Teach me Baseball, My Love!
This fic is a result after I heard a song, Hanae – Boyz and Girlz. It gives that relax vibe even though I don't really understand the lyrics though. To me, the song as if telling about love somehow, and I kind of imagine of sunset for that matter. Loves that come slowly is wonderful, right. And the relax effect making me imagine for YamaHaru, the soft and gentle but enthusiastic with someone eccentric and hard to give up. Oh,yea... I'm not really good with the baseball term though I do read it from online. Before anything happens, I bows my head as an apologize for the wise reader. Other than that, I hope you enjoy reading it.
DISCLAIMER: Katekyo Hitman Reborn and the characters belong to Amano Akira respectively. I own nothing but the storyline. Though, I'm not getting any profit from this and I'm not sure if this thing can make me a fortune. I know for sure the inspirations that I got while I'm here would make me one.
Haru looks intensely at the baseball gloves that lay on her table, then shifts her eyes to the baseball book of rules. She hugged her knees to her chest on her chair and then hides her face within the space. She whine and cry and then whining again. She can't believe that she had said that. Why? Why? She keeps asking herself that.
This morning at her school, she had to run 10 kilometers in her school track field to prepare herself for gymnastics competition. After she finished the runs, she had stopped to look at the other sports club. While wandering, her eyes seem to catch something, a girl baseball club. The looks on their faces, it makes one's spirit burns. She was so into it until she realizes a ball is coming towards her. With her fast reflexes, she catches the ball empty handed. She was laughing awkwardly by the time she wanted to return the ball, but the captain seems to be too fascinated with her flexes asked her to help them in their game as a pitcher. Without thinking further, she just said okay. And now she regrets it to no end.
Wait a minute; she remembers Yamamoto from Tsuna's school is playing baseball. Why doesn't she go and ask him to teach her instead?
And so…
"Please teach me, Yamamoto-san, the game due in next week!" Haru bows 90˚.
Yamamoto scratches his temple and then he looks at Tsuna. Tsuna seems to be pleading him as well since Haru has begged him to convince Yamamoto to teach her. He gives up and then smiles. "Okay! Since you ask for it…"
"Really? Thank you so much Yamamoto-san!" Haru throws him a tight hug and then leaving him deep red face.
"Thank you Yamamoto for agreeing to help her…" Tsuna pats Yamamoto's shoulder.
"Maa, she's a friend right? I should help her…" he said while smiling.
When Yamamoto has already gone home, Gokudera asks Tsuna the question that he held for the past half an hour. "Why do you encourage Yamamoto to teach that stupid girl, Tenth…? I'm pretty sure you didn't forget what Yamamoto looks like when it comes to baseball…"
Tsuna didn't forget, that's for sure. "I don't know, but I get the feeling that everything will be just fine… besides don't you think those two suited each other…" Tsuna randomly asked.
Gokudera rest both of his hands behind his head as he looks up to the sky as if imagining of something. "… Now that you said that, I guess they are somewhat suited each other…" Gokudera smiles sheepishly.
Both of them laugh heartily, as long as nobody is hurt then it's fine.
...
Today is the first day for Haru to practice baseball with Yamamoto. Haru wears her favorite sports shirt and trousers, and not to forget, her favorite pair of sports shoes. After having her 5 minutes warming up with Yamamoto, she had to run at Nami-chu track field for 20 laps. At the end of her running, she heaves for air, it's been a while since she train her body this hard.
"You're okay Haru? Can we go for another 10 rounds…?" Yamamoto asked with a smile.
"I… *heaves* don't… *heaves* think I can…" Haru desperately plead Yamamoto by showing her bloodshot eyes due to lack of oxygen, with her bends on her knees.
"Ahahaha… sorry, sorry…. I kind of got carried away with this, here… let me help you" Yamamoto held out his hand to help Haru stand up properly.
"Thanks…" said Haru while standing wobbly. "So, we're going to start training baseball now…?"
Yamamoto picks up his gloves from the bench and wipe it a little. "Yea, since you asked me to train you in pitcher position…" he throws his gloves to Haru. "… You'll be wearing this…"
Haru looks at the gloves for a while, since Yamamoto already gives her the gloves, she didn't get the chance to tell him that she already has the one. "Oh well, I just use this then…" she smiles while putting the gloves onto her hand.
"Okay, let's start by doing the catch and throw game…" Yamamoto stand in front Haru with other gloves on his hand. "You throw the ball first…"
"Okay…." Haru throws a soft ball.
Yamamoto catches the ball at ease. "Hahahaha… that's nice posture you have there! Now, why don't we put more strength to it…" he says as he throws the ball back to Haru.
"Okay, if you so…" by the time she position herself to throw, a bees come right to her face. To avoid the bees come closer, she swings both of her hands back and forth and accidentally let the ball go at high speed towards Yamamoto.
Being someone that had his motivation in baseball, he throws away his gloves and hit the ball with the bat. As much strength has been used to hit the ball, the ball pass through near Haru's head in a high speed; making Haru stiff there for a while.
Awaken from his motivated-mode, he realizes that the ball almost hit Haru. He's eyeing Haru from head to toe before he asked since she's already stunned there; speechless. "Are you okay, Haru? The ball didn't hit you anywhere, right?" he asked out of concern.
"Huh! Uh, y—yea, I guess…" Haru that still stiff examine her body by touching any part that might get injured. Haru sighing relief, then she asked Yamamoto. "Uh… where did you get the bat, Yamamoto-san…?"
"Hm? Ah, I just grab it from there…" he says while pointing to the bench.
"Huh…?" 'I'm pretty sure I didn't see any bat there before…'. Haru thought while frowning.
Meanwhile, at one corner, there's two people that observe them from afar since both of them have some time.
"Go—Gokudera-kun… are you okay…?" Tsuna asked while looking at the bump on his forehead.
Yes, the ball that Yamamoto hit got bullseye on Gokudera's forehead.
"I—I'm fine, Tenth. This kind of thing… isn't… going to affect… my performance as your guardian…" he said as he looks at Tsuna with his bleeding nose while shakily making a thumbs up.
"HIEEEE! YOU'RE BLEEDING GOKUDERA!" Tsuna shrieked.
Gokudera swiped on his philtrum using the back of his thumb, he looks at the blood for a while and then he makes the thumbs up again. "Don't worry, Tenth. This is noth—"
"STOP DOING THAT! Let's go to the infirmary and get you a check up!" Tsuna drag from Gokudera from the peeping spot to the school infirmary.
...
Day 3 of their training, Haru is getting better at throwing and catch. Without Haru realizes that she has developed a feeling for Yamamoto. She can't take her eyes of Yamamoto, her eyes follow every single that he does; when he smiles, when he serious, when he's talking with his friends. Haru felt pleasant by looking at him, she smiles on her own without she even notices.
She looks at her gloves, after the 7th day, she couldn't meet him as often as she could anymore, she thought. While they still have time together, Haru wants to be close to Yamamoto so that no regret would linger her after that. "… It's got to be like this, even though I don't want it to end…"
"Haru!" Yamamoto calls out to her and like a magic word, she looks up to see the bright smiles he gave off.
"Yes!" she answered enthusiastically.
...
On the 7th day, she's already prepared herself with all the 'Thank You' speech that she's going to tell Yamamoto at the end of the game. From early morning, she keeps practicing smiling in the mirror but to avail. Her lips smile, while her bloodshot eyes don't. She give up with the practice, she grabs her things for the game and pray that everything that she had learned come in handy.
By the time she arrives at her school, Tsuna and his friends along I-pin with Lambo has waited in front of the school gate. Kyoko holds her arm and both of them walk together.
Haru keeps her stance and put her focused to the player. Taking a deep breath and then exhale as hard as she can, like Yamamoto teaches her before to calm her nerves. Then she takes glance to the audience seat. She could see Yamamoto smiles at her while doing the thumbs up. Feeling confident, she plays and enjoyed the game with her friends.
35 – 0, so they lost. Haru looks at sunset while crying a river. Her friends seem to be used to it, they say it's a game after all. So they comforted her by hugging her and say thank you since Haru had never played baseball before. Yamamoto came and pat her head.
"Ma, ma… it's good game though. You're doing great Haru…" he smiles brightly like usual.
"You think so…?" she asked with a teary eyes.
"Ye—"
"That's the most horrible game I ever watched!" Gokudera butt in.
A vein popped on Haru's forehead. "What do you just say?! I want to see you play baseball next time, then I'll show you what horrible is!" she said with a fire burning in her eyes, long forgotten the teary eyes.
"Ma, ma… you guys are so funny…" Yamamoto said as he comes towards Haru and Gokudera. Then he looks at directly into her eyes. "… But don't forget about me, Haru…" he smiles, but this time, there's a hint of manly man behind that smile.
Haru blushed, she looks at her feet as an attempt to look away.
"Gokudera, Tsuna is looking for you…" he said to Gokudera. After hearing that, Gokudera storms to the crowd to look for Tsuna.
Haru's eyes follow Gokudera that frantically looking for Tsuna, then she hears Tsuna's voice behind her; enjoying his refreshment with Kyoko.
"You lied to him, don't you, Yamamoto-san…?" Haru asked.
He laughs sheepishly. "If I didn't, he wouldn't let us alone, right…?"
Haru laugh too.
"I wanted to give you this…" Yamamoto takes out a ball from his pocket then hand it over to Haru.
Haru is eyeing the ball, it seems worn out and aged. Then, she turns round the ball, she notices there's a date written on the ball. 5th June 19xx, Haru shocked upon look at this since today is the date, but the year on the ball was 10 years ago. "This…"
"It was a ball from my first home run…" Yamamoto said as he look at the ball in Haru's hand, then he hold Haru's hand with both of his. "… And I want you to have it…"
Haru blushed when she sees her hand in his, her heart beating fast and her face becomes hot. "Is it okay for me to have it…?"
"Of course it's not for free, you know…" Yamamoto bends a little so that his lips reach at the level of Haru's ear. "… Would you go out with me…?" he whispered.
Haru blushed hard, her mind full with so many things that she wants to say. Since it's so hard for to say a word, she hugs him and she knew he'll understand what is her answer is. Her feelings was right, when he too hugs her while uttering thank you.
So, this is it. Thank you for reading it and I hope enjoyed!