Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 213

#212. The Bidding War

There’s a truth you inevitably realize as you live in this world.

The most difficult thing to understand is human beings, making it virtually impossible to grasp the human mind.

Innate genes, personality, and environmental factors all combine, and to top it off, the human mind changes every moment, depending on how you feel. It’s almost insane to even try to understand it in the first place.

However,

watching the Korean Series against the Magicians over the past week, Park Seong-hoon began to ponder.

‘Why does he look like that?’

Having grown up like real brothers since childhood, having kept an eye on him even after becoming adults, and even being the only one who knows the secret that the Warriors belong to Han Su-hyeok,

In his eyes, Han Su-hyeok had been acting strange lately.

Especially during the Korean Series broadcast over the past week, Han Su-hyeok’s demeanor was definitely different than before.

Even in a situation where he led the team to victory and recorded unbelievable stats as a player, the desperation had disappeared from Han Su-hyeok’s face, a face that was never satisfied and always craved something.

At first, he thought it was a good sign.

He mistakenly thought that Han Su-hyeok, who was so obsessed with the Warriors’ victory that he couldn’t even understand it himself, had gained some composure.

But it wasn’t.

The pitchers who went out as starters in his place won, the rookie player who had been pursuing his baseball dream while watching him hit a pinch-hit home run.

In such situations, what appeared on Han Su-hyeok’s face was not satisfaction but regret.

‘Hmm…’

Park Seong-hoon felt like he had seen that expression on Han Su-hyeok’s face somewhere before.

It was absurd, but it was similar to the expression of parents letting their grown-up children go independent.

It was a similar face to the parents he saw at a friend’s wedding, regretting letting their grown-up children leave the nest.

It was a funny thing.

It was ridiculous that a young man who was only in his early twenties would look at his other colleagues with such a sentiment.

But whatever the reason, Han Su-hyeok’s expression really contained such emotions.

Noticing that, Park Seong-hoon naturally came to think.

That guy has broken out of something he’s been trapped in. And instead, he’s feeling a lack in some other aspect.

What could that be?

He rewound his memory to three years ago.

The guy who had been dreaming of becoming a major leaguer just like any other ordinary boy his age suddenly changed.

He overturned the contract that was about to be finalized and suddenly said that the Warriors had become his, so let’s work together to make it a prestigious club. Park Seong-hoon recalled Han Su-hyeok’s face at that time.

At that time, he thought it was absurd, but everything really worked out as he said.

In the first year, he led the team to victory with unimaginable performance, invested all the company’s spare funds in a company he had never heard of and made a huge amount of money,

And eventually, he lifted the championship trophy for three consecutive seasons like this.

‘Ah…!’

Park Seong-hoon, who was retracing Han Su-hyeok’s childhood personality and the events of the past three years one by one, unknowingly exclaimed.

I see.

What the problem is, why the hell he’s making that expression.

That was why Park Seong-hoon visited Han Su-hyeok’s house today.

“What’s up, hyung [older brother or close male friend]? Why do you always come to our house so early?”

“Well, I’m busy with club matters in the afternoon… Well, that’s not important, I have something to say.”

“What is it? Should I get you some coffee first?”

“No, I don’t need coffee, just sit down for a second. It’ll be over soon.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

The two sat facing each other with the living room table in between.

And Park Seong-hoon opened his mouth.

“Hey… Do you want to try going to the Major League? Wouldn’t it be more fun to play baseball there?”

* * *

I thought no one would notice, but it seems like I couldn’t fool even Seong-hoon hyung.

Yeah, to be honest, watching the Warriors’ third championship, I started to think.

Seeing my colleagues fill the spot I was missing, and those players working together to lift the championship trophy, I realized something.

Now, the Warriors are no longer a burden I have to drag along.

Even if I’m out due to injury or other problems, it has become a team that can compete for the championship.

The first thing that came to mind was satisfaction, and joy.

Satisfaction that I had brought the team, which had been stuck at the bottom, to this point, and joy that my colleagues, who had felt so *buan* [anxious] like children out in the open, had become this strong.

And what followed was a bit of *heotalgam* [emptiness].

I’ve always lived my life as if I was being chased by something.

Before *hoegwi* [regression/reincarnation], it was to gain money and fame, and after *hoegwi*, it was to achieve the dream of winning the Warriors championship with my people.

I ran without taking my eyes off for a moment, and eventually achieved that goal.

But my heart, and my vigorous body, which is still only in its early twenties, craved something else.

The next goal, another stimulus, fun, the joy of life.

Find it, find your own thing.

That thought didn’t leave my head throughout the Korean Series.

What is something I can aim for now?

To be honest, there isn’t any.

Challenging the Big League?

I’m already a player who has reached the top there. The word challenge doesn’t suit me.

Money?

I already have more money than I can spend. No, it’s still growing at this moment.

Fame? Well, I don’t think there’s any athlete in this country who has more fame than me.

Then what should I do, where should I go?

My heart, which had been wandering like that, reacted to Seong-hoon hyung’s one word just now.

Whether I would go to the Big League, whether it would be more fun to play baseball there.

My body and mind reacted to that word without even realizing it.

That’s right. There was still one thing left to feel the fun.

Conquering the Big League, which I couldn’t achieve in my past life.

Becoming a Cy Young winner, winning the MVP title, and lifting the World Series championship trophy just once,

I thought I had achieved everything, but it wasn’t.

In the days when I was only focused on baseball without any *japnyeom* [distracting thoughts], what I really wanted to be was the best baseball player in the world.

Do I really deserve to be called the best in the world now?

And even if I’m so confident, will others think so too?

The faces of the Big Leaguers I met at the WBC [World Baseball Classic] and Olympics came to mind.

Should I challenge that stage again, which is one step higher than here and doesn’t allow even a slight *bangsim* [carelessness]?

With the experience I didn’t have before, and a young and strong body?

Thoughts kept leading to other thoughts.

I started to think it would be quite interesting.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

“Hyung, will our team be okay if I’m gone for a while?”

“It’s okay. You proved it in this series. Of course, there will be a hit if you’re gone. But I think so. Even without you, our players will never give up. They have that much skill and a strong mindset.”

“Hmm…”

“I can’t reveal it to the outside yet, but we’re going to bring in Kim Yong-jae from Incheon. Im Jun-yeong is so fond of that friend that he’s already *yeong-eop* [solicited/recruited] him to come to our team unconditionally when he becomes a FA [free agent].”

“Hmm…”

“Su-hyeok.”

“Yeah.”

“You once told me to do what you want to do, not what you have to do.”

“I did.”

“I want to say the same thing to you. Stop worrying about us and do what you want to do. You deserve it.”

“…….”

“Go and have fun. I’ll somehow protect this team in the meantime.”

“Is it really okay to do that?”

“Su-hyeok.”

“Yeah.”

“I think you should hear that answer from somewhere else. Let’s go out to the stadium with me for a second.”

“To the stadium?”

I took Seong-hoon hyung’s car and headed to the stadium.

There, my colleagues who had fought with me for the past three years were waiting.

“What are you doing here without resting, hyungs?”

“That’s not important right now… Su-hyeok.”

“Yes, Seong-oh hyung.”

“Go.”

“Where to?”

“I heard from the CEO. He wants to send you to the United States. When I heard that, I thought, ‘Huh? What are we going to do without Su-hyeok?’ And I immediately regretted it. Su-hyeok.”

“Yes.”

“We’re colleagues, not your baggage. We also want to make the Warriors a winning team, a permanent strong team. So don’t worry and go. Hey, why am I the only one talking? Man-shik, you say something too.”

“Yes, hyungnim [term of respect]. Su-hyeok, do we need a long speech? Here, Jun-yeong, Sang-jin, Deok-soo, Chang-mo, and those two *donggi* [peers/contemporaries] of yours who are looking around in the corner… We have the words you always said to us, right? Do what you want to do, not what you have to do.”

“…….”

“This time, we want to return those words to you. Go. The Warriors will be protected by us, so go and do what you want to do and come back. We’ll somehow hold on without retiring in the meantime.”

“Uh-huh, I can’t guarantee that. You may not, but I’m in my late thirties now. It’s not strange if I retire anytime.”

“You have to hold on until you’re scribbling on the dugout wall as a pinch hitter. Hehe.”

I realized it in an instant.

I thought I had lived my best to wash away the regrets of my past life, but I was making another mistake.

Like these people said, they were colleagues, not baggage.

Colleagues who help each other and run with all their might towards the same goal.

The moment I remembered that fact, I couldn’t help but answer.

“Thank you, hyungs. Then I’ll be back.”

* * *

[Breaking! Seoul Warriors’ Han Su-hyeok Applies for Posting to Advance to Major League]

[Big League Clubs Panicked by Sudden News, Convene Emergency Meeting and Begin Preparing Measures]

[Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox, Who Had Jumped into the Han Su-hyeok Acquisition War Since Last Season, Confident, “He Will Wear Our Team’s Uniform”]

[When Asked About the Reason for Attempting to Advance to the Big League Despite a Contract Bonus of Less Than $5 Million and a Low Salary Limited During Service Time, Han Su-hyeok Said, “It Seems Like It Will Be Fun”]

[Warriors Fans Who Achieved V9 [9th Victory] “Embarrassed and Very Disappointed, But Want to See Han Su-hyeok Playing in the Big League. Believe He Will Return Someday. Will Support Him Forever.”]

[Fans of 9 Clubs Excluding Warriors Post Advertisement on Newspaper Front Page Through Crowd Funding “Succeed in the Big League and Let’s Never See Each Other Again.”]

“This freaking guy, he said he wouldn’t move until FA [free agency]! I checked last week!”

“Yes, that’s what he said for sure…….”

“Shut up and gather the maximum we can offer now! And quickly figure out what that guy wants!”

Big market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers, who had already been burned once after last season, moved all at once.

The posting fee of only $25 million to them was just pocket change.

The important thing wasn’t that.

They needed a card that could offset the contract bonus and low salary tied to the regulations, a card that could move Han Su-hyeok’s heart.

Meanwhile, there was a team secretly smiling while watching the movements of those big market teams.

It was the St. Louis Cardinals, who had slightly shaken Han Su-hyeok’s heart with Tyler Johnson.

“Good, that friend was a little tempted by our offer, right? The time has come. Let’s use Tyler this time. Anyway, this fight isn’t about money. It’s important to know how to move Han Su-hyeok’s heart.”

“Um… Mr. President.”

“Why? Whatever it is, talk about it later and ask Tyler for cooperation first.”

“That’s, Tyler Johnson’s agent suddenly contacted us saying they want to consider the extension contract a little more carefully…….”

“What?”

An emergency was declared in St. Louis, which had been confident of taking a favorable position.

On the other hand, it wasn’t just them who were trying to acquire Han Su-hyeok.

Except for the Miami Marlins, who were known to be on the verge of financial collapse, all 29 Major League clubs jumped into the Han Su-hyeok acquisition war.

Even small market teams like Tampa Bay and Oakland, who were shaking their heads at the posting fee of $25 million, raised their voices, saying they would bring him in somehow, even if it meant taking on debt.

With 29 Big League clubs and fans, and the Major League Secretariat, which plans to target the Asian market with the acquisition of Han Su-hyeok, watching with interest, the results of Han Su-hyeok’s posting bid were finally announced.

“I will announce it. As a result of the posting bid held on November 30th… A total of 29 teams bid, and since all teams wrote the highest amount of $25 million, Han Su-hyeok will enter into free negotiations with the 29 teams for the next 30 days. That’s all.”

“Director! Just one question! Just one!”

“Yes, please ask, reporter.”

“Which club is missing?”

“You all know, right? It’s the team that’s in financial trouble.”

“Oh my god… Then does that really mean that all the remaining 29 teams wrote $25 million?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Thus, the 29 Big League teams, excluding the Miami Marlins, began the war to acquire Han Su-hyeok.