***
Ken, Daichi and Chris made their way back to the hotel in silence. Everyone could feel a heavy atmosphere pressing down on each of them.
"Is Grandpa okay?" Daichi asked reluctantly. He didn't want to reopen any wounds that Chris was trying to deal with, but he truly wanted to know.
Chris was silent for a while before letting out a sigh.
"He has stage 4 cancer in his lungs."
"What!?"
Ken was silent while Daichi called out in shock. Despite only meeting him properly earlier that day, he had been excited to finally have a Grandfather. To hear such news was rather devastating.
"He's gonna be okay though right?" Daichi asked naively.
Chris was about to open his mouth, but Ken quickly interjected, placing his arm around his brother's shoulders.
"He'll be fine. He's a strong man."
Chris frowned and turned to Ken, about to reprimand him. However, he saw Ken's gaze pointed straight at him. His eyebrows were bunched together, the sign of someone trying to keep their composure.
He quickly swallowed down what he was about to say and nodded.
"Yeah, he's going to be okay. He has a son to look after him now too." Chris added, a soft smile appearing on his features. Though it was evident he was emotional.
Ken on the other hand was still filled with doubts. He had spiked his Grandfather's drink with the Recovery Elixir and he saw the guy consume it, yet he still felt uneasy.
The only time he'd used the Recovery Elixir was when Mika administered it. He was unconscious at the time, so he didn't know how long it took to take effect.
There was also the issue of him never using it on another person before. Would it work? Would pouring it into the Diet Coke ruin the effects?
All he could do in that moment was pray that things would work out. After all, what was the point in keeping the Recovery Elixir for himself since he could no longer use it.
As Ken's thoughts continued to churn, they finally arrived back at the hotel, only to see a frantic looking Coach Takashi waiting out the front.
"Eh?"
"C-Coach Takagi… Can I have a word please." He asked, his face flushed with anxiety.
Instantly, everyone went on alert. Just what could the coach be so worked up about?
"Sure… Let's go chat in the meeting room." Chris said, urging the coach to calm down.
Both Ken and Daichi watched the two leave with suspicion and worry. It was only when Miho popped her head around the corner that the two started to put all of the pieces back together.
"Hi Daichi~" Miho said with a sweet smile.
"H-Hi Miho." He replied, eventually smiling back.
Ken felt like chopped liver as he was promptly ignored by the two.
"So I take it everything is now under control?" Ken asked from the side, interrupting their rendezvous.
"Oh, hey Ken." She replied, as if finally acknowledging his existence.
He resisted the urge to massage his temples and simply smiled at her, waiting for a response.
"Yeah, everything went well. You should have seen his face when I told him, fufufu~"
It was clear that Miho was in a good mood, which was enough of a reassurance for him. Hopefully now, the coach would stop sending him odd glances every now and then.
"So what does that mean… for us?" Daichi asked, his tone a little raw.
Perhaps it was because he just learned the fate of his Grandfather, or maybe he was just a little tired after the long day. Either way, he seemed more emotional than usual.
As if sensing this, Miho straightened up a little and looked into his eyes.
"He told me to tell you that I'm interested in you and that it should get your attention." She said, trying to hold back a smile.
"I see…"
"Well… I'm interested in you." She said softly, grabbing his hands.
Ken quickly looked away, feeling his body shudder from the romantic atmosphere.
Without a word, he escaped inside. There was no way he felt like being around for such a sappy atmosphere.
Daichi didn't even notice his brother leaving, too caught up in the beautiful woman holding his hands. He couldn't be blamed, especially since he was just a regular teenager with terrible social skills.
"Do you want to date me? Officially?" He asked softly.
Though he had propositioned a similar question last night, this time it was with the Head Coach's approval. He wanted to make sure everything was crystal clear, lest any misunderstandings arise.
Miho let out a small giggle, though she was very happy in that moment.
"Of course I do." She responded, taking back her hand and holding out her pinky.
"Let's make it a promise."
Her eyes were filled with playfulness, bringing Daichi some amusement. He hadn't made a pinky promise since he was a child, so it felt rather odd.
Yet in the end he nodded with a smile and wrapped his pinky around hers.
"There, it's a promise." Daichi announced.
"Not yet."
Daichi felt Miho pull down on his hand, causing him to lean forward a little. In the next moment, he saw a beautiful face closing in on his own.
Tap~
He suddenly felt something soft upon his lips, causing a stir within his heart. At first, Miho's gorgeous green eyes were looking into his own, but they slowly closed.
Daichi felt his mind go blank as his eyes gently closed.
The two stood in front of the hotel, seemingly frozen in time. The afternoon summer breeze was silent, as if not wanting to disturb such a tender scene.
Ken happened to turn around in that moment and froze as he saw the two locked into a kiss.
'That's my boy!' Ken said inwardly, pumping his fist.
Despite not wanting to be among the awkward and sappy atmosphere, he was truly happy for his brother. Yet the sight reminded him of how much he missed Ai.
'Maybe I should call her.' He thought.