Two others were removed to complete the 26-man roster. Thankfully this happened while Ken and the others were away. At this point, most of the players had already left the ballpark.
“So what now?” Daichi asked.
“Well, I don’t know about you but I’m going to call my wife…” Ken said, pulling out his phone.
“Ah, you’re right I should probably tell Miho.”
Rohan watched as the two walked away with their phones to their ears and shook his head. “I guess I’ll call my mom then…”
“Hey my beautiful wife.” Ken said after hearing Ai pick up.
“Hello my handsome husband.”
Ai’s giggles came through the phone speaker, filling Ken with happiness.
“I’ve got some good news… I made the team.”
“No way! Congratulations!” Ai squealed on the other end of the line.
There was a commotion in the background and Ken thought he could hear Tetsu blabbing.
“What is it? What’s happening?”
“Dad shush, I’ll tell you later.”
“Did he make the team!? Is he a Major Leaguer!?”
Ken laughed, hearing the two go back and forth on the other end of the phone. Eventually, Ai escaped to her room so the two of them could talk.
“So what happens now?” Ai asked.
“Well, we’ve still got some practice games left this week in Florida, but then I’ll be heading back to Detroit before the start of the season.” Ken explained.
“So should I come back to Detroit soon?”
“Mmm. Even though it’s been a week, I miss you.” Ken admitted.
“I miss you too, silly.”
“Ah, before you go… Never mind. We’ll talk about it in person. Gotta go, love you.”
Ken felt that something was up, but he respected her wishes and said his goodbyes, hanging up the phone. As he placed it in his pocket, he wondered what she could have wanted to say.
‘Maybe she feels bad for leaving her parents at home?’ he asked in his heart.
Now that Ken thought about it, he’d be traveling a lot for games throughout the season. Wouldn’t it be tough for Ai who would be alone all that time?
‘The house is big enough… Maybe they can move in?’
As much as he liked his own space, Ken wanted what was best for Ai. If that meant making a few sacrifices, he was willing to do this much.
“I’ll talk to her next week about it.” Ken muttered to himself.
“Ken, got a moment?” Daichi asked.
“Hmm? What’s up? How did it go with Miho?”
“It went well, but we’ve got a bit of an issue… I know you only just bought the house in Detroit and you’re a newlywed… But do you mind if Miho and I stay over for a while? Just until we can find our own place?” Daichi asked, looking a little pained.
“Sure man, don’t sweat it.” Ken said, patting his brother on the back. “Mi casa es tu casa1”
“Sorry?” Daichi blinked a few times in confusion.
“It’s Spanish… My house is your house, or something like that.”
“Ah, thanks man. We won’t need too long, maybe a few weeks.”
Ken waved his hand dismissively, “The house has 5 rooms, you can stay as long as you need. I’m sure Ai will enjoy the company when we go on the road.”
“Ken… I need a favor.” Rohan walked over, his head lowered slightly.
‘Not this guy too?’ Ken thought.
“Do you think I could also crash for a while at your house?”
Ken laughed in response. It sounded like his house was going to be like the dorms for a while.
“Sure, why not.” Ken replied with a wry smile. “For now, let’s focus on celebrating our official jump to the Major League!”
With his words, the atmosphere turned merry once more.
“So where should we celebrate? There’s quite a few decent restaurants in this area. My funds are a little lacking at the moment though.” Rohan added, clearing his throat.
However, Ken shook his head. “I’ve got a different kind of celebration in mind.” He said with a grin.
Rohan’s eyes lit up.
“Oh cool. I’ll tag along to whatever.” He replied.
But these were words that he certainly regretted just a few hours later.
Rohan was currently gasping for breath as he tried to keep up with the two figures ahead of him. But they kept getting further and further away, becoming silhouettes against the setting sun.
“Monsters…” he choked between gasps.
He almost gave up, but a small voice inside him screamed in protest. This was the same version of him that never wanted to give up even in his injured state. This voice was the only thing that had kept him going for those 2 horrible years.
“I’M COMING YOU BASTARDS!”
With a yell, he lifted his legs and powered through, ignoring the exhaustion in his body.
At the front of the pack, Ken grinned. His eyes moved to Daichi, assessing his current shape. Without a word he slowed down slightly to allow for Rohan to catch up.
Daichi did the same, keeping the pace with Ken without needing to be told. The two were in sync.
Once Rohan got a little closer, Ken picked up the pace again. “Just 2 more miles!”
He let out a laugh after hearing Rohan groan from behind. Ken knew exactly how to push those around him to do better. Not only did he have the Training Demon skill, but his Insightful trait allowed him to understand human emotion and motivation.
These were the perfect skills for a coach, which was why Ken intended on following his grandfathers footsteps at the end of his career. Of course he could also train his own children as well.
At the thought of having children, Ken felt a warmth from deep within his soul. His expression turned soft and he smiled sincerely.
“Too slow!” Daichi called out, taking this chance to take the lead.
“Oi! I’m the pack leader.” Ken yelled, pushing his body to the limit to surpass the guy.
Like this, the 3 ran together for the first time as members of the Detroit Ligers. But it would certainly not be the last.
Mi casa es tu casa literally means “my house is your house”