Chapter 37: First Game (1)

It was a long few days of waiting as Chris and Yuki anticipated the adoption paperwork to be processed by the legal system. They had decided to refrain from telling the boys the good news until everything was finalized, in case there were any issues. However, Ken was no longer a naive teenager. He caught glimpses of his mother humming and dancing happily as she cooked dinner, or his father's glimmering eyes when he looked at Daichi from time to time. Although he had an idea, he decided to keep his guesses to himself so as not to spoil the good news for everyone. Daichi and Ken both continued to go to school and baseball practice as usual, not forgetting to keep up with their daily exercises despite no new quests being issued by the system. Ken had taken the remaining Strength and Agility Elixirs that week. Unfortunately, his suspicions about the C-grade Elixirs were true. While he had gained three grades in strength, his agility had not improved at all. This meant that C-grade Elixirs were not able to improve his attributes once they reached the B-grade. Thus, he would have to either break through his limits in training or wait until the next lot of quests were issued. Ken woke up on Saturday morning, glancing at his alarm, which was set to go off in a few minutes. His body clock had now adjusted to his early morning routine, meaning he could probably turn off the alarm for good. However, he refrained. He was feeling a little bittersweet today. This was because today was their friendly match against the Kanagawa Senior baseball team. While Daichi had made the starting lineup as a second baseman thanks to his stellar performances in fielding and batting during practice, Ken had been left behind. Ken had made some improvements in his batting over the past week, but they were not enough to make up for his lack of throwing capabilities, nor were they great compared to others on the team. If he were to enter the lineup, he would be relegated to the last in the batting order. The most frustrating thing was that he had not had a chance to showcase the skills he received from the system with the training they were given. He couldn't show off his bunting or base running abilities. Perhaps he would have been able to do so in the friendly match today, but the coach had already listed him as a bench player. Another thing that annoyed him a little was that his parents would both be attending the game today. Even during his previous life, his father was rarely able to attend his games due to his work. Lamenting his current situation, he got out of bed and got ready for his morning run. The game was at 10 a.m., so they had plenty of time to work up a sweat and eat breakfast before needing to gather for warm-ups. He met Daichi downstairs and instantly felt better. His friend was clearly nervous about his first game, even if it was just a friendly. Ken thought that it was hilarious; however, he didn't make fun of him. The two completed their run and stretching, which seemed to calm Daichi down quite a bit. They returned home and showered before sitting down for breakfast at the dining table as usual. "Where is Dad?" Ken asked curiously, not seeing him at the table. "Oh, he had to run a few errands this morning, but he'll be here to drive us to the game," Yuki answered, unable to hide the bright smile on her face. Even Daichi felt as if something was weird; however, he didn't feel like it was a bad thing, quickly turning his attention to the bacon and eggs on his plate. He had already integrated into the family seamlessly, not once thinking about his mother for this whole week. Soon enough, Ken's dad walked in the door with a similar smile on his face. He locked eyes with his wife and sent a wink her way, eliciting a giggle in response. Before Ken could comment on the two lovebirds' actions, his father swept up a piece of bacon and took a few bites with vigor. "Who is ready to play some baseball?" Daichi's face lit up, and he answered like the true kid he was, "Me!" "Alright, well hurry up and finish your breakfast. You won't be able to hit any home runs on an empty stomach, right?" He flashed a grin and nudged Daichi's large shoulders. "Yes, sir!" Soon enough, everyone left the house along with their bags and equipment. Daichi felt a little awkward considering he didn't have his own baseball gear, but thankfully the boys had similar-sized feet, so Ken was able to lend him a spare pair. They soon arrived at the Kanagawa baseball field, which was about a 20-minute drive from their home. "It looks like there are a few people here already warming up. You two go and get ready; we'll be in the spectator seats," Chris said, shooing the two away. "Thanks, Dad." "Thanks, Mr. Takagi." Ken and Daichi made their way over to their coach while Chris and Yuki watched them with a smile. "Why didn't you want to tell him yet?" Yuki asked, wrapping her arm around her husband's waist and leaning against him. Chris pulled her in close and responded softly, "It's his first ever baseball game, even if it's only a friendly. If Daichi wins, then it will be a cherry on the cake; if he loses, then it will cheer him up. Let's let him focus on playing first." Yuki let out a chuckle. "Daichi, Ken. You two came here together?" Keisuke made his way over, shielding his eyes from the morning sun. "Yeah, he lives close by," Ken said, not wanting to expand. "What's the coach's mood like today?" he continued, changing the subject.