"I just wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to take up baseball again. I joined my middle school team again and was able to make the Varsity squad within the first 2 months."
Ken read the words on the page and felt a smile creep onto his lips.
"I've made some good friends on the team and my coach is really nice, even if he says Ryan is a better pitcher than you (he's wrong)."
"My mom got your signed baseball framed for me so I can keep it safe. Anytime things get hard I'll see those words you wrote and remind myself never to give up. Thank you for believing in me, even though I didn't believe in myself."
"Your number 1 fan - Michael."
Ken gripped the handwritten note tightly, feeling some raw emotions after reading the touching letter. Despite his feeling of inadequacy, there was a young boy cheering for him on the other side of the globe.
Whatever self pity he had began to dry up. If he couldn't pull himself out of his rut, then he didn't deserve to be a role model to such a kind soul as Michael.
SLAP
Ken slapped both sides of his face hard, the sound echoing inside of his room. The sharp burst of pain seemed to wake him up, igniting a fire from within.
'There's no point in wallowing in self pity…' He told himself.
Sure he could wait until the system returned in half a year, but then he'd be in the same position when the next time to upgrade came. Those voices of self doubt would only be silenced temporarily, never truly disappearing.
This was his chance to prove to both himself and the world that he was going to be a professional, by hook or crook.
"It's time to study…" Ken muttered, moving over to his desk and booting up his laptop.
Thankfully there were archives of the Koshien games available on their website. After downloading the videos from this year and last year, he also got copies of the U18 matches where he played.
Ken spent the rest of the night watching over his game footage, both in the batters box and on the mound. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't see too many glaring differences.
He frowned, feeling as if he was missing something.
Since his Grandpa had spotted something, it meant that there definitely were some differences. However, unlike his Grandpa who had ridiculous game intelligence, he was far too lacking.
"I need some help…"
The first person he thought of was his father, however he would be tied up with U18 National Team business starting tomorrow.
His Grandpa was also off the list since they lived so far away from each other, which meant there was only one other person he could trust to help him.
Ken packed away his laptop and got into bed, staring at the ceiling for a while until he felt tired enough to fall asleep.
One thing that he dearly missed was Mika's sleep protocol which he'd gotten far too used to. Instead of feeling invigorated after 6 hours sleep, Ken needed at least 8 or 9 to fully function the next morning.
The next day, Ken hung out with his family for a while before his father and Daichi had to leave for Tokyo University.
"Give em' hell." Ken said with a grin, holding out his fist.
Daichi laughed, meeting the fist with his own.
"We'll bring home the Championship for you."
With that, the two left. They would be gone for almost 3 weeks while Ken was forced to stay behind. Although he was still a little sad about not making the team, he vowed to show visible improvement by the time they came back.
It was around 11am on Sunday and he and his mother were left at home alone. While Yuki felt a little lost, Ken decided it was time to begin the first step of getting back into form.
"I'm going for a run, I'll be back soon." Ken stated, heading out the door before his mother could reply.
Yuki frowned in response, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.
Despite not having Mika as his on board personal trainer anymore, Ken remembered all of her tricks. He tried to replicate the training sessions, yet had to stop his run a few times.
Ken huffed and puffed, feeling as if his lungs were about to burst from his chest.
"Why… Is this... So hard…" He said between breaths, feeling some confusion arise.
When he used to run, his body could keep up with this kind of workout. Yet for some reason, it was almost impossible without the system.
Ken completed his 10 mile run and almost collapsed on his way through the door.
"I'm… Home." He said, struggling to breathe.
"Welcome Ho—me?"
Yuki peaked her head around the corner and saw Ken on his hands and knees, sweat pouring from every pore on his body. If she wasn't so concerned about him, she would have thrown him straight into the shower.
"Are you okay?" She asked with concern.
"I'm… Fine." Ken said, picking up his labored body.
He took off his shoes and slowly walked towards the bathroom, his legs shaking with every step he took.
Yuki watched in silence, though her face turned worried a moment later.
In her mind, Ken was probably still devastated after finding out he didn't make the National Team. His crazy work out was probably a result of him trying to punish himself for failing.
She felt the urge to talk to him, however her husband's words rang in her head once more.
Last night after the boys had gone to bed, he'd pulled her aside for a few words.
"Whatever you do, don't coddle Ken while we're gone."
Before she had responded, Chris continued with a serious expression.
"This is a chance for Ken to learn and grow from this setback. He'll never find his own way if we continue to baby him."