Chapter 58: 2nd Round (2)

Then it was Seiko's turn to field. Kouichi stood upon the mound, looking loose and relaxed. He had only begun pitching again a few days ago and was pleased to notice that he felt no more pain. The break paired with the training regimen had helped improve his throwing action and stamina. He was, of course, without his forkball now, but that was a small price to pay, especially after learning the 2-seam fastball. Kouichi was on fire, shutting out the first 3 batters with only 9 pitches. Ken gawked, inwardly feeling remorse that he hadn't listened to his father in his previous life. Of course, he was capable of doing the same thing against this opposition, who were centered around the pitching of Kotaro. This was the main reason why Ken was so relieved when Daichi had put some runs on the board, because Joto did not have a great batting lineup. The game continued like this for the next 8 innings, with Kouichi only giving up a single hit and no runs. Daichi was taken out of the game thanks to Joto realizing he was the only threat and deciding to walk him whenever he was in the batting box. At first, he was frustrated, but then he realized that it didn't matter as long as they won the game. Ken once again was forced to sit on the sidelines as the team clinched their 2nd round win over Joto in the Kanto Tournament. The Coach had come up to him during the game and praised him for his mentoring had such a great effect on Kouichi. Despite the praise, Ken cut straight to the heart of the matter, asking when he would get some playing time. He had improved so much that he knew he could make an impact on the game more than Jin, who was in his place. The coach grinned, "I was just about to mention this to you after the game. But I'm planning on starting you for the remaining games of the tournament. Are you ready to show me how much you've improved?" Ken's face lit up, clearly not expecting such a straight answer from the Coach. "Yes, coach!" Like that, everyone returned home in good spirits, especially Ken, who had just found out he would be joining the starting lineup for the next game. Daichi had noticed his chirpy expression ever since the end of the game, but had only decided to ask him about it over dinner. If it was what he was guessing, then it would be better to discuss away from the ears of his teammates. "You're looking awfully happy today, Big Br," Daichi stated with a smile. "Who me? What gave you that impression?" Ken asked, unable to remove the dumb smile that had been plastered on his face the entire afternoon. "Just a feeling… So did the Coach tell you that you're in the starting lineup next game?" He asked, feeling a sense of relief inwardly. Daichi had also been affected by the coach's decision to sit out Ken to watch over Kouichi. In his opinion, the best players should be out on the field, no matter the circumstances. Well, unless someone was injured, of course. Ken's eyes narrowed, "Are you some kind of mind reader?" he asked suspiciously. Diachi just stared at him silently for a few moments, as if to ask if he was stupid. "Mom, I need some aluminum foil. Daichi is a mind reader!" Ken shot up from the table exaggeratedly, and began looking for the roll of foil. "Hahaha." Yuki began giggling in response, only for Daichi to join in moments later. Of course, Ken was just being silly, but he was in a great mood after being suppressed for so long. He would finally be able to play with his brother on the biggest stage for Middle School baseball. Ken sat down and sent a wink Daichi's way. "We'll both be on the starting lineup for the next game. Just 3 more wins until we win the tournament." Daichi nodded, feeling his body fill with determination. "Will there be scouts at any of the games?" He asked. "Only at the final game, so we need to at least make it up to there." The two seemed fired up, even after dinner had finished. Yuki sent them off so she could have some peace for a while before heading to bed. She decided to call her husband and inform him of the good news. "That's great!" Chris exclaimed through the phone speaker, causing Yuki to move it away from her ear for a moment. "Yeah, thank goodness. I was starting to get a little worried about Kenny over the past couple of weeks." She admitted. "I'll admit, it was a little selfish of the Coach to do what he did. Even I was about to give him a call and give him a piece of my mind." Yuki smiled; she did not doubt his words. When it came to his family, Chris wouldn't be afraid to jump into a den of lions as long as it was to save them from harm. When they had adopted Daichi, Chris had insisted on taking the role of foreign adviser for the NPB and Major League venture because it paid a lot more. Unfortunately, this led to his workload increasing significantly, and he was away from home a lot more often. However, Chris and Yuki's marriage was strong. They both agreed that having her stay at home and look after the kids was the best way to raise them. "When are you coming back home? I miss you." She said softly, staring out the window solemnly. "I won't be home for another 3 weeks… I miss you, too." He said tenderly. Yuki looked a little sad, however, her eyes lit up in the next moment. "If the boys make it to the finals, it'll be in about 3 weeks. That means we'll be able to watch!" she exclaimed excitedly. Chris was silent for a while before responding, "That sounds great, but don't tell them. I don't want to add any more pressure onto their shoulders."