By the time school resumed, Steve and Ken had already hit their stride. With the season fast approaching, everything started to feel way more real, particularly for Ken who had already been promised a spot in the main squad.
Steve had been performing well, however, Clinton who was in his Senior year was unshakable in his position as Catcher, at least for this season. Ken believed that with some improvements in his batting, Steve might be able to sneak in as a Designated Hitter.
After opening up over the holidays, the dynamic of Steve and Ken's relationship had shifted slightly. While outwardly it looked the same, there was a deep sense of trust and strong bond between the two.
Ken never believed that he would trust anyone more than Daichi, but Steve was quickly becoming a friend that he could rely on, one that could help push him to be a better person and baseball player.
THWACK!
Steve wiped the sweat from his brow as he smashed the final ball fired from the pitching machine, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face. "That's 10 from 10 with the 92mph fastballs." He stated, handing the bat to Ken.
Ken's face twisted into a mocking smile, "Talk to me when you can hit 10 home runs in a row."
Steve rolled his eyes, not even dignifying the remark with a response. He merely moved outside the cage and watched Ken step into the batters box.
THWACK!
WHACK!
THWACK!
…
The next 10 balls were smashed sky-high, causing Steve to let out an exasperated sigh. Seeing the smug grin on Ken's face made him want to punch it, but he couldn't deny that the guy had a talent for batting.
"How can you be so talented at pitching and batting… It makes no sense." He complained.
"Talent?" Ken raised his eyebrow, almost seeming offended. "Do you know how hard I had to work to get this good? My callouses have callouses." He said, taking off his glove and holding out his hand.
"Ew…"
Ken huffed, placing the glove in his pocket. "If you want to see any playing time this season, we need to work on your batting. As long as you improve, the coach might use you as a pinch hitter or even a designated hitter."
This time, Steve nodded seriously. Entering the team as a walk-on was enough of a disadvantage that he needed to work hard in order to secure some playing time. Any opportunity to prove himself would be enough, be it as a designated hitter, or a pinch hitter.
"Can you give me any tips to improve?" He asked, forsaking any of his pride.
Ken was a little hesitant. What worked for him would not necessarily work for Steve, especially since their heights and body types were quite different at the end of the day.
Ken also had the image training which allowed him to train his technique, mentally ingraining it into his whole being. This wasn't something that he could allow Steve access to. Or was it?
'Hey Mika, do you th—'
[Impossible.]
Hearing the flat and monotonous rejection, Ken could only smile wryly. He had expected as much, after all, giving another person access to his image training would essentially give away the existence of his system.
He eventually shook his head after contemplating for a while, "Best to ask Coach Johnson for tips, I'd be worried about giving you the wrong information."
Steve's expression soured a little, but he eventually nodded. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to get much one on one time with him since the season starts next week."
"Well, just try and get close to the guy. Offer to help him every now and then and make an impression. If he likes you, he might make some time for you." Ken suggested.
"Mmm. Or you could just hire me an instructor."
Ken promptly ignored him, leaving the cages. "Let's grab some dinner, I'm starved."
A couple of hours later, Ken laid in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Despite being in a different country, he often found himself in this position, just like back in school. He would spend hours staring at his status window, his eyes filled with wonder.
Reminiscing slightly, Ken couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. The kid he was back then would have accepted any reward he got the moment he received them, yet Ken still had an unclaimed reward awaiting him.
With practiced ease, he opened up the mission window and stared at the hidden mission like he'd done for the past couple of months.
#HIDDEN MISSION: Make an Impression
*Task 1: Leave a lasting impression in front of the New York Yanks players. [Complete]
*Task 2: Create a social media account. [Complete]
*Task 3: Post a picture from today. [Complete]
REWARDS:
>Increased Fame and recognition. [Claim Rewards]
>Upgrade Charismatic Air skill to Magnetic Charm. [Claim Rewards]
If he was honest, Ken didn't feel like claiming these rewards. He already suffered enough from the effects of Charismatic Air and was feeling trepidation towards what troubles the upgraded skills would bring.
The increased fame and recognition sounded fine initially, but he wasn't sure how it would change his daily life. If he turned into some kind of celebrity, he could kiss his tranquil life goodbye.
'I feel like this is just a lose-lose situation.' He thought glumly.
[Why aren't you accepting the rewards?]
Mika's monotonous voice appeared in his mind, startling him.
'You should already know my thoughts.' Ken replied. It wasn't lost on him that Mika had the ability to read his mind, therefore he didn't even bother explaining.
[The system's rewards will only bring benefits to the user. Otherwise they would not be called rewards.] She stated plainly.
Ken frowned. For some reason, he didn't exactly believe Mika's words. Perhaps from her perspective, there were no downsides to the rewards, but she wouldn't be the one to experience it first hand.
[You seem unconvinced.] She stated, though it seemed as if she had no intention on explaining further.