Baseball and the Azure Blue Sky

Chapter 12: Retired Baseball Idiots and older brothers

"Didn't you tell me that your mentor is doing physiotherapy for quite a while now and that he's visiting a very good clinic for it and that he is also being supported by his father? I mean, I should feel flattered that you actually think I could do something so miraculous that all those experts can't, but since I know better, I'm just hoping that your stupidity isn't contagious. We do spend a lot of time together after all..."

This time even the composed elder catcher chuckled, but he still looked at Sawamura somehow affectionately. Almost like an older brother. It reminded the young girl of how Ten used to look at her.

"I'm sorry, Takigawa-senpai. Please don't mind him!" Sora apologized for Sawamura, but got a kind smile as a response.

"It's Chris. Everybody calls me just Chris, so that's fine. And there's no need to apologize, really. I was coping with this almost every day until very recently"

"Yeah, I certainly know what you mean, Chris-senpai" the blue haired girl gave back matter-of-factly.

"I can see why you're givin' that Miyuki bastard a hard time", Isashiki suddenly chimed in with a mischievous grin on his face. "Serves him right!"

"Eh?!"

Sora tilted her head questioningly.

"Excuse me?!"

Giving Miyuki a hard time? Wasn't it the other way round?

Yuuki Tetsuya, the former captain of the baseball team nodded again, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We heard most of what has happened. Only because we left the team, doesn't mean we're not well informed about everything that's going on"

"You could actually be the first one meaning trouble for Miyuki and Kuramochi", Kominato added with his menacing smile.

"I beg to differ!" the blue haired girl disagreed strongly.

"Don't worry, Aoki-chan. We're praising you! It's rare for someone to keep those two in check" Masuko Tooru, Kuramochi's and Sawamura's former roommate tried to reassure her, but without success.

"Ah, you can all call me Sora, by the way...", she offered and then shook her head because that certainly wasn't the point right now. "And just for the record, Kaz and Mochi are the ones giving me a royal pain in the ass! I'm only trying to survive this without losing my human sanity"

There suddenly was a stunned silence between the Seidou students.

"Kaz and Mochi?!" Tanba repeated like something could be wrong with his ears.

"You guys have to be pretty close then", Sakai Ichirou simply commented and Sora snorted, trying to hide her blush.

"Wouldn't put it that way..."

"Hmm... Are you pouting?" Kominato teased.

"Wha-? No!"

The pink haired boy chuckled and Sora couldn't believe that the older Kominato was such a malicious person when his little brother was such a precious and cute boy. The demon and the angel... Well, it kinda made sense since there had to be a balance between things somewhere.

"And you are calling Haruichi by a nickname as well. Seems like you got accustomed to the whole team pretty fast. That's good"

Miyauchi breathed out audibly again which sounded like an affirmation this time, almost like humming in agreement.

"You've been through a lot, but what doesn't kill you just makes you stronger. Keep fighting and show the team and the coach what you can do as a pitcher!"