Short Short: Woodworking Bunt

Miyaji-san is missing his front left tooth. He didn't have the money to go to the dentist, and before he knew it, he ended up having to have it pulled. When he grins, his breath whistles through the gap where the tooth used to be. He makes jokes that leave the listener feeling awkward, asking if it isn't convenient to be able to breathe so easily.
Miyaji-san is also missing his right middle finger. He lost it along with a chair part to the blade of a giant circular saw at the factory. Yet, he cannot bring himself to hate his work. "Isn't it just like magic, how a simple wooden board turns into a desk or a chair?" he says, his eyes shining like a child's.
On his days off, he participates in the ward's sandlot baseball league. He bats second and only ever hits bunts. Even with only four fingers on his right hand, he skillfully taps the ball back. When the pitcher gets flustered, he makes a slightly mischievous face.
He loves the 'ping' sound of someone hitting a ball with a bat. It feels as if a hole is being punched into the sky. Miyaji-san's bunt makes a dull 'thud.' In truth, he longs to hit a home run, but he lacks the fingers to grip the bat firmly. Thud. 'I'm a dowel,' he thinks as he runs. Connecting the hitters is also a fine skill.

Short Short No. 791

I am participating in Nikasan Tahara's weekly short short note.
This week's theme is "Woodworking Bunt."