He couldn't help but feel sorry for Ken's father who had to put up with such a worrisome boy. It wasn't that he was immature or anything, just that he seemed to keep a lot of things to himself.
Even now Seiji couldn't guess what was going through the kid's mind at any given time. But at the same time he was glad that Ken was taking a small break from baseball, if only for a day.
The next day after breakfast, the whole group arrived out front of the residence. Ai was wearing a lovely white top and short shorts, showing off her long and jade-like legs. Adding the wide-brimmed hat upon her head, there was only one thought that came to Ken's mind.
'So pretty…'
Ken on the other hand, was sporting some trendy outfit that his mother had packed in his bag. It was a white button up shirt and some brown chino shorts that felt a little tight compared to his usual attier.
Ever since he heard Ai's opinion on his style, he'd felt slightly more obliged to listening to his mom when it came to such things. Yet it seemed to have worked.
"You like very stylish today." Ai said, a smile gracing her lips.
"T-Thanks… Your outfit suits you." Ken replied, feeling a little awkward.
It wasn't that he couldn't hold a conversation, it was that there were 2 others staring at him and making him feel uncomfortable.
The other two girls had never seen Ken where such an outfit before. With the tight shirt and pants, they could see his toned and muscular body which was usually hidden by the baggy clothes he wore.
Both Yuta and Shiro had seen Ken's physique before, so they weren't that impacted apart from the usual jealousy. However both Yuko and Kaori were pleasantly surprised and couldn't help but stare.
Only after receiving a stiff smile from Ai did they realize they'd been staring for far too long.
Shiro on the other hand was staring at the woman next to Yuko. She was wearing a white top and a brown skirt which seemed to match the tanned color of her skin.
While she wasn't as exaggerated as Yuko, her bosom was still shapely, particularly with her cute choice of clothes.
"Well, let's being our triple date then!" Yuta said, raising a fist in the air.
"Hmm!?" Kaori's neck twisted at a weird angle as she stared at Yuta with malice. It was as if she had been transported there from a horror story, with the temperature in the atmosphere plummeting.
Shiro didn't seem to notice the situation, feeling his heart beat wildly at the word "Date."
"Ahem. Let's go."
Yuko said meekly, doing her best to stay far away from the pissed off Kaori.
Ken walked alongside Ai and couldn't help but chuckle. It was clear that Kaori did not want to be left with Shiro, but inwardly he was cheering for his friend.
'I hope some of that confidence he recovered yesterday is still with him.'
The group first began to walk around the city, eventually deciding to head to the Koshien History museum first since it was close by.
While the group was meant to be taking a break from baseball, it was still the thing that they all had in common. Since Ken was not up to date on the history, he actually found it rather intriguing.
The next stop was Susanoo Shrine.
Ken's tall figure seemed to be getting some attention within the crowd of people, making him a little uncomfortable.
While he had gotten used to the stares that his Charismatic Air skill had brought with it, the ones he experienced today seemed to be a lot worse.
"Hey isn't that the Yokohama pitcher?"
"Is it Ken?"
"Wow he's so much taller up close."
"And more handsome."
Even Ai began to get a little protective of her property, as she grabbed his arm and nestled in close to Ken. This only served to make Ken blush, creating an awkward yet satisfying moment for him.
"Guys, how about we go to Karaoke now?" Ken suggested.
If they could get a booth, they wouldn't have to worry about the general public.
It wasn't that Ken was a celebrity now, just that because Koshien was currently on, everyone was keeping up with the news about it. Since his face had been on TV, he was easily recognizable.
"Good idea." Shiro said, his eyes twinkling a little as he looked at Kaori.
Kaori couldn't help but shudder unconsciously.
With that, the group didn't stick around for long before heading back onto the streets. After around 10 minutes, they finally found the Karaoke bar they had been looking for.
It was already 11am by now so they decided to book a booth and would get some food delivered after some time.
They were ushered into one of the open booths and all sat around the table. It just so happened that the couples were all paired next to each other. Yuta and Yuko, Ai and Ken as well as the unfortunate Kaori and happy-as-larry Shiro.
"Who is going to start us off?" Yuko asked.
Ken decided to get his turn out of the way first since he was not the best, nor the worst at singing. In his mind, as long as he was average then he wouldn't stand out.
He grabbed the remote and chose one of the openings for his favorite Anime.
Eon Genesis Evangelion.
What ensued was a passionate performance that captivated the audience within the booth. Though probably not in the way that he would have liked.
'S-So inspiring…?'
'This isn't good.'
Yet whatever Ken lacked in singing ability, he made up for in enthusiasm. So while it may have not been pleasant to the ears, it had been at least entertaining.
Upon the completion of the minute and a half song, a small round of applause sounded out, putting an end to the performance.
"Who wants next?" Ken asked, his earlier enthusiasm nowhere to be found.
"Uh, I'll go." Shiro put his hand up.
'This is my time to shine…' He thought, sending a glance at Kaori.