Steve's interview played over and over on both social media and across the baseball sphere. Many found it funny, and his antics got him a lot of attention online by even those who didn't follow baseball.
However, for every fan he gained, there was always an internet troll lurking in the shadows, ready to spread their hateful wings. Many condemned his actions, calling him arrogant and slamming him with hateful comments.
The coach let it slide at least for this afternoon since everyone was celebrating, but even Steve could see the intense gaze every now and then from the man.
"Don't look at me." Ken said, shrugging off a pitiful glance from Steve. "If you think it's bad now, wait till you go see your girlfriend after this."
"AH!" Steve wailed, realizing how much he'd messed up. Tara was the one who would have to deal with the backlash online, so he had essentially made her job far harder. Not to mention he was meant to meet her parents tonight for the very first time.
He could already imagine the tense situation at the dinner table.
After the celebrations were over, everyone went their separate ways. It was Summer break so no one had to worry about studying, not that they would after being crowned the Ivy league Champions.
Ken met Ai at her dorm and took her out that night. They spent some quality time together, but this time was a little different. She would be flying back to Japan alone for the Summer to stay with her parents.
He also planned to join her, but only once they finished their run in the post season. If they made it to the College World series he could fly out at the end of June, if not it would be sooner.
This meant they would be apart for a whole month, something that he wasn't looking forward to. Despite living in different dorms, the two made an effort to see each other every week, regardless of their busy schedules, even if it was just for a few hours.
Like this, their relationship thrived.
After a nice meal, they retreated to the usual Park Central hotel to stay the night. The next morning, Ken took her to the airport and said his goodbyes.
"We really gotta stop doing this." Ken said, his tone carrying some sadness.
Ai giggled, "You mean saying goodbye at the airport? Yeah, it's getting a little old." She replied softly, hugging him tightly.
"As soon as I'm done with the post season, I'll fly over." Ken reiterated, like he'd done many times before.
"Mmm. Don't miss me too much." She said, getting on her tip-toes and placing a deep kiss on his lips. Ken relished in the sensation and held her close, only letting go after some time.
"I can't promise that." He stated bitterly.
She giggled once more and walked away, waving goodbye. Ken tried to smile but felt a little depressed, he waved and didn't leave until her figure was no longer visible.
He let out a sigh and turned on his heel to leave, his mind preoccupied. Ken was thinking about next year when he would be eligible to enter the draft. There was an overwhelming chance that he would not be drafted to a local team, not with his draft stock.
Which meant that he would likely be away from his fiance for an entire year until she graduated. Just thinking about this made him depressed.
Of course he could opt to finish out his final year at College, but he was unsure of what decision to make. The system mission for this years NCAA Div 1 Tournament was exactly like last seasons, except it no longer had the tasks that he had completed.
#MISSION: NCAA Division I Tournament.
*Task 1: Win Ivy league Championship
*Task 2: Qualify for NCAA Super Regionals
*Task 3: Qualify for College World Series
*Task 4: Win College World Series
*Task 5: Win MVP (Tiered rewards for each Tournament)
REWARDS:
>Task 1 rewards - 100,000 Major points + Trait selection
>Task 2 rewards - 150,000 Major points + EX-Grade Physical Elixir
>Task 3 rewards - 250,000 Major points + EX-Grade Mental Elixir
>Task 4 rewards - 250,000 Major points + Diamond Lottery Ticket
>Task 5 rewards - [Based on Performance]
He stared at the window distractedly while walking through the airport. Based on this information, he could assume that once he completed a task, they wouldn't renew for next seasons mission.
Therefore, if he were to complete all the tasks this year, there would be no point staying for his final year in college, apart from wanting to finish his degree. But he could always do this remotely while in the league, so there was almost no merit to doing so.
As he was walking, he suddenly bumped into somebody, causing his body to be knocked off balance for a moment. Ken was a tall guy and he had put on some significant muscle since training at Columbia, so not many people could achieve this.
"S—Sorry." Ken called, turning to apologize. It had felt like he bumped into a brick wall.
When the person turned around, Ken's eyes widened in shock. Standing in front of him was someone who looked like they'd walked right off a model runway and into the airport.
The sandy blond hair and chiseled features were familiar. It was a face that Ken would never forget.
"Leo?" He asked in disbelief.
"Ken? What are you doing here?" Leo asked, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"I just dropped my fiance off at the airport… I could ask the same of you."
"I had a closed tryouts with the Yanks, I'm headed back to Florida now." He said coolly before looking him up and down, "You've grown taller."
"Thanks…" Ken responded feeling a little odd. "Are you still playing for the Crocs?"
"Mmm. This is my last post season before the draft in a couple of months. Maybe we'll even play each other soon."
"If not, we can meet each other in the Majors." Ken replied, feeling a surge of determination. Hearing that Leo was entering the draft this year had helped him make up his mind.
No matter what tasks remained in the system missions, he would enter the draft next year.
"I look forward to it." Leo replied simply, "See you round. Ken."