An hour later, Ken walked out of the jewelery shop with a satisfied expression on his face, a contrast to his brother who was dying of embarrassment.
"How can you be so shameless?" Daichi asked.
Ken shrugged, "I'm just a poor college student. You expect me to pay full price?"
"Didn't Grandpa give you a heap of money?"
"Yeah, and it won't last if I spend it frivolously. Plus, I intend to pay him back when I finally make it to the league." Ken said matter-of-factly.
"I guess you're right." Daichi replied, though it still didn't reduce the embarrassment that he felt. Every single sentence Ken had spoken would make reference to his position as a professional in the NPB.
He had never used his status to get a discount on anything, so doing so felt wrong.
But he soon threw it to the back of his mind, choosing to ignore it. "So? Now that you've got the ring, have you thought about how you're going to propose?"
Ken shook his head, "I haven't thought that far yet."
"What about at a baseball game?"
"Really? Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?" Ken replied.
"Now you're talking about embarrassment?" Daichi shook his head incredulously. "Why don't you come to one of our home games at Koshien stadium and use the jumbo screen. The place has a lot of sentimental value and means a lot to all of us."
Ken froze on the spot, his brother's words sending a shockwave through his body. Koshien was where he and Ai had basically started their relationship. He could still remember the final game when he was forced to stay on the bench, she had been by his side, cheering him up.
Just thinking about declaring his love and intent to marry her there felt right, almost as if everything had come full circle. After a few moments, his mind was set on it.
"You're right brother… Thank you." He said, giving a smile.
"Any chance you can get us some good tickets? At a discount maybe?"
Daichi's face stiffened, "Do you really want to go down that route again?"
"Oh crap… How could I have forgotten?" Ken mumbled, remembering his suspension. He had been so caught up in the moment that he had forgotten about all of his worries.
"I'll pay for the tickets myself, I wouldn't want to get into any more trouble." He said eventually.
Once the two were done shopping, Daichi needed to stop by his apartment before heading to the stadium for practice. Ken was invited to sit in and watch, provided he didn't interfere.
Having some curiosity about the difference in training sessions between college and the NPB, Ken agreed wholeheartedly. They arrived at the stadium and went through the players entrance.
Ken's tall form stood out, getting a lot of looks from the staff members around, though no one seemed to recognize him. They all greeted Daichi with familiarity, which was understandable.
While Daichi went to the locker rooms to change, Ken walked out onto the field and suddenly felt a rush of nostalgia. He bent down and grabbed a small handful of dirt, feeling it in his hands.
He had a bag of this dirt in his dorm back in New York. This showed how much this place meant to him even now.
As he looked up, he saw the familiar field and thousands of empty seats that would be overflowing at certain times of the year. Though he practiced at this place almost every night in his Image Training, seeing it in person was much different.
"What are you doing here?" A voice called out, filled with suspicion.
Ken turned, only to see another familiar face. "Coach Hashira? Sorry… Daichi invited me along to watch him practice, I hope you don't mind." He said, bowing slightly.
Coach Hashira was picked up by the Hanshin Tigers at the start of the season. He was the coach for Shinjuku High for many years before being noticed by the organization. In fact, in his previous life, he was the one who saw Daichi's talent in High School and drafted him into the team.
"Why do you look familiar?" Coach Hashira asked, narrowing his deep brown eyes. The middle-aged man had dyed black hair and eyebrows and was practically dressed with a whistle hanging around his neck.
"I used to play for Yokohama High, coach. We played against each other a couple of times when you coached Shinjuku High." Ken stated.
The man's face frowned for a few moments as if he was pouring through his memories. "AH! Ken? Is that you?"
"Yes sir, it's good to see you again." Ken replied modestly.
"Hahahaha, I knew it." He guffawed, holding his stomach. "Man, I've really got to thank you for thumping us in the first round back then. Because of you, Tatsuo blossomed into a powerhouse. If it wasn't for your brother, we would have won the next two Koshien's." He said with a little regret.
Hearing the name Tatsuo, Ken flinched. This was the name that haunted him in his previous life, the naturally talented shortstop who had toyed with him in the opening match of Koshien.
He had not intended to force the guy to improve, but merely wanted to exact his own type of vengeance. But seeing how the guy had given up at the end made him feel pissed off. Even now he could remember striking him out in front of the whole stadium of cheering fans.
"I'm glad that everything worked out." Ken said politely.
"Mmm very much so. Your name has been heard quite a lot within the pro circuit recently, I hear that you were suspended." Coach Hashira commented.
Ken didn't really want to talk about it, but he also didn't want to be rude, so he merely nodded in affirmation.
"Well, feel free to watch our practice. If there's some time at the end I might even let you pitch to your brother in the bullpen." He said, sending him a wink.