Diamonds in the Rough [MxM]

Chapter Three

We lost.

The defeat was bone crushing as I held my head high, lips pressed in a firm line as I stared at the third year across from me. I did not expect us to win, but the defeat was something to hold onto. I've learned what I could from that game, I second guessed myself plenty of times, including my own pitcher by the 6th inning.

The moment the second year shut us up, and sent the ball crashing into the outfield net, my confidence dwindled by the second, and that's where I faltered.

I went in too high strong.

"You did great 'Jun.. no ones expected to be great automatically. You held them off by all means, and you were diligently keeping an eye on the batters each time up at bat." Haruichi came up to my side and effortlessly pulled my head out of my ass by listing off the good I did in the match today. "Your too hard on yourself, and I think if you went with the flow, youll be a great catcher." He guided me down the path, closest to the opposite field where the first years would be finish up running laps.

Haruichi was right, and from the high strong look on his face, it gave me the confidence to go by things naturally.
Except I might reign in my squealing in the dugout. recalling my own cheers from the sidelines made my face bloom a bright red. Embarrassing.. but my teammates were cheering, fists raised high, and faces flushed from the over excretion. How could I give that up?

I smiled in that moment, determined to rouse the batter out of their worries alongside my fellow first years.

I dutifully got to running, watching my step as I followed behind Haruichi, whom seemed preoccupied by his own thoughts. I tried to reach forward to get his attention, and yet I yielded, picking up maybe my intervention wasn't exactly needed at the moment.

He looked extremely focused on nothing but the path laid out in front of him, and that scared me. The shine in his eyes, the sheer will that was coming off the pink haired baseman in waves startled me to the core. I shook away the nerves with an undignified pout, and pinched my cheek to keep looking ahead at my own path.

That's what I did, I looked ahead to a brighter future!

_

"Sawamura, can you catch for me?"
"What happened to Furuya?"
"Well, he hasn't exactly— look, his calling is brutish.. and frankly, it's hard being around him."
"Brutish? So mines not? What does that mean anyways?" I turned on my heel, staring up at my senior as I wiped away at the excess sweat with a warm towel. I know Furuya can be a little standoffish, but he wasn't unapproachable. And brutish, I didn't know what he meant by that. "He's like, very demanding? He's very straight forward with what he wants.."

Straight forward? Demanding? What?
"How do you mean? I don't understand."

"It's not that hard— were you always this dense?"
"Oye!" I seethed, pursing my lips as I folded my arms over my chest. "If your gonna go sayin' mean things, maybe I just won't catch for you.." I frowned, I truly didn't understand why catching with Furuya was a problem. I've never spoken to any upperclassman or first years about this issue.
Did they just not get along?

"Come— I'm sorry, but listen, please?" I made a move to grab my things so I could get to my run, since I just finished with Kariba's pitching. Maybe listening wouldn't hurt. "Ok, go for it."

"You have Furuya in your class right?" I gave a curt nod, taking a seat beside my bag perched on the bench. The third year got closer and continued. "What's he like?"

"Oh, very standoffish, but it's not hard talking to him. He won't talk to me very often, seeing as I'm his opponent." I scowled when I remembered his petty remark earlier, and the worse than normal side-eye glances and the ignoring in class. "On the field.. I understand but I don't, he's assertive in his game calling, and they can be tough, but he's not mean. I don't think? If that's what you meant?" I finished off, letting my forearms rest atop my knees.