A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 9

The Baseball Team Rookie is Too Good – Episode 9

#The Baseball Team Rookie is Too Good Episode 9

Chapter 4: Not Even Afraid of the Russian President (1)

Sakhalin Park.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

Why wouldn’t he back down?

Kim Ji-seop vaguely grasped the reason that very day while having dinner at a Michelin 3-star restaurant.

It wasn’t exactly because he read Vice Chairman Park’s mind.

Even if Ji-seop didn’t have the ability to read other people’s minds, he could have figured it out.

-Over there, over there, over there! See over there! The person standing next to Chairman Joo! That’s me! Haha, I was so young back then!

While the KH Group’s special documentary was playing, Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju kept talking non-stop.

Ji-seop felt like blood was really flowing from his ears, and it wasn’t a joke.

‘……Hmm?’

There was only one time during the entire 1 hour and 40-minute screening that Vice Chairman Park closed his mouth.

-Goals? Well, goals……

It was an interview with the late Chairman Joo Tae-san, the founder of KH Group, in his younger days.

A young Joo Tae-san appeared in what looked like 90s attire.

When the reporter asked about the company’s future goals, he suddenly put his arm around another man standing next to him.

And then he said,

-When we first started this company, this friend and I had a goal together!

‘Hey, why are you doing this?’ Ignoring his friend’s reaction, young Joo Tae-san continued.

-Whenever it may be, let’s create a top ten conglomerate in Korea!

-Let’s get into the top 10 in the business world and get invited to the Blue House [the South Korean presidential residence] for a dinner with the heads of major corporations!

Chairman Joo Tae-san laughed, saying, ‘I heard the food at the Blue House is so delicious.’

The interview ended with Chairman Joo Tae-san energetically shouting ‘Fighting!’ and his ‘friend’ reluctantly raising his fist next to him.

And Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju was watching that scene with an expression that couldn’t be put into words.

“……”

Ji-seop was watching that expression right next to him, but he didn’t really feel anything at the time.

Maybe it was because he didn’t have a friend like Chairman Joo Tae-san, but he felt like the old man was acting sentimental.

Even though they didn’t make it into the top 10 in the business world, they still created the KH Group that everyone knows, so he wondered what other greed he had.

However, as ten days passed, Ji-seop gradually developed some ‘grudging affection.’

Or maybe he liked getting called as a social baseball mercenary after the private lessons and earning ‘additional income.’

On the day of KH Group’s in-house baseball tournament.

While finishing the last early morning training, Ji-seop clenched his fist at ‘Sakhalin Park.’

“Vice Chairman, hit a home run today!”

Following with one more word.

“KH Group’s entry into the top 10 in the business world! Shouldn’t you achieve that goal before stepping down?”

It was Ji-seop’s sincere message of support, but Vice Chairman Park’s reaction was not good.

“You son of a gun, Qingdao! Do you think being in the top 10 of the Korean business world is as easy as pie?!”

Damn it, that old man.

He’s so hard to please.

* * *

After finishing the last early morning training, Ji-seop received the uniform to wear at the tournament from Secretary Yang.

“This is……”

A uniform wrapped in transparent plastic.

But somehow, the shape looked familiar.

“Is this the KH Cannons uniform?”

When Ji-seop mentioned the name of KH Group’s professional baseball team, Secretary Yang slowly nodded.

“Yes, it is. After all, it’s KH Group’s in-house baseball tournament.”

Secretary Yang pointed to the uniform and continued.

“Except for the number and name on the back, it’s exactly the same product that professional players wear.”

It was added that KH Group employees are given one set each when they join the company.

It was also explained that when KH Cannons was doing well, all employees wore this uniform and cheered together.

“Please change into it quickly. The Vice Chairman is also changing into his uniform.”

“Ah, yes, I will.”

Ji-seop took the uniform from Secretary Yang and went into the locker room.

Ji-seop took off his training clothes, which he had worn so much that they felt like his skin, and tried on the uniform that professional players wear.

‘Hehe, this feels…… strange……’

A bitter smile appeared on Ji-seop’s face as he stood in front of the mirror wearing the KH Cannons uniform.

He wondered what kind of harmony this was.

Because it was the player’s uniform of the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] team that he couldn’t get his hands on even with all his efforts during his active career.

To think that he would get one so easily in this way about 3 months after retiring.

‘Life is really……’

It was a little funny,

And a little sad.

As he was standing in front of the mirror and laughing to himself, someone hit Ji-seop on the back from behind.

“I guess you have to put a uniform on a guy who used to play baseball?”

When Ji-seop turned his head, he saw ‘Sakhalin Park’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

“I didn’t know when you were wearing that old tracksuit…… Hehe, but when you put on this professional team uniform, you look so much better?”

An unexpected compliment.

Ji-seop, who was not used to such compliments, tried to deflect it once again.

“Do you have something good going on? Why are you suddenly complimenting me?”

“Hey, you son of a bitch, even when someone compliments you, you look at them with narrow eyes……”

Sakhalin Park grumbled.

But it seemed like something good had happened to him.

“There’s this guy named Choi Jong-gyu. He’s 4 years my junior, and he’s the head of the strategic planning division in the group……”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju fiddled with his newly received baseball cap and continued.

“I just talked to him, and he said he’s also thinking of wearing a uniform and playing in the game today.”

“Wearing a uniform means?”

“That’s right.”

Vice Chairman Park smiled contentedly.

“That friend also…… means he’s going to join me.”

* * *

It was said that KH Group’s in-house baseball tournament would be held at the KH Cannons Field in Yeongsan City, Gyeonggi Province.

During the approximately 2-hour drive there, the smile never left Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju’s face.

“Hehe, is that really true? You’re also thinking of playing in the game?”

After the head of KH Group’s strategic planning division contacted him, other executives called Vice Chairman Park as if they had made an appointment.

Every time he answered the phone, Vice Chairman Park’s wrinkled face would smooth out, so there was no need to ask about the contents of the call.

“Hehe, I knew it……”

Vice Chairman Park patted his knee.

“Yeah, there’s no way their hearts are different from mine. We’ve been through thick and thin together for so long……”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju looked out the car window with a pleased expression.

After muttering ‘That’s right, that’s right’ to himself for a while, Vice Chairman Park turned his head towards Ji-seop.

“Hey, Qingdao.”

“Yes, Vice Chairman.”

“If I had known this would happen, I should have taken lessons with those guys.”

Vice Chairman Park laughed.

“They’re the type of guys who stay away from exercise…… but if they had taken some lessons from you, they would have been able to play quite well in today’s game. Don’t you think so?”

“Well, maybe so.”

At this time, Ji-seop could feel a slight sense of unease.

A little while ago, he suddenly complimented him on his good looks, and now he’s complimenting him on his good lessons.

It didn’t really matter whether it was a joke or not.

‘That old man who was always as sharp as a razor……’

After talking to the head of the strategic planning division, he felt like he had become a little softer.

‘Gyeonggi Province Yeongsan City…… wasn’t that the hometown of the deceased Chairman Joo Tae-san?’

He thought that it might be Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju’s hometown as well.

Chairman Joo Tae-san and Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju were friends who met at Yeongsan High School.

If so, should he see it as being because he had come to his hometown after a long time?

Was it because of the memories with Chairman Joo Tae-san that remained in his hometown?

Or was it because he was touched by the warm words of his longtime colleagues?

‘Seriously, why is that old man doing things he doesn’t usually do and making me worry……’

What should he say?

He had a feeling that things wouldn’t go smoothly.

It didn’t take long for Ji-seop’s uneasy premonition to come true.

“Welcome, Vice Chairman!”

After about 2 hours of travel, they arrived at the ‘battleground,’ KH Cannons Field.

Upon hearing the news that the group’s second-in-command had arrived, KH Group employees with gold badges rushed out.

“Vice Chairman, thank you for your hard work.”

“What hard work! Director Lee must have worked hard to prepare for this big event.”

“You’re too kind. Please come this way. I’ll guide you.”

“Okay, let’s go!”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju’s expression was as bright as ever as he followed the headquarters employee.

“This way.”

However, at the very moment he entered the ‘VIP room’ located in the skybox on the 5th floor of KH Cannons Field-

“……”

Ji-seop could see the legendary giant who once negotiated with the Russian president with his own hands withering into a frail old man in his 70s.

Everyone,

All of KH Group’s executives,

Were sitting there in black suits.

The only one who showed up in a uniform was,

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.

* * *

“……”

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju was silent.

He looked like a pitcher who had collapsed on the mound after being hit with a walk-off home run.

Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju looked at each of the group’s executives sitting in the plush executive chairs.

In fact, Ji-seop had no idea who was who.

The people who lowered their heads under Vice Chairman Park’s gaze were the ones with some conscience, and the ones who brazenly raised their heads and even greeted him were the ones without even that conscience.

“Vice Chairman, th-this is…… what happened is……”

One of the executives stood up and tried to make some excuses, but Vice Chairman Park quietly shook his head.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Chief Choi must have thought a lot before making this decision…… there’s no need to tarnish the meaning in this way.”

Tap tap.

Vice Chairman Park, who patted him on the shoulder, turned his head to look at Ji-seop and Secretary Yang.

“Let’s go. If we stay any longer, it will only make the atmosphere here worse.”

“I understand, Vice Chairman.”

Secretary Yang followed Vice Chairman Park with a gloomy expression, and just as Ji-seop was about to take a step while sighing softly,

“Has everyone gathered?”

There was a voice coming from the skybox entrance.