Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 140

#139. Perfect Game

“Yerin, you really thought that through. No matter how I think about it, that was crazy. Even for you, doing something like that would have landed you in jail for obstruction of business.”

“Hmm… you’re probably right? Okay, let’s save that for the Korean Series [the championship series of the KBO].”

“No, that’s not what I meant…….”

Before today’s game started, Min Yerin’s manager heard something shocking from her.

It was a story that even the manager, who dealt with damaged safety nets and fans running onto the field every day, had never imagined.

‘Oppa [term used by a younger woman to address an older brother or male friend], I found out the password to open the rooftop door of our apartment?’

‘So?’

‘I asked the teacher who taught me paragliding before.’

‘Paragliding? What are you talking about? Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?’

‘Listen to me. Anyway, if I jump off the roof of our apartment, I think it’s possible to land in Jamsil Baseball Stadium with a paraglider. I can roughly figure out the angle, you know?’

‘…Yerin.’

‘Look. I think Suhyuk oppa is going to achieve some kind of major record today, right? The moment that record is achieved, I’m going to land in Jamsil Baseball Stadium with a paraglider. How about that? Wouldn’t that be a really sincere congratulations?’

The manager looked at Min Yerin, recalling that dizzying moment.

Was she serious?

Of course, she was serious.

In his eyes, Min Yerin was someone who couldn’t do anything for the Warriors, no, for Han Suhyuk.

But no. That, she absolutely couldn’t do.

The manager vowed to stop it no matter what.

“Oppa, did you bring what I asked for last time to the house?”

“What?”

“What else? The Rolexes.”

“Ah, ah, yeah, I prepared two as you said.”

“Okay, good. Then let’s just relax and wait for the record to be achieved… Kyaa!”

After the last game against the United States, he received Min Yerin’s special order and bought two Rolexes in advance. He had trouble getting the timing right because he had to engrave the logo of Han Suhyuk on the band.

Even then, he was half-doubtful.

Even if the no-hitter, no-run game against the United States had already happened, he didn’t think a perfect game would come out in the first KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] start.

But it wasn’t.

That player, Han Suhyuk, whom his employer and Korea’s top artist Min Yerin was chasing after, was beyond such common sense—in a word, an inhuman being.

Whoosh

Pow!

“Strike!”

The Magicians’ ninth batter, who seemed to be the victim of the record achievement.

A guy named Jung Giho, who was once the Warriors’ starting center fielder, was standing at the plate with a pale face.

Looking at his facial expression, he was already done for. There was no way he could hit Han Suhyuk’s ball in that half-corpse state.

Vibration

“Yerin……?”

There’s only one ball left until the record, and Min Yerin, who is sitting next to me, is shaking her legs so much that I wonder if there’s an earthquake.

Her consciousness was no longer here. She was with Han Suhyuk on the field beyond the safety net.

Her limbs were stretched out and trembling like someone having a seizure.

The manager was worried that someone might take a picture of Min Yerin’s hideous appearance.

Pow!

Whoosh

“Swing! Out!”

“Waaaaa!”

“Crazy! Crazy!”

“Suhyuk! You crazy bastard!”

“Damn! Really! Fucking! Awesome!”

The audience all stood up and started screaming like crazy.

The Warriors’ fielders ran to the mound, and Han Suhyuk was scratching his cheek with an expression that it was nothing.

The first perfect game in the 46-year history of Korean professional baseball.

It was awesome.

Even the manager, who was a man, and even from the perspective of a novice fan who was just getting to know baseball because of his employer, Han Suhyuk was a really attractive player.

Now I understand. The mind of the employer who goes crazy when she sees only Han Suhyuk.

The manager said in a slightly excited voice.

“Yerin, that’s really amazing. When you told me to get the Rolexes, I was only half-expecting it… Yerin?”

The manager couldn’t help but be surprised when he turned to the side.

Min Yerin, who had been trembling all over next to him until just now, had disappeared somewhere.

His gaze quickly turned forward.

As expected, she was there. Right there.

An excited Min Yerin was climbing the safety net at a speed that was on a different level than before.

The manager said to the stadium staff running in the distance.

“Um, teachers. I’m really sorry. But today is the day, so you won’t call the police, right? Of course, we will compensate immediately if the safety net is damaged even a little. Yes, yes, thank you for understanding.”

* * *

[The history of Korean professional baseball is changing. Seoul Warriors’ Han Suhyuk achieves the first perfect game in history]

[9 innings, 100 pitches, 18 strikeouts (tied for the most strikeouts in a single game), truly overwhelming pitching]

[Warriors’ manager Lee Daejun, “We witnessed the birth of a great player today.”]

[Jang Deoksu, who was immediately taken to the hospital after the game, “I was so nervous that I had a stomach spasm.”]

[Warriors’ outfielder Walter Smith, who didn’t catch a single ball today, “Today, I was able to watch a movie-like game from the most expensive and best seat.”]

[Magicians’ manager Joo Seokdo, “I already knew Han Suhyuk was great, but…”]

[When asked if he regretted the head-to-head match, manager Joo Seokdo said, “No. Our players fought really well, so I have no regrets. It’s just that the opponent was too strong.”]

[Magicians’ Kim Seongsu, who was a teammate on the WBC [World Baseball Classic] national team, “If someone asks about the level of Korean baseball, just show them Han Suhyuk’s game video. Then everyone will shut up.”]

[A scout from a New York-based club who watched the game on-site, “From today, Han Suhyuk is the number one target for recruitment.”]

“Sunbae-nim [senior colleague or mentor], this way.”

“Oh, yeah. Suhyuk. It’s a bit strange to see you separately outside. But what’s going on?”

Jung Daehan of Suwon, who suffered a toe injury in his first league game after the WBC, was out of the lineup and heading to Seoul for treatment.

But Han Suhyuk called early in the morning. He rushed to the meeting place after hearing that he wanted to meet near the hospital for a while.

At the coffee shop, the meeting place, Han Suhyuk handed something to Jung Daehan.

“What is this?”

“A watch.”

“A watch? What watch?”

“I’m grateful that you received my ball well in the game against the United States.”

“Oh? Ah, ah, that? Hey, it’s not even a perfect game, it’s a no-hitter, no-run, why even a watch. Okay, just take care of Deoksu.”

“I prepared Deoksu sunbae-nim’s separately. Please accept it.”

“Really? Hey, how much is your salary as a first-year player…….”

Jung Daehan opened the case with an embarrassed expression. He doesn’t have professional knowledge about watches, but it looks like a very expensive model at first glance.

“This is a Rolex. Hey… this is really burdensome? I thought it was just a low-end line even if it was a watch, but how much is this?”

“Please just accept it. Anyway, I engraved my name on the band, so I can’t return it.”

“Name? Oh? That’s right. Wow… then this is a Han Suhyuk edition? Hey, if you go to the major leagues later, this watch will be incredibly expensive, right?”

Jung Daehan, who was happy without realizing it, carefully put the watch back in the case and said to Han Suhyuk.

“Suhyuk-ah.”

“Yes?”

“Can you take a picture with me? I’m going to post it on SNS [Social Networking Service].”

He was injured in the second half of the season, and Suwon was recording a losing series, not necessarily because of that, but he was being criticized by fans.

If he receives a watch from Han Suhyuk at times like this and posts a picture together, wouldn’t it help with image management even a little bit?

Wouldn’t the glorious memory of the WBC cover up the gloom of this moment?

“Okay, let’s take a picture. Cheese~”

* * *

It wasn’t just Jung Daehan who had to receive the watch.

No, rather, this side was much more important.

“Sunbae-nim, please accept this.”

“What is this?”

“A watch. It’s to commemorate the perfect game we achieved together yesterday.”

“What did I do to get something like this? Okay. Put it away. What face does a guy who was taken to the hospital right after the game have to receive this?”

“Please accept it. I engraved my name on the band, so I can’t return it.”

“Heo… Suhyuk-ah. Thank you, thank you. I don’t know if I deserve to receive something like this, but thank you so much. I’ll wear this well and pass it on to my son.”

“Then I look forward to your continued support.”

Jamsil Baseball Stadium ahead of the second game against the Magicians.

Jang Deoksu, who received the gift, went into the locker room with the brightest smile in the world.

Of course, I was going to prepare a gift too.

I gave a watch to the catcher every time I had a perfect game and a no-hitter in the United States.

Walter Smith, who is now playing on our team, also received a watch from me as a no-hitter battery, although it is something that will not happen now.

I was going to ask Seonghoon hyung [older brother or close male friend] to do it because it was difficult to move directly because of the game…….

Min Yerin was waiting for me in front of the house after yesterday’s game.

‘Oppa, congratulations on today.’

‘Thank you. I saw you being dragged out again earlier, are you okay? Are you hurt?’

‘Not at all. More than that, please accept this first.’

‘What is this?’

‘Rolex.’

‘Huh?’

‘You have to give it to Jung Daehan too, right? So I prepared two. Please accept them.’

‘Hey, why are you buying this? I was going to buy it anyway.’

‘Where do you have time for that? A man has to do big things. Don’t worry about these little things, just work hard at baseball. I’ll take care of the rest.’

The words, ‘Why are you taking care of that?’ came up to my throat and went down.

Because Min Yerin’s eyes looked so serious when she said that.

‘Okay, I got it for now. How much is this? I’ll give you the money right away.’

‘Hey, it’s okay. It’s a gift, you know?’

‘No. It’s not just a penny or two, how can I accept something like this as a gift? Stop talking and put the price and account in a message. I’ll send you the money right away.’

‘Hing… you don’t have to… Okay. Then I’ll send it to you… phone number…….’

‘Huh?’

‘I don’t know oppa’s phone number.’

‘Really……?’

Oh my god, I haven’t even given her my phone number yet.

When I gave her my phone number in embarrassment, Min Yerin hugged her smartphone tightly with an expression as if she had the whole world and went into her house.

I don’t know.

When I first saw her, I thought, ‘What kind of woman is this in the world?’ but now I’ve become so used to Min Yerin that I feel the emptiness when she’s not there.

Who would have known that the woman who came into our house with my father and made strange noises would be taking care of the Rolex to give to my battery [the pitcher and catcher duo]?

“Hey, Han Suhyuk, what are you doing?”

“I am seriously reflecting on the principles of this world and the subtlety of human relationships. It’s something that rookies can never know.”

“What are you talking about? Hey, are you showing off now that you’ve had a perfect game?”

“Damn it, just you wait. I’m going to hit 4 consecutive home runs today…….”

“Still, it won’t be a perfect game.”

“Then 4 consecutive on-base appearances and 8 consecutive stolen bases…….”

“Well, try it if you can.”

“…….”

Seo Hyungju, who couldn’t even talk to me after yesterday’s game because he was shocked, has now returned to his original face and is spouting strange things before disappearing somewhere.

When I first regressed, Seonghoon hyung was the only one around me, but now more and more people are around me.

Most of them are people who lived lives that were completely unrelated to me.

As my destiny changed, many changes occurred in their destinies as well.

Maybe I am carrying more than I thought in this life.

“Okay, let’s start practicing. The hitters couldn’t do anything yesterday. We have to show them properly today, right?”

“Yes, captain!”

The players began to gather one by one at Jo Sungoh sunbae’s words.

This boisterous atmosphere, which used to be awkward, and the colleagues who come to me without hesitation and make jokes are now so familiar.

Sometimes I think.

Do I really deserve this?

Why did God give me a second chance, who lived selfishly and ruined everything, thinking that I was the only one who was good?

Can I, can I really live this new life without knowing anything?