On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 26

“Oooooh! That’s amazing!”

“What’s that? What is that? What is it?”

“Home run! Home run! It’s a home run!”

Both teams’ benches erupted.

The suppressed tension exploded.

A home run by nudging the ball that was falling to the ground.

It was a sight hard to believe even after seeing it.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

The Okinawa bench stood up and shouted loudly.

Even though it was a practice game, wasn’t it a great match?

Taisei on the mound tightly closed his eyes.

“Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun! Song Seok-hyun!”

Under Kim Jeong-ryul’s cheering, the Okinawa Bear players also shouted Song Seok-hyun’s name.

Although the pronunciation was terrible, the Okinawa Bears cheered and rejoiced as if they had won the Japan Series [the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan’s highest level of baseball].

“Subarashi!” [Wonderful!]

The coach, who was the first to come out, gave Song Seok-hyun a high five.

Song Seok-hyun quickly entered the bench, avoiding Kim Jeong-ryul, who was hitting his head in celebration.

The Japanese players followed Song Seok-hyun, playfully hitting his helmet while laughing so hard they were bent over.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! Hehehe, what did you do?”

Kim Jeong-ryul put a headlock on Song Seok-hyun, who was in a daze. Song Seok-hyun didn’t even feel the pain and just laughed.

“I don’t know. I just put the bat to it, and it went over.”

“Does that make sense? Hey, did you put some magic on the bat by yourself?”

“I just used the bat they gave me.”

“In-hwan, bring that bat. That bat is a treasure.”

Kim In-hwan stood up from his seat without a word and grabbed the bat.

When Kim Jeong-ryul released the headlock, Song Seok-hyun’s face was as red as it could be.

“Hey, what is this? How does the ball fly like that? Weren’t you just trying to get it out of the way?”

Song Seok-hyun shook his head.

His eyes were spinning from being hit on the helmet so much.

“I know, right? I was just thinking of hitting it.”

“But that went over?”

“I didn’t know it would go over either.”

Kim In-hwan, who had taken Song Seok-hyun’s bat, swung the bat around.

“This is a bit strange? Why is it so heavy?”

“It seems like a practice bat. It’s heavier, and longer.”

“That’s right. This is a practice bat. Wow, this is heavy? It must weigh 1,000g.”

Kim Jeong-ryul said.

“You hit the ball with that bat? A forkball?”

“I didn’t want to change bats. It would be embarrassing if I struck out after changing it.”

“Still, wow. You use that heavy thing?”

“That’s why I got a home run. The bat is heavy, so even if I just hit it, it was a long hit.”

“That’s amazing. That forkball with a practice bat. Wow. This is the real deal.”

Song Seok-hyun’s home run was the final nail in the coffin.

Taisei came down from the mound.

No one could look Taisei in the eye.

Taisei silently covered his face with a towel.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

After the game, both teams faced each other and shook hands.

The players surrounded Song Seok-hyun, wanting to receive his energy.

The nicknames lucky boy, prince of home runs, and son of the wind came out in an instant.

Song Seok-hyun had to shake hands with every single player from Okinawa Bears and Hero Magic.

“Everyone worked hard today.”

Hiroto coach returned to the three.

“Thanks to you, coach, we had a fun game.”

When Kim Jeong-ryul greeted him, Hiroto coach smiled.

“Haha, I saw a really fun game.”

“How is that pitcher from earlier? Is he okay?”

“He probably learned a lot. He’s already blaming himself a lot, saying he should have listened to the catcher. Taisei has a strong ego, so he doesn’t get along well with the catcher.”

Hiroto coach pointed to Song Seok-hyun.

“He ignored the catcher’s sign and got hit two home runs by the catcher, so he must have woken up. If Taisei comes to his senses, you’ll be his benefactor.”

Song Seok-hyun scratched the back of his head.

“It was just luck that I hit a home run, I’m no benefactor.”

“Once is a coincidence, but if you call twice a coincidence, that’s rude. You’re being too humble.”

“Ah, that’s… I’m sorry.”

Hiroto coach patted Song Seok-hyun on the shoulder.

“You’re a really good hitter. I’m not saying this because you hit a home run, but you always hit your own ball. How can your posture not be disturbed like that?”

“I feel strange if my posture is disturbed. I’d rather not hit it at all if it’s not my ball.”

“Hehe, most players can’t do that even after playing baseball their whole lives and end up retiring, even your mindset. No, your best strength is that mindset, mindset. Your professional ethic is better than most pros. Hahaha.”

Hiroto coach burst into laughter.

As the laughter subsided, Hiroto coach cleared his throat.

“Originally, I was going to have dinner with you all after this, but it’s become difficult. I have to consider Taisei’s feelings, so I think we’ll have to have dinner separately. I’m going to meet my students after a long time, so I’ll have dinner with them.”

Kim Jeong-ryul said.

“Are we breaking up here then?”

“Yes, it’s a shame, but let’s have dinner next time.”

“I understand. Thank you again for arranging the game today, Coach.”

“I was the one who saw a very fun game. Thank you, Seok-hyun.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful.”

Hiroto coach left the spot.

The Japanese players waiting for Hiroto coach could be seen in the distance.

“I feel like I did something wrong.”

Kim Jeong-ryul flicked Song Seok-hyun’s forehead at Song Seok-hyun’s words.

“You’re talking nonsense. You have to be serious even in a practice game. Is it your place to hold back?”

“Is that… so?”

“Hey, I’m in a good mood today, let’s go eat something delicious. How about soba [thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour] and then meat for the second round? And a glass of beer. We should have a highball [whiskey and soda] on a day like this.”

Kim In-hwan smiled.

“It’s okay today, right?”

“We have to eat on a day like today, when else would we eat? Seok-hyun, what about you? Are you in too?”

“I can drink now too.”

“Driiiiink? Did our baby want to drink? Coochie coochie coo.”

Kim Jeong-ryul scratched Song Seok-hyun’s chin with his finger.

“Okay, let’s go! Let’s have fun today! It’s a great victory in the Korea-Japan match!”

* * *

Contrary to the bold promise, Kim Jeong-ryul and Kim In-hwan’s bodies sagged after a few drinks.

They had been running non-stop for a short period of spring training. There were many days when they didn’t rest even on rest days.

Intense training, a match against Japanese pros, a great victory.

As the accumulated fatigue, tension, and drowsiness came, the two people’s eyelids became heavy.

“Ahem, In-hwan, you were good today.”

“Hyung [older brother or older male friend], you were good too. That sinker, it was good.”

“Ahahem, is that so? It’s amazing how the sinker drops. I wonder how it can drop like that even without giving it spin, hehe.”

“Hyung, shouldn’t you seriously switch to underhand? Your ball is too good.”

“Should I? After all, even if I try to increase my speed now, it’ll only be a little over 140km/h [kilometers per hour].”

“Think about it seriously. Your ball was too good earlier.”

“Hehe, I don’t know because there’s no case like this. There are cases where overhand pitchers throw sidearm, but not underhand. Or is there? Is there, Seok-hyun?”

“Yes? I don’t know.”

“If baseball expert Song Seok-hyun doesn’t know, then there isn’t. Isn’t that right, In-hwan?”

“Yes, that’s right. If Seok-hyun says no, then it’s no.”

“Are you two making fun of me?”

Kim Jeong-ryul chuckled.

“Making fun of you? I’m serious, serious. Is there anyone here who knows more about baseball than you? If there was a baseball SAT [Scholastic Aptitude Test, a standardized test for college admissions in the United States], he’d be going to Seoul National University [one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea]. Right?”

“He could go to Seoul National University with his current skills. Look at his performance today. It’s amazing. 2 home runs.”

“That’s right. Our Seok-hyun will return to Seoul in triumph. If we let them know your skills, the coaches will be wide-eyed and want to sign you and raise you. Isn’t that right, In-hwan?”

Kim In-hwan gave a bitter smile instead of answering Kim Jeong-ryul’s question.

“We’ll have to see, what kind of team our team is.”

Kim Jeong-ryul also chuckled.

“I forgot about that. What kind of team is our team. Haha, hahahaha.”

“Seok-hyun will probably get a chance soon.”

“Ha, it’s rough, it’s rough. Even if you get a chance, that’s just the beginning. Right?”

“…That’s right.”

Song Seok-hyun sipped his alcohol.

He now knows what the two are talking about.

A team that rarely gives opportunities to rookies.

A team that threw away ‘raise and use’ a long time ago.

It will be even more difficult for a catcher, who takes a long time to develop, to get a chance.

He knew it, but the taste was even more bitter.

“Okay, okay, let’s just drink and go to sleep today. We’re going back to Korea soon! We won’t see each other for a while when we go to Korea. Let’s have fun. If not now, when?”

The three raised their glasses.

The moon outside the window floated above the glasses.

Success as a catcher

Return to Korea

The next morning.

Song Seok-hyun woke up early in the morning and looked out the window.

Kim Jeong-ryul’s snoring echoed in the room.

He’s going back to Korea soon.

After finishing the training, he will return to Korea in a few days.

“…….”

Song Seok-hyun turned his head and looked at his bat.

The practice bat he received as a gift yesterday.

Song Seok-hyun got up from his seat and grabbed the bat. The weight climbed up to his shoulders.

Song Seok-hyun took the bat and went outside.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The sound of cutting through the wind is heavy even when swinging lightly.

He takes a proper stance, keeps his elbows close to his body, and pushes the bat out as if throwing a ball.

“It feels… good.”

He used to use heavy bats, but this bat sticks to his hand.

In modern baseball, the trend is to use lighter and thinner bats. It was part of an effort to increase swing speed and adapt to fast breaking balls.

Light and thin bats don’t just have advantages. If you hit it wrong, the bat will easily be pushed back, and the bat will easily break.

Heavy bats had the disadvantage of lowering swing speed.

It is that much more vulnerable to fast breaking balls.

It does not fit the recent trend.

But there was a clear advantage.

Like in the match against Taisei, if you just hit it along the grain, it will stretch out even if it is a missing ball.

If you only match the trajectory, it is easier to produce hits.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Song Seok-hyun went back to the dorm only after sweating out all the alcohol.

* * *

Kim Hyeong-seok returned to the dorm during lunchtime.

The three people who had returned to the dorm to eat lunch greeted Kim Hyeong-seok.

“Yo, you’ve arrived!”

Kim Jeong-ryul raised one hand and waved it greatly.

Song Seok-hyun and Kim In-hwan also bowed their heads.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Kim Hyeong-seok nodded and waved his hand.

“Did you have fun while I was gone?”

“Having fun, you punk. We worked hard training, played games, and did everything. What about you?”

“Well, I was in the hospital the whole time. They examined me thoroughly.”

“So? What did the hospital say?”

Kim Hyeong-seok pointed to the restaurant instead of speaking.

“Shall we eat first?”

Kim Jeong-ryul also had a sense. He didn’t want to reveal his condition in front of his juniors.

“Okay, let’s eat and talk.”

After eating, Kim Jeong-ryul and Kim Hyeong-seok had tea time separately.

“Here, take it.”

“Thanks.”

Kim Jeong-ryul and Kim Hyeong-seok shared a cup of coffee in the room and talked.

“So, what happened?”

At Kim Jeong-ryul’s question, Kim Hyeong-seok licked his lips.

“What happened? Well, as expected.”

“Expected?”

“Yeah, that ending that you and I know.”

“…….”

Kim Hyeong-seok gave a bitter smile.

“It turns out this is the last time. But I get to train with my classmate one last time and it’s over.”

“What did the hospital say?”