By the time they had showered and gotten ready for breakfast, Daichi was already on board with Ken’s plan. He took all of his brother’s words seriously, even taking down notes upon returning to his room.
Of course Ken had absolutely no experience in the matters of relationships, however he had seen quite a few soap opera’s when he put the TV on for background noise in the evenings.
Daichi on the other hand was just as clueless. These were new feelings that he was experiencing, since his past was filled with bullying and abuse.
Even so, he trusted his brother with his life, and apparently his relationships also.
The duo went to the cafeteria in order to get some breakfast, planning on meeting Hiroki when they arrived.
Daichi seemed to be holding out hope that Miho would be there to inspect them again, however she was nowhere to be seen.
Fighting back his disappointment, he collected his food and headed to the table where Hiroki was. After a quick yet sincere apology, the three sat down and enjoyed their breakfast.
Thankfully everything went back to normal and there was no petty jealousy remaining.
It was then that the coaching staff walked into the cafeteria, donning their National team outfits. Judging by the fact they were carrying all sorts of notepads and sheets of paper, they likely just finished a meeting.
Coach Takashi, Miho and Chris along with a few others that were present yesterday went and placed their belongings down at a table not far from Ken and the others.
Ken’s father sent him and Daichi a wink before heading up to grab his own breakfast. He made sure that no one could see it, before wearing his serious expression once more.
They would likely keep up this facade until the team members were finalized.
Upon their arrival, most of the teens quietened down. The atmosphere seemed to become tense, like they were at an execution.
The only people unaffected seemed to be Riku and the others who’d already competed for the National Team.
Ken on the other hand only felt intimidated for a moment before the feeling washed away completely, like water off a ducks back.
‘Dauntless trait huh?’ He couldn’t help but smile as he already felt the effects of his new rewards already paying dividends.
After a tense breakfast, everyone turned their attention to Coach Takashi who had just stood up and cleared his throat.
“Everyone, gather your things and meet on the baseball field in 30 minutes. That is all.”
With that, the coaching staff left the cafeteria without another word.
It seemed that they were using the Tokyo University baseball facilities today instead of the park they were at yesterday. Ken thought it was a little odd, but he shrugged it off.
Who was he to question the eccentric coach?
Once the coach’s left, the cafeteria broke into whispers and mumbles. The atmosphere which was thick enough to cut with a knife was suddenly filled with nerves and anxiety.
This was particularly so from those who had failed to receive a bib yesterday.
“Are you guys ready?” Ken asked, looking at both Daichi and Hiroki.
“Let’s do it.”
“Aye aye sir.”
Daichi saluted after borrowing Ken’s catchphrase from the day before, eliciting a bunch of laughter from the trio. Many eyes looked at them, yet they didn’t care.
Around 30 minutes later, all of the players arrived on the Tokyo University field raring to go.
The grounds were well maintained and was many times better than the one at Yokohama, though it fell short of Koshien. Perhaps only Daichi’s school would have similar standards to the university.
Ken didn’t have long to think before his father stood in front of the group and took them through a bunch of warm up exercises. While everyone usually had their own routine, this could be considered due diligence on the coaching staff’s behalf.
After all, the 24 teens here were handpicked as the top under 18 players in the entire nation. If they were to get injured during tryouts, it could be a great loss for Japan as a whole.
Once the warm ups were complete, Chris spoke up with his clipboard back in his grasp.
“Today we’ll be going through some more drills to get an idea of your baseball skills. We’ll continue as a group at the start and then break into your specific roles.”
Chris’s voice rang out over the players as he moved his gaze from left to right. His usual warm features were replaced with a sense of professionalism, as if he’d flipped a switch.
“Keep in mind this is the final day of tryouts so do not hold anything back. We have 16 positions to fill, which means 8 of you will be going home at the end of today.”
Some of the players who didn’t receive a bib yesterday shuffled nervously, however Daichi’s hands balled into fists as his face filled with determination.
He was confident in his abilities on the baseball field. As long as he could perform as usual, there should be no issues being able to appeal to the coaching staff.
This time Coach Takashi stepped forward, running his hand through his goatee as he inspected the players. His gaze was sharp, yet his expression gave nothing away.
“Do your best today. Show us that you deserve to be on the team, the one that will take down the United States in the World Cup.”
He didn’t say much, but those words were enough to light a fire within the players. The lofty goal of defeating America didn’t sound so far fetched or out of reach when coming from this man.
“Yes sir!”
Ken’s voice rang out from the back of the pack, causing all of the players to turn and face him.
Daichi and Hiroki were horrified as they slowly shuffled a few steps away from Ken who had drawn everyone’s attention. They felt a wave of second hand embarrassment assault them, causing their face to redden.
‘Ah crap.’
Ken had been so caught up in the speech that he’d blurted out something unconsciously.