That night, Ken laid in his bed looking at the ceiling like he often did. For the first time in a very long time, he was alone in the room. At the dorms, even if Steve was not there, he was next door with Tara.
Ken was truly alone.
He let out a sigh, feeling a little angry with himself. "Why are you getting sad… You lived alone for 4 years in your last life." He told himself.
However those 4 years were not good years. Perhaps he was remembering the pain and suffering he went through back then, or maybe he was just nervous for tomorrow's workout. Either way, he was not in a great head space.
To try and take his mind off his weird mood, he opened up the system.
MAJOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
SYSTEM LEVEL: 5 (904,880/1,000,000 Major points to level up)
NAME: Ken Takagi
AGE: 21
TALENT ASSESSMENT: EX
POTENTIAL: EX+
MAJOR POINTS: 904,880
USER MENU:
-STATS
-MISSIONS
-SYSTEM SHOP
-LOTTERY
-IMAGE TRAINING
-IDENTIFY
-TRAINING PLAN
-MENTOR
USER STATS:
>Physical Fitness: EX
>Pitching: SSS+
>Fielding: A+
>Game Intelligence: SSS
>Mental: EX-
>Skills: 25
>Traits: 4
PHYSICAL FITNESS: (Avg. EX)
Balance and Coordination: EX
Agility: EX-
Strength: EX
Stamina: EX+
His eyes drifted over the grades and marveled at just how far he had come since he first got the system. He could remember just how bad his physical fitness was, yet now he was close to the peak.
Ken had used his EX-Grade physical elixir once his foot had healed last year and even after doing Mika's training plan this past 12 months, he had not fully adjusted yet. Knowing this made him realize just how in shape Leo was.
Unfortunately, the Bobcats were knocked out in the Super Regionals once again this year, this time against Oklahoma. Their team was worse than the previous year since it lacked truly experienced players like Ayden, Kaden and Levi.
This meant that he had missed out on the Mental Elixir and a Diamond Lottery ticket. However, he did get to choose a trait.
Ken moved to his traits menu and looked at the newest addition.
Trait: Insightful
Description: User possesses an extraordinary ability to perceive and understand the emotions, intentions, and behaviors of others. This heightened emotional intelligence allows him to connect deeply with teammates, anticipate opponents' moves, and adapt his actions accordingly.
Effects:
Empathy: Improves communication and teamwork by allowing user to understand his teammates' feelings and needs.
Opponent Reading: Enables user to detect subtle tells and patterns in opponents' actions, giving him a tactical edge.
Social Adaptability: Enhances user's ability to navigate social situations and build rapport with others.
Conflict Resolution: User excels at defusing tensions and resolving disputes among teammates.
The benefits he'd experienced from this trait were intangible, yet he felt like a much better person. He could understand his teammates better and empathize with others, allowing him to be far more accommodating than he was.
'Maybe this is why I've been so emotional lately…' He thought to himself.
His relationship with Daichi and his parents had been further strengthened since he finally realized what kind of son and brother he'd been. Ken's issue was that he focused too much on himself, forgetting to contact those close to him.
Not only this, much of his awkwardness in social situations had been dispelled, making meeting others a lot easier than before.
"I should probably get some sleep…" He muttered, feeling his eyes getting heavy.
'Hey Mika, please use sleep protocol.' He asked nicely.
[Confirmed, using sleep protocol.]
As Mika's voice entered his mind, his eyes closed slowly and he entered a deep and restful sleep. He dreamed of standing upon the mound in front of thousands of fans, pitching against Leo.
Neither of them were wearing their college uniforms. Leo was in his Yanks uniform and Ken was wearing a suit and tie. He frowned, feeling as if something was odd.
Hearing the roaring of the crowd, Ken shook his head and looked towards home plate. Daichi was behind the plate, wearing his Hanshin Tigers uniform. He called for a fastball on the inside to which Ken nodded.
He lifted his left leg and kicked off the pitching plate, taking a large stride forward. As he cocked his arm and went to throw, a sharp pain assaulted his shoulder, causing him to drop the ball.
Ken grabbed at his right shoulder and looked up in despair. His expression turned confused when he saw that he was no longer in a stadium. The ball which he had dropped was now an empty water bottle bouncing along the ground towards a rubbish bin.
Another flash of pain assaulted his shoulder and he sucked in a sharp breath.
Before he knew it, he had already walked forward and collected the empty bottle before placing it in the bin. Ken returned to his office bag and collected it off the ground before stumbling down the road.
A feeling of despair and loneliness assaulted him, but there was a haze of confusion.
As he walked up the stairs to his apartment, he fumbled for his keys and unlocked the door. He walked in, placing his bag down and taking off his shoes before stumbling inside.
"Have you been drinking again." An annoyed voice called to him, causing him to freeze in his tracks. Ken turned, only to see Ai sitting at the dining table with her arms crossed, wearing a scowl.
In her face he saw none of the affection he was used to, only a cold almost hateful glare.
"Ai—Honey… I've missed you." He said, stumbling towards her in order to embrace the woman he loved.
"Don't touch me!" She squealed, backing away from the table.
Ken froze, confusion in his face. "I… I don't understand?" He said, his words filled with sorrow.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crying from the apartment. He turned and walked towards the sound.
It was then that Ai moved swiftly, standing in front of him. "Don't you dare come any closer." She said, ready to throw herself at him.
Ken stopped, his heart breaking. That was when he saw the figure of a small child poke her head out the door.
"Papa?"