Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 155

For victory!

Inside a small conference room where a banner with the wishes of the Wonha Challengers members was attached to the ceiling.

Creak—

“…….”

The conference room I had visited a while ago hadn’t changed a bit.

One desk in the center. One laptop on it. One camera next to it. One person behind it.

“What. Why again, what is it this time?”

“Today is a special feature on Kim Han-wool.”

“We did that recently.”

“Yes. But today’s content is a bit different.”

As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning, I checked my phone and found a hurried KakaoTalk [Korean messaging app] message from Eun-seo.

[Han-wool, I’m sorry, but could you come in an hour early today?]

“…You wanted me to come early because of this?”

“Yes.”

“…….”

The reason being…….

“What is it today?”

“Ah, today’s content is! Kim Han-wool, do you perhaps know the world’s top three curiosities?”

“Who made that up again?”

“A text I just got said the top three curiosities are: what the person in front of you is thinking, what other people think of you, and…”

“No, I mean, who made it up?”

“So today, we’re going to find out the third of those world’s top three curiosities.”

“…….”

Please.

“…I don’t know about the others, but I really want to know what the person in front of me is thinking.”

“Kim Han-wool, there’s a laptop in front of you, right? I’ve put the video file there, so could you check it out?”

“Seriously, I don’t know about other people, but shouldn’t I be getting paid for appearing on this?”

“Okay, there’s a mouse next to you. See the split part on the top of the mouse? Pressing the left side of it is clicking…”

“I know!”

What am I even doing.

For now, I followed Eun-seo’s instructions and played the video. The first person I saw was Woo-seok.

But looking at the background…….

“Ah, this is from the All-Star Game, that thing we filmed back then.”

“Yes!”

During the All-Star Game, before I started talking nonsense with Park Hae-jin about momentum or whatever, that guy had asked me. He asked if I had seen the interview with the Wonha Mi-tube PD [Production Director].

He didn’t tell me what he said, didn’t tell me what the questions were, and even kept his mouth shut when I asked if it was an interview about me.

“Is Park Hae-jin here too?”

“Who knows?”

Looking at Eun-seo’s expression, who is terrible at lying, it seems like Park Hae-jin is included in this list too.

“Then… roughly how many people are in it?”

“Twelve… about twelve people? Will be in it.”

“You told me to look forward to it, you must have worked hard.”

No wonder she was running around so much, it was because of this.

Even though I said that, I knew that Eun-seo had worked quite hard, so I decided to watch the video.

– Han-wool? That bastard is a very bad…

Thud!

“…Is this right?”

“Is there a problem somewhere?”

I felt a slight headache coming on as I continued the video.

– Han-wool? That bastard is a very bad bastard. He always does that to me, and after all I’ve done to help him. Isn’t he being too much?

“Choi Woo-seok evaluated you like this. How would Kim Han-wool respond?”

“He’s just bad at hitting.”

Smirk.

I can easily cover Woo-seok with just one sneer.

“Next is… ah, Heon-cheol.”

– Han-wool hyung [older brother/male friend]… is good. Personally, things like performance or pitching well are important, but people don’t see him well because they’re blinded by his image.

– Image?

– He has a bit of a playful and mischievous image, but the really important thing about him is his leadership. These days, they talk about WAR [Wins Above Replacement, a baseball statistic] and stuff, but if the WAR he produces with his performance is 3, then the WAR he produces with his leadership is about 2.

“Oh… Shin Heon-cheol had really nice things to say.”

I know it’s nice, but…….

“…Leadership? Is this, is this the end of it in one word? There’s no further explanation or anything behind it?”

“Yes, yes. Everyone just said one thing each.”

“Hmm… thanks. Heon-cheol is someone I’ve known since I was really young… and back then, there was that. Back in my elite days, I was so good that whatever I said, people listening would take it more seriously, I guess.”

Even though I said that, I really felt good.

Next, the bullpen pitcher of Visco Runners, Ahn Chi-hyun, appeared on the screen. With a gentle smile, he came on screen and said,

– He’s good. He’s good at baseball, and he’s a good person once you get to know him. The only thing that’s a shame is that he saw the light late. If he had seen the light just five years earlier, the landscape of Korean baseball would have changed, right?

He gave me high praise.

“Chi-hyun hyung is also a really good person. Really good. He’s so easygoing, and when I first went to the Premier12 and was super nervous, Chi-hyun hyung really helped me relax a lot.”

“Ahn Chi-hyun is also famous for being a good person, right.”

Hyun-jin from Dongseong, Kim Ki-yoon from KP, Bae Deok-hyun from Visco, Bae Jun-ho from Gaya, and so on.

Like the people who appeared earlier, several players from other teams appeared and said good things about me, and I also said good things about them.

It’s definitely true that there’s a sense of lip service. Woo-seok, who would say that bastard is a son of a bitch while being filmed on camera, is the crazy one.

But even knowing that, there’s no way you can feel bad about hearing good things. If it’s not just one person but several people, and if they’re not ordinary people but people who control Korean baseball, then even more so.

Hehe.

I tried to hide it, but I couldn’t hide the expression on my face as I checked the last protagonist of the video.

“Ah.”

Finally, he’s here.

– Park Hae-jin, hello!

– Ah, yes.

– This is Wonha Challengers Mi-tube, and we wanted to ask you something. Do you have a minute?

– Yes. I do.

What a cool bastard.

How can you get that kind of face just by putting a spoonful of a smile on a blank expression?

I stared at the screen with a sulky face due to envy and jealousy.

– What do you think of Kim Han-wool? Could you say just one thing?

– Kim Han-wool sunbaenim [senior/respected colleague]?

– Yes, yes. Just say one thing as you feel comfortable!

– Ah…

At Eun-seo’s words, Park Hae-jin pondered for quite a while.

Tilting his head, raising his eyes to the upper left, staring at the camera.

– This season, I will make Kim Han-wool sunbaenim’s first run allowed.

After throwing down the gauntlet with a subtle smile, the video ended there.

“Park Hae-jin threw quite a big statement at Kim Han-wool.”

“This guy….”

Geez, what should I say in response?

“Then I should answer like this. Sangsoo Tigers, you have to be the runner-up in the Korean Series for the first time in a while, right?”

“Ooh, Kim Han-wool is coming on strong too.”

“He’s coming on this strong, so I have to do the same. I can’t lose in spirit.”

“Is it okay for Sangsoo fans to hear this? You got hit hard by the aftermath when something like this happened before.”

“That’s how we all live.”

It’s not a one- or two-day thing.

Following the common cliché that the protagonist always appears last, the interview collection ended with Park Hae-jin’s interview.

After that, I said a word of thanks to the players who talked about me, and a word of thanks to the fans who would watch this video, and today’s filming was over.

“Ugh… I thought something had happened because you told me to come in an hour early this morning.”

“I know that if I tell you that, it’ll be effective, given your personality.”

“Tsk, don’t tease adults.”

“Who’s the adult?”

“I’m the adult.”

“Then am I a kid?!”

Sorry. I should deny it, but I couldn’t.

“Hey!”

She came at me as if she was going to hit me, waving her arms around, but I can naturally defuse this by putting my hand on her head once.

Around 190cm and around 150cm.

With a clear difference in reach, she took a step back while muttering.

“…Han-wool, do you remember that 3-year thing?”

“Ugh, how long are you going to keep bringing up that 3-year-old story?”

Even while saying that, I also took a step back and prepared to start a serious conversation.

“This year is the last year for that.”

“I know that too.”

“…….”

“Why.”

I didn’t know when I only saw her playful or giggling face, but when I saw Eun-seo’s face like that, she looked surprisingly mature, which surprised me.

“I’ve been a Wonha fan for almost… 20 years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“And I was really good at studying. I was always number one in the whole school in high school, and I went to a really good university.”

“Why the sudden bragging?”

“It’s not bragging. Ah… is it bragging?”

“It’s bragging.”

At my words, Eun-seo pouted.

“…Do you know why I came to Wonha?”

“If you went to a good university, it’s natural to go to a good company.”

“That’s true, but do you know why I came to the baseball team?”

“I don’t know that far.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

“Wouldn’t it be weirder if you knew?”

“That’s true too….”

Come on, refute my words.

“…I heard you’re getting married this year.”

“Ah, yeah. I’ve roughly set the date for around December.”

“You don’t do that to your girlfriend, do you?”

“I’d get hit on the back if I did that, how could I do that.”

“I should hit you on the back a little so you can come to your senses.”

“No, why would you hit me.”

“I could hit you.”

One by one, Eun-seo tidied up the filming equipment while grumbling.

The equipment looked quite heavy, and there were quite a few items, so I quietly approached and picked up a few of the heavier ones.

“No, it’s okay.”

“It’s okay. You’re going to fall over while carrying it.”

“What are you talking about, falling over.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, where are you going.”

“…Follow me.”

Thanks to that, Eun-seo, whose hands were lighter, quickly left the conference room and headed to another office. I followed her in, and I saw some familiar faces.

I quietly put the equipment down where Eun-seo pointed, and she took out a drink from the refrigerator in the office and handed it to me.

“Come to think of it, you said your girlfriend is also a Wonha fan, right?”

“Her father is an employee here at Wonha. So she’s been a Wonha fan since birth, following her father.”

“Ah….”

When I gave her a little TMI [Too Much Information], Eun-seo nodded appropriately.

“…I’m jealous, your girlfriend.”

Then she left meaningful words.

…Eh, no way.

“What are you jealous of?”

“No, nothing in particular.”

Seeing the right corner of her mouth slightly rising, I thought that if I dug any deeper, the atmosphere would only get weird, so I just stopped.

Being quick-witted isn’t always good.

“First of all… the flow itself is similar to last year, but the grain is completely different from last year.”

“What is?”

“What else? The team’s season. The talk about winning or not.”

So, I quickly changed the subject.

“The flow is similar, but what’s different about the grain?”

“It’s similar in that we’re on a good run. We kept fighting for first place last year and eventually got first place, and this year we’re maintaining first place with a better run than last year.”

“What’s different about the grain?”

“The substance is different, the substance.”

“Substance?”

At the unexpected choice of words, one of Eun-seo’s eyebrows rose slightly. At that sight, I smiled and raised my thumb.

“I’m different, I am.”

“Wow, that’s so cheesy. You’re like an old man.”

How many years apart are we that you keep calling me an old man.

“What are you going to do if you don’t get first place this year?”

“If we don’t?”

“Yeah, if we don’t.”

“If we don’t… that’s a shame.”

“…….”

Jjomul-ttak [playful nickname] regained her condition and glared at me.

“That’s that. And Han-wool, do a little better this year too.”

“I’m doing well, what more do you want me to do?”

“No, keep doing well.”

“Oh, you’re giving me well wishes for once. You’re always so tsundere [a person who is initially cold and hostile but gradually becomes warmer and friendlier over time].”

“What are you talking about again. When was I tsundere again.”

Eun-seo made a sound and then tried to head somewhere else to film other content.

“Ah, Han-wool.”

“What.”

But then she stopped for a moment, and I also stopped walking for a moment.

It’s good that she confidently stopped me, but she didn’t seem to have thought about what to do next. She just stared at me for a moment.

“Why?”

“No… just wanted to say good luck today.”

Uncharacteristically, she said something cute.

I should respond appropriately too.

“Okay, good luck to you too, Eun-seo.”

“Yes. See you later.”