With obvious disappointment on his face, a figure carried his gear towards the parking lot. His head was slightly lowered, but Ken could still see the bushy eyebrows and strong jawline from his angle.
"I'll be back in a second." Ken said, nudging Steve and leaving the group.
He jogged over, getting the attention of the teen. "Hey, I heard you guys fell short against the Dulin Dodgers." Ken stated.
Trent looked up and saw Ken, his face turning a little red from embarrassment. "Y—Yeah, they were just too good today haha."
He laughed, but Ken could tell that it was half-hearted. There wasn't much he could say to console the guy, but he never really intended to do so in the first place.
"What are your plans? Have you committed to a college yet?" Ken asked, moving the conversation along.
Trent smiled, "I've been holding off until this tournament before putting anything in writing, but I'll probably settle for one closest to home."
Ken tilted his head in question, only to hear a laugh in response.
"University of Florida. It's about 20 minutes from home which means I'll be able to visit my folks whenever I want." He said.
"UF huh? So you'll be joining the same team as Leo…" Ken replied. For some reason, a flicker of fighting spirit ignited from within him.
'I wonder what it would be like pitching against those two in College?'
"Oh? You know Leo Cameron?" He asked, surprised.
Ken nodded, "We were opponents in the U18 World Cup."
Trent frowned for a moment before suddenly realizing. "You're that Japanese kid!" He exclaimed, pointing to Ken's chest.
Ken scoffed, "It's a bit odd to be called a kid when I'm almost a head taller than you, but sure."
"Ah, sorry that's not what I meant." He said, apologizing profusely. But a smile crept onto his face a moment later, "I guess it makes sense why I couldn't hit your pitches."
Ken shrugged, a smug smile appearing briefly, "You just weren't fast enough."
"Hahaha, you're right!" Trent replied, his mood already much better. He held out his hand and looked up at Ken with respect.
"Come join a school in the Southeast Conference, then we'll get to play against each other often."
Ken looked down at the offered hand and grasped it, "I'll think about it."
"Alright alright, I can't force you. Good luck in the finals, hopefully I'll see you around." He said cheerily, before turning around and heading back in his original direction.
Ken watched him leave with a small smile. He had a good impression of Trent, especially since he didn't try and convince him to join the University of Florida. He could tell that the team would be stacked, with both Trent and Leo present.
But he already held a grudge against them thanks to the unethical "bait" that had been bothering him earlier.
'Southeast Conference huh?' Ken mused.
He wasn't the most up to date on College fixtures and conferences, but he knew a few of the big schools around there. Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina…
'Wait, isn't Grandpa from South Carolina? Or maybe it's North Carolina…'
Ken's thoughts pinballed from one topic to the next, getting slightly sidetracked. Once he thought about his Grandpa, another figure appeared in his mind, his Uncle Santiago.
Of course they were the same age, but according to law they were Uncle and Nephew.
'I should probably call Grandpa and find out what College Santiago is going to.' He thought inwardly. It wouldn't be that bad to attend the same college as a family member.
"What did you guys talk about?" Steve asked as Ken approached the bus.
"I just asked him about what his plans were for next season. Turns out he's joining the University of Florida as well."
"Hmm, wasn't that hot chick you were speaking to earlier a student there too? Do you think she got to him?" He asked suspiciously.
Ken let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "He said that its not far from his home, so it only makes sense that he'd want to go to a local college."
"Boring~" Steve replied, yawning.
"That reminds me, what is Steph doing after High School?"
"Hmm? I err… I don't know." Steve tilted his head as if trying his hardest to remember.
"You don't know… Aren't you guys childhood friends or something?"
Steve stammered, his face turning slightly red, "D—Dude. It's not like I know everything about her alright? There needs to be some form of mystery otherwise it's too boring."
Ken stared at his friend before shaking his head. "Man, I feel sorry for Steph. She'll probably need to study Human Services to deal with your disability…"
"…"
Steve stared at Ken blankly for a few moments.
"Can I hit you now?"
Ken crooked a smile, "You can try. Just make sure you land a good one."
Steve's tilted his head once more, as if thinking deeply on the subject before letting out a sigh. "Haaah, it's not worth it." He said, making up his mind.
Ken held back his laugh, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Good choice man."
"Yeah you're probably right." Steve replied, but a dark expression formed on his face a moment later.
Unbenknownst to Ken who had just begun queuing for the bus, Steve's mind was desperately thinking of ways to get back at his friend.
"Where we going for lunch coach?" Ken asked on his way into the bus.
"Tacos." He replied with a grin, twirling his mustache.
Ken nodded in satisfaction. He didn't mind Mexican food, as long as it tasted good. He moved to a seat in the middle of the bus and laid his head back, letting out a small sigh.
'I'll need to talk to Mom and Dad about going back to Japan for a couple of weeks after the tournament.' He thought, feeling a smile pull at the corner of his lips.
Just the thought of seeing Ai and Daichi made him feel warm inside.
Surprisingly, Steve didn't sit next to him on the way to the restaurant. Ken suddenly felt a little bad for what he'd said, wondering if he'd gone too far.
However, he didn't know that Steve was somewhere, cooking up something.