A Rookie In The Baseball Team Is Too Good [EN]: Chapter 94

The New Recruit is Too Good – Episode 94

Chapter 26: How to Increase Views (4)

It was an ordinary,

utterly ordinary article.

[“An Indispensable Person for the Team” KH Cannons’ Hidden Gem, Interpreter Kim Ji-seop]

Was it ‘Reporter Hwang Meets’?

It was a format similar to the one ‘JoMi’ [Journalist Mania, a nickname] Hwang Young-joo used when writing sponsored articles.

“……”

The article began by calmly detailing Ji-seop’s career before joining the KH Cannons.

The middle of the article meticulously recorded Ji-seop’s work as Arthur Freeman’s interpreter after joining the KH Cannons.

The article concluded by quoting comments from people within the KH Cannons, describing how Ji-seop was evaluated within the team.

“It’s like… reading the ‘Kim Ji-seop’ entry on NaXwiki [Korean version of Wikipedia]?”

That was the impression of Kwon Dae-woong, the PR team manager of KH Cannons, the day after the article was published.

He said this while munching on the delicious ‘Samgyeopsal Baekban’ [pork belly with assorted side dishes] at a restaurant across from the baseball field.

“I was honestly a bit surprised.”

Kwon said, holding a lettuce leaf from the bamboo tray.

“I knew Ji-seop had a good image within our team, but… wow, I didn’t know he was this popular.”

“Popular…?”

“Come on, Ji-seop, you saw the article.”

Kwon continued, placing two pieces of Samgyeopsal ‘smack’ on the lettuce.

“If you just skimmed it, take another look now. See how many people commented on Ji-seop.”

“……”

“Not to mention the coaches, the department heads, the section chiefs… even the players ended up being interviewed.”

When Ji-seop took out his phone to check the article again, Kwon leaned his neck out to watch.

“I’ve been in the PR team for over three years, you know? It’s not like we haven’t commissioned PR articles before.”

But this was the first time since he joined the company that so many people had commented on one employee.

-Working under a foreign manager, but in some ways, it’s more comfortable than working with a Korean manager. It’s all thanks to interpreter Kim Ji-seop.

-He not only conveys the manager’s words but also acts as a bridge between the front office and the players.

-He’s like an older brother to the young players and a younger brother to the veterans. We’re lucky to have Ji-seop in the Cannons.

Ji-seop was proud.

He couldn’t help but be proud.

Since joining the baseball team, so many people were acknowledging the work he had done.

But there was still something nagging at the back of his mind, preventing him from fully enjoying this feeling of pride.

“Why did Hwang JoMi of all people write such an article… that’s the part that bothers you, right?”

On the way out after eating Samgyeopsal Baekban.

Kwon, with a green toothpick in his mouth, was smiling for some reason.

It might have been because he was relieved that a harmless article had come out, or it might have been because the Samgyeopsal Baekban he had that day was particularly delicious.

Whatever the reason, Kwon opened his mouth with a carefree expression.

“In my opinion… that’s it. Even the infamous trash reporter Hwang JoMi must have had a shred of conscience!”

“There are a lot of reporters around here.”

Ji-seop threw out a word, and Kwon looked startled.

“W-well, anyway… Hwang must have felt something after hearing the comments from our Cannons people.”

“Felt something?”

“When everyone is saying ‘He’s good at his job’ and ‘He’s a genuinely good person’… it pricks your conscience to just tear him down.”

Kwon continued.

“At least in this article about Ji-seop… even the infamous Hwang JoMi had to give up on the views, right?”

Hehehe.

It must have been right when that strange laughter came from Kwon’s mouth.

“Do you really think so, Manager Kwon?”

A voice from behind.

Kwon Dae-woong’s eyes widened as he turned his head.

Hwang Young-joo, a reporter from Sports Hanseong, was smiling sweetly as she looked at them.

“R-reporter?! H-hello….”

“Hey, we just saw each other, what’s with the greetings? More importantly, answer the question I asked.”

“W-what question are you talking about….”

As Kwon trailed off, sweating profusely, Hwang Young-joo chuckled lightly.

“Oh my, our Manager Kwon is back to his old habits. Pretending not to know after hearing everything.”

Then, Hwang Young-joo turned her gaze ‘smoothly’ towards Ji-seop.

“Then, will Ji-seop answer for him?”

Does Ji-seop think so too?

She continued.

“That I gave up on the views?”

* * *

Ten minutes later.

Ji-seop was accepting an iced Americano that Hwang Young-joo was buying at a cafe near the KH Cannons field.

Kwon Dae-woong had left, saying he had ‘urgent business,’ so Ji-seop was now alone with Hwang Young-joo.

“Should I thank you?”

At Ji-seop’s question, the veteran reporter from Sports Hanseong shrugged.

“Are you stating the obvious? You should thank me. I’m paying for this with my own money, not the company card.”

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

Ji-seop smiled faintly.

“I’m asking if I should thank you for publishing a favorable article about the Cannons… that’s what I’m asking.”

“Ah, that?”

Hwang scratched her chin, ‘hmm,’ and sat across from Ji-seop.

“Well? That seems to be the same as the question I asked earlier.”

“……”

“If I gave up on the views, then Ji-seop should be grateful, and if not, then there’s no need to be grateful.”

Which one do you think it is?

Hwang Young-joo looked at Ji-seop with narrowed eyes.

“……”

Ji-seop knew the answer.

He had already been staring ‘intently’ into Hwang’s eyes a long time ago.

[Haha, that I gave up on the views? What do you take me for?]

The confident voice he had heard in his ear.

So, at this point, Ji-seop decided to remain silent.

He judged that it would be wise to do so in order to grasp Hwang’s exact intentions.

“I’ll tell you this first.”

Sluuurp.

Hwang took a sip of her coffee and opened her mouth.

“It’s true that the direction of the article changed after interviewing the Cannons people. At first, I was planning to screw Ji-seop over somehow.”

“Ah.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“Then I guess I should thank you after all?”

“You have to listen to the end.”

Hwang smirked.

“Ji-seop, do you know? In this day and age… there are many ways to increase views.”

“……”

“The easiest way is to play with the title. There’s also the method of writing articles with content development that AI would like. But these methods have a very short shelf life.”

Once it’s taken down from the portal site, you can’t get views again.

Ji-seop tilted his head to one side.

“Isn’t that how newspaper articles are supposed to be? After delivering new news, it naturally….”

“Gets discarded. That’s right. But there are always exceptions.”

A light flickered in Hwang’s eyes.

“There are articles that reporters call ‘references.’”

“References?”

“In the dictionary, it means ‘reference, reference,’ something like that….”

For example, like this.

Hwang continued.

“When a smart rookie comes out, I write an article about him in advance and upload it.”

I don’t put up strange titles.

I don’t try to attract attention with the content.

Just a simple article listing the facts about the player.

“These articles don’t get much attention when they’re uploaded. Of course. But what if that player suddenly ‘pops!’ and explodes with potential and becomes a star in Korean baseball?”

“Do the views go up?”

“Do you think they just go up? They explode!”

Hwang smiled triumphantly.

“Not to mention the general baseball fans who search for the article and come in… other reporters also refer to my article and write their own articles.”

“……”

“Then what happens? The views go up, my reputation as a reporter increases… and most of all, the player and I can have a close relationship.”

The reporter who first recognized his value.

The reporter who first discovered his potential.

The player recognizes Hwang as a special person.

“……”

As the story reached this point, Ji-seop was able to accurately grasp the intentions of ‘JoMi’ Hwang Young-joo.

“So, in the end, you’re saying that you wrote a ‘reference’ article about me this time?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Hwang nodded.

“When I first interviewed Ji-seop, I was hesitant… but after hearing the stories from the Cannons people, I had a ‘feeling.’”

Kim Ji-seop.

You will go up.

Hwang said as if declaring it.

“I don’t know how you feel about it, but the Cannons people rely on Ji-seop a lot. That means you have the ability, and it also means you’ve captured people’s hearts quite a bit.”

“……”

“Besides, I heard that the acting owner of KH Cannons cherishes Ji-seop quite a bit? Then you’ve chosen a pretty solid line, right?”

It seemed that the evaluation of ‘obsessed with views’ didn’t just come out of nowhere.

Hwang seemed to have a vague grasp of the relationship between Ji-seop and ‘Sakhalin Park’ as well.

“So I made a decision. To bet on future views rather than immediate views.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t give up on the views either way?”

“Of course not. Who do you think I am?”

Hwang snorted.

Ji-seop stared at her for a while.

‘…I will go up?’

In the past, he would have definitely waved his hands.

Saying it didn’t make sense. Asking why she was doing this to him.

But after joining the Cannons, and now halfway through the season.

For some reason, Ji-seop didn’t want to show such a passive reaction as before.

“……”

He felt like taking another step forward.

If that person recognized his potential, if that person recognized his value.

Instead of just being grateful and proud, he wanted to get something out of it based on that.

The desire to use what he gained as a driving force for the path he would take in the future.

That’s why,

he said it.

“Reporter, are you just going to say that?”

“What do you mean?”

Hwang blinked.

“I really appreciate your encouragement, but if possible….”

Smoothly.

Ji-seop looked at Hwang.

“I was wondering if you could give me practical help so that I can succeed and go up.”

“……Why would I?”

“Because I gave you two interviews?”

Ji-seop continued.

“And the sooner I go up… the sooner your ‘reference’ article can earn views.”

“Wh-what?!”

Hwang looked at Ji-seop as if he were absurd.

But soon, laughter burst from her mouth, ‘hahahahaha.’

“Oh my, Ji-seop! Ji-seop, you’re a very funny person? It’s a little different from what I’ve been covering?”

But she seemed to like Ji-seop’s attitude quite a bit.

She took out a business card and wrote something on the back, ‘scribble scribble.’

She handed the business card to Ji-seop and said.

“This is my TeleXgram [Telegram] address. Believe it or not… this is an address that only the team managers in Korean professional baseball know?”

“……”

“If you send me a message to this address, I’ll help you properly just once.”

Now Ji-seop knows too, right?

She smiled mysteriously.

“Working as a front office member of a baseball team, there will come a day when you need public opinion warfare….”

Smoothly.

Hwang JoMi looked at Ji-seop.

“I’m a reporter who has never lost in that public opinion warfare?”

It was quite,

a reassuring word.