A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 89

The Baseball Team’s New Recruit Is Too Good – Episode 89 (89/512)

Chapter 25: Bartering (1)

After creating two winners in the home run derby and receiving a large bouquet and a brand-new car as a reward, Ji-seop thought,

‘Hehe, this side income is quite nice.’

The next day was originally a day off, but Ji-seop couldn’t rest at home and ended up going to KH Cannons Field.

He was lazing around in bed for the first time in a while when he suddenly received a phone call.

– Ah, Ji-seop?

– This is Deputy Cha Jong-min from the scouting team!

It was Cha Jong-min, the deputy from the scouting team.

The very person known as the best at spotting players in KH Cannons.

– I came up to Yeongsan for the first time in a while… Damn it, there’s no one in the office! Do you have time? If it’s okay, how about having lunch with me?

It wouldn’t be a lie to say he wasn’t annoyed.

However, it had been a while since he had seen Deputy Cha Jong-min after meeting him for Go Chang-deok’s used car deal.

Besides, he came all the way from Chungcheong-do [a province in South Korea], and it would be rude to coldly reject such a person to their face, saying, ‘I’m busy.’

In the end, Ji-seop had no choice but to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor and put them on.

“Ji-seop, thank you. As you know, there are hardly any places to eat alone around here, right?”

Deputy Cha Jong-min, whom he met again at a kimchi stew restaurant near the baseball field.

While scooping up a spoonful of bubbling kimchi stew, he gave Ji-seop an awkward smile.

“I was originally planning to come up for the meeting next week… But the stuff I had on hand ran out.”

While accepting the front plate filled with kimchi stew, Ji-seop asked.

“What stuff are you talking about?”

“Under shirts, wristbands, and sometimes bats or spikes? You know, the stuff we give out to the team’s players as supplies.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min licked the kimchi stew off the back of his hand.

“If you slip those to high school players, it works wonders. They spill all the information they know and don’t know without even asking…”

At this moment, Ji-seop could sense that Deputy Cha Jong-min had changed quite a bit from the past.

In the past, his desk was always piled high with team supplies that he hadn’t distributed yet.

‘But now, he’s given away all those supplies and come to get more?’

Unlike the past, when he relied solely on his gut feeling, he was now working hard to get information.

For the upcoming rookie draft, he could expect considerable results in the Chungcheong area, at least, even if he didn’t know about other areas.

While thinking that, he was tasting the MSG-filled kimchi stew broth when suddenly.

“Ah, by the way…”

Deputy Cha looked at Ji-seop with a subtle gaze.

“I heard about it from Jang-ho.”

“Yes?”

Ji-seop blinked.

“What are you talking about?”

“That car that came out as the prize in this home run derby…”

Deputy Cha Jong-min’s eyes lit up.

“I heard… Jang-ho gave it to Ji-seop?”

Come to think of it, there are more than a few team employees who live near the baseball field.

Nevertheless, why did Deputy Cha call Ji-seop and say, ‘Let’s have lunch’?

Ji-seop was finally realizing the reason why.

‘Seriously… he can’t resist anything with four wheels.’

* * *

KH Cannons’ self-proclaimed ‘car maniac,’ Deputy Cha Jong-min.

The very person who works at the baseball team to get rides in the players’ expensive cars.

When they went to see the car parked in the basement of the baseball field after lunch, Deputy Cha looked like a child who had received a new toy.

“Wow, the color is amazing!”

A brand-new car with the interior vinyl still intact.

Deputy Cha Jong-min kept exclaiming, ‘Wow, wow.’

“I heard Future Motors put a lot of effort into making this… I guess it’s true. Who would look at this and call it a domestic car?”

Deputy Cha, sitting in the driver’s seat, looked around every corner of the car.

“The interior space is well-designed for a compact car, and the driver’s seat cushion is thick… What options are included in this?”

Deputy Cha started pouring out questions while looking back at Ji-seop.

Of course, Ji-seop was completely clueless about cars, so all he could do was stammer, ‘Well, I don’t know.’

Since it was a bit ridiculous to keep saying, ‘I don’t know,’ Ji-seop handed over the car key he was holding and said.

“Would you like to take it for a test drive?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have any more schedules today anyway. It would be helpful for me to hear explanations from you, Deputy Cha…”

“Ah.”

Wouldn’t he say ‘Okay’ right away?

That’s what Ji-seop thought at the time.

Deputy Cha Jong-min, who can’t resist cars. There’s no reason to refuse a test drive of a new car.

But, what?

“I appreciate the offer, but…”

Deputy Cha scratched the back of his head.

“I don’t think I can do that.”

I guess he thinks it’s a brand-new car that hasn’t even been started.

That must be why he’s hesitating.

Ji-seop shook his head and opened his mouth.

“I’ve already started the engine. It was originally in Busan [a major city in South Korea]. I drove it all the way here, so you don’t have to feel so burdened.”

“Ah, no, that’s not it…”

The next moment, Ji-seop heard something he didn’t expect.

“You’re not… selling it, are you?”

“Yes?”

Ji-seop tilted his head.

Deputy Cha continued, looking even more surprised at Ji-seop.

“Haven’t you received any calls yet? If it’s a car given as a prize at the All-Star Game…”

Tuk tuk.

Deputy Cha tapped the car’s steering wheel.

“There should be a line of people wanting to buy this by now, right?”

* * *

It was a story Ji-seop didn’t know.

“A car given as a prize at the All-Star Game, or a car given as a prize to the Korean Series MVP [Most Valuable Player]… Anyway, players rarely drive those cars themselves.”

That was what Deputy Cha Jong-min said.

“They usually sell them off.”

“Sell them? To whom?”

“It varies a bit depending on the case… Most of them are taken by business people. What do they call it, a ‘lucky car’?”

It was a kind of superstition.

“I’ve only heard about it, but… Anyway, bad spirits are afraid of people’s attention.”

“People’s attention?”

“Yes, then you get the picture, right? A car that came out as a prize at the All-Star Game, a car given to the Korean Series MVP… These are cars that have received an enormous amount of attention from people, right?”

The story was that even if a bad spirit was hiding in some corner of the car, it would be scared by the pouring attention of people and run away.

“A good car because the bad spirit is gone. An even better car because it gave great joy to its first owner.”

Deputy Cha Jong-min shrugged his shoulders.

“People whose businesses aren’t going well are desperately trying to get their hands on a car like this.”

“Ah.”

Ji-seop thought that only baseball players were superstitious, but business people seemed to be just as superstitious.

“If the competition gets fierce, it’s not uncommon for the price to go up to two or three times the original price. Of course, this is a compact car, so it might be a bit different…”

Deputy Cha continued.

“Anyway, don’t drive it if you can help it, and wait a few days. I think you’ll probably get so many inquiries about buying it starting tomorrow that it’ll be annoying.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, and then after selling the car for a high price, Ji-seop, you can use that money to buy a better car, right?”

It was advice worthy of a ‘car maniac’ like Deputy Cha Jong-min.

* * *

To get straight to the point,

There was no need to wait until the next day.

Vrrr- Vrrr- Vrrrrrr-

On the way home after parting with Deputy Cha Jong-min.

Ji-seop’s phone started ringing non-stop.

– Ah, Ji-seop! This is Coach Ryu, where are you now? Was today a day off?

– Ji-seop, hello? This is Reporter Jeong from Sports Hanseong [a fictional sports media outlet]. Ah, it’s not that, a person I know…

Coaching staff of KH Cannons, team employees, reporters covering the team.

Later, even people who made him wonder, ‘How did they get my number?’ called Ji-seop.

And the one thing that those people who called him said afterward was the same, as if they had made a promise.

– Ji-seop, I heard you have the car that Jang-ho received yesterday…?

– What are you planning to do with that car? An acquaintance of mine really wants to buy that car…

– Oh, the price doesn’t matter! Let’s meet first! Let’s meet and talk about the conditions…

A lucky car.

A car without bad spirits.

Therefore, a car that brings good luck.

The voices of people who wanted to meet Ji-seop and get that car no matter what.

‘Geez, I never thought it would be this popular…’

Since so many people were contacting him, Ji-seop started to worry a little.

Who should he give the car to?

Should he give it to the person who is the coach’s friend, the acquaintance of the reporter in charge, or would it be easier to entrust it to a professional dealer?

‘Hehe, being in the baseball team, all sorts of things really happen.’

While worrying like that, he arrived at the baseball team’s dormitory.

Just as he was about to take the key out of his pocket and open the front door with a ‘click,’ the phone in his pocket vibrated.

Who could it be this time?

With a bit of anticipation, Ji-seop took out his phone.

“…Hmm?”

After checking the phone screen, Ji-seop immediately pressed the ‘call’ button.

It was someone he had been planning to contact anyway.

“CEO Oh?”

– Oh, Ji-seop! You answered the phone right away? Hahaha…

The person who said that while laughing heartily was CEO Oh Su-man.

A military buddy of Ji-seop’s brother, Kim Ji-chang.

And the CEO of ‘Superstar Baseball,’ a professional social baseball training center that Ji-seop joined for the first time after retiring from active duty.

“I was about to call you… You called me first.”

– You were? To me?

“Yes, didn’t I promise you at Mokdong Stadium [a baseball stadium in Seoul] last time? That I would visit Superstar Baseball when the All-Star break came…”

– That’s right, you did! Our members are already making a fuss about wanting to see Ji-seop! Hahaha…

A bright voice heard over the phone.

However, Ji-seop tilted his head slightly.

‘I thought he was going to ask when I was going to visit the training center…’

It felt like he had another purpose for calling.

And if there was ‘another purpose’ at this timing, it was probably this.

“CEO, did you call because of the car? That car that came out as a prize during the home run derby?”

– Ah, no, how did you know…

CEO Oh Su-man was surprised.

– Wow, Ji-seop, you’re as quick-witted as ever! How did you know that?

CEO Oh continued.

– It’s not that I called because I wanted to buy it… One of our training center members asked me to contact Ji-seop…