Pitcher’S End, Batter’S Start [EN]: Chapter 143

Pitcher Done, Batter Up – 142

Several coaches and veteran players watched Lee Jung-woo training at the field even on his precious day off, feeling pleased. Despite his immense popularity, solid position, and great skills, he didn’t neglect his efforts, which made everyone satisfied.

“Was I like that at his age?”

“Usually, at that age, no matter how hard you try, you don’t do it this thoroughly.”

“He’s an old soul. That kind of attitude usually develops after some experience, but it’s already become a habit for him.”

Everyone knows the importance of effort and self-management. Whether young or experienced, it’s a must for athletes. But realizing its true meaning usually comes when the body starts to decline and you notice that your body no longer moves the way you want it to.

That’s why Lee Jung-woo was unique in many ways. He was still young, and his body was more than healthy; he was in his early twenties, a time when he should be running wild, yet he maintained a thorough routine like a veteran nearing retirement.

“It’s better for a player like that to become a franchise star. For the team and for the other players.”

“He sets an example.”

“President Pratt, this is just between us, but I honestly didn’t like him much… but thinking about bringing Lee here, I want to hug him right away.”

If he were just an ordinary young star intoxicated by talent and popularity, he wouldn’t be recognized like this now.

The coaches watched Lee Jung-woo with pleased expressions, but Lee Jung-woo himself was diligently working his body while his mind was elsewhere.

‘I definitely felt something… Did I get a stalker? But… there wasn’t really anyone around.’

What bothered Lee Jung-woo was the strange feeling he had when he left home to go to the training field. It felt like someone was watching him. That strange energy was directed at Lee Jung-woo.

‘It’s probably just one of the fans who saw me.’

Lee Jung-woo shook his head once more and cleanly forgot about it. He often experienced ownerless gazes. As a popular player for the local team, there were quite a few fans who didn’t want to bother him but ended up glancing at him without realizing it.

Thinking it was one of them this time, Lee Jung-woo refocused on his routine. He realized the identity of the strange gaze he had forgotten about when he was returning home after finishing his routine.

Click.

‘Click?’

Arriving in front of his house, Lee Jung-woo looked around at the sound of a camera shutter, and then he saw a man in the distance who seemed a little embarrassed.

When he made eye contact with Lee Jung-woo, he was startled and hesitated for a moment before running away. Lee Jung-woo blankly stared at his retreating figure, confused by the camera bag dangling as he ran.

He definitely took a picture of me…

‘Why is he taking pictures of me? A reporter? A fan? No, then was that person there earlier too? Then a stalker?’

He was so taken aback that he froze and stood there blankly for a few minutes before grabbing his phone.

-What’s wrong? Ah! I knew you needed a manager-

“Mark, someone just took a picture of me with a camera in front of my house. What kind of guy do you think he is?”

-Uh… uh? What?

“Someone took a picture of me with a camera. In front of my house. He even ran away when we made eye contact.”

-What! Lee- First, get inside- No, it might be dangerous, don’t go home, get out of there. I’ll be right there, I’ll report it. I’ll call you as soon as I get there, so wait for me.

Mark, startled, rattled off the instructions, and Lee Jung-woo faithfully followed them, spending time at a cafe near his house. By the time he finished his cup of coffee, he heard a loud siren.

He returned to his house, where police cars were lined up, and the sight of police officers thoroughly guarding the area, combined with people watching from the yard, resembled a terrorist scene from a news channel.

‘What is it? Did some kind of heinous crime happen? Mark was right to get away from the house- Huh?’

“Mark.”

Lee Jung-woo found Mark, a man talking to the police with a serious face, and called out to him. Mark, seeing Lee Jung-woo, was slightly surprised and rushed over to him.

“Mark, what’s going on?”

“Ah! Lee! I told you I’d call, and I told you I’d report it to the police. Phew, damn it. Are you hurt anywhere? Did that bastard do anything else?”

“Nothing happened- why are there so many police officers?”

“So many! Who knows what that guy might do! Oh, I’m sorry. I was too hasty. This is Inspector Charlton from the APD (Atlanta Police Department).”

“No, it’s okay. The victim comes first. It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Lee. I’m Charlton.”

“I’m Jungwoo Lee. The honor is mine.”

Lee Jung-woo shook hands, but he didn’t understand the situation.

Why is a high-ranking police officer like an inspector in front of my house? With so many other police officers, too. As if understanding Lee Jung-woo, the police officer who identified himself as Charlton spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ve heard the general situation from Mr. Taylor here. We’ll continue to search and patrol the area, but since we don’t know what kind of danger there might be, please find a safe place other than your home and rest. If you calm down later, please come to the station or let us know the description and situation through your agent.”

“Yes? No, I’m fine, so I’ll tell you now.”

It was a series of incomprehensible situations, but Lee Jung-woo quickly opened his mouth, not wanting to be bothered any further. The police and Mark still wore serious faces as they listened.

####

After everything was over, the police dispersed, and Lee Jung-woo left his house as advised and stayed at Mark’s house for a while. And the next day, the identity of the culprit(?) was revealed.

“Huh, so it’s a paparazzi?”

“He claims to be a paparazzi. He was hiding around the house, looking around, and the police caught him on patrol. He probably targeted you because you’re popular these days. We might be able to get a restraining order, but that’s not enough. I’ll take care of that bastard thoroughly, so don’t worry about it, Lee.”

Mark said that with a flushed face, but Lee Jung-woo focused more on something other than the punishment or aftermath.

“Why would a paparazzi be after me? Isn’t that something that happens to Hollywood stars? Or famous celebrities.”

Lee Jung-woo didn’t understand.

Paparazzi. People, or rather parasites, who chase after famous celebrities like entertainers or politicians and sell the photos they take. Those parasites occasionally attached themselves to sports players, but that was only for superstar-level players.

In Major League Baseball, it’s rare except for star players from New York or LA teams, where several tabloid newspapers are rampant. So why would those guys stick to him? Why? Lee Jung-woo was confused, but Mark reacted as if it were natural.

“I told you? Your popularity is a bit serious right now. You’ve become a good target, to the point where people are curious about more than just your game play.”

“Still…”

“You only go back and forth between your house and the stadium, so I don’t think you realize it… You’re a superstar now. At least here in Atlanta, you’re so famous that most Hollywood actors can’t even compare.”

Superstar, that unfamiliar word strangely dug into his ear. It gave him a strange excitement, but he also felt a slight burden. In the end, it’s a castle in the sand. Even if the popularity is great right now, if he can’t handle it, it could backfire, just like Pedro Castillo, whom he saw in the opening game.

“Don’t feel too pressured, just think of it as an accessory. An accessory that comes with your performance.”

Lee Jung-woo nodded at Mark’s firm words. All he had to do was keep doing what he had been doing. Like he always had, without paying attention, silently.

“Anyway, I understand. Then take care of the rest, and since it turned out like this, give me a ride. Let’s get a ride in a car driven by someone else for once. I’m glad there’s no need to waste time before the game.”

Mark looked at Lee Jung-woo as if he was talking nonsense.

“I’ve already talked to the president. You’re definitely taking a break. Even if you’re okay right now, paparazzi can be more mentally shocking than you think. Frankly speaking, it’s just a piece of paper between a paparazzi and a stalker.”

“What are you doing without consulting me-”

“Consulting? You’re going to say you’re going to play no matter what. Aren’t you? I usually don’t interfere, but this is the right thing to do. And I’ve made a counseling appointment just in case. If you want, let’s go together later.”

Lee Jung-woo opened his mouth, but soon agreed and nodded.

‘There are more than I thought, players who are ruined not by physical injuries but by injuries inside their hearts.’

Sports players are also people, individuals. Having stayed in the baseball scene for a long time, Lee Jung-woo had often seen cases where players gave up because their hearts were broken. So, knowing how serious the dangers of emotional wounds were, Lee Jung-woo changed his mind.

“The reaction will probably be huge. Your phone might explode, so put it on silent instead of vibrate.”

“Well, not that much…”

Despite Mark’s warning, Lee Jung-woo thought he had just gotten an unwanted break due to an unexpected incident. But this time, too, his thoughts were wrong. A huge aftermath followed.

####

“Huh? Why isn’t Lee coming out?”

“I didn’t see him during warm-up either?”

“Maybe he’s injured or something…”

“Don’t say unlucky things. Something else must have happened.”

Lee Jung-woo’s absence was the beginning of the problem.

Not only did he not play in the game, but he didn’t even show his face during warm-up, and his appearance couldn’t be found even in the dugout, so the fans were worried.

As the questions grew, information leaked out. There were so many witnesses, and Lee Jung-woo himself is currently the most beloved man in Atlanta, so it couldn’t be helped. The news that first leaked from a fan site while Lee Jung-woo was cheering on TV spread through local media and eventually swept across Atlanta in an instant.

“I heard Lee was harassed by a stalker?”

“Isn’t it a paparazzi?”

“That’s the same thing, what’s the difference?”

“Hey! Look at this! Lee hates Atlanta because of that bastard! Fuck!”

“I saw here that he booked a one-way ticket to Korea?”

“Where is that bastard? That fucking paparazzi bastard. Is he in jail now? We should put that kind of bastard in jail, if you know where he is, let me know. I’ll put a 12-gauge in his mouth.”

The story grew, and even third-rate yellow journalism spread rumors that Lee Jung-woo had been suffering from paparazzi or stalkers for a long time(?), had suffered great mental shock(?) as a result, and was preparing to retire and return to Korea(?).

In such an unprecedented situation, the Braves front office also faced a storm.

“Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck! Aaaaaah!”

“Calm down, President.”

“Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down? Don’t you know the seriousness of the situation? Lee might feel disgusted with people or the city of Atlanta itself! Because of one stray dog that’s not even worth a shit!”

Since June of last year. The president’s office, which was always full of happiness, was now filled with loud voices. The game was in full swing, but neither the president nor the entire front office staff could focus on the game. A bigger issue was at hand.

“Hoo… Mother Fu-”

President Pratt, who slammed his desk so hard that his fist turned red, seemed to be angrier than ever before, according to the staff.

If he had done that normally, they would have just whispered that the president was crazy, but there was a clear reason, so the employees understood him and just looked pitifully at the aide who was working hard to calm the president down.

The beginning was when President Pratt received a call from the agent of Lee Jung-woo, whom he loved so much. The news that Lee Jung-woo had been harassed by a paparazzi and was currently being protected at the agent’s house had such an impact that President Pratt stared blankly at the ceiling for two hours.

Even the word irreplaceable was not enough, and the very slight possibility that an all-time prospect who could not find a similar player even if he searched the entire league might leave or be ruined drove him crazy. Now that the club president had even made a direct mention, President Pratt finally exploded.

“Fortunately, according to the agent, Lee himself is fine, he has returned home, and he has booked a psychiatric consultation.”

“Phew, that’s a relief, that’s a relief. That’s really a relief. Keep in touch with him frequently, and what about the fans’ opinions…”

“The news spread quickly after the article was posted, and the public opinion is… harsh.”

The eyes of the president’s aide, who briefly scanned the data hastily created by the public opinion survey team, shook greatly. The fans were reacting as if a family member had died, and they were fans who loved and worshiped Lee Jung-woo as much as President Pratt, or even more, so the anger they felt was on a different level.

Normally, fan sites would be full of stories about the game, but now, as if they didn’t care about the game, only tremendous accusations and harsh curses were everywhere.

“Tell me roughly.”

“There are people who say they will tear the paparazzi apart and kill him… There are also people who have loaded bullets. These are the most euphemistic ones. Posts are still being uploaded to SNS [Social Networking Services].”

“Damn it, I want to kill that bastard too.”

“And there are more opinions criticizing the front office than I thought.”

“What did we do wrong?”

“They say we didn’t protect the player.”

It was a very unfair thing, but President Pratt understood the fans even in the face of such an unreasonable reaction. He felt the same way.

“Hoo, fuck him up properly. Fuck him up so that he doesn’t even think about holding a camera again. Mobilize the legal team or whatever to wipe out his seed. So that he can never do this again. And ask Derek Hunt or Mason Looper, who are close to Lee, to comfort him.”

“I will.”

As President Pratt gave instructions with a burning gaze, the employees nodded. There was only one goal. Prevention of recurrence and scorched earth. It was the moment when it was decided that paparazzi would be completely eradicated, at least for the Braves, in Atlanta, where there were not many of them in the first place.