Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 8

#7. The Basics

It’s often an insider who leaks a secret that should never see the light of day.

Reporters, like hyenas, are constantly circling the team, hungry for a scoop, and YouTubers will do anything for views.

There are plenty of avenues for disgruntled people to leak secrets.

I have a pretty good idea who it is, but through an anonymous team official, my statement that I wouldn’t pitch was made public.

“Probably the pitching coach? No, maybe the head coach? Or perhaps the hitting coach.”

“Sigh, look at the state of the team. Really.”

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], smile. The reporters are watching.”

The next day, at the press conference, questions about that issue came pouring in.

Why would a promising player who wanted to challenge the Major League as a two-way player declare that he would only be a hitter in Korean baseball?

Why else? To have a longer and more stable career.

“Han Su-hyeok, a question for you. Is it true that you will absolutely not pitch?”

“Not absolutely, but for the time being, yes.”

“So, does that mean you might come out as a pitcher in crucial moments?”

“If it’s Game 7 of the Korean Series [championship series in Korean baseball], I’ll consider it.”

“…So, you absolutely won’t. I understand. Then, I’ll ask the general manager. What will Han Su-hyeok’s position be this year?”

“I’ll have to discuss it with the manager, but we plan to give Han Su-hyeok a position where he can maximize his talent. He’s like a jewel to our team.”

After answering, the general manager looked at me with honey dripping from his eyes.

Wow, this guy is really something. He should be an actor instead of a baseball team manager.

“Han Su-hyeok, I have a fundamental question for you. Why did you give up on going to the Major League?”

“I wanted to play for the Warriors.”

“So, why did you want to play for the Warriors?”

“Because it’s the Warriors.”

“……”

I stared blankly at the reporter’s face, giving a very obvious answer to an obvious question.

Then, Seong-hoon hyung, who was poking my side, grabbed the microphone and answered instead.

Right, there are already strange rumors going around that the Warriors and I conspired to mess up the other teams’ draft order, so it’s better to clear things up now.

“May I answer, reporter?”

“Yes, owner. Please do.”

“As you know, Han Su-hyeok and I have both a personal relationship as baseball teammates from elementary school and a professional relationship as an agency representative and affiliated player.”

“We are well aware.”

“It was one day, right before signing a contract with an American team. Han Su-hyeok told me that he dreamed of wearing a Warriors uniform.”

“Hmm.”

“My heart raced at those words. I was also a player who once dreamed of wearing a Warriors uniform. Now, I can’t return as a player because of my knees, but I wondered if there was another way, so I decided to acquire the Warriors.”

“No, my question isn’t about the team acquisition process, but why Han Su-hyeok decided to join the Warriors instead of the Major League…”

“Listen to me more. So, I knelt before Han Su-hyeok and asked him to come to the Warriors, but he didn’t answer. Think about it. What bigger dream could a baseball player have than being a Major Leaguer?”

“…That’s true.”

This hyung is surprisingly good at acting.

“In the end, I had to give up on Su-hyeok. But then a miracle happened. Everyone witnessed that miracle firsthand. The moment I made eye contact with Han Su-hyeok, who suddenly appeared at the rookie draft, I realized that Su-hyeok had come to save us, that he had made a big decision for the Warriors.”

Hmm, it’s flowing in a biographical direction.

“If the reporter thinks about it for a moment, they will quickly come to a conclusion. The signing bonus offered by the Major League was $3.5 million, which is more than three times the money we gave him.”

Well, even if I get a lot of signing bonus, it’s just going to come back to my money anyway, and I’ll have to pay more taxes.

“Of course, 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD] isn’t a small amount. It’s a huge amount. But what’s important to Han Su-hyeok isn’t money.”

I have more than 50 times that amount in my account right now. Before the regression, there was another zero attached to it.

Let’s keep listening for now.

“So, that’s it. Han Su-hyeok chose the Warriors for the sake of pure baseball and for his long-held dream. Is that a sufficient explanation?”

“……”

The reporters’ mouths closed simultaneously at Seong-hoon hyung’s words.

It was a grand story, but there was nothing substantial in it. The only person who reacted to those words was the general manager, whose job was hanging by a thread.

“Indeed! A player who will become a superstar is different! Reporters, can I ask for a round of applause?”

‘Clap clap…’

Thankfully, some reporters looked at the general manager’s pitiful expression and reluctantly applauded.

They are good people. I should remember them.

However, most of the reporters’ faces were full of dissatisfaction. They hadn’t heard the answer they wanted to hear yet.

“Let’s summarize once again. Han Su-hyeok gave up on the Major League and chose the Warriors because it’s the Warriors, and you absolutely won’t pitch no matter what, right?”

“…If the team reaches Game 7 of the Korean Series.”

“That’s the same as saying you won’t!”

Hmm, these people have a lot of prejudice. Are they saying that the Warriors can’t even go to the Korean Series no matter what?

* * *

﹂The Basics

﹂Wow, if he’s a Kids Club member, then it’s legit

﹂Han Su-hyeok and owner Park Seong-hoon were Warriors fans since elementary school. They promised to make the Warriors champions later

﹂They already made a brotherhood pact since they were in middle school. Is Park Seong-hoon Yu Bi [historical figure known for his righteousness] and Han Su-hyeok Guan Yu [famous general known for his loyalty]?

﹂Back then, the Warriors were a very strong team

﹂Lotte fan) They scammed the kids. Han Su-hyeok got tricked. Honestly, does Han Su-hyeok even fit in with your team? At this point, it’s organized planned crime

﹂You guys are bad;;;

﹂By the way, isn’t it too much fuss for just one rookie player joining? If he plays as a hitter, can he be a starter right away?

﹂Yeah, totally possible. You can comfortably give him any position you choose

﹂LOL, hey, even so, you have to exclude the catcher and shortstop positions where Hwang Seong-min and Song Gi-tae are. Their salaries are over 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD]

﹂Oh! Haven’t they been traded yet?

﹂The stove league [off-season trading period] hasn’t even started yet, what are you talking about;;

﹂I thought they were already traded because you’re only paying attention to Han Su-hyeok

﹂LOL

﹂Guys, by the way, why aren’t the people who were leaving hateful comments about Han Su-hyeok here these days?

﹂There’s a rumor that they’re all having a meetup at the police station…

Whatever the public opinion, time began to flow quickly.

The first thing I did after signing the contract was to choose a new house.

“This floor was originally used as employee housing by a company, but they all left at the same time. So, all three houses are empty…”

“Let’s go with this one.”

“Huh? Without even looking at the house?”

“Yeah, well, the houses are all the same since it’s an apartment. It’s the top floor, so there’s no noise between floors, and the houses on both sides are empty. It’s annoying to look at multiple units when they’re all the same. I’ll just sign the contract right away.”

“…You’re buying your first house in your life, and you’re not even excited. Hey, it’s an apartment in the middle of Jamsil [affluent neighborhood in Seoul].”

If I showed you the house I used to live in, you’d be shocked. You small-minded person.

“Oh, and Jacob wants a place other than this apartment?”

“He wanted me to get him a villa right in front of the hospital where his daughter is hospitalized.”

“Hmm, okay. Do that for him.”

“Hey, but is he such a great person that you’re renting him a house in addition to the hospital bills?”

“Of course. My pitching debut depends on how much Jacob does for me.”

“…I need to go sign the villa contract quickly. Got it. Then I’ll go to the office. The moving company will take care of moving your stuff, so don’t worry.”

“Okay, I know, so go. I need to go to the practice field right away too.”

That’s how my first house in Korea was created.

A 32-pyeong [approximately 1,140 square feet] apartment that is sufficient, no, even spacious, for one person to live in.

I didn’t know before.

That this size is enough.

That there’s no need to be obsessed with big houses or good cars, that there are much more important things in the world than that.

Full of the vigor of my 20s, I knew nothing about such life wisdom.

“Hmm.”

Anyway, I really like that the houses on the left and right are empty at the same time.

I’ve been quite bothered by the noise between floors while living in Seong-hoon hyung’s house.

I moved to the practice field, thinking that I could live comfortably for the time being, no matter who moved in.

‘Step, step’

After measuring the time it took to walk from home to the practice field, it was about 15 minutes. It’s the perfect distance to warm up naturally.

I don’t know what will happen when I become more famous later, but the people coming and going in the middle of Jamsil seemed too busy to pay attention to an ordinary baseball player.

“Hey, Jacob.”

“Welcome. Did you walk here?”

“To warm up.”

“Good. There’s no better warm-up than walking fast. Let’s talk while looking at the results of the physical test from last time.”

“Okay.”

I quickly read the document full of English that Jacob handed me.

“As expected. Endurance, recovery, and flexibility are good, but strength is very low.”

“…You understood all of this?”

“Yes, this much is nothing.”

“Good, it’s as I said. Your body balance is unstable because you haven’t finished growing yet. Endurance and recovery are almost at their best, but strength is a bit lacking.”

“I’m not even twenty years old yet, Jacob.”

“Damn, I can’t believe you’re not even twenty years old with this physique. Are you even Asian?”

“Of course.”

“Anyway, from today, repeat the training program I made for you every day without missing a single day. Keep in mind. Time, order, and number of repetitions, don’t get anything wrong. Like a machine, accurately every day, and you have to eat only the diet I made for you. Got it?”

“Of course. It’s the instructions of the coach I hired for over $100,000, so I have to follow them unconditionally.”

“If you understand, then that’s it. Let’s start pitching after we’ve perfectly balanced your body first. But when are you going to start going to the team?”

“I won’t go until spring camp.”

“No problem. Then let’s start.”

That’s how the training with Jacob began.

I started building my body by following a training program designed only for me, down to every muscle, tendon, and bone.

Instead of the sick body of a mid-thirties man suffering from major and minor injuries, I got a young and fresh new body.

It was good, but it wasn’t something to be happy about.

First of all, the key was to adapt to the changed body.

There were cases where I thought I was moving my body this much, but a much greater reaction occurred, and there were cases where I thought this was enough, but my strength was unexpectedly lacking.

“Jacob, I think I should just focus on hitting next year.”

“Of course. If you try to be a two-way player in this state, you’re bound to get injured.”

“Okay. By the way, how is Annie doing? I want to go see her, but it’s always too late, so I don’t have time to stop by.”

“She’s doing very well. Thanks to you, friend.”

“I’m glad. If you need anything else from me, please tell me anytime.”

“Thank you. I have something to repay, so I have to work harder. Trust me. I’ll find the perfect balance by next year’s spring camp.”

As I did my best to adapt to my new body, spring camp began to approach.

* * *