Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 56

#55. As the Owner of This Club…

I’m generally against athletes drinking after games or practices.

Some argue that a light beer after a baseball game is acceptable because the sport is incredibly stressful, both physically and mentally. But in my opinion, that’s nonsense.

If that’s the case, they should take off their pro uniform and play amateur baseball.

Consuming alcohol after intense exercise hinders normal muscle recovery, causing damage, reduces physical performance, impairs metabolism, causes dehydration, and leads to hormonal changes, among other negative effects….

Hmm.

But today is an exception.

Lim Jun-young, the pitcher who, thanks to today’s game, is now at the very top of my wish list.

I can’t help but eavesdrop when I hear Lim Jun-young and our team’s senior players talking after the game.

I need to listen carefully to what they’re saying.

“Hey, drink up. Have a drink and forget everything. Why are you still sulking? Hehe.”

“Seniors…”

“Jun-young, I knew you held grudges, but it’s gotten worse since I last saw you.”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Okay, enough, just drink. Soo-hyuk, get yourself a sparkling water too.”

“Yes, seniors.”

“Hehe, well, it’s a bit awkward having the guy who got the walk-off hit and the guy who gave it up together, but should we at least have a toast?”

“……”

Jo Sung-oh’s favorite bar is located near Jamsil Baseball Stadium [a well-known baseball stadium in Seoul]. Thanks to the owner’s consideration, we secured a spot in the innermost area, out of sight from the outside.

As I held out my glass filled with sparkling water, Lim Jun-young reluctantly raised his glass and clinked it against mine, still unable to shake off his stiff expression.

“Alright, let’s down the first one, you know? Chug, chug, that’s right.”

In the game against Incheon that just ended, we ultimately achieved a thrilling one-point victory, 4 to 3.

Simply put, I hit the walk-off hit.

It’s actually a bit awkward.

Jo Sung-oh and Lee Man-sik, who arranged today’s meeting, are said to be close to Lim Jun-young, but I’m meeting him for the first time.

Plus, I had four RBIs [Runs Batted In, a baseball statistic] against him, including two home runs.

All four points that Lim Jun-young gave up were ultimately due to me.

Hmm.

Oh well, forget it. Since when have I cared about things like this?

“Senior, let me pour you a drink.”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

“Hehe, Soo-hyuk doesn’t seem like it, but he’s sometimes very sociable; it’s quite strange. Don’t you think so, Sung-oh hyung [older brother or close male friend]?”

“Yeah, he’s only twenty years old, but sometimes he acts like an old man.”

Well… I’ve lived longer than you guys, and I’ve played baseball longer too….

Never mind. It’ll only make me feel worse.

Lim Jun-young poured the beer I offered straight down his throat.

Hmm.

He looks even more appealing up close.

How much would this man really cost?

“Ah, that’s refreshing. Hyung, just one more. My thirst isn’t going away.”

“Oh, oh, you want more?”

I stopped Lim Jun-young, who was immediately asking for a second drink after the first.

“You shouldn’t. Drinking a lot of alcohol after throwing over 100 pitches can negatively affect the body’s recovery functions. It could potentially damage the tissues around your shoulder. Senior, now drink sparkling water like me.”

“What? What is this…”

I filled his glass with sparkling water instead of beer, and he looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

But he, too, is someone who has spent over 10 years in the pros. He knows better than anyone that what I’m saying is right.

He sighed briefly, as if frustrated, and reluctantly chugged the sparkling water instead of beer.

Ah, actually, drinking that much sparkling water can also affect the esophageal tissues and mucous membranes….

Never mind.

I think I’m overdoing it a bit because I want him so badly, even though he’s not our player yet.

“Hey, Han Soo-hyuk.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Answer me honestly.”

“About what?”

“Are you in your second life?”

“Pardon?”

I flinched.

Could it be that the future Warriors ace, whom I’m willing to take out a dollar loan to acquire, has some kind of superpower to see through the essence of things?

I don’t need those kinds of extra abilities.

“Damn it, otherwise, how can a guy who graduated high school a few months ago hit so well?”

“Ahaha…”

“Hey, Jun-young must be really pissed. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him curse.”

“Hehe, look at his face turning red. He’s definitely angry.”

“No, seriously, hyungs, think about it. I lost to a rookie who debuted this year after getting hit with two home runs in one game? Me, Lim Jun-young?”

“Yeah, and the walk-off hit at the end almost went over the fence.”

“I thought Jun-young turned into a Smurf at that moment. His face was completely blue.”

“Ah, seriously, stop teasing me. I might just leave, you know?”

“Alright, hehe. Just sit down.”

“Seriously, I have to put up with this treatment and deal with these old geezers here.”

The words they exchanged were a bit rough, but their eyes were full of trust as they looked at each other.

Jo Sung-oh, Lee Man-sik, and Lim Jun-young.

The three of them, who had experienced the Warriors’ golden age and decline firsthand, still shared those memories together, even though they were wearing different uniforms.

“Enough with the jokes, Soo-hyuk. Ah, can I call you Soo-hyuk?”

“Of course, senior.”

“Good, then you call me hyung from now on.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“…This guy, when I first saw him, I thought he was quite aloof with that impression, but he’s incredibly sociable.”

“I told you, didn’t I? He’s an old man.”

“Anyway, Han Soo-hyuk. Tell me honestly. How did you know I was going to throw a fastball on the first pitch in the last at-bat?”

Look at this guy. Trying to steal someone else’s trade secrets.

To tell the truth, it’s because the angle of his wrist when throwing a fastball is slightly, almost imperceptibly, different from when he throws a breaking ball, but…

There’s no need to tell him that here. He’s not even our team’s player yet.

Hmm, I wonder what Sung-hoon hyung would say if I told him to sign Lim Jun-young as a free agent?

He’s already complaining about being scared to death of money leaving his account these days.

Anyway.

Lip service is the best in situations like this.

“It was your eyes, senior.”

“Call me hyung. Anyway, eyes? What eyes?”

“You had the eyes of an ace. The eyes of an ace who would never back down, no matter how difficult the situation. I saw that and knew. Ah, this guy is going to go for a fastball battle here, no matter what.”

“…Really? The eyes of an ace, you say?”

“Yes, I’ve met quite a few pitchers who claim to be good, but you’re the first one with those eyes.”

“Really? Hmm, is that so. Hmmm…”

Well, it’s not a complete lie. Those eyes definitely didn’t know the meaning of running away.

Lim Jun-young’s lips unknowingly curve upward after hearing my words.

See, these pitchers are so simple.

Wait, I used to be a pitcher too.

“In my opinion, hyung, no, you are the best pitcher in the country. I haven’t faced Ryu Han-gyul senior yet, but even just from watching videos, you’re better.”

“Really? Is that so?”

“Hey, Man-sik, look at Jun-young’s face. He’s about to die of happiness.”

“Oh my, our Jun-young. He had the face of someone who had lost the world just a moment ago because he lost the game, but he’s all better after hearing a few compliments?”

“Hyungs, it’s not just anyone, it’s the super rookie who’s currently blowing up the league who’s saying I’m the best pitcher, how can I not feel good? Huh?”

“Well, that’s true. Hey, honestly, I still feel like I’m dreaming sometimes.”

“What is it, Sung-oh hyung?”

“Before the game starts, I see the lineup on the scoreboard, and Han Soo-hyuk at number 3, with a .400 batting average, is plastered there, and it looks so strange to me.”

“Ah.”

“To have a player like that standing in the shortstop position, which was originally a hole in this team… how should I put it, it might sound a bit strange, but it feels like we secretly brought in a current Major League player.”

“Hey, no matter how good Soo-hyuk is, that’s too much.”

Actually, it’s not just any Major Leaguer, it’s an MVP [Most Valuable Player].

Let’s listen a bit more for now.

“And think about it. It’s still early, but the media is already talking about whether we’ll make it to the playoffs or not? Before, it was all about who would be in last place between Busan, Daejeon, and us.”

“True.”

After saying that, Jo Sung-oh took another gulp of beer, as if his throat was parched.

“Soo-hyuk, this is the last round. Don’t worry too much. I’ll go to the practice room after this and sweat it all out somehow.”

“You’re going to the practice room?”

“Yeah, I didn’t tell you, Jun-young. Soo-hyuk has his own personal practice room. I’ve been doing personal practice there every day too.”

“Yes, but don’t overdo it, senior. I can’t go today because I have something to do, so you have to consult with Jacob and proceed.”

“Alright, I’ll just do exactly what Jacob tells me to do, so don’t worry too much. Hey, by the way, Soo-hyuk, why do you call Jun-young hyung but us senior? Are you discriminating against us because we’re old?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“That’s enough. From this moment on, call Man-sik and me hyung too. Got it?”

“Yes, I will. Hyungs.”

“Hehe, you’re so straightforward, I like it. Anyway, Jun-young.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“I don’t know if I should be saying this to you since you’re on another team now, but I keep having this thought lately.”

“What thought?”

“How great it would be if you were on our team at times like this?”

“……”

Well done, our Sung-oh hyung. He’s doing the sales pitch without even being asked.

“When you left our team before, I actually thought it was a good thing. The team kept falling, and that crazy owner didn’t even make you an offer because he was busy signing Hwang Sung-min and Song Ki-tae… sigh.”

“……”

“But after the owner changed and Soo-hyuk came, and things started to get better again, I started thinking about you again. I thought that if Jun-young was here with us, we could aim for the playoffs, if not the championship.”

“Hyung…”

“Hoo, never mind. Just pretend you didn’t hear that. You shouldn’t say things like this, even to close friends. Alright, we’ve drunk enough, let’s have one last sparkling water each and get up. Okay?”

“Sung-oh hyung.”

“Yeah, why, Jun-young?”

“When my contract with Incheon ends this year…”

“Yeah?”

“Of course, I can’t decide everything on my own. I have to consult with my family, there’s an agent involved, and no one knows how things will turn out in the world.”

“……”

“Anyway… yes, I haven’t even decided whether to challenge the Big Leagues yet, I don’t know what my family is thinking, and I have to talk to Incheon too…”

Lim Jun-young bit his lower lip, as if overwhelmed with emotion, and continued with difficulty.

“If the Warriors call me… yeah, then maybe I might go back there again.”

Jo Sung-oh and Lee Man-sik’s mouths closed tightly, as if they had made a promise, at Lim Jun-young’s calm words.

They, too, understood Lim Jun-young’s feelings well.

The desire to return to the Warriors.

They would be more than ready to welcome Lim Jun-young back more enthusiastically than anyone else.

But even if they were close friends, it was not appropriate to casually comment on the contract of such a super-class player, whose value would exceed 10 billion [Korean Won, approximately $7.5 million USD].

Even if he gave up on advancing to the Big Leagues and remained in Korea, his expected value would be at least 12 billion [Korean Won, approximately $9 million USD] for 4 years.

To be honest, it would be a difficult challenge for the Warriors, who have to run the baseball team with their existing assets without incoming money.

Perhaps that’s why Jo Sung-oh didn’t say anything and ended today’s meeting.

“Alright, let’s get up now. We’ve been here too long, and we have a game tomorrow. Everyone, go back to where you need to go and disband!”

“Jun-young, let’s have another drink next time we play. Get back to the dorm safely.”

“Yes, hyungs, don’t drive under any circumstances and be careful. You too, Soo-hyuk.”

“He doesn’t, and we don’t drive anymore either. In Seoul.”

“Pardon?”

“We might get injured while driving, or get caught up in scandals like drunk driving, hehe, so we just walk or take the subway. It’s surprisingly convenient.”

“That’s not bad. Then I’ll head out first, hyungs.”

The young ace who once supported the team’s dark ages waved his hand with a bright smile and disappeared into the darkness.

If I hadn’t been here, the conversation those three had just now might have ended as meaningless grumbling between players.

But I saw and heard it.

I learned how great a player Lim Jun-young is, and I also confirmed that he still wants to return to the Warriors.

Now, as the owner of the club….

It’s time to think about how to bring that player in.