Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 152

All-Star Game.

Is it enough to simply gather the most popular or best players from the league and call it an All-Star Game?

No.

What’s the real draw of the All-Star Game? Isn’t it a chance to enjoy seeing popular and top-performing players do things you wouldn’t normally see?

What if a left-handed right fielder played third base?

A pitcher forced to bat because of roster issues?

What if a hitter who was a top-tier pitcher in high school took the mound?

It’s a day where you can laugh and enjoy things under the banner of the ‘All-Star Game’ that you could never imagine happening in a real league game.

Furthermore, you also get to see things like this:

How many home runs would that home run hitter hit if you just let him swing for the fences?

How precise can that control pitcher be when they’re really trying to paint the corners?

How accurately can that good bunter roll the ball right where he wants it?

I’m talking about events like the Home Run Derby, Perfect Pitcher, and Mr. Bunt King.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Says you.”

“Teacher, you don’t know about the Home Run Derby curse, do you?”

“Want to die?”

“So, just aim for a decent second place.”

I watched Sung-hyun and Myung-jin bickering with amusement.

Sung-hyun was in the Home Run Derby, and Myung-jin was in Mr. Bunt King.

To cut to the chase, Sung-hyun finished as the runner-up, just like Myung-jin said, and Myung-jin won the Mr. Bunt King title on the same day.

“Yo, Myung-jin.”

“It’s all thanks to you, hyung [older brother or respected senior].”

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just shut up.”

“Hmph.”

The enjoyable evening ended well, but…

“Are you very busy?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. I’m a bit busy today. There are a lot of places to get interviews from.”

“What interviews?”

“Content.”

“You’re going to do something weird again…”

“Weird?”

Eun-seo put her hand on her hip and made an angry face, but,

“I still remember. What? Your batting sense is best when you’re teasing me?”

“……”

With just one word from me, she put both hands in front of her face and started to appease me.

“Oh, come on. Han-wool himself enjoys it too, right?”

“If you make me do something weird, you’re really going to get in trouble.”

“Weird? You can look forward to it, you know?”

Thumbs up!

Eun-seo confidently showed her thumb.

* * *

What do the players selected for the All-Star Game feel?

Myung-jin answered like this.

“Ah… ah…”

Is he crazy?

Sung-hyun answered like this.

“I’m grateful. I have to show them properly today.”

He’s crazy.

Kim Ki-yoon from KP answered like this.

“Of course, it’s good. Ah, it’s a shame we have to scout Seobu High and face you guys.”

Oh, hyung.

Heon-cheol from Sangsu said this again.

“It’s good, but I wonder if this is okay. Gyu-hak was so good this year; I feel like I came because of popularity.”

You have a conscience.

Thoughts on the All-Star Game varied, just like everyone’s circumstances and positions.

Some with admiration, some with determination, some with regret, some with apology.

And…

“Sunbae-nim [respected senior], did you see the interview?”

There was also a guy who brought up something out of the blue like Park Hae-jin.

“What interview?”

The interview story seems to be about Eun-seo, who was running around yesterday,

“No, I haven’t seen it yet.”

The bait hasn’t been taken back yet. I think they’re going to call me again soon to make me do something weird…

“Is that so? That’s a shame.”

“What was the interview about?”

“It’s a secret.”

“No, I need to know what the interview is about to know how to answer.”

“If I tell you that in advance, isn’t that a spoiler?”

“I like spoilers. It’s okay, just throw it out there first.”

“I hate spoilers.”

Park Hae-jin answered with a mysterious smile.

“You didn’t say anything weird, did you?”

“Would I ever do that?”

“No, what was the interview question in the first place?”

“It’s hard to say that too because it’s a spoiler.”

“……”

You bad bastard.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just wait until the PD [production director] calls you, sunbae-nim? I think you can wait with a happy heart.”

“Happy, my ass.”

“Aren’t you excited?”

“Don’t use words like ‘excited’ in that context.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m the one who’s excited.”

“You little…”

As if he liked my reaction, Park Hae-jin started putting on his batting gear, chuckling to himself.

“Ah, do you know this?”

“What.”

“I think I’m in a batting slump recently.”

“Hmm…”

A guy who’s batting in the high .300s in the last month, with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs, is saying he’s in a batting slump.

“Yeah, you’ve been terrible lately, you trash who can’t even hit .400.”

He’s definitely not right in the head either.

“But interestingly, that period always happens after I meet you, sunbae-nim.”

“Don’t talk crazy, go quickly.”

“Sunbae-nim.”

“Ah, why.”

“Do you remember the conversation we had briefly during the Korea Series media day last year?”

“What… did I say then?”

“I said that kneeling was to gain momentum.”

“Ah…”

That’s right. I thought you weren’t right in the head because of that, that’s right.

“…So what.”

Thumbs up!

The guy, who had put on all his batting gear while talking, suddenly gave me a thumbs up as he put the last helmet on his head.

“I’ll show you that momentum properly.”

“……”

Then he went to the next circle.

“Hey.”

“Why?”

“Is he always like that?”

“Who.”

“Park Hae-jin, him.”

I thought I could get more hints if I poked Heon-cheol, who lives with Park Hae-jin on the same team.

“No? I’ve never seen him like that before.”

“Why is he like that to me?”

“Well… Maybe he likes hyung?”

“Don’t say creepy things.”

“What are you thinking? Of course, I’m talking about pitcher versus hitter.”

“Ah.”

Sorry.

“When was it, Hae-jin said something like that once. It’s not that long ago, maybe the end of the year before last? The end of last year? He said he wasn’t having fun these days.”

“What fun?”

“Baseball. He likes baseball, and that’s why he wants to be at the top. You know, that common story. He said that too.”

“He’s at the top.”

“That’s why he lost interest. You know, like boredom.”

“Hmm…”

As soon as he debuted, he monopolized most of the titles. At the same time, the team continues to win the integrated championship.

It’s definitely good to keep eating only delicious things. But if you eat the same thing every time, you can get tired of it.

“But he continued that story right away. He said there’s a fun pitcher these days.”

“Is that me?”

“He didn’t specify who it was… But talking to hyung, I think it’s hyung.”

“What did he say?”

“…Do I get something for it?”

“……”

You bad bastard.

Only after hearing that I would buy him a thick beef did he open his mouth.

“There was a pitcher who was barely holding on even though his performance wasn’t good, and he respected him. He said he would have given up a long time ago if it were him, and he respected that.”

I think that’s me.

“And, he said he keeps getting hit with home runs every time he meets him, but he keeps stubbornly fighting back. He said that’s fun.”

That’s right, that’s me.

“But somehow he couldn’t hit a home run. Even though he thought it was natural to hit a home run. He even couldn’t get a hit after that.”

“Hmm…”

“So he got a sense of spite. He said that the next time he meets that pitcher, he’s going to hit an out-of-the-park home run at Jamsil Stadium.”

Thwack-!

Wowwww-!!

Park Hae-jin! Park Hae-jin! Park Hae-jin!

“The next time he meets that pitcher, he’s going to show that he endured like that pitcher.”

The sight of what kind of hit the best hitter in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] would make if he was determined to hit it was unfolding right before my eyes.

Park Hae-jin’s batted ball, which he pulled so hard that his posture completely collapsed, stretched out, very far, passing the infield, outfield, fence, cheering section, and the stadium itself above it.

“…Wow.”

Park Hae-jin, who hit an out-of-the-park home run at Jamsil Stadium, not another stadium, calmly circled the bases and returned to the dugout as always.

As always, he received congratulations from his teammates, as always, he threw the team mascot doll into the stands, and as always, he took off his batting gear.

It wouldn’t be any different from the home runs he’s always hit, but he was chuckling, as if he was so happy, and approached me.

“Did you see it?”

“What.”

“Did you see the home run just now?”

“I saw it.”

“This is my momentum.”

He’s definitely not right in the head either.

“Isn’t the series right after the break the series where we meet Wonha?”

“That’s right.”

“You can look forward to it.”

“To what. Your momentum?”

“That’s right.”

As I was laughing in disbelief,

“Han-wool, can you go up in the 8th inning?”

“Ah, yes. I’m okay.”

“Then please do it.”

“Yes.”

Kim Sun-gon, the manager of Hanseong Winners, asked me to pitch in the 8th inning. I immediately got up from my seat and grabbed my glove.

“Sunbae-nim, are you going up?”

“Yeah, 8th inning.”

“Ooh, show us, show us!”

“Show you what.”

“Show us properly!”

“Ah, everyone here is not right in the head, really.”

“Wow, the Cooking King, Jori King, and Unreasonable King praised him!!”

“Wowwww!!”

Ah, please.

I took a step back from the nonsense party going on in the Eastern League bullpen and performed stretches for the 8th inning appearance.

Loosen the shoulders, especially the hip joints, and also loosen the ankles a bit.

Feeling that I was getting better, I put on my glove and started catching with the bullpen catcher I was seeing for the first time. Even if I throw it lightly, the ball extends quite a bit, which is very nice to see.

“Sunbae-nim, can you teach me the changeup later?”

“If you buy me beef.”

“Yes, I’ll buy it for you.”

“I don’t need it!”

“Yes?”

I also booked a request from my junior,

Boom-!

“Sshaaaaa!!”

“Oh, I’m so happy that I threw it myself!”

I was even more impressed with the teamwork I had with the bullpen catcher I was meeting for the first time today,

“Han-wool, what was that just now?”

“Just now?”

“Is that a slider?”

“Ah, yes.”

“How did you throw it?”

“I grab it here like this and like this…”

I also gave a quick lecture to manager Kim Sun-gon, who was impressed by the slider I threw.

Overall, it seems that the heat is rising very quickly as I loosen up in a boisterous and friendly atmosphere.

Thump, thump, thump, I jumped in place a few times to adjust my pace and stepped on the plate again.

“Han-wool, two… no, let’s throw just the last one and go up.”

“Ah, yes.”

One last ball…

“Fastball!”

“Hey!”

Of course, it’s a fastball.

Boom-!

“Sshaaaaa!!”

Oh, a bullpen catcher who screams so loudly that my ears are about to burst.

“Thank you, I loosened up well thanks to you!”

“Good luck!”

It’s so good.

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes!”

In the home stadium, and also in the home dugout.

Besides,

Your love is a wildcard, Folding is the hard part―

Even my entrance song that I always listen to.

Wowwww-!!

Kim Han-wool! Kim Han-wool! Kim Han-wool!

Amidst the feeling of déjà vu and alienation, I wanted to go slowly today. I looked around the stadium as I headed towards the mound at a slow pace, not a fast one.

I don’t know if you’ll hold me, Or leave me here feelin’ lonely―

I arrived at the mound when the entrance song was about to end. I leisurely charged the rosin bag and looked back at Heon-cheol, who I think is now the third catcher.

I smiled and pointed at Heon-cheol with my glove once, then,

Boom-!

The practice pitch began.

As if he knows this atmosphere, Heon-cheol’s catch is also full of playfulness.

Boom-!

“Second!”

After finishing all the practice pitches, Heon-cheol threw a long pack to second base. While the infielders were rounding, I stepped back behind the mound for a moment and charged the rosin.

Thump, thump, thump, I squeezed the rosin bag as if I was squeezing it out because I felt that the rosin was not sticky enough, and then the texture I liked was created.

And… now I have to receive the ball.

In a situation where I don’t know which of the infielders has the ball,

“Sunbae-nim!”

A thick voice was heard from the right. Park Hae-jin was at the end of the rounding, and he was holding his right hand next to his ear, preparing to throw it to me.

I raised my glove without thinking to receive the ball.

But,

Ding-!

[Momentum]

– Use momentum to record a 1-inning 3-strikeout perfect (0/1)

– Reward – Changeup +2

To think that a quest would pop up here.

“Hey.”

I turned Park Hae-jin around, who was about to throw the ball and turn towards first base. I smiled at his expression, which seemed to be wondering why I was suddenly doing this, and said,

“Watch carefully, this is my momentum.”