Not sure where this came from, but I found it funny
The third and second year regulars waited around the corner of the shoe lockers. Miyuki was grinning, and Kuramochi was struggling to stop laughing so as not to give away their location. Ryousuke was double checking the video camera and making sure it was working. Jun cracked his knuckles and smiled. Tetsu looked as serious as ever, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips, and a gleam in his eyes. Tanba and Nori were resigned to participate. Chris had opted out, not wanting to partake in their plan.
Hearing the loud and slightly obnoxious voice of their first year southpaw pitcher, the group nodded at each other and got ready. Silently going around behind the lockers and out of view of the target, the group surrounded Eijun.
When the shoe locker opened, and the first year pitcher screamed, they all jumped out in their masks. It was a little payback, for all the things Eijun had done to them over the past few weeks. Nobody was sure why it started, but he'd suddenly began doing his best to scare them, or prank them. The worst part was that it had worked more often than not.
Ryousuke readied the camera, only to set it down and run when he saw that Haruichi was with Eijun. That hadn't been part of the plan. The others may have been confused, but didn't have time to think about it before Jun was punched hard in the gut, sending his sprawling back onto the ground. Tanba turned back to the first years to tell them it was just a joke, when the pink haired teens' foot crashed up between his legs. He dropped and didn't get back up.
It was only after Miyuki was downed with a new black eye that the rest of the regulars got the hint they were in trouble. Not even Eijun was safe from the smaller teen, and got an elbow to the stomach when he tried to stop him.
Tetsu reached out to try and subdue the terrified first year, and keep any more members from getting injured, when he was flipped over Haruichi's head and into the surrounding shoe lockers. Kuramochi turned to run when the first year's bag hit him over the head, sending him crashing against a wall. He didn't want to test his luck by running again and stayed down.
Nori didn't want to end up like the others and dropped to the ground, hoping that would keep him from being hit as well.
With everyone else down, Haruichi clutched his rapidly beating heart and shakily slid to the ground. He was near hyperventilating and put his head between his knees. He could feel the tears pricking his eyes, and tried to take deep breaths.
He flinched and tensed up when a hand touched his shoulder, but looked up when he heard his older brother's voice. "Haruichi, it's alright." Sniffling, he lunged at Ryousuke, wrapping himself around the third year and crying into his shoulder. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to scare you."
Leaving the rest of the regulars to the nurse, the third year picked up Haruichi's bag and the video camera, and carried the frightened, sobbing teen back to his room.
/
When dinner rolled around, coach Kataoka wondered why most of his best players were all sporting ice packs and bruises. None of them seemed willing to go near the Kominato brothers, the younger practically clinging to the elder.
It was only when Haruichi was safely asleep that the regulars confronted Ryousuke about what had happened. Rubbing the back of his head, the elder Kominato chuckled lightly. "I may have…gone a little overboard when we were younger. Haruichi…he's absolutely terrified of jump scares."
"Damnit Ryou-san," Kuramochi groaned, "What the hell did you do to him?"
"So that's why you ran when we jumped out," Tanba grumbled.
Holding up the video camera from earlier, the pink haired third year grinned. "On the bright side, I managed to get some fantastic footage of the whole thing."
"You'd better delete that!" Jun growled.
"Hmmm…I think I'll save it. Who knows when it will come in handy." Heading back to his room, where his little brother was curled up on his bed, he began downloading the video to his computer, saving one copy to his hard drive, another in his email, and a final one sent to their parents. They'd be happy to know Haruichi remembered some of the self-defense moves their mother had taught them.
Switching the card inside the video camera and stashing the one with the video, he changed and slipped in next to Haruichi. It would be amusing to watch how the others acted around him tomorrow.
Let me know what you thought!
