#seido high school

[justinther0ck]

Why Eijun Sawamura getting his Ace tag is the most cathartic moment in sports anime history: Essay

Background

The Diamond No Ace manga has been serialising since 2006 and it has taken the sports anime industry by storm. The longevity of this manga comes from a time where manga from this genre would go on for a very long time, with examples such as Ahiru No Sora and Dear Boys. Modern sports manga would dictate such that it's a lot shorter than its older counterparts, with Haikyuu ending at 403 chapters and Kuroko ending at 275 chapters. Diamond No Ace however, uses long term story telling akin to series such as One Piece to pay off some of its narrative high points.

A typical high school sports anime has a template as such: Team plays the inter high => loses to a strong team => tries again with the next nation-wide tournament => qualifies for the national tournament. It's a tried and true formula which has been proven to work many times. What does it mean for Diamond No Ace? It's not typical whatsoever.

Many sports anime would feature an underdog team but Diamond No Ace does the opposite: It features a powerhouse team in the strongest baseball region in Japan. Seido High School has been well renowned as one of the strongest schools in the Tokyo region, with many Koshien (national tournament) appearances before the main plotline takes place. Players that join the school for baseball have an exceptional skill and talent for it, and usually have been playing the sport for many years. In this case, what's so interesting about a team that's already developed? The main character: Eijun Sawamura!

Eijun Sawamura was basically from the boonies, the countryside and played baseball for fun with his childhood friends as a pitcher. He was seen with promise and potential by a Seido scout and made a difficult decision to move to Tokyo and pursue his dreams of becoming a pro baseball player. However, he found himself inferior to many of the players. Mainly, Furuya.

The importance of an ace tag

Furuya Satoru was another 1st Year player scouted to play for Seido as a pitcher. His relationship with Sawamura is akin to other sports anime duos such as Kageyama and Hinata and Rukawa and Sakuragi. From the very beginning, Satoru was labelled as the better pitcher. What did this mean?

He was in the way of Sawamura becoming the Ace of Seido High School. After being told that he was filled with promise and potential, as well as moving away from his family, friends and his entire life, Sawamura instead found himself playing second, nay third fiddle to the ace of the school. It was at this moment he knew the hard work that he had to put in to put the school on his back as the future ace.

The ace tag, the number 1 on the back of the players, is only given to pitchers who have shown great talent and aptitude in breaking down the defense of their opposing team's batting order. Throughout the series, it was emphasised that the reason why Seido wasn't a top tier team was because they lacked the indomitable ace that was present in other powerhouse teams like Inashiro. The appearance of Furuya and Sawamura would inevitably begin the battle of who would become Seido's ace and lead the team to become the National Champions.

Losses and heartbreak

The first challenge for Seido was the Summer Koshien tournament. Seido usually makes it very far into the bracket as they are a powerhouse team. However, since Tokyo is one of the biggest and most competitive regions in Japan, it's split into East and West Tokyo. This meant that only one team from each split would make it to the Summer Koshien with the other teams in the nation. Seido undoubtedly blasts through the entire bracket until the finals where they face off against long time rivals: Inashiro High School.

The long time winners of the West Tokyo wing of the Koshien qualifiers, they were the undisputed champions of the region. With an unstoppable batting roster, they were already one of the best teams in Japan. What puts the cherry on top? Their ace, Narumiya Mei.

He was everything Seido was looking for to become the best team in Japan. The pitcher that could put his team on his back and lead them to victory. It was a battle of ideals akin to Shiratorizawa Vs Karasuno from Haikyuu. The heartbreaking thing was: Seido lost. Without a pitcher that could match Narumiya Mei, they just couldn't close out the game with their lead. We said goodbye to the Seido third years and this of course led to Sawamura feeling distraught and putting the blame on himself.

Yips

For the following months, Sawamura found himself in a state of despair. He wasn't able to pitch and improve like he was prior due to his mental failing. When someone like Sawamura puts the weight of the loss entirely on their own shoulder, it's bound to have consequences. However with the help of his teammates and coaches, Sawamura bounces back and slowly makes a recovery on the way to the Fall Koshien

A second try

After finding himself back on his feet, Seido had to go through a rebuilding phase to prepare for the next Summer Koshien: The Fall Koshien. Unlike other sports anime with a second chance, the Fall Koshien fulfills a criteria:

The third years aren't able to play, so no such thing as a Winter Cup or any cop out of such form

It ultimately doesn't have the same prestige as the Summer Koshien tournament.

This means that the loss against Inashiro still had weight and consequences and showed that Seido still had to move on with whatever they had left. Sawamura took this opportunity and ran with it as much as he could. In matches such as the Yakushi and Hakuryuu ones, Sawamura proved to be a skilled and amazing pitcher in his own right.

His biggest plus compared to Furuya was that he has variety in his pitches while Furuya mainly had speed. Sawamura diligently put in the effort but still played second fiddle to Furuya, who had become the new ace after the third years retired. This however did not affect Sawamura's journey and ambition as he and the rest of Seido moved forward through the Fall Koshien. Doing pretty well for themselves, they beat Yakushi in the finals of the qualifiers and made it to the quarter finals of the Fall Koshien before losing to the favourites, Komaidai Fujimaki.

The Ace Tag

After concluding their Fall Koshien journey, Seido found themselves in a new year with new first year students. This meant that there was a need to form a brand new roster with the new members and such. After the Fall Koshien, Furuya found himself in a rut. He was unable to pitch at such a high level consistently due to his godlike performance in the match against Komaidai Fujimaki. Furuya was still great don't get me wrong, but a certain someone was waiting in the shadows and showing off his new weapons and skill.

After a year in the plot and FIFTEEN YEARS IN REAL TIME, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. The new year began with Sawamura pitching for Seido in practice matches. He had formed an amazing chemistry with the catcher, Miyuki. Sawamura developed new pitches that had a high level of consistency and variety. As a result, most teams that played against Sawamura had no idea what to do as they tried to predict his next move. Sawamura had become the rock of Seido.

His skill, improvements and consistency had proven to be an invaluable asset to the team and as a result, he was ultimately chosen to become the Ace of Seido, representing the entire team to once again take on the Summer Koshien.

Conclusion

Whatever I have touched on was just the tip of the iceberg of the brilliant storytelling that is Diamond No Ace. The other narrative threads such as the third years retiring, Miyuki's story arc and Chris' back story has a comparable amount of emotional weight but this particular thread had one thing that shines from the rest: Long term storytelling. It was a story that was 15 years in the making, every page, every drawing and every word in the manga led to this moment where Sawamura achieves his first big milestone as a baseball player. The story is far from over as Seido has yet to win the Summer Koshien and I am excited to see what's next in possibly Act III of Diamond no Ace.

With all this being said, Sawamura getting his ace tag is the most cathartic moment in Sports manga history. (My opinion LOL)

[auslanderka]

fandom: Daiya no ace

ship: Kuramochi Youichi x f!reader

note : At first it was „x oc” but I changed it to „x reader” before sharing here on Tumblr. It’s just a snippet from my silly notes on my phone written at 3 in the morning, nothing special.

TW : it is in general sweet and silly, but contains a long-distance relationship

— contains eng grammar problems and mistakes as well —

He was lying on bed with headphones in ears, hands placed under his head. The phone with turned on discord was next to his head on the pillow and the screen showed your name with small snowman emoji. A laughing girl with big eyes waved at him from the profile picture. Kuramochi Youichi, stared thoughtfully at the wooden beams of the bed above him, listening to what you, on the other side of the call, had to say to him. There was something in your voice, subtle and soothing as always, that Kuramochi was attracted to from the first time he heard it.

Three years ago you met at a baseball competition in your hometown. At the time, he didn't think this relationship would ever be anything deeper than just friends. He smiled slightly, recalling the fear in your eyes when you inadvertently bumped into him in the hallway where the toilets were located.

Did he really look that scary? Youichi had always been a problem child which he couldn’t and didn’t deny. He didn't really remember his reaction but you said that he looked down at you with murder in his eyes.

He twisted to the side and slid one hand under the pillow yawning slightly. Fortunately for him, Sawamura and Asada still hadn't returned to the room from their evening training.

“Mochi, are you listening to me?”

“Yes, yes. All the time.” He assured wiping with sleeve his eyes in which tears had gathered.

“I bore you...”

“You don't bore me. I'm just a little tired, because the coach today tired us more than usual.” He sighed, trying to revive himself somehow. He didn't want to sound as exhausted as he felt.

“Kataoka-san hasn't changed in these three years," you laughed lightly. There was silence on the other side for a moment. “Will you miss him when you graduate?” your question sounded more like a statement.

He sighed quietly. Only two months remain until the end of their high school days.

“of course I will.” he muttered while cuddling tighter into the pillow trying to imagine that the soft object was actually you.

He missed you.

He missed you so much and evenings like this were probably the worst.

Three years ago he didn't believe in long-distance relationships. He remembered that one of his cousins was engaged to an American. A big love that ended after less than two years, because the feeling between the two disappeared. And distance was to blame. Distance kills relationships, it was his belief until he bumped into you - this cheerful girl from Sapporo, nearly 800km away.

His eyelids were heavy. He tried to force himself to open them and focus on what you were saying, but sleep was stronger. He felt himself drifting off, your voice in his headphones began to slowly dissolve and his body heaved.

“Mochi? Mochi?” You asked, finally tearing your gaze away from your hand. You looked at the phone that lay next to you on the desk. The call wasn’t interrupted for technical reasons. You laughed lightly as you heard quiet snoring in your headphones.

“and I told him that if he wanted to sleep he should just tell me.” You sighed reaching for the phone and ending the call.

You lifted your head and looked at the board hanging above your desk where a calendar sheet was attached. In some boxes were written the matches that Seido will play in the near future. You rose from your chair and crossed out another day with a black marker.

Another day closer to your meeting.

© auslanderka, july 2023

[deadlyleomidget]

hello hello!!! :> is it ok to request a fic/drabble about dating miyuki and being koushuu's older sister? i think it'd be really funny and cute 😭 koushuu acting like he hates miyuki's guts but is thankful he makes you happy, and miyuki constantly riling up koushuu but teaches him about everything he needs know abt the team or smth like that :-( thank u sm!!!

Hi anon. Thank you for the request. This was a certainly a unique one. This is my first time writing about Okumura so I'm kinda nervous about the end result. I hope you like this!

“Is something the matter?” Miyuki asked with a smirk across his face, staring down at Okumura who was crouching down to catch for Sawamura. 

Okumura just gave him an icy glare in response which seemed to amuse the elder catcher even more. 

“Yes, it seems like wolf-boy is even grumpier than usual,” Sawamura pointed out from the other side of the indoor training area. 

“I’m not grumpy,” Okumura grumbled, signaling Sawamura with his mitt to throw once again. 

Miyuki snickered. “Don’t tell me that you’re still mad about that,’ he said, stifling his laughter. 

“About what?” Sawamura perked up, totally ignoring Okumura’s signal. 

“I’m not mad,” the younger catcher maintained in an even tone. 

The southpaw shook his head.  “You look mad,” Sawamura said. “Did the tanuki bastard do something to you?” 

“I’m completely innocent,” Miyuki said in faux ignorance. 

Okumura gritted his teeth so he wouldn’t lash out at the elder catcher. ‘No, he is not innocent at all,’ he thought to himself while he remembered the events from the day prior. 

“Oi, Koushou!”Okumura heard his name but didn’t bother in turning around since he knew who was calling him out. Instead, he opted to wait for Seto who was trailing behind him. 

“Yes?” 

“Guess who’s here?” Seto asked with a small grin. 

Okumura raised an eyebrow in response. He didn’t like guessing games. “Is it someone of importance?” 

Seto rolled his eyes. “Always so serious,” he teased with a chuckle. “It’s your sister, y/n-san.” 

The catcher widened his eyes in surprise. “What is she doing here?” he asked, trying not to sound too excited. 

Seto shrugged in response. “I’m guessing to see you? What else could it have been?” 

He was right.  What else could it have been? His elder sister didn’t know anyone in Tokyo with the exception of him. Y/n left their hometown to play tennis in Tokyo for a private high school that scouted her a year prior. If he hasn’t seen y/n ever since he started the school year at Seido due to scheduling conflicts. But still. Why didn’t he get a text about this? 

“Where is y/n?” Okumura asked. 

“I saw her heading towards the dorm,” Seto replied. “I tried calling her but I don’t think she heard me.” 

“That’s weird.” 

“Did she text you?” 

Okumura shook his head. “No.” 

“Maybe it’s meant to be a surprise? Let’s go to the dorms and see if we can find her.” They both made their way to the dorms at a faster pace than before. They didn’t want to miss the chance of finding each other. 

“I think I see her,” Seto pointed out at the top of the stairs on the second floor of the dorms. 

Okumura narrowed his eyes. “It seems like she is talking to someone.” The catcher went up to the stairs faster, leaving Seto behind. He didn’t want his sister to speak to a shady character in particular. 

He gasped in shock when he got to his dorm room. He was not only seeing y/n. But he was seeing y/n kissing him. HIM. HIM. Miyuki. Miyuki Kazuya. The insufferable cheeky catcher who happened to be his senpai. 

“I thought you didn’t like PDA,” Okumura heard you tease Miyuki from behind. 

“No, because then we get unexpected spectators,” he teased back, staring right back Okumura. 

“What are you talking about?” y/n asked, totally unaware that her younger brother was behind her. 

“Y-y/n,” Okumura called out his sister’s name. “What are you doing?” 

Y/n turned around, dropping her jaw in shock. “Koushuu!” 

“What are you kissing him, onee-san?” 

Miyuki snickered behind y/n. 

“And what are you laughing at?” Okumura glared at Miyuki.

“Are you two… Dating ?” Seto asked the million dollar question after finally catching up to Okumura. 

“You wouldn’t,” Okumura said horrified. 

“I… Uh…” y/n stammered. 

Okumura paled at y/n's demeanor. “You are dating him.” 

“Bingo,” Miyuki said with an awkward smile. 

Y/n elbowed the elder catcher. “You’re not helping me,’ y/n said before turning to Okumura. “I wanted to tell you.” 

“So you’re not here to see me but… Him?” Okumura asked, pointing a finger at Miyuki. 

“That’s not completely true… I wanted to see the two of you. I wanted to tell you in person instead of over the phone. Y’know since Kazuya is your senpai and everything,” y/n awkwardly explained. 

“Kazuya?” Okumura seemed not to be able to process anything else other than that. 

Seto laughed. “It seems like it’s serious.” 

“For how long have you two been dating?” the blonde catcher asked. 

“We met during the fall at the physical rehabilitation center when I got injured,” y/n replied. “Then we started formally going out in December so… almost six months?” 

“That long?” Okumura asked, feeling offended. “And you knew that you were dating my sister for that long too? He turned to Miyuki. 

Miyuki shrugged. “Only for about a month,” the elder catcher replied. “Like your sister said, she wanted to tell you in person.” 

Okumura clenched his fists in anger. 

“Oh c’mon, it’s not that serious,” y/n said, trying to appease Okumura. “I know it’s awkward now, but it shouldn’t affect you moving forward. I’m sure Kazuya can keep both baseball and us separate.” 

“Of course not, Otōto!” Miyuki jokingly exclaimed. 

“Kazuya!” y/n elbowed him once again. 

Now can Okumura think that Miyuki is innocent at all? Not only did he lie but he made fun of him. And knowing the cheeky catcher the ‘Otōto’ nickname was most likely going to stick. Couldn’t his sister date someone else? 

“Now why I don’t believe that?” Sawamura asked with skepticism. “What happened?” 

Miyuki shook his head. “Let’s not worry about that. I was just messing with him a little bit. Right?” Miyuki turned to Okumura with a small grin across his lips. 

Okumura was taken by surprise. He thought that Miyuki was going to spill the beans about dating his sister, but it seemed like y/n didn’t lie. He wasn’t going to mix baseball and his dating life. As irritating and unpredictable as Miyuki was at times, Okumura couldn’t deny that he was reliable during crucial situations. He had been helpful in trying to improve his battery with Sawamura. 

Okumura gritted his teeth in annoyance. 

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t so bad that Miyuki was dating his sister. Y/n did look happier than usual yesterday and it was most likely due to the elder catcher. Ultimately, that was what he cared the most about and couldn't be happier. Not that he would admit out loud of course. But he won't be voicing his disapproval anymore.

As long as Miyuki didn’t play with his sister’s feelings of course. 

[shadowshrike]

Why I enjoy the yips arc

Disclaimer: This essay is exactly what it says on the tin. If you hate the yips arc or get upset when people don't love Sawamura from the beginning, you will likely want to skip over this post.

For me, the infamous 'yips arc' sold Sawamura. To be honest, I don't tend to like MCs in anime. Especially shonen anime. They don't resonate with my personal experiences regarding competition, failure, and growth.

When I started Daiya, I didn't appreciate the loud-mouthed "hard worker" zero-to-hero sunshine teenage MC that was dead set on causing me as much second-hand embarrassment as possible. I only continued my journey with the story for two reasons: the rest of the team was more grounded, and the plot tended to not reward Sawamura's early egotistical or out-of-touch behaviors with instant success.

It was only when I hit the yips arc that I wanted to root for Sawamura to the end from the bottom of my heart. He was no longer just comic relief or a guy who would suddenly obtain convenient new skills to make sure he stayed relevant in typical MC fashion. While he had the yips, Sawamura proved himself to be a true competitor capable of meaningful fear. One who doesn't steamroll everything when it really counts because he's a prodigy protagonist with a can-do attitude that everybody loves. Yes, Sawamura remained a hardworking prodigy of sorts throughout Daiya, but he more explicitly needed the help of his team and deep self-reflection to reach his potential and move forward during the yips.

Now, there are a lot of people in the fandom who hate the yips arc. I completely understand not wanting to see your favorite character suffer. Especially when 'tough love' communication styles don't feel like love to you. It's also unpleasant to watch many beloved characters struggle to cope after a loss, all while a new villain (at the time) is introduced in Ochiai. But for me, who was not a Sawamura enjoyer until after this arc, I appreciated it. It became a core thread in the tapestry of Seido's team coming together during the aftermath of a foundation-shattering defeat.

A bit about the yips

For those unfamiliar with the real-life condition, the yips are a notoriously difficult thing to treat. There is no cure, just things to try or avoid. Even the help of the best psychological experts at top levels of play can fail to salvage a professional's game after years of treatment.

Many high school athletes have had their careers ended before they began by the yips, forcing them out of their sport entirely. Others recover with minimal help or after a short slump. The scariest part is that you don't know which camp you're going to be in, recovery or permanent breakdown, and you can switch between them at any point.

Although the prognosis for someone who develops the yips is uncertain at best, I've gone through and seen friends go through stages similar to what's shown in Sawamura's journey. I'd argue Daiya touches on these as realistically as it tackles the other disappointing realities of playing a sport. That is to say - it mimics the real deal with a touch of dramatic flair.

Now, I'm no expert on the yips or sports psychology, but I've simplified the 'stages' of the condition I have experienced or witnessed to exemplify why this arc resonated so well with me.

Stage 1 - What's happening?

Failure following a high-stress moment makes the yips seem like normal performance anxiety. It may take a while to realize what's happened if it only appears in specific situations. You try to shake off the bad memory with your normal coping strategies.

Performance anxiety is a constant companion in competition. Nerves after a bad performance, in particular, are expected. Sometimes you luck out and recover immediately. Other times you have to go back to basics or shake things up to reset, especially if your nerves only hit during performance situations and not practice.

You may attempt to ignore it in hopes it will go away like normal. When your usual attempts to get back in the groove all fail is when panic sets in.

We see this most clearly when Sawamura starts falling apart for the first time while throwing inside. It's a story shown through Miyuki more than Sawamura, strangely, since Miyuki's many responsibilities include helping his pitchers regulate their emotions.

As a catcher, Miyuki has a wide bag of tricks to get pitchers going after a slump. Although his caustic tactics are infamous, that isn't the only way he treats them during a game, nor does he treat every pitcher the same, especially after this arc. With Sawamura, Miyuki's go-to is riling him up. Sawamura loves to rise to a challenge. He pitches his best when someone's pushing him or he has something to prove.

But when Sawamura fails repeatedly to respond in his normal way to his calls inside, Miyuki realizes this may not be some normal fluke of bad control. We see Miyuki's darkened expression before he decides what brave face he's going to put on to get Sawamura back on track. He tries other tactics - joking to take the tension out of the situation and redirect anger to him, and eventually trying to directly reassure Sawamura - both of which don't fix the situation and lead us into the next stage.

Stage 2 - I've got the yips, but don't pity me

You realize that the muscle memory is "gone". Something you used to be able to do without thinking about it now forces your brain to focus on every step. You struggle with failure, fear of not getting it back, and the sympathy of others.

When you're a highly competitive person in a competitive environment, being told that your sub-par performance is okay is an awful feeling. It feels like a person is sugarcoating the obvious truth to spare your feelings. What should be a gentle attempt to cheer you up from friends or teammates can become confirmation that they never believed in you in the first place, especially when you usually have a relationship based around friendly trash-talk.

In the worst cases, you may feel like they expected you to fail when you thought you could succeed. They pity you as the 'poor, broken player'. And the last thing you want to do when someone treats you inappropriately softly is validate that you need to be coddled.

This piggybacks off of the previous stage and can serve as a mental block throughout the entire treatment process. What stood out to me in the story was how we mostly saw yips through the other characters. Sawamura didn't really ask for help. In fact, he was unusually agreeable to everyone because he desperately wanted to prove that he could live up to their expectations without those expectations being lowered.

You may recall this is the same player who said, "their kindness hurts". Sawamura thrives in the high-drive teenage sports environment where friends talk shit to each other because they believe in one another. When that stops, it hurts.

Sawamura doesn't want sympathy. He doesn't want understanding or pity because he knows the way he played was indefensible. All he wants is to perform again.

Stage 3 - Step away

Take a break from the affected activity to reset the brain.

This is to avoid cementing unwanted mental patterns. As they say, practice makes permanent. The break may be self-imposed or made mandatory by an authority figure. If you're part of an active team, it can include a demotion or temporary removal. That status change is demoralizing but necessary after the nature of your condition is clear, not only for the success of the team but for you to have less pressure on you while you change tracks.

This is also typically when your mentors start developing a plan to help you recover, or when they adopt a 'wait and see' approach before intervening further.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a sports psychologist at Seido. It isn't surprising, but it does mean we don't see that as a potential aid here. Instead, the treatment comes in a way many might consider 'old-fashioned' but is a reality for most people.

Taking an approach such as saying, "go run," without a full explanation of why the break might help or what the long-term treatment plan might be isn't something I'd personally recommend. However, it fits with what we've seen in the strictly hierarchical world of HS baseball at Seido. The coach very rarely or never explains himself to his players, and as readers, we often only find out what he's trying to do through analytical characters like Miyuki, who piece it together themselves.

This is also common, if not desirable according to some cultures, in competitive environments. The coach is in charge - you trust their judgment and assume there is a plan, whether or not you understand it.

This phase is also where we see Sawamura's other established teachers deciding what to do. Chris tells Kanemaru to wait and see, and that he thinks Sawamura will recover on his own.

Miyuki, on the other hand, waffles between not being able to spend time on Sawamura due to his own personal challenges as captain and responsibilities to his struggling team, and wanting to make sure Sawamura overcomes the yips. It's unclear if his motivation is due to guilt, friendship, practicality, or some combination of the three, but in the end, he decides he has to take a proactive approach.

Stage 4 - Everything and the kitchen sink

If the condition persists, try new approaches to replace the lost technique.

This might include learning a new skill so you don't have to do what the yips are affecting, moving to a totally different environment or league, trying a new position, or pursuing any number of therapies. Typically, the old technique is not being used at this point except to test progress. Sometimes this phase will allow a player to ignore their condition by cutting out the problem behavior entirely, thus letting them return to their previous position without recovering from the yips.

There are two main examples of this I can think of that we see during the yips arc. The most controversial is the advice by Ochiai to completely change Sawamura's delivery so he can remain useful to the team. Although this was quickly overturned because of the reason Ochiai suggested it - not actually to help Sawamura's recovery because he was already pitching again at that point but to make him 'useful' - a pitcher changing his delivery to overcome the yips is surprisingly not without historical precedent as an idea. Daniel Bard tried a huge number of things, including temporarily becoming a sidearm pitcher, to recover from the yips.

Ultimately, Miyuki, Chris, and Katoaka settle on the skill replacement idea by teaching him the out-low. It's unclear if the original idea came from Miyuki or Katoaka, though the implication is this was Miyuki's plan, and Chris agreed with it when approached, reversing his previous stance that Sawamura could recover on his own.

Regardless, all three seem hopeful that this new set of pitches can get Sawamura back in the lineup and help him recover mentally. Even with that hope in mind, they know he may or may not ever be able to pitch inside again. That isn't the point of teaching the out-low, though it would (and does) make him more dangerous if he can regain his original pitches. The point is to catalyze a return of Sawamura's confidence for his own sake and that of the team.

It also serves as a foundation for an important mental skill. Relaxing. As goofy as it looks, it works well for Sawamura and makes an enormous difference in his pitching.

Stage 5 (hopefully) - Oh hey, it's back!

With a lot of repetition, experimentation, and a healthy dose of luck, you spontaneously regain what you lost.

If you're one of the lucky ones, your mental block may disappear as suddenly and quickly as it appeared. Something 'clicks' and you're able to perform as you used to. The recovery isn't always permanent, unfortunately, and even if it is, you'll need to practice on your good days to make the consistency stick after so long away.

Ultimately, Sawamura is able to recover after persevering through several games. It was both a joy to see and unsurprising, considering the nature of the story. In Sawamura's case, he ends up stronger for having gone through the yips. Not only mentally, after having his often naively optimistic nature challenged, but physically with a wider pitching repertoire.

One thing I want to make clear before I finish

Although dealing with the yips does require incredible mental strength due to its frustrating and demoralizing nature, recovering or not recovering doesn't prove your superior or inferior character as a person. No person, technique, attitude, or therapy has been shown to reliably reverse the yips once they've occurred. All you can do is work hard, experiment, and hope it pays off. Thankfully for Sawamura, it did, and it allowed us to see him mature significantly as a person and a pitcher.

[museguided]

@shrapnelsong sent: Of course, the tradition didn't extend only to her juniors. She'd made sure to have Mochi's gift delivered to his place that very morning. But. When it came to a certain pretty boy catcher, it was a little trickier. Not only because he didn't like sweets, but mostly because he'd never given her his new address, which is understandable, really. And she never asked him for it either, not wanting to risk putting him in an awkward position of having to deny or divulge personal information. She knew which team he was playing for, though... Sooooooo, if it happens to cause any trouble, she'll take only half the blame. It was easy enough to find contact information for the staff on their website, and she picked the person who she felt would be in charge of dealing with any fan mail for the players or anything like that. If anything, she was sure they would be dealing with a lot of packages already, but she still got in contact beforehand just in case, sending a polite email a few days prior informing that she had been a manager to one of their newer players and if it would be okay to send him a gift. Once given the clear, she proceeded with the plan. Alice had decided on a blueberry theme this year, but she knew she would make something different for Miyuki regardless. As much as she couldn't relate, it was fun trying to find or come up with recipes for someone who didn't have a sweet tooth, and now that she had another group of friends to gift, it was nice having a healthier option too. The almond lemon blueberry pie bars turned out so nice that she put a few extra pieces into his box so he could maybe share with his teammates. Picking a blue-purple pen for the card, Alice smiled to herself as she wrote: "You're not getting away that easily, Captain! Happy Valentine's Day!" It took a few seconds for it to register that he wasn't the Captain anymore, but she didn't want to erase the lingering sentiment and left it like that, securing the card to the box and mailing it his way via his team.

Kazuya knew plenty of eyes were watching his every move. Even after he signed into new contract, the scouts that had observed him through his high school career soon turned to sports media, angling to interview him while he settled in. Thankfully, his agent was well aware of his lack of desire to enter that kind of spotlight and fielded the majority. Given that it was his first year as the new promising catcher on, arguably, the best team in the NPB, he managed to slip away from most of the publicity. But as time went on, he wouldn't be able to keep getting away with it, especially if he strived to be the team's main catcher sooner than later.

It brought him back to a conversation that seemed ages ago now. They both knew that he couldn't focus solely on baseball for the rest of his life. He wasn't disillusioned by the idea of any press that could show up at his door. However, if anyone were curious enough to dig into his life past the sport, he'd hardly make it easy for them. In the privacy of the elevator bringing him up to his residence, he chuckled.

The doors slid open and he adjusted his grip on the large paper bag in his arm, digging into his pocket for the keys with the other. He was only somewhat aware of its contents, light in weight and concealed in its box. Though he could make a fairly educated guess as to what it was. While the staff that had called in had sounded odd in an attempt to keep the package a secret, they couldn't withhold the name of the sender—especially if they wanted Kazuya to come down and pick it up. When he heard 'Sakurazuka', he made his decision.

"She really can't resist her favorite holiday." Though he hadn't heard much from her since graduation. Which was to be expected when every one of them had their own life to lead. Their grand tales together with Seido had reached its end, and holding onto sentimentality over the opportunities provided to them wasn't too realistic in the long run.

With the package carefully deposited on the nearest table, he finally lifted the lid to reveal the sweets she undoubtedly made by hand, her short letter sitting neatly on top. A soft smile curved his lips at the sight of his old title, popping the plastic tin to bite into one of the bars. With the taste of blueberries stuck to the roof of his mouth, he sought his old phone, hidden away in a drawer by his bedside. His management insisted that he should upgrade to receive their texts and files much easier and reliably. With the money that came from his contract, he saw no reason to refuse—well, beyond his own preferences, but he's heard enough of their mild complaints.

The flip phone was out of service, but he was still able to access his email to view his contacts, taking a few minutes to type out her email address from one phone to the other. Then, he wrote the address to his apartment along with his reply.

"Long time no see, Manager-san ❤️ I'm not sure what kind of strings you pulled, but you have the staff wondering who you are already. You're probably the only one I trust with my new address. At least you would let me know if you're stopping by ahead of time. Keep it from Kuramochi a little longer; I want to see his face when he finds out he's not my first choice~ And you should stop by, when you get the chance. I have a lot of recipes I'd like you to try to make up for all the baking you've done for all of us over the years. Including the extra consideration for my sake! Thank you. Happy Valentine's Day."

[4kominato]

A/N: OMG SORRY I TOOK SO LOOOONG TT-TT .. i hope you enjoy this! i tried my best to create a plot that included quality fluff AND smut (youre also my first daiya request ever on this blog so i feel totally sh*tty that im so late erghshshd) also, sorry if the aftercare is too realistic that its not cute anymore :') ~kuri

@cxffeeshxts Request: May I request fluff/smut scenario of kawakami norifumi :0 If so, thank you very much! 

Pairing: Kawakami Norifumi x F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut (M) - SEXUAL CONTENT

Word Count: 2.1 K

It's a beautiful day out. The winter air is dry and cold, but the bright sun in the sky and thin layer of clouds helped to comfortably balance out the potentially frigid weather. Despite being home for the first time after a long semester of university in America, you told your parents you would be seeing Nori first, since you didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with him in the summer before you left, due to Seido’s advancement to the summer tournament.

Nori is your boyfriend of three years, the two of you having met in junior high when you were a third year and he was a second year. Despite his shyness and insecurity, he was always so sweet and caring toward you, and the more you talked, it felt like you guys just… clicked, so it came as no surprise when you found yourself falling head over heels for him. Knowing he probably wouldn’t make the first move and that you couldn’t let someone like him just slip away, you asked him to be your boyfriend at your junior high graduation so that you guys could make things official before you went off to high school. You refused to tell him which high school you would be attending because you wanted him to choose for himself where he wanted to go, but somehow fate brought the two of you back together, Nori having picked Seido to join their prestigious baseball team.

With Nori being on the first string, you got to know some of the others in his grade as well, and you’d gotten them on board with helping you surprise Nori at the dorms. After catching the train to your house to drop off your luggage, you walk to the school to meet Kuramochi at the entrance so he can lead you to the retired third year dorms, where Shirasu is keeping Nori occupied until your arrival.

“Do you think Nori will follow you to university in America too?” Kuramochi jokes, as the two of you walk down the hall toward Nori’s room.

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t really mentioned it much to be honest,” you start, taking a moment to think before continuing. “I think I’m not as reluctant to the idea of him going to the same university though, because doing long distance from a different country was pretty tough with the time differences and all.”

“Yeah, and you guys can’t get all lovey dovey,” he snickers.

“I mean yeah… that too.”

You’re about to keep walking when Kuramochi stops in front of one of the doors and whips his index finger up over his lips, gesturing for you to be quiet. Then he proceeds to knock on the door.

A soft, “Come in,” sounds from the other side of the door, cueing Kuramochi to open the door.

“What’s up?” Nori asks curiously as Kuramochi enters the small room, simply standing right in front of the doorway.

“I have a surprise for you,” he replies before turning towards you and gesturing for you to come in. You can’t wipe the dumb grin off your face when you walk up to the doorway and see Nori’s face light up.

“Oh my god!” he exclaims, sitting up from his bed and running up to you, “What are you doing here?!”

“Surprising you, obviously,” you laugh as he lifts you up in his arms and spins you around.

“I missed you so much.”

“But I missed you more–”

“Aaand we’re leaving now,” Kuramochi interrupts and heads toward the door with Shirasu following suit. “Use protection! Hyaha!”

“And don’t forget to lock the door,” Shirasu adds, and with that they exit the room, shutting the door behind them. Finally alone, the sexual tension between the two of you multiplies tenfold. It’d been nearly half a year since the two of you had gotten to be intimate with each other, so even just the initial hug you shared  upon your arrival had your gut churning with desire.

“So…” you draw out suggestively, simultaneously taking Shirasu’s advice and locking the door.

“So…” he responds in a similar fashion, the two of you obviously having the same thing in mind despite both of your reluctance to say it. Instead, you walk up to Nori, reaching for his hands as you press your forehead to his, then your nose, and finally your lips, at which point he resorts to slipping his hands around your waist.

The feeling of him growing hard against your thigh sends heat rushing downward, and in no time, you can feel your arousal drenching your panties. Nori’s hand moves up to your neck, pushing your hair out of the way to place his lips there and gently trail kisses along its length and down to your collarbone.

“May I?” Nori nearly whispers, tugging at the hem of your top.

“Of course,” you reply with a smirk before assisting him in removing the garment. You can see his hungry eyes dilate at the sight of your lace adorned breasts, and just as he reaches up to cup them, you decide to throw him a reverse uno card, cupping the bulge in his pants and gently massaging it before he gets the chance to do anything to you.

He gasps in half surprise, half pleasure as you continue to palm him over his sweats, his hands faltering on your breasts at the feeling. You take the opportunity to capture his lips once more, and slowly guide him to the bed where you proceed to straddle him.

“I want you so bad already,” you whine, rolling your hips on his now fully hard member, eagerly seeking any friction you could get against your aching clit. “I’m soaking.”

“God, you’re so hot,” he moans breathily, his eyes fluttering shut as you continue to grind against his needy cock. “I want you too… but it's been a while. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I need you,” you demand as you rip off your bottoms and fling them aside. “Don’t finish too quickly, okay?” you tease as you pull down the waistband of his sweats and briefs in one go to free his throbbing erection.

“Wait–” he barely manages to say before you take him, “Use a condom.”

“Nori…” you whine. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered you, but with how deprived you’d been the past four months, your patience is running extremely thin.

“Especially since it’s been so long I might not be able to pull out in time. I don’t wanna take any chances.”

“Ugh, fine…” you give in with a frustrated groan, but he did bring up a valid point, so you couldn’t really argue further. You return to the bed after fetching one of the foil packages from his dresser and tearing it open. Climbing back on top of him, you quickly pinch the tip of the thin rubber disk and roll it down his firm length, eliciting a soft moan from him that further tested your patience. “Are you ready now?” you ask almost aggressively as you position him to your entrance.

“Ye–” he barely starts to say, but before he can finish, you lower yourself onto him, easing him into your wetness and completely interrupting his train of thought. “Oh, god–” he groans, throwing his head back at the feeling of your wet walls encompassing his girth.

“Ah, Nori, you feel even better than I remembered,” you sigh in relief at the feeling of finally having him inside of you. As much as you would’ve loved to draw it out and take your time with him like you normally do, you don’t have the self control to do so this time; for the duration of your three year relationship with him, this is the longest you’d ever been abstinent and obviously, it’s taking a huge toll on you.

Placing your palms flush against his chest, you stabilize yourself enough to rhythmically drive your hips up and down, riding him to your heart’s content. The way he fills you up so perfectly gives you unfathomable gratification, his thickness rubbing up against your tender walls while his length hits just the right spot deep in your core. You don’t remember it feeling this amazing, but maybe the waiting and anticipation that had built up over the past few months was enough to amplify the blissful sensation tenfold.

“Nori, I’m already close,” you pant, forcing yourself to maintain your rigorous pace despite the rapidly escalating tension accumulating in your lower half.

“So am I,” he barely manages to say.

“Fuck…” you whine under your breath as you abruptly accelerate your movements in an eager attempt to chase your high, albeit extremely sporadically.

“Baby, I–” Nori moans through labored breaths, his grip on your hips substantially tightening as he finally succumbs to euphoria, his eyes rolling back whilst his manhood pulsates within you. Wanting nothing more than to reach ecstasy together with him, you begin bouncing on top of him even more erratically, feral almost, until his swollen head is kissing the lip of your cervix, expediting the tingly feeling accumulating in your gut.

After what feels like hours of edging, you’re finally enraptured, sheer pleasure erupting from the heat between your legs and radiating throughout the entirety of your body. You’d been doing a remarkable job keeping the sounds to a minimum… that is until the breathtaking feeling of climax sends you over the edge enough to force a cry out of you. You’re sure whoever is in the room next door can hear you loud and clear, but there's no way you could’ve prevented it.

As you slowly come down from your high, your shaky arms give out and you collapse forward onto Nori’s chest completely winded.

“God, that was so good…” you mumble weakly. “Sorry I got loud at the end though. Your neighbors probably heard me.”

“It’s fine,” he answers breathily, combing his fingers through your hair, “After Christmas, I only have one more term with them anyways.”

“Mm,” you hum, unable to answer in words with how weary you’d become.

“Before you fall asleep, let me clean up,” Nori requests, gently rolling you off of him to get off the bed, “And you should pee first.”

“You’re too responsible, Nori,” you grumble with your face buried into his pillow.

“It’s for your health.”

“Mrgh…”

With your eyes still closed, you hear some shuffling and some tissues being pulled before the bed sinks next to you, followed by the feeling of fingers brushing your hair out of your face.

“C’mon, babe, get up. I’ll take you to the restroom and then you can sleep. Won’t it be worse if you end up getting a UTI?”

“Yeah, I know…” you groan, finally sitting up and wrapping your arms around his waist. With a soft smile, he returns your embrace and leans in to place a chaste kiss to the top of your head.

“I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you, too.”

He only allows a moment more of sitting in silence before he fills the void again. “Okay, now get dressed before you actually fall asleep,” he demands as he retrieves your clothing from the floor.

“Mrgh,” you respond groggily, still reluctant to get out of bed, but regardless, you do as he says. After he shows you to the restroom, he walks you back to his room and tucks you comfortably into his bed.

“You must be tired and hungry from the long flight, huh?” he asks as he kneels at the bedside.

“Mhm,” you mumble, starting to succumb to slumber with how comfortable you are in Nori’s bed, intoxicated by his sweet scent that you missed so much while you were away.

“Well, I’m gonna go meet Miyuki to get some pitching practice in this evening and then I’ll bring you back some food from the cafeteria for when you wake up, okay?” he speaks gently, and though your eyes are closed and you can’t see him, you can feel his loving gaze upon you.

“Mm,” you mumble once more, softer this time but still loud enough that Nori knows you’ve acknowledged his statement.

“Alright,” he responds as he leans in to press a tender kiss to your forehead. “Sleep tight. I love you so much. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Though you can’t bring yourself to answer in your now very somnolent state, hearing his words fill you with warmth, receiving the affection you’d been deprived of this past semester. You couldn’t have asked for a better welcome home than spending time with the love of your life, and even though he isn’t with you right now, you know he’ll be back soon to share more memories with throughout the remainder of the holiday season.

[nekurooma]

@isolov x:

❝ oh, was i ? ❞

a frown tugged on miyuki's lips at the other's words, not realizing he was daydreaming until sanada said it. he often got lost in his thoughts, though usually he said that for private moments since it was kind of awkward to just drift off mentally in front of someone. pushing his glasses back into place, he rolled his shoulders back before looking at the pitcher.

❝ i'm fine, it wasn't anything serious. i was just thinking about the team. ❞

miyuki didn't mind not being captain anymore, but he couldn't help but wonder how this new team would work together. they weren't in high school anymore after all, they had to work from the ground up to build chemistry again. it had taken the better part of a year and a half to build synergy within his team at seido, and he wondered if it would take that long or maybe even longer now.

❝ just a bit, yeah. ❞ not that he could blame the guy - new place, new team, new coach ; it's a lot to take in, even for shunpei. as much of a go with the flow kinda guy that he is, it sure was a pleasant surprise to see at least one familiar face among all the strangers. it's funny - raichi used to get overwhelmed like this too, lost in his own head whenever there was a lot going on outside of a game - it's almost nostalgic for him to see this kind of connection between miyuki and his former teammate.

❝ we didn't even have our first practice yet and your head's already cooking, huh ? ❞ shunpei chuckles, his hand resting on his hip. ❝ well, what's your first impression then ? you like what you see ? ❞

[cataclysmicamomile]

Finally gonna continue reading that really good Daiya fic on JJWXC! It's premise is that a pro baseball player Sawamura who never went to Seido time travels back to a high school life he never attended, and meets all the pros he knows as high schoolers~ I remember it hitting all my sweet spots as a fic, and apparently the author is a BLLK fan too from the title! It's called 钻石王牌之自私的投手 if anyone wants to read it...

[halchron]

❛ you okay? caught you staring off into space again. ❜ sanada to miyuki <3

everything everywhere all at once // accepting

❝ oh, was i ? ❞

a frown tugged on miyuki's lips at the other's words, not realizing he was daydreaming until sanada said it. he often got lost in his thoughts, though usually he said that for private moments since it was kind of awkward to just drift off mentally in front of someone. pushing his glasses back into place, he rolled his shoulders back before looking at the pitcher.

❝ i'm fine, it wasn't anything serious. i was just thinking about the team. ❞

miyuki didn't mind not being captain anymore, but he couldn't help but wonder how this new team would work together. they weren't in high school anymore after all, they had to work from the ground up to build chemistry again. it had taken the better part of a year and a half to build synergy within his team at seido, and he wondered if it would take that long or maybe even longer now.

[chisaiyume]

Title: Diamond no Ace [ anime - manga ]

Author: Terajima Yuuji

Genre: Comedy, School Life, Shounen, Sports

Synopsis [baka-updates]: Eijun Sawamura had his heart set on the middle-school national baseball championships. But his team is eliminated thanks to a wild pitch thrown by Eijun himself. He’s planning to go to high school with his teammates and try again next year when he’s scouted by the famous Seido High School baseball team. When he goes for a campus visit, he finds himself on the receiving end of a baptism by fire! His experience forming a battery with up-and-coming catcher Miyuki rekindles his passion for baseball!!

[subtleanime]

Seido shirt highschool baseball team ,anime cosplay T-Shirt anime gift shirt Yakushi High School merch Kominato Haruichi Chris Yuu Takigawa etsy.com/listing/1412667703/seido-shirt-highschool-baseball-team

[animes-but-nocontext]

[deadlyleomidget]

Hello, can i request about Azusa story? She had high fever during their games. At first, she didn't realized but after the games she suddenly fainted in front of the bus. How kazuya will react you could added some angst and fluff?

Hi Anon! Thanks for your request. I apologize for the delay and I hope that you enjoy this. Happy New Year!

‘Ugh. Why is this happening to me?’ Azusa mentally whined to herself as she pinched her nose. She felt the congestion already gathering in her nose, making it more difficult to breathe. ‘Great! I had to get sick now out of all times.’ 

The fall tournament just started. Seido was playing against Nanamori and everything was going well so far. Much better than the first match against Teito High School. Not to mention that the weather was much better since it was pouring. ‘It was probably that stupid rain that got me sick,’ the manager thought, sniffling. 

“Are you alright, Azusa-san?” Haruno asked, turning to her in concern. 

Azusa gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied rather quickly. She didn’t want anyone thinking that she was sick to avoid any distractions. But most importantly, she didn’t want anyone knowing because then Miyuki would find out. And if Miyuki found out then he would tease her mercilessly once he found out. Since he told her to wear a thicker jacket and hat during the Teito match because otherwise she would get sick. 

And as usual, he turned out to be right… Which is something that she didn’t want him to know. 

“Are you sure? You look a little bit pale and you’re sweating too,” Haruno noted, unconvinced by Azusa’s answer. 

Azusa’s expression faltered a bit. She didn’t know that she was looking pale. She was also starting to notice that she was feeling a bit warmer than usual. Perhaps, since yesterday, now that she was thinking about it. But she refused to believe that she was as sick as Haruno was trying to make it seem. “I’m fine. Maybe I’m just tired? I’ve been going to bed late lately so that’s probably it.” 

The redheaded manager pouted. “That’s not good. You need to rest!” 

Azusa chuckled. “Hai, Hai,” she nodded. “I’ll take it easy and rest when I get home.” 

‘After all, what’s a few more hours?’ 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“Is that everything?” Sachiko asked, inspecting all the bags that they had just put in the bus. 

“I think so,” Haruno said, tapping her chin deep in thought. 

“Narumiya-san was going to bring in the last bag with refreshments,” Yui chimed in. “After that we should be good to leave.” 

“I offered to help her but she refused,” Sawamura piped in, making his way towards the bus along with both Furuya and Kominato. 

“She refused because you offered right after I did,” Furuya quietly accused. “She didn’t want to pick sides.” 

“So it’s now my fault?” Sawamura shot back angrily.

Kominato who was walking behind them let out an awkward chuckle. “I’m sure this is what she wanted to avoid.” 

“What do you mean?” both pitchers turned around to ask the younger Kominato brother. 

“I-” 

“It means that you two are just idiots that were just going to make things worse for her!” Kuramochi yelled, cuting Kominato off. 

The shortstop was also trailing behind the first year trio along with Miyuki who couldn’t stop snickering. 

“Perhaps it’s better this way because otherwise all three of them would’ve been lost by now,” Miyuki pointed out. “Now, we just have Azusa holding us up,” he added, jokingly. 

“Who is holding you up?” Azusa crept up behind Miyuki’s back with a chastising tone. 

“Technically you since you’re still the last person trailing behind,” the catcher chided with a cheeky grin.

The blonde manager lowly grumbled. “I’ll show you,” she muttered under her breath while picking up the pace and speed walking to leave Miyuki behind. “Who’s behind now?” she yelled in confidence and then started to get a coughing fit. 

Miyuki burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re that out of shape that you can’t even speed walk?” he teased. 

“S-shut up!” Azusa mustered while heavily breathing; her face reddened. “I’m totally fi-” 

Azusa didn’t finish her sentence as she dropped the bag of refreshments and fainted on the ground right in front of the bus causing everyone going into a frenzy. 

“Azusa!” Miyuki rushed to her side, tossing his own bag aside. He cradled her in his arms in deep concern. “Azusa! Azusa!” he called out her name to make her respond but it was to no avail. Her breathing was labored and she looked very pale. He lightly touched her forehead and gasped when he felt how warm she was. 

“Manager-san!” 

“Narumiya-san!” 

“Azusa-san!” 

Furuya, Kominato, Sachiko, Yui, Haruno, and Kuramochi all huddled together around Azusa and Miyuki. While everyone else was coming down from the bus. 

“Is Blondie-chan okay?” Sawamura asked, bending down next to Miyuki. 

“She has a fever,” the catcher replied, not taking his brown eyes away from the manager. “It seems like she was pushing herself too much.” 

“I noticed that she looked pale earlier today but she said that she was feeling fine,” Haruno said in concern. “I should’ve forced her to take it easy.” 

“It’s not your fault, Haruno,” Sachiko said, turning to Haruno. “I didn’t even notice that something was wrong with her.” 

“Me neither,’ Miyuki thought with guilt overriding his mind. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o

After Azusa fainted outside the stadium, Coach Kataoka and Rei arranged for a cab to take her to a nearby clinic for a check up. Miyuki insisted in going to the clinic with Rei, even though she didn’t think it was necessary. However, she found the relentless catcher to be too stubborn and decided not to argue with him. 

The doctor declared that Azusa just had a cold and that she was would be fine if she was on bedrest along with staying hydrated. It seemed as if she was not taking care of herself. He noticed that she was dehydrated and sleep deprived. After that, Rei called Azusa’s mother and since two days ago she had been resting at home. Miyuki had texted her but she had yet to respond. He figured that she was too weak to reply. 

“Sorry for the intrusion,” Miyuki said politely while taking off his shoes at the entrance of the Narumiya house and changing into slippers. 

“I’m so glad to have you here after such a long time Kazuya-kun!” a middle aged blonde woman lightly clapped in delight. 

“Thanks for having me, Narumiya-san,” Miyuki said with a small smile which made the elder Narumiya beam at him. Narumiya Emi was Azusa and Mei’s mother. She was a tall beautiful woman with wavy shoulder length blonde hair and icy blue eyes. It was impossible not to see the resemblance between her and the Narumiya siblings. She had always been very kind, warm, and inviting to him. Always inviting him to dinner whenever he was out playing catch with Mei too late. 

“Of course, you’re always welcome here,” Emi smiled at him. “I’m happy to see you. Even though I wish it were under different circumstances.” 

The catcher grimaced. “Me too,” he said in agreement. “How’s Azusa doing?” he asked in concern. 

“She’s doing better,” Azusa’s mom replied. “She still has a fever but it has gone down considerably in the last two days. I think she'll be fine in a day or two.” 

“That’s good to hear,” Miyuki sighed in relief. “Does Mei know?” 

Emi shook her head. “No, he does not,” she said. “At first I thought about telling him but then decided against it. Knowing him, he’d be here hovering over her all day long and wouldn’t let her sleep,” she added the last part with a giggle. 

Miyuki chuckled. “Yes, perhaps it’s for the best.” 

She nodded in agreement. “But you can go up and see her no problem. Just let me know if you need anything.” 

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” he bowed politely. He then made his way upstairs. The Narumiya house was huge. On the first floor they had a large living room/dining room area along with an equally large kitchen. They had five bedrooms upstairs for Azusa,  Mei, their older fraternal twin sisters who are now in college and their parents. Miyuki grew to enjoy his time in a home so different from his own modest one. The Narumiya family was large and rowdy which intimidated him at first. But they all embraced him and always made him feel at home. 

He felt bad that he stopped coming after he decided that he was going to Seido instead of following Mei to Inashiro. Him and Mei were not on the best of terms after he revealed his decision to Mei. And while he wasn’t on bad terms with Azusa, he didn’t feel comfortable visiting the Narumiya household. Part of him always wondered what did Mei’s parents think of him after that. If they hated him after making Mei upset. Azusa never stopped joking about her mom liking him more than her. However, that never quelled his insecurities. They were only quelled last night when he called her mother and asked for permission to see Azusa. The elder Narumiya greeted him so happily on the phone and just welcomed him with open arms. That put his mind at ease.

However, while his insecurities about his place in the Narumiya household had been put to rest, his guilt hasn’t. He had always paid close attention to Azusa because he deeply cared about her. Mei had also asked him to take care of her which is a request that Miyuki did not take lightly. So why? Why didn’t he notice that Azusa was sick? She had to be sick days before in order to faint like she did. And to make matters worse, he was teasing her which caused her to overexert herself and faint in front of everyone. 

Why does every time he finally feels like he is just starting to get a handle on the team as captain, something bad happens?

‘Some captain I’ am,’ Miyuki scoffed to himself as he entered Azusa’s room. Her bedroom was spacious with baby blue painted walls. A white dresser was on right while her wooden computer desk was on his left.  Azusa was sleeping soundly in her bed that was against the wall across from him. He quietly made his way to her and grabbed the desk chair to sit across from her. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly while he reached out to touch her hand underneath the covers. He always prided himself in being observant. That’s why he had been able to accomplish so much as a catcher. But it seems like his observance skills are failing him lately. First, with Sawamura during the final game against Inashiro. Then, with Sawamura again with his yips. He had also fail to see how Nori was crumbling under pressure. Now, he can’t even notice when Azusa’s health is declining. 

‘When did I become so blind?’ he lamented. “I’m sorry for teasing you and saying that you were holding us back. I didn’t mean to cause you to push yourself. It’s me, I’m the one who is holding everyone back.” 

‘If I were a better captain, a better person,’ The catcher thought to himself while lightly touching Azusa’s forehead. She was a bit warm but nothing like when she fainted. Her mother was right. She should be fine in a day or two. 

“Get better soon,” he whispered. “Everyone misses you back on campus and it’s not the same at all,” he caressed her hand. He traced her knuckles and the palm of her hand. Relishing on the feel of how small and soft her hand was compared to his. 

“Ka-zu-ya,” Azusa stirred in her sleep. 

Miyuki immediately dropped her hand in a panic. He didn’t mean to disturb her and wake her up. Her mother allowed him in there because he wouldn’t be like Mei. There he goes, ruining things again. 

“Go back to sleep, Azu-chan,” he whispered into her ear. 

Azusa opened one eye and her lips curled into a smile. “You’re here Kazuya,” she said in barely audible tone. 

Miyuki hung his head in disappointment when he realized that she was not going back to sleep. “Yes, I’m here. I came to visit you.” 

“Thank you,” she said, shifting her position so she could lie on her side and face the catcher. “How’s everyone?” 

“Concerned about you but ultimately they’re the same old. They send their best well wishes.” 

Azusa chuckled. “Yes, I’ve seen some text messages here and there.” 

“How are you feeling?” Miyuki narrowed his eyes in concern. 

“I’m feeling much better now,” she replied. “I still have a slight fever but I’m no longer coughing and my throat isn’t as sore now.” 

“That’s good to hear.” 

Azusa nodded. “I should be back on campus before the end of the week.” 

“Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way don’t you even dare of coming back if you’re not ready to come back. You need to come back with your full strength.” 

“I don’t want to be even more of a burden to the team,” Azusa said with a crestfallen expression. “We’re in the middle of a tournament and I caused so much commotion. The managers are working harder because I’m not there. And you’re here to see me when you’re so busy now,” the manager added with a pout. “I’m sorry Kazuya, I’m making things worse for everyone.”

“What are you talking about? You’re not a burden to anyone and you shouldn’t even be apologizing,” Miyuki shook his head. “I’m the one who needs to apologize to you.” 

Azusa blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?” 

“I’m sorry for not noticing that you were sick. I'm sorry for not noticing that you were pushing yourself too hard. I’m sorry for making that stupid joke. You wouldn’t have fainted if I wouldn’t have done that,” Miyuki said, averting his gaze from her. 

“Kazuya…” Azusa trailed off. “It’s not your fault that I’m sick at all. It was all my fault. I got that cold because I didn’t listen to you. If I had just wear a jacket like you told me during that match when it was raining I wouldn’t have gotten sick. Then, I made things worse by ignoring my symptoms since I wanted to push myself. So please don’t blame yourself,” she said the last part pleadingly as she sat up on the bed. 

“I’m supposed to watch you,” Miyuki said, feeling unconvinced. "It's my fault that you were over worked yourself."

“You’re not my father nor my older brother,” Azusa pointed out. “And even if you were, I’m already old enough to know the consequences of my actions.” 

“Well, that is true. You’re no longer a kid even if you act like it sometimes,” the catcher conceded. 

Azusa snorted but didn’t refute his comment. “Sometimes,” she agreed. “So, I’m sorry for causing you problems. I know that you’re practicing and reviewing the score books at this time.” 

“Silly, you don’t have to apologize,” Miyuki said. “I’ll always check on you. Even if you tell me not to.” 

“But we’re in the fall tournament,” Azusa protested. “It’s just a cold and I’ll be fine. Besides, it's my fault. I wanted to work hard for the team and it just backfired.”

“We’re a team and everybody misses you. It’s not the same without you so you can’t think that I wouldn’t check on you," Miyuki said. "Besides, you already work hard. We all see it. So I don't want you to push yourself. Your health is more important."

Azusa scoffed even though her eyes did soften at his last words. “But aren’t you happy that now the field is more quiet with me not there ?” 

“Well, it is more quiet.” 

“See?” 

“But I don’t like it.” 

“What?” 

“Sawamura and Furuya keep running too much after practice with the tire and there is no one to stop them. It’s loud but not loud enough.” 

Azusa narrowed her eyes at the catcher. “So you miss me because I'm not doing your dirty work?” 

Miyuki gave her an earnest smile. “I miss that and the sound of your voice on the field.” 

A deep blush adorned Azusa’s face as she grew speechless. 

The catcher widened his eyes in shock. “Your face just got very red. Are you okay? Is the fever coming back?” 

“Y-you m-miss me?” the manager asked, ignoring Miyuki’s remarks. 

Miyuki blinked in confusion. Taken aback by her question. “Of course I miss you.” 

“Even with me being loud and annoying?” 

“Even with you being loud and annoying,” he confirmed. 

“And you’re not annoyed with me for not listening to you?” 

“Not this time around,” Miyuki replied. “I’ve been worried… About you,” the catcher added in a sheepish tone, a light blush also adorning his cheeks. 

Azusa beamed at him. “I’m so glad, Kazuya!” 

Miyuki smiled at her. “Please rest so you can get better and do my dirty work for me, Azu-chan.” 

“Of course,” Azusa smiled back. “Will do, captain.” 

[mochaume]

i wanna find those kids that bullied miyuki and just 🥰give🥰them🥰a🥰little🥰talking🥰to🥰

[museguided]

@shrapnelsong sent: Her classes had ended early that day, which was perfect for her already irrevocable plans. An hour's drive was nothing, and it took discipline to keep her from visiting too often, but Valentine's Day was a tradition she had so much fun with during those three wonderful, challenging years, that she didn't want to break from if she could help it. So she drove back with a smile on her face, enjoying last year's songs on the playlist heavily influenced by the occupants of room 5. Alice was still so familiar with the team's schedule that she timed her arrival to a lull in activities - the perfect time to distribute gifts. Having stayed in contact with the lovely managers who'd take her place, she knew they too had continued the tradition, and it made her happy to see so many boys walking around with colorful baggies in their hands. When she spotted a certain star pitcher in the distance, her face lit up, but instead of calling out to him, she decided to be a little more discreet and send him a text. She can't help but laugh at the way he checks the text, immediately starts looking around, and then shouts her name upon finding her. So much for trying to be discreet. But she was entirely too happy as he rushed over to give her a bear hug that lifted her clean off the ground. "Someone's grown stronger!" She noted with pride, wondering if he'd grown taller too or if it was just his presence that made him seem bigger and broader. "Happy Valentine's, Sawamura-kun!" She'd made them lemon blueberry cupcakes this time around, sweet but still more on the healthy side to not mess up their diet too much.

For holidays like this one, it had become Seido's motto that no one on the baseball team would ever feel left out. At least, according to the managers, who resolutely took up their senpai's habits to provide the entire team with store-bought desserts and treats, packaged individually with care. Eijun snapped a quick picture of their work out on display, then another of their smiling faces with the added caption "Sakurazuka's legacy lives on!"

Of course, the team couldn't just simply collect the goodwill of the hard working girls and leave it at that. No, no, no. Come White Day this year, Eijun will take the lead and compel every single player to gift back to them. As a third year and the ace, he had to be the one to set an example for the younger generations too.

Okumura was quick to poke holes in his idea, while Seto attempted to provide more reasonable ones. Words went completely over Eijun's head as he tried to take a more artistic close-up of his own gift wrapped in clear plastic and red ribbons. Out of everyone that left, Sakurazuka had been one of the few to keep in touch with him regularly, forgiving him easily when he forgets to reply. They've taken to spamming pictures of everything interesting, giving him a glimpse of life at her university and allowing her to witness the last leg of his high school career.

He blinked at the new alert that slid over the top of his screen, eyes alight with recognition at the characters of Sakurazuka's name, followed by text that wouldn't have made much sense, unless...

"Sakura-senpai!" He's saved the occasional selfie she sent, but nothing would beat seeing her in the flesh. It brought an odd sense of comfort, as it usually did with her calm, supportive presence. Especially after months of texting back and forth and short, tinny phone calls on the rare instance when their busy schedules aligned. She looked well, beautiful and happy, and Eijun couldn't help but to twirl once or twice once he had her in his arms again. It just hit him that he had missed her terribly. "It's so good to see you!"

He was practically glowing in his pride when he carefully set her back on her feet. "Yes! Coach Ochiai has been training me almost exclusively with weights in his spare time!" While he already had an impressive arsenal of pitch types, it was insisted that gaining in raw strength and speed would only be beneficial to him. It had been a long journey, but the single digit finally felt at home on the back of his jersey.

"But enough about that—you really came all this way to spoil us again! Our diligent managers are going to have a hard time keeping up with you!" Even so, he's still awing and salivating over the homemade cupcakes she brought with her, too eager to munch on one right then and there. "Mm, they look so good and they taste even better. Are you sure you're not studying to become a pastry chef, senpai?"

[andtheyshouldbeterrified]

“Your team’s gonna have all these amazing guys, right? That alone makes me itch to fight you all that much more”

“Well, ain’t ya cool... but don’t come crying to me when you regret the choice you’ve made”

∟ Miyuki/Narumiya battery at Senbatsu Invitational