Back in the coach's office, a man in his late 50's entered the room, his staunch gaze moving over the tidy office. He had a widow's peak and a head of black hair which faded to white at the edges.
"Frank, it's good to see you." Coach Brown said, standing from his chair and holding out his hand as a greeting. His posture was respectful, indicating that the man in front of him held a high status.
"I wish it were under better circumstances Brett." Frank stated, grabbing the outstretched hand.
Coach Brown agreed and gestured for the man to sit down.
"How is it looking?" Frank asked, his anxiety evident.
"I spoke to Ken. He has receipts and bank statements for most of the accusations, but not the VIP tickets to the Yanks game."
"Damn it!" Frank looked visibly annoyed, this was clearly not the news he was expecting to hear. "What was he thinking?"
"It's not as clear cut as you might think. Apparently Alex Cole had found them in Central Park and interrupted a special moment for Ken and his girlfriend… He felt bad and offered them the tickets without knowing he was a collegiate athlete." Coach Brown went on to explain.
Frank shook his head, "These details don't matter. The fact is Ken accepted the benefit and put his amateur status at risk." He let out a sigh, looking as if he aged.
"This is what I said to him. I suggested paying back the value of the tickets and sending through the bank statements, as long as we can prove to the committee that no harm was done, we should be able to get him back in the squad right?"
Frank's eyes lit up a little, but they became listless once more, "The investigation could take weeks Brett. The speed depends on the whims of the committee on any given day."
"Is there nothing that we can do to expedite the process? I need him for this post season Frank… Whenever he's on the field our guys play so much better." Coach Brown pleaded.
"There's not enough eyes on the situation for a speedy resolution. We could put the word out there, but then Ken's name might be dragged through the mud. You know how the media can be." Frank said.
The coach went into thought. If the case was publicized, the NCAA committee might be inclined to finish their investigation as soon as possible to avoid being bombarded with unhappy fans.
"I would like to run it past Ken first if you don't mind." Coach Brown said after a while. Ultimately the decision would rest on the young players shoulders.
"Mmm, I think it's for the best. Just remind him that we're on his side, I don't want him feeling like the University doesn't have his back after all this. After all, he will be our flagship player in the future." Frank stated.
"In the future?" Coach Brown grinned slightly. "I think he's already there."
Frank let out a small chuckle before bidding the coach goodbye. Whatever happened next would be in Ken's hands.
An hour later, Ken arrived at the coach's office after being summoned. They had just spoken a couple of hours ago, but this time Ken seemed to have calmed down.
"I spoke with the Athletics Director earlier and we might have come up with a plan to expedite your investigation." The coach didn't mince words, going straight to the point.
Ken's expression remained unreadable. He knew that there was no free meal ticket in this world, otherwise the guy would have just done it without speaking to him.
"Go on."
"We need to put some pressure on the committee. The only way to do that is to get word out to media outlets that there is an ongoing investigation surrounding you."
Ken frowned and could instantly see the down side. Announcing this investigation would be putting him under the scrutiny of the media. Ken had had his run ins with the media, particularly in Japan and knew what they were capable of.
"It seems like you understand the stakes." Coach Brown said after seeing Ken's expression. In a way he was glad that he didn't need to explain the situation to Ken, which meant he wouldn't rush into a decision.
"I'll be honest Ken. We need you for the post season." He said plainly, "It's in both mine and the University's interest for you to be on the field during the most important games. If it were up to us, we would release the news anyway."
"However," he continued, "Both I and the University respect you enough to let you make the decision. Our athletic director wanted to reiterate that we will support you no matter what happens."
Ken was a little surprised to hear this, but appreciative nonetheless. He thought for a while, but ultimately decided against making a decision right now.
"Coach, I appreciate your transparency. But I want to talk to my friend about what moves to make. Can you hold off on making a statement for now?" He asked.
Coach Brown nodded. "That's fine, just know that the longer you wait, the worse your odds for playing in the post season this year."
Ken stood to his feet and bowed slightly, thanking the coach. He left the room and returned back to the dorms, intending to talk things over with Tara.
Steve and Tara were still together, hanging out in his room when he returned.
"You ready to go get that workout Ken?" Steve probed.
"Not now, we need to talk business." He said with a serious expression. Ken then relayed everything that the coach had told him to Tara, in hopes that she would help him make the right decision.
Tara was silent for a while before nodding.
"We can't release a statement about the ongoing investigation, not without backlash at least. But I know someone who could get the word out… As long as we play our cards right, we might benefit even more from this." She said wearing a cheeky grin.
"Damn you're hot when you speak business." Steve added, sending her a look.
Out of reflex, Ken's hand shot up and slapped Steve over the back of the head.
"Owwww~"