But true to her word, they walked to the car park and there was Tetsu's car. She motioned him to get in and started the car. As she put it into first gear and went to drive off, the car stalled, causing it to stop in its tracks.
Ai's face went bright red and she quickly went to start the car once more.
"S—Sorry, I'm still a little new at driving." She stammered.
Fortunately for both of them, it didn't happen again, though a few times the sound of grinding gears could be heard when she shifted.
They got back to the house around 5 minutes later.
"You did well, I'm proud of you." Ken said, feeling his legs a little shaky as he finally touched solid ground. Thankfully, he had the excuse of his injury in case she asked why he was walking weird.
Ai blushed a little, "Thanks. I still need to practice, but dad says I'm getting a lot better."
Ken got his things out of the car and walked up to the house with Ai in front. As the door opened, he was greeted by Naomi and Tetsu.
"How's my future son-in-law!?" Tetsu said, pulling him into a deep hug and lifting him off the ground. The guy's strength was almost superhuman, causing his ribs to groan under the pressure.
Naomi also hugged him, though she was far more gentle.
Tetsu grabbed his bags with ease, mumbling something about taking them upstairs for him because of his injury. It was like a whirlwind the moment he stepped into the house.
However, instead of making him feel weary, it actually lifted his spirits quite considerably. Ai grabbed him by the arm and led him inside to the dining room where food was already laid out on the table.
It was a Japanese curry with a side of fragrant miso soup.
"Make sure you save room for dessert, Yuki sent me her cheesecake recipe." Naomi said, taking a seat at the table.
Tetsu appeared in the room a moment later and sent Ken a familiar look. When he was behind his wife he mouthed something.
'Don't eat the cheesecake.'
Suddenly, Ken remembered the cookies Naomi had baked last time that had been hard as a rock. He shuddered briefly and nodded, turning his attention to the food on the table.
"Itadakimasu."
As he dug into the food, Ken felt rather mystified. How could a woman who could cook meals so well be so bad at cooking desserts? Even when it came to baking it was Tetsu who did it all.
Ken found himself relaxed within 15 minutes of getting here. It truly reminded him of how things used to be back home, to the point where he was beginning to feel a little nostalgic.
"So Ken. When are ya gonna join the big leagues? I wanna start braggin' to all the customers that my son-in-law is a superstar." Tetsu said, his mouth half full with food.
Both Ai and Naomi looked at him curiously, as if they also wanted to know the answer.
Ken cleared his throat, "Well I still wanted to talk to Ai about it, since it's not just about me anymore. If I enter the draft next year, depending on which team I go to, we might be across the country from each other."
"Hmm… That's tricky." Tetsu said, digging in his bowl of rice.
Ai placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently, "Do whatever you need to do, I will support you no matter what." She said, sending him a small smile.
Ken felt his heart thump and a warmness enveloped him. "I still need to think about it. There's still one more season left of college ball before I can officially be drafted anyway. Let's see how it looks by then." He answered.
Once this topic was covered, the next inevitable one was marriage. The two had been engaged for almost a full year now, but the wedding date had not been set. Ken didn't really feel like talking about it right now, but Ai had some words.
"I won't be getting married until I graduate." She said, digging her heels in.
It wasn't often that Ai turned stubborn, but when she did, there was no way of changing her mind. Even her parents seemed to be aware of this fact, so they quickly dropped it.
"Okay, we can live with that." Naomi said, clearing her throat. "But you'll be having the wedding in Japan right?" She asked.
Ai turned to him, as if to confirm. Ken nodded in response. By then, he should already be on a decent wage and could afford to bring over a few people from the states that he wanted to attend. Steve, Grandpa, Santiago.
Thinking of the last two names, Ken faltered. He had not seen them in such a long time, though he regularly spoke to his grandfather.
Ken finished the meal and suddenly felt a wave of fatigue. Even though it was barely 7pm, the long flight and lack of sleep had caught up to him. He and Ai excused themselves and headed up the stairs to bed.
It had been almost a month since they'd seen each other, so when they got to bed, they just cuddled, enjoying each others company.
Ai ran her fingers along the palm of his hand, it was quite soothing.
"How are you holding up?" She asked in a soft voice.
"Hmm? I'm fine."
"Don't lie to me Ken… I know that something is bothering you." She said, though her words lacked judgment.
Ken was silent for a little while before letting out a sigh. He talked about the game and his selfishness at wanting to pitch against Leo.
Ai listened silently until he was done, then she interlocked her fingers with his own. "You're always selfish when it comes to pitching Ken, that will never change. You want to hog the mound to yourself every single game that you can."
Ken blinked a few times, not expecting such words. 'Wasn't she meant to be cheering me up?' he thought.
But then she continued, "You can't change this, it is who you are, at least when it comes to baseball. But while you might be thinking that it's a bad thing, this selfishness is the reason why you're always trying to improve. You want to be the best so that no one can take your spot on the mound."
"Eh? Really?" Ken mumbled. The way she was explaining it made it not feel so bad.
"Yes… This drive and determination is what made me fall in love with you…" She said, her words trailing off.
Ken felt his heart melt. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply, savoring the moment. With just a few words, she had dug him out of his rut, making him feel much better in the process.
"I'm also selfish in other ways." He admitted.
"Hmm? How so?"
"I want you all to myself." Ken replied.
Ai giggled and moved in for another kiss, "You already put a ring on it, of course I'm all yours." She said kissing him deeply.
After some back and forth, things got serious once again. "Will you enter the draft next year?" Ai asked curiously.
Ken nodded, "I think I'm ready to make the next step." He admitted. "My draft stock should also be at its peak by the end of next season, as long as I play well. I don't want to miss my window."
"Mmm, I think you're ready too. No matter where you go, I'll follow you after I graduate." Ai said.
Ken's heart was full. He had the love of his life in his arms and a plan in place for the future. His dreams were so close that he could almost reach out and grab them.
Everything that he'd been through in this life, it was all converging into the ultimate goal of joining the Major League.
'Just one more year…'
-End Volume 5 Student Athlete.