Ken looked over and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Mmm, it's still not where I want it to be, but it's close." Ken admitted, rolling his shoulders.
Shiro was silent for a while before opening his mouth, "Do you think you've recovered enough from…"
He didn't complete the sentence, but Ken knew what he was getting at.
After the situation with his kidnapping, Ken had been hospitalized for around 2 weeks with a few broken ribs and fractured bones. He was now sporting a few extra scars, but thankfully they weren't too noticeable.
Of course the story he told his friends was vastly different to what actually happened.
But due to the injuries, he wasn't able to pitch in the Jingu Tournament, leading to Yokohama being knocked out in the 2nd round.
Thankfully, they had qualified to be invited to Senbatsu, the Spring Koshien which was due to take place in a couple of weeks time. After a full 4 months recovery, Ken felt stronger than ever.
This would be the tournament he could prove to himself that he didn't need the system to succeed.
Or at least he hoped so.
Ken came straight home after practice since he knew his brother would be coming home for the weekend. Ever since the situation, he felt like they'd grown even closer.
"I'm home." Ken said, taking his shoes off.
"Welcome home."
Yuki almost sang out from the kitchen, causing Ken to raise his eyebrow in suspicion.
'Mom seems in a really good mood.' He thought.
"Welcome home son." Chris said, flashing him a grin as he entered the dining room.
Ken nodded, though his suspicions grew even further. Both his parents seemed to be in great moods, not that it was a bad thing. He knew them well enough to know that something must have happened.
However, he shook his head in the next moment. As long as they were happy it didn't matter.
"I'm going to shower." He said, slipping past the dining room and dropping his bag off.
Around an hour later, Daichi arrived home. It had only been a couple weeks since he was last home, but everyone celebrated nonetheless.
"We got Senbatsu soon, you looking forward to it?" Daichi asked, a defiant expression on his face.
"Heh. I always look forward to beating your team." Ken replied, wearing a haughty grin.
The two went back and forth, some light rivalry evident in their discussions. Like this, the family had a lively dinner, enjoying Yuki's fantastic cooking like usual.
"I've got some news." Chris said, placing down his chopsticks and looking towards both his sons.
'This is it.' Ken remarked inwardly. He knew that his father would likely make an announcement after dinner, so he perked up his ears and listened.
Daichi too seemed invested, leaning forward in anticipation.
"I've got a job." Chris stated, grinning widely.
Ken's eyes lit up, "Wow fantastic!" he exclaimed, feeling a sense of happiness.
"Nice work dad. What is it doing?" Daichi asked.
"Well, it's another Assistant Coach role."
"What!? That's awesome. Which Japanese team is it?" The fact that his father was able to secure another chance at his dream job after everything that happened felt like a miracle.
Chris shook his head, "It's not a Japanese team."
This time, both Ken and Daichi looked at each other in question.
"Just tell them honey." Yuki said, nudging her husband playfully.
Chris let out a chuckle, "You're looking at the new Assistant Coach for the Texas Shorthorns."
…
Both Ken and Daichi's jaws dropped. The news was just far too surprising for them to eek out a response right away.
"B—But that's in America?" Ken said, still wracked with confusion.
"Mmm. None of the professional clubs in Japan wanted to hire me, so I had to look elsewhere." Chris said matter-of-factly.
This only caused Ken to frown in response. He had tried to hard to get his father to stay at home, even vowing to win nationals so he would quit his job as the foreign adviser for the NPB.
Yet now he had taken a job in America, which means they likely wouldn't be able to see him for long stretches of time.
His gaze moved to his mother, expecting to see the sorrow in her eyes. However, he was surprised to see a glowing smile on her face, as if she was happy about the news.
This only served to confuse him further.
Daichi had been silent this whole time. Right now he only got to see his parents every 1 to 2 weeks. If Chris moved to America to work, how often would he get to see him.
"Mom… Why aren't you saying anything?" Ken said, his gaze still locked onto her.
She looked a little surprised, "What do you mean?"
"Well, won't you be lonely when Dad leaves? Why are you so calm?" He asked.
However the question made her chuckle in response.
Instead of Yuki replying, Chris cut in. "Well, we were thinking about moving the whole family over to Austin Texas. With everything that has happened here, I think it would be good to make a fresh start."
His words were like a bombshell, shattering the atmosphere.
'Leave Japan?' Ken's eyes widened as his mind began to furiously work. His first reaction was negative. He had his team in Yokohama as well as Ai in Tokyo.
Did he really want to leave everything behind now?
Of course he had considered doing so after finishing High School, but not right now.
Daichi stared blankly at his father, similar scenario's running through his head. He also had his team and girlfriend that he would be leaving behind if he decided to leave.
Before the boys could properly digest the information, Chris spoke up once more.
"I don't expect you to make a decision right away, but we'll be leaving on the 21st of March." He said.
At the mention of the date, both Ken and Daichi turned to each other. It was the start date of Spring Koshien.
'Is this really happening?' Ken thought, his mind in turmoil.