'Daichi? What is he doing here?' Ken thought, however upon seeing the bag on his back, he had an idea.
"Let me guess, going to see Miho?" He asked, a knowing smile on his face.
"Mmm, I guess we really are brothers." Daichi replied, sending him a wink.
"Hahaha."
"Train arriving on platform 1 is the Tokyo train. Please stand behind the yellow line as the train arrives."
The announcement sounded, breaking up their laughter.
Thankfully, there weren't many people going towards Tokyo during the night, so the boys were able to find a seat. They sat opposite each other as the train took off.
A few minutes of silence passed as they looked out the window, taking in the sights.
"What did Miho say about the news?" Ken asked softly.
A wry smile appeared on Daichi's face, "Well she wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect of me leaving the country." He replied.
"Mmm. Ai was the same."
"What are your thoughts?" Daichi asked curiously.
Ken let out a sigh, letting his true feelings show. "If I'm honest, I don't think I'm ready to move to America." He admitted.
Daichi was a little surprised, "Well you're fluent in English and wouldn't it be easier to be noticed by college scouts if you played in the US?"
Ken was thoughtful for a moment, "In theory yes. But I should have a decent shot even if I stay in Japan."
Daichi nodded, agreeing. "I think my decision might be a little easier than yours. After all, I already have a dorm on campus so I don't need to worry about things like food and rent."
"Ah…" Ken felt a sharp realization at these words.
He hadn't taken into account that he would need to buy and cook his own food every day, do his own laundry and the like. Ken paled, suddenly feeling like his option to stay had just gotten less appealing.
"Hahaha!" Seeing Ken's reaction, Daichi let out a peel of laughter. Unlike Ken who had been relying on their mother for all these things, he knew what it was like to take care of a house.
All those years where his biological mother would work every night, he was forced to cook, clean and do the laundry, otherwise face a beating.
Although it was a painful memory, the skills he'd learned had helped him now.
"Hah, real funny." Ken said, rolling his eyes.
"Ah, I forgot. I was meant to give you this." Ken exclaimed, reaching into his pocket and rummaging around.
"Hmm?" Daichi stopped his laughter, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Here."
Yet upon seeing nothing but Ken holding up his middle finger, Daichi's face dropped.
"Hahahaha!" Ken burst into laughter already feeling a lot better than before.
The two bickered back and forth, but it was nothing too serious. They had successfully taken their minds off the recent news, enjoying each others company.
When things quieted down after a while, the atmosphere grew a little more serious.
"It sounds like you've already made up your mind." Ken stated, glancing at his brother.
"Mmm." Daichi nodded, looking out the window.
For some reason, Ken felt some sadness. It made sense why Daichi would choose to stay in Japan and finish out his High School career here, but that didn't mean Ken couldn't be disappointed.
The thought of both of them joining the same High School and taking over the varsity team was something that appealed to him greatly. However, it seemed like Daichi had already decided.
'Why am I even thinking like this?' Ken thought, feeling a bit puzzled.
His mind was operating as if he'd already made the decision to move along with his mother and father. But in truth, he had yet to decide what option to take.
'Have I already made the decision in my heart?' He thought.
Ken shook his head. He would need to ask his father more details about the move and discuss what High School looked like.
If he remembered correctly, the school year started in August/September in the states, whereas it was April in Japan. If he were to transfer, it was likely he'd need to complete another 5 months of his 2nd year in the states.
"You okay bro?" Daichi asked, seeing the range of emotions on his brothers face.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Another 40 minutes went by before it was Ken's stop. He bumped fists with his brother before getting off the train and letting out a sigh.
He was thankful that he got this time with his brother since it allowed him to discuss the move without his parents present. It wasn't that he didn't want them involved in the conversations, just that there was less pressure without them around.
'This is a good thing for them.' Ken said inwardly.
He made his way up the stairs and out of the subway. As he was leaving the gates, he saw a cute figure waiting for him, rugged up in her winter clothes.
"Hey good lookin'" He said, sending her a wink.
Ai looked at him and pulled a disgusted face, "I have a boyfriend." She said, lifting up her hand as if to repel him.
Ken blinked a few times, seeing a few passers-by look in their direction.
"Pfft. Hahahaha" However, upon seeing Ai giggle, they went about their business.
Before Ken could respond, she got closer and stood on her tiptoes, giving him a deep kiss. "Sorry, I thought it would be funny." She said, smiling widely.
Ken chuckled, pulling her into his embrace. "I'll have to punish you later." He murmured.
"Oh, I'll be looking forward to it." She said, pinching his side gently.
With that, the two made the walk back to Ai's apartment.
Ken was ultra vigilant, checking behind corners and avoiding any alleyways that was on the way to her place. He would not let anything like what occurred before happen again.
Ai saw this, but she didn't complain. If anything, she couldn't blame him for acting like this.