Upon arrival at the hotel, the players retreated to their rooms and showered. Playing two games in a single day and having to wear the same uniform the whole time was rather unpleasant.
This was especially so for Ken who had turned hypersensitive after getting a girlfriend. Even though Ai was halfway across the world, his necessity for cleanliness had remained steadfast.
The hotel they were staying in was a little old fashioned when compared with the one he stayed at in LA with the National Team, but it still had all the facilities they needed. Of course, Ken would be happy enough if there was just a bed and shower.
Walking out of the shower, he toweled himself down and exited the bathroom. He saw Steve waiting for him, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"Tell me again why we're sharing rooms?" He asked, as if already regretting his decision.
"Oh pipe down, you'd miss me too much if we were separated." Steve quipped, nudging him on the way to the bathroom, "I'll meet you downstairs."
Ken let out a dramatic sigh in response, resisting the urge to whip him with his towel. Instead, he walked over to his suitcase and dug out some casual clothes.
After getting dressed, he stood in front of the mirror and frowned. His shirt seemed to be too short, exposing his waistline whenever he lifted his arms.
"This is annoying." He muttered.
In his previous life, Ken stopped growing when he reached 6'3, the same height as his father. Yet for some reason, he was already 6'4 in this life, and it seemed he was continuing to grow.
The only explanation he had was because of the system and his body's continued muscle growth. Perhaps his potential also came into play, but Ken didn't know enough to make an accurate enough theory.
"I wonder if I'll have time to go clothes shopping."
With that, he changed his shirt to one that was a little longer. It was a blue tank top with Japanese writing on the front.
Without waiting for Steve, he made his way down to the floor with the restaurant, meeting Max in the elevator. The guy looked pale, despite just leaving the shower.
"You all good man?" Ken asked, showing a little concern.
"Ah, yeah I'll be fine when I eat something." He replied sheepishly.
Ken felt that something was a little odd. Their captain usually seemed like an immovable object, both in stature and personality. Yet now, he seemed frail and almost anxious.
After thinking for a few moments, something clicked in Ken's mind. "Wait, are you nervous!?" He exclaimed, almost not believing his own words.
Max turned to him with a pained expression before letting out a sigh. "I—I… Yes I'm nervous."
Ken felt his mind spin with the revelation. His earlier opinion of Max taking a few twists and turns from this piece of information.
"I always get stomach aches before big games, especially after entering my Senior year." He admitted, opening up a little.
"But why?"
This time, Max's face turned serious, looking Ken up and down. "Not everyone is as sought after as you Ken. This tournament is my final chance to secure a scholarship to a good College. Without it, I'll be forced to a D2 school."
Ignoring the jab, Ken's eyes widened, partly in shock. Max was a good hitter, and often scored well in the games he'd played in at least. Therefore hearing that Max had only received offers from D2 schools was rather surprising.
"So your whole future is riding on this tournament?"
"Mmm… I just need to focus and hope all my training pays off." He said.
SLAP
Ken almost jumped in fright as he heard the slap echo in the elevator. Max had slapped his own cheeks, causing them to quickly turn a bright shade of red.
"Sorry, I try and not let my anxiety show in front of the others." Max admitted, giving Ken a pained smile.
"I—It's all good man. Do what ya gotta do." He replied dismissively.
The two finally arrived on the floor of the restaurant and made their way to the dining room. As usual, there was a buffet, something that the players greatly appreciated from this hotel.
However, the interaction with Max had caused Ken to think deeply about some things. Ken had been playing baseball with the eventual goal of joining the Major league one day.
Of course he had been serious about this goal, dedicating every day on the road to getting better and increasing his skill. However, had he really done everything that he could?
He hadn't researched any schools, nor picked a path that he wanted to take just yet. Perhaps it was because it still felt so far away, but talking to Max had made him realize that he might not be taking things as seriously as he should.
Sure he had some interest from scouts now, but would it be the same next year when he was a senior?
Why was he so calm and confident while Max was so anxious? Did that mean he didn't take his future as seriously as someone like Max? Or was it just arrogance on his part that led to his almost indifferent attitude.
Ken had always been saying that he'd like to secure a sports scholarship to a decent college, but until reaching America, he had no idea about things like eligibility and drafting to the Majors.
Seeing Max act in such a way was a bit of a wake up call for him. While he could continue to train and play as he was now, Ken would likely just be setting himself up for failure in the future.
'I need to research all the paths available to me. Do I go the College route, or take my chances in the MLB draft at the end of my Senior year?' Ken mused seriously, deciding to no longer mess around when his future was on the line.