Diamond no Ace

Jealousy

Chapter 2

It frustrated him. It annoyed and angered him. He wished he could say something about it, but he knew that wouldn't change anything. He would just have to bear with it. He would just have to sit back and watch the person he respected so much agonize for someone else.

Furuya stared at the ball blankly before he slammed it against his glove. He did that several times when he heard footsteps coming in his direction. His body stiffened and he looked up to find the person he had been thinking about the entire time.

"What the heck are you still doing?" He asked him in a cool tone of voice, but he wasn't smiling like he usually was. "Don't tell me you're practicing by yourself?"

Furuya didn't say anything and turned his gaze back to ball. He could feel Miyuki staring at him and that was enough to stir his emotions around. "I was waiting for you. I was wondering if you could catch for me."

"Again, huh?" Miyuki replied, but Furuya was glad to see his lips curve into smile. "Ah, geez. I feel like we practiced enough for one day. You're going to tire yourself out and you're not going to have any strength for tomorrow. You haven't even gotten the hang of this whole training thing. Just take it easy."

Furuya couldn't help but wonder what his reply would have been if Eijun had asked him instead. "Just for a bit."

With a small sigh, Miyuki scratched the back of his head before looking back at him. He picked up a mitt that was laying by the porch and got into a good catcher position. "Okay, fine. Just a couple of pitches. Crouching down like this all day isn't easy, but I guess you guys don't think about that."

Miyuki slammed his fist several times against the mitt, showing him that he was getting prepared the impact. Then, he placed the mitt in a specific spot and signaled him with a motion of eyes that he was ready.

Furuya stared closely at the mitt, but his mind was suddenly distracted by other things. Lifting his leg in the air, Furuya tried to concentrate as he released the ball from his grasp. In matter of seconds, he heard the ball hitting the glove loudly. Miyuki stood up from his position and threw it back just as quickly.

"You're getting better." Miyuki told him with a small grin. "But you still need to learn to control the ball. Remember what I said about throwing only with strength."

Furuya nodded with some disappointment, catching the ball he had thrown swiftly. He came to Seidou so that Miyuki could catch for him. He was the reason why he had left home to come to Tokyo. He came with high expectations, but now, it seemed that he had failed to meet them. He lacked experience and better yet still, he lacked stamina. Then, to add even more pressure to the whole situation, a pitcher like Eijun showed up. Unlike him, Eijun didn't have to try to get Miyuki's attention.

"What's the matter, Monster Rookie?" Miyuki suddenly called out to him before he crouched back down on the ground. "You seem distracted."

Furuya lowered his head as he adjusted his cap. In his short time being there, he couldn't remember Miyuki ever calling him by his name. It was a small thing, but that didn't make it any less painful.

He did call him interesting once, but he knew that was a phrase he said to many. Furuya looked at the ball in his hand before he placed it inside his mitt. He gripped on it tightly as he raised his head a little.

"I'm fine." Furuya assured him. "Let's continue."

It was understandable in a way. Eijun seemed much more fun and lively than him. He had a unique strive for baseball and he probably worked harder than anyone. It was only natural that Miyuki's attention would be drawn to him.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Furuya felt a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead while his thoughts wavered inside his mind. Even though Eijun was a better choice, Furuya wanted Miyuki to be his sole catcher. He didn't want anyone else to catch his pitch and he definitely didn't want to share his catcher with anyone.

Just when he was about to throw the ball, they both suddenly heard a loud yell coming from the baseball field. Annoyed, Furuya turned around to find Eijun running around in circles with a tire tied behind his back. Like always, he was making too much noise for his own liking.

Furuya's eyes widen when he heard Miyuki's soft laughter. He was looking at Eijun. He was laughing and smiling willingly because of Eijun. Furuya grasped the ball tightly in his hand before he lowered his head once again. He wondered what he would have to do to make him laugh like that.

"Aww, man, what an idiot! Just look at him!" Miyuki said in between laughs, but Furuya didn't find any humor in Eijun's actions. As far as he knew, that was the way he always acted. " I wondered what he's worked up about now!"

"Miyuki-senpai," Furuya called out his name before he started walking in his direction. "I think I'm going back inside."

"What? We haven't even warmed up yet." He complained after regaining his composure. Even if they did continue, Furuya knew Miyuki wouldn't have his eyes only on him. With Eijun around, Furuya was sure Miyuki would be tempted to look at him. "You sure are weird."

Furuya started walking toward the dorms when he turned around to look at Miyuki again. He was still standing in the same spot and he was still looking out toward the field. He wore a gentle smile on face while his eyes seemed to be filled with what looked like happiness. Miyuki wasn't following him. He wasn't going back inside.

"Aren't you coming, Miyuki-senpai?" Furuya let those words slip out his mouth with anger and frustration.

"You go on ahead." Miyuki told him, waving his hand casually, but his eyes never left the field. "I think I'll stay out here for a little while longer. It's pretty nice outside."

With Eijun's yelling, Furuya believed the night could be anything but graceful. Still, he wasn't going to argue about it. "Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Furuya left even though he wanted to pull Miyuki with him.

It was always Eijun. He was better than him at everything. Even though he didn't want to admit it to himself, Furuya could clearly see that Eijun truly had the qualities of an ace. He could probably be want the team needed to succeed. Furuya was almost a hundred percent certain that he wasn't the only one that had noticed Eijun's good points.

Still, Furuya was determined to work hard to surpass him. He would get the acknowledgement he wanted from Miyuki and he would become a pitcher worthy enough for him.

That was the only thing he could focus on.

...