Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 122

※ 122. Diet

Within the Wonha Challengers, the selfie craze spread with terrifying speed.

Seeing them pretending to take selfies in situations outside of baseball, the thought that came to mind was…

“…Was the drug too strong?”

What a mess.

Taking selfies when a delicious menu appeared in the cafeteria.

Taking selfies to thank people for the yogurt.

Taking another selfie after a satisfying bowel movement in the bathroom.

Are they crazy?

Still, thanks to that, the atmosphere of the spring camp was maintaining a very cheerful vibe.

“Ugh… my stomach hurts, let’s go eat!”

“Yes!”

Feeling a slight burning sensation inside, I gently rubbed the area where my stomach should be. It seemed to get a little better.

Waddling, the pitchers of the Wonha Challengers chatted and headed to the cafeteria.

“Hyung [older brother or male friend], hyung.”

“What.”

Hyeokjun stuck to me.

We were close before, but after going to the big tournament called Premier12 together, I feel like we’ve become even closer.

“What do you think will be served today?”

“I don’t know. I just… ah, I want to eat Jeyuk [Stir-fried pork].”

“Jeyuk?”

“Yeah. I just suddenly crave it.”

Being abroad makes it regrettable not to be able to eat exactly what you want when you want it.

Especially if that food is Korean food that touches the hearts of Koreans even more.

Kimchi stew, Sujebi [hand-pulled dough soup], Jeyuk Bokkeum [stir-fried pork], Japchae [glass noodles], seaweed soup, etc….

While strongly thinking about Jeyuk Bokkeum in particular, as I entered the cafeteria, the inside was already thoroughly permeated by the spicy aroma of red pepper paste.

“Wow, it’s Jeyuk!”

“Oh!”

My eyes and ears perked up at the sound of someone shouting in front.

Jeyuk!

In the midst of that…

“…What are you doing?”

Jjomulttak [fiddler], Ms. Eunseo, holding a camera in front of the food tray. Yes, since she’s holding a camera, let’s call her PD Lee [PD stands for Production Director, a common title in Korean broadcasting].

“What do you mean? I’m filming you players.”

“No, I mean why.”

“Content, right? What do the players eat when they eat, how do they eat it.”

“Do fans wonder about things like this?”

“Of course. It’s an idea that the fans gave us.”

“They are really people with excellent insight.”

Clatter―

Putting Ms. Eunseo aside for a moment, I picked up a food tray that still had warmth left, as if it hadn’t been washed in the dishwasher long ago…

“…Eat first.”

“Yes?”

“Eat first.”

“What about you, hyung?”

“It’s okay, I’m full just watching you, Hyeokjun, eat deliciously. Haha.”

“……”

To everyone here, I promise oppression and injustice.

Last year’s spring camp, when I was appointed as captain, the inauguration speech I gave was secretly conveyed to the fans’ ears.

I’ve never actually done that, but for that reason, I’m said to have the nickname Yori King (Cooking King), Jori King (Culinary King), and Boojori King (Injustice King) among fans.

…Why would you give me a nickname like that…

Therefore, feeling the need for image management, I put the food tray back down and pushed Hyeokjun, who was behind me, forward.

Hyeokjun also noticed, glanced at the camera Ms. Eunseo was holding, and then,

“Jiho-ya.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Eat first.”

“Yes?”

“Eat first.”

“Ah, it’s okay. Please eat first, senior.”

“It’s okay, eat first.”

“I’m really okay…”

“I’m not okay, so hurry up.”

Sensing the strange atmosphere, Jiho looked around with a strange expression and stepped forward.

Um, yeah. Jiho really has a lot of expressions.

“Eungu senior, please eat first.”

“What about you, Hanwool?”

“I’m okay. I can eat later.”

“Oh, uh… what about Hyeokjun?”

“I’m okay too!”

Like that, Hyeokjun and I sent everyone who was lined up behind us forward, and only after becoming the very last ones did we pick up our food trays.

“Hoo… my image must have gotten pretty good with this.”

“Of course. The virtue of yielding, we created that, right?”

“That’s right, that’s right, we have the patent for that, right.”

Ihihihihi.

Having alternately dipped into being cheesy and acting foolish, Hyeokjun and I started putting food on our plates while laughing like crazy people.

Rice, kimchi, seaweed salad, lettuce, and when it was Jeyuk Bokkeum’s turn,

“Hyung, hyung! Click!”

“……”

Stop it, you crazy bastard.

When I didn’t accept it, his expression quickly became sullen and he lifted the soup bowl.

Once the side dishes and soup bowl that I had received earlier were set up, meal preparation was complete.

“Ugh, let’s eat.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

I picked up my chopsticks and first took a big bite of Jeyuk Bokkeum.

“Ah… really, I think this is the first time.”

“What is?”

“I came to camp, and what I wanted to eat came out perfectly.”

“Ah, really?”

“It came out with a gap of a day or two, but this is really the first time.”

Thanks to that, the already incredibly delicious Jeyuk Bokkeum felt even more delicious today.

“Haa… I want to eat more, but….”

“You can eat more.”

“I’ll gain weight. Ugh….”

I’m full, but I feel like I want to eat more for no reason. But thinking about the season, I shook my head and got up from my seat without regret.

After completing the meal, the following break time was spent fiddling with the phone, and then I headed back to the ground for afternoon training.

Today’s training is shuttle run training. It’s a very simple training where you just have to go back and forth over a distance of about 20m, not at full speed, but just jogging.

“Aigoya….” [A Korean expression of exhaustion or frustration]

But you keep doing it. Just keep doing it. Keep doing it. Keep doing it until you feel like you’re going to die.

Jogging slowly, when you reach the stop line, stop, turn around on the spot, and start again according to the starting signal.

Beep-!

I’d rather be in shuttle run group 1, so I can run fast and die quickly, but I’m in group 2.

Watching the shuttle run group 1 running, I thought my heart would die again today, and groans came out first.

“Hyung, hyung.”

“What.”

Our Hwang Hyeokjun student, who has many questions, asked another question.

“Isn’t this the last year?”

“Last of what?”

“Why, you said you’d win within 3 years back then.”

“Ah… that’s right.”

“Do you think you can do it?”

Beep-!

The players who started jogging according to the starting signal slowed down as they reached the stop line. Then they immediately turned around and stared at the place that was the starting line just now.

Beep-!

The players started again according to the signal.

“I think we can do it.”

5 seconds.

The answer to Hyeokjun’s question came out in the time it took for the players in Group 1 to arrive one way.

“First of all, no one dropped out. All the original members are still there. Of course, the most important thing is whether those original members are sane or not….”

Beep-!

“I think last year’s Korean Series became each person’s own motivation.”

Seonghyun, who hit two double plays in Game 7 alone.

Jiho, who couldn’t play a big role in the bullpen.

Byeongcheon, who might not have been able to play at all due to his ambiguous usage.

Of course, there are players who did well, but the players who experienced sluggishness during the regular season or the Korean Series would feel something even bigger than these players.

Beep-!

“Okay, Group 1 is done. Group 2, come on!”

The list also includes me, who made a huge mistake in the early part of last year’s regular season.

Because of that,

“Uaaaaaack!!”

Clenching my teeth,

Beep-!

“Haaaaaaack!!”

I ran and ran again. Until I was about to die.

* * *

The next day, lunch.

“Let’s go eat!”

“Yeee!”

Like the day before, I thought about what I wanted to eat in my head and headed to the cafeteria.

Today I want to eat, I strongly want to eat! The food I thought of was Braised Short Ribs.

Ah, I miss Minyoung.

Suddenly, thinking of Braised Short Ribs, I became gloomy because I thought of Minyoung, who made Braised Short Ribs, but hey, we promised to meet as soon as I go back to Korea.

“Hyung, hyung.”

“What.”

“What do you think will come out today?”

“How would I know.”

“Just guess.”

“……”

I can’t tell a guy who doesn’t have a girlfriend that I miss my girlfriend,

“Braised Short Riiiibs!!”

I shouted a new word with that heart.

But did this wish come true? As soon as I entered the cafeteria, the savory aroma of soy sauce was spreading throughout the cafeteria.

“Oh, they say it’s Braised Short Ribs.”

“Ooh!”

It’s true that I really miss Minyoung, and it’s also true that I really wanted to eat Braised Short Ribs.

When I saw the Braised Short Ribs waiting for me in the distance, my right hand automatically reached for the food tray…

“…That’s not right.”

Clatter―

…but I put it back down.

“Donggyun-ah, you eat first.”

“Yes?”

“Eat first, I’m okay.”

“Yes, yes….”

Donggyun accepted the well-intentioned threat. This is definitely not because of Ms. Eunseo, who is standing in front of the food tray again.

This is, yes, pure goodwill. The pure heart of a senior caring for a junior.

“Senior, please eat first.”

“No, no, Hanwool, you eat first.”

“It’s okay, please eat first, senior.”

“No, it’s okay….”

“Please eat first.”

“…Th, thank you.”

I also sent Senior Gyeongseok, who was next in line, in front of me.

Yes, this is also pure goodwill. The pure heart itself of a junior caring for a senior.

After showing off the ‘virtue of yielding’ that was patented by an unknown group, I smiled at the camera Ms. Eunseo was holding.

“Did you see that, everyone? The Wonha Challengers are free of injustice between seniors and juniors….”

Yori King!

“…Such a cle-ean….”

Jori King!

“…We are modeling such a club….”

Boojori King!

“……”

Pfft.

Ms. Eunseo was covering her mouth behind the camera and laughing at me.

“…PD, aren’t you eating?”

“I’m going to film everything and then eat.”

“Ah, really? Then, well… watch me eat.”

“Wow! As expected!”

“As expected what!”

Thumbs up!

Ms. Eunseo answered with actions instead of words.

“…Okay, instead of me or those kids, film those new rookie friends a lot.”

“Huh?”

“How worried would their mothers and fathers be? They sent their young sons to such a far place. Hey, where are Seungjin and Seongwon?”

“Ah, we’re here!”

To give our two juniors a chance to yield the meal order, the 2020 season rookie pitchers who were named raised their right hands with stiff gestures at the sudden call.

“You two come this way first.”

“Yes!”

The rookie players approached me with steps as if measured with a ruler. Our Won-rin-i (babies) [a playful term combining ‘Wonha’ and ‘children,’ referring to the rookies], who make us smile warmly just by looking at the seniors who are already old and worn out.

If this situation had fallen on me, I think my eyes would have turned red in no time, but our two friends sent a simple video message with a cheerful and dignified appearance.

Clap clap clap―

After applauding the two rookies,

“Eat first.”

“Se, senior….”

“It’s okay, eat first.”

I used yielding again.

After sending the people behind me, and then sending the people behind me again, Hyeokjun, who was the latest to join because he went to the bathroom, appeared.

“Hyung, you’ll yield to me too, right?”

“……”

I picked up the food tray without a word.

“…Hyung?”

“Hyeokjun-ah.”

“Yes.”

“There’s not much Braised Short Ribs left.”

“Ah, hyung.”

“Life is a battlefield.”

That’s what I mean.

Even if I put a lot of the still plentiful Braised Short Ribs on my plate, the Braised Short Ribs in the pot didn’t seem to be decreasing.

“Enjoy your meal-.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

As I was munching and eating rice, the players who had yielded to me started to get up from their seats one by one.

The seniors who cleared their food trays and passed by me,

“Hanwool, enjoy your meal~.”

“Yes, rest well.”

The juniors,

“Senior, enjoy your meal.”

“Uh, uh, take a rest.”

After saying a word each, they started to leave the cafeteria.

After chatting with Hyeokjun for a while, I started to feel a commotion in front of the cafeteria.

I wondered what this sound was, and when I looked towards the entrance, the infielders must have finished training.

“Oh, why are you two eating alone?”

“It just happened.”

Did it look a little pitiful that only the two of us were eating? Gibum didn’t go straight to the food tray, but stopped by the table where Hyeokjun and I were before heading to the meal line.

But….

“Gibum hyung! Eat first!”

“Huh?”

“Eat first!”

“Please eat first!”

“Senior Kim Gibum, please don’t eat first!”

……

“Senior Kang Seonghyun, please eat first!”

“Seonghyun-ah, eat first!”

…Why are they doing that again.

“Hyung, hyung.”

“…What.”