Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 87

#86. Am I Doing Something Wrong?

“Han Su-hyeok, you’ve shown incredible performance today. There was a slight collision during base running earlier, are you feeling alright?”

The reporter cautiously extended the microphone towards Han Su-hyeok, who wasn’t usually a big smiler but seemed particularly cold today.

Having witnessed everything Han Su-hyeok had done today, she couldn’t understand his expression. Why would a player who scored 8 RBIs [Runs Batted In, a baseball statistic], including 2 home runs, look so grim?

“I’m perfectly fine.”

However, an even colder response came back. The reporter snapped back to attention, realizing the kind of scolding she might face if she continued the interview this way.

Sensing the danger, the reporter asked a question that wasn’t in her script.

“The Daejeon players showed great fighting spirit today. Did you find it challenging playing against them?”

“Fighting spirit?”

Han Su-hyeok’s cold expression hardened even more. The reporter realized she had made a mistake, but the situation was already unfolding.

She stammered, almost involuntarily.

“Yes, uh, yes, fighting spirit…”

“If that’s what you call fighting spirit, then I think baseball shouldn’t have anything like that.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll stop here. Sorry, I’m not in good condition today.”

“Ah, yes, then congratulations again on winning today’s game…”

* * *

“Su-hyeok, are you really okay?”

“What do you mean, okay? I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Okay, good. If you ever need to talk, call me anytime.”

“Seriously, I’m fine, okay? Stop worrying all day and let’s go home. By the way, aren’t you going to date? You used to say you didn’t have money, but now I pay you enough. Go meet some women.”

“Look who’s talking… Sigh, never mind. Fine, let’s go home as you said. Tomorrow’s a day off, so go get some rest.”

The 3-game series against Daejeon was over.

And I was leaving the club office, listening to Seong-hoon hyung’s [older brother or close male friend] nagging.

In the first game against Daejeon, where Ryu Han-gyeol pitched, I scored 8 RBIs, including 2 home runs, but I didn’t add a single hit in the second and third games.

I couldn’t help it. The Daejeon pitchers practically had a fit when they saw me and only threw balls.

Since they weren’t throwing any good pitches, I forcefully hit a ball that was completely out of the zone, and after that, they just intentionally walked me.

A sweep of the 3-game home series against Daejeon.

We swept Daejeon, but our ranking remained unchanged at 3rd place. It was still too difficult to aim for 2nd place because the leaders, Incheon and Suwon, were running away with it.

Meanwhile, Daejeon, which had entered a do-or-die mode under the owner’s orders, eventually lost their 5th place to Changwon and fell to 6th.

In the first game, they were beaten badly by me, in the second game, Max hit a come-from-behind home run after a long time, and in the third game, starting pitcher Cheon Sang-jin and closer Yang Gi-cheol led us to sink Daejeon.

Some players, including Kim Se-joon, who had bared their teeth at me in the first game, couldn’t even look me in the eye from the second game, and some players’ socks were back down around their ankles.

I don’t know what will happen to the Falcons players who returned to Daejeon completely shattered like that.

“Hello, you’re working hard.”

“Oh, Han Su-hyeok. You’re leaving work now. There’s nothing wrong in the complex, so go home and rest easy. Hehe.”

Now that I think about it, I don’t know why I was so angry.

Whether that anger was directed at the Daejeon players who were raising their spikes at me, or at the club owner who was trying to control those players like possessions.

Or even at the baseball scene in this country, where outdated mindsets still prevail.

But I decided not to think about it or worry about it anymore.

I’ll just play my baseball.

Trudge, trudge.

Come to think of it, I didn’t see Min Ye-rin in the stands today, even though she’s there every day.

Maybe she was there, but I just didn’t see her.

I don’t know.

I really need to rest today.

It was a 3-game series that was exhausting both physically and mentally.

* * *

Now and then, I don’t think I’ve ever gone against my own will.

Whether it’s a personal matter or a public one.

In other words, there was no one around me who could break my stubbornness.

I’ve lived my life doing what I wanted, but seeing that things haven’t gone according to plan at all, I’m starting to doubt my judgment.

Anyway, there are only two people in my life who can interfere and tell me what to do.

One is my late mother, and the other is Seong-hoon hyung.

“Yaaawn…”

The next morning, or is it closer to dawn at this point?

It was a day off after the 3-game series against Daejeon, and I was awake early, wondering what to do today.

There’s no team practice, so it’s awkward to go to the stadium, and it’s awkward to call Jacob to do personal training with his daughter.

As I was wondering how to spend a day without baseball, suddenly,

Ding-dong

A doorbell ringing at 7 a.m., who could it be?

The curiosity didn’t last long. The culprit was Seong-hoon hyung.

– Open the door, you punk.

“Huh? Why so early…”

– Just open the door.

He knows the password to the front door anyway, why is he ringing the doorbell like that?

Click.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

“Cough!”

“Hey, you crazy bastard! Why are you naked!”

…So that’s why he was ringing the bell like that.

Min Ye-rin screamed and ran away at the sight of me wearing nothing but my boxer briefs.

Hmm, it’s a bit embarrassing, but she should just think of it as being at a swimming pool, why is she making such a fuss?

No, in the first place, what’s going on at someone else’s house at this hour? Why are those two together?

“You should have said you were with someone. Wait, let me get dressed.”

“Sigh… I’m going crazy, really. Hurry up and get dressed.”

I went into the room, put on my training clothes, and came back to the front door.

Seong-hoon hyung was holding the door open with a troubled expression, and Min Ye-rin’s face, who had run away and come back, was flushed red as if it would explode.

Why are they making such a fuss? If she’s a celebrity, she must have taken swimsuit photos with male singers and actors.

“Come in, and you too, come in.”

“Ugh…”

“Yes? Ah, yes, so I…”

“Let’s talk inside.”

The two of them came into the house at my words.

No, but really, Seong-hoon hyung is one thing, but what’s that woman doing here in the morning?

“Hyung, Min Ye-rin, let’s just ask one thing. What’s going on at this hour?”

“Never mind, let’s start cleaning up here together.”

“Cleaning? What cleaning? The cleaning lady who takes care of things came last week, right?”

“When was that? Never mind, cleaning is essential to welcome guests. Min Ye-rin, can you be ready by 10:30?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, yes. I think that’ll work. My aunt said she’d bring the food at 11.”

“Okay, then I’ll take care of this house, so Min Ye-rin, please go and prepare.”

“Okay!”

Min Ye-rin, who had been exchanging incomprehensible words with Seong-hoon hyung, jumped up and disappeared out the front door.

“…Um, what are you trying to do now?”

“Never mind, let’s start with a big cleaning because we don’t have much time.”

* * *

Everything happened in an instant.

I cleaned the house with Seong-hoon hyung, who came at seven in the morning, and just as I was about to catch my breath, people I had never seen before rushed into the house and started preparing something.

While I was standing there blankly, something was constantly being set up in our living room.

A set of simple tables and chairs, a huge amount of food and drinks.

Wait, could this be…?”

“Hyung, is this what I think it is?”

“How would I know what you’re thinking?”

“Is it a housewarming party, our housewarming party?”

“Hehe, yeah, that’s right. We’re having your housewarming party today. During the day because there’s a game tomorrow.”

No, a housewarming party that the homeowner doesn’t know about?

Everything’s fine, but why is that woman so excited?

“Min Ye-rin, just a moment.”

“Yes? Ah, me?”

“Just a moment, just put that down for a second.”

I stopped Min Ye-rin, who was holding something in her hand and diligently going back and forth between her house and my house.

And I took her into my room.

“Um… I’m not ready yet…”

“What is that… No, never mind, what is all this right now? Who are those people?”

“Just Su-hyeok, no, Su-hyeok oppa [term of endearment used by a younger woman to an older man], just sit on the sofa like a homeowner and get ready to welcome guests. The players said they’d be here by 12.”

“Players? Our team players? How many?”

“I told all the first-team players to come. Some people will be missing, so will there be about twenty people? And oppa, I told you to drop the honorifics last time…”

“That’s not important right now…”

“I won’t answer if you don’t drop the honorifics.”

“Ah, okay. No, okay. But more than twenty people are coming? How can that many people fit in our house…”

“Hehe, so I’m going to host half at our house. I’m setting up tables over there too. Keep both houses open and oppa can go back and forth.”

This woman, look at the scale.

“Still… And this will bother the neighbors.”

“It’s okay. I met them all yesterday and asked for their understanding. I just brought them food and they liked it? They said it’s like a neighborhood festival.”

Hmm, did she use the value of the name Min Ye-rin in that way?

I don’t know… I think this is out of my hands.

* * *

“Su-hyeok! We’re here… Huh!”

“Hello! Welcome!”

As the promised 12 o’clock approached, Warriors players began to enter one by one.

Each of them holding things like toilet paper and detergent in their hands.

Jo Seong-oh, Ahn Chi-wook, and Seo Hyeong-joo, who arrived first, were surprised by the unexpected situation and hesitated to step back.

“Come in! Sit over there!”

“Oh, oh, yes, I, I will. Let’s go in for now.”

Ahn Chi-wook and Seo Hyeong-joo, looking strange, came to me and asked.

“What, why is Min Ye-rin here?”

“I don’t know… me neither.”

“It’s your house, who would know if you don’t?”

“Would you believe me if I said I just found out we’re having a housewarming party today?”

“Who?”

“Me.”

“It’s your housewarming party and you just found out we’re having a housewarming party?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

Colleagues arrived one after another. Min Ye-rin greeted those guests like a hostess and skillfully guided them to both houses.

Buzzing, bustling.

The not-so-small house was filled with people.

At first, I was quite embarrassed and confused. It’s only natural that the house, which was always as quiet as a temple, suddenly became a party venue.

But that confused feeling gradually subsided over time.

“Oh, it’s real! I heard Han Su-hyeok lives in our apartment! Nice to meet you. I’m a Warriors fan!”

“Ah, ah, yes. I don’t know who you are, but welcome.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll shamelessly get some food. Fighting this year!”

I’m getting used to it little by little.

Someone coming to our house, a stranger I don’t know talking to me, and getting along with many people.

I, who had a hard time with all of that, am now beginning to accept this absurd sight.

I think I know now.

Why Seong-hoon hyung and Min Ye-rin planned this ridiculous housewarming party.

How my slightly different appearance was reflected in those two people.

Yeah, it’s not so bad to spend a day being led by someone else’s hand, not my own, every now and then.

“Okay! Pay attention for a moment! There’s a game tomorrow, so we can’t play for long, and we need to hear what the homeowner, Su-hyeok, has to say!”

“Ooh…!”

“Me? Suddenly?”

“Well, if you have nothing to say, you can sing a song. Yeah, that’d be better.”

What a terrible thing to say.

I was slightly embarrassed by Jo Seong-oh’s sudden joke.

“I’ll do it. The song.”

“……?”

Min Ye-rin, who was standing one step behind me, ran up and grabbed a spoon upside down.

“Woah… What’s their relationship that she’s singing instead?”

“Never mind, it’s much better to listen to Min Ye-rin’s song than that dark guy’s song, come on, clap!”

“Wow!”

It’s getting worse. The eyes of the team members who came as guests and the residents of the upper and lower floors were all directed at Min Ye-rin.

Even the team members who were playing in the next house came into my house, wondering what was going on.

The house was so full that it was hard to even stand.

Receiving the attention of so many people, Min Ye-rin slowly opened her mouth.

-There were times when it was really hard. I thought it was all over then.

It was the song ‘For All Those Walking Together’ that Min Ye-rin released and dedicated to the Warriors the day after Lee Man-shik recorded a no-hitter a while ago.

-I couldn’t do anything when you were having a hard time. I’m sorry, I wanted to give up then too.

In the apartment living room without any sound equipment, her appearance of holding a spoon and singing without even a microphone was funny, but no one was laughing.

Because they knew the meaning of the lyrics so well, because they could feel the sincerity in her voice, they just listened silently.

-I’m back again, I’ll live for you, for us, for everyone.

-No one knows what will be on the road I’m going to take. But it’s okay. Because it’s a road I’m going with you.

The song that is being used as Lee Man-shik’s cheering song after that day’s game, but at this moment, it is being sung for the entire Warriors team, not for any individual.

The last verse of the song echoed.

-For you, for me, and for everyone, until the last moment of life, until that last moment…

Why is that?

The lyrics that I thought had nothing to do with me suddenly dig into my heart.

Everyone’s eyes were on Min Ye-rin, who had finished singing.

And her eyes were on me.

This is a big problem.

I’m starting to think I’m doing something very wrong.