Centre Of The Diamond; Miyuki Kazuya

~⁜(3)⁜~

Chapter 3 -
Knuckleball

"So what do you want me to throw you?" Matsu asked as she grabbed a single baseball from a basket of balls. Miyuki put his catching glove on his less dominant hand as Matsu stepped onto one of the mounds that was located in the bullpen. Miyuki watched as Matsu kicked the dirt of the mound with her feet, trying to get a decent grip on the ground. He crouched down by one of the home plates.

"Throw me whatever you'd like. I'll catch it." He said, opening his glove wider. The pitcher glanced over at him.

"Aren't you going to wear the protective gear? I might hit you. You've never caught any of my pitches in two years. I've been training, you know.."

Miyuki smirked in his crouched position and adjusted his glasses. "I know, and I'm sure you've improved a lot. Don't worry, I believe in your pitches." He pulled on his mitt. "Now just throw anything. Look at my glove and throw. Don't think too much about the bad things that could happen, like hitting me. Trust me..." Matsu just stared at him for a few seconds and nodded her head.

MATSU P.O.V.

' Trust me..' It echoed through my mind.

' Trust me..'

' Trust me..'

Just trust him, Kagami. Just like how you've always had. I nodded my head at him and I looked down at the baseball in my hand.

' Let's see if he can catch this....'

I gripped the ball tightly with a certain way of holding it. I held it with my fingertips. I rotated the ball a few times until I felt the bright, red stitches of the ball. Calmly, I took a deep breath through my nose. I closed my eyes for a few quick seconds, then opened them, seeing a whole new world. I glanced over to Kazuya, who was ready with his glove out, as always.

I raised my left leg, pulled my arm back, and threw the baseball towards Miyuki's glove.

His eyes widened as it came soaring toward him.

THIRD PERSON P.O.V.
(With the rest of the team)

"Isashiki, if you can't learn to be flexible with Matsu, then you won't be able to play on the field." The team became silent as their coach continued to speak. "If you don't accept Matsu as one of your equal teammates, then you should continue on with an individual sport."

"But coach! Why a girl?"

Kataoka crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Because she's my daughter and I have a lot of faith in her. She can handle what you guys do and put up with the training. Also, after she practices with Miyuki in the bullpen, you are going to practice your batting against her. End of conversation. You are all dismissed."

The team quickly scattered around the field once more. The bright lights of the building shone onto the vast, open grass and dirt that covered the field and the calm breezes of wind swayed the banners that were placed at the top of the outfield's fence.

Jun walked away from the coach with a lot of things on his mind. Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name. It was Kuramochi and Kominato who were approaching him. Once they caught up to the centre fielder, each of them stood on either side of Isashiki.