With nothing to do, Ken packed up his bags and got ready to head back to Japan. Steve was also heading back to Texas today to see his family, so they decided to head to the airport together.
The two were still a little shaken from the loss and the departure of some good friends from the baseball team so they didn't talk much along the way.
"Next year we'll win the trophy." Steve said after a long silence.
"You think so?" Ken asked, noncommittally. It was one thing making the declaration, but another thing entirely doing so. They would have to restructure the team, almost starting from scratch.
Out of the old team, there weren't many who were left apart from them and Brian.
"Damn man, you're meant to be optimistic with me." Steve said, letting out a small laugh.
"Sorry man, it's a little hard. I thought this season was our best shot at winning." Ken admitted, his tone a little forlorn.
"Yeah, you're probably right. But that doesn't mean we can't try… Who knows, maybe we'll get another super-rookie like Brian next year?" He replied.
"Oh? I better tell Brian that you called him a super-rookie. I'm sure he would appreciate it." Ken quipped.
Steve let out a mock laugh before shaking his head. "Do you blame me?" He asked after a while.
"Blame you? For what?" Ken asked, taken aback.
Steve turned to him with a serious expression on his face, "Do you blame me for making you sub out?"
"No… You were right, I was being selfish. I wanted to keep pitching so I could pitch against Leo, not for the team… You making me sub out probably saved me from embarrassment. There's no way he would have missed my left handed pitches." Ken said.
Steve let out a sigh of relief. "You're probably right. I'm still surprised that you could throw in the 90's with your left. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Ken shrugged, "My right is faster and I can throw breaking balls, I can't do that with my left."
"That's because you don't practice with it." Steve said. "Is it something that you would want to do in the future? If so, we can work on it when you get back from Japan."
"Honestly… I'm not sure. The only time I would probably throw with my left is if I was against another lefty." Ken admitted. "Is it worth all that work for such a thing?"
"Well, apparently almost 25% of batters are left handed in the Major Leagues." Steve added, "It might be worth looking into."
For a moment Ken was stunned. Was Steve really giving him data? And was it accurate? He looked into the guys face for a bit before realizing that he was probably telling the truth.
"Alright… I'll think about it."
Just after saying this, Ken heard the call for his flight get called out over the speakers.
"Looks like that's me." He said, standing up. Steve did the same and held out his hand for a handshake.
Ken grabbed the hand and pulled the guy into a hug. "Take care man, I'll see you when I get back." He said.
Steve laughed, "Don't worry, your mom will take care of me back in Texas."
Ken blinked a few times but eventually let out a sigh, knowing he would probably bother his parents all summer break. "Just be respectful please…"
With that, Ken walked over to the boarding area, leaving his friend behind for his flight.
When he arrived in Japan it was about 4pm. By the time he got out of customs and collected his bags, it was closer to 5. Feeling rather exhausted, Ken made his way to the train station nearby and went to Yokohama.
An hour later, he hopped off the train and went up the long set of stairs. His foot still pained him, but it was getting better even in the short few days since the game. His fatigue management skill was quite handy.
Upon leaving the station, he finally saw the woman he'd been waiting for all this time. She was dressed in a black skirt and white top, her long hair draped behind her shoulders. His heart stuttered and a smile crept onto his face unknowingly.
Ai was looking at her phone, not paying attention, so he decided to play a little prank.
"Excuse me beautiful woman, would you be interested in a date with me?" He asked in a masked voice.
Ai's face scrunched up and she turned around, looking as if she wanted to punch out at the perpetrator. However, upon seeing him she let out a laugh and moved into his arms, hugging him tightly.
"Welcome home." She said in a muffled voice.
"It's good to be back." Ken admitted.
He grabbed her chin and raised it, kissing her deeply. "I missed you." He said in a husky tone.
Ai blushed. "I missed you too, silly."
"How is your foot? Aren't you meant to be in crutches for the first week?" She asked with concern.
Ken shrugged, "I heal really fast, I don't need crutches."
"Alright, well I hope you're hungry. Mom has been cooking for most of the day since she knew you were coming." She said.
Ken held his stomach for a moment before nodding, "Good, I'm starving. Let's head there now before it gets dark." He said, wrapping his arm around her.
He went to start walking in the direction of her house, but Ai stopped in her tracks. "I drove here."
"EH!? You drove?" Ken was flabbergasted.
"Yep! I got my license when I came back. Are you proud of me?" She replied, sending him a wink.
Between New York City and Japan, the public transport was expansive and the traffic equally as bad. Many Japanese people would opt to take public transport instead of driving or even owning a car. To hear that Ai had gone out to get her license was quite surprising.
Even he had yet to get his license despite being 20.