Ken walked into his dorm room and saw the space where he'd been staying for the past 3 years. As usual, half the room was messy with clothes and items strewn about, while his side was neat and tidy.
He stood still for a few moments taking in the sight. Though he had often given Steve a hard time about his messiness, he couldn't help but smile seeing their space. Without a word he moved to his closet and grabbed his suitcase.
One by one he took down his clothes and packed them. Many had been given to him directly from Nikey as part of their endorsement deal. With the assistance of Tara and her mother, they had signed a 1 year deal.
Since he was entering the draft in a month, his valuation would increase significantly, allowing them to sign an even better deal in the future.
"I'm gonna miss this room." A voice called out from the doorway.
Ken turned his head and saw Steve decked out head to toe in Nikey sports apparel. The sight was almost comical, but Ken was used to it by now.
"I won't miss your mess." Ken said with a small grin, though it quickly disappeared. He had been both looking forward to and dreading this moment for the better part of 3 years.
His best friend Steve would also be entering the draft, meaning they would likely not see each other often in the future.
"Are you sure about that?" Steve replied with a mischievous grin, "It looks like you're about to cry."
"Shut up before I make you cry." Ken quipped lamely, turning his attention back to packing his bags. He had not expected to be this emotional, especially not in front of his friend.
Steve shrugged and made his way into the room, beginning to round up his own things. "Have you been invited to any pre-draft workouts?"
"Too many…" Ken replied, remembering all the offers he'd received ahead of the draft next month.
"I got one later this week with the Texas Riders."
"Eh? That's awesome man." Ken exclaimed. He remembered that Yu Tanaka was one of the starting pitchers for the organization. If Steve was drafted by Texas, he'd be close enough to his family as well.
"Yeah, I'm hoping it goes well. It would be nice to be close to home." Steve admitted.
There was some silence between the two as they continued to pack their things.
"Sometimes it doesn't feel real… I'm almost afraid that this is all a dream and that one day I'll wake up and go back to reality." Steve spoke up, revealing his insecurities.
Impostor syndrome wasn't uncommon, especially for young athletes about to make it big. In fact, Ken had this feeling all the time. He worried that his real body was in a coma in the hospital after his overdosing in his previous life.
Every time he thought of this, his body would begin to shake in fear. If this truly was the case and he was returned to his previous life, Ken would be crushed.
"Y—Yeah, I know how you feel." He said after a while, trying to throw his fears to the back of his mind.
"Well, even if this is a dream… Then I won't ever forget you man." Steve replied suddenly.
Ken froze, feeling a lump in his throat. He turned only to see Steve's face looking as if he was about to cry. In any other circumstances he might laugh since the guy had such an ugly crying face, but not today.
"You too man…" He replied, moving forward and embracing his friend. There was no awkwardness, only the love one would have for their brother or a close relative. Their friendship had grown stronger over the years, to the point where they were almost inseparable.
Yet now as they entered adulthood, they would have to go their separate ways. It was tough, but this was a part of growing up.
"Every time we play against each other, we need to catch up okay?" Steve said patting him on the back.
"Only if you pay for dinner." Ken said back, causing both of them to laugh.
Once the moment passed, both men felt a little better. They got to packing their things and soon left the dorms. Steve was flying out to Texas while Ken was headed to Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to attend a pre-draft workout with the Pittsburgh Raiders.
As they made the walk to the front of the school, the two reminisced about their past 3 years. Everything felt like it had flown by so fast.
A figure was waiting for them, his red hair and freckled face sticking out.
"You two weren't going to leave without saying goodbye right?" Brian asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Psh, we said goodbye last night at the dinner." Steve quipped in mock annoyance.
Brian sent him a brief glare and turned to Ken. "We'll miss you guys…"
Ken let out a small laugh, placing down his bags and wrapping an arm around the guy, "I've got no doubt you'll be able to hold down the fort… Captain."
"No matter how many times I hear it, it still sounds weird." Brian said with a nervous laugh.
"Hey excuse me. Can you please take a photo of us?" Steve asked someone walking by. They obliged, prompting him to drop his bags and stand next to Brian, wrapping his arm around the guy.
"Okay get ready." The person said.
The trio smiled. Even Ken who was bad with photos in general felt a genuine smile creep onto his face. After a few moments the person lowered the phone and was about to give it back.
"Ah, one more please." Steve said.
Just as the guy was about to take another photo, Steve moved his hand and began to give Brian a noogie. Because the guys arms were tied up, he could not fight back. Soon everyone was laughing besides Brian.