Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 83

#82. An Incomprehensible Enemy

There were countless women who once tried to get close to me.

Among them were sports reporters, journalists burning with journalistic passion, and employees working in the team’s front office.

There were influencers who collected athletes like accessories, and scammers who tried to extort money from celebrities.

Oh, and there was also a woman who was the daughter of the mayor of Cleveland. Right. She was quite a nuisance.

But the most memorable of them all was that pop star who chased after me for over a year.

We exchanged a few words because of the opening game’s ceremonial first pitch and performance, and after that, she followed me not only to home games but also to away games.

When my shoulder was injured and I was lying alone in a hospital bed, she even cried, saying she would drop her European tour and fly to me right away.

What did I say back then?

Did I tell her to just get lost because she was annoying?

Well.

I was just immature back then. I was definitely younger mentally than I am now.

And I was very exhausted.

I was so focused on succeeding as a baseball player that everything around me disappeared, and eventually, my shoulder was injured. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.

‘Han, you don’t know how to be loved by anyone at all. You poor thing.’

I suddenly remember those last words she said to me over the phone.

Damn it…….

Why does this come to mind, but…….

Why can’t I remember that woman’s name?

What kind of life have I been living?

“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you spacing out like that? What did you do last night instead of sleeping?”

“Shut up, and go swing your bat instead of disturbing your brother enjoying the sunlight. The game is starting soon.”

“Ha, look who’s acting like a senior. Hey, I got two hits yesterday.”

“Yeah, I got a double and a home run.”

“…Damn it.”

After finishing the 3-game away series against Suwon, we are now preparing for a 3-game series against the Daejeon Falcons at home.

It is the first match between the two teams since the trade between Jung Tae-ho and Seo Hyung-joo.

After that trade, the Daejeon front office, fans, and players, enraged by Seo Hyung-joo’s outstanding performance, will be sharpening their knives at us.

Moreover, it’s a game where we have our second starter Brooks Parker pitching, and they have their ace Ryu Han-gyul pitching.

In many ways, a bloody game is expected.

But I was taking a break from training, blankly basking in the early summer sunshine.

After chasing away Seo Hyung-joo, who was bothering me, I thought about what happened last night again.

The mysterious box that was left in front of my house, and Min Ye-rin, who was the culprit who threw that box.

I called her, who had turned pale, and brought her into the house.

Looking back, it was a slightly dangerous action.

Even though there are only three houses on our floor, and one of them is still empty, it would be a perfect scene to cause misunderstandings if someone happened to see that.

Anyway, I had no choice but to invite her into my house once again.

It was obviously food prepared for me.

Even if only for that sincerity…….

No. To be honest, yesterday I think I felt for the first time that I didn’t want to eat alone.

Thud.

Two bowls of abalone porridge that she made were placed on the kitchen table, which I rarely use.

Even though it was early summer, the night air was still cool.

But Min Ye-rin’s forehead was beaded with sweat as she ate the abalone porridge.

So I asked.

‘Are you hot?’

‘Yes? Oh, no. I’m just nervous.’

‘Ah… Are you uncomfortable? I guess I did something unnecessary. A woman in a house where a man lives alone… Would you like to go home now, even now?’

I was serious.

When I think about it, from her point of view, she came alone to the house of a man at night, a dark man who is 192cm tall [approximately 6’4″]. I thought she might be scared.

But she didn’t answer my words and kept eating the abalone porridge.

Seeing her eat so well, even though she made it herself, I guess she originally likes porridge.

I also ate very well. The freshly boiled abalone porridge was the perfect food for me, as I missed warm food.

After finishing almost three servings of abalone porridge, a cup of coffee that Min Ye-rin had made was placed in front of me.

For 10 minutes, we didn’t say anything. Only the sound of lifting and putting down coffee cups was heard in the house.

I was the first to speak.

‘Ms. Min Ye-rin, um… I’ve said it once before, but I’ll say it again formally. Thank you so much.’

At my words, she looked at me in surprise. It was as if she was asking what that meant.

‘What, what is it?’

‘What you’ve done for our team so far. Congratulatory performances, marketing sponsorships, events for the audience… And coming to the stadium to cheer every day… I’m grateful for all of it.’

Min Ye-rin’s face turned red.

‘It seems like you’re still hot even though the window is open? Should I turn on the air conditioner?’

‘Oh, no. Oh my, why am I like this?’

I guess she’s originally a person who gets hot easily. Maybe it’s because of the warm food she just ate.

‘And I’m also very grateful that your father is in charge of our team’s funds… Oh, I also asked for some personal funds. Of course, I’ll give you a separate commission for that.’

‘I know, I heard.’

What’s interesting about these two father and daughter is that even though I entrusted them with a large sum of 45 billion won [approximately $34 million USD], they never asked or were curious about the source of the money.

The only reaction Min Ye-rin showed after hearing that story was this.

‘I heard you’re investing in a slightly unexpected sector. My dad said you could lose it all if you’re not careful. Um… but it’s okay. A man shouldn’t be bound by money when he has big ambitions. Don’t worry. If you lose all that money, I’ll lend it to you!’

‘Pardon?’

‘The amount is a bit large, but… it’s okay. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back to releasing albums, doing events in China, filming commercials diligently… 45 billion won at once is a bit much, but I’ll try my best. Soo-hyuk, you just focus on baseball!’

The words, ‘Why are you worrying about that?’ came up to my throat but went back down.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything because of her clenched fists and burning fighting spirit.

I don’t think I’ll lose that money, but even if I do, why is that woman…….

Well, that’s that.

‘But Ms. Min Ye-rin, why do you call me Soo-hyuk nim [a Korean honorific]?’

‘Yes? Then what should I call you?’

‘Well, you can just call me by my name, Soo-hyuk ssi [another Korean honorific]? Is that a bit weird? Han Soo-hyuk ssi? Anyway…….’

‘Ah…….’

‘Above all, you call me Soo-hyuk-ah, Soo-hyuk oppa [term used by younger women to address older brothers or male friends] at the stadium, right?’

‘That’s…….’

At my words, Min Ye-rin’s face turned red again. This woman really gets hot easily.

‘I can’t do this. I’ll turn on the air conditioner.’

‘No, that’s not it…….’

That’s how the air conditioner started running a little early from the beginning of June.

The temperature inside the house quickly dropped. I continued to speak.

‘I also heard you call me ‘You son of a bitch’ when I hit a double play last time.’

‘Gasp!’

‘It’s okay. You get cursed at if you don’t play baseball well. Anyway, let’s put aside everything else and at least organize the honorifics comfortably.’

‘Ah… May this humble girl really do that…….’

‘Pardon?’’

‘No! Then I’ll just call you Soo-hyuk oppa.’

‘But we’re the same age.’

‘It’s okay, I was born in December, so I have a lot of people who are the same age as me who I call oppa.’

Really? These days, people of the same year call each other oppa based on their birthday? Is that how the young people of this land live these days?

I don’t know.

Anyway, that was the end of the story between her and me. The end of a long conversation that lasted from night to dawn.

When I told Sung-hoon hyung [older brother or close male friend] that story at the team office this morning, I immediately got cursed at.

What did he say, a moron who only knows baseball, a fool?

Hmm.

I don’t feel good, but let’s move on for now.

Anyway, today we have to play a game against the 5th-place team, Daejeon.

The Daejeon players, who arrived at the stadium early and finished training first, are talking about something in the away team’s dugout in the distance.

Some of them have such fierce eyes that it’s ominous just to look at them.

What, what did we do wrong?

You guys were the ones who signed the contract, right?

* * *

“Director Yang, you know I met the chairman last week, right?”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, he told me not to come back to Daejeon if we lose the game against the Warriors and just live in Seoul. He said he would transfer me to a warehouse management position in a Seoul affiliate.”

“…….”

“I’m not kidding. We’re only maintaining our 5th-place position, so it’s only this much. If we’re not careful, you and I will be turning on hard mode in our lives right away.”

“No, the chairman was the one who suggested sending Seo Hyung-joo in the first place… And Jung Tae-ho is 괜찮잖습니까 [gwaenchanseumnikka – Korean for ‘okay,’ ‘alright,’ or ‘not bad’], right?”

“Hey, is that what you should be saying right now? Doesn’t a director know that it’s not easy to get paid by someone else? Does the chairman think, ‘I ordered that trade, so even if we fall out of 5th place, I should understand,’ right now?”

“Haaa…….”

“Shut up and go win no matter what. No matter what. You know Changwon is right behind us, right? If we lose to the Warriors and lose our 5th-place position, we’ll have to throw our resignations first.”

Falcons’ Director Yang Doo-seok, who came out of the president’s office, picked up the phone and connected a call somewhere.

The operations team leader, who accompanied him on the Seoul expedition, answered the phone after a few rings.

“It’s me, Team Leader Moon. Yes, as I said yesterday, we have to play this 3-game series in Jamsil with the mindset of playing fall baseball [playoff baseball]. Ace or whatever, take them down even before the 5th inning if necessary, and throw in all the pitchers you have. Even if the team shakes a bit after the Warriors game, we must gain an advantage in this 3-game series. Please convey my words accurately to the manager.”

* * *

I basically believe that if the players have the right attitude towards the game, any more fuss is a hindrance.

Here, having the right attitude towards the game is nothing special.

No matter what happened outside of baseball, and no matter what situation occurred within the team internally, I think it’s enough to have the mindset of doing everything you can. That’s all I think.

Of course, there are many teams that have been lingering in the bottom ranks for decades or can’t even get close to the Korean Series [championship series in Korean baseball] because that doesn’t work out well.

Anyway, in that sense, the Warriors team was maintaining the most ideal atmosphere I thought of. A balance between appropriate tension and appropriate relaxation.

The problem was the Daejeon team we were facing today.

“Hey, why is their atmosphere so fierce? They’re still in 5th place.”

“Did the chairman call them in and give them a group pep talk or something?”

“Eh, no way.”

“Anyway, we have to be careful today. Their eyes are all on fire.”

“Hyung-joo, don’t be scared for no reason.”

“Me? Scared? Eh…….”

“Hehe, right. I guess it was an unnecessary worry. Anyway, let’s just do what we have to do, no matter what they do.”

“Yes, captain.”

The Daejeon players, who shaved their heads as a group and wore their socks up like farmers, are glaring at us with their eyes on fire in the distance.

The game is about to start.

While our players are slowly warming up on the ground and spending their time leisurely, the Falcons players are exuding poison like players who came out for a national competition.

Without a single flaw, as if they want someone to see their spirit…….

“They’re doing that to show it off, right.”

“Show it off? To whom?”

Lee Chang-mo, who rarely speaks to anyone first, throws it out as if passing by.

“Someone among the front office staff who accompanied them on the expedition, more precisely, the Falcons owner who will receive a report through that person.”

“Ah…….”

“What can you do to make a living? The owner is angry, so you have to do a visible show like that. I’ve experienced the big leagues once, so I honestly don’t understand. What is that all about?”

I honestly agree, but on the other hand, I understand what those players are feeling in my head.

To a baseball player, the team owner is a being that is far away and cannot even be reached.

Depending on how that person sees you, the number in front of the salary you receive next season may change, and the contents of the contract you receive during FA [Free Agency] may change drastically.

Conversely, what if you get on their bad side once?

Your baseball life is ruined.

In that sense…….

Hmm.

“Shall we make a bet today?”

“What kind of bet?”

“Well, anything. Anyway, the loser buys Korean beef, how about that?”

“Do you have a lot of money?”

“I don’t have money, but my family has a lot of money.”

“Well… if you’re going to offer Korean beef in front of me, hey, Han Soo-hyuk, come here. Let’s do it together.”

Two classmates who are trying to make a Korean beef bet without any sense.

“What was the best thing after transferring from the Magicians? Well, um. An atmosphere where I can focus on baseball? Ah, it’s not that the Magicians weren’t like that. What should I say, anyway, there’s something like that.”

Senior Choi Min-seok, smiling leisurely while being interviewed by the team’s broadcasting production PD [Production Director].

“Soo-hyuk, is my hair okay? Doesn’t it look more voluminous today?”

“Yes, it looks like it’s not straightened well.”

“…I’m going crazy. Why is my curly hair getting worse as the days go by?”

Senior Yang Ki-cheol, whose severe curly hair is getting worse to the point where he can’t wear a hat well.

“Man-shik, what kind of academies should I send my kids to before they enter elementary school? Now my wife is even trying to send them to jump rope academies. Why is that even necessary?”

“Hyungnim [respectful term for older brother or senior], I know a lot about raising kids because I’ve raised them first. You have to learn jump rope. These days, they don’t do physical education classes as well as we did. If you can’t do it once, you can’t do it continuously, and then you’ll get teased and get hurt.”

“Damn it…….”

The team’s veteran players, worried about their children’s education.

I wonder if these people even imagine that the team owner is watching everything they do right in front of them.

Hmm.

When I think about it, I really need to keep my center well.

Even if Sung-hoon hyung is the team owner, the important things in this team will ultimately move according to my judgment.

At least I shouldn’t create things like those Falcons players shaving their heads unnecessarily, wearing their socks up, and shouting forced fighting as if to show someone.

“Okay, everyone gather around here.”

“Yes.”

“No matter what the Falcons do, we just have to play our baseball. You know Brooks hasn’t added a win for two games in a row, right? Don’t be scared just because the opponent is Ryu Han-gyul. We’ve already won once before. Okay, let’s say fighting when we count one, two, three. One, two, three.”

“Fighting!”

After shouting the slogan, the Daejeon players who are glaring at us in the distance come into view again.

I don’t know. Why are those guys making that face right now?

One thing is certain is that their endless animosity is constantly stimulating the emotions hidden inside me.

Anger? No, a slightly different emotion, the feeling of wanting to completely destroy the opponent.