On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 3

“For someone who can’t even hold their liquor, you’re putting on airs. I cleaned up a bit, so hurry home when you wake up.”

“Wow, when did you clean? Thanks. But I’m not going home.”

“Why not?”

“I told them I’d be sleeping over at Young-seok’s place tonight.”

“So, you’re going to sleep here?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, why sleep in a dump like this? Go home and sleep, you idiot.”

“Nah, I don’t even have the strength to go home. Just make sure you get Na-young home safe.”

“Geez, alright. I’ll call you in the morning. Get home before the construction workers arrive.”

“Aha, alright, alright.”

Just as Song Seok-hyun was about to wake Kim Na-young, who had fallen asleep, Jung Mi-nam spoke.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Don’t get any funny ideas, just work with me. We need a lot of hands here. These days, the screen baseball [indoor baseball simulation] field is doing well.”

“Hire a part-timer, then.”

“I work with people I can trust.”

“Why would I work with you? You can handle it alone, can’t you? How great would it be to work while being called ‘boss’?”

“Anyway, don’t get any funny ideas and work with me. Got it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Playing hard to get. I’m going to sleep. Turn off the lights when you leave.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Jung Mi-nam tossed and turned, then turned his head.

Song Seok-hyun shook Kim Na-young to wake her up.

Kim Na-young only mumbled and showed no sign of getting up.

Song Seok-hyun scratched his head.

“Sleepyhead, seriously.”

The way home was long.

Song Seok-hyun carried Kim Na-young on his back, walking through the bustling streets to her house.

Song Seok-hyun and Kim Na-young lived close by.

As they entered the alley, Song Seok-hyun took a breath.

Even though Song Seok-hyun was a sturdy guy and Kim Na-young was light, he had been walking for a while, and sweat started to break out on his body.

“Hoo.”

Song Seok-hyun looked around and then called out to Kim Na-young.

“Hey, are you still asleep? Wake up. You have to walk into the house so you don’t get caught.”

“……I’m awake.”

“What? When did you wake up? Get down, then.”

Instead of answering, Kim Na-young wrapped her arms tightly around Song Seok-hyun’s body.

“I don’t want to.”

“Hey, let go. What are you doing?”

“Let’s take one more lap around the neighborhood to sober up. Let’s go, Dol-쇠 [a traditional name implying strength], let’s take one more lap.”

“Ugh, seriously. Get down. I said get down.”

“Just one more lap. Hurry. Giddy up, giddy up.”

“Ugh, this pain in the ass, seriously.”

Kim Na-young kicked her feet and hit Song Seok-hyun’s side.

Song Seok-hyun got annoyed, but Kim Na-young didn’t budge.

“Giddy up! Giddy up!”

“Alright, alright! Just stop kicking me. Ugh, seriously.”

“Let’s go, Dol-쇠. Go, go, go!”

“Ugh, seriously. I’m only putting up with you because you’re a senior in high school taking the college entrance exam.”

Song Seok-hyun took another lap around the neighborhood.

There was a park in the neighborhood, and it was deserted at night.

The two stopped by the park and walked around.

“We used to play here a lot back in the day.”

Song Seok-hyun pointed to the slide.

“You cried because your skirt flipped over there. Remember?”

“……Yeah.”

“You cried so hard, like the world was ending. It was a total mess.”

“You’re the one who fought the kids who made fun of me for showing my underwear.”

“Really? Was that me?”

“Don’t you even remember?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Hmph.”

Song Seok-hyun straightened his back.

“Hey, why don’t you get down now? I’m sweating, and you must be all sticky too. My back hurts.”

“I’ll give you a herniated disc. Then you won’t have to go to the army.”

“It’s better to just go to the army than live as a cripple for the rest of my life. And I can apply to be a non-commissioned officer.”

“That damn non-commissioned officer! If you do that, you’ll rot in the military for the rest of your life.”

“I looked into it, and it’s not easy to get long-term service. If you’re unlucky, you can only serve for 4 or 7 years.”

“7 years? Wow, that’s too long.”

“It is long. If you’re going to go, you might as well commit for the long haul.”

Kim Na-young choked Song Seok-hyun’s neck tightly.

“Cough, cough. What? Ow. That hurts!”

“Are you really going to become a non-commissioned officer?”

“I’m just thinking about it. I don’t know. I’m just thinking about this and that.”

“Just work with Mi-nam.”

“Even if I work, I still have to go to the army.”

“Then postpone it.”

“What’s there to postpone? It’s better to just go quickly.”

“Ugh, seriously. Let go! Get down!”

Kim Na-young got off Song Seok-hyun’s back.

Song Seok-hyun turned around, not knowing what was going on.

“You didn’t get down until now.”

“You’re so stubborn. Ugh, frustrating.”

Kim Na-young walked away from Song Seok-hyun with a sulky expression.

“What? You can walk fine. Hey! Let’s go together!”

Kim Na-young walked without talking to Song Seok-hyun, looking displeased.

Song Seok-hyun scratched his head.

“The stress of the college entrance exam is going to kill someone.”

When they arrived at Kim Na-young’s house, Song Seok-hyun looked around.

“Go straight into your room so you don’t smell like alcohol.”

“I’ll do what I want, okay?”

“Ugh, fine. Do as you please.”

Kim Na-young opened the gate and went inside.

Song Seok-hyun put his hands in his pockets and took a step back.

Then, as he turned his head, he saw his younger brother, Song Cheol-hyun, walking in the distance.

“Hey, I’m going then.”

Song Seok-hyun left, but Kim Na-young didn’t hear the sound of the door closing.

Kim Na-young stood still with her back turned.

Kim Na-young closed her eyes tightly and said.

“Hey…… what if I wait for you in the army?”

The wind was chilly at night.

Kim Na-young swallowed hard when there was no answer.

“Uh, uh? What are you going to do?”

There was still no answer.

Kim Na-young turned her head slightly.

Song Seok-hyun was gone.

Kim Na-young opened the gate and peeked out.

“Ugh……! Song Seok-hyun!”

* * *

“Ugh, my ears are itchy. Na-young is talking about me again.”

Song Seok-hyun fiddled with his ear.

His younger brother, Song Cheol-hyun, pushed up his glasses.

“Hyung [older brother], did you drink?”

“There was a draft today. Mi-nam was upset, so I had a drink.”

“……Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, you brat. I’m fine. Well, Mom is worried. Mom probably didn’t have much expectation, but thinking about it and accepting it are different.”

“……Yeah.”

Song Seok-hyun ruffled his younger brother’s hair.

“You’re going to be a high schooler next year, how is it? Aren’t you nervous?”

“What’s there to be nervous about? Everyone else is doing it.”

“Yeah, well, you’re good at studying, so I don’t have to worry about you wherever you go. You’re the hope of the family. You know that, right? When I go to the army and come back, I’ll take responsibility for your tuition and living expenses, so don’t worry and just study. Oh, but you can’t not have a girlfriend by the time you graduate. Or you’ll end up like me. You have to have a girlfriend before you graduate high school. It’s the perfect opportunity to legally date a high school girl!”

“Ah, Hyung.”

“Hahaha, you’re embarrassed. Don’t you have a girl you like these days?”

The younger brother shook his head.

“No.”

“Is there a girl who likes you?”

“…….”

“There is? There is? There is, there is.”

“I’m just not interested. I’m busy studying.”

“Hey, when else are you going to date a middle school girl? Date her, you idiot. Don’t regret it. Looking back, it’s all~ regret.”

The younger brother stopped walking.

“Hyung.”

“What?”

“There are two things I don’t understand. One is why you gave up baseball, and the other is why you’re not dating Na-young Noona [term used by a younger male to address an older female acquaintance].”

“Geez, what are you talking about? Why would Na-young and I date? We’re friends, friends. And don’t you know her personality? A prickly girl like her…… ugh. I just got tormented by her a little while ago, you know.”

“That’s because Noona likes you.”

“Me? Her? Hmph, no way. You can’t do that to someone you like.”

“……Are you really that clueless?”

“That’s enough, you brat. You’re already trying to lecture your hyung. Hey! Just because you’re good at studying doesn’t mean you know everything about these kinds of problems?”

“…….”

The two had already arrived home.

Song Seok-hyun said to his younger brother in a hushed voice.

“I’m going to shower and go straight to bed, so don’t let Mom come into my room. Got it? It’s a secret that I drank.”

“Okay.”

Song Seok-hyun returned home, took a shower, and went straight to bed.

Even with his eyes closed, he couldn’t easily fall asleep.

He tossed and turned for a long time.

Before he knew it, he was snoring and fell asleep.

* * *

When Song Seok-hyun opened his eyes again, it was dawn.

Originally, this would be the time he would wake up to go to training, but after quitting the baseball team, he hadn’t woken up at this time.

“Ugh, I can’t even sleep.”

Just as Song Seok-hyun raised his body, he heard a sound from outside the door.

Song Seok-hyun breathed out to smell if he smelled like alcohol.

“Should I skip breakfast…….”

While Song Seok-hyun was worrying, he heard a small voice.

“……It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

“No. Why is it Mom’s fault?”

It was the sound of Mom and his younger brother talking.

“If Seok-hyun hadn’t gotten hurt back then……. Seok-hyun got hurt because of me. How heartbroken must he be? He’s a human being too. It’s my fault. It’s my fault…….”

“Mom, don’t cry. Why are you crying?”

The sound of Mom crying could be heard.

Song Seok-hyun stroked his forehead.

Back then, 2 years ago, it was around this time of year.

The day his life started to go wrong when he hurt his arm.

Song Seok-hyun put strength into his right arm.

Success as a catcher

A lucky day

That day was a lucky day.

In 1st year of high school, an age where he would only have to watch the game as a substitute at other schools.

Song Seok-hyun went up to the mound and pitched a shutout victory.

He was thrilled that his pitches were working even in high school.

The only downside was that his mother ran a supermarket, so she couldn’t watch today’s game?

Song Seok-hyun ran to the supermarket to brag about today’s victory as soon as possible.

“Do you also ignore me! Huh? Ignore me!”

“It’s not ignoring……. I understand. I’ll exchange it for you, I’ll exchange it. So please go out. There are customers.”

As he approached the supermarket, he heard shouting.

Song Seok-hyun quickened his pace.

“This, I’ll take this too.”

“Why are you taking that! How much is that worth!”

“You son of a bitch! Hey! If you made a mistake, you have to compensate!”