A Baseball Player's Soul
SUMMARY: He wanted nothing but to hold a baseball within the grasp of his hands, but fear and trepidation would always hold him back, until she came along.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokimeki Memorial and it characters. However, I always wish to have my own Shiba Katsumi in real life. Haha. Lol.
Chapter 4
"Trust me, okay?" Shiba – kun whispered thoughtfully, as a smile graced his lips. He tucked the baseball bat under the safety of his arm as he gently squeezed my hand he was cradling. He tipped his baseball cap at me before dropping my hand, a grin still on his face. Shiba – kun turned, his muscular back facing me and with a solitary nod, he jogged towards the center of the baseball field. He emanated a sense of determination and nobility; out of nowhere, scalding tears suddenly burned behind my eyes. I shivered at his retreating back, as if he was moving towards a heated battlefield. The sight of Shiba – kun's towering physique at the frenzied baseball field created a huge domino effect: the players from our rival school cowered in knowing trepidation; Hanegasaki's baseball team's faces immediately morphed into mirth and fervor from dejected and ashen faces, as they applauded and chanted Shiba – kun's name, likened to a soulful litany.
His smile provided me a rush of reassurance, and I believed – no, I knew – that everything will be fine. All the dread and panic surging through the veins of my body at once melted unto my shoes. I am gripped with awe and exhilaration and nothing else mattered except Shiba – kun, standing at what I see as a battlefield.
"I'm next." He exclaimed with his impressive bass voice. His voice held so much power that it reverberated throughout the field, silencing any other noise and freezing any movement, slicing through the thick noise of the field. The pitcher from the contending school scoffed, and shrugged, as he gripped the baseball in his hands, his knuckles turned white at the gesture. He sneered mockingly at the bat under the arm of Shiba – kun, his eyes travelling towards Shiba – kun's face. He cocked his head at the side, studying the indomitable expression behind the baseball cap. "Huh? Who the hell are…? Hmm?" His voice trailed to a mere whisper as his face registered recognition. "You're..."
I gritted back the bitter bile that inadvertently rose in the back of my throat. How dare he mock Shiba – kun?
The pitcher raised his gloved hand and he scowled frigidly. "Shiba!" He bellowed ominously. He sauntered with two extensive strides, heading towards the mound Shiba – kun was standing on, until he stopped a good foot away. He attempted a lazy smile, though unfortunately, it shaped as a pained grimace. "Eh~. After that violent incident, you still have the guts to just stroll onto the baseball field." He obviously taunted. The piercing silence that seemed to befall the field was shattered as the team from the rival school started barking with insults and swears. I felt a rush of fear for the fact that it might bring back the sad, morose expression of Shiba – kun. I stopped to look at Shiba – kun's face as the passing breeze blew the baseball cap from his face. He was serious, his eyes glinting with resolve under the glaring sunlight, and to my – our – relief, he seemed rather impervious from the insults shamelessly thrown at him.
"Anyway~, are you even a club member?" The pitcher ranted, as he tried another attempt for a jeering smile, unfortunately, it was contrived, much to his chagrin. "Don't just go joining whenever you want!"
"Bad news." Shiba – kun declared. "I just joined the club." His hand flew to the handle of the baseball bat and gripped it steadily within the grasp of his hands.
"Huh?" The pitcher mumbled frivolously. He appeared cynical of Shiba – kun's recent revelation, as he robotically threw the baseball upwards, and caught it with languid conduct, attempting to bury the intimidation he certainly felt.
"I'm saying that I'm baseball club member." Shiba – kun stormed, as he continued to glower rebelliously at the pitcher who stood a foot away from him. "If you've got time to babble, why don't you try pitching instead?" He turned slightly and he instantly caught my eye, and a ghost of a smile fashioned on his lips. "Hit it! I'll be able to move on once I hit it!" He roared. I nodded at him, as he retreated from the glowering eyes of the pitcher and stood proudly on the mound of the batters.
The pitcher was red in anger and infuriation. He sprinted on his position of the field. "As always, you don't know when to quit!" He seethed irately. The whistle blew piercingly and the pitcher screamed. "Then have a taste of this!" He threw the baseball, and I gasped. The baseball, abounding with the pitcher's anger, disappeared before my eyes as it travelled in an astonishing speed. I cupped my lips in between my hands, and everything happened in high – speed.
"Shiba – kun!"
Everything will be okay. Mere four words that I often wanted to tell him. Except fear of the unknown would always stop me. I clearly have no idea what chains have Shiba – kun's past trapped him with. That's why I was afraid. I was not certain if all my attempts would bring back the spirit he once had. But then, one realization was the breaking point. He does not need to run away again. One should not dwell in the past. Sure, it may shape the present and future, but it was not enough to make you who you are. It was not enough to constrain you and make you afraid to move on and grab on the dream you always have.
As I shouted his name, I wished with eagerness that everything: my feelings for Shiba – kun and my unwavering support for him and his dream, would be conveyed. The glint in his eyes brightened as his grip on the bat tightened and he swung in a perfect, forceful arc that sent the baseball flying in an astounding trajectory. The baseball field befell in a silent trance for a moment, until a whistling sound broke the silence, along with the resonant cheering and applaud burst through the crowd of spectators.
"A decisive match for Hanegasaki Academy's baseball club!"
"You did well, Yuna – kun." Wakabayashi – sensei patted me on the shoulder. He gazed at the team cheering and laughing at the center of the baseball field, whilst splattering water on each other. They patted and welcomed Shiba – kun, like a long – lost brother and it pulled my heartstrings. I hope it was enough to completely burn the walls around him into ashes. Shiba – kun deserved so much, and pain and remorse was not one of them. He is happy, and I, for one, am happy, too. "Honestly, I haven't done anything, sensei. Not as significant as you put it." I replied. "Oh, thought I should remind you, sensei. You might want to include Shiba – kun's name on the list before you submit them for the high school playoffs."
"I already included his name beforehand." Wakabayashi – sensei mused, smiling wickedly at the dumbstruck face I was sporting. "I always knew you'd persuade him. Besides, what you did for him might seem insignificant for your part, eh, Yuna – kun. But for him, it might mean the world. All that boy needed was a push and you willingly handed it to him, along with the team's wishes and hope. Setting that aside, let me meet my boys!" I snickered as he skipped blissfully across the field. We secured a spot on the high school playoffs this season, and it was more than enough to bring Wakabayashi – sensei off his feet. He patted each one on the shoulder, while bumping the others. Laughing for the last time, I decided to jog towards the benches, and clean up the mess that was left from the games.
I was instantly rooted at the same exact spot as a friendly warmth wrapped around my wrist. "Souma?"
I smiled fleetingly as I titled my head upward, and met his intense eyes. My heart fluttered at the sight of the arc of his smile. "Hey." I said generously. His smile brightened, likened to the summer sun, before he chuckled ever so slightly. His hand lingered a bit longer around my wrist than I have expected before he gave a brief, yet gentle squeeze, and dropped my hand. "Hey, uhm." He started, his smile shriveled for a fraction. "I'm sorry I got you involved." He shoved one of his hands into his pocket, while he ran his fingers through his damp hair. A fraction of guilt flooded his expression, as a frown turned the corners of his mouth down.
He lightly beckoned me towards the nearest bench and he sat, whilst patting the space beside him. Ignoring my thrashing heart beneath my ribcage, I quietly sat beside him, and from the corner of my eyes, I gauged the expression his perfect, tanned face was wearing. Shiba – kun rested his elbows on his knees and stared contritely on the ground. He turned his head at the side, and stared at me with intense, expectant eyes. Oh, gosh, did I forget to answer him? I stammered for a bit, as I racked my brains for any appropriate response. "No, it's fine." was the response I only came up with. Ugh.
He chuckled afresh, his eyes twinkling in glee and delight, and I tried to remember what in the world is breathing. "You were remarkable, by the way." I said. At the edge of the bench, I reached for the cooler, and grabbed the remaining bottled water. "Oh, right. Here." Shiba – kun nodded thoughtfully and chugged down the contents of water bottle midway. He dutifully splashed the remaining contents of the bottle on his cobalt tresses. It was silent afterwards, but I was certain enough that it was comforting.
"I had the determination to join, thanks to you for being there for me." He said after a thought, and he laughed heartily. "Thanks."
It was immensely endearing to hear him laugh so heartily. I gazed at him, a smile curving from my lips, whilst he returned the gesture. "I did not do anything, honestly." I replied, tearing my gaze from him. "Winning is to rise each time you fall, Shiba – kun. That stunt you pulled in the field was a proof of that."
I felt unwanted warmth rising in my neck and my cheeks, thus I abruptly stood from the bench, and walked along the perimeter of the benches, collecting empty, strewn bottles and sweat – drenched sports towels. Much to my chagrin, it was a poor attempt to hide the tinge of red across my cheeks. Shiba – kun, perceptive, as always, seemed to have noticed it, as he followed me around the benches. He took the liberty of aiding me clean up the remaining bottles scattered around the benches.
"No, you did." He retorted, albeit lightly. "If you weren't here, I'd just be standing over there, watching. I think I'd be standing there, like I was in middle school." He pointed at a distance, beckoning where he once stood. Behind the metal gates.
"So, thank you." He said, as he stopped me from walking any further by grabbing my arm.
I lightly shrugged off his hand on my arm. "Have I ever told you this?" I asked. I stooped on my knees and positioned the bottles of the floor. Shiba – kun followed suit, and leveled his gaze with mine. Lifting my hand, I pointed at his chest, the one exactly above his heart. "This heart," I started, without breaking eye contact with him. "will never be the same heart as it was in the past, because it learned. It learned to feel pain, thus it learned to move on. Learned to find and draw strength. Learned to be happy. And learned to never underestimate one's own power. Funny as it is, fate has its own way of fixing broken pieces of yesterday. That's why, whatever happened in that past, Shiba – kun, everything will be okay. My only wish, as the manager, is that you will make peace with past and…"
For some reason, a lost baseball found its way beside my shoe. I took hold of it, and caught his hand in mine and placed the baseball in his grasp. "…find what makes you happy." I distinctly heard a whistling sound, and I glanced around. Surely enough, the team converged a few feet from us, with Wakabayashi – sensei in the middle, and were grinning like madman. Ugh, Wakabayashi – sensei!
"Eh~ Shiba!" Someone cried from behind Wakabayashi – sensei. "You've just joined the baseball club not twenty minutes ago, and here you are, obviously flirting with Yuna – chan! That's not fair!" Some mumbled their accord, and, soon enough they started teasing us, and chirping love songs. I didn't care how red my face was, because in the middle of their second song, I found myself crying from intense laughter. Shiba – kun, at once, stood, and a smirk worked on his lips, as he ruffled my already – messy bun.
"Oi~ Shibaaaa!" Kitoh – kun jested, grabbing Shiba – kun from behind and towed him away. "No flirting!"
Shiba – kun laughed, along with the others, and another force pulled my heartstrings. Looking at the baseball team, I found myself a family of brothers. Shiba – kun glanced at me, and smiled. "I look forward to working with you, manager." He murmured, enough for me to hear. Or maybe not. Not exactly brothers.
"Of – of course." I replied. "Me, too!"
"I'm home." I murmured, dropping my duffel bag and sports shoes on the wooden floor. I couldn't wipe off the smile on my lips as I entered the living room, only to find my older brother flipping mindlessly through the television, and his eyes twinkled in amusement as he fixed his gaze at me. He smirked at me as he dropped the remote control on the coffee table and propped himself up on the floor. "What?" I grumbled smugly, the smile on my lips fell. "You weren't supposed to be home in the next two weeks! Skipping college, I see."
He laughed, clutching his stomach as he fell back on the sofa. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about myself." He jeered in between is laughter. "Besides, you're the one in a very large heap of trouble, Yuna!"
Huh. I wonder why? I certainly did not forget my homework due on Monday. Or maybe. Oh, my laundry! I sighed, as I ran a hand through my hair, disentangling the bundle of hair stuck in my loose bun. "If this is about my unfinished laundry, may I remind you that I spoke to Mom about it? The qualifying rounds for the high school play offs just concluded today, Onii – san." I collapsed on the sofa beside him, and he handed me a can of soda. I gratefully nodded at him, as I gulped every last drop of it. "So, what am I in trouble for?"
"Before that, how did Hanegasaki's baseball team do? I do miss playing baseball, you know." He asked, shifting his weight on the sofa to retrieve another can of soda. "We lost during the semi – finals on my last year. Quite heartbreaking, I must add." Onii – san gripped his heart in such a dramatic and exaggerated fashion, I almost laughed. According to him, the semi – finals was the farthest Hanegasaki has reached in the last decade or so. Recalling this day's events, I honestly have the feeling we will reach way farther than that.
"The team's good. Better every single day." I said, and I suppressed the flush on my face. Now is not supposed to be time to think about him. "Stop changing the topic, Onii – san. What am I in trouble for, again?"
"Oh, right." He muttered. "You're homeroom teacher called. Wakaouji – sensei?"
"Uh – huh. And?"
"You're failing chemistry."
What?
"Excuse me?"
"I said, you're failing chemistry."
Heat rose on my neck to my face, and I found myself burying my face on the pillows. "That – that has nothing to do with baseball!" I retorted weakly against the pillow. "Moreover, chemistry has nothing to do if I were to enter a first – rate sports university!" Did I neglect my studies too much? Oh, dear. This is not supposed to be happening. I can't miss any baseball trainings in exchange for make – up classes. I should be with the team. With him. Okay, maybe not entirely with him.
Onii – san shrugged his shoulders, tossing his empty can of soda in the air before dutifully catching it before it hits the coffee table. "Well, a first – rate sports university will not accept any failures at all. If I remember correctly, a sports university isn't all about balls, bats, hoops, dingy gyms and sweat." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I were you, I would be paying attention in class, than sleeping during lectures. Your homeroom teacher seemed to let that slip, too. You were barely awake in his classes."
I am obviously in heaps of trouble. "Please don't tell Mom." I whispered. Pleaded. "She'd forbid me from meeting the team, and I cannot afford to do so. The team has come this far."
"I promise I won't." He said. "But I do suggest you do better. That reminds me; your teacher offered that you can take his make – up classes as soon as possible, for a month. I told him you'll happily agree."
"You didn't even consult me!?" I bellowed, greatly and unmeasurably annoyed. "That's pure, pristine evil!"
"Well, it is better than nothing, am I right?"
Author's note: College almost [just almost] buried me alive. Teehee. :)
