A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 206

53. The Second Son of the Kalguksu [Korean noodle soup] Restaurant (1)

The Aftermath of a Winning Streak.

When the KH Cannons’ winning streak came to an end, many people discussed the potential fallout.

-Yes, we anticipate significant aftereffects.

This was the assessment of a commentator on a TV program while Ji-seop was grilling Korean beef sirloin with the players.

-During a winning streak, the players experience severe physical strain. This is especially true for the pitchers, but the starting fielders are also likely facing considerable physical problems by now.

-That’s right. Moreover, it’s not easy to reorganize the team atmosphere.

This opinion was offered by another commentator, a former manager.

-It’s better to have a losing streak. The moment you break a losing streak, the players’ morale skyrockets. But a winning streak? That’s not so simple.

He used an analogy commonly heard among frontline leaders:

-The sense of emptiness after a winning streak is palpable throughout the team, and pep talks like ‘Let’s fight!’ don’t work. Why? Because they’ve already racked up a lot of wins during the streak. Losing a game or two doesn’t feel like a big deal.

It becomes difficult to maintain peak performance in this relaxed atmosphere.

This is why a team that had been on a winning streak suddenly falls into a slump.

This is why the advantage gained during the winning streak often vanishes unexpectedly.

Wouldn’t the Cannons, who had achieved their longest winning streak since their founding, likely follow a similar pattern?

Baseball experts on the TV program voiced such concerns—but by this point, the KH Cannons had become a completely different kind of team.

It was hard to pinpoint a single reason for this.

Perhaps it was because they had diligently managed the stamina of their starting players even during the winning streak.

Perhaps it was because the team atmosphere didn’t falter, thanks to the live broadcast following the previous day’s defeat.

Or perhaps it was due to the Korean beef dinner ordered by Vice Chairman Park Hong-joo, also known as ‘Sakhalin Park’.

Whatever the reason, the KH Cannons continued their upward trajectory by winning the game the next day.

Wow!!!

Of course, there were some tense moments.

In the top of the 9th inning, with the score at 7-5, the Cannons’ closer, Jang Dae-woo, gave up a game-tying hit.

Thwack!

A two-run game-tying hit conceded to the opposing team’s eighth batter.

It was Jang Dae-woo’s first blown save in almost two months.

It was a situation that would have been quite upsetting for the player himself, but the Cannons’ veteran pitcher made everyone smile with his subsequent remark.

“Coach, that hit was Ahn Young-chan’s fault. Please deduct points from Young-chan’s performance evaluation.”

“What? Why is that my responsibility? You were the one who walked the runner.”

“Don’t you remember? You shaved off all my sideburns yesterday?!

Jang Dae-woo pointed to his sideburns, where only bluish traces remained.

“I can’t concentrate because it’s so bare here! That’s why the ball ended up in the middle!”

“Ugh, you shameless bastard! At least make your excuses believable. How can you lie like that without even batting an eye…”

However, Ahn Young-chan was guilty of shaving off his same-age friend’s sideburns.

Ahn Young-chan couldn’t meet Jang Dae-woo’s eyes, muttering to himself.

As the younger players snickered and stifled their laughter at the sight of the two of them, a voice rang out from the back.

“Hey, there are days like this!”

It was the team captain, Chun Jin-woo.

“Sometimes you blow a save, and sometimes you shave off your friend’s sideburns!”

“Hey, Captain…”

Ahn Young-chan grumbled beside him, but Chun Jin-woo simply offered a faint smile.

“As I said at dinner yesterday, the important thing is to always look ahead.”

Chun Jin-woo’s firm voice echoed throughout the dugout.

“Let’s forget that we had a 10-game winning streak, and let’s forget that the winning streak is over. If possible, let’s also forget that there was a blown save a little while ago!”

Let’s look ahead.

The Cannons’ captain turned to look at his younger teammates and continued.

“With the feeling of starting from a score of 0-0… let’s play this game again today. Got it?”

Yes, sir!!!

In response to Chun Jin-woo’s encouragement, the Cannons’ players responded with a loud cheer.

And exactly 12 minutes later, the KH Cannons thoroughly defied the expectations of the experts who were predicting the ‘aftereffects of a winning streak’.

-The batted ball is soaring high! This ball, this ball, this ball is going over the fence… It’s a walk-off, a walk-off home run!!! The KH Cannons’ veteran second baseman works another miracle!!!

Ahn Young-chan’s walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs and a runner on first.

“Oh, what is going on!!!”

“Senior! Senior Ahn Young-chan!!!”

“Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!!”

The Cannons’ players ran towards Ahn Young-chan, who was rounding the bases, screaming all sorts of strange noises.

“Argh! Stop! Stop hitting me, you damn bastards!!!”

Ahn Young-chan’s screams echoed across the field as he was mobbed by his teammates.

The KH Cannons’ march towards the regular season championship was back on track.

* * *

In fact, that was the case.

That day, Ji-seop was also invited by the players to go out for dinner.

To celebrate shaking off the aftereffects of the winning streak, and to celebrate Ahn Young-chan’s walk-off home run.

The suggestion was to go to [Jeonju House] near the stadium for hangover soup and boiled beef slices.

“Hyung, you like boiled beef slices, right? I heard you can’t resist them?”

“Well, that’s true…”

The temptation of boiled beef slices was strong, but Ji-seop had to decline the players’ offer.

He had to make an appearance at his family home in Seoul.

-Ah, Kim Ji-seop? Well, I think there was a guy like that in our house, or maybe there wasn’t?

This was the reaction Ji-seop’s mother, Jin Young-hwa, had given when he called home a few days prior to check in.

When his mother reacted this way, it meant he was due for a serious scolding, so Ji-seop had decided to spend the upcoming holiday at his family home in Seoul.

‘Well, I haven’t been home much since the last vacation…’

Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving] was coming up soon, but the KH Cannons had an away game scheduled in Changwon then.

Since he wouldn’t be able to visit his hometown for the holidays, he would have to show his face at his family home in advance.

He planned to go home for the first time in a while to enjoy delicious food, catch up with his parents, and give them the gifts he had bought on his business trip to Japan a few months ago—but—

“Oh, you’re here? You’re early?”

When Ji-seop arrived at his family home in Seoul, he was greeted only by his older brother, Kim Ji-chang.

“What, is it just you, hyung?”

Ji-seop tilted his head and entered the house.

“Where are Dad and Mom? They seemed to be home when I called earlier today?”

“Yeah, they’ll probably be back soon. They went to Mr. Solbatgol’s house for dinner.”

“Mr. Solbatgol’s house?”

Ji-seop, whose memories were hazy, asked again, but his brother seemed preoccupied.

“I’m going to eat ramen.”

Rip.

Kim Ji-chang tore open a bag of ramen.

“Are you going to eat too?”

* * *

How can a person be like that?

You shouldn’t live like that.

About 5 minutes later, this was the nagging Ji-seop heard from his brother.

At first, Ji-seop thought it was because of the ramen.

He had said he wasn’t hungry and wouldn’t eat, but when he saw the ramen all cooked, he said, ‘Hyung, just one bite,’ as if possessed.

But the next moment, what his brother said was quite unexpected.

“No, you can eat ramen.”

His brother picked up a bowl and placed it in front of Ji-seop.

“How many years have I been a baseball player’s brother? Did you think I’d only cook one bag? I cooked a total of four bags, so don’t leave any.”

“Ooh?!”

Welcome news to his ears.

As Ji-seop, with a smile reaching his ears, picked up the ladle, his brother continued the story he had been telling a little while ago.

“Still, you shouldn’t forget about Mr. Solbatgol, should you?”

“Hey, I didn’t forget,” Ji-seop retorted, dividing the ramen noodles into the bowl.

“It’s just that I haven’t heard the name in a while, so my memory is a little hazy. How could I forget Mr. Solbatgol?”

Mr. Solbatgol’s house.

They were neighbors who lived in the same alley when Ji-seop was young.

They were about the same age as Ji-seop’s parents, so they often visited each other.

In particular, Ji-seop owed a lot to Mrs. Solbatgol.

“I think I often got meals from her? You know, Mom was very busy with the restaurant business at that time.”

“Often? You went almost every day. Until we moved here.”

Kim Ji-chang said, slurping the ramen noodles.

“Wasn’t Mrs. Solbatgol the first person to take you to a baseball stadium? I remember you coming in wearing a Guardians uniform?”

“Ah, that must be right. Her family were all ardent fans of the Guardians. But it wasn’t the UB Guardians back then, it was the Myungin Guardians…”

Memories were flooding back.

Ji-seop smiled quietly to himself.

“I thought we had lost contact after we moved, but it seems like you’ve been meeting up recently?”

“I think we’ve been in contact all along? But it hasn’t been long since we started seeing each other again. I heard that Mr. Solbatgol has been quite busy all this time…”

It was added that Mr. Solbatgol had retired a few months ago, so they were meeting quite often these days.

On weekends, they would meet up to go hiking, have meals, and sometimes even go on trips.

“But it’s only me who suffers every time.”

“Why you, hyung?”

“Why else? When Mom leaves the store, all the remaining work becomes my responsibility? I have to pull the kalguksu noodles, make the broth, make the kimchi and fill it up…”

It’s too much for one person.

He should outsource the kimchi now.

Just as he was listening to the complaints of the eldest son who had taken over the family business.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beeping!

As soon as he heard the sound of the password being entered, the front door of the apartment opened with a ‘bang’.

“Welcome back, Father?”

“Mom, I’m home.”

Ji-seop and his brother greeted their parents as they entered the house.

Originally, Ji-seop had expected his mother’s ‘back smack’ to land once or twice around this time.

What’s wrong with you?

Did you put honey on the baseball stadium [meaning, are you glued to the stadium]?

No matter how busy you are, how can you not come home like this?