Southpaw

His Debut

Smack! The ball hit Kazuya's mitt steaming slightly. Eijun didn't think he'd ever heard a sound as pretty as that.

"Strike!" The umpire called. Eijun Took a deep breath breathing in the air around the mound. His eyes sharpened as he gazed at Kazuya, his temporary(?) battery partner was giving him a cross between evil and mischievous look and it only served to spur Eijun on. The next pitch Kazuya called for was a two seam high and to the inside. While the specific batter loved inside pitches, Miyuki was apparently a believer in aggressive combative pitching. Pitches that would frustrate and bamboozle the batters, leaving them unable to figure out the batter. And while Eijun wasn't quite so mindless as to pitch to the mitt without thinking, he was a firm proponent of believing in Kazuya's calls. At least for the game... maybe later he's even ask about them?

Eijun shook his head clearing his thoughts. He stepped into his windup, and went through the stretch focusing on the tip of his fingers and transferring his weight properly through his lower body. Clang! The batter swung managing to skim the pitch, jamming it right into Yuki's mitt at first base.

***

The batter groaned lifting his face towards the sky before turning and heading towards his dugout.

"His pitches are weird! You can't even se his arm in the stretch." He muttered to the next batter as he passed.

"Weird huh?" The newest batter said under his breath, blowing brown hair out of his face. "We'll see about that..." The made his way over to the batter's box.

***

Kazuya grinned as the count went to two up, two out. Sure he hadn't caught for the southpaw in a while, but he could never quite forget the feeling of Eijun's pitches hitting his mitt. Nor the inexplicable feeling of excitement he had catching for someone who was willing to be just as vicious, cunning and evil as he was. Or maybe it was because of that. Because he finally had someone who would keep up with him. A possible battery partner who was a contender for the ace position that had been unfulfilled for so long. It was not a secret that Seidou hadn't had a uncontested ace in over seven years. Seven years of not going to Koshien... Of Katoaka coaching.

Kazuya glanced at this batter from the corner of his eye. Number 8, the shortstop. He like to focus of fatballs, and didn't tend to swing at breaking balls. Just as well for them, because Eijun tended to pitch in the zone anyway. Kazuya smirked signing for a inside palmball.

'It's fine if he hits it. There are seven reliable senpai behind you.' Kazuya thought.

Clang! The balled was jammed yet again, this time it rolled towards Kuramochi between third and second. Kuramochi quickly fielded the ball sending it to Yuki who got the runner out.

"Three outs change!" Just like that the pinch was over. The Seidou stands sighed in relief, while the first years cheered for their representative! Eijun grinned as he jogged back to the dugout, he had done his job. As soon as he set foot into the dugout, out of sight from any spectators he released a breath flopping into a chair.

"Uwah! I was so nervous!" Eijun exclaimed. "Ahahaha, but it was so much fun!" He grinned.

"Oi Sa-wa-mu-ra! You aren't done yet!" You still have a 3 more innings!" Kuramochi said ruffling his hair roughly! He bit his lip sharing a look with Kazuya and Kominato.

"Now that we've stopped their momentum cold, it's our job as batters to even the score!" Kazuya said. The team nodded, surprised that he was taking a leading role, yet still slightly insuprised because everyone knew for a fact that Miyuki Kazuya hates to lose. Eijun cringed a little knowing that his batting skills weren't all that good.

"Kusunoki get on base! Sawamura how well can you bat?" Kataoka asked firmly.

"I- I can bunt?" Eijun said.

"Are you telling me or asking me?" The coach barked.

"Telling boss!" Eijun snapped to attention, causing Kataoka to sigh internally.

"Kuramochi, you're up after Sawamura! Make sure you get on base." Kataoka,  gave them all an intent stare, "That goes for all of you. Defense can improve leaps and bounds, but if we don't get on base, we can't win!" Katoaka then turned facing the diamond. "They have 2 more points than us! Get out and score!" 

"Yes sir!" The team roared their agreement, all fired up. Eijun watched in awe as the first-sting's auras changed. The look in their eyes was amazing.

***

"Batting 8th Kusunoki Fumiya!" The announcer's voice called. Kusunoki-Senpai walked up to the plate a serious look on his face. Eijun excitedly watched the older boy, wanting to see how he might bat in a clutch moment.

"Sa-wa-mu-ra!" Mochi-Nii kneed him on the butt. "Don't forget you're up next! Go and get ready!" Eijun turned a little red, flustered. He scrambled to grab a bat, but realized that he had no gloved for batting.

'Guess I'll just bat barehanded and hope I don't get jammed. I'm bunting though... so it should be fine... right?' Eijun thought a little disracted.

"Sawamura," an increasingly familiar voice called. "You can borrow my gloves for this at bat. Make sure you advance the runner no matter what okay?" Miyuki Kazuya stood next to him offering up his personal gloves. 

"Miyuki Kazuya!" Eijun cried out.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." Kazuya smirked looking at the younger boy.

"Is this a trick?!" Eijun's honey brown eyes narrowed, making them look like cat eyes.

"Ah. No, we can't let our little pitcher kohai hurt his hands right?" Kazuya narrowed his eyes, as if able to tell what Eijun was thinking just a little while ago.

"Ahaha, no... I'll advance the runner no matter what Miyuki-Senpai!" Eijun exclaimed.

Eijun marched out of the dugout, and took a deep breath as if trying to suck up all of the air in the practice circle. He swung his bat a few times as if trying to get a feel for it, and then watched in awe as Kusunoki, who was at the bottom of the batting order hit a double landing himself on second base!

"Uwah! The Senpai are so cool." Eijun grinned as he moved to the left handed batting box. 'I don't know why coach chose to put me in, an untried first-year with no hardball experience, but that's no excuse! I need to get on base.' Eijun thought to himself.

'This pitcher is someone I saw a little bit of during my research into southpaws. Manaka Kaname, throws a lot of curves and straits.' Eijun took a deep breath holding the bat, looking ready to swing. As Manaka's first pitch reached the plate, Eijun watched it pass. 'It's fast, but I can bunt it... probably.' 

Eijun took a deep breath, watching Manaka wind-up for his second pitch. As he went through the stretch, Eijun switched his stance into bunting position, locking on the the ball with his eyes. As the ball reached his bat, Eijun let his wrists give a little, killing the pitch and rolling it along the foul line towards first base. Immediately following, Kusunoki-Senpai ran getting safely from second to third base. Meanwhile Eijun was tagged out at first base.

Eijun sighed, glad that his one skill in terms of batting was still effective in high school. As he moved towards the dugout, Mochi-Nii high-fived him and ruffled his hair.

"Good job kid. Now leave it to your big brother. I'll bring in some more runs so that you can pitch more comfortably in the bottom of the inning." Kuramochi's eyes were like steel, locked onto a goal and seeing something that Eijun couldn't quite comprehend.

"Mhm!" Eijun smiled looking at his older brother figure. "You got this Mochi-Nii!" 

***

Hello! Long time no see guys. Sorry I haven't been updating much. This year has been a little rough, with everything that's been going on. School has been ramping up a lot for me, and is taking up a lot of time. Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to update a little more often sometime soon. I hope everyone is staying safe!

-Cinnamon Roll (❁'◡'❁)