Thankfully, Ken's thoughts were his own, as long as one didn't add Mika into the equation.
As he neared Ai's house, he happened to see a car with a trailer attached to it. The trailer had various things inside like a dresser and TV, as well as a study desk.
'Huh? What's going on here?'
It was then that he saw someone whom he was never pleased to see, dressed in his tank top and bakers apron. The muscular arms bulged as they carried another piece of furniture and placed it carefully on the trailer.
Tetsu stretched briefly before rubbing his hands together to remove the dust. His sharp eyes caught Ken who was standing in the middle of the street, causing him to pause his movements.
Their gazes met briefly before Tetsu started power walking towards him.
'Oh damn it, not again!'
Ken suddenly felt his body get pumped with adrenaline as he readied himself into a fight position. He had just been called up to the National Team and he did not want to risk another injury.
Therefore he ensured his body was side-on, protecting his right shoulder.
However, Tetsu was quick as lightning as he closed the gap between them in an instant.
'H-He's fast!'
He raised his right muscular arm, causing Ken to flinch instinctively, waiting for the pain of the strike that he had not been able to react to. Yet in the next moment, he felt an arm surround his shoulders and pull him into a half hug.
"Hahaha! There ya are Ken my boy. We've been waitin' fer ya."
Tetsu's gruff voice sang out jovially, as if he was meeting with an old friend.
Ken blinked a few times, feeling as if he had stepped into an alternative universe where Tetsu actually liked him. There were no words in his mind that could respond to such a situation, so he could only remain silent.
"Come come, the missus will make us some tea."
Ken was so bewildered that he could only walk alongside Tetsu with a blank expression into the house.
"Honey, Ken's here! Get us some tea" the middle aged man shouted as he entered.
In the next moment, he was ushered past the bakery area and into the back where the lounge room was before being pushed down into the chair.
"Ah I nearly forgot. I wanted ya to meet a friend o' mine." Tetsu said excitedly before leaving the room.
Still having no idea what was going on, Ken could only look around in confusion for a while. After a couple of moments, Naomi walked into the room with some tea, her smile brightening when she saw Ken.
"H-Hi Mrs. Koyama." He called out, feeling rather lost.
"Hello Ken dear, it's good to see you again." She said with a smile as she placed the tea on the table.
Seeing his confused expression, Naomi couldn't help but let out a knowing chuckle. She too had been surprised at her husband's sudden change of heart, yet in her mind it was all for the better.
"It looks like Tetsu has warmed up to you dear, so you won't have to worry about any more run-ins." Her eyes sparkled as she said this, as if her well laid out plans were finally coming together.
"Ah… I see."
Ken wasn't sure how to respond, especially since he'd been treated rather poorly in the past. He hadn't done anything different, so what was the reason for the drastic change in circumstances?
"Oh, I'm sure you're hear to see Ai off. I'll go get her now." Naomi said before turning around and leaving.
'Huh? See Ai off?'
Just as Ken was about to inquire about what she meant, Naomi had already left the room.
His mind started working furiously as he tried to piece together all of the information that he knew. The moving trailer out the front of the house, the vague messages indicating that Ai wanted to talk to him.
Even when they were in Osaka she had mentioned that she wanted to chase her dreams. He had even advocated for it, stating that it was better to pursue them instead of regretting later in life.
All these things swirled around in his mind before he came up with a theory.
It was like an explosion in his mind as suddenly everything seemed to make sense.
Why had Ai chosen to attend Yokohama High when she had some of the highest exam results in their middle school year? Why not an art or design school which would directly help her pursue her dreams?
She had made the same decision to attend Yokohama in his previous life, though she chose the Fashion Club in that instance.
'Does this mean she's leaving? That would explain everything…' He thought.
For some reason, the thought of losing Ai caused his heart to ache slightly. Though he had decided to keep her at arm's length, there was no doubt that he enjoyed being in her presence.
Her smile, laugh and her cute mannerisms were etched deeply in his heart, leaving an indelible mark upon him.
Ken's face morphed as he came into the realization that he may not see Ai again for a long time.
Just as he was about to get up and go find her, two men walked into the lounge room, causing him to pause in fright.
The first guy was Tetsu, however the person next to him was a balding man in his early 40's with colorful tattoos down his arms. He was garbed in a sleeveless leather jacket, yet Ken's eyes were drawn to the bloodied knuckles of the guy.
"See brother? This is the kid I was tellin' ya about. The one whose been tryin' ta date my daughter." Tetsu said aloud, a vicious grin forming on his face.
"Oho, so this is the bastard going after my precious God Daughter." The tattooed man said, his face turned up in a frown as he massaged his bleeding knuckles.
'W-What the hell!?' Ken screamed inwardly.