Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 44

#43. The Queen’s Fury

Yesterday, Min Ye-rin was present when Han Su-hyeok went berserk and pulverized Hwang Seong-min.

To be more precise, she was the one who inadvertently breached the barrier between the field and the excited crowd, but that wasn’t the important part.

After the game, Min Ye-rin returned home, her hands and feet trembling, completely shaken.

She was worried about the Warriors’ captain who had been hit by a beanball [a pitch intentionally thrown at a batter’s head], and the condition of the other players involved in the bench-clearing brawl.

Most of all, her heart ached at the sight of Han Su-hyeok’s enraged appearance, a side of him she had never witnessed before. She even felt self-loathing, wondering what she had been doing while the situation that made him so angry was brewing.

She sat crouched in front of his door, waiting for Han Su-hyeok to return.

How much time had passed? She heard the sound of the next door opening and closing.

She desperately wanted to rush out and comfort him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Who am I? What am I to that person?

Realizing that she wasn’t in a position to offer comfort, Min Ye-rin trudged back to her bed, buried her face in the pillow, and burst into tears.

“Uwaaaah!”

After crying all night, dawn finally arrived.

In the end, Min Ye-rin, unable to find any answers through tears, decided to do what she could do immediately.

She drove the supercar that had been left in the parking lot and went to see her aunt, a specialist in royal cuisine.

‘Open the door! Aunt! It’s me! Get up and help me make food!’

‘You little rascal! Do you know what time it is? It’s 5 a.m.! Are you crazy? And what’s with the cooking? Have you ever even held a knife?’

‘I don’t know! I don’t care if my fingers get cut off, just teach me how to cook! Something that makes me feel good and energized when I eat it, quickly!’

‘Aigoo… that girl is going to drive me crazy…’ [Aigoo is a Korean expression of frustration or exasperation.]

The cooking she attempted for the first time was incredibly difficult and intimidating.

She cut her finger three times while slicing abalone, and she got blisters on two of the prettiest fingers, as voted by netizens in 2026, while handling a hot pot.

But at that moment, she was oblivious to everything else.

She carefully packed the royal dishes she had worked so hard to prepare into an insulated icebox and returned home.

She successfully placed the box in front of Han Su-hyeok’s house without being spotted.

Now, all she had to do was go back home and wait for him to find the box.

Everything was going according to plan.

But alas.

“Min Ye-rin… ssi?”

“Heok…!”

Unfortunately, a guest arrived at his house at that exact moment, and she was caught red-handed.

Han Su-hyeok made eye contact with her.

At that moment, her mind went blank, and she was paralyzed.

“Would you like to come in for a cup of tea…?”

Unexpectedly, he invited her into his house.

She had some conflicting thoughts, but she couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Min Ye-rin suppressed her distracting thoughts for the time being and stepped into his house with a reverent heart.

It was her second visit to this sacred place.

“Um… should I get you guys some tea first? Coffee?”

“Oh, I’ll have anything.”

“Me too. Just water is fine.”

“Um, I think I have some good coffee I got as a gift somewhere…”

“Ah! Su-hyeok nim! I’ll do it! What if you hurt your fingers touching hot water!”

“Pardon?”

When I tried to get up to make tea, Min Ye-rin, horrified, quickly rushed to the kitchen and started making coffee with practiced movements.

Ah, now that I think about it, that woman made coffee when I came with my father last time, too?

Hmm.

“…Hey, Su-hyeok. Why didn’t you tell us that Min Ye-rin lives next door?”

“Why are you whispering, sunbaenims [senior players]?”

“This, this guy is sneakier than he looks, isn’t he?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Ehey, Seong-oh hyungnim [older brother/senior], you should just pretend you don’t know about things like that. You’ll get called nosy.”

“Well, yeah, if strange rumors spread, it won’t be good. Hehe, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

No, what are these people thinking?

I didn’t even know that woman’s name was Min Ye-rin until recently.

As I was about to say something in embarrassment, Min Ye-rin, who came back with four cups of coffee, answered urgently.

“No! How dare I to Su-hyeok nim… Of course, he is the person I respect and admire the most, but that’s only as a baseball player…”

She’s rambling again.

Hmm, anyway…

I didn’t notice it earlier, but now that I look at it, that woman’s eyes are swollen.

What is it, did she eat ramen at night and go to bed?

“Ahem.”

When Min Ye-rin became serious at the joke, Seonbae [senior] Cho Seong-oh coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

“Anyway, that’s that… are you okay?”

“Me? Of course. More than that, are your shoulders okay, sunbaenim?”

“Me? Yeah. I took pictures and everything, and it’s just a simple bruise. They say I’ll get better if I rest well for a few days. Choi Dong-seok, that bastard, is all done for. He can’t even break one bone of this old man. Hehe.”

“Don’t say that, Seong-oh hyungnim. I’m going to kill that bastard next time I see him. I really wanted to die yesterday because I couldn’t get revenge and seemed to pass the burden on to Su-hyeok.”

“No, you didn’t lose your temper and took good care of the kids, so we at least got a draw. Hey, by the way, we’re in first place. Can you believe it?”

Thirty-five and thirty-three, the oldest hitters and pitchers on our team, and two veterans who have had as long of a career as I did before my regression, are rejoicing with childlike expressions.

“Sniff, sniff, you’ve both worked so hard. Both of you.”

And that crazy fan who loves this team more than her life, her tear ducts burst as well.

“Min Ye-rin ssi, thank you so much for the opening game performance last time. The players really like it. They say they feel energized just by looking at Min Ye-rin ssi.”

“That’s right. Last time, Mansik, that guy, didn’t wash his hands for two days after Min Ye-rin ssi gave him pitching lessons…”

“Eokeok! Seong-oh hyungnim! How can you talk about that in a place like this! Min Ye-rin ssi might feel bad if she hears it!”

“No, no. I’m really happy if I’ve been of any help, even a little bit. How about I sing another song for you here?”

If I leave it like this, it will never end.

I stepped forward to sort out the increasingly confusing situation.

“But sunbaenims, did you really come just to give me this?”

“Yeah, it’s always hardest to eat at home when a man lives alone. I know you keep to your diet for breakfast and lunch, but you still have to eat dinner, right? Put it in the fridge and eat it little by little. Tell me anytime if you want more.”

“Yeah, and that pickled mustard leaf is the only food my mother-in-law is good at making. When you have no appetite, pour water over rice and have a bite of that…”

“Han Su-hyeok seonsu nim [player], I also prepared abalone kimchi [fermented cabbage with abalone], green bean starch jelly [a Korean side dish called Mung bean jelly], beef sundae [Korean blood sausage made with beef], and buckwheat crepes, though I’m not as good. You have to make sure to eat dinner even if you don’t have an appetite! The future of this team depends on Su-hyeok nim!”

What the heck is abalone kimchi, and what is green bean starch jelly… They make sundae with beef?

And what are all those bandages on her fingers? Could it be that she got cut while cooking?

Hiding my sullen heart, I turned my gaze back to the sunbaes.

The two people’s gazes were directed at me. There was a lot of worry in them.

“Why? Sunbaenims, is there something on my face?”

“It’s not that… are you okay, really?”

“Pardon? Yes, I’m fine. My wrist is a little stiff, but I think it’ll get better soon if I get it dressed.”

“That’s a relief. We were worried that you might be upset.”

“Me? Why?”

“How much of a scar does it leave on your heart when a person hits another person, how could we not know that. I’m sorry. We should have stepped up first in the first place.”

I think I know what you’re talking about. These two people are worried that I might feel guilty for punching that guy.

Hmm, I used to beat up one guy every month.

To be honest, I feel like I’ve relieved a lot of stress for the first time in a while.

Let’s listen a little more for now.

“Even before you joined the team, this team was a mess. The general manager, the president, the coaches, the front team leaders, and even the players were tearing each other apart and keeping each other in check because they were fighting over factions… I just watched Hwang Seong-min and Song Gi-tae because I didn’t want to get involved in that. It’s all my fault.”

“Hey, how is that Mansik your fault? It’s my fault as the leader of the infielders.”

“Haa… I’m really embarrassed. Anyway, it’s a relief. I was worried when the club was sold, but the new owner seems like a good person, and Park Jae-cheol general manager is a great person, and now all the guys who were trying to fight over factions are gone.”

“Yeah, now all we have to do is work hard. Su-hyeok, no matter what, we’re your sunbaes. So from now on, even if something like this happens, never throw a punch first.”

“That’s right. If something like that’s going to happen, tell us instead. It’s better for old men to punch and get kicked out.”

“Ha, now that I say old man, old man, I feel like I’ve really become an old man.”

“Seong-oh hyungnim and I only have a few years left until retirement, you’re right, we’re old men. Hehe.”

I didn’t bother to join in the self-deprecating conversation of the two veterans who had given their entire youth to the Warriors team.

Even Min Ye-rin, who had been chattering non-stop until just now, closed her mouth and quietly watched the two people’s conversation.

Suddenly, the lonely scenery of the sickroom I saw in my dream just now came to mind.

In that large and luxurious hospital room where the daily hospitalization fee was thousands of dollars, I was alone.

There is an enormous gap that cannot even be compared between my status as the best star in the major leagues at that time and my current status as a KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] rookie.

But now, next to me are sunbaes who sincerely care about me, and an old fan who I still don’t know what she’s thinking, but is watching me with a worried expression.

A sense of relief washes over me, making my heart feel soft.

I had to bite my lower lip tightly to not show that feeling on the outside.

“Su-hyeok, anyway, the disciplinary results will be out sometime today, but don’t worry about it and leave it to the club. You suddenly went up to the mound and overdid it, and if you get suspended, just think of it as taking a break.”

“That’s right, Su-hyeok nim! If the disciplinary action is too harsh, I’ll commit harakiri [ritual suicide by samurai] in front of the KBO to stop it, so don’t worry about anything and just take care of your condition!”

Hmm.

Harakiri… where did you hear such a scary thing.

“By the way, the house is big, but it’s too empty. Didn’t you buy anything other than built-in furniture? Haven’t you moved in long ago? Did you have a housewarming party?”

“A housewarming party?”

“Yeah, you idiot. If you move, you should invite your teammates and have a housewarming party.”

“Wow! Then Su-hyeok nim will be busy, so how about I prepare it instead?”

“Min Ye-rin ssi? That’s very difficult. How are you going to do it alone?”

“Why would I do it alone? I can call some juniors to help me. Anyway, just set the date. I’ll take care of everything.”

“Ooh… the kids will go crazy if they hear that. A housewarming party prepared by Min Ye-rin nim… Then shall we really set a date?”

“I’m good anytime! Okay. I’ll do my best to prepare!”

“Um… the homeowner’s opinion is also a bit…”

Yogi Berra, the legendary catcher who was selected for the All-Star 15 times as a catcher for the New York Yankees, is also famous for his unique sayings in addition to his career.

Even people who don’t know his name have probably heard his most famous quote.

‘It ain’t over till it’s over.’

That’s a good saying. But I like this one the most of the words he left behind.

‘If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.’

That’s what I used to be like.

I was so obsessed with succeeding as a baseball player that I just ran blindly without even knowing where I was going.

But not anymore.

Sunbaes who worry about their juniors’ hearts and bring food from early in the morning, and even a fan who loves this team as much as her life, though I still don’t know what she’s thinking, but is watching me with a worried expression.

As long as I’m with those people, I’ll never lose my way.

Making the Warriors win the championship, creating a good team, and making everyone in it happy.

I’m going to walk slowly towards that path.

* * *

“Give it to me. Oppa [term used by females to address older brothers or close male friends].”

“…Yerin-ah, are you really going to do this?”

“Give it to me! Those guys are ignoring us because Magicians is a big company and Warriors is a small company.”

“Haa…”

“Just you wait. I’m going to turn this place upside down.”

Min Ye-rin, who had spread a mat in front of the KBO headquarters building, received a picket from her manager.

The moment she raised the picket above her head, the camera flashes of the reporters waiting next to her went off at once.

[Punish the butcher who aimed for human life, and release the innocent player who chose self-defense to survive]