By the time an hour had passed, both Latrell and Steve were flat on their backs, sucking in deep breaths of air to recover. Ken on the other hand was standing upright, pacing back and forth to cool down his muscles.
While he was covered in sweat, his breathing was only a little uneven.
"Nice work guys. Tomorrow we'll go a little harder okay?" He said, only to receive frightened gazes from the two in response.
Ken wore his evil grin, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You'll be fine, just eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates. Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep and your body will do the rest."
He sounded like a drill instructor, without a hint of sympathy in his tone at all. However, the fact that he was also doing the same training without complaining, made it a lot easier to digest.
If he were just an instructor, both Latrell and Steve probably would have cursed him out to his face long ago and left.
"Good hustle Latrell." Ken said, holding his hand and helping the guy up. Despite his frame making him look like a sprinter, Latrell had done quite well to keep up with him.
"Thanks."
Steve on the other hand had been lapped almost 7 times by Ken. With the return of the system, Ken felt that his stamina was endless. His sore muscles were already beginning to ease as he cooled down, a sign that his much beloved Fatigue Management skill had returned.
"Steve, we should head back."
Steve who was still sucking in deep breaths on the ground, looked at Ken in a new light. He held out his hand to which Ken helped him to his feet. He wanted to say something, but had to focus on catching his breath first.
"You're intense." He said after a while.
The way he said it wasn't so much of a compliment as it was an accusation. However, Ken took it in his stride. As long as the guy didn't complain like Shiro did, it would make his life much easier.
"So, you down to do this every day with me?" Ken asked, raising his eyebrow in question.
Steve's face paled visibly, however he nodded. Perhaps he saw how dedicated Ken was and felt inspiration, or maybe it was something else. Either way, Ken got the result that he desired.
The trio finally left the grounds which had already been abandoned. It was around 5:30pm and the sun was still a little way off from setting, a sign that Summer was just around the corner.
Unfortunately, just as they were walking out of the grounds, the two saw the bus fly past, causing them to freeze.
"Argh damn it…" Steve cursed, feeling a bunch of annoyance.
Ken sighed too. Back in Japan, public transport was super efficient, with trains going both ways from Tokyo every few minutes, particularly in peak hour.
"If only I had a car…" Steve mused, his annoyance evident.
"Wait, you have a license?"
"Yeah, I've had it for a while now and have been saving up for the past year for a car. I'm still about $1000 short." He admitted, letting out another sigh.
Ken thought for a while before his face turned up into a smile. "I have a proposition for you…"
"Hmm?"
…
"What? You'll lend me the money?" Steve was flabbergasted. He had only met the guy today, yet he was willing to part with such a sum of money right away?
"Yeah. But you'll have to pay for gas and take me to and from practice every day." Ken stated his terms.
However, Steve didn't think they were too overbearing. The fact was, he would be driving from school to here anyway, there was no problem taking Ken with him.
"But… Are you sure? How do you know I won't just completely ignore you afterwards or try to renege on our deal?" Of course he would never do such a thing, but for Ken who had known him less than a day, it was certainly a possibility.
Ken shook his head, "I'm a good judge of character, don't you worry."
"Hmm…" Steve really didn't have any reason to refuse. Not only would he be paying the guy back, they would also travel to and from practice together.
"Alright, you've got a deal." He said, sticking his hand out for a handshake.
"Haha good. Good riddance to buses." Ken laughed, shaking his hand tightly.
The two chatted merrily while waiting for the bus which came almost exactly 30 minutes later. Being trapped in the bus while both smelly and sweaty wasn't the most ideal, but thankfully there weren't many people on board.
Eventually they arrived at the school where Steve and Ken parted ways. Thankfully Ken's bike was still in the cage when he arrived. He unlocked the bike and pedaled his way back home.
By the time he arrived home it was already around 6:45pm and the sun was almost fully set. The streetlights had come on and there was a cool breeze which assaulted him.
"I'm home." Ken said, taking his shoes off at the door.
Both Yuki and Chris were already seated at the dining table, wearing bright smiles.
"Welcome home Kenny." They both said.
Chris seemed to be especially happy in that moment, "I heard that you want to join a travel team." He said with a grin.
"Mmm. I've got all the paperwork here." Ken said, pulling out the pages that were stuffed in his bag.
He handed them to his father and asked, "Why didn't you tell me that the High School team's season had already ended."
This time, Chris's expression faltered a little. Sure he had played in the US during High School, but it wasn't in Texas.
"Some states also play during Summer and Fall, but apparently not Texas." He replied, feeling a little embarrassed. He would have likely signed up Ken to a travel team even earlier if he had remembered.
"That's okay, anyway I need a long shower." Ken said, heading towards the bathroom.
'So I can check my system…' He thought, grinning widely.