A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 447

The New Recruit is Too Good at Baseball 447

The New Recruit is Too Good at Baseball 447

96 Take Me Out to the Ball Game (3)

As I’ve mentioned several times already, St. Petersburg, Florida, is famous for its warm sunshine.

The city’s nickname is Sunshine City. If you go out on the street, there are plenty of stores with ‘Sunshine’ in their names. In the first place, isn’t the name of the baseball team Ji-seop belonged to, the Tampa Bay Rays, which means ‘sunshine?’

It was such a sunny area that Ji-seop had rarely felt stuffy since he came here.

Especially since the Future Strategy Planning Department’s office moved to the ground floor, he had been living a life even further removed from such feelings-

“……”

Today, at the home of Huck Flender, the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium organist.

Ji-seop was feeling a stuffiness that made it hard to breathe for the first time in a long time.

“Kim, have some more salad.”

“Ah, yes, thank you.”

The meal prepared by Huck Flender’s son was terribly unappetizing.

The soup was under-seasoned, the salad was stale and soggy, and the main dish, grilled fish, was burnt black on the outside.

But Ji-seop wasn’t picky about food. Usually, he would have devoured such a meal without hesitation.

The reason Ji-seop couldn’t quite muster any enthusiasm that day was entirely due to Huck Flender’s gloomy situation.

“I see, that’s how it is. So when are you leaving? Is the exact schedule out yet?”

“I’m still waiting for a call from the nursing home… The doctor says there should be an opening sometime next month.”

“Really? So you’re saying you’ll be leaving St. Petersburg next month?”

Huck Flender, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, had decided to enter a nursing home.

His physical condition was deteriorating day by day, and his son had to return to his own business.

Charles Fleck must have felt bittersweet hearing his friend’s story, but he didn’t try to show it outwardly.

“Well, well! You’ve thought it through very well! My friend is so cool!”

As if trying to shake off the shadow cast in his heart, Charles Fleck was raising his voice.

“It’s not something to think about negatively. It’s something everyone goes through at least once… You can make a lot of friends in the nursing home, can’t you?”

Charles Fleck was doing his best for his depressed old friend.

“If you make new friends, you can play poker together, play gateball [a croquet-like sport]! Yes, you can watch baseball too, can’t you? And, and…”

It was at this moment that Charles Fleck’s earnest gaze turned to Ji-seop.

As if wondering if there was another advantage.

After tilting his head for a moment, Ji-seop brought up a word that flashed through his mind.

“…A dog?”

Oh, that’s not bad.

Ji-seop quickly continued.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dog? Nursing homes are usually located in open areas, after all.”

“Yes, a dog! A dog would be good too! You can feed him, take him for walks!”

“Heh heh, that might be better than I thought.”

Huck Flender’s expression brightened ever so slightly at the mention of a dog.

However, to put it bluntly, it seemed like it just wasn’t their day.

“By the way, Huck, didn’t you have a dog before? What was his name? You had a very small and cute one.”

“Ah, Toto? Are you talking about our Toto?”

At that moment, the atmosphere that Ji-seop had barely managed to improve plummeted to the depths in an instant.

“Heh heh, that guy… ran away from home. Has it been a month or two now?”

“Ran away from home? How?”

At Charles Fleck’s question, Huck Flender simply smiled bitterly.

“I must have been out of my mind. I fell asleep with the front door open… When I woke up in the morning, he was gone.”

“No, wasn’t he quite old? It wouldn’t be easy for him to move around now, would it?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I wonder where that old geezer is and what he’s doing. Whenever I think of him, my heart breaks…”

Hoo. Hoo.

Watching Huck Flender let out a long sigh, Ji-seop wore a pitiful expression.

In fact, he wondered if the problem wasn’t Charles Fleck rather than Huck Flender. This kind-hearted old man was almost dying because of his old friend’s continuous misfortunes.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be good for the Future Strategy Planning Department either. Ji-seop put a fork in his mouth and began to look around.

‘Wait, I need to change the subject somehow… Hmm?’

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a very suitable topic came into Ji-seop’s view.

He wondered why he hadn’t thought of this sooner. This was a much more appropriate topic than nursing homes or dogs.

The most suitable item for Huck Flender. And an item that Ji-seop personally was quite curious about.

That was,

the organ.

* * *

“Ah, the organ? You want to hear my organ performance?”

When Ji-seop pointed to the organ in the corner of the living room, Huck Flender’s expression brightened.

Yes, this was the answer. Ji-seop smiled inwardly and decided to exaggerate appropriately.

“Yes, to be honest… I still can’t believe it 100%.”

“Can’t believe it? What?”

“Charles said that at one time, Mr. Flender used this one organ to create all the sound effects heard in the baseball stadium…”

Ji-seop raised one eyebrow.

“Was that really possible? Didn’t you actually use pre-recorded CDs or tapes?”

“Heh heh, I see our Deputy Director is a very suspicious type?”

Skeuk.

Huck Flender raised his thick magnifying glasses and gave a knowing smile.

“Alright, alright! Shall I show you what a stadium organist is capable of?”

Flender didn’t seem to notice, but Charles Fleck was actually giving Ji-seop a look at this time.

[Kim, stop! Stop there!]

The reason he was sending such earnest eyes was obvious.

[Didn’t you see? Huck isn’t normal right now! There’s no way he can play the organ!]

He was worried that his old friend’s heart would be hurt again, but Ji-seop had some confidence at this time.

‘The organ is… well-maintained.’

That’s right. This was the key.

Flender’s house was actually a mess.

The room reeked of old laundry, and there were a few hairs in the salad.

The table was full of water stains from when it was last wiped, and there was a layer of dust on the old television.

Nevertheless, only that organ, Huck Flender’s pride and joy, was sparkling and shiny.

‘Even while losing his mind, he took care of the organ? Okay, then it’s worth looking forward to.’

Thinking so, Ji-seop looked at Huck Flender with a rather expectant expression.

“Then… shall we listen a little?”

“Haha, yes! You won’t regret it.”

Huck Flender rolled up his sleeves and sat down in front of the organ.

With his son’s help, he opened the lid, carefully rolled up the cloth that covered the keyboard, and placed it next to him.

He stroked the keyboard as if caressing the back of a lover’s hand.

“Hoo.”

After closing his eyes for a moment and quietly taking a breath, he vigorously stepped on the pedal and pressed the keys-

“!!!”

Ji-seop, no, even Charles Fleck and Flender’s son.

Everyone could only widen their eyes and quietly hold their breath.

* * *

“Wow, it was really amazing.”

And the next morning.

Ji-seop, who had returned to the Future Strategy Planning Department, was talking about the organ performance he had experienced the day before.

“It was amazing how he created various sound effects, but I was actually more surprised by the music Mr. Flender played.”

“What did he play?”

At John Ramer’s question, Ji-seop gave a slightly wistful smile.

Because it was music as familiar to baseball fans as the American national anthem.

The music that always played in the 7th inning of every Major League Baseball game.

“It was Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

“Yes? That’s it?”

“See, see! I knew you’d react like that!”

Ji-seop shrugged.

“Actually, I was indifferent when I first heard the title. It’s a song I’ve heard so many times, and I’ve never really felt that the melody was that good.”

“But… it wasn’t?”

At David Wilson’s words, Ji-seop slowly nodded.

“Koo, it was awesome.”

Ji-seop gave a thumbs up.

“I don’t know how to express it, but there was something that touched my heart. It made me think, ‘This is why people go to concerts.'”

“If Kim says that much, it must have been really great…”

A playful expression appeared on John Ramer’s face.

“David, shouldn’t we do some cross-checking? Kim only praises too much, so I can’t believe him.”

“Well, there’s a bit of that. When Fleck comes, shouldn’t we ask for his impressions?”

“Ah, right? Charles went with Kim too… Haha, speak of the devil!”

John Ramer pointed to the conference room door, and the person in question, Charles Fleck, appeared.

“Charles! Charles! There was something I wanted to ask Charles… Huh?”

John Ramer waved his hands wildly and spoke, but Charles Fleck didn’t seem to hear him at this time.

He passed by John Ramer and strode towards Ji-seop, who was sitting in the middle seat.

Then, he slammed his hands on Ji-seop’s desk and said,

“Kim, I found him!!!”

“Yes?”

Ji-seop tilted his head.

“Found who? What are you talking about?”

“Toto! Huck’s dog.”

“Ah, the one who ran away from home two months ago?”

I was wondering what it was.

Ji-seop chuckled.

“That’s a relief. Mr. Flender seemed very worried. Where did you find him?”

“Actually, he didn’t run away from home. Do you happen to know Nicole from the Stadium Operations Department? The friend in charge of the Tropicana Field’s broadcasting system.”

“I think I’ve heard the name.”

When Ji-seop answered, Charles Fleck continued, saying, ‘Yes, that friend!’

“Toto was being taken care of by that friend! Two months ago, Huck came and left the dog with her!”

“That means…”

“That’s right! Huck, that airhead, didn’t even remember that he had left the dog there!”

“Ah.”

Should I say it’s fortunate that I found the dog?

Or should I say it’s unfortunate that the organist’s memory is fading?

Ji-seop, who was pondering a truly complicated feeling, suddenly realized something strange and raised his head.

“By the way… What did you go to the Stadium Operations Department for? There’s no particular issue there, is there?”

At Ji-seop’s question, Charles Fleck wiped the sweat flowing down his face and smiled.

“As expected, our Deputy Director is quick-witted?”

“Yes?”

“Actually… I went to ask Nicole. I was curious about what happened to the organ room in Tropicana Field.”

The organ room.

It was the space where Huck Flender had worked for nearly 20 years when he was active.

“But, don’t be surprised! The organ room is still there! With a little work, it can be used during games!”

The fact that the organ was used in the baseball stadium will one day be a forgotten memory.

The story that he had been managing the organ facilities in case they might be exhibited in a museum at that time.

But Ji-seop could easily guess that that wasn’t the main point.

“It’s possible to use the organ room with a little work? Charles, then…”

“That’s right! What you’re thinking is right!”

Charles Fleck looked at Ji-seop with an earnest expression he had never shown before.

“Kim, that bonus you said you’d give me… is it still valid?”