Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 164

After a period of relentless rain, only hot days continue.

31 degrees, 35 degrees, 32 degrees, 33 degrees.

Please, I beg you, can’t we have a mix of rainy days and hot days?

“Ugh, it’s hot.”

No way.

Just sitting still makes sweat pour out. After selling my sanity to the heat, I don’t even know if what’s dripping from my mouth is sweat, saliva, or my mind.

At least… I guess it’s fortunate that baseball game times are scheduled from evening to night.

“It’s going to be a tropical night tonight too.”

“…….”

Aw, man.

After somehow wiping away the sweat that was heating up my forehead, I subtly got up from my seat.

I glanced at my hat and briefly ran into Hyung [older brother/male friend] Gyu-jin on the way to the meeting place.

“Is it very hot?”

“I think I understand how ice cream feels.”

“You’re definitely out of your mind.”

Right. I’m gone, far gone.

“It’s a signing event today, ah. Why does it have to be today?”

“You still have a face; would a little sweat change that….”

Hyung Gyu-jin…….

“I’m ugly anyway.”

“…….”

You’re a really bad person…….

“Just live as you were born.”

You’re a terrible person, really.

After that, well, Hyung and I had a brief back-and-forth. He said that even if I wear 3cm spikes, I still wouldn’t be 170cm, and that if I just increased the top of my hat by 3cm, I could reach 170cm. Then, I left the dugout.

I went out behind the dugout, past the locker room, down the hallway, out the gate, and all the way outside the stadium.

It’s a cliché, but I stood there blankly under the hot sunlight.

I frowned to block the sunlight that stung my eyes, but it didn’t have much effect. Even extending the visor of my long hat with my palm didn’t help much.

As I looked down at the street with a dirty look,

“…There are a lot of people.”

Quite a few people come and go inside and outside the stadium.

A group of middle-aged men who look like die-hard fans, fully prepared.

A couple walking arm in arm.

A young child smiling brightly, holding their parents’ hands.

Just looking at Jamsil Stadium, there are about 25,000 spectators. Adding the players from both teams, the broadcasting teams, and other people related to the stadium, I wonder how many people are in this small piece of land.

And the thought that so many people know about ‘me’ made me feel strangely new.

“Oh!”

“Excuse me, can I get an autograph!”

“Can you take a picture with me!”

Sure enough, after spacing out for a moment, people wearing the same uniform as me rushed over.

The same uniform as me?

“Ah.”

I wondered how they recognized me, even though I have a relatively common face, but then I realized that I was wearing the Wonha Challengers’ home uniform.

Crisp, white, long pants.

A white uniform with the red letters ‘Wonha’ emblazoned on the chest.
A navy blue hat with a white capital ‘W’.

People in similar outfits to me held out pens and notebooks, or pens and baseballs, with bright smiles.

“Um, well….”

I have to go.

Of course, I would have done it for everyone who rushed at me normally.

Whether it took 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or an hour.

But it’s difficult now. The meeting place I have to go to now isn’t for my personal business, and it’s not a place where I can arbitrarily postpone the appointment time.

It’s an event. It’s an event. It was set by the team’s front office.

The fans in front of me now, or the Wonha Challengers fans, are important, but so are the other fans waiting at the meeting place.

No, in some ways, that place has more justification. This is impromptu, but that is formal.

“…….”

So, I have to say I’m sorry, I have to go, I’ll do it next time.

“It won’t take long, I’ll do it quickly.”

My hand had already snatched a baseball and a magic pen from the person in the front.

“Th, thank you!”

“Everyone else, line up behind, quickly. I don’t have time.”

“Please sign ten!”

“Ah, don’t say ridiculous things, line up quickly.”

“A hundred!”

“Get out of here!”

“Wow, I’ve been treated unfairly!”

Hahaha!

The mini autograph session, set up on the spot, was quite a success.

A player who is harsh with his words but does everything they ask, and fans who talk back a lot but listen well.

The people surrounding me, or standing in a line in front of me, all had expectant eyes, each holding items to get signed.

Baseballs, notebooks, cell phones, gloves, hats, wristbands, shoes, uniforms, etc.

Since it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I couldn’t help but feel rushed.

“What time is it now?”

I asked the owner of the uniform the time, signing the navy blue Wonha Challengers away uniform with a white marker.

After hearing roughly what time it was, I really felt like I had to go now.

While my hands were busy moving, I glanced sideways to see how many people were left,

“What is it.”

There were even more people than before.

Judging from my experience of not missing the top spot in fan service for a long time, it was certain that it would take about an hour to do everything these people wanted.

I have about 3 minutes left now. If I sign for about three more people and run like crazy, I might be able to make it on time.

“I’m sorry, I’ll only do it for the people up to here.”

…I guess I wasn’t the only one thinking that.

“…Eunseo-ssi?”

Eunseo-ssi, who had appeared sometime, was quite lovely in a pretty skirt and a pretty short-sleeved shirt, just as she always looked.

But,

“Can, can you just do it for me?”

“I’m sorry, I’m already very late for the event. I’m sorry.”

Unlike her cute appearance, she fended off the clinging fans with a very firm face.

Because of that,

“Who are you to decide whether to do it or not? Kim Han-ul said he would do it?”

This situation occurred.

Even when a kid who looked like a college student pushed her face close, Eunseo-ssi held out a name tag hanging around her neck.

“I’m a front office employee of the Wonha Challengers. I’m in charge of the event over there, and I was looking for Kim Han-ul because he wasn’t coming.”

She glanced up at me as she said that, and her eyes were quite fierce.

*What are you doing here?*

That kind of look.

Even in this situation, everyone has their own position, and since those positions are different, friction inevitably occurs.

A fan who is not sure when they will get another chance like this.

“You can just do it for me. How long does it take to do it for one person.”

An employee who feels it is natural to do their job.

“I’m sorry, but it’s already very late. Please understand.”

And the person in the middle feeling awkward.

Good deeds don’t always come back in a good form, but I tend to accept the results humbly, with some resolve.

However, if the side effects come back entirely to me.

But…….

Thud—

“If you were going to do that, you should have come earlier, why are you doing this now?”

“I’m sorry.”

Thud—

“Are only the people there people? Don’t you care that we waited? Are we just scarecrows?”

“I’m sorry.”

Thud—

“No, don’t just say sorry….”

Clack!

This crossed the line.

I grabbed the wrist of the guy who was pushing Eunseo-ssi’s shoulder while saying something.

“What are you doing?”

“Do it moderately.”

“What?”

“What do you mean what? Why can’t you do it moderately?”

In movies or dramas, there are scenes where they put a lot of strength into the hand they’re holding and say, ‘Ugh, ugh!’ or something.

But this is reality, and if I did that, things would really blow up beyond control.

Instead, I let go of this guy’s wrist appropriately and grabbed Eunseo-ssi’s wrist,

“Oh!”

And pulled her behind me.

“I usually don’t refuse autographs or photos, but I don’t want to do it for people like you who take it for granted that I do this.”

“No, isn’t it your duty to sign autographs and do fan service? Who said that?”

“Who said it? I said it.”

“But you’re doing this now?”

“I’m doing this. Because in my eyes, you don’t look like my fan.”

“What….”

“Look around. See how people are looking at you now. At least, how your group is looking at you now.”

At my words, which were fired like bullets, the guy paused for a moment and glanced around.

*What’s that? Why is he like that?*

*Ah, because of this and that…….*

*Wow, he’s a really bad guy!*

There was some exaggeration in the process of people talking about it, but I didn’t bother to correct it.

Rather than thinking that a bad guy should be severely punished! It’s because this kind of person can’t do anything stupid if you nip it in the bud here.

“Don’t you know who’s at fault even now?”

“…….”

With one decisive blow, the guy flinched on his own,

“Ah, I understand. Okay.”

And tried to push through the crowd.

Clack-!

“Wait a minute.”

But where are you going?

“Ah, what is it again?”

“You have to apologize before you go. Where are you trying to go?”

“What apology? I should be the one receiving an apology.”

“What apology do you need to receive?”

“How long I waited to get an autograph, don’t you have anything to say about that?”

What is he saying?

“Didn’t this employee say sorry about 300 times? Didn’t you hear it?”

“When?”

“Earlier. Every time you pushed this employee’s shoulder, she said it?”

“Did I do that? Don’t pick on me with ridiculous things.”

“Is that your habit?”

“Excuse me?”

“A habit is an action that comes out without a person knowing. The fact that you don’t even know means that it’s your habit.”

“No, so when did I do that?”

“Shall we ask the people here?”

“…….”

Once again, the guy glanced around.

Really, why is he like that?

Does he really not remember?

It must be a habit.

The people who had been watching everything from the beginning were already sending hostile glares at the guy.

“Ah, I understand. I’ll apologize. I’m sorry. Okay?”

“Why are you apologizing to me? You have to apologize to the person here.”

“Ah, Han-ul-ssi….”

I put my palm on Eunseo-ssi’s back, who was constantly trembling with anxiety behind me, and pushed her to my side.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Okay?”

“It’s okay, Han-ul-ssi. It’s okay….”

“She said it’s okay. Go.”

As soon as Eunseo-ssi gave the okay sign, the guy, whose wrist was freed, quickly pushed through the crowd and ran away somewhere.

“Let’s go.”

“…….”

“You said we were late.”

“…Yes.”

Even if two ordinary people fight on the street, it’s a big deal, but what if one of the people fighting is a very famous person?

Even if they just stand there, people will flock to them, but if something happens there, people will flock to see it.

“I’m sorry, excuse me. I’m sorry.”

Because of that, I apologized to each and every person surrounding me and Eunseo-ssi and moved forward.

“…….”

“Why. Why are you looking at me like that again.”

As I was walking quickly, I turned my head at the strong gaze I felt from the side, and Eunseo-ssi was glaring at me fiercely.

“How are you going to handle the aftermath?”

“What aftermath?”

“Han-ul-ssi, you’re a professional. More than other people, image, image, image, you’re someone who emphasizes image so much, why did you do that?”

“Did I do something wrong? That guy did something wrong.”

“No, still.”

“What do you mean still? What’s wrong is wrong. And even if something is wrong, I’m the one who did something wrong; Eunseo-ssi didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you saying I’m not involved because I’m not the person involved?”

“Why are you taking it that far again.”

“Then what is it?”

I stopped walking for a moment and looked down at Eunseo-ssi’s angry face.

If she always has a smiling face, she’s somewhat cute, and if she’s expressionless, she’s somewhat mature, but with a very angry face, she became quite scary.

“…I’ve known Han-ul-ssi for a long time, so I know Han-ul-ssi’s personality well. You really hate it when people around you get hurt because of you, and it’s like you have some kind of trauma about causing trouble, sometimes when I see you.”

She knows me well.

“Still, think about your position. This isn’t a drama. It’s reality. If you did that without thinking, what if a real assault incident happened?”

“What would happen? I’d just get hit and get a settlement.”

“What are you saying? Not Han-ul-ssi, but Wonha [the team]. If a bullpen like Han-ul-ssi is missing from the team, what about the aftermath?”

Ah, really…….

I was also caught up in the heat and couldn’t tell the difference, but the answer to that is this much.

I also lost my temper and made a sullen face, and Eunseo-ssi next to me said quietly.

“…I’ll play the villain, so Han-ul-ssi, just focus on baseball.”