Daichi finally dropped the bat at third base after the third base coach took it from him. A smile shined brilliantly on his face as he finally made it towards home plate, receiving high-fives and congratulations from Ken and Kenta.
However, in the next moment, the tall pitcher Yoshinao came barreling towards Daichi and pushed him back. Due to his size, Daichi was only forced back a few steps, yet he was startled.
"What the hell is wrong with you man!? Hitting a home run wasn't enough for you?"
Ken felt his blood boil as his best friend began to get abused by the opposition. He stepped in between them, his tall frame able to see eye to eye with the opposing pitcher.
"Back off man. This is his first game, he doesn't kno—"
THWACK
Ken suddenly recoiled, falling to the ground as he felt a pain in the side of his head. His vision was blurry as he tried to get back to his feet, unsure of what had happened.
Bodies began to bump into him, almost forcing him back onto the ground. However, someone finally grabbed him and lifted his frame, moving him to safety.
By the time his bleary eyes recovered, he could see Daichi's worried face, looking at him with care.
"Are you okay Ken?" He asked, taking a look at the side of his face.
"Y-Yeah I'm okay." Ken responded. His attention was drawn to a lot of pushing and shoving not far away, likely the aftermath of what had just happened.
He already guessed that he'd been king hit by someone, though he didn't know who. Either way, it really sucked. As he watched the scramble, Ken already had a feeling that the punishment for this situation would not be light.
At worst they could be disqualified from participating in tournaments this year.
Finally after a few minutes, the umpires were able to break up the scrap, sending the players to their respective dugouts. He then called the two coaches over and sternly said something before leaving.
"Is the game over?" Daichi asked, taking a seat next to Ken.
"Yeah… I think so."
"Is it my fault?"
"Were you the one who threw the punch?" Ken asked with a wry smile. He had a bit of a headache from the blow, but probably not enough to be a concussion.
"No… But if I hadn't have carried the bat…" Daichi seemed to be genuinely upset that things had devolved into such a state.
"You didn't know better. It was mine and the Coaches fault for not informing you beforehand." Ken said after a while, placing his hand on Daichi's back to comfort him.
Soon enough, the Coach came over and checked on the two, his face seemed frustrated.
"Ken. Are you okay?"
"All good Coach. What's happening now?" He responded.
"The game is canceled and we will likely be in for some disciplinary actions. If I had to guess, it's likely that we'll be disqualified from the spring tournament." He said with a hint of remorse.
"But Coach, we didn't initiate the fight!" Daichi stood up, pleading his case.
"It doesn't matter who started the fight, all that matters is that it happened." Coach Yoshida replied, letting out a sigh and placing his hand on Daichi's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Daichi. This isn't your fault, it was negligence on my part not stating some of the unwritten rules in baseball. Due to your overwhelming talent, I had forgotten that you had never played in a game before."
Before Daichi could respond, the Coach stated that he would see them at practice Monday after school and headed back to the dugout.
"Kenny! Oh my goodness, are you okay?" Ken's mother ran over and began to fawn over him. She inspected the shiny bruise and lump which had began to appear on the side of his head.
Ken's rolled his eyes but there was a small grin on his face which didn't go unnoticed by his father. Chris held back a chuckle, but he still seemed stern.
He placed his arm around Daichi and pulled him closer.
"You did well prioritizing Ken's safety and not joining the fight kid." Chris ruffled his hair, feeling a sense of pride at the teenagers actions.
Daichi who was at a loss suddenly felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. He had acted out of instinct, which just showed how much of a kind heart he really had. Being complimented for such a thing filled him with happiness.
"Let's go home and I'll get you some Ice." Yuki finally said after ensuring her son was okay.
Just as Ken got to his feet, a tall man with a large belly suddenly came up to him, his face obviously filled with anger. Before Ken could react, a tall youth came out from behind him, staring at the ground and looking as if he was in trouble.
"Go on. Apologize for your shameful actions." He said in a gruff tone.
The tall pitcher Yoshinao Oyama flinched before finally saying in a remorseful tone, "I-I'm sorry for hitting you. I don't know what came over me, I hope you can accept my apology!"
After saying so, he bowed deeply, waiting for Ken's response.
Ken breathed a sigh of relief. He was worried that the big guy wanted to pick a fight with him and his father for what had happened on the field. Thankfully the father was just chaperoning his son to make an apology.
"It's fine, we're all young it happens to the best of us." Ken shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.
Chris smiled, happy with how his son had handled the situation.
The large man looked towards Chris and apologized himself, bowing his head. "I'm sorry for my sons actions today. You can be sure that he will be punished properly."
"My son has already forgiven him, if I were to hold a grudge I would be doing him a disservice. I hope they can compete fairly the next time they meet." Chris replied, ruffling his sons hair.
With that, the two turned around and left, but not after bowing a few more times.
"Let's head home. I'm going to make us some home made burgers for lunch." Chris said, rounding up his family.