"Extra training!?"
Seiji Hanada almost had a heart attack upon hearing the suggestion enter his ears once more. Yet upon seeing the expressions of Ken, Hiroki and Yusuke, he felt that it would be difficult to outright reject them.
His gaze moved to the shining eyed first years who had seemingly been roped into the mix by the trio in front of him.
'You poor souls.' He said in his heart.
Seiji let out a brief sigh before agreeing to host the additional training after club practice. Large baseball schools like Osaka Toin trained far more than public schools like Yokohama, which was why they generally performed better.
This additional training would put them on even footing with those schools.
"We'll start the training tomorrow, I'm busy tonight." The coach said, receiving no rebuttals.
"Awesome!" Ken grinned, feeling that his return to form was not far away.
Hiroki was also pleased, but then he remembered he still had lots of study remaining today. In actuality, he shouldn't even be attending the club practices, yet he enjoyed them far too much.
After leaving the club, Ken and Hiroki walked back to the train station in silence.
Ken was feeling a little awkward since he'd roped Hiroki into the additional training before thinking about his circumstances. The guy had been supportive even through his slump, yet all Ken could think about was himself.
"How are you going man?" Ken asked, trying to sound casual.
Hiroki tilted his head in confusion, not expecting such a random question. However, seeing Ken's mood, he could guess that something was up.
"I'm good, as long as you don't try to set me up with Ai's friend again." He said, letting out a laugh.
"Pfft."
Not expecting the jab, Ken almost let out a big laugh as he thought back to the disastrous double date they had gone on earlier in the year.
"C'mon man, give her another chance! You looked good in your outfit." Yet he couldn't keep his laughter in anymore and began to clutch his sides.
Hiroki shuddered after remembering the costume he was forced to wear at the Comiket alongside Rie. He had never been so embarrassed in his life.
Not only did he have to go shirtless, he also had to wear the head of a boar. Hiroki had never cosplayed before in his life, yet he felt like he had no choice in front of the sparkling eyed woman.
"You should have told me beforehand and I never would have gone with you…" He muttered with a drab expression.
But in the next moment he smiled, seeing how his words had cheered Ken up. Usually Ken was the brightest star, blinding everyone with his genius, yet in this past year he had changed.
Yet that didn't change Hiroki's opinion of his friend. Ken was the reason why he had surpassed his own limits and was now on track to achieve his dream.
Silence stretched out between them for a while, but it wasn't awkward.
"The Saitama Cougars contacted my parents a couple of days ago…" Hiroki said, a small smile forming on his face.
Ken froze his footsteps, turning his head slowly towards his friend with a shocked expression.
"No way!? That's awesome man!" Ken basically jumped for joy as he heard the brilliant news. To be scouted before he'd finished High School meant that the organization definitely saw his talent.
Hiroki grinned, but he shook his head.
"It's just preliminary talks for now, they haven't decided if they want to draft me yet."
"But still… Congratulations man."
"Hehe thanks. Mom still wants me to apply for University in case it falls through, so we'll see what happens."
It seemed that Hiroki didn't want to get his hopes up just yet since nothing was confirmed.
The NPB draft would only take place in March next year and would require Hiroki to graduate from High School otherwise he would lose his eligibility.
Unlike the Major's, if a potential player entered University, they would have to graduate first before being eligible for the draft. Which meant if this fell through, Hiroki would have to wait at least 4 years before being able to join the NPB.
"Did they organize a work out for you?" Ken asked with curiosity.
While he knew the basics, every team had their own draft processes.
"It's not until January next year." Hiroki stated, seeming a little excited.
"Looks like you've got plenty of time to get in shape." Ken said with a grin.
With Hiroki's potential, 3 months was more than enough time to improve by leaps and bounds. Now that he thought about it, this extra training was exactly what he needed to make an impact in his work out.
The two continued to chat until it was time for Hiroki to get off the train. They bid their farewells and Ken continued home with a smile on his face the entire time.
'I can't believe Hiroki is going to turn pro…' Ken thought inwardly.
While it wasn't set in stone, he had unlimited faith in Hiroki's abilities and potential. If the Cougars staff couldn't see that, then they were blind.
Of course their staff didn't have a system to tell them everything they wanted to know.
'I could become a scout if things don't work out…' He thought, before quickly shaking his head.
"Maybe after I retire with 10 Major League trophies." Ken muttered, a wild grin on his face.
"I'm home." Ken said as he entered the threshold of his house.
However he received no response, causing him to tilt his head in question. He took off his shoes and walked in, only to see his father sitting at the dining table and blankly staring out the window.
"Dad?"
Ken called out, yet once again there was no response.
"Dad, what's wrong!?" Instantly, Ken felt a bad premonition overcome him.
Chris turned his head, only now registering that Ken was in the room.
"Oh hey Kenny, sorry I am just a little tired from work." He responded softly.