Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 50

50. Prayer Meta

It feels like… it’s about time for me to head out.

For two hours, I anxiously watched the electronic scoreboard, fidgeting restlessly. Jiho was heading to the mound to pitch the bottom of the 7th inning.

“Hanwool.”

“Yes? Am I going in the 8th?”

“Yeah. Get ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

Even while feeling anxious about going in, I was also curious to see if Jiho would put our conversation from yesterday into practice.

If I could, I’d calm down and quietly watch Jiho’s pitching.

But I gotta do what I’m told.

One defensive play and one offensive play. If each takes at least 10 minutes, that’s 20 minutes. Feeling that it was enough time, I slowly walked towards the bullpen.

Since it wasn’t our home stadium but Gaya’s, I got a little disoriented.

Is this the right way? Ah, it’s this way.

If I got completely lost, I could just ask someone where the bullpen was, but my pride as a 10-year veteran was at stake.

After wandering around a bit, I finally found the bullpen door. A clean, turquoise-painted steel door. Just opening this door would lead to the bullpen.

“……”

Ding―!

The sudden activation of a quest stopped me in my tracks.

[Senior Who Cares for His Junior]

The name is…….

– Pray that pitcher Kim Jiho finishes the inning without giving up any runs. (0/1)

– Reward ― Splitter +2

Pray?

This quest was a bit unusual. Unlike the quests where I was the main character and had to perform and complete something, the main character of this quest was Jiho.

Why? Could it be because I talked to him about baseball yesterday?

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Geonyeong came over, wondering why I was standing still in front of the bullpen door, and snapped me out of my thoughts. After tilting his head for a moment, he went inside.

The stadium and the specific details were different, but the bullpen layout was generally the same everywhere. Two or so makeshift mounds were set up, surrounded by fences.

First, I decided to ignore the quest that seemed a bit odd and started warming up. Slowly. Just as I was loosening up my shoulders, waist, and hip joints, the game resumed on the field.

It was harder than I thought to keep my eyes inside the bullpen, as they kept wanting to wander over to the field.

He’ll do well on his own.

I decided to trust Jiho and focus on my job.

“Hyung [older brother or respected male figure], aren’t you going to throw?”

“…Ah.”

I can’t do it.

Why can’t I become detached when I have the Detachment trait? Or is it that I’m only able to endure this much because I have Detachment?

I couldn’t concentrate at all on warming up. Usually, even when pitching in the bullpen, you don’t just throw the ball wildly. Because there’s also the risk of batted balls flying over, you throw in sync with the pitcher on the field.

But today, it was too much.

…He’ll do well.

“Fastball.”

“Fastball!”

I glared at my catcher, having a hard time taking my attention away from the mound.

The satisfying sound of the ball popping into the mitt was quite pleasing, but the control, which was slightly off compared to usual, was not pleasing at all.

Thwack―!

With the occasional sound of a well-hit ball, the ball slipped even more than before. Heart, get a grip.

I checked each of my pitches, throwing them one by one.

I don’t know if it’s because the quest reward was a splitter, but the splitter felt good today.

Even with a light grip, it dropped more than I thought, and it wasn’t a gradual drop. The velocity felt slightly faster, proportional to the light grip.

Not bad?

Today must be a day when the splitter is working. Let’s plan around the splitter.

But another important factor in the game plan: the batting order.

“Ah…….”

I still didn’t know which batter I would be facing first.

Thwack―!

Wow!!

“Please.”

Because it depended on how many batters Jiho would handle.

The bottom of the 7th inning wasn’t over yet. In the end, unable to contain my curiosity, I leaned on the railing and watched the progress of the game. The hit that had been met with the audience’s cheers must have been a hit.

The batter who reached first base was taking off his arm guard. Fortunately, a red light was lit on the scoreboard, indicating that the previous hit had been ruled out.

Who’s up next?

Eighth batter, Park!! Se!! Hoon!!

Ah, the eighth batter.

During the gap while the new batter headed to the plate, I threw one more ball.

When I first threw it today, it felt strange, but after throwing it once more just now, I concluded that the fastball wasn’t extending as much as I thought. I should save the fastball.

The ratio of me throwing two balls while Jiho threw one was reversed. Impatiently, I was only warming up by throwing one ball while Jiho threw two or three.

This meant that I was missing hints about myself, but it was better than messing up my body by throwing without proper concentration.

2-2. The ball, extending straight, met the bat and headed to the outfield. Towards right fielder Seonghyun.

“Three, three!”

“Giseong, move to the right!”

“No, throw it right away!”

How long did it take for the ball, launched from home base, to reach Seonghyun? I didn’t count exactly, but it must have been a very short few seconds.

Even in that short moment, the fielders each expressed their opinions. Among the various opinions, Seongmun’s was chosen.

“Safe!”

It was a ball that he caught skillfully as it rolled quickly, and he threw it so hard that his body almost fell forward, but the third base umpire raised both arms instead of one.

Gaya Perfectors, the team that created the ‘I’m passing by~’ meme on the internet. As a pitcher, they were a pain to deal with.

“He’s running!”

Whack―!

“Safe!”

Once even one runner gets on base, it’s incredibly chaotic. Last year, the team had a whopping 161 stolen bases—1.28 per game. They were the runner version of the ‘baseball sucks’ team.

A steal from 1st to 3rd with a runner on 1st. 100% the pitcher’s fault for lifting his leg without a slide step, not paying attention.

“Jihoooo!!”

Ah.

“Let’s eat spicy stir-fried octopus again!!”

Jiho, who had been mindlessly staring at Gyuhak, finally looked at me.

Yeah, feel the same feeling as yesterday. How is it? Do you feel a bit relieved now?

Geonyeong couldn’t say anything to me because I was his senior, but instead conveyed his feelings with his expression.

“I didn’t know you liked spicy stir-fried octopus that much, hyung.”

“…I don’t really like it.”

“Yes?”

“Just know that.”

“Yes… well……”

Remember the spicy stir-fried octopus we ate yesterday!

I don’t want pitching as fiery as the spicy sauce. I want pitching like the soft-boiled octopus soup next to it, to soothe the stinging insides.

“Strike!”

The batter blankly watched the first pitch. From the angle, I couldn’t see the left and right, but since the ball was caught low, he must have watched it.

Next, the batter watched the falling ball without reacting, and then watched another high fastball, making the strike he had gotten on the first pitch meaningless.

Cornered into an unfavorable count, Jiho took a step back and looked around. Soon, his eyes met mine. The way he smiled was quite bold. I nodded in response.

Next ball. The ball, thrown with one out and runners in scoring position, headed high into the outfield. The batter’s out seemed certain due to the higher-than-expected fly ball. The problem was what came next.

“Home!!”

Our team’s catcher took off his mask and shouted desperately. Even before the left fielder caught the ball, the infielders moved in unison and took their positions.

Thwack―

“Go!”

The third base coach fired a signal flare as soon as Hooni’s glove touched the ball. The runner quickly charged home, using the base he had stepped on as a springboard.

“Home! Home relay! Get third!!”

Myeongjin, who was somewhere between the infield and outfield for the relay, turned his body as soon as his glove met the ball. Even though he was quite far away, I could hear his grunting shout.

It was a ball that had bounced once, but Gyuhak skillfully caught it and turned his body to the left.

“Safe!”

Ah.

“Out!”

But there was no time to be disappointed.

The runner who had dashed to 3rd was tagged out at 3rd.

Ding―!

[Senior Who Cares for His Junior]

– Pray that pitcher Kim Jiho finishes the inning without giving up any runs. (0/1)

– Failed Quest.

The quest failed cleanly. Seeing Gyuhak, who knew the situation at home the best, entering the dugout without any regrets, it must have been an undeniable safe.

“Aish [expression of annoyance].”

I clicked my tongue, watching Jiho return to the dugout to the cheers of his senior teammates.

“Is something good happening?”

“No.”

Nevertheless, a smile still lingered on his lips.

“Curveball.”

“Ah, curveball!”

Yeah. Grow like that, Jiho. Let’s look at the big picture. Let’s look at the long term. What’s the point of raising your stats a little here?

I thought of Jiho taking on the closer role for the team in a few years, rather than his immediate stats. That was more pleasing.

“Sinker!”

Bang!

Because the defense was longer than expected, I had too much time to warm up. So, I forced myself to relax and continued pitching. When the total number of pitches reached about 20,

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes.”

The bullpen door opened. I adjusted my cap once more and headed to the mound.

I glanced at Gyuhak, who was already sitting down, and, as a habit, first picked up the rosin bag. I tapped it a few times and applied it to my hand, receiving the ball that was thrown to me.

I flicked the wrist of the hand holding the ball once and signaled for a splitter. If Gyuhak was as perceptive as I thought, he would know that the main pitch for today would be the splitter.

Jiho had just given up a run, and I felt like I was carrying the hopes for a true hold on my back. I stood still and watched the batter appear.

Play!

I received the play call familiarly and took my eyes off the batter. Fortunately, Gyuhak had picked up on my earlier hint, and the splitter sign came out from the first pitch.

Agreeing, the ball that slipped from my hand fell from an awkwardly high line in the zone and grazed the low boundary.

“Strike!”

It’s kind of annoying to have to face the 9th batter first. They’re only the 9th batter because they’re lower than the 1st batter, but unlike the commonly held image, they’re surprisingly good hitters.

Moreover, this match is conveyed unfiltered to the next batter, who is watching quietly. The second annoying reason.

“Ball!”

I watched a curveball and a high fastball each. The bat didn’t come out even once. What does he want to hit?

Another splitter? That was just my thought; the catcher’s sign was different. Fastball inside. I was taken aback, but I nodded anyway.

Tick!

The strangely sounding and glancingly hit ball slipped past the space between Giseong and Senior Seongmun, who were defending a little further in. Not a pull, but a push.

The worst kind of hit came out, so it’s only natural to be upset. But I don’t have the seniority to express that.

Without showing any particular reaction, I finished preparing to throw the fastball. I stood still, still.

Whew, whew, whew.

“Safe!”

I took three breaths and turned my body, but there wasn’t a particularly good result.

So, one more time.

“Safe!”

Even with repeated checks, the runner didn’t seem to care much, stepping on the base and shaking off the dirt stuck to his belt.

Ignoring it, I stepped back onto the plate. The sign was the same as before.

Left, catcher, left, catcher, the eyes went back and forth, but the catcher, who had been working with me for years, understood what I meant and nodded.

Trusting him roughly, I moved my legs quickly.

You can catch it, right?

“He’s running!!”

Yes.

“…Out!”

After tagging the runner, Seongmun pointed to his strong shoulder with the glove that hadn’t even taken the ball out, expressing awe.

He’s similar to me; he has a weak shoulder. The amount of stories we’ve shared about our longing for a strong shoulder would exceed several hours.

I smiled crookedly and showed him a thumbs up once, then looked at home, not to the side this time, but straight ahead.

I managed to catch the runner, but the batter’s bat didn’t come out because it was a high fastball, and I had to start again from one ball.

But so what? It’s a bigger deal that we caught him for free.

Tick!

“Ah…….”

Is something going on today?

The inside fastball that was requested next was exactly the same as the previous batter.

Only the difference between a right-handed and left-handed batter, this time the ball vaguely brushed past Senior Seonghun’s side, who was out in front.

I cursed all sorts of things inside, but I didn’t express it in the end.

Left, catcher, left, catcher.

I asked again with a look, but the answer was different from before. Instead of nodding as I had expected, he shrugged his shoulders weakly.

Honestly, he was saying he didn’t know either. Couldn’t he just say it, even if it was just words?

As if he was trying to relieve my tension with the earlier nonverbal conversation, the curveball sign came out from the first pitch. You’re the one who’s going to be nervous, not me. I chuckled and went into a stretch.

One, two, three, four, five.

“Strike!”

An ambiguous spot on the outside. But the shape of the mitt, which twisted exquisitely, and the batter’s expression were very similar.

It’s difficult to get a double play against Gaya, who has fast runners, even with the second batter. Let’s just do what we can right now.

Fastball.

Let’s throw it with as much difference as possible from the 105km curveball.

Tick―

“Foul!”

Thanks to the 105km, which would be considered very slow even by amateur standards, the 138km fastball looked very fast.

The batter barely managed to foul it off with a swing that seemed to be pulling the ball out of the mitt. It didn’t seem like he was trying to hit it on purpose; it seemed like the bat came out unconsciously.

The ball has gotten a bit better.

I thought as I watched the ambiguous foul come out from the ball that was 몰린 [crowded/concentrated] in the center, claiming that I was throwing with all my might.

I was aiming for a swing and a miss if the bat was going to come out anyway. But it’s still a shitty ball. I have a long way to go.

I glanced at the runner and waited for the third sign. He spread his index and pinky fingers and then bent them to his left.

Is that okay? I thought, but I nodded. Feeling a bit uneasy, I checked once.

“Safe!”

I’m watching you. Don’t run.

“Safe!”

As soon as I received the ball from Giseong, I threw the ball straight like a quick catch. I tried to induce a moment of carelessness, but he stepped on the base with a sense of timing, as if he hadn’t taken the stolen base king title last year for nothing.

I wondered if the sign had changed in the meantime, but it was the same. I checked and put my hands together again. While breathing slowly, the ball rotated 90 degrees inside the glove.

“He’s running!!”

Giseong shouted at the same time as his left foot left the ground.

Boom―

I watched the batter’s swing and miss along with the 멋지게 [splendidly/remarkably] falling splitter.

The ball that fell just before bouncing. I was curious how he would throw to 2nd base, but Gyuhak didn’t stand up. Slowly, his left knee touched the ground first.

Boom!

“Whoa.”

The sound of the 실밥 [thread/seam] turning was more gruesome than the sound of the batter’s swing. Following the ball, I saw that it had landed safely in Seongmun’s glove.

“Out!!”

Stroke 힘 [power] out, throw out!

The line from the American caster that I had seen on YouTube sometime played automatically. A 앉아쏴 [sit-and-shoot] from the military. He’s pulling off something I couldn’t have imagined.

“Yaaak!”

“Did you only do 앉아쏴 [sit-and-shoot] in the military!”

“I’m not even in the military!”

“Good, good! Get a point!”

I smiled bashfully as I watched the fielders, who were making a lot of noise among themselves, enter the dugout.

I showed Gyuhak, who had started late and bumped shoulders with me, another thumbs up. He must have been in a good mood too, as he gave me a 따봉 [Korean slang for “thumbs up”] in return.