A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 31

10. Black Curtain Slowly (2)

Around 10 a.m. the next day.

Jisub was getting coffee from Kim Dong-hui, an assistant manager in the International Affairs Team.

“Are you really okay with just an iced Americano? They make great macarons here, and the cakes are delicious too.”

“I’m fine, Assistant Manager.”

Jisub waved his hand.

“I had a hearty breakfast at the hotel. There’s no room for anything else.”

“Aww, I told you so. You could have skipped breakfast.”

Assistant Manager Kim clicked his tongue, seemingly disappointed.

“Everyone’s making a fuss about buying you something delicious… Tell me if you see anything you want to eat later, okay?”

“Yes, I will.”

The International Affairs Team had been suffering from visiting the same restaurants multiple times because of ‘Black Curtain Slowly’ [likely a reference to a person who is slow to make decisions, causing delays].

So, Jisub’s performance the night before was very welcome and appreciated.

Assistant Manager Kim, who had been somewhat distant when they first met the day before, was now treating him warmly, calling him ‘Jisub-ssi, Jisub-ssi’ [a Korean honorific, similar to ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’].

“If it weren’t for you, Jisub-ssi, we would have had to go to that burger place again today and eat with a wary eye.”

Hoo.

Assistant Manager Kim shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.

“Thanks to you, Jisub-ssi, our work has been cut in half today… Let’s rest here for a bit and leave slowly.”

“Yes, I’m fine with that, but…”

Something felt different from what he had heard.

Jisub tilted his head.

“Is there anything we need to pay special attention to regarding the practice game setup?”

Jisub asked Assistant Manager Kim.

“Team Leader Jo Sung-beom and Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin… They all seem to be racking their brains over the practice game setup.”

“Ah, that…”

Assistant Manager Kim reacted as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“The part that Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin is in charge of will definitely be tough. She has to negotiate one-on-one with the Giants and the Hawks… the most high-nosed guys in Japan [meaning proud or arrogant teams].”

“What about us, then?”

“Compared to that, the side we’re in charge of is a piece of cake.”

Assistant Manager Kim winked.

“We have a friendly friend on our side.”

* * *

Amuro Sports Marketing Co., Ltd.

That was the identity of the ‘friendly friend’ Assistant Manager Kim had mentioned.

“You could call them brokers.”

On the way to Amuro Co., Ltd.

Assistant Manager Kim, who was sitting in the passenger seat, operated the navigation system and continued to speak.

“Jisub-ssi, how many baseball teams do you think are in Okinawa right now? Including professional and amateur teams.”

“I don’t know?”

Jisub, who was behind the wheel, tilted his head.

Jisub had experience playing for a Japanese independent baseball team, but he had no way of knowing the number of baseball teams coming to Okinawa.

“About twenty?”

“There are over fifty right now.”

More than fifty baseball teams were huddled together in Okinawa, which was slightly larger than Jeju Island [a South Korean island].

It seemed that there were far more baseball teams gathered than Jisub had thought.

“With so many baseball teams gathered… there’s a limit to what team staff can do on their own.”

“Ah, I see.”

“So, companies like Amuro Sports Marketing arrange practice game schedules, find stadiums, and provide necessary manpower…”

He added that clubs classified as ‘big clubs’ in Japan solve the problem on their own, but mediocre professional clubs all work with these companies.

“There are about half a dozen companies making a living doing this in Okinawa… Among them, Amuro Sports Marketing has the most influence.”

“Ah, I see.”

The story was that such a company had built trust with the KH Cannons for a long time.

“It’s a bit funny for me, someone in the baseball team, to say this… but our KH Group has a bit of an ‘loyalty! loyalty!’ atmosphere, right?”

Assistant Manager Kim clenched his fist.

Jisub recalled the figure of Park Hong-ju, vice president of ‘Sakhalin Park,’ and nodded.

“A bit… right?”

“In my opinion, I think that kind of parent company atmosphere has influenced the baseball team as well.”

Assistant Manager Kim continued.

“Other clubs often change their spring camp locations. They go to the United States, Australia, and, rarely, Taiwan…”

“…”

“But our KH has consistently chosen Okinawa as its spring camp location since its founding.”

Jisub chuckled and said.

“Very loyal.”

Other clubs often changed their spring camp locations, but KH Cannons stubbornly insisted on Okinawa.

He didn’t know what impact this had on the baseball team’s performance, but it seemed to have helped build a relationship with Amuro Sports Marketing.

Jisub was beginning to understand Assistant Manager Kim Dong-hui’s leisurely attitude from the start.

“So, there’s not much we have to do today. Just meet the people from Amuro and exchange light greetings.”

Assistant Manager Kim looked back at the ‘Korean seaweed gift set’ piled up in the back seat and continued.

“After checking the practice game schedule they give us, we just sign the contract and come back.”

“Sounds simple?”

“It is simple.”

Let’s go eat meat on the way.

That’s how relaxed the two men were as they headed to ‘friendly friend’ Amuro Sports Marketing Co., Ltd., but-

“…”

Exactly one hour later.

What came into Jisub’s view was Assistant Manager Kim, sweating profusely and staring at the ‘practice game schedule.’

“W-wait a minute, Aragaki-san [Japanese honorific, similar to ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’].”

Assistant Manager Kim asked in Japanese.

“Isn’t there some kind of mistake? The practice game opponents designated for our KH Cannons are…”

Assistant Manager Kim pointed to the ‘practice game schedule’ with a trembling hand.

“College teams, high school teams, even independent baseball teams… They’re all amateur teams! How can there not be a single Japanese professional baseball team?!”

“I-I’m sorry, Kim-san.”

The Japanese employee called ‘Aragaki’ bowed deeply.

“We did our best for KH Cannons, but… we regret to inform you of this result.”

“No, don’t just keep apologizing…”

Assistant Manager Kim swept his hair back, frustrated.

“I don’t understand the situation right now. When I contacted you a few days ago, you said there wouldn’t be any problems, didn’t you?”

“Yes, we thought so too, but…”

The Japanese employee continued, bowing repeatedly.

“As Kim-san knows well, a practice game can only proceed with the consent of the opposing team, right?”

“So?”

“This time, Amuro Sports Marketing submitted a practice game proposal to the Japanese professional baseball team, but… not a single team that sent a reply wanted a match with KH Cannons.”

“…Excuse me?!”

Assistant Manager Kim ‘staggered’ slightly.

It seemed he had a rough idea of why that answer had come back.

“N-no way…”

“Yes, KH Cannons, which has been lingering at the bottom of the Korean professional baseball league for many years… A practice game with such a team will not help strengthen the team’s power.”

“…”

“All of the Japanese professional baseball teams that we sent the proposal to…”

The Japanese employee continued.

“Sent that answer.”

* * *

Amuro Sports Marketing Co., Ltd., which had been KH Cannons’ ‘friendly friend’ for many years.

However, what they presented was a practice game schedule full of matches with amateur teams.

That night, an emergency meeting of the International Affairs Team could not be avoided at the KH Cannons’ first team dormitory.

“This has become a headache.”

Said General Manager Jo Sung-beom, who appeared in a short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts.

“Assistant Manager Kim, so what did you do? Did you just say ‘Okay’ and come out?”

Assistant Manager Kim replied, sweating.

“Of course, I asked them to proceed with further negotiations with the Japanese professional clubs, but…”

“Because it’s a situation where they’re bringing up our KH’s team performance, the people at Amuro didn’t seem confident in the negotiation results.”

“Huh, really? The Amuro kids didn’t seem confident?”

General Manager Jo Sung-beom’s meaningful gaze.

Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin, ‘Black Curtain Slowly,’ opened her mouth in his place.

“Assistant Manager Kim, when are you going to grow up?”

“Yes?”

Assistant Manager Kim blinked.

Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin looked at Assistant Manager Kim with pitiful eyes.

“The Japanese club brought up our KH’s team performance? So you couldn’t get a practice game? Assistant Manager Kim, do you believe that?”

“W-well, it didn’t exactly sound like a lie, but…”

“Then how did you get a practice game last year?”

Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin sighed.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this in front of the rookie… but our KH was 9th last year too. The year before that, we were last.”

The story was that KH Cannons’ performance had always been mediocre.

“Even in that situation, Amuro always brought us practice games. That’s their know-how, and that’s why we’ve been working with them until now… But it’s only this year that they’re acting like this? Then there’s something more to it.”

‘Black Curtain Slowly’s sharp gaze turned to Assistant Manager Kim.

“Anything you can think of?”

“W-well. To be honest, from the moment I received the practice game schedule, I felt like my head turned white…”

When Assistant Manager Kim couldn’t give a satisfactory answer, Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin’s gaze shifted to Jisub.

“Kim Jisub-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“Kim Jisub-ssi, you speak Japanese, right? You played in the Japanese independent league.”

“Yes, I can understand to some extent.”

“That’s good.”

Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin continued.

“Kim Jisub-ssi, did you see or hear anything separately when you went today?”

“Yes?”

“Assistant Manager Kim must have been too busy dealing directly with Aragaki… but Jisub-ssi next to him would have been relatively free.”

Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin gestured.

“Anything is fine, anything. Anything the Amuro people said is fine, anything about the atmosphere of the office is fine. If there was anything that bothered you even a little, tell me.”

“Anything that bothered me even a little…”

In fact, from the moment he first met the Japanese employee named ‘Aragaki,’ there was one thing that stimulated Jisub’s nerves.

However, he just couldn’t make a judgment.

Whether it was okay to tell Kim Dong-hui.

Or whether it was okay to disclose it in a place where all the International Affairs Team employees were present.

“…”

Jisub looked at the ceiling for a while to organize his thoughts.

It was immediately after that that Jisub, having finished thinking, turned his gaze to Deputy Manager Cha Yun-jin.

“There is one thing…”

“What is it?”

Feeling the gazes focused on him, Jisub opened his mouth again.

“However, it’s a bit difficult to tell you right here… I would like to tell the General Manager and Deputy Manager separately.”