'If only I was there, we might have been able to secure such a player.' The coach lamented inwardly.
Since the team was deep within the qualifiers for spring Koshien at the time, he was too busy with the main squad to attend the open tryouts. He also trusted his scouts and assistant coaches to select the right players for the team.
But apparently he might have given them a bit too much credit. His gaze turned to Naoki, the well-dressed man in front of him.
"Naoki. I probably don't need to tell you, but anyone who could learn to play with the opposite hand in such a time frame is a genius. Let's not mention the talent aspect, just the will and determination to do such a thing in order to continue playing baseball speaks volumes about their work ethic and character."
The coach stood up from his chair, feeling as if he had aged 10 years from this conversation. He turned around and stared out the window at the players who were cleaning up the training field and finishing up for the day.
Only after deeply sighing once more did the coach speak up again.
"I can't blame the kid for rejecting your offer. With that much resolve, he wouldn't give up on himself no matter what anyone said to him. Looks like we missed out on a good player."
Only now did Naoki understand what kind of situation he had gotten himself into. He thought that he was doing the kid a favor by telling him to give up pitching, even offering a spot on the team as a bonus.
However, he now knew just how egocentric he was at this moment. Not only did he stomp on the kids resolve, he probably insulted him greatly.
"I hope that he's still fighting to get better." Naoki said after a while, feeling regret at his actions.
By the time Daichi got a hold of his senses, he was already standing out the front of his dorm room. He had unknowingly walked all the way from the coaches office in a daze after overhearing what he probably shouldn't have.
He clenched his fist tightly, feeling a mix of hurt and frustration.
'Why didn't he just tell me? Aren't we brothers?'
'I don't understand…'
This wasn't the first time that Ken had withheld information from him, but this time certainly hurt more than the last. He likely would have been kept in the dark if he didn't just so happen to overhear the coach's conversation.
"Daichi are you ready?"
Back in the present Kouichi yelled out, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Y-yeah go ahead."
***
The sound of the school bell rang out, followed by the hurried footsteps of students who were happy to finish for the day. Almost a month had passed since the start of the school year, so most of the first years had begun to settle in.
Ken didn't seem to hear the bell as he stared out the window of the classroom like all those years ago, deep in thought. He was currently torn, not knowing what direction to take moving forward.
His transition into the team had been seamless, likely thanks to his prior knowledge of his teammates and some help from his Charismatic air skill. However, Ken was met with a dilemma.
He wanted to win nationals this summer without a doubt, after all, his parents livelihood was on the line. For this, it wasn't just himself that needed to improve, he needed his teammates to get better.
"Ken, aren't you coming?" Shiro asked, tapping his shoulder.
"Hmm?" Ken finally turned around and saw that the whole class was already in the midst of leaving, apart from those who were on clean-up duties.
He thought for a moment before answering, "You go ahead. I need to do something real quick."
Shiro thought it was odd, however he decided to do as he was told. It wasn't the first time that Ken had been so deep in thought that he ignored the happenings around him.
Ken waited till Shiro left before getting up and grabbing his things.
"It's for the best…" He mumbled, his expression now full of resolution.
With that, he made his way out of the classroom and into the hall.
Ai Koyama watched as the tall and handsome boy left the classroom, her thoughts in disarray. After having joined the baseball club as a manager, she thought that she'd be able to see Ken a lot more, even interact with him on a regular basis. But that was just not the case.
Her expression turned to one of disappointment after once again not being able to converse with him.
Whenever he was training, he never looked her way and he always seemed so intent on getting better. Yet this was precisely the kind of thing that drew her to him.
She didn't like those guys who chased after her, the ones that wanted her only for her looks. Ai wanted a man who was driven and passionate, someone who had a goal.
Ai ran her fingers through the ends of her hair, thinking about her ideal man. The more she thought about it, the more Ken's tall and well toned figure appeared in her mind, causing her to blush even more.
Unaware of his admirer who remained in the classroom, Ken walked towards the faculty office with purpose. With his long legs he was able to make it to the end of the hall on the first floor in time.
He happened to arrive just as Coach Hanada was about to enter.
"Coach, do you have a moment?"
"Ah." Coach Hanada almost jumped in fright, seeing the boy who was taller than him suddenly appear.
He grabbed his heart, something he had been doing often when seeing Ken.
"Oh… It's you Ken. Sure come over to my desk." He gestured, entering through the door.
Ken followed, moving through the small spaces between the desks until they reached the desk near the window in the back corner. He appreciated the organized folders and files stacked neatly upon the small surface.
"What can I do for you Ken? Is this about the Ace position? I know you're only a first year, but trust me I know you can do it. You have the skills to take us deep into nationals." Coach Hanada said, his tone sounding a little anxious.
Ken shook his head, "No Coach, this isn't about that. I'm happy that you chose me to be the Ace."
The coach breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. He was aware of how much pressure was placed upon the Ace of a team, especially if that player was only a first year.
However, his mind faltered after hearing Ken's next words.
"Yusuke has a serious injury, I'm afraid if he doesn't get it looked at soon it might ruin his chances of playing for life."