Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 401

“Lastly, Han Su-hyeok, I’d like to hear your thoughts on finishing your first season back in the Korean league, and your plans for the future. You’ve given short answers to the previous questions, so could you please give a long, very long answer this time?”

“A long one?”

“Yes, very long, so long that we might lose our breath listening to it.”

“Is that a request?”

“Of course! Please consider it the final request of a devoted fan who has followed you for over a decade…”

“I’m just kidding. Um, the truth is, I’m not very good at talking, but since I’ve started, I should do it properly. Alright. What was the question again? My thoughts on finishing the season?”

“That’s right.”

“Um…”

The 2040 KBO League [Korean Baseball Organization], which was intense for some but may have felt anticlimactic for others, ended with the Warriors’ victory.

The Warriors, who had reclaimed the championship trophy after a long time, immediately began restructuring the team.

Starting with Lim Jun-yeong, the oldest active pitcher who had defended the mound for 25 years, leaving for Seattle for coaching training, several players retired.

On the other hand, many new players joined.

Rookie players who eagerly came at Han Su-hyeok’s call, and free agents signed to fill the team’s weaknesses in the outfield and first base positions.

So many things happened between the end of one season and the preparation for the next.

And today, Han Su-hyeok was finally doing the interview he had been putting off.

A special program hosted by Ko Dong-shik, a KBC [Korean Broadcasting Corporation] commentator who has maintained a long relationship with Han Su-hyeok.

There wasn’t a special topic.

It was simply a chance to satisfy fans’ curiosity about the real thoughts of baseball player Han Su-hyeok, who is not well known to the world, and his private life, which has not been revealed.

Various conversations took place, and the PD’s [Program Director’s] face was deeply furrowed.

He had succeeded in getting Han Su-hyeok, but most of the answers ended in short replies, making it impossible to fill the broadcast time.

Then, when Han Su-hyeok, at Ko Dong-shik’s request, fell into thought, the atmosphere in the studio changed in an instant.

‘Wow, the atmosphere is no joke. Is this the force of the number one?’

Those who have reached the top in any field have a unique aura. The PD, who had been in the broadcasting business for a long time, knew this better than anyone.

One thing was certain.

Even among such great people, Han Su-hyeok was an exceptionally great presence.

Feeling the weight of the number one, which he had never felt before, the PD swallowed hard.

And after a while, Han Su-hyeok’s closed lips slowly, very slowly, opened.

“A long time ago, the reason I played baseball was to achieve goals.”

“A long time ago… how long ago? Early in your professional debut? Or in high school?”

“Um, a little longer than that… anyway, back then, I was a fool who couldn’t think of anything other than baseball. I think it started after my mother passed away. How should I put it… I had this obsession with proving myself through baseball.”

“Um, that’s a sad story. But since you said it in the past tense, it seems like things have changed a bit now?”

“Yes, I realized when I reached the top. It was all meaningless. No matter how successful you are, it’s useless if there’s no one to share the joy with. I realized that I had been missing something very important in my life.”

A question mark popped up in Ko Dong-shik’s head.

Something was strange. He prided himself on knowing everything about Han Su-hyeok, but he could hardly understand what he was saying now.

‘What era is he talking about? He reached the top but had no one to share the joy with? Maybe in high school?’

He wanted to ask, but he barely held back. He didn’t want to interrupt the flow and risk Han Su-hyeok closing his mouth again.

In conclusion, it was a good thing. How could an ordinary person understand Han Su-hyeok’s story before his regression?

Ko Dong-shik remained silent, and Han Su-hyeok continued to speak.

“So I started over from the beginning. I gave up my obsession with success, tried to find a path where everyone could go together, and worked to find a way to walk with them. And finally, I succeeded in finding the answer.”

“Um…”

Han Su-hyeok’s face looked genuinely happy as he spoke.

Ko Dong-shik sensed it.

Although the questions and answers were a bit off, at this moment, the giant Han Su-hyeok was revealing his true feelings for the first time.

“What was the happiest moment in your baseball career so far? May I ask?”

“Happiness… happiness…”

“Was that too grand? I’m just curious about when you laughed the most.”

“Ah, if it’s that, it would probably be during the final game of the Korean Series that just ended. When I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much like that day. Um… this answer might sound a bit strange, but the truth is, I’m not very good at laughing. That’s why I’ll try to laugh more in the future. Because if I’m happy, the people around me will be happier.”

“That’s a great saying. That’s right. You have to be happy for the people around you to be happier. Other media outlets have asked you this a few times, but I’m curious once again about the real reason you came back to Korea. Should we see that as part of your quest for happiness as well?”

“Yes, that’s right. In my previous life, baseball was just a tool. A means or tool to bring money and fame. But it’s not like that anymore. My heart still races every time I stand on the ground. I’m excited about how great the game will be today. I’m grateful to see the fans and people around me happy with my play.”

“Those are wonderful words. Thank you so much for sharing the honest story of baseball player Han Su-hyeok today.”

“I also thank you for creating such a great opportunity.”

“Lastly, Han Su-hyeok.”

“Yes, commentator Ko Dong-shik.”

“Congratulations on your marriage. Thank you for inviting me to such a meaningful event. I’ll definitely attend and get a delicious meal.”

* * *

“Yerin! Oh my god… you look so beautiful!”

“Mia! You made it! Weren’t you tired coming all the way to Korea? Was the flight long?”

“No, not at all. Thanks to Yerin, I’ve left American soil for the first time in a while. After Jeoi [likely a typo for ‘Jeo’, referring to Ryan Thibo] retired, I hardly ever left the house, haha.”

“Yerin!”

“Yes, Riley! Come here!”

“No, I can’t. If you hug me, you might ruin my makeup and dress!”

“It’s okay, come here. We can fix it.”

“Hehe, yes, Yerin, it’s so nice to see you!”

December 24, 2040, Christmas Eve,

A special event is being prepared at Warriors Field, the home stadium of the Seoul Warriors.

The day of the grand wedding of Han Su-hyeok, the greatest player in baseball history who rewrote the world and the owner of two clubs, the Warriors and the Mariners,

And Min Yerin, a pop star who has reigned as a world-class artist for over 10 years.

Min Yerin, sitting in the bridal waiting room after finishing her makeup, was first visited by Mia, the wife of Ryan Thibo, who had promised to be her bridesmaid a long time ago, and their daughter Riley.

“By the way, a wedding at a baseball stadium is really amazing. I saw preparations were in full swing on the ground as I came in.”

“It’s Su-hyeok oppa’s [older brother – term of endearment used by women] idea.”

“What a romantic guy.”

“Huh? Who? Oppa?”

“Isn’t he?”

“Well, I love and respect Su-hyeok oppa so much, but he’s not a romantic guy. I proposed to him.”

“Really? I haven’t heard about the proposal. You did it, Yerin? When?”

“I guess the video didn’t spread in America.”

“Huh?”

“I hung on the safety net and shouted when the fourth game of the Korean Series ended. I asked him to marry me.”

“What?”

“I said I would jump off if he didn’t marry me, and oppa said he would. Well, that’s how it happened.”

Riley laughed in disbelief at Min Yerin’s words, thinking it was a very funny joke.

Of course, it’s 100% true though.

“Yerin!”

“Oh, Annie, welcome!”

“Wow, the dress… it’s so pretty!”

“Really? Then shall I give it to you as a gift after the ceremony today? Will you wear it when you get married later?”

“That… no, if I wear it, it would be um…”

“Oh? Ah, ah, size?”

“Yes, I’m severely flat… sigh, never mind, anyway, congratulations!”

“Thank you, thank you so much, Annie. But where’s Jacob?”

“He probably went to Su-hyeok. Or he’s hiding in a corner smoking.”

“He still can’t quit. He should take care of his own body, not just the players’ health.”

“I know. I’m really worried to death.”

Following Mia and Riley, even Jacob’s daughter, Annie, who once had a crush on Han Su-hyeok,

Many people visited the bridal waiting room to congratulate Min Yerin.

The love of the two, which finally came to fruition after more than 10 years of dating.

No one would have expected the relationship between a stalker and a baseball player living next door, a hooligan and a star climbing over the safety net, to come this far.

Except for one person, Min Yerin, who had been single-minded since the first time she saw Han Su-hyeok.

“Okay, let’s take a picture. Cheese!”

“Riley, you come this way too. Again, cheese!”

The bustling greetings ended, and the guests who visited the bridal waiting room left one by one.

To give the bride, who is about to have the wedding of a lifetime, some time alone.

Probably no one else will come. The number of people invited was small to begin with, and there’s no way her mother, who had lost contact after the divorce, would come to her daughter’s wedding now.

“Haaam…”

Suddenly, as it became quiet, fatigue began to creep in.

She had just returned from a European tour last week and had to prepare for the wedding without a break.

“I can’t fall asleep now…”

She was worried that her perfectly set makeup and evenly ironed dress would wrinkle, but Min Yerin’s eyes slowly closed as sleepiness washed over her.

And after a while, her consciousness was sucked into a dream.

* * *

‘Where is this… who is that child…’

Is it a dream, or is it reality?

The figure of a child came into Min Yerin’s eyes.

A small, cute girl with delicate features and brilliant golden hair.

Min Yerin, watching the child from a third-person perspective, suddenly realized something.

She thought it was a scene she was seeing for the first time, but it wasn’t.

That strange feeling she had experienced a long time ago, those bizarre memories that seemed to be peeking into someone’s past.

At this moment, the child playing with dolls in front of her was the very girl whose memories Min Yerin had glimpsed back then.

‘Hey, who are you? Can’t you hear me? Hey!’

No matter how much she called, the child didn’t answer. No, it seemed like she didn’t even feel Min Yerin’s presence.

Realizing that she couldn’t do anything, Min Yerin stood there blankly and stared at the child.

Suddenly, she felt the flow of time speeding up.

She could feel the child’s height, which was barely up to her waist, growing little by little.

It was an incredibly amazing experience that cannot be explained in words.

Min Yerin witnessed the growth of a girl in real time.

The child entered school, made friends, had a crush on someone,

In front of Min Yerin’s eyes, the child became a girl and grew into a lady again.

The girl, who was already in her late twenties, had become a pop star named Isabel Olivia.

In an instant, Min Yerin realized.

That the woman’s face was so familiar.

That’s right.

She was none other than the person in the portrait that Han Su-hyeok had been so desperately looking for.

‘What the hell is this…’

Shocked, Min Yerin continued to stare at her without doing anything.

Isabel, who had become a pop star, attended the Major League opening ceremony and sang the American national anthem, and witnessed her meeting a man who was all too familiar there.

It was Han Su-hyeok.

The man she loved the most, the man who would soon become her eternal partner.

Thrilled, Min Yerin unknowingly reached out to him.

But nothing was caught. In it, Min Yerin was just a thorough observer.

‘Oppa, what the hell is this… I, I…’

Isabel, who met Han Su-hyeok in that way, continued to follow him.

As a fan, and as a woman who loved him, she craved love.

But Han Su-hyeok did not accept it. When he coldly rejected her, Min Yerin’s heart also seemed to be torn apart.

Then one day, Isabel finally gave up on him.

It was right after she heard harsh words from Han Su-hyeok in a phone call.

It was strange.

Why she didn’t feel any jealousy even after seeing this scene,

Why she had a heart to support a woman who had a crush on the man she liked.

‘I, I, I…’

Isabel, who decided to forget Han Su-hyeok, lived her life after that.

As time passed, and when Han Su-hyeok’s existence was almost erased from Isabel’s heart,

That happened.

Screech!

‘No!’

Isabel, who went for a walk around the stadium with her nephew on a long-awaited day off,

While she was distracted for a moment, her nephew ran somewhere.

A huge truck was running towards the child.

At that moment, he appeared.

Han Su-hyeok,

The man who had rejected and pushed her away a long time ago, threw himself to save the child.

Isabel, realizing that the person who saved her nephew’s life was Han Su-hyeok, collapsed on the spot.

She screamed.

She screamed, hugging Han Su-hyeok, who was unconscious, in the place where the truck had run over.

She begged to save him, to please return him to her, to please give him another chance even if it took her life.

And,

Everything turned pitch black as if it had been blacked out.

Darkness that lasted for a long time,

The moment it cleared, Min Yerin couldn’t help but doubt her eyes.

Isabel’s consciousness disappeared, and instead, a little girl was sitting in that place.

It was herself.

A little girl named Min Yerin, who loved singing and dancing since she was a child.

‘I am… yes, I am…’

At that very moment, the memories and consciousness that had been messed up in Min Yerin’s head came together as one.

Now she realized.

The terrible nightmares she had been having since she was a child, and the vague longing and memories for someone.

Why she loved singing and dancing so much, why she chose the path of a singer as naturally as breathing.

Why she fell in love with Han Su-hyeok the moment she first saw him,

She barely realized it after decades of time.

She was herself, and I was her.

Isabel Olivia was Min Yerin, and Min Yerin was Isabel.

When the man who rejected her heart and left, saved her young nephew and died instead,

Isabel prayed.

Even if it took her life, please give him another chance.

To be loved by someone, and to be given time to learn how to love someone.

Does God exist in the world?

Min Yerin, an atheist, does not know the answer to that.

But now,

Min Yerin, who realized that her past life was Isabel Olivia, offered her sincere gratitude to the absolute being, whoever it was.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for giving us both another chance.

She would live her life loving hard so that there would be no regrets in the remaining time.

The video of a certain girl reflected in Min Yerin’s eyes ended there.

“…Rin-ah.”

“Yerin-ah.”

“Yerin-ah! Um, she must be tired. She’s even drooling.”

“Yerin-ah! Oh, it looks like her makeup is all smudged, this is a disaster.”

Min Yerin’s eyes slowly opened at someone’s call.

Her makeup was all smudged and messed up from how much she had cried in that short amount of time.

But that wasn’t important.

The person was in front of her now.

The man she had loved consistently while living two lives.

Han Su-hyeok.

He was smiling at her.

“Yerin-ah, you need to wash your face quickly. The preparations outside are almost finished. So let’s call someone… Cough!”

Whack!

Min Yerin hugged him tightly.

“Yerin-ah, let go of this first… Cough. Why are you so strong?”

“Oppa.”

“Okay, I know, so first…”

“I love you.”

“Huh?”

“I love you, sincerely. Even if I live the next life, my choice will be oppa.”

Min Yerin’s eyes turned red, and Han Su-hyeok smiled faintly.

He slowly stroked her hair and said.

“Don’t cry. And I love you too.”

“Oppa.”

“Thank you for always being by my side, Yerin-ah.”

On Christmas Eve, heading towards the end of 2040,

The world’s best baseball player and pop star became one.

The fate of the two, which had been intertwined through regression and reincarnation, came to look in one direction.

And finally,

Han Su-hyeok learned how to love someone and how to be loved by someone.

** The end of the main story of 〈Genius Pitcher Hides 170km/h〉 **

** Author’s Note **

The story, which was originally intended to end at 200 episodes, has come to 400 episodes. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the readers who have always supported and encouraged me.

I will talk about the details later in the afterword, and now I will start the side story series that will be the very last one,

It contains the last season of the god of baseball, Han Su-hyeok.

Then see you tomorrow.

Thank you.