The Pitcher Just Hits Home Runs Well [EN]: Chapter 383

383. Side Story 1) The Impossible Dream

The lifespan of an idol is short.

“No, I don’t think so. Isn’t seven years about the time when ordinary office workers consider changing jobs? Even if not, it’s enough time for a department transfer or promotion. Anyway, it’s enough time for something to happen. Don’t you think?”

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

But the expression of the person saying it was completely off. A terribly gloomy face. An expression that clearly showed she didn’t want to quit.

“What are you talking about, unnie [older sister or close female friend]? Seven years is definitely short! Besides, it’s not like you debuted in your early teens. You spent at least ten years preparing to debut. It’s such a waste!”

“That’s right, Eun-jin. We’re not just saying this to keep the group together. It’s such a waste. You’re only twenty-five now. Even if you do it for seven more years, you’ll be thirty-two. I saw on the internet that the average age for marriage these days is thirty-two? Something like that.”

“Yeah, yeah, getting married at the young age of twenty-five is too much of a waste. Of course, Soo-won is handsome and capable, but still… Don’t you have trouble with English?”

“That’s right, unnie. You still find English difficult, right? Besides, you won’t know anyone there. I heard that your brother-in-law is away in other regions for almost half the year. How can you stay there all alone in that faraway place when you can’t even speak the language well? You might get depressed!”

The members strongly dissuaded Eun-jin.

Of course, not everyone was only thinking about her well-being. Some were worried that the team’s popularity would decline with her departure, as she was the most popular member. Others had a bit of jealousy mixed in. But how can a person’s heart be so one-dimensional? All those feelings probably had some genuine concern for Eun-jin mixed in.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. No, honestly, I’m still 고민(gominhaneun) [agonizing/worrying]. But seeing Soo-won’s colleagues, twenty-five isn’t that young. It felt like more of them were getting married right after graduating high school or college than not.”

“That’s just the 분위기(bunwigi) [atmosphere/vibe] of that country. It’s different in our country. If you say you’re getting married at twenty-five here, people will say you’re crazy. And putting all that aside, Eun-jin, are you really okay with it? Dancing, singing, acting. That’s the life you wanted. Are you really okay with giving all that up and going to America?”

Yes.

That was the problem. Of course, Eun-jin likes Soo-won. No, she loves him. When she sees him on TV, she can’t help but think, ‘Is that really the Choi Soo-won I know?’ His 멋진(meotjin) 모습(moseup) [cool/handsome appearance] is a given, and now even his brazen 모습(moseup) [appearance/behavior] of spouting absurd nonsense feels 귀엽게(gwiyeopge) [cute/adorable].

But Eun-jin also had her own life. A life she had worked hard for since she was young, clawing her way up. How much had her parents sacrificed for it, and how much had Eun-jin herself had to give up?

“Everyone, don’t be like that. Eun-jin, I’m supporting you. Honestly, it’s not like he’s some 허접한(heojeophan) [shabby/mediocre] salaryman. It’s Choi Soo-won. Choi Soo-won. The best 셀럽(selleop) [celebrity] of this era, beyond Korea. The man of New York. If I were you, I’d be 불안할(buranhaneun) [anxious/uneasy] just leaving a man like that alone in America. And what’s wrong with going to America? You might not be able to be a singer anymore, but if you occasionally show your face on variety shows on a seasonal basis, you might become even more successful as a 셀럽(selleop) [celebrity], right?”

“Unnie!!”

“It’s true. If I had a man like that, I’d retire and leave Korea right away. And honestly, who among us really dreams of being a singer? Who else besides Hae-na? Se-jeong, you wanted to act, but your drama flopped this time, so you’re 꾸역꾸역(kkueokkkueok) [reluctantly/grudgingly] trying to keep the group going, right? Isn’t that right?”

“What? That’s ridiculous? Do you think that variety show you’re on is because of your ability? You wouldn’t even be able to go on there as a guest if it weren’t for Eun-jin unnie’s name value. Do you know that?”

In the end, the team meeting ended in a dogfight as usual. And the very next day, they repeated the routine of smiling brightly on TV as if they were the closest of friends.

─Shock!! Choi Soo-won and Park Eun-jin Break Up?

─Choi Soo-won Dining Alone with Evelyn Shaw Late at Night!!

And in the meantime, the parties involved were unaware of the 28th breakup rumor and

─Does the End of a Long-Distance Relationship Always Mean Being Good Friends? Where Did the Couple Ring Disappear from Park Eun-jin’s Hand?

The 29th breakup rumor passed uneventfully.

At first, they would call each other to explain, and even then, they would feel hurt and go through the process of resolving it, but after doing this for about five years, they became accustomed to it. Now, they didn’t even bother calling to explain. It was just that 사이버(saibeo) 레카(reka)s [cyber reporters/paparazzi] in Korea or America had done their 사이버(saibeo) 레카(reka) [cyber reporter/paparazzi] thing.

So, Park Eun-jin’s decision was not due to 불안감(buranhaneun) [anxiety/unease] about Choi Soo-won.

“I’m Lee Se-hee, Eun-jin unnie’s closest 동생(dongsaeng) [younger sister/friend], and I’m here to give a congratulatory speech as the representative of the bride’s friends. It’s already been eight years since I met unnie. It feels like just yesterday that we were worried about whether we’d even be able to debut, but seeing her wearing such a pretty dress and smiling so brightly makes me feel so good. When I first met unnie…”

The congratulatory speech, which included playful jokes, was so touching that tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t bother looking at the internet reactions. It was obvious without looking. There would be a flood of posts saying she was 취집(chwijip) [marrying up/marrying for financial security] or that Choi Soo-won was too good for her.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For giving up everything you had and coming here.”

Yes, there are plenty of people saying that she’s living the good life because she met a good man.

But so what? The people who truly love her already know how difficult a decision she made and how much the things she gave up for it mean to her.

Love.

Yes, the reason Park Eun-jin gave up the position she had worked so hard to achieve for 25 years and came to America was love. It wasn’t a love that burned brightly in a few months and caused enormous scandals everywhere, like other loves of the century, but a love that had lasted for eight years since the day Choi Soo-won rejected her.

For Park Eun-jin, this marriage was the culmination of that love.

***

Marriage is not the culmination of love.

That’s why I 고민(gomin) [worry/agonize] a lot.

Of course, it wasn’t because there was another woman. It was just that I already knew that marriage was not the finish line of love, but a passing point.

It’s already been over eight years since I went back in time.

But even so, the topic of marriage still felt like an unbreakable shackle.

Before going back in time, I definitely loved my ex-wife, Se-jeong. Se-jeong loved me too. But the ending of that love was ultimately a breakup.

It couldn’t be helped under various conditions. In this faraway foreign land, I only had myself to rely on, but I had no choice but to leave home for expeditions about 40% of the year.

And that was the same now.

No, it would be even more so. Se-jeong didn’t succeed much career-wise and often talked about wanting to leave Korea, whereas Eun-jin was currently having a 확실히(hwaksilhi) [definitely/certainly] successful career in Korea.

So, these words I said to Eun-jin were definitely not lies.

“Let’s take it slow. Slowly. A lot of people get married even after they turn forty these days. Derek, the former king of New York, did too. It’s not too late for you and me to build up our careers enough and do it later. After all, we have jobs where we need to accomplish something more while we’re still young. Don’t you think?”

But Eun-jin was a little braver than me.

“No, let’s do it. Let’s get married.”

“Huh?”

“Being a celebrity here is 행복하긴(haengbokhaggin) [happy/blissful], but I think living with you in America would be a little more 행복할(haengbokhal) [happy/blissful]. Soo-won, you’re the same, right?”

“Huh?”

“You want to have a baby, right? Or not?”

“······.”

I felt like I had been stabbed in a weak spot I hadn’t even thought of.

Yes, that was it.

Before going back in time, I was satisfied with my current life and wanted to spend a little longer like this. And before that thought could change, a breakup came.

As I got older, I thought. I wanted to see a kid who resembled me and the person I loved, but not exactly the same, wriggling around and shouting that Dad doesn’t know anything when it was time to sleep.

“How did you know?”

“How could I not know? When you meet Oswald and Tyler together, honey drips from your eyes when you look at the kids.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

The worries still hadn’t disappeared.

Eun-jin would be lonely in a faraway foreign land, and marriage would be just a passing point, not the end of love.

But I couldn’t just hover around in front of that passing point, fearing what would come after.

Spring of 2034.

I got married.

And I realized.

Ah!! I was underestimating Park Eun-jin. She was a much more amazing woman than I thought.

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you hear? I’m going to the language school affiliated with New York University. I studied English pretty hard in Korea, but I’m still a bit lacking. So, I have to go.”

“Are you going to be okay alone?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m a kid. Besides, everyone else wants to study abroad in New York, but they can’t because the rent is expensive and for various other reasons. We happen to have a house in Manhattan? It takes 15 minutes to walk to the language school? There’s no reason not to go.”

She was a woman who had pioneered her career with her own strength. Although she didn’t have a knack for studying, she had the tenacity to make up for it.

“Oh, and I didn’t give up everything I had and come here. After living as an idol for about seven years, I realized. I like people’s attention, but I just love singing and dancing too much. So, I’m going to keep doing that.”

“Are you going to work in broadcasting? Then LA would be better than New York. Should I move teams?”

“What do you mean move teams when you signed a 10-year contract a while ago!! I’m going to try it in New York instead of LA.”

“In New York? Then should I introduce you to some people I know? It’s in sports broadcasting, but it’s still the same broadcasting work…”

“No. I’ll take care of it myself. And I wasn’t thinking about broadcasting.”

“If not broadcasting, then what?”

“Did you forget? This is New York. The city with the most glamorous stage in the world. Broadway is a 25-minute walk from home. Once I get used to English, I’m going to audition. I’m going to dance and sing.”

And above all, she had a dream.

Yes, she was not simply Choi Soo-won’s wife.

“Who knows? Maybe after you retire, I’ll be 점점(jeomjeom) 승승장구(seungseungjanggu) [increasingly successful] on Broadway, and when we walk hand in hand in Central Park, people will ask me for autographs instead of you?”

“Uh… That dream seems a bit 과한(gwahan) [excessive/over the top], doesn’t it? Even if it’s New York.”

“Is that so? Is it a bit 과한(gwahan) [excessive/over the top]?”

Of course, there will be many obstacles.

Her singing and dancing were excellent, but her acting was terrible, and above all, her language acquisition skills were the most serious I had ever seen in anyone.

But just like she eventually reached the dream of becoming an idol, which seemed impossible to reach.

This time too, I decided to cheer on Eun-jin.

“Well, anyway… Fighting?”