Ryosuke Sakurai
Animation Producer
Animation Production
Shunji Aoki Naohiko Furuchi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
So what did you want to talk about?
I'm not very honest, am I?
I was aware of that.
I'd say things which are the exact opposite of what I really feel.
But I have the feeling that I can say it honestly today.
I fell in love with you since the first moment I saw you.
I love you more than anyone.
Hey, check this out!
Idol Ace?
Yep.
It's actually a baseball comic,
but they're adapting it into a live action movie.
The story is about a gravure idol who is really a genius pitcher,
and she changes places with her childhood friend and aims for the Koshien.
And they are going to hold a public audition to cast the heroine.
Hey, why don't you try for it, Aoba?
I mean, hey, that role is made for you.
You're good at baseball, and your looks are above average.
Above average?
For the first phase you have to send a video of you performing a part of the script;
it's really easy.
Come on, Aoba.
Oh my, look at the time.
I need to go feed Nomo.
Hey!
Don't run, Aoba!
Changing places with your childhood friend, huh?
U-Um... Uh... Well...
It's embarrassing that you're telling me this straight up.
Shido! I, too...
I fell in love with you since
the first moment I saw you.
I love you more than anyone.
That one didn't feel right.
I fell in love with you since the first moment I saw you.
I love you more than anyone.
All right! I'll definitely make it to the next stage!
That's the wrong foot again.
What's going on here?
A pitching training session, as you can see.
Looks like she made it to the final stage of the baseball movie audition.
Audition?
Shido is amazing, isn't she?
I heard there were quite a few applicants.
Yet she made it to the final ten.
You should have applied, too, Aoba.
The last round is in a week.
Looks like they'll be putting emphasis on baseball skills.
I see.
So that's why our ace has to coach her.
She should give up while she's still ahead.
That's below kindergarten level.
It says she's held a ball since she was three on her résumé.
That doesn't necessarily count as lying.
After all, she just wrote that she's been holding it.
Yeah, I guess.
So, in other words, this part...
As I thought.
Having a catcher won't really make a difference here.
You're hindering everyone else.
You should try throwing at that net over there.
For starters, just go over the basics I taught you yesterday.
H-Hey.
I'll come back to check later.
Why can't he be a little nicer at teaching.
Idol and ace, huh?
You should have made Tsukishima take part in that audition.
Aoba wouldn't be in a movie that makes fun of the baseball she loves so much.
The original manga was interesting, though.
I'm ready!
As expected from Tsukishima.
She throws pitches that the freshmen can barely hit.
Unfortunately, she doesn't hold back for us anymore.
I don't know if I should sigh, feel relieved, or be happy that she's a girl.
What did you say about girls?
Erm... Who are you?
Midori Koganezawa.
That's not nice, Aoba Tsukishima.
You're here again?
I'll come as many times it takes.
That's three strikes!
Batter out!
You having fun, pitching like that?
All you do is pitch for the batters here.
If you come to my school, you can pitch seriously with the other girls.
You're interrupting our training.
Please leave.
I can't.
Have a match with me!
You will do as I say when I win.
Come on, have a match with me pretty please?
How long are you planning to follow me?
Until you play me.
Come on.
I'll show you the new and improved Midori Koganezawa that you haven't seen yet.
Behold, Aoba Tsukishima!
You'll be dying to have a match against me once you've seen me bat.
Keep your eye on me.
A friend of yours?
No comment.
I came first.
I believe I'm first.
Step back.
That's my line!
Step back.
You step back!
Hey.
The machine next door pitches at the same speed, so why don't one of you use that one?
How did you like that, Aoba Tsukishima?
Didn't that make you want to accept my challenge?
What is that?
Octopus dance?
That flashy manager of the high school baseball club...
She's been coming here since yesterday.
She just might pass the audition for the baseball movie.
Looks like it.
Seems like she made Ko coach her pitching.
But...
Some people are just not cut out for this, right?
Is it okay to ignore the girl who wants to challenge you?
She is here, isn't she?
Yeah...
Idol Ace, huh?
It would be great if you can switch places with someone when you get into high school, right, Ao?
You don't know whether I'll continue to play baseball or not even in high school.
Why on earth are you even here?
You hold the bat like this, and have your legs like this.
Don't move your hips!
I know! Pipe down already!
Pipe down?!
The ball is coming.
Keep your eye on the ball.
I hit it for the first time!
Well done!
Don't expect compliments like that.
You better not expect me to thank you.
This could appear on the test.
Isn't Risa amazing?
She looks great and is always dressed well.
Maybe we should get her autograph before it's too late.
She'll be a star if she passes the audition.
You're right.
So they say.
Three days to go, huh?
Forget it. Just give up.
You just won't make it.
You have got to be kidding me.
There's no way I'm going to let this chance slip.
I'm going to become a star no matter what!
Then why didn't you start earlier with this?
It's been a while since the first stage.
You don't have to tell me that.
I didn't expect to make it to the final round, either.
Okay. Let's just work on getting your form right.
Nowadays they can edit the movement of the ball in movies anyway.
All right then, square up.
No. Raise your chest.
Your body is leaning forward.
Stay level.
She's finally at a grade school level.
There used to be this girl who threw some amazing pitches back when I was in grade school.
You okay? Caught a cold?
I'm fine.
Please just don't catch a cold.
You're going to accept my challenge no matter what happens.
Why are you insisting on this?
Do you have to ask?
You have some amazing pitches up your sleeve,
and I want to hit them.
That's all.
Do you need another reason?
Very well.
I accept your challenge.
Come to Clover on Sunday afternoon.
The door is closing.
Please be careful.
All right, now that's what I'm talking about!
Darn, I was supposed to get off here too!
You have to use your body more.
Don't throw with just your hand.
The final round of that audition is tomorrow, right?
She'll need to at least be able to throw to the catcher.
I heard her ask the coach
if it would be all right for her to practice here until the last minute.
What?
The coach told me to give you a massage.
It hurts!
It really hurts! This is torture!
We're just starting.
This is too hard for me!
As promised, I'm here to play you!
I got the catcher's mitt.
What's going on here, Kei'ichiro?
Huh?
Considering the time i need to take a shower, change and put on makeup,
I still have until 3pm.
Hey, you.
So we meet again.
Can you make room?
We have an important match here.
Cut it out, Midori.
She's auditioning for a baseball movie.
Movie?
Hey, are you ignoring me?
I'm going to go wash my hands.
Oww...
I guess it really is hopeless...
This is a one at-bat match.
If the ball goes past the boundary, I win.
If it's clearly off, you win.
Got it?
Come on, Aoba Tsukishima.
That's just strike one.
Surprised?
I increased the speed of the machine when I was practicing.
You're such a hard worker.
All right, come.
I'll hit the next one.
There we go, strike three.
Hey! This is unfair!
You can't throw change-ups all of the sudden!
It wouldn't be a real match if I'd only threw fastballs.
See ya.
Hey! Wait! Three more pitches!
No, just one is enough.
Hey, please!
Yeah!
She got picked?
You've gotta be kidding me.
For real, dude.
Risa Shido passed yesterday's audition with flying colors.
She'll debut on the silver screen this summer.
Though she isn't the heroine.
Apparently, she's playing the manager of the baseball club who bullies the heroine.
She didn't need me, then!
Why did I sacrifice my time for that special training?
No, your hard work paid off in the end.
Even though it's indirectly.
At least clean up your mess when you're done...
What's up, Chubby? What's that?
It's Risa's resignation letter.
She gave me that over there.
That ungrateful bitch!
What's this?
I'll give it to you. Just felt like it.
I can't stay long.
I have to get to my acting lesson now.
Are you fine with not playing the heroine?
You practiced so hard for it...
It doesn't matter as long as I'm in the movie.
As long as I get to do what I want in the end, that is.
"As long as I get to do what I want in the end"?
You haven't been here since that summer, right?
Yeah.
That brings back memories.
You would run around outside until it was dark.
You, Aoba, and Wakaba.
Aoba, let's go to the hill.
I don't wanna go if Ko's coming!
Then the two of us will go.
Waka, you idiot!
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Nineteen:
Memories of...
Hey! I can't see anything!