Later that night, the players returned to their rooms after dinner. The film session was rather short since they had played Cuba just a few days ago, it was more focused on analyzing where they could improve.
Kei was announced as the starting pitcher tomorrow and he was keen to get some retribution for his last performance against them. The coach seemed to trust him to make the adjustments alongside Daichi.
This was likely because Kei's standard of pitching had improved considerably during the last few games.
Chris was busy finalizing his notes and packing up the equipment, his usual routine before heading to bed. He heard the sound of the meeting room door open and looked over in surprise.
"Coach? Did you forget something?" He asked quizzically.
Coach Takashi looked a little pensive, wearing an expression that Chris had never seen before on his face. It was as if he was worried about something.
"No no, I was just hoping to have a chat with you about something." He stated before walking towards him.
"Ah sure no problem." Chris replied, however inwardly he was feeling a little anxious.
'Oh no, what is this about?' he cried inwardly.
Chris unconsciously straightened up, his expression strained. Unlike Ken, he did not have a convenient Poker Face skill. In fact, he often wore his emotions on his sleeve.
However, Coach Takashi didn't seem to notice.
"Take a seat." He said, gesturing to the chair behind Chris.
"Sure."
Chris had no choice but to comply, sitting down while fidgeting a little. He looked like a man who had been arrested and was about to receive an interrogation.
Coach Takashi was silent for a little while, like he was trying to find the right words to say. He let out a deep sigh, a prelude to the heavy conversation that was about to ensue.
This only made Chris feel even more anxious. He gripped the arm rests of his seat and almost confessed all of his crimes in the next moment, perhaps the punishment would be lesser if he admitted them right away.
"I wanted to have a chat about my Granddaughter Miho."
Gulp~
The next words was something that hit close to home, and also the one thing that he didn't want to talk about. After all, he had given his son Daichi the go ahead to pursue Miho wholeheartedly once they arrived in America.
While he thought that Daichi was being stealthy enough with his pursuits, it seemed to have not escaped the sharp eyes of the Head Coach.
'Is this the end then?' He thought in his heart.
Chris let out a deep sigh, seemingly accepting his fate.
'Well, the son should not bear the sins of the father… As long as those two can keep playing, we'll find another way.'
Just as he was about to open his mouth, Coach Takashi spoke up, his tone sounding weary.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but I consider you as a trustworthy man. You're a great assistant coach and damn good father, I can tell by the way you've raised your boys."
'Eh?'
Hearing the word trustworthy made him feel guilty, but the latter sentence gave him a warm feeling. He hadn't expected these words, so he chose to swallow back his earlier confessions.
Perhaps the Head Coach was not here to talk about Daichi and Miho.
"Thank you sir, I appreciate your words. Both Ken and Daichi have made me proud to be their father." These words were genuine, coming from the bottom of his heart.
"Mmm. Which is why I need your help." He said succinctly.
"Yes?" Chris titled his head in question at the unexpected declaration.
Coach Takashi seemed a little reluctant to say these next words, but he eventually made up his mind.
"I want to set up Miho with a good man, do you think you could have a few words with your son? I have a feeling that she likes him, but she's always been stubborn."
"Huh?"
Chris's jaw dropped in response. Out of all the conversations he thought they'd be having tonight, this wasn't even on the list. He looked at the Head Coach incredulously, as if he didn't believe his words.
Seeing his reaction, Coach Takashi cleared his throat.
"If it's too much to ask then forget we had this conversation."
"A-Ah no it's fine." Chris said hurriedly.
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity for Daichi? There was no way that he was going to let this go, not when he had such a chance.
As he looked at Hajime Takashi the world renowned coach, he no longer saw the General-like figure he was used to. The person staring back at him was a doting Grandfather who cared about his family more than anything else.
Chris felt a smile forming on his face as he saw another side of the coach. It was times like this that he knew he'd made the right decision to leave his lucrative job in favor of his family.
"Don't worry Coach, I'll have a chat to him and put a good word in for Miho. Who knows, maybe they've just been waiting for a moment just like this."
"Mmm, thank you Chris. I knew you'd understand." The coach said, a rare warm smile appearing on his features.
Chris let out a sigh, resisting the urge to pinch himself to confirm this conversation was a real one. He wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly woke up in bed at this moment.
"Well, I better finish packing up and head to bed. We still have that early meeting tomorrow morning."
"Sure, no problem. Sorry for bothering you." Coach Takashi stated, getting up from his chair. He seemed to have grown younger after such a conversation, perhaps due to the weight off his shoulders.
The Head Coach walked over to the door and opened it before stopping.
"Let me know what Ken says about the arrangement, we might be able to convince him with some extra pitching time." He said with a laugh.
'K-KEN!?'