Title: Mihashi and Balls
Author: Icka! M. Chif
Rating: Teen, for various mentions of balls.
Word Count: 533
Author's Note: Somehow, over the course of attempting to hook my flatmate on this series, Tajima became known as 'Masturbation-boy'. Our inner Tajima-voice doesn't seem to mind and is currently trying to convince us to write 'The Adventures of Masturbation-boy and Chicken-lad', and failing miserably.
Summary: Their Pitcher was a wonderful Pitcher, hardworking to a fault, but he couldn't seem to manage the offensive properties of the game very well.
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"Keep your elbow up!" Hanai instructed as Mihashi swung at the ball flying towards him. The Nishiura Baseball Team Captain sighed as Mihashi missed, again. Their Pitcher was a wonderful Pitcher, hardworking to a fault, but he couldn't seem to manage the offensive properties of the game very well.
"Mihashi." Abe ssid. Mihashi immediately turned towards their Catcher, even has his head ducked down, blushing slightly as if he'd just been delivered a lecture instead of having his name called.
"i-I know." Mihashi stuttered, his voice resigned. "I n-need t-to be able to hit t-the ball."
They were a small team and everyone had to be able to play different parts. Or, in this case, they needed everyone to be able to hit the ball. It wouldn't be as big of an issue if Mihashi couldn't bat well if he turned Pro after High School, most Pro Pitchers had someone who bat for them. But first they had to get there.
Abe sighed, scratching the back of his head as he made an obvious effort to reign in the temper that was bubbling at the surface. They'd been at this for a while, with little sign of improvement.
"I got it!" Tajima grinned, swinging his own bat confidently over his shoulder. "Mihashi's our ball deflector!"
"Um, uh..." Mihashi glanced at Tajima, Abe, Hanai, the pitching machine and back at Tajima. "Huh?"
Hanai shrugged. He didn't have a clue either about what Tajima was talking about. Which was about par for the course. But Hanai did have to admit that Tajima was not only brilliant when it came to hitting the ball, he was also about the only person on the team who could interpret Mihashi when he got really nervous and therefore might be able to explain things in a way Mihashi could more easily assimilate.
'Keep your elbow up' didn't seem to be working at the moment.
"Well, you're our Pitcher. That means you throw the balls away from you." Tajima explained. Mihashi straightened and nodded enthusiastically. Hanai hid a grin. Mihashi -liked- throwing the ball.
Tajima grinned, taking up a batting stance and slowly swinging the bat in demonstration. "Well, batting's the same thing. You're getting the ball away from you. It's just by hitting it with the bat instead of throwing it. See?"
"Getting the ball away." Mihashi looked at the bat as if he'd suddenly had been handed the Holy Grail and told to go forth and perform miracles with it.
Hanai glanced at Abe, who had a thoughtful look on his face. Not a bad explanation for it. That could possibly work too, changing Mihashi's mental perspective slightly, so he could hit the ball.
"See? Ball Deflector. You deflect everyone's balls except for Abe's." Tajima cheerfully patted Mihashi on the shoulder. "Abe's balls you catch and play with."
An odd silence followed.
And then again... Hanai felt the urge to beat his head against the nearest hard object as Abe covered his face with a hand. Their Catcher may have been blushing from embarrassment or turning red from anger, it was hard to tell.
"Tajima..." Hanai finally got out. "You're not allowed to help coach Mihashi anymore."
"Awww...."
-fin-