Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 153

#152. Fear and Apology

“Welcome, we’ve met before, haven’t we? I always enjoy your commentary. Please, have a seat, Commissioner.”

Inside an office at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, with the 2027 season just over two weeks from its end, Ko Dong-shik visited to meet the representative of the Warriors, who were challenging for the championship until the very end.

Considering his career and age in the baseball world, Ko Dong-shik was far senior to Park Seong-hoon, but this wasn’t a personal meeting.

Park Seong-hoon, who became the owner of one of the only 10 professional baseball teams in Korea before the age of thirty, was the man Ko Dong-shik was here to see.

Today’s meeting was arranged for an interview with team owner Park Seong-hoon, which would be included in a Warriors special documentary about the journey of the last-place team from last season challenging for the championship.

“Thank you for agreeing to the interview, Representative.”

“Oh, no, it’s my pleasure. You’re promoting our team, so of course, I should cooperate. It would have been nice if Su-hyeok could have come too, but he has training today… Instead, I’ve been authorized to answer most questions on his behalf, so feel free to ask anything.”

“Oh… really?”

“Of course, I’ll have to cut off anything too sensitive… You understand, right?”

“Ah, of course. Thank you so much.”

Ko Dong-shik, representing the broadcasting station as today’s interviewer, looked at Park Seong-hoon with a surprised expression. He had risen from a small-time streamer making a living through internet broadcasting to become Korea’s number one commentator, all thanks to his relentless pursuit of Han Su-hyeok.

Throughout this season, how many media outlets had struggled to get access to Han Su-hyeok?

The curiosity about Han Su-hyeok, the person, not just the player, was immense.

What kind of environment did he grow up in? What does he like? What is his daily life like? Nothing was properly known.

The only thing known to the outside world was that he was prepared to do anything for the Warriors’ victory; that was all.

In the meantime, an opportunity arose to cover Park Seong-hoon and Han Su-hyeok while preparing a Warriors special documentary.

It was only natural that Han Su-hyeok refused the interview, and Ko Dong-shik had no choice but to visit the Warriors team with a disappointed heart.

But what was this? Although he couldn’t interview him directly, Park Seong-hoon, who had been like a brother to him since childhood, was offering to answer on his behalf?

For a moment, he barely resisted the urge to fill the entire interview time with questions about Han Su-hyeok, and Ko Dong-shik asked the first question he had prepared in advance.

“Representative, there are fourteen games left until the end of the season. You are still in second place, behind Incheon in first place only by win percentage. How do you feel? Are you confident in winning the regular season championship?”

“Ah, that part is…….”

The interview proceeded.

The story about this season’s goals, the long-term financial management issues that many people were curious about, and even the atmosphere within the team.

All the questions prepared in advance were exhausted.

The cameraman tilted his head, watching Ko Dong-shik conduct the interview in a surprisingly calm and composed manner. It was a very unusual sight considering his usual energetic personality.

It was at that moment.

Suddenly, vitality began to return to Ko Dong-shik’s eyes.

The time had come to ask questions about Han Su-hyeok.

“Representative, since quite a bit of time has passed, I’ll only ask a few really important things. Feel free to answer only what you’re comfortable with.”

“Yes, I understand. Please, ask away.”

“It’s a well-known fact that Han Su-hyeok grew up in your house with you since middle school. Could you possibly tell us about Han Su-hyeok’s childhood that no one else knows?”

Park Seong-hoon gave a faint smile at Ko Dong-shik’s question.

This was a question that he could answer without much difficulty. If Han Su-hyeok himself were here, he might have been a little embarrassed, but it was definitely something his fans would be curious about.

“When Su-hyeok was a child…….”

Park Seong-hoon organized his thoughts and continued.

“He was very warm, active, and, um… he liked making friends, and he was the kind of kid who took care of his friends to the end.”

“Huh?”

An unexpected answer caused a question mark to appear on Ko Dong-shik’s face.

Through Warriors teammates and national team teammates who had briefly worked with him at the WBC [World Baseball Classic], several stories about Han Su-hyeok’s personality had been conveyed to the outside world.

A person who doesn’t bow his head in front of anyone regardless of age, who doesn’t push away people who approach him but doesn’t reach out first, and who always keeps a certain distance in relationships.

A person who has a firm belief in his work and skills and always does his best to fulfill his role, but who always has a coldness flowing somewhere.

That was the common testimony of fellow players about Han Su-hyeok.

Of course, there were some guys who had conflicts with Han Su-hyeok who made ridiculous slanders, but the public didn’t pay any attention to those idiots’ voices.

No matter what anyone said, Han Su-hyeok was a sports star representing Korea in this era. A superstar that petty slanders and rumors couldn’t dare to approach.

Anyway, Han Su-hyeok was very warm, active, and liked making friends in his childhood?

In fact, Han Su-hyeok’s current personality was created by the shock of his mother’s death in middle school, the lonely times he spent alone in the United States, and the death of Park Seong-hoon.

Of course, after returning to life among people after his regression, he is gradually regaining his original self.

Ko Dong-shik, who had no way of knowing that fact, tilted his head and muttered to himself without realizing it.

“He liked making friends and was a bright and active person who took care of those people to the end……?”

* * *

“Manager, can I offer my opinion?”

“Of course. Go ahead, Su-hyeok.”

“I’ll just pitch twice.”

“No way. As you said yourself, you’re on the mound three months ahead of schedule. Frankly, I don’t want to put you on the mound anymore. But what? You’re going to pitch not once, but twice?”

“Hey, Champ, I agree with the boss. No matter how thoroughly you’re being managed, you’re still a young player who is still growing, and you’ve already pitched six times in the second half and won all those games. That’s enough. Don’t overdo it anymore and leave the rest to your teammates.”

The end of the 2027 regular season was just around the corner.

Incheon, under the Hwang Byeong-ho system, was accumulating wins as if there was no tomorrow.

Despite it not being the post-season, they were starting ace Im Jun-yeong after only three days of rest, and the foreign player who was the second starter was becoming the closer, appearing in almost every game.

Hwang Byeong-ho’s baseball philosophy that the more you use a pitcher’s shoulder, the stronger it gets, and the club owner’s tacit approval of him as manager made it possible.

Anyway, the Warriors were still in second place, behind Incheon in first place only by win percentage.

The Warriors’ top priority was to beat Incheon and take first place in the regular season, a chance that had come after eight years.

The away series against the Seoul Fighters, the away series including a double-header against Changwon, the away series against Suwon, and the final fateful away series against Incheon.

The Warriors’ remaining schedule was enough to make anyone sigh.

A hellish 14-game road trip with no rest days.

There have been times when 10 or 11 consecutive games were scheduled at the end of the season, but 14 consecutive games might be the first time ever.

I wanted to blow up the KBO [Korea Baseball Organization] for figuring out what I had done to get this schedule, but there was nothing I could do. This was the result of the WBC break and the unusually frequent rain cancellations.

Anyway, the reason why manager Lee Dae-jun, the head coach, the trainer, and I were all gathered in one place today was to determine my role as a pitcher in that hellish 14-game series.

“Okay, let’s end the meeting here. As originally planned, Su-hyeok, you will start in the third game against Changwon and pitch 5 innings. That will be the end of your regular season appearances this year. No more.”

“Manager.”

“Alright, dismissed!”

I, who started in the fourth game against the Magicians, was planning to pitch up to two more times in the remaining 14 games.

The problem was that Jacob put a stop to it.

‘Your recovery isn’t coming back as much as I thought. Your inflammation levels are also higher than the standard. Listen, friend. No need to talk long. You started pitching earlier than originally planned anyway. You have to stop now, even now. Do you understand me?’

The team trainer, who was managing me with Jacob, immediately reported to the team, and as a result, I would only start once more before finishing my regular season starts.

Step by step.

I walked down the hallway, thinking.

Even though quite a bit of time has passed since the second half of the season started, the Warriors’ pitching situation is still not very good.

There isn’t a single person who isn’t struggling, and there isn’t a single person who is in perfect condition.

Nevertheless, I accepted manager Lee Dae-jun’s instructions as they were.

If I had insisted more, or rather, if I had just used my real identity to pressure from above, I would have been able to pitch about two more times as I had planned.

The problem with my body right now is just a very common thing that any professional baseball pitcher can experience.

But in the end, I didn’t. No, I couldn’t.

The moment I realized that there was a very small problem with my body, which had been running without any problems throughout this season, the thing I had forgotten came to me.

The fear of injury.

Yes, the fear of injury that I thought I had completely overcome was still with me.

I still hadn’t forgotten the bewilderment, the fear, and the emptiness I felt after collapsing on the mound holding my shoulder and not being able to throw the ball.

I had a perfectly healthy body without any pain, in some ways even stronger and more perfect than before, but the despair of that time was still in a part of my consciousness.

“Hoo…….”

For the first time since starting my second life, I began to think about my limitations.

I am not perfect.

Accepting that seems to be a new task given to me in the future.

* * *

“Did everyone have a good time while I was gone? Man, it feels weird to be back in the first team after so long.”

“Man-shik hyung!” [Older brother/close male friend]

“Hey, hey, Min-seok, don’t hug me too tight. You’ll break my bones.”

“How’s your elbow?”

“Ah, well, you know. When I think about it, it’s weirder that I haven’t had surgery even at this age. It’s okay. There’s not much of the season left anyway. I’ll be able to hold out until then.”

Lee Man-shik, who had been removed from the first team roster due to injury and had been focusing on rehabilitation by going back and forth between the hospital and the second team stadium, finally rejoined the team.

Was the rehabilitation process difficult? His slightly chubby physique had become noticeably slimmer.

There’s no reason for an athlete to dislike losing weight, but if a pitcher suddenly loses a lot of weight at an older age, problems can occur in terms of balance.

Lee Man-shik’s expression as he looked at me was a bit strange.

He probably heard about the pitcher rotation in the remaining games from the manager or coach. He also knew how the team was doing now and what he had to do.

“Su-hyeok.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“You don’t like that I postponed the surgery, do you?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm, I don’t think you need any advice, but athletes, you know. Eventually, this moment comes. A moment where you have to choose between the team or yourself. Ah, of course, I’m not saying that I’m going to burn myself out and retire. But what time is it now? The team is going to the fall baseball games for the first time in 8 years, so I can’t just get surgery. Don’t you think?”

“You might regret it later.”

“Regret? Haha, Su-hyeok. I’ve already regretted it enough over the past few years. A so-called ace just watched until the team became like this, is there anything more to regret than this?”

“…….”

“I heard it from the manager. You’re not in perfect condition either, but you insisted on continuing to pitch? Don’t do that. What’s the point of winning by grinding a rookie’s shoulder in his first year? That’s the job of older veterans like me. Got it, you little rascal?”

Lee Man-shik, who still didn’t seem to be in perfect condition, slightly frowned every time he moved his arm, forced a smile and patted me on the back.

I thought I was leading this Warriors team alone.

I thought that it wouldn’t work without me, that everything would fall apart if I left.

In the end, I thought I had to do everything.

But it wasn’t.

I also had a place to lean on.

There were other pillars supporting this team.

“So just go your way.”

The veteran, who is ready to burn his last for the team’s victory, looks at me with eyes that have no regrets.

I felt strange for a moment.

Very strange that I had never felt before…….

“Okay, then I should warm up. Su-hyeok, don’t overdo it.”

I found out later.