As soon as the ball left Ken’s fingertips, he felt his intuition burn. The fastball he’d thrown was as good as any other he’d ever thrown before, especially under the effects of showdown.
Yet all he could do was watch as Leo’s body shifted, bringing his bat hurtling towards it.
WHOOOOOOSH
THWACKKK!
The timing was magnificent and the accuracy out of this world. It was as if Ken’s pitch was stationary atop a batting tee.
His heart sunk as he watched the ball fly into center outfield, its destination clear. Even without seeing this, the sound of the bat connecting with the ball was enough to know it was a home run.
The arena fell silent, save for the few New York fans scattered around.
Leo watched his ball for a while before casually tossing his bat aside. He began his jog around the bases, yet his gaze was focused upon Ken on the mound.
‘I will show you how far you are behind me, Ken…’ He muttered in his heart.
Ken’s gaze locked onto Leo’s and could feel the fire behind his eyes. There was no showboating or smugness in his gaze, just pure competitiveness.
“Sorry, that was my fault.” Ken heard a voice close by.
“It wasn’t your fault. I think he would have hit anything we threw at him.” Ken admitted, placing his hand upon his brother’s shoulder. “I bet he’s been studying us more than we’ve been studying him.” He said with a dry chuckle.
“Let’s move on. The game’s not over until the final horn.”
Daichi nodded and returned back to his spot behind the plate.
***
Back in his room, Michael had his head in his hands in despair.
“How could this be?” He muttered, “How could he hit that 104mph pitch so easily? Is he a monster?”
“What are you doing?” A female voice called out to him from the door, causing Michael to jump in fright. He turned his head only to see a beautiful woman with long black hair cascading down past her shoulders.
“R—Rachel? What are you doing in my dorm?” Michael asked with surprise.
Rachel huffed, “Tommy told me that you’re not coming to the party. The only reason I was going was because I thought you were as well.”
It was only now that Michael realized Rachel was wearing a beautiful red dress. It was tight in all the right places, showing off her soft shoulders.
“Sorry, but this is a very important game, I can’t miss it.” Michael swallowed before answering, trying to prevent his eyes from wandering too much.
Rachel’s interest was piqued. She walked over and sat beside him on the bed, causing Michael to flinch.
“Is this the Ligers vs Yanks?” She asked curiously.
Though he felt his heart beat loudly in his chest, Michael nodded. “They’re playing each other for the next 3 nights, but this game is special because Ken is pitching.”
Rachel frowned, “Is this the first game of the series?”
“Yes, why?”
“This game is already over… The Ligers got shutout.” She said matter-of-factly.
“EH!? What are you talking about? The game is live.” Michael said, not believing her.
She shook her head and walked over to the TV, pointing at the watermark in the corner. “You’re watching it on a local network, of course its delayed. Unless its a nationally broadcasted game, it likely isn’t live, especially since its being played in Detroit.”
Michael’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
He did not watch the Majors apart from the World Series with his father every year. He had no clue that there were delayed broadcasts, nor was he aware that not every game was broadcasted nationally.
“I—I don’t understand…” He muttered.
Rachel was about to admonish him for not understanding, but then she saw his expression. It was utter shock, something that was a little too dramatic for the situation.
“How could they have been shutout… It’s not possible.” He said, lifting his gaze. The camera was on Ken and Daichi who were standing around the mound. He could see them in good spirits, strategizing.
“Why are you reacting like this? Do you know someone in the team?” She asked.
Michael was silent for a while, still coming to grips with the reality of the situation. He turned to Rachel and gazed at her listlessly, “My friend… He’s the pitcher for the Ligers.”
“Hmm? You have a friend in the Ligers? Don’t tell me it’s rookie Ken Takagi?” She asked with shock.
“Mmm…” Michael replied. He grabbed his signed ball from his bedside table and handed it to Rachel carefully. “I got that given to me at the U18 World Cup.”
Rachel held the ball carefully and looked at it, reading the words written on it. The signature was beautiful, as if it had been done by a professional calligrapher.
“Dream big… Never give up.” She said softly.
“Mmm. Ken was the reason I started baseball again. Back when I was in middle school, people used to bully me all the time because I was smaller than them. I never fought back because I didn’t want to make trouble for my parents.” Michael admitted, his smile not reaching his eyes.
“When I saw Ken play at the World Cup, there was something that drew me in. Seeing him was like staring at the bright sun, it was almost blinding. Yet the warmth I felt was intoxicating. It made me feel like maybe I could be like him one day.”
Rachel listened silently as Michael spoke, letting him say his piece.
“It seems like Ken is a very important person to you.” She said, handing him back the ball. “If he’s as amazing as you said he is, there’s no way he’ll let a small setback like this affect him.”
Rachel gave him a brilliant smile.
“So, how about instead of moping about in your room, you come to this party with me?” She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up off the bed.
Michael’s eyes fell upon hers for a few moments before a small smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. There’s no way he’d ever give up.”