Mint Gum　Today is a consolation party for teachers of technical colleges.
　Many of the members have been drinking since noon and are in a good mood.

　After drinking as much as we could, we decided to call it a night and went outside.
　We stroll outside, eating mint gum, which we got as a free gift from the restaurant.

　Kusakabe sees a sign for bowling and mutters that he hasn't played in a long time.
　That triggered a conversation, and we all started to rush inside.

　Everyone was drunk. The only one who was not drunk was Ieiri, who had drunk more than anyone else.

　Kusakabe, despite his own triggering, sits in the corner with a candy bar in his mouth, watching everyone else.

　The first pitch was Nanami.
　Standing in front of the lane, he is greeted by a neat row of ten pins.
　As he is about to throw, Gojo suddenly stands in the lane and challenges Nanami.

"Nanami's a foooooool"

　With a blue streak, Nanami held the heavy ball as if it were a basketball.
　With his brilliant form, he throws the ball at Gojo as hard as he can.

"I wonder if it's a rubber ball...."

　Ieiri murmured.

　Gojo dodged the ball with an instantaneous move, and it was sucked into the end of the lane.
　It bounced around inside a few times, and an electronic "Strike electronic voice rang out.

"Whoa, Sir You can't throw it like that"

　A loud voice is heard, and the clerk comes running in a panic.
　Ieiri stands up to tell him to stop, but Nanami's blue streak doesn't disappear.

　Fearfully, Ieiri follows Nanami's gaze and sees Higuruma holding Nanami's machete like a baseball bat and shaking it.
　His eyes are fixed.

　Behind Higuruma is a silver-haired figure with his middle finger raised in challenge to Nanami.

　Nanami has thrown the second pitch.
　A heavy pitch, which the announcer's voice can almost be heard. Higuruma hits it back, and the bouncing ball grazes Ijichi.

"Hee"

　Ijichi, who just barely dodged the ball, falls to the ground.

"Even I might not be able to hit that back, Higuruma, you're pretty good."

　Meimei is admiring in vain.

　...All of this was happening in the blink of an eye while Yaga was in the toilet.

"All sit down there"

　Yaga's loud voice echoed through the bowling alley.

"...I think it's time."

　Kusakabe, who started the whole thing, muttered quietly and tried to run away before Yaga's sermon.
　Ieiri stood in his way.

"Kusakabe-san, you think you can escape"

　Kusakabe threw up his hands in the air in contemplation.