"What's been happening man? You pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth after High School." Ken asked curiously.
Carlos smiled, brushing his hair from his face. His expression looked as if he was reminiscing on good times. "After you knocked us out of the prefecture tournament, I was pretty lost…"
Steve was sipping on his water, listening intently. He didn't know much about Ken from before he came to the states, so seeing that Carlos was an old rival, he kept quiet.
"My mom sent me to Dominican Republic to live with my dad after High School. There I began to learn what I was missing." Carlos said, his voice trailing off.
Ken nodded, he had expected this much, but he did not interrupt, waiting for the man to continue.
"I took a year to work with my father in construction. It was tough, grueling work, but everyone treated me as part of their team… It was then that I realized how selfish I had been back then." He said.
'So that's why he didn't play in the U18 World cup…' Ken thought to himself.
"A year after I moved to Dominican Republic, my father finally said that I was ready to return to competitive baseball. I joined the Tigres del Licey team and played there for almost 5 years."
"I had thought that I would play my whole career there, but then an opportunity came up to join the Evaders through free agency at the end of last year… So I took it." Carlos said, giving Ken a smile.
"That's amazing, congratulations Carlos. Who would have thought that we would meet again in America of all places." Ken said, feeling genuine happiness.
"Well, I think that I wouldn't be here if you didn't beat me back then… So thank you, Ken." Carlos said sincerely, thrusting out his hand.
Ken laughed, "It's not often that people thank me for beating them, but I will accept your gratitude. I am looking forward to facing you when I make it up to the Majors." He stated, grabbing the outstretched hand and shaking it firmly.
After this, the three chatted over lunch for a while before going their separate ways.
Soon enough, Ken returned back to the hotel where Ai was waiting for him. Her parents would be flying back to Japan the next morning, so it was the final day of their holiday.
This would also be the last night that Ken and Ai stayed in New York. Since the two of them were not attending college anymore, there was nothing tying them here.
So, the next day they took Tetsu and Naomi to the airport and said their goodbyes before getting on a plane themselves to Detroit. After a short flight, the two made their way to a hotel and dropped off their things.
"Are you ready?" Ken asked Ai, sending her a warm smile.
"Of course, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Ai replied excitedly.
As they left the hotel, a man in a suit met them. "Mr. Takagi, Miss Koyama, I'm Edward, it's nice to meet you." He said, bowing slightly.
This was the real estate agent that his agent Barry Hart had recommended to look for a house in the Detroit area. From appearances, it was clear that Ken would likely be spending quite a bit of money.
However, seeing the excited expression on his fiance's face made the situation not seem so painful.
They were taken into a luxurious car and driven away by the real estate agent. Today they would be looking to buy a house in Detroit. The idea was that Ken would likely be brought up to the majors this season, so getting a house was a priority.
They arrived at the first house in downtown Detroit, a 3-story apartment.
Almost as soon as he saw how big it was, Ken knew that it was going to be expensive. However, he had promised Ai that he would keep an open mind.
They were led into the house and through the main floor. Not only was it spacious, Ken didn't feel cramped even with his 6'6 frame. The kitchen was modern, and the space was open, the large windows bringing natural light into it.
Moving up the stairs was the bedrooms and even a sauna, much to Ken's delight.
"The place comes fully furnished, so you won't have to worry about getting your own beds or couches, unless you wish to change them." The real estate agent explained.
He was good at explaining the advantages of the property, while also leaving Ken and Ai enough room to chat about the place. It was clear from a glance that the guy was experienced, and knew what he was doing.
After going through all 3 floors and seeing outside, Ai was already talking about all the changes she would make, or what they could do with guests over.
Ken locked eyes with the agent and made a gesture, wanting to speak to the man alone for a moment. He whispered something to Ai before walking into another room with the agent.
"Edward, give it to me straight. How much?" Ken said, he didn't want to jump through all the hoops. It was clear that Ai really liked the place, and it was in a prime position downtown.
As if sensing this, Edward smiled, "It's 1.6 million."
Ken felt his heart almost jump out of his chest. '1.6 million!? That's like a 3rd of my signing bonus…' However, he soon calmed down.
"Let's bring that down to 1.5 million and I'll pay directly. No need for any banks to get involved." Ken said, holding out his hand.
Edward's expression changed briefly, "I would have to check with the owners before making a decision."
"1.5 million and I'll throw in some signed merchandise. Make the call, but don't take too long, or I might change my mind." Ken said, patting him on the shoulder before making his way back to Ai.