"I'm home."
Daichi opened the door to his house and called out.
"Welcome home."
A woman appeared around the corner wearing a brilliant smile. Her hair was tied in a practical bun and she was wearing a shirt far too large for her with short shorts that could barely be seen.
"Sorry I'm late, training ran a little over tonight." Daichi said, moving forward and planting a kiss on her lips.
"That's fine, it's not the first and won't be the last." Miho replied, nudging him. "Dinner might be a little cold though."
"I'm sure it'll taste good anyway." He said, sending her a wink.
Daichi had gotten a little older, his body finally growing into his wide shoulders. He was no longer the baby-faced assassin, though his teammates still loved to use the name to tease him.
The two had been living together ever since Miho graduated at the end of last year and were now engaged. Like he'd told Ken, Daichi had waited till Miho had graduated and popped the question in a private setting.
Miho's parents and Coach Takashi were present, it had been a great celebration.
Now, Daichi had been a professional athlete for almost 3 years. He had accomplished what many people in Japan could only dream of in their lifetime, and he was only 21 years of age.
He was engaged to the love of his life and was living out his dream as an athlete, what more could he want? Of course this was only on the surface. Deeper down, there was something missing.
His mother and father—not the one's who had brought him into this world, but the one's who had chosen him. Ken, the shining light who had pulled him from the abyss and shown him that there was more to life than just existing.
His best friend and big brother.
Daichi remembered their pact all those years ago, before they even became brothers.
"Once your shoulder heals, let's aim to become pro together."
"Yeah it's a promise. Let's get to the NPB and then the Majors!"
He could still remember the big grin on his brother's face back then. They were only 15, but Ken already had his life planned out, Daichi was just dragged along behind him.
Their paths diverged when he was invited to Osaka Toin and Ken was not. Of course he had later found out that his brother had been offered a scholarship, but it was only valid if he quit pitching.
Not only did Ken bounce back, he and his team won Koshien in his freshman year at High School, beating Osaka in the semi-finals.
Then there was the U18 World Cup. Ken pitched in the final game, beating the United States to claim the trophy.
This was where he met Miho, and their paths only continued to grow further apart. It all came to a head when his father was offered a coaching job in the states. At first, the thought of going to college with his brother excited him.
After all, America was the home of baseball and the best way of reaching the Major League. But the thought of leaving Miho in Japan was too much to bear.
Daichi would not be selfish, not this time. Chris and Yuki had sacrificed so much for him, he would not let Miho do the same, not when he had the opportunity to stay in Japan and become a professional.
At first it had been difficult, but he soon got used to it. Once Miho graduated and moved in, Daichi believed that he could truly settle down. Talks of marriage and starting a family were already in action. The thought of being a father scared him, but it was also exciting.
Everything was on track, he was living the perfect life. But things changed over a week ago…
Upon seeing Ken get drafted by the Detroit Ligers, something stirred within Daichi. Something he thought he had long buried deep inside.
A deep sense of yearning struck him out of nowhere, surprising even Daichi himself. At that moment, he knew that he had not given up on his pact with his brother.
He tried to suppress it. He had a duty to his fiance and the Hanshin Tigers, there was no room for his dreams. Daichi did not want to be labeled as selfish, nor did he wish to seem ungrateful.
This was why he had been avoiding calling Ken. He was worried that even speaking to his brother would bring those feelings to the surface.
'My life is good… I don't need anything else.' He told himself, over and over.
"Are you not hungry?" Miho asked, moving her hand to rest on his own. He could hear the concern in her tone.
"Ah sorry, I was just thinking about baseball." Daichi replied with a soft smile and began to eat his food.
The food was a little cold, but tasty. Having someone so good at nutrition was definitely a boon.
"Are you okay Daichi? You've been a little weird for the past few days."
"Hmm? I'm fine. What do you mean weird?" Daichi asked, turning to face her.
Miho shook her head, "You've been spacing out a lot lately. If there's something on your mind, why don't you just speak to me about it?" She asked.
"It's a long season, I'm just a little fatigued. Don't worry, It'll pass soon and I'll go back to normal again." Daichi said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
With that, the meal continued in silence until he'd finished. Making an excuse of being tired, Daichi got up from the table and left, leaving Miho by herself.
The woman sat silently for a while, as if deep in thought. Without a word, she collected the dishes and took them to the sink, washing them thoroughly.
Instead of going to bed, she grabbed her phone and opened the sliding door to the balcony.
RING RING
"Hello Grandpa… I need your help."