It was rather odd to see that it was still night time, considering it had been over 10 hours since they’d left Japan. Unfortunately, they would likely be feeling jet lagged for a while.
Once they arrived on the bus, Chris stood up the front and addressed the team.
“Guys, I know it’s been a long flight but please bear with us. We’ll be staying at a hotel near Rodger stadium where our games will be taking place. If you haven’t already, make sure you get plenty of rest when we arrive at the hotel as we’ll need to be up early the next morning.”
Chris’s words had a mixed reaction from the players. Some were excited, while others were groaning since they had already gotten a lot of sleep on the plane.
Once arriving at the Hotel, Ken took in the sight in the surroundings. Although it was dark, there was still the sound of traffic and the lights from the streets, showing that there was likely a lot of night activity in the city.
“Let’s head inside and wait in the lobby while I get our keys.” Chris advised.
Thankfully there was not long to wait until everyone was handed their keys.
There were 2 players to a room which meant Hiroki had to miss out on bunking with one of them once again. Undeterred, Ken and Daichi went up the elevator and eventually found their room.
It was a simple studio with 2 single beds, a bathroom and a kitchenette.
The two weren’t expecting much, but it had air conditioning and a large window to take in the view.
“Well, how was your first plane trip?” Ken asked with a grin.
“Terrifying.” Daichi admitted, before flopping onto the bed and bouncing a little as if to test the firmness of the mattress.
“Have you ever been on a plane before?”
Ken nodded. “I’ve been to America before to visit my Grandfather but I was young.”
“Well, I guess he’s your Grandfather now too.” He added with a chuckle.
Daichi was silent for a while as he heard this. It was a funny feeling having a relative that he’d never met, especially since he was adopted into Ken’s family.
On one hand he wanted to meet this Grandfather, but on the other hand he was afraid of being rejected. Not all people could be like Chris and Yuki who took him in and made him feel a part of the family.
“Can you tell me more about our Grandfather?” Daichi asked.
Ken shook his head, “I’ve only met him a couple of times when I was younger. All I remember was that he was very tall and would always buy me small gifts whenever he saw me.”
“Are Dad and him not close?”
Ken paused for a while, trying to think. Since he’d regressed, it was almost 15 years since he’d last seen his Grandfather. His father never really talked about him, so he didn’t have much information.
“I’m not sure, you’ll have to ask Dad.” Ken replied, feeling a little wistful.
It was only now that Daichi brought it up that Ken felt it was weird. He also wondered if his father had visited his Grandfather any of the times he was in America for work.
“Can you tell me about your old family?”
Ken wasn’t sure where he found the courage to ask this, since he’d made a point of trying not to bring up such depressing things in front of his brother. Yet there was something that made him want to ask about it.
Perhaps it was because he felt guilty for not really showing care or concern towards Daichi in his previous life. Or maybe it just felt like the right time to ask.
Thankfully, Daichi didn’t react negatively to the question, he merely silently stared at the ceiling for a while, as if he was formulating the words in his head.
“I never really knew my Dad.” He said softly.
Ken put his bags down and sat down on the edge of his bed, facing his brother. He didn’t say anything as he waited for Daichi to continue.
“He died when I was little, leaving just me and my… biological mother.” Daichi paused for a little before uttering those words.
It didn’t feel right to call that woman his mother. Doing so would be unfair to Yuki who had accepted him with love and affection.
“I never met anyone else in my family and even though I had my father’s last name, it was far too common for me to try and track down my relatives.”
“It wasn’t until I met you last year that my life finally started to change for the better. Now I have a family that loves me and a brother who is also my best friend.”
Daichi’s words were sincere and full of emotion. This was the first time that Ken had heard his brother speak of this since they’d adopted him into the family.
“I had no attachment to my old family name, which was why I took up the name Takagi the moment I could. Even if my old family were to track me down, they would at least know that I’m no longer part of them.”
Ken felt the heavy words wash over him, filling him with a hint of melancholy.
While everything had worked out in this life, just what kind of existence did Daichi live in his previous life?
The fact that he was a garbage friend weighed on his conscience heavily.
‘I never had a right to be his friend in my previous life… But I won’t let it happen again.’
Ken’s made a vow in his heart as he looked at his brother. He would not let the same thing happen again, he would protect this guy so he could continue to grow and succeed.
He owed him that much.
BUZZ BUZZ
As soon as the sound of a phone rang out, Daichi quickly reached into his pocket and looked at the message. His earlier serious expression turned into a love-drunk one as he smiled stupidly at the phone in front of him.
Ken saw this and felt all of his earlier conviction get flushed down the toilet.
He let out a sigh and laid down on the bed.
‘Mika, activate sleep protocol please.’