Yet Mika was silent to his question.
"Let's have a shower and some breakfast before we get some practice in." Ken said before turning away, hiding his thoughtful expression.
In the shower, Ken stared at the system text and contemplated what to do. If he was honest, he didn't believe that he was cut out to be a mentor at this stage of his life.
It was similar to how he felt about being a leader. Perhaps it was because of his lacking self esteem, but Ken didn't feel like he was good enough to take such a position.
But at the same time, the system would generally not suggest such a thing unless it held benefits.
Since Mika would not give him any information, there was only one way to find out.
*DING*
USER HAS TAKEN TEAMMATE SHIRO MASUDA AS HIS MENTEE
[Please select a skill to impart]
Slugger: Increase strength by 4 grades when the ball is struck with the middle of the bat
Bunt: Ability to bunt even the fastest of balls with optimal precision and strength.
Charismatic Air: People are drawn to you and are more likely to listen to your suggestions.
Forkball: Ability to throw the Forkball consistently and accurately with the correct form.
Fatigue Management: Reduces fatigue and boosts recovery for extremities
'Eh? What is this?'
Unexpectedly, Ken was given the option to impart a skill to Shiro. This was not something that he expected at all, yet it was perfect.
Unfortunately it seemed that he only got to choose 1 of 5 skills instead of his whole skill set. A couple of the skills would also be useless to Shiro, not to mention the Charismatic Air which he would never wish for anyone to have.
After staring at the list, it seemed to be between Slugger and Fatigue Management. While Shiro was a decent batter, he would probably only be placed 7th or 8th in the lineup, right next to Yuta.
'Fatigue Management seems to be the most useful skill, especially if he'll be training like crazy.'
[User has selected Fatigue Management Skill]
[Imparting…]
"ARHGHHHH!"
THUD
A squeal came out from the shower a few doors down, startling Ken greatly. He quickly grabbed his towel and wrapped it around himself before rushing towards the shower.
He peaked underneath the door only to see Shiro's bare bum staring back at him as he laid face down in the shower.
"Crap!"
Ken quickly kicked the door in and collected his naked friend from the floor before turning the shower off.
"Shiro! Snap out of it!"
SLAP
SLAP
"Hnngh" Shiro groaned as his face was slapped repeatedly while he was in Ken's arms.
"I-I'm sorry…"
In his half unconscious state, Shiro apologized.
Ken suddenly felt guilty. It was obvious that him imparting the skill to Shiro had knocked him unconscious. Add to the fact he was already in the shower, made for such an awkward scenario.
He let out a long sigh and was trying to figure out ways to rouse the small guy.
"Kaori-chan~ forgive meee"
Shiro puckered his lips once more and leaned forward, going in for what looked like a make up kiss in his dreams.
Ken's expression fell as he almost threw him to the ground in disgust before turning the cold water on in the shower.
"A-ARGHHH it's cold!"
Shiro was violently woken up by the freezing cold water that splashed on his body and couldn't help but look around in confusion.
Ken had already left the area, feeling all of his guilt disappear along with it.
He quickly got changed and headed to the dining room for a buffet breakfast. After piling bacon, eggs and toast onto his plate, he went and sat down with a few of his teammates.
"You didn't wake me up this morning Ken." Hiroki said, sounding pitiful.
"What am I, your wife? Wake yourself up." He replied with a grin before digging into his food.
"Tch. Stingy."
Yusuke couldn't help but laugh out loud, obviously in a good mood. It was then that he saw Shiro walk into the room with a slightly confused expression on his face.
"What's up with Shiro? I didn't see him when I woke up." Yusuke commented, gesturing in the boy's direction.
"Yeah we went for a run this morning. He must have passed out in the shower from exhaustion."
Ken was already laying down the foundation for his alibi in case Shiro said something weird.
"Ehhh? You woke up Shiro but not me?" Hiroki whined once more, eliciting a scowl from Ken.
"H-Hey guys." Shiro said, taking a seat next to Yusuke.
"What's up with you man? You look lost."
"Um, I remember taking a shower after our run this morning. But then I suddenly woke up under cold water…" He explained, looking to Ken for some confirmation.
"Hahaha! Did you check to make sure no one stole your kidney?" Yusuke interjected, chortling in response.
Both Ken and Hiroki chuckled, especially after seeing the panicked look on Shiro's face afterwards.
"You were probably just exhausted from your run with Ken this morning. I went yesterday and even I struggled to keep up." Hiroki added before stuffing his face with another rasher of bacon.
"Go get some food, we still need to train today." Said Ken.
"Train? You aren't coming to watch the games today?"
Both Yusuke and Hiroki were a little shocked. Generally, players would want to scope out the competition and even if they didn't, most players were a fan of baseball in general.
Going to the biggest stage for High School baseball and watching top tier teams was an honor in itself.
Ken shook his head, "Our next game isn't until 2 days from now. I want to refine some of my pitches which is why I asked Shiro to help."
"Ah, makes sense."
"Yeah I heard Yuta is being dragged around Osaka by Yuko for the next couple of days."
At the mention of Yuko, Ken couldn't help but think about Ai. He had neglected her for most of this trip so he felt a bit bad. Perhaps he would take her around the town tomorrow to make up for it.