Some time later, the three had left the taxi and were making their way towards the Karaoke Bistro. Both Daichi and Ken were struggling to keep their laughter, while Steve looked somewhat miserable.
He was grumbling something inaudible, but his expression gave away his mood.
"Hey, you can't blame him dude. You're still in the minor league after all." Ken said, feeling rather amused.
After Steve had signed the ball, the nice taxi driver had given him an earful, almost throwing him out of the car. It was only when Ken explained that Steve was also a baseball player that he finally calmed down a little.
But finding out that Steve was only a minor league player, the taxi driver was still not satisfied. Ken had to fish out another ball and sign it with Daichi before the man finally calmed down enough to begin their drive.
"I'll show him… I'll make it into the team this spring, then he'll realize what a mistake he's made." Steve said, clenching his fist.
"You can do it bro." Daichi said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Thanks man… You know, you're not that bad after all Daichi." Steve replied.
The two had an odd relationship. Steve usually only tolerated Daichi because he was close with Ken, but there was a sense of competition between the two. Or at least this was how Steve felt.
Daichi on the other hand was not threatened at all by Steve. Sure the guy had been Ken's catcher for a number of years, but he was not swayed, because Ken was his brother. Not to mention the fact that he now had the last laugh since they were both in Majors together.
"This is the place up here." Steve pointed to a building not far away. The sign had a giant red crab with the words 'Cajun Seafood and Karaoke' written.
Both Ken and Daichi exchanged an odd glance. Coming from Japan, the birthplace of Karaoke, they both instinctively felt that this place was going to be a let down.
"Is this really the place?" Ken said with a grim expression.
"Daisuke Inoue1-sama2 would probably turn in his grave seeing this place…" Daichi stated.
"He's still alive isn't he?" Ken replied in confusion.
"Poor guy. Let's hope he doesn't see this place then."
Steve shook his head and walked between Ken and Daichi, placing his arms around their shoulders. Thanks to the difference in both their heights, it looked a little awkward.
"You have little faith bro's. While it might look like a shabby building, this place is the best Karaoke joint in Michigan. They also have great seafood, just in case you get a little hungry." Steve said with his trademark mischievous grin.
"If you say so."
The three guys walked past the main entrance and saw a sign lit up that said KTV Bistro. It was still the same company, but it looked far less tacky than the giant red crab.
Suddenly, Ken and Daichi's hearts filled with hope. As they opened the door, an Asian woman that was behind the counter greeted them.
"Good evening gentleman. Do you have a reservation?" she asked sweetly.
Daichi's face lit up, seeing that the woman looked Japanese. "I'm sorry, we don't have a reservation, but I'm hoping we can still book a booth."
His words were said politely in Japanese, accompanied by a bow. In Japan, this would probably get him some brownie points, but all he received was a blank stare in response.
"I'm sorry? Do any of you speak English." Her eyes moved to Ken, briefly examining his face before turning to Steve, "Can you translate for them?"
Steve just stared at her blankly, "I didn't understand what he said…"
"Ahem… Sorry," Ken cleared his throat and shot his brother a quick glare. "We haven't got a reservation, do you have any booths available?"
The woman looked relieved, but she shook her head, "I'm sorry, we're not open to the public during the week unless you book in advance."
Ken lowered his head, feeling a little vexed. He had been hoping to blow off a little steam, but it seemed like that was not going to happen. But just as he was about to thank the lady and leave, Steve approached the counter.
"My friend Benjamin Franklin was wondering if you might be able to bend the rules a little, just this once." Steve said, producing a 100 dollar bill from his pocket.
"I'm really sorry sir… It's company policy." The woman stated.
"Oh, what's that?" Steve ignored her, pulling out another few bills, "Benjamin brought his friends."
"Sir… I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The woman said, now visibly annoyed.
"WAIT, I have more…" Steve said, reaching into his wallet and rifling through it. However, his face changed in the next moment, "I only have a few Lincolns…1"
"Okay, I think you guys need to leave now before I call the police."
"Hey… President Lincoln was a great man." Steve replied, acting offended, "Don't you know he abolished slavery?"
"What's going on here?" A gentleman in his late 60's appeared in the lobby, wearing a frown on his face.
"Sir, these gentlemen were trying to bribe me to give them a booth. I was just asking them to leave before you arrived." The woman said deferentially. It was clear that this man was her boss.
The older man turned and took a good look at Steve, a frown forming on his face. However, when he turned to see Ken and Daichi, surprise lit his features.
"Huh? Is that Ken Takagi and his brother Daichi?"
"That's us sir." Ken replied respectfully. They were in Michigan, it would not be surprising if they were recognized, especially with his 6'6 frame.
"Wonderful! I'm sure we have a booth free for you guys, please wait a moment." The man flashed a brilliant smile and turned to his employee, directing her quietly.
After a few moments, the man smiled again, "Please, right this way. I'll show you to your booth personally."
"Oh awesome!" Steve cheered.
Ken bowed his head slightly to the receptionist on the way past, giving a small word of apology before following the older man.
Creator of Karaoke in the 1970's
"Sama" is a Japanese honorific used to show respect, similar to "Sir" or "Madam" in English
$5 bills for those of you who aren't from the US. (I also had to google this...)