Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 186

186. Trinity

What did I do this year?

Have I lived well this year?

What kind of person was I this year?

“Hoo…”

Standing before the short journey to find the answers,

Tap, tap.

I tapped my left chest with my right hand.

“…Okay.”

I returned to the dugout after the national anthem.

Normally, I would have been clapping loudly, shouting noisily, and running around like crazy, but not now.

I just stood still, arms crossed, watching the movements on the field.

Hyeok-jun making his catcher’s mitt pop.

Seong-hun hyung [older brother/friend] commanding the infielders.

Seong-hyun prioritizing stretching over catch, warming up his body.

Only after taking in the battery [pitcher and catcher], infield, and outfield at a glance, I feel relieved.

Number 1 hitter, center fielder Go Dong-wook.

Just as Won-ha composed the best lineup for this huge series, Sang-soo also created the tightest starting lineup they could.

Go Dong-wook and Kang Dae-hyun opening the way, Lee Yong-ho, Park Hae-jin, and Ha Hae-jin solving it, then Heon-cheol, Shin Tae-beom, Park Myeong-gi, and Min Jong-hyun continuing the batting order.

But well, as I talked with Myeong-jin yesterday,

Bang-!

“Strike, out!”

It’s not that Sang-soo can’t do it.

Click!

Bang!

“Out!”

It’s that Won-ha is good at it.

“Wow, Hyeok-jun’s defense is good!”

“Plenty of time, slowly! Slowly!”

And,

Crack-!

“Shortstop!!”

“Nice stop!”

“Myeong-jin, quickly!”

Bang-!

“Out!”

It’s obvious, but the better team winning is a very natural thing.

It’s just like saying that breathing is to extract even a little more oxygen.

Don’t understand what I’m saying?

Crack-!

“Seong-hyun, watch home, home!”

“Hey, sliding, sliding!”

“Left, leeeeft!!”

Won-ha Challengers is a stronger team than Sang-soo Tigers.

A strong team winning is a very natural thing.

Therefore,

“Safe!”

Won-ha Challengers winning against Sang-soo Tigers is a very natural thing.

“Jin-hyung [older brother/friend], nice bat!!”

“Jin-hyung [older brother/friend], so pretty, so pretty!!”

“Come on, Seung-ju, show us one too!”

“Show us, show us!!”

In the bottom of the 1st inning, we got the cornerstone for this thesis first.

Seong-hyun hitting a single, Gi-seong somehow hitting an advancement hit, followed by Jin-hyung’s timely hit.

And then,

Crack-!

“…It’s gone.”

Seung-ju’s clutch home run.

“Nice, Seung-ju hyung [older brother/friend]!!”

“Seung-ju hyung [older brother/friend], come in quickly, run quickly, run quicklyyy!!”

Won-ha Challengers, who ran far away from the start with Seung-ju’s two-run homer, thought this.

Crack-!

Putting aside everything else, we’ll get through the first game easily.

“…Damn it.”

But what went through easily was Park Hae-jin’s hit.

Hyeok-jun pitched well.

Who knew he would just pull that 154km [~96 mph] tailing fastball that was running outside and send it over that distant fence.

Hyeok-jun, watching the ball go over, shrugged once when Park Hae-jin rounded third base and raised his glove to the umpire.

“His mentality has improved a lot too.”

He’s grown. It was only last month that I was talking about his mentality.

While I was wondering if I should wipe under my nose, Gyu-jin hyung [older brother/friend] suddenly said something out of the blue.

“You swear a lot.”

“Who?”

“Hyeok-jun.”

“…Why would he swear at me? What did I do wrong?”

“He says it’s because you raised him too harshly.”

Harshly…….

“Who was it that said the weak don’t survive in this world?”

“Aish, I told you not to bring up what I said when I was drunk.”

Seeing Gyu-jin hyung’s [older brother/friend] enthusiastic reaction, I felt the tension I had been unconsciously holding onto dissipate.

Whether he was really okay or not, Hyeok-jun diligently performed his role.

Shortstop fly ball for Ha Hae-jin.

Four-pitch strikeout for Heon-cheol.

Three-pitch center field fly for Shin Tae-beom.

“…Hyung [older brother/friend].”

“What.”

Watching Hyeok-jun smiling brightly as Jin-hyung [older brother/friend] caught the ball, I became curious.

“Aren’t you nervous, hyung [older brother/friend]?”

“What’s there to be nervous about?”

This guy has a great mentality too.

“You’re the starting pitcher tomorrow.”

“Wasn’t I always the starting pitcher?”

You know that’s not what I meant.

“Then why are you so nervous?”

“Um…”

Hyeok-jun waiting for his teammates in front of the dugout like me.

Myeong-jin slapping Hyeok-jun on the back and rushing into the dugout.

Jin-hyung [older brother/friend] quickly following Myeong-jin into the dugout.

“I am nervous, but. It’s not exactly nervousness, but…”

I thought for a moment, watching the teammates returning after finishing the inning in style.

What is this feeling I’m feeling now?

What are the thoughts in my head right now?

What does my gaze towards the field mean right now?

“…Just. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“You’re talking like you’ve always lived thinking.”

“Teacher, I’m a person too, wouldn’t I live with some thoughts?”

“You don’t seem like it, teacher.”

Aish.

Number 8 hitter, Moon!! Gyu!! Hak!!

I watched Gyu-hak walking to the plate with a sour look on his face.

“Don’t think, just.”

Perhaps feeling sorry for what he said, Gyu-jin hyung [older brother/friend] added a new word.

“…It’s better than having too many thoughts, or something.”

“No. It looks like you’re sick if a guy who used to live without thinking is doing that.”

“F”

It wasn’t out of pity, but just to give me more shit.

“What do you have to think about? It’s not like you’re playing right now.”

“Isn’t it more like that because I’m watching?”

What is the feeling of someone who can only clap, cheer, and raise their voice sitting in the dugout?

Do I want to go out and play too?

I don’t want to go out because it’s burdensome?

Ah, I don’t know, I just hope we win?

“I’m thinking if there’s anything I can do to help, even a little bit.”

Well, wouldn’t most people think about playing the game, performing well, and winning that way?

“There’s nothing like that.”

But Gyu-jin hyung [older brother/friend] told the reality.

“Are you going to grab Gyu-hak’s bat and go to the plate instead? Or are you going to pitch the entire series? It’s not like that. And there’s no way that’s going to happen in the first place.”

“No. And there isn’t.”

“So.”

Crack-!

“Just warm up in preparation for when you go up later.”

* * *

Thanks to Gyu-jin hyung’s [older brother/friend] words, the complicated thoughts were quickly sorted out. No, it might be more accurate to say that I realized something I had forgotten for a moment.

Bang-!

“Wow, good ball!”

What I have to do. And what I can do.

Bang-!

“Wow, your forkball is good today!”

As expected, when there are many thoughts, the best solution is to just grab a ball.

How can all the 잡생각 [jap-saeng-gak, random/unnecessary thoughts] fly away like scraps of paper as soon as I grab the ball?

“Fastball.”

“Hey!”

Bang-!

“Awoo!”

I nodded, listening to Geon-yeong’s wolf imitation.

“Hyung [older brother/friend], you’re too good right now, so take out just a tiiny bit of power, just this much!”

Humbly accepting the advice, I stepped back behind the plate to release the unnecessarily boosted strength.

“Hoo…”

Bottom of the 7th inning, 2 outs, the total of four points scored in the 1st inning is still valid.

And,

Tak-

“Han-wool, let’s go for the last.”

“Yes.”

The current state as we face the top of the 8th inning is the same,

Bang-!

“Nice, hyung [older brother/friend]!!”

And about 10 minutes later, when the top of the 8th inning ends, it will be the same as well.

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

욜럽 이저 와-알드 카악!! 뽈딩 이저 하-알 파악!! [Romanized Korean pronunciation of the English lyrics]

Waaaah-!!

Kim Han-wool! Kim Han-wool!

As soon as the bullpen door opened, as soon as my name appeared on the scoreboard, as soon as my entrance music echoed throughout the stadium, everyone cheered.

Slowly, very slowly.

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

Hmming the song, I arrived at the mound.

I stepped on the plate made of the same material as the one I stepped on in the bullpen and looked at our dugout. And I looked up at the spectators above.

“It’s a good thing when what you have to do and what you can do are the same.”

What I have to do. Cleanly block the three batters from Sang-soo Tigers who will appear next.

What I can do. Cleanly block the three batters from Sang-soo Tigers who will appear next.

And,

“…What I want to do too.”

What I want to do. Cleanly block the three batters from Sang-soo Tigers who will appear next.

With such a beautiful composition like the Trinity, I naturally put strength into the hand gripping the rosin bag.

“Hoo!”

After scattering the excessive rosin powder stuck to my hand with my breath, I sent a sign to Gyu-hak that I would throw a splitter.

I briefly checked if the ball rolling lonely on the pitcher’s plate was hurt anywhere,

“Oop!”

Tudak―

The splitter fell to a place where it could be received with just a suitable mitt, not a blocking.

It’s okay.

I checked various other pitches without exception.

Whether the fastball is missing, what the rotation of the curve is like, whether the changeup is too fast, whether the slider is coming loose, whether the sinker is being pushed in.

If I simply sort out the pitches that are in good condition, the pitches that are usable, the pitches that need attention, and the pitches that I can’t use today,

“Play!”

I take my eyes off the umpire pointing at me and focus on the catcher.

It seems like everything is usable except for the sinker, I wonder what kind of sign Gyu-hak will give.

“…Okay.”

That first question,

“Eup!”

Bbeong-! [Sound of the ball hitting the mitt]

“Strike-!”

Was solved with a slider that dug from the body to the body of the 5th batter, Ha Hae-jin.

Then, of course, the next question that follows.

What will the next ball be?

“Ugh!”

Tak―

“Foul-!”

This was also quickly resolved with a fastball that dug in deeply.

Front door slider, and a fastball close to the ball.

Squeak, squeak―

I briefly stepped off the plate, put strength into my hand, and wiped the ball. Feeling a lack of focus, I subtly turned my head and saw the opposing team’s dugout with a complicated expression.

“That’s right, you should give up. That’s right.”

Because I’m here.

Because I’m on the mound right now.

Because I’m in charge of the 8th inning right now.

Thinking about it now, I don’t know who made the teaser video I saw at Media Day, but there seems to be one error.

Overwhelming?

“Kkeueuk!”

Bang-!

“Strike, out!”

They should put that icon on me, why are they putting it on someone else.

When the batter in front of him returns dejectedly, the next batter has to give him strength with an expression that he can do it,

6th batter, catcher Shin Heon-cheol

Heon-cheol appeared at the plate with an even more intimidated expression than Ha Hae-jin.

“Overwhelming… overwhelming….”

He was chattering so well yesterday, but today he looks quite gloomy, Heon-cheol.

“Kkeueak!”

Bang-!

“Strike-!”

Whenever I see a batter who can’t even react, and whenever that image overlaps several times, I think that.

“Kkeup!”

Woong-! [Sound of the bat swinging]

“Swing-.”

I’m really doing something called overwhelming. Whether it’s physical or mental, I’m really overwhelming someone.

After getting 2 strikes, I fiddled with the rosin bag for a while, deliberately stalling for time.

Fast intervals are good. Taking away the batter’s time to think, and the advantage of me stabbing in first before the batter can even prepare is definitely great.

But is that the case now?

Fast intervals are good when the batter doesn’t even have time to think or calculate, and when there are many thoughts like now, it’s better to give them time.

They’re just looking at the ball flying in and thinking in detail about which way to turn their waist, where to look, and where to put their wrist, when all they have to do is reach out their arm to match it.

“Eup!”

Giving such a batter time to think,

Bang―

Naturally means widening the range of choices,

“Strike, out!!”

This naturally makes the batter feel indecisive.

“Hoo…”

Not much left.

Looking at the next batter who is supplied immediately, like 택배 [taek-bae, delivery service] boxes rolling on a conveyor belt,

“…Oh.”

I felt a faint admiration.

Unlike Ha Hae-jin, who stepped onto the plate intimidated, or Heon-cheol, who appeared overwhelmed, Shin Tae-beom appeared with a fairly confident expression.

Other people may not know, but I can do it.

You can find the evidence not only in his expression but also in the bat swinging more greatly than usual and the stance wider than usual.

“Not that…not that either…no…okay.”

It may feel cliché, but you can easily overwhelm this type of batter in a different sense.

“Heup!”

Lulling or coaxing them to lead them in the direction I want.

Tak―

“Foul-!”

Actually, that’s a nice way of putting it, it would be more appropriate to just say I’m playing with them.

When a foul ball that roughly matches the timing comes out on the outside fastball, Shin Tae-beom nodded, confident in his condition today.

Ah, I can totally do this.

“Kkeueuk!”

That’s right. Totally possible.

Tak―

“Miiiiine, I’ll catch it!”

Totally possible to have a pitcher’s fly ball.

Pak―

“Out-.”

After carelessly dropping the ball I caught myself around the plate, I trudged back to the dugout.

On the way, I bumped fists with Gyu-hak, bumped shoulders with Myeong-jin, and pointed fingers at each other with Hoon,

“I’m this good.”

“This good, sir?”

“Is he crazy?”

“Apologize to all the Lee Jeong-do’s across the country.”

“I’m sorry.”

Although the attitude of identifying with each of the teammates and the story were different, there was one thing.

“Hey, hey! Click!”

“Click!”

“Click-!”

We were all the same in trying to get into the cell phone camera angle that only good people can see.

Even when Seong-hun hyung [older brother/friend] hit a single and went out in the bottom of the 8th inning, even when Senior Gyeong-seok left the bullpen to finish in the top of the 9th inning,

Out-!

“Waaaaaaah!!”

“Niceeee!!”

Even when Seong-hyun caught the last out count and ended the game.