The Mountains Whisper

Injury and Baseball Time

Gakushuu and I walked to school basking in the sunlight. "I noticed, you've been staying late a lot recently. Why is that?" My brother asked.

"Oh, some of the other students need help with studying so I am helping them with that." I lied through my teeth about our extra assassin training.

"Aha! A friendly class versus class baseball tournament aye! A healthy body promotes a healthy mind!" Koro Sensei spoke as he read off the flyer. "Approved! Except that I noticed E class isn't included in the tournament bracket." The confused octopus stated.

"They leave us out to keep it even. It's hard to have a tournament with an odd number of teams." Mimura exclaimed. "We get to play in the exhibition game at the end though. So there's that." He concluded.

"Exhibition game?" Our teacher repeated.

"Yeah, all it is a spectacle. We get split by gender, then have to go against the girls basketball team and the boys baseball team while everyone watches." One of my classmates exclaimed as I tried to think of ways to get out of this. I could injure myself during gymnastics so I can have an excuse and the teachers won't be reprimanded.

"So it's not so much a consolation prize." The teacher exclaimed to himself.

"If you guys want to be the laughing stalk of the school, be my guest but we're out." Terasaka exclaimed. Damn, wish I could get away with that.

"Wait, Terasaka! Oh whatever." Isogai huffed.

"We should ask Sugino for advice, he's the baseball guy." Maehara pointed out.

"What do ya say man? Any tips?"

"Not to be negative, but we are screwed. Like royaly. The baseball team has Shindo as their captain, the man can throw a fast ball like no one's business. High schools are already scouting him. Not gonna lie though, I'd give anything to beat him. And not just put on a fight, I want to beat the arrogant s.o.b at his own game." Sugino continued his speech, staring at a ball I don't know where he pulled from. "Baseball is my first love, my life, it took getting kicked off the team to understand that. The odds aren't in our favor but-"

"SWING BADA SWING!" Koro Sensei shouted, making us all turn to him. The monster in question's head was colored like a baseball and he held multiple different baseball equipment.

"Oh right, I forgot, you don't need much persuading when it comes to anything baseball related." Sugino exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"I've wanted to be the feisty nonsense coach in a sports flick forever! Don't worry, I won't push you kids around but I brought a table to flip!" He shouted, holding up a small round table, with stuff I assumed was glued on the top.

"You put a lot of thought into this." Sugino commented.

"I've watched all of you grow more focused on which direction you'd like to take ahead lately, and it's been marveolus. Whatever the odds, the name of the game is always kill, win. And to reward that fighting spirit, Coach Koro, will teach you a strategy that will guarantee our victory." Our overzealous teacher exclaimed, tentacles wiggling.

As the week commences, I begin to think about what tricks I could attempt to injure myself. When I entered the cold building of my gymnastics class, I had only one thought on my mind, don't get caught in a lie, that technically isn't a lie. "Himari! So nice to see you again, how has your week been?" One of the older members, a girl in her early twenties, asked Yukiko.

"Oh, it's been wonderful. I have to put my stuff away, I'll talk to you in a minute." I smile, before heading over to the lockers. The adult gym very rarely has a guided practice so I can get away with pulling off dangerous stunts. Climbing up to the diving ledge, I make sure no one is looking and I commit to a summersault. As I flipped through the air, I underestimated how far I was to the edge of the tramp and all feeling in my right arm went numb as it hit the edge of the trampoline underneath. Letting out a hoarse shout of pain, I see my vision fade in and out, as I was about to pass out, I see Yukiko on the phone trying to keep me awake.

I came to and I am in the backseat of a small car, my head in someone's lap. "What-" I tried to speak before a shooting pain came through my arm.

"Shh, it's okay, we are on the way to the hospital now. Keep your eyes closed." I hear a sweet voice say.

"How bad does it look?" I asked, tears threatening to fall out of my eyes.

"Pretty bad, you have gotten yourself into a pickle. But it'll get better." I hear her say, before I slip into unconsciousness again, this time from the pain.

"6 weeks, sorry but that is the best case scenario. After that you are going to need a brace for about another 2 or 3 weeks." The crusty doctor told me after he placed the cast on my arm.

"Seriously?!" My step-mom complained.

"It's okay. How much will I be able to do?" I asked, before Shimizu went on a tangent.

"Not much with your right arm. You also will need this," he handed me a sling.

"Oh, okay thank you. Sorry for all of the trouble." I apologized before ushering the older lady out the room with me. I rope the sling across my head and rest it over my shoulder.

"How's the pain right now dear?" Shimizu asked.

"About a 5 I guess." I lied.

" Okay, I'll check you out and we can be on our way." The dark haired woman left my side to head to the receptionist. Well I got to miss the baseball game, but at the price of full immobility from mid-tricep down, on my most dominant hand. As we pulled back into the driveway, it was still a couple hours out till Gakushuu and the principal would be home.

"Just go sit on the couch dear, I'll bring you a snack." Shimizu offered.

"Oh, okay." I responded, sitting on the couch. Tomorrow is going to be weird, I hope we do good though. During snack time Shimizu tried to get me to talk about stuff going on in school.

"So are there any cute boys in your class?" She asked, shimming her shoulders a little bit. Isogai, my brain said unconsciously.

"Who?" The lady sitting across from me asked.

"Oh no one, just someone." I stated, flustered.

"Is it someone or no one? I bet it's a cute someone." Shimizu started, condescendingly.

"I guess." I say, as I placed my head on my knees. With a cry of triumph Shimizu shook the whole couch. "Can you not tell father about that?" I asked, rolling my head to look at her. "I don't think he'd appreciate me crushing." I explained.

"Of course, this is girl talk." Shimizu reassured me.

"I'm going to take a nap." I started, grabbing my plate and bringing it to the sink. After Gakushuu heard the news, we were home. He immediately came up to my room, catching me as I scrolled through my phone.

"Oh dear. You really are clumsy." He started with a light chuckle.

"Hey." I started, sitting up, my casted arm dangling by my unbinded chest.

"My class won the tournament and, you're precious E class won today, against the team." My brother stated, sounding disappointed.

"That's great." I smiled at him. "I know you don't like them being ahead, but they seemed so down at the assembly, it's nice to see them all have fun." I started, picking at my sweater sleeve.

"Fine, but I heard them talking about you. Did you not tell them that you are related to the principal?" Gakushuu asked.

"Uh no I don't think I did. It never really came up, should I have? I mean they all kinda just call me Akira so it never really came up." I started, glancing at him.

"I'm going to shower." And just like that, he was gone.

He's been more angry than usual.