❛ ARE YOU SURE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO SCOUT
A BOY WHO HAS ONLY EVER PLAYED ON A
SANDLOT, REI TAKASHIMA? ❜
❛ I'LL TAKE MY CHANCES. ❜
katsu higashi fell in love with baseball the minute the ball made...
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THE SANDLOT ! CHAPTER ELEVEN
katsu doesn't know what to make of tanba. they haven't had a single conversation in the short time he's been first-string. the third year is seemingly untouchable compared to the other upperclassmen. he's distant, quiet in a reserved way, and the only other person he always seems to be around is miyauchi.
watching him play though, katsu is able to create a vague image of what an ace is supposed to be. he bares a strong attachment to the mound and a thirst to prove himself through his pitching. yet, he's also considerate to his teammates, which in turn makes him reliable on the field. and by the way everyone is rejoicing in his performance, they're all thinking the same thing.
he was finally starting to recognize his position as the ace pitcher.
but before katsu can open his mouth to cheer alongside the others in the dugout, the ball slams right into tanba's chin.
-----
tanba has a crack in his jaw.
thankfully, it's not a full fracture. he's been instructed to take a few weeks off to recover from his injury. which meant that they'll be starting the summer tournament without their ace. the news made the third-years distraught, and it was beginning to show during practice.
gone were the incredible upperclassmen that seemed unbreakable.
furuya and sawamura had begun spending most of their time in the bullpen and taking turns being on the mound. for a second, he had a morbid thought of eijun being happy for the presented opportunity but even the brunet was troubled. "this isn't what i wanted." was all he said when katsu brought it up and although his answer was vague, he understood. sawamura wanted a fair fight for the ace title.
katsu swiped the sweat from his forehead and repositioned his hands back on the metal bat. and swung. swung until his shoulders pinched and burned, swung until the callouses on his palms stung and burst. anything to help him avoid recounting the sickening crunch that seemed to echo in his head. seeing it first-hand made him realize that injuries weren't preventable.
one wrong move could put an end to his baseball career.
"oi, shouldn't you be studying for your finals?" katsu startles badly at the interruption, yelping loudly when the bat makes a loud clang as it falls. miyuki merely snickers as heat rises to the apples of his cheeks. "bastard," the word leaves katsu in a croak, which only fuels his evil cackling. "and for your information, i've studied plenty." unlike dumb and dumber. those two honestly had baseballs for brains.
