Once Chris arrived, he also joined in on the festivities. Before long, dinner was served and laughter rang out in the house unabashedly.
It was moments like these that made Ken forget about all of his worries. Though there was an undertone of sadness knowing that this wouldn't last forever. In a few days, Ken and Steve would be drafted to different teams. While their friendship would remain, moments like this would be few and far between.
A few hours later, Steve stood up from the table and grinned. "I better be getting home, I've gotta pick up Tara early in the morning from the airport." He stated.
Ken walked his friend out to his car. It was already dark outside and the sound of crickets could be heard, singing their song.
"I'll see you in a few days." Ken said, holding out his fist.
Steve scoffed. "I'm bringing Tara over for dinner tomorrow night, I'll see you then." He said, bumping the fist and jogging off to his car.
"Eh?"
"See ya tomorrow!" Steve said with a big grin. He started his car and drove off, leaving Ken with a confused expression.
Ken let out a dry chuckle. 'Give him an inch and he takes a mile.' He mused, smiling.
As Steve said, he did indeed arrive with Tara the following night for dinner, and the night after that. Ai arrived the day before the draft and spent most of the first day in bed thanks to jet lag.
As the big day approached, Ken began to get nervous. He had received a few messages from Barry, labeling the teams that had interest in him. Detroit had still not given a definitive answer, which did little to calm his nerves.
Having his fiance and family close by made things a little easier, but when the actual day of the draft arrived and the camera crew showed up at their door, the anxiety reached its peak.
"B—Bro… Is this really happening?" Steve said beside him, looking pale.
Ken turned and saw that his friend was just as nervous as him. This made him feel slightly better. He lifted his arm and placed it around the guy's shoulder, "This is it man. Today we will take a step closer to playing in the Majors."
Steve nodded, his usual mischievous smile nowhere to be found. There was around an hour till the broadcast was meant to begin and Ken helped himself to some of the snacks that his mother had placed on the table.
Ai stuck close to him, reassuring him the whole time. It certainly helped.
In all honesty, he had no idea why he was so nervous. Perhaps it was because his dreams were finally about to be fulfilled.
The next hour felt like it dragged on for months. He was getting messages from his agent Barry Hart non-stop, referring to interest shown by a few teams, yet none of them were Detroit.
The TV was on, showing the pre-draft program where many analysts were going over the prospects in the draft. Ken heard his name called and he approached the lounge room, taking a spot next to Ai on the couch.
"We've got an amazing pool of talent this 2022 MLB draft class, but I think we can all agree that there are a few that stand out."
"Yes Jason, you're right. The 21 year old pitcher from Columbia, Ken Takagi is a generational talent that we haven't seen before. He came into the college scene throwing bombs, but only in the last year has he truly shown his talents. He's the first switch pitcher we've seen since Venditte."
"AND he throws at least 10 miles an hour faster. If I'm the raiders, there's no way that I'm passing up the opportunity to take him with the first pick."
A few of his highlights were played on the TV, showing him pitching both left and right on the mound. Ken felt that it was surreal to be on national TV, but he was still nervous. He felt a firm pair of hands on his shoulders, it was his father comforting him.
"When we're talking about Ken, we can't forget his partner in crime Stephen Adams. The guy is a dynamic catcher and is money with the bat, leading Division 1 in home runs for two years straight."
As they said this, Steve's highlights went up on the TV, showing him bombing some hits into the stands. His quirky reactions to the hits were what made the highlights even better.
"It's not often we get two top prospects from the same school, let alone somewhere like Columbia."
"You're right. I wouldn't be surprised if they both get selected in the top 5."
The TV changed and all of a sudden Ken could see his face now on TV. He was surprised, almost forgetting that the camera crew were currently in his house. At this moment, he didn't know what to do or how to react.
Thankfully the camera guy moved over to Steve who was on the other side of the couch. The guy gave two thumbs up to the camera, but he looked stiff and out of place, causing Ken to almost burst out into laughter.
"Looks like that two teammates are together for the draft. It just shows how close they are."
"Well you've got to remember Jason, these two first met in High School and won a State Championship in Texas together with McCallum High. They also won the annual WWBA national Tournament together."
"Yes yes, I'm almost certain that these two will find themselves drafted tonight. Speaking of, the first pick is in from the Pittsburgh Raiders. Please stand by the for the announcement."
Ken's nerves suddenly came to a crescendo as he stared at the TV.
'Please don't pick me… don't pick me…' He chanted in his mind.
He saw a man walk out onto to the stage and stand at the pedestal.
"With the first pick of the 2022 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Raiders select… Peter Skenes, right handed pitcher from LSU."