Chapter 29: Problem (1)

"Good! Do another. Make sure you throw to first base after controlling the ball." Coach Yoshida yelled, grabbing another ball out of the bucket. "Yes coach!" Daichi called out excitedly. The next ball was sent flying towards him along the ground, however it was easily scooped up by Daichi in a single motion. The ball was then rocketed out of his hand, appearing in the 1st baseman's glove in the blink of an eye. Coach Yoshida's eyes seemingly sparkled as he watched the play, feeling a sense of excitement wash over him. Ken saw the expression on the Coach's face and pumped his fist in triumph. He had been most worried about Daichi's fielding during the tryouts, mainly because that was what they had practiced the least in the past 4 weeks. He was now filled with confidence that Daichi would be accepted into the team, possibly even into the starting line up from the beginning. After all, Daichi was a better batter than he was a fielder and the Coach already looked impressed. "Next!" Coach Yoshida called out, his face still sporting a small smile. 'Okay let's do this.' Ken pumped himself up inwardly before stepping forward. He passed Daichi and saw the dumb smile painted on his face before holding out a fist. "Good luck." Daichi said, bumping his fist and heading to the back of the line. Ken grinned and faced the coach, punching his fist into his glove with a determined look. He bent his knees and got into a ready position, nodding that he was ready to go. The Coach said nothing, not wanting to put additional pressure on the youth. However, he was hoping for Ken's sake that he would not be disappointed. DONG The ball came speeding towards him, taking on a tricky trajectory as it bounced along the dirt with haste. Ken's eyes never left the ball, following it from the moment that it touched the bat. He turned to the side, placing his knee on the ground with the glove sitting just in front of it to scoop up the ball. This was a technique that his father had drilled into him in order to prevent a difficult ball speeding past him. Ken's eyes lit up as the ball rolled into his glove, almost as if it was magnetized. He then quickly got to his feet and motioned to throw the ball towards first base. The ball flew from his hand, yet it floated in the air with little speed or power behind it. 'W-What is going on?' Ken's eyes narrowed in on the slow ball which slowly glided through the air and landed in the first baseman's glove. It was not just him who was confused. The rest of the team began to speak amongst themselves, almost not believing what they were seeing. "What's wrong with Ken?" "His throws are usually really crisp and fast. What happened?" A look of worry crept onto Daichi's face as he saw his friend who was seemingly lost and confused. He was staring at his right hand confoundedly. It was only the Coach who did not seem surprised. In fact he let out a small sigh before shaking his head. "Next." Coach Yoshida's voice seemed to awaken Ken who was in the midst of despair. However, his face changed in the next moment, producing a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes and running back to the lineup to queue with the others. Daichi wasn't sure why, but he felt his heart ache at the smile on his friends face. Perhaps he too had also used that same smile in the past, probably far too often. That was the smile that he would wear when telling others that everything was fine, all the while he would be suffering hell internally. "K-Ken, don't mind." Daichi said, trying to cheer him up. Ken who seemed preoccupied, finally realized his presence and smiled once again. He pushed out his glove into Daichi's stomach and said calmly, "Don't worry, that ball just slipped out of my fingers haha." "Okay, you'll get it next time" Daichi responded, smiling back. Yet he didn't believe him for a second, especially since his keen senses had picked up there was something wrong with the throw. Ken's expression was still cheery on the outside, however inwardly he was in utter turmoil. There was something wrong. He had thrown countless balls throughout his two lives, yet none of them felt like this. He was hoping that it was a once off thing, only because the alternative would be much worse. Before he knew it, Daichi had already had his turn and was walking back towards him. "Next." "Ken! Stop dawdling and come forward." Coach Yoshida's yell finally broke Ken out of his stupor. "Y-Yes coach!" He ran out and took his position once again, his eyes turning focused as he awaited the ball to come his way. Not long after, the sound of the bat striking the ball rang out in his ears and he once again dropped down to collect the grounder. This time, he paid close attention to his throwing form as he tried to whip the ball towards first base. His eyes lit up in shock as the ball once again slowly floated towards first base and landed in the outstretched glove. Daichi frowned as he saw the same throwing action as before, mentally comparing it to how others performed the throws. 'Why does his shoulder look so stiff?'