Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 111

※ 111. The Last Inning

“Hyung, do you know why I’m buying you dinner today?”

Kyu-jin hyung, who was scheduled to start as the pitcher for Game 7 of the Korean Series, answered the rather foolish question without hesitation.

“How would I know?”

Thwack!

“Step on third!”

“Right to first!”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know. You know very well.”

Having caught a sharply hit ball with only one out, Seong-hoon hyung jumped up and stepped on third base.

Then, using the inside of the base as a starting block, he took a step towards first base.

“Out!”

The dinner treat, with the clear intention of asking for a good performance in tomorrow’s game, was very successful.

In the 5th inning, he faced a crisis, allowing two runners on base, but he cleanly escaped the crisis with a 5-3 double play and returned to the dugout.

“Looks like the beef you ate yesterday is doing its job.”

“If you wanted this, you should have treated the whole team, not just me, you jerk.”

“What do you think my wallet is made of, sir?”

Kyu-jin hyung chuckled and put on the Wonha Challengers’ spring and autumn jacket.

“Batter number 1, Lee! Myung! Jin!!”

“…Can’t score a run.”

“I know.”

Today, Wonha’s batting feels generally frustrating. If they couldn’t get anyone on base at all like yesterday, I wouldn’t expect much,

Thwack!

Wowwww-!!

They’re getting runners on base every inning but can’t bring anyone home. They even blew a no-out, runners on first and second chance in the 4th inning.

“Yaaah!!”

“Seong-hyun, let’s keep it going, keep it going!!”

To liven up the subdued atmosphere, Myung-jin points to the dugout and roars.

Thwack-!

Having heard the cry to hurry up and send him home, Seong-hyun swung fearlessly from the first pitch.

“Ah….”

A 4-6-3 double play.

After that, when Ki-sung hit a ball that barely made contact and it fell in front of the left fielder, I felt even worse.

“…It’s the last one.”

“What is.”

“The next inning. I think it’ll be the last inning of the year.”

“Ah….”

Because of the cleaning time, Kyu-jin hyung still hasn’t taken off his jacket, making his figure look somewhat bulky.

Last.

“That ‘last’ means the last of the year, right.”

“That’s it. What else could it be?”

“I hope it’s not the last at Wonha, hyung.”

“…….”

Despite the earnest request, the wicked hyung only gives a strange smile.

“Geon-yeong!”

“Ah, yes!”

Seeing Eun-gu sunbae [senior] enter the bullpen and call Geon-yeong, it seems everyone knows that the top of the 6th inning is the starting pitcher’s last inning.

Wham-!

Bang-!

I sat shoulder to shoulder with Kyu-jin hyung and watched Eun-gu sunbae practice pitching.

“Your ball has gotten a lot faster.”

“Ah…it has.”

“F

“Suddenly?”

“You only had height and good control, what are you going to do if your speed gets faster too.”

“It’s a good thing.”

“It’s not like I’m getting any taller.”

Um…….

“Sorry. I don’t know what it is, but I’m sorry.”

“You bastard.”

Why did I get cursed at?

Kyu-jin hyung let out a refreshing curse and then got up. He took off his jacket and tossed it onto the seat he had been sitting on.

Kyu-jin hyung, picking up the thumb part of his glove with his right hand and trying to leave the bullpen, felt like he was 2m tall.

“Hyung. Come in coolly.”

“I’m too short to look cool.”

“Ah….”

Height is important. No, it’s very important.

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

But looking at Kyu-jin hyung, it’s not always the case.

Thwack-!

“Out-.”

Watching him easily handle two batters, I thought that the top of the 6th inning would be easy to get through.

“Hoo… fastball!”

“Fastball!”

Suddenly, my gaze went to the bullpen pitcher, who was keeping pace with the starting pitcher.

Wham-!

Even though he’s just warming up in the bullpen, I can feel the ferocity. I can feel Eun-gu sunbae grinding his teeth as well.

Did you abandon me?

Just two years ago, around this time, the person who had won a championship ring as a member of the team we were facing was feeling a sense of betrayal in a strange corner.

“Fastball!”

“Eh!”

Bang-!

Is that okay?

Is it revenge, or is it over-immersion?

The league’s strongest team was a team that could run well even without Choi Eun-gu. Therefore, there was no need to offer a particularly good contract.

However, the bullpen pitcher, who had clearly contributed to the championship with frequent sacrifices, only felt disappointment in the interview.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah?”

“Relax, relax.”

“Ah….”

I couldn’t help but say a word. Some might say something about me, the captain, giving advice to a senior, but who cares.

“…Thank you.”

“Let’s win.”

“We have to win.”

Before I knew it, the top of the 6th inning was over and Kyu-jin hyung was coming back. Having decided that his last inning was really over, he went straight into the depths of the dugout.

The bottom of the 6th inning, starting with Seung-ju, ended somewhat disappointingly with three batters…….

“Sunbae, good luck!!”

“I’ll go and win.”

“Yeahhhh!”

Eun-gu sunbae went to the mound.

“Han-ul.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going out in the 8th.”

“Ah, yes.”

The last thing I could see was Eun-gu sunbae throwing a 154km fastball.

“Geon-yeong, please work a little harder.”

“Yes!”

Isn’t it hard?

Geon-yeong smiled brightly and put on his mask again and sat behind home plate.

How many times did he throw the ball?

“…What?”

I felt the atmosphere of the dugout, which had been calm in a bad way, expand to the entire stadium.

I turned my head to the side to check.

“Oh my.”

The red lights that were lit were only one. But there were three runners threatening the pitcher.

Eun-gu sunbae was facing the catcher of the Sangsu Tigers, who until recently had been receiving his pitches and rejoicing and grieving together.

Not as pitcher and catcher, but as pitcher and batter. As enemies.

“Why is it like this again.”

“I know.”

Following the words of the live-in wife, not the live-in madam, Eun-gu sunbae gritted his teeth.

Tick-!

“Foul-!”

The umpire raised both hands after seeing the baseball go over his head.

The batter fiddled with his bat, preparing for the next pitch.

The catcher looked at the batter and made his next plan.

The pitcher wound up according to the catcher’s sign.

The result of what each person did with their own reasons,

Thwack-!

Can’t go in a good direction for both sides.

“Cut, cut! Third cut!”

The ball thrown by the left fielder did not reach home and was cleared at the third baseman’s position.

2 to 0.

Was it a venting of anger for the mess he had created, or was it because his ex-wife had created this mess?

Eun-gu sunbae couldn’t manage his resentful feelings until the manager visited the mound.

“…Han-ul, let’s go out a little earlier.”

“Yes.”

The result was a demotion.

Not a reprimand for being hit with a hit, giving up a run, and not hiding the resulting anger, but an investment-oriented demotion because it seemed difficult going forward.

I passed by Eun-gu sunbae, who was returning sadly. I didn’t spew nonsense like cheer up, sunbae, you did well, like an idiot.

I just went up the path that Eun-gu sunbae had come down, stepped on the plate. I checked the runners standing on 1st and 2nd base and glared at the umpire.

“Play!”

After the practice pitches, the 7th batter appeared. While the batter was going through his routine, he swung his shoulders around to check his condition.

“Good. Good.”

Despite having clocked in quite a few times, his condition was very good. The shoulders that were spinning around were clearly,

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

At least, it will be very good until today.

The left-handed batter, seeing the sinker wriggling deep inside, flinched and took a step back.

If he’s a batter who flinched at just that and took a step back,

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

He wouldn’t even dare to touch the slider that was accurately stuck on the outside.

After easily getting two strikes, he fiddled with the ball for a while. As he was standing with his legs crossed, he saw the 1st base runner in the left corner of his vision.

“Let’s see….”

Looking at the scoreboard, he finished a brief calculation for the next innings. He needed to adjust his condition due to the early clock-in, not overtime.

“…Okay.”

After making up his mind, he tapped the brim of his hat with his white index finger. Kyu-hak nodded when he saw that and took a position far outside.

Wham-!

“Ball-.”

A 149km fastball. Even a batter with not-so-good eyes can easily pick out an area that’s missing about two balls.

Hey, then how about this.

My next action was like a preview that I was going to throw a sinker on the outside.

“Gasp!”

It looks like a fastball filling the outside, but,

Thwack-

In the end, the ball was scheduled to arrive at almost the same location as the previous ball.

“Three! Step on third!”

Just like when he stole a double play in the top of the 5th inning, Seong-hoon hyung caught the batted ball with his backhand and stepped on the base.

Standing still in front of the mound, he watched the ball being thrown to 1st base again, just like a little while ago.

Thwack!

“Out!”

Ki-sung, who had experienced the finish of a double play twice, caught the throw with relish, as if he was excited.

Nod nod.

After finishing the primary crisis, he went back to the bullpen and immediately put on his jacket. Because of the gradually chilling weather, he felt a strange chill even when he wore his jacket.

I hope this chill doesn’t affect our batting lineup.

“Batter number 8, Moon!! Kyu!! Haaak!!”

Kyu-hak, who had taken off his catcher’s gear and put on his batting gear as soon as he returned to the dugout, followed the introduction about himself.

2 points.

Sangsu, who has a one-point lead even if they get a home run here, immediately put in their winning team.

It was hard to suppress the strange emotions that were bubbling inside somewhere, just sitting and watching.

“Geon-yeong, let’s just catch a little.”

“Yes, yes!”

I picked up my red glove, thinking that I needed to do some catch-ball to calm my mind, even if it was just a simple one.

Throw one ball,

Thwack-!

Watch them throw the ball.

Thwack-

How many times did I repeat that,

“Myungjini Jini is gooddddd!!”

“Nice!”

Myung-jin, who brought Kyu-hak home, was stepping on 1st base and raising both hands above his head.

However,

Thwack-

Seong-hyun, who came out as the very next batter, sent a fast ball towards the shortstop on the third pitch.

“Second! Right to first!”

The shortstop, who blocked the sharply hit ball, tossed it to 2nd base, and then threw it to 1st base with plenty of time, ending the inning as it was.

Thud-!

“F

Two double plays by himself today.

Seong-hyun threw the helmet on the ground with all the frustration and anger he was feeling.

Watching the navy blue helmet rolling around, he headed back to the mound. After a few practice pitches, he met the 8th batter again,

Bang-!

“Swing, out!”

9th batter,

Bang-

“Strike, out!”

And the 1st batter.

Wham-!

“Swing, out-!”

He took out all strikeouts and trudged towards our house. I looked at the bullpen and saw Senior Kyung-seok warming up.

This is it.

I had a strong feeling that the previous inning was the last inning of the year. I took off my glove and hung it on the railing, and zipped the spring and autumn jacket up to my neck.

Sitting on the dugout chair, I watched the cleanup trio’s bat show.

Ki-sung’s fiery strikeout.

Jin-hyung’s burnt-out center fielder fly.

Seung-ju’s first baseman ground ball that turned everything to ashes.

Amidst the relentless flow of the game, Senior Kyung-seok stood on the mound.

He finished the inning by hitting Kang Dae-hyun with a second baseman ground ball, Hong Seok-jin with a left-center field double, Park Hae-jin with a strikeout, and finally Ha Hae-jin with a third baseman fly.

“Batter number 6, Lee!! Seong!! Hoon!!”

“Seong-hoon, let’s go!!”

“Ah, good eye, good eye!!”

I shouted while holding onto the railing in the dugout. I shouted with the hope that he wouldn’t come back as he was from the 0-2 count.

“Batter number 7, Jeon!! Seong!! Moon!!”

“Seong-moon, bye…cough!”

The overused vocal cords felt scratchy and even coughed as if they were choking. Still, he didn’t stop.

“Batter number 8, Moon!! Kyu!! Hak!!”

Thwack-!

“Kyu-hak, nice!!”

“It’s not over, keep going!!”

“Hit it, fly Hooni hyung away!!”

Kyu-hak hit another hit. Although it was after 2 outs, it was a clear indication that it wasn’t over yet.

“You can do it!!”

“It’s not over, it’s not over!”

“Let’s gooooo!!”

I wondered if he would vomit blood, Seong-hyun’s eyes were sparkling with tears as he shouted like crazy.

I wondered if the railing would be crushed because he was holding it so hard, Tae-woong, who was putting all his strength into his hands, was raising the veins in his neck.

I guess that person has that side too, it was the first time in 10 years of being together that I saw Seong-hoon hyung, who always seemed blunt, unable to control his emotions.

“Batter number 9, Yoo!! Hoon!!”

“Hoonaaaa!!”

“Bat, fighting-!”

Everyone at Wonha Challengers prayed that the current batter would not be the last batter of this season.

No, it’s okay to be the last batter.

Thwack-!!

Because if he hits it over the fence as it is, he will remain as the last batter in the best possible sense.

Waaaaah-!!

Min Jong-hyun! Min Jong-hyun! Min Jong-hyun!

But it was the cheering section on the 3rd base side that shouted, and it was not the batter who hit the well-hit ball who received the cheers, but the left fielder who caught the ball with a jump catch in front of the fence.

It would be a lie if I said I didn’t feel sick to my stomach seeing the baseball sleeping peacefully in his glove, and seeing the other team happy about it.

Clap clap clap!

“Let’s go out, let’s go out!”

While no one could come to their senses, I was the first to come out of the dugout.

I stood with my back to the Sangsu Tigers members who were gathered in a circle in the middle of 2nd base, rejoicing.

They might think that we missed the victory right in front of our eyes, but the cheering section on the 1st base side was sending us warm applause and cheers.

“…F

After bowing to them, I turned around. Whether it was because they were no longer tired of winning, I applauded them as well, who were purely happy.

“Let’s go.”

After looking at them with a complicated look, I turned back towards the dugout.