Chapter 43: Announcement (1)

The smell of sizzling beef filled the air as Chris flipped the patties atop his Weber barbecue in the backyard. Although he loved to cook, with his busy work schedule he didn't get to do so often. Ken sniffed the air and lent back into his chair with a satisfied look on his face. He was currently deeply engrossed in the nostalgia this scent brought to his mind. Even though he was currently in his middle school body, including his past life, it had been almost 8 years since he had been able to smell his father's cooking. Daichi who was a sheltered Japanese child had to be educated about the barbecue, or what Americans refer to as grilling. "You'll need to know these things for when you join the Majors." Ken said, matter-of-factly. "Ahhh, I see. Does everyone do this in America?" Daichi asked with a curious expression. "Yes. This is a common method of cooking in the USA, there's no way you'll fit in if you don't get accustomed to such things. I hear they even grill for every meal." Ken schooled Daichi as if he was the big brother, despite never being to the states himself. Chris who was in the middle of flipping a patty almost dropped it after hearing the boys conversation, his face turning red from trying to hold in laughter. He didn't have the heart to correct his son, especially since he didn't want to embarrass him. Yuki smiled and nodded, as if to agree with what Ken was saying. Chris once again stifled a laugh, now understanding where Ken had probably gotten the misconception from. He was the only one who had been to the states, yet apparently he wasn't the leading authority on this topic. "Okay okay, lunch is ready." Chris announced, bringing the tray of delicious-smelling patties onto the outside table. The cheese was melted perfectly on the juicy hamburger patties, making everyones mouth water. As the head of the family, Chris began to assemble the burgers with mayonnaise, lettuce, onion, tomato, sliced pickles and ketchup. With an expert touch, he placed the top on the hamburger and placed one in front of each of them. Daichi stared at the meal with wonder, not sure how he was going to take a bite out of the huge burger without making a mess. Yet as his attention turned to Ken, he could see that it was unavoidable. It looked as if Ken unhinged his entire jaw like a snake, placing his mouth over a corner of the burger and taking a large bite. Instantly, sauce and juices began running down his chin, making their way onto his shirt. He then turned to Chris, who like Ken had also taken an unnaturally mammoth bite. Not only did the juices run down his chin, they also made their way onto his hands and ran down to his elbows. Daichi gulped and was about to take the plunge into his burger, however he moved his gaze over to the sweet and refined Yuki. His eyes almost popped out of his sockets as he saw that the burger had already been half-eaten in the time it took everyone to take 1 bite. To add to his shock, there was not a single bit of mess on her face, nor her hands. "You better eat up dear, it tastes a lot better while it's still warm." She said, smiling sweetly at him. "A-Ah yes ma'am." He replied, still feeling a sense of shock and awe at her capabilities. He gripped the burger with both hands, his face seeming as if he was about to step into battle. Crunch 'YUM!' Daichi's face lit up, his smile blossoming like a flower in the spring. It was so delicious that he did not even care that he was currently covered in all of the juices. Every bite was packed with a foreign flavor, blending together to create a party in his mouth. Before he knew it, he had already devoured half the burger, reveling in the new taste that had taken a hold of his life in this moment. There was only the sound of chewing for the next few minutes as the whole family was embroiled in their meals. Only Yuki who had already finished her burger began cleaning the barbecue. It wasn't until everyone had finished eating and cleaned up with a napkin that the silence was broken. Ken sat back in his chair, nursing his stomach which now contained the tasty lunch. "Ahhh, Dad's hamburgers are the best." He said contentedly, turning his gaze to Daichi who also seemed to be in a great mood. Chris laughed out loud, accepting the praise wholeheartedly. "But Dad. I seem to remember you only cooking hamburgers for special occasions, was this because of our first game?" Ken asked in a curious tone. "Well yes and no." Chris replied, a small smile forming on his face. "Honey, would you mind grabbing that thing for me?" He asked his wife who had just returned from the kitchen. A look of excitement flashed on her face as she nodded, heading up the stairs with haste that would put a galloping horse to shame. Yuki returned around a minute later with a laminated sheet of paper, resulting in a few questioning looks. "What's that?" Ken asked brazenly. "Now now, have some patience Kenny." Yuki reprimanded before taking her seat next to his father and hugging his arm sweetly, her face the picture of happiness. "Ken, Daichi. We have something that we have been keeping from you for the past few days. We were hoping to announce this after you won your first game, but we didn't expect things to end as they did." Chris said, his face unreadable. Ken's mind quickly went into overdrive, speculating what this news could be. He saw the way his mother was holding onto his father arm, yet in the next moment her left hand moved to her belly, resting gently upon it. 'WHAT!? Is Mom pregnant?' His eyes went wide in shock and fright as this thought came across his mind. They had never had another child in his previous life, so what had changed now?