Baseball and the Azure Blue Sky

Chapter 11: A serious talk with a Baseball Idiot

"Aoki-san, this is my last word!" Takashima said sternly and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sora sighed in defeat. She had come to the female scout's office to receive a lecture once again for being too reckless with her fever and for having a secret part-time job and breaking the curfew in consequence, but also for final instructions coach Kataoka had given before the winter break and also the training camp would start.

She had somehow tried to avoid their attempts to test her as a pitcher, requesting that she could remain as an infielder, no matter which position. It wouldn't have to be the shortstop. The blue haired girl would even agree to switching to the outfield, but the brown haired teacher didn't want to hear anything about that. She had scouted Sora as a pitcher intentionally in the first place after all and also the head coach had already given his orders that he wanted to see her pitch as well. And apparently also Miyuki had made his move in advance, requesting to volunteer as a testing catcher for the young girl.

Ugh, she wanted to kill that arrogant prick! He and his goddamn genius catcher pretty boy ego! Gross!

"After everything that I've told you..." Sora gave back weakly. "I really don't understand... Why did we have that conversation then...?"

Takashima showed her a reassuring, affectionate smile.

"To prove you wrong and to give you back some confidence. You're honestly in need for it! And now, out of my office! I have work to do"

The blue haired girl left the scout alone and went back to her classroom where Furuya and Sawamura were waiting for her to return. It was lunch break and Miyuki, Kuramochi and Kawakami were out to get some food. She greeted her friends and plopped down on her seat, rummaging in her bag to search for her glass nail file.

"Fingers!" she ordered the two pitchers and they obediently stretched out their hands to her.

When her three classmates finally returned to the classroom after eating, they stared at Sora and the other two boys in utter disbelief and in Miyuki's case also in amusement. The blue haired girl was filing the fingernails of Furuya and Sawamura and they were chit-chatting lightheartedly with each other.

"Oi Sora, whatcha doin'? Became a beauty salon now?" Kuramochi scoffed and Kawakami sweat dropped a bit.

"Well, his family does run a wellness center..."

"Huh?! So that stuff is also part of it?"

"I mean, we do have other personnel for the beauty and wellness stuff than for the medical and therapy stuff, but yeah... It is", Sora explained patiently. "But in this case, it's pitcher's care"

"Pitcher's... care?!" Kawakami repeated with a puzzled expression and Furuya nodded his head in agreement.

"Nori, come sit!" the blue haired girl demanded and the brown haired boy blinked at her questioningly, really not understanding what was going on. "You're a pitcher too, right? Gotta take good care of your nails and fingertips. Hurting yourself because of cracked fingernails and having to leave the mound because you're bleeding sucks great deal"

"Ah, I see. This has happened to Furuya once. So that's why..." Miyuki smirked.

The young ace nodded again, his expression remaining neutral as always.

"I wanted to buy a glass nail file too, but Sora is good at this..."

"Yeah, you two just suck!"

"Oi! Rude!" Sawamura complained.

"Hyaha!"

"U-Uhm... T-Thank you, Sora. I really appreciate it, but I-I uhm... think I'm good. Something like that never happened to me before, so... I'm doing fine on my own... I guess?" Kawakami stuttered a little shyly and fidgeted on his spot.