Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 107

#106. Someone’s Back

[Han Su-hyeok Makes Surprise Appearance as All-Star Game Closer, Strikes Out Three Consecutive Batters]

[Han Su-hyeok Hits 4 Consecutive Home Runs, Leads Dream All-Stars to Victory as Closer]

[Han Su-hyeok’s 168 km/h Pitch Likely to Remain Unofficial Korean Baseball Record for Fastest Pitch]

[Players Participating in All-Star Game: “He’s Even More of a Monster Up Close, An Unbelievable Player”]

[Dream All-Star Team Manager Gu Yong-sik Praises: “If We Only Had Players Like Han Su-hyeok, We Could Build a 10-Year Dynasty”]

[Challenge to Two-Way Player in Second Half? Han Su-hyeok: “Nothing Definite Yet”]

[Professional Baseball Enters 20-Day Break After All-Star Game]

[National Baseball Team Departs for United States, Where WBC [World Baseball Classic] Will Be Held, in 3 Days]

[Will Baseball Team Including Han Su-hyeok Wash Away the Shame of 2023 First Round Elimination?]

The 168 km/h fastball I threw yesterday was the fastest ball of my entire life.

I don’t know. To be honest, it wasn’t a full-power pitch, but it might have been because I was in unusually good condition yesterday.

Anyway, with the WBC coming up, I suddenly pitched and threw a 168 km/h ball, and a barrage of articles related to this poured out.

Interest in me wasn’t limited to Korea.

In Japan, which was in the same group as us in this WBC, and in China, which has been investing heavily in baseball recently, the media in both countries were giving various meanings to my appearance.

[Han Su-hyeok, Following in Ohtani’s Footsteps to Challenge as Two-Way Player, Will He Stand in the Way of Samurai Japan?]

[Samurai Japan, Aiming for Two Consecutive Championships After 2023, Begins Detailed Analysis of Pitcher Han Su-hyeok]

[Director Hoshino Kenji on Question About ‘Han Su-hyeok’: “It Doesn’t Matter Who the Opponent Is. The Important Thing Is Spirit”]

Well… it’s not like they haven’t been making a fuss and praising players from other countries like this before.

Considering the national character of Japan, it would be stranger if Ichiro, who said he would completely crush Korea, was normal.

Anyway, it seemed that Japan was also keenly aware of whether I would pitch or not. There were more than a few Japanese reporters who came to the airport to leave the country and held out microphones.

“Han Su-hyeok, was your pitching in the All-Star Game a move to prepare for the game against Japan?”

“Pardon?”

“Some say that the Korean national team has made a last-ditch effort to beat Japan. Is that correct?”

“That’s news to me.”

“Who is your most respected player? Is it Shohei Ohtani, after all?”

“It’s Cho Sung-oh and Lee Man-sik, my team seniors.”

“…….”

Maybe by tomorrow, 2ch [Japanese online forum] will be plastered with insults against me, but that’s none of my business.

At least the Japanese media was easy to deal with, compared to Chinese reporters.

The Chinese professional league, which started in earnest in 2019, has recently been spending a lot of money to buy big leaguers who are about to retire.

Of course, most of those players disappeared without making any special contributions.

“There are rumors that Han Su-hyeok’s ancestors were Chinese. Is that true?”

“We have information that you are doing secret pitching training to prepare for the match against China. What kind of training is it?”

“Do you have any plans to play in the Chinese professional league? Han Su-hyeok?”

They bothered me so much with ridiculous things that I said one thing to them.

“Do they even play baseball in China?”

“…….”

Maybe the Chinese will pour out insults at me after Japan, but that’s none of my business either.

I’ll only talk to people who make sense.

Anyway, on the morning of August 3, the day after the All-Star Game, 30 members of the WBC national team, including me and senior Jang Deok-soo, boarded a plane to the United States.

Until the 2023 tournament, even the finals were held in various countries, grouping countries in similar regions together.

As a result, a funny thing happened: the national team’s training camp for the WBC was held in the United States, but they were eliminated in the first round in Japan, so they couldn’t even go to the United States.

It was a complete disgrace.

The KBO [Korea Baseball Organization], which had high expectations for the WBC with the new president taking office, and therefore provided enormous support, from airplane seats to top-class hotels, was also frustrated.

Well, there’s no need to talk about that again, but the problem is that the aftermath is also affecting me.

“Okay, everyone, please bear with it even if it’s a little uncomfortable. This is all operated with the people’s taxes, so please bear with it. Thank you.”

The already large players were going to sit in economy class and go to the United States.

Honestly, I don’t care much, but it was a bit harsh for players who were physically unable to sit in economy class in the first place, or who had knee problems.

Jang Deok-soo, who is sitting next to me, was the case for both of those things.

“Ugh…….”

Of course, I understand the KBO’s position.

20 billion won [approximately $15 million USD] in operating expenses are supported every year, and a separate budget is allocated for each national team game.

Honestly, I didn’t even know that before I took over the club.

I didn’t know that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism supports the KBO’s operating budget every year, and that a separate budget is provided for each international competition.

The government budget also includes support for professional sports in a lump sum, so the general public has no way of knowing.

Anyway, they received support from the people’s taxes and were disgraced in the last tournament, so they have no choice but to be careful.

Hmm.

Even so, economy class is a bit harsh for Jang Deok-soo.

“Senior, are you okay?”

“I’m okay. I can just sit down. Don’t worry.”

Jang Deok-soo’s expression wasn’t good from the moment he was waiting to board the plane. It doesn’t seem to be because of the plane seat. It seems that the bruise on his knee that he suffered in the last game of the first half has not fully recovered.

I should have prepared a separate seat with the club’s budget.

But it’s too late to do anything now.

So, 30 national team players, staff, and KBO officials boarded the plane one by one.

He managed to sit down, but Jang Deok-soo’s expression looked so bad.

If I, who was sitting next to him, was a little smaller, things would have been better, but when I sat down, our legs were bumping into each other strangely, which was very uncomfortable.

“Excuse me, team leader. No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem right. I think you should do something about Jang Deok-soo’s seat.”

“Ah, Han Su-hyeok. I know what you mean, but… the national team regulations state that only players over 2m 5㎝ [approximately 6’9″] can use business class seats. You know our situation, right? I think we have no choice but to follow those regulations this time.”

“There are seats for officials in business class, right? If you could ask them to be understanding…….”

“They’re all old people… I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

The KBO operations team leader, who was in charge of managing the team today, and the stewardess, who came to see if there was anything she could do to help, both looked at Jang Deok-soo and me with troubled faces.

“I’m okay, Su-hyeok. Don’t worry. I’m sorry. Am I too big?”

At that time, when a gloomy atmosphere was spreading throughout the economy class.

“Excuse me, can you switch these two people with our seats? It’s okay because we haven’t left yet, right?”

A very familiar, now too familiar, cheerful voice was heard in my ear.

“Min Ye-rin… No, Ye-rin?”

“Oppa!”

A woman who was covering her entire face with a mask, sunglasses, and a hat shouted loudly at me.

It’s Min Ye-rin.

Hey, why are you on this plane……?

“What, why are you on this plane……?”

“It’s okay, Oppa. This is not the time to argue about that. So that the flight attendants don’t have any trouble, you and Jang Deok-soo should quickly go and sit over there. My manager and I will sit here. Flight attendant, is that okay?”

“Yes? Yes, yes. It’s okay to switch seats… but can I check your tickets first?”

“Here are two.”

“…First class?”

“Yes, please take these two to that side. Instead, my manager and I will sit in these seats.”

Min Ye-rin, who quickly sorted out the situation, smiled at me.

Like a puppy doing tricks and waiting for its owner’s praise.

I’m grateful, but I don’t think I should just nod my head.

This is not just about me, but also about Jang Deok-soo and the other players on the national team.

If I move to first class here, I don’t know what kind of articles will be published about special treatment.

“Ye-rin, I’m okay. I think it’ll be hard on my knees, so can I just ask you to take care of Jang Deok-soo?”

“Ah! Is that so? Yes, then manager! Take Jang Deok-soo to our seats and sit down. I’ll sit here and go.”

“Huh? Ye-rin? Really? Are you okay? You’re going to sit in economy class? You? Really possible?”

“Don’t say weird things, hurry up!”

“…Let’s not shout. Us. I understand. Jang Deok-soo, let’s go this way.”

So, Min Ye-rin’s manager took Jang Deok-soo to first class.

That’s a relief. I was able to protect our team’s starting catcher’s knee.

Min Ye-rin, who was watching the scene with a happy expression, turned around and looked around.

“Reporters here~ You know you should never write strange articles, right? I just gave up my seat for a national team player who can’t sit in economy class. It’s not special treatment, so please be careful with your expression. You promise, right?”

At that tone, like a kindergarten teacher, the reporters sitting here and there nodded their heads without realizing it. Even ordinary citizens who were trying to take pictures of the situation and upload them to SNS [social networking service].

Well, Min Ye-rin’s nickname on the internet was the Grim Reaper. If you write an article that is even slightly different from the truth or write a bad comment, she will track you down and sue you.

The more I think about it, the more amazing it is. Is it really possible to live as a celebrity even after doing this? In this Confucian country?

“Oppa, I’ve finished everything. Shall we sit down now?”

With Jang Deok-soo gone and Min Ye-rin sitting in his place instead, the seat became quite spacious.

“Sit with your legs as wide as possible. I’m small, so I can curl up in the corner here. Hehe.”

“You don’t have to do that on purpose. You can sit comfortably. More than that, what is this? Why are you on this plane? Are you going to America? To watch baseball?”

“No, to see my dad.”

“Ah…….”

“I’m going to see my dad and watch baseball together.”

Isn’t that the same thing?

I don’t know. She’s definitely not an ordinary human being.

She’s not someone that ordinary people like me can understand even if I think deeply about it.

“But are you really going to keep using honorifics until the end? It’s weird to hear you call me ‘Oppa’ when we’re the same age, but it’s so uncomfortable when you use honorifics.”

“No, I’m not going to drop the honorifics. That’s my last bit of conscience.”

“…What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I don’t know. I’m too tired to argue about everything.

I have to be stuck in economy for over 10 hours, so I should just sleep.

* * *

“Oppa, we’ve arrived. Wake up.”

“Umm…….”

“Su-hyeok Oppa?”

“Oh, I’m awake.”

“Hehe, Oppa, is this your first time in America? Ah, no. You said you went to Seattle to pick up the trainer? Anyway, is this your first time in New York? Welcome. Welcome to New York!”

I woke up from a light sleep listening to Min Ye-rin’s energetic voice.

My plan to fall asleep as soon as I got on the plane was thwarted.

Because Min Ye-rin kept talking to me.

So, I answered her questions roughly, and when she told me her stories, I subtly agreed with her.

We also ate in-flight meals together and responded to the flight attendants’ autograph requests.

Then, at some point, I fell asleep without realizing it. And when I woke up, I was here.

John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The place where I spent the most glorious moment of my life, the place where I mercilessly crushed the Mets’ dream of challenging for the first championship of the 21st century.

New York.

“Su-hyeok Oppa, it looks like the team is moving straight to the stadium. We won’t be moving together from now on, but I’ll keep following you and cheering you on. Don’t get hurt, you know what I mean, right? Then I’ll go back to my seat to get my luggage.”

Min Ye-rin, who looked like she was about to burst into tears for some reason, got up from her seat, bowed to the other players around her, and returned to first class.

Is it because I’ve been to America after a long time, or am I still not fully awake?

Her back keeps reminding me of someone.

Someone I think of when I’m about to forget.