Once Ken left the game, the Crocs went on attack. In the top of the 3rd, Leo had easily hit a home run, sparking the shift in the game. The Bobcats struggled to keep the opposition from scoring and slowly the game got away from them.
By the final inning, the score was 4-2 in favor of the Crocs. Columbia had a chance to possibly tie it in the bottom of the 9th, but an errant hit from Steve resulted in a double play, putting an end to their struggles.
For Ken who was forced to sit on the sideline, it was a tough loss to swallow. Sure if they won they still would have had to play again tomorrow, but he had wanted to win nonetheless.
He was given a crutch and made his way onto the field to shake the hands of the opposing team. Ken kept his head high despite the disappointment he felt inside. They had done everything they could in this match, so there was no point in being depressed.
As he shook everyone's hand, Leo arrived, grasping his hand tightly.
"I am disappointed." Leo said, wearing an unreadable expression.
Ken felt a flash of anger, but he quickly swallowed it down. They were the victor, there was nothing he could say to refute the man's words.
"I had hoped to show you how much I improved since the U18 World Cup, but it looks like we'll have to wait till the Major League for that." He added, glancing at Ken's foot. "I wish you the best in your recovery."
With that he walked away, leaving Ken stunned.
At first he thought the guy was disappointed that they didn't put up a fight, but it seemed this was not the case at all. It seemed that he too, wanted to duel.
Once done with the game, Ken was shipped off to the clinic to get his x-ray done. As Courtney had said, he indeed had a stress fracture. He did not need a cast or a brace, but was told rest and that the foot needed to be iced and elevated wherever possible.
Ken wasn't worried. He had the fatigue management skill which boosted recovery for his extremities. The 6-8 week time line he had been given would probably be cut in half for him.
Even though he was still gutted from the loss, Ken made sure to catch up with Michael and Latrell again while they were still in Florida. The atmosphere was a little awkward in the beginning, but it got better.
They said their goodbyes and Ken swapped contact information with Michael much to the kid's delight.
The trip back to New York was not a pleasant one. Despite the fact that the team had done their best, it did not feel good to lose two games in a row after coming so far in the post season.
And to lose the last game after a freak injury made it even harder to accept. The previous night, Ken had already booked his flight to Japan for two days later and would only spend a single night at the campus before leaving.
While he was not looking forward to the flight, he truly missed Ai.
When they arrived in New York, there was a bus to take them back to the campus. For a few of them, it would be the last time that they came back to Columbia since they had already graduated.
Ayden, Kaden, Levi and Bryton arrived back and began to clear out their dorms. It was a bittersweet process. Steve, Ken, Brian and a few others organized a dinner in the city to give their teammates a proper farewell.
By the end of the night, some tears were shed, but there was even more laughter between the old friends.
While Bryton would not be getting drafted, Ayden, Kaden and Levi were hopeful.
"Will you guys be entering the draft next year?" Ayden asked both Ken and Steve.
Ken nodded, "I think so, I can always finish my degree remotely."
"Me too." Steve said, pointing to his chest.
"I doubt you'll finish your degree." Ken said with a smirk, "If I wasn't there to make you study I think you would have failed by now."
Steve flashed him a grin, "You're probably right."
The group laughed and soon it was time to go their separate ways. Though the taste of defeat still lingered, everyone would move on with their lives, striving to get better in their own ways whether it was in baseball or in life.
Ken left the dinner feeling a mixture of emotions. Everything felt surreal. These people who he had played with for almost 2 years were suddenly gone, leaving a hole in his heart.
This was not the first time he experienced this, but it never got any easier. He still looked back fondly at his teammates over the years, especially back home in Japan.
Things changed and people moved on, Ken knew this. But for some reason, it hit a little harder today. As he laid in his bed, he couldn't help but feel empty inside.
Was it because he lost yesterday that he was feeling this? Or was it for another reason entirely. For the first time in a long time, Ken felt lost.
No part of him was excited for his next season of College ball which was surprising, especially since he would usually always be ready to play. Perhaps it was because the team would be different again next year, or perhaps it was for another reason entirely. He didn't know.
'Maybe I'll feel better when I go back home…' He thought.
Not wanting to deal with his weird mood right now, Ken asked Mika to use sleep protocol, and he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning he woke up early and went to get up to go for his morning run. But as he stood up, a surge of pain came from his foot.
'Ah damn it…' He had forgotten he was injured.