By the end of the exam, Ken was mystified. Both the Math and English tests were rather simple, although he had to think a little on some of the ending questions. Even with that being the case, he wasn't sure why everyone was dreading it so much.
After everything was finished, the class went to recess. Ken sat across from Steve who looked to be in the pits of despair.
"Was it really that bad?" Ken asked.
Steve raised his head, his face looking pale. "Man, you don't understand. I haven't studied since before Easter break."
As if depressed, Steve quietly dug into his food, stuffing his face. It seemed that the guy was an emotional eater, swallowing the pain down with every mouthful.
Ken found it a little amusing, but he didn't probe any further. Worst case scenario he would help tutor the guy in the future as well.
'I am his mentor after all.' Ken thought, a grin pulling at the corner of his lips.
If Steve had to hear what he was thinking, he might just take a swing.
"I really think you should be packing your own lunch." Looking at the food his friend was consuming made Ken worry about the kind of nutrition he was receiving. While he wasn't a dietitian, the food looked ultra processed.
"Too much work." Steve said between chews.
Ken shrugged, he couldn't exactly force the issue. "I mean, if you want to go pro, you have to treat your body as a temple." He said, gesturing to his own figure.
Steve raised his head once more, sending Ken a confused look.
"Who said I wanted to go pro?"
Ken raised an eyebrow, "You don't want to play professionally?"
Steve shrugged, "Haven't really thought about it much."
At this response, Ken didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The fact that someone with an EX grade potential was not fully focused on becoming a pro seemed quite crazy when he thought about it.
Just how many people with capped potential wanted to make it into the Majors, yet this guy wasn't even sure what he wanted to do with his life.
Ken frowned, putting his gaze on the flippant guy. "Well, what do you think my training is for? You think I'm doing it for funsies?"
Steve was a little taken aback at the comment and the tone in which it was delivered. He stopped eating and turned his attention to Ken, as if to gauge his mood.
"Look man, I originally took up baseball for fun. I still haven't decided if its something that I want to pursue in the future." He admitted, though he sounded a little defensive.
"Well, If I told you that you had the potential to play at the highest level, what would you say to that?" Ken asked, his face serious.
"Hah! Me? I can't even complete your workouts without almost dying. There's no way I could play in the Majors." Steve waved his hand dismissively, his words rather self deprecating.
"You think I'm joking?"
"Look, Ken. Not everyone is as talented as you okay? Some of us regular folk just like to play baseball on the side to keep fit and have fun."
Ken's face stiffened in response to the words. He could tell that Steve didn't mean anything malicious with his words, however they rubbed him the wrong way.
"Talented? You think I got this way because of talent?" Ken's voice was low, sounding a little dangerous.
"A—Ah, that's not what I mea—"
"Do you know how much pain and suffering I've been through to get where I am today? How hard I've worked, day in, day out. I've dedicated the last 4 years of my life to nothing but baseball, sacrificing all of my free time in the pursuit of my goal."
Steve paled, knowing that he'd touched a nerve. He had unwittingly downplayed Ken's work ethic and struggle, chalking up the results of his hard work to just being talented. But before he could respond, Ken continued.
"And that goal is… The Majors."
There was a silence that stretched out between the two as Ken stared at his friend.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you Ken." Steve said sincerely.
Ken sat back in his chair and let out a small sigh, calming down. In all honesty, he wasn't angry at Steve, but hearing the guys attitude towards something he'd dedicated his life to had pushed his buttons.
"It's fine, you're right. I can't expect everyone to share the same level of motivation towards baseball as me. What right do I have to set that expectation on others?" Ken stated, his features softening.
"But, I stand by what I said. You have the potential to be great, Steve. If you follow me, I can guarantee that you'll be ready for college by the end of our Senior year."
Steve froze, his gaze locking onto Ken's eyes as if to verify if he was telling the truth. All he saw staring back at him was supreme confidence. If anything, the guy believed what he was saying to be true.
For a brief moment, Steve was silent. The picture of him standing on the field in front of packed crowds and playing for his home team the Texas Riders appeared in his head.
His heart surged while he imagined catching the great Yu Tanaka's pitches.
'What is this feeling? Is it joy?'
Ken waited patiently, watching his friend's expression change a few times. He couldn't make the decision for Steve, in the end, he had authority over his own life. But inwardly he hoped that the guy would choose to follow him.
Steve returned to the present, his eyes flashing with something unknown.
"How confident are you?" He asked softly. From the way he asked, it seemed like he didn't have a lot of faith in his own potential.
"99.9% confident." Ken replied with a grin.
"Why not 100%?"
"That 0.1% is if you slack off."
"Hahaha! Alright, you got a deal." Steve said with a hearty laugh, holding out his hand.