A tall man with gray hair and a straight back who wore the US team jersey was staring at him from afar. His usual stern features had softened, almost as if he was looking at a dear friend.
"Coach, we're about to start the warm ups." The US assistant coach called out, breaking him out of his reverie.
"Mmm, you go start. I want to chat to someone quickly." Coach Williams said, his tone not allowing any rebuttal.
With that, he walked across the field with his hands behind his back. His eyes were focused on another figure who was about the same height as him.
Chris happened to turn around and see the figure coming towards him. His expression flickered for a moment, showing a mix of emotions before he straightened his back.
"Chris… It's good to see you again."
Mark's tone was softer than usual, and filled with emotion. He paused for a moment, eventually holding out his hand for a handshake.
Chris looked down at the hand, by the frustrated look on his face it seemed that he didn't want to shake hands with the man in front of him.
Just as it seemed he was going to leave the older man hanging, Chris moved his hand to the side and stepped forward, bringing his arms around and pulling Mark into a hug.
Mark's body tensed up for a moment before he softened, reciprocating the gesture.
"I missed you… Dad."
"Yeah… me too." Mark replied, his tone wavering.
The two each in their different National colors, hugged each other as if no one was watching.
Daichi's jaw dropped as he happened to turn around and see the interaction. No words came out of his mouth but he quickly began to nudge Ken next to him, his gaze still fixed on the two.
"What is it?" Ken said in annoyance.
However, he turned around in the next moment and mirrored his brother's expression.
Suddenly, his mind began to race, instantly pulling up some old memories.
As they were playing in front of him, he finally understood why the US coach had looked so familiar to him.
"Grandpa?" He muttered in shock.
Before he knew it, his legs began to move on their own. It didn't take long before he was standing in front of the two who had now stepped back and were facing each other once more.
As if feeling his presence, Mark moved his gaze to the teen just a couple of feet away.
His eyes began to moisten, yet there was some hesitation in his movements.
"Is that you Grandpa?" Ken asked.
At the word Grandpa, Mark felt a sharp pain in his heart. He hadn't heard that word in far too long and it brought up memories that were near and dear to his heart.
"Y-Yes."
He didn't know what to say. It had been so long since he'd seen his Grandson that he wasn't sure what to do.
Before the awkwardness could set in, Ken moved forward and hugged his Grandfather. Though he hadn't met the man in such a long time, his father always had good things to say about the man in front of him.
If the hug from his own son wasn't shock enough, receiving one from Ken was too much for him to handle. Tears quickly poured down his face as he embraced the young man in his arms.
All of the hardships in his life seemed like nothing the moment his Grandson hugged him.
Chris watched on with an smile, his heart feeling full. By the time the two separated all of them were feeling raw emotions flowing freely.
"You've gotten bigger…" Mark said, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
Ken smiled at him warmly, but his expression changed a moment later.
"Oh wait a sec." He turned around and saw Daichi standing awkwardly a few meters away. He looked a little uncomfortable, something that was understandable.
He quickly waved his brother to come over, only to see him hesitate.
Mark raised his eyebrow in question, but he remained silent.
After a few moments, Ken let out a small sigh and grabbed Daichi by the arm, dragging him over. While Daichi was stronger than Ken, he didn't resist, allowing himself to be pulled over to the other two.
"This is my brother Daichi. Daichi, this is Grandpa." He said simply.
"Hmm?" Mark's gaze moved to Chris in question, not sure of what to make of the statement.
Chris nodded, "We adopted Daichi into our family. You now have a new Grandson." He replied with a smile.
Mark was a little shocked, but a grin formed on his face.
"Welcome to the family Daichi." He said simply, putting his hand on Daichi's head and ruffling his hair gently.
Ken quickly translated, causing Daichi's expression to shift slightly.
"Mmm, thanks… Grandpa."
He had never had a Grandfather before, so saying the words felt rather foreign. Though a part of him felt extremely happy to meet his new family member.
After a few moments, Mark straightened his back and composed himself.
"It's good to see you guys, but we won't be going easy on you." He said, flashing them a smile.
Ken couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, seeing the shift in his attitude.
"Same here."
Although a little reluctant to leave, Mark eventually turned around and made his way back over to the US side of the field, his mood much improved.
Chris watched his retreating figure and felt a bittersweet sensation rise up in the back of his throat. He remembered the last conversation he had with the man around half a year ago and felt a lump in his throat.
Ken happened to see the expression on his father's face and seemed confused.
"Dad, what's wrong?" He asked out of concern.
"N-Nothing, don't worry. It's just been a while you know." He said, quickly turning around and heading towards the warm ups.
"Hurry up you two, the game starts in about 20 minutes."
Ken frowned, there was something his father was not telling him.