On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 274

“…….”

“We’ve tried everything we can. And I heard Kim Young-hoon won’t be here next year either? We’re guaranteed to be in last place again next year, so there’s no point in wasting our energy here, is there?”

“……Of course, Young-hoon has an absolutely huge impact. But that doesn’t mean our team is just weak. Foreign players are like a lottery. This year, we didn’t get lucky with our foreign players, but if we pick the right ones next year, we can make it to the playoffs.”

“Yeah, we might. But that doesn’t mean we’ll win the championship, does it?”

“Oppa. We won the championship the year before last, but winning is never easy.”

“I know, I know. Winning is hard. Even if we don’t win the championship, we’re not going to improve enough to shake off the title of the worst team, are we? Right?”

“……But our team is building a solid foundation. Rebuilding takes time.”

“Si-yoon, listen to me. I’m not trying to say anything else.”

The man grabbed Kim Si-yoon’s shoulders.

“Don’t waste your energy here, come to the company. Learn the ropes next to me. You’re smart and have a good head for business, so learn from me.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Our company is going to increase investment in renewable energy. The renewable energy sector is sluggish now, but there will be a major investment. Considering your age and experience, you’re not qualified to go to any affiliate right now. But if you build your career in renewable energy with me, you can gradually climb the ladder starting next year.”

Kim Si-yoon took the man’s hands off her shoulders.

“In other words, you’re telling me to stand behind you.”

“That’s right. And it’ll be beneficial for you too.”

“What’s beneficial about getting involved in your brothers’ inheritance war?”

“There is. No matter who wins this war, you won’t be harmed. Our dad and my brothers all think highly of you. If I win, you’ll get a big reward, and even if I lose, you won’t be harmed. So it’s beneficial for you.”

“That’s just your opinion.”

“Okay. Fine. You don’t have to take my side. But everyone, including Dad and my brothers, thinks you should leave the baseball team. Phoenix has no hope. The buzz is dying down, or rather, the image of being the worst team is hurting the group’s image. Next year, there will be a definite austerity budget, and your position will become even narrower. So don’t be the captain of a sinking ship.”

“Oppa, you decided all this without even consulting me?”

“Consulting?”

The man shrugged.

“This is business. If the performance isn’t good, we have to clean up. Why would I consult you? Aren’t you being too soft because we’re family?”

“…….”

“This isn’t something that needs consultation, it’s a notification. I’ve said everything I need to say to you. I won’t stop you if you still want to stay on the sinking ship. But I hope things go in a way that benefits both you and the group. I think I’ve been considerate enough to you for the past year or two.”

The man left.

Kim Si-yoon covered her head.

A sudden call to Seoul with two games left in the season.

The dinner was uncomfortable the whole time.

She left the table to escape the heavy atmosphere.

Feeling suffocated, she called the first person who came to mind.

As expected, Kim Young-hoon grumbled and hung up.

A relationship that was neither friend nor foe.

After hanging up, her frustration deepened.

Her cousin came and drove the nail in the coffin.

Advice to leave baseball, to which she had devoted her youth, and return to the group.

As her cousin said, the group had spared no investment in the baseball team out of consideration for Kim Si-yoon.

Sticking to baseball might be stubbornness.

Perhaps, giving up might be courage.

Holding onto a failing baseball team and hoping for a relationship might be futile.

Kim Si-yoon closed her eyes.

Tears didn’t fall, but her throat tightened.

Kim Si-yoon called again.

It went to voicemail, but she called again.

Kim Young-hoon answered after the second call.

-What is it now?

“Hey. Kim Young-hoon.”

-What, what. I told you I’m working out, why are you calling me?

“Do you think I get to do everything I want? Nothing I wanted ever worked out. Nothing.”

-……What are you talking about? Are you crying? What’s wrong with your voice?

“You achieved everything you wanted, but I didn’t! What the hell am I, some kind of triple crown civil servant?!”

-……Is it because of what I said earlier? Hey, hey, Si-yoon.

Kim Si-yoon hung up.

“You bastard…… You know how I feel.”

Kim Si-yoon returned to the dinner table.

She had been away from her seat for an unusually long time, but no one said anything to Kim Si-yoon.

Kim Si-yoon sat down and drank a glass of water.

“I…… I want to go back to the group now.”

All eyes were on Kim Si-yoon.

“I’ll finish this season well and wrap up the handover neatly. This is part of my career, so I need to finish it well.”

The chairman finally laughed loudly.

“Good. That’s what you should do. Yes. That’s what you should do.”

“I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble. I think I’m just getting my act together too late.”

Kim Si-yoon straightened her back.

“I’ll come to my senses and grow up from now on.”

* * *

After ending the call with Kim Si-yoon, Kim Young-hoon tried to call back but sent a text instead.

-What’s wrong? Call me when you see this.

Kim Young-hoon was not at home or at the baseball field.

It was the neighborhood where he used to live with his mother.

A large public housing complex.

Just a short walk from the apartment, there were often secluded and deserted places.

“This place…… is a mess.”

Kim Young-hoon stood in a small vacant lot with his hands in his pockets.

He remembered practicing here alone, doing things haphazardly.

There was no chance of becoming a professional, but he loved baseball so much that he couldn’t give up.

He became a professional by chance and won the championship.

A dreamlike year.

It was a difficult and rough road, but it was the climax of his life.

After reaching the peak, all that’s left is downhill.

Kim Young-hoon looked around.

There were still a few baseballs left in the baseball box hidden in the bushes.

He picked up a worn baseball and threw it like he used to.

“Ah…… shit.”

It was a light throw, but Kim Young-hoon frowned.

Kim Young-hoon’s hand naturally touched his elbow and shoulder.

“You guys have held up well so far. There are only a few games left. Hang in there a little longer. I’ll get rehab right away. Okay?”

Kim Young-hoon took his stance again.

There was no ball, but he could see the batter in the distance.

Kim In-hwan.

The Ernie Sievers of Korean professional baseball.

Even a graze goes over.

His punching power, which casually clears Jamsil Stadium with a simple swing, crushes the pitcher’s spirit.

The next batter is Song Seok-hyun.

If the greatest power hitter of all time is Ernie Sievers, Song Seok-hyun is George Foreman, who is in his forties.

His nuclear punch is still there, but he has technique and composure.

A jab alone can cause a KO, but he also has prudence, so pitchers suffocate every time they throw a ball.

If it were Kim Young-hoon from last year, he wouldn’t be so afraid, but now his arm trembles as much as his heart does.

The pain in his arm makes him weak.

He can’t put enough power into the ball.

But…… a smile comes naturally.

It’s an honor to face legendary players on the way out.

It would be better to win, but if he can face the best even if he loses, there is nothing better for a 승부사 [seungbusa: a competitor or someone with a strong competitive spirit].

“Everything is short and thick. Haha.”

Marriage is over, and now all that’s left is baseball.

Can he beat the greatest lineup of all time with a tattered arm?

If he had to bet money on himself, ninety-nine out of a hundred would bet on Goteu.

“My retirement game is going to be tough.”

But he can’t hide his smile.

Good bye (2)

Daejeon Stadium has a long history.

New stadiums are being built all over the country, but Daejeon Stadium has remained in place.

The stadium with the smallest capacity in the country.

The oldest stadium in the country.

Kim Young-hoon had been at Daejeon Stadium since morning.

“Hello.”

“Yes, hello.”

The staff and security team members who recognized Kim Young-hoon greeted him warmly.

Kim Young-hoon shook hands with each of them.

Kim Young-hoon, who had been wandering around every corner of the stadium, finally sat in the back seats behind the catcher.

“It used to look so big……. It’s small, it’s small.”

Kim Young-hoon closed his eyes.

There was a time when he watched baseball as a spectator here.

Back then, he dreamed of becoming a baseball player.

This place was the beginning, but now it’s the place where he’s about to see the end.

“What are you doing here?”

Kim Young-hoon turned his head.

Kim Si-yoon was coming down the stairs from behind.

“I heard you were wandering around, and you’re here.”

“Si-yoon! Why don’t you answer my texts? What happened yesterday?”

Instead of answering, Kim Si-yoon sat down in a seat one space away from Kim Young-hoon.

“The baseball field is so cozy. Isn’t it?”

Kim Young-hoon laughed loudly at Kim Si-yoon’s words.

“I was thinking the same thing. The baseball field looks so small. We’re on the same wavelength for the first time in a while.”

“Really?”

Kim Si-yoon crossed her arms and legs.

“Today might be your last game.”

“It could be.”

“Yeah…… The day after tomorrow might be my last.”

“……Huh? What do you mean? The day after tomorrow is your last?”

Kim Si-yoon closed and opened her eyes once.

“Just what I said. I’m going to step down as general manager too.”

“General manager? Why?”

“I’ve done everything I can here. Holding onto something that doesn’t work is…… not good.”

Kim Young-hoon turned his body completely towards Kim Si-yoon.

“Why are you suddenly stepping down as general manager? What’s wrong?”

“No. Nothing’s wrong. I just…… can’t keep holding on when there’s no hope.”

“You’ve been working so hard, why are you doing this? Are you having a 현타 [hyeonta: a Korean slang term for a moment of realization or disillusionment, often after intense effort or excitement]?”

Kim Si-yoon’s one corner of her mouth went up.

“현타……. That’s the perfect word.”

“It’s too sudden. You’ve finished planning for next season, why are you backing out now? Seriously, something’s wrong with you. Right? Tell me.”

“There’s nothing like that. If people get tired, they can’t do what they want to do. That’s all. I can’t do it anymore. This team really has no hope. Even with the ultimate weapon Kim Young-hoon, we can’t get into 4th place, and without you, we’re guaranteed to be in 10th place next year.”

“You said you were going to build a team with a deep bench, why are you suddenly talking about rankings? Our team has become a lot younger. In just 1-2 years, we’ll be pretty good-.”

“That’s just vague hope. Vague hope……. I don’t like that anymore.”

“It’s too sudden, really……. Did you announce that? I don’t think people know?”

“You too. You haven’t told anyone else about your retirement yet, have you? Besides me and Su-in oppa, does anyone else know you’re retiring?”

“I told the two most important people. I didn’t want to make a fuss by telling them first. Our team is still competing for the postseason, and if the spotlight is focused on other things, it’s a bit…… isn’t it?”

“I decided yesterday and I’m telling you today. I’ll make the announcement after the regular season and the successor is settled. It won’t take long. As you said, this is an important moment, so there’s no need to create unnecessary news.”

Kim Young-hoon let out a hollow laugh.

“Was that why you called me yesterday?”

Kim Si-yoon got up from her seat.

“Anyway, today and tomorrow are like our retirement ceremony. So let’s finish it well. Cleanly, without any regrets.”

“Is that it? Are you really quitting as general manager?”

Kim Si-yoon climbed the stairs without a word.

“Hey! Kim Si-yoon!”

Despite Kim Young-hoon’s shout, Kim Si-yoon disappeared into the baseball field.

* * *

Kim Young-hoon went to the general manager’s office, but Kim Si-yoon wouldn’t see him.

Kim Young-hoon finally turned away.

He went to the hospital, got a pain-relieving injection, and returned to the stadium.

He was going to hold out as much as he could, but he had to do his best against a team like Goteu on a day like today.

After finishing the home team’s training, he attended the strategy meeting.

There was no special strategy, as Goteu’s offensive power was second to none.

After the meeting, Kim Young-hoon watched the visiting team’s training.

Tang!

Tang!

It was Kim In-hwan’s free batting.

Every time Kim In-hwan hit the ball, it went over the fence.

Even when he took the power out and tapped it with a push hit, it flew endlessly like a super ball.

“It’s brutal.”

Kim Young-hoon clenched his fist.

If even a slight mistake is made, he’s a batter who can easily hit it over the fence.