Peaceful Bullpen Life [EN]: Chapter 80

A pitcher who gives up one run per inning has an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of exactly 9.

It’s already the worst, but if I cross that borderline, I really have to give up the title of ‘pro’.

That would be beneficial for me, the team, and the fans.

But I didn’t want to. I have to keep playing baseball, and I want to keep playing.

To survive, I’ve tried everything I can.

I subtly lifted my leg a little higher when throwing, trying to add deception, or slightly skewed the grip of each pitch.

In the vague part of ball distribution, I even filmed a series where I threw only fastballs for 10 consecutive pitches, or four curveballs in a row, an unimaginable sequence.

“Ah, I want to go home.”

At least, things have been getting better since the recent Dongseong game. I could see the ERA decreasing little by little.

It’s not enough.

But it’s not enough. Not to regain my status, and to help our team a little more.

I dropped my mentality coolly on the floor and sat on the bench. The ball in my right hand wouldn’t let go.

Where did it go wrong? How can I go back to the good old days?

Squeak―

“Ugh…….”

The rusty green door opened, revealing a shirtless figure. Sweat dripped down his firm physique.

The sight of him rubbing a towel here and there as the dampness exceeded the standard of discomfort,

“Ah!”

wasn’t great to see.

“Why?”

“What are you doing, senior? Get that dirty thing away from me!”

After the four of us, Jiho, Gyujin hyung [an honorific title for an older male], and I, had a drink together, I became quite close to Eungu senior.

We shared a lot of personal stories and often exchanged things we needed, to the extent that it wasn’t burdensome.

“What were you doing?”

“I went for a run. It’s getting hot now.”

The weather in May made the long sleeves that covered my wrists feel uncomfortable.

Sweat!

The stuffiness is connected to the heat, and the heat inevitably brings sweat. Sweat is something that can never be separated from an athlete.

How well you control this sweat will surely be one of the capabilities of a professional athlete.

I glanced at Eungu senior’s upper body, who had casually hung his sweat-soaked top on his shoulder.

Broad shoulders, a firm-looking chest, and six abs that insisted on their presence.

“Take it easy and take breaks.”

“Take a break? I have to go weight training now.”

“Now?”

“Just lightly. I can’t do it hard either.”

Weight training, huh…….

I glanced down.

I’m big and muscular, but I have a pathetic body that can’t even elicit a “Wow! What a sculpted body!” from anyone, even as a joke, unlike Eungu senior.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?”

“Why? Can’t I do weight training?”

“It’s a bit out of the blue, but are you okay with going now?”

“Great. You have to try stuff like this right away when you decide to do it.”

Thus, the weight training duo was formed. I followed my senior to the weight room inside the stadium.

Looking at the scene of shiny machines stacked upon each other beyond the glass door made me feel like I was getting a metal allergy.

Eungu senior, who was familiar with this place, opened the door without hesitation. The symphony of sweat made me feel like I was going crazy.

Hoo! Hoo!

Ugh… Ack!

Clang!

Clatter!

“What are you doing? Come in.”

“I think I’m going to get a metal allergy.”

Save me.

“You won’t, come quickly.”

“Actually, I have a disease where something terrible happens if I touch metal.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, you.”

I shook my head, crying and saying I didn’t want to go, but my will was not reflected at all.

I was dragged away, my wrist firmly grasped by the muscular senior’s hand.

Even a child crying because they don’t want to get a shot wouldn’t look this pathetic.

“…Haa.”

Why is that person here?

The players who had come earlier and were training were surprised to see someone they didn’t expect to see here.

Or they found it interesting. Or some even had expectations.

A gym newbie. A good prey.

In a space that should have been hotter than average because of the sweat, I felt an inexplicable coolness.

“Hyung, what’s going on?”

One of those who looked at me strangely was Hyukjoon.

That powerful fastball and physique were thanks to consistent weight training. If so, then I’m motivated.

“No… just. I just came to try it out.”

“Hanwool said he wanted to try weight training too.”

“Oh.”

Hyukjoon clapped his hands with a bright expression.

He’s a hyung who’s been suffering all sorts of hardships while working as an all-around player in the bullpen, but the fact that he’s expecting to see him in pain makes him a pervert.

“So… what should I do first?”

“Should we start with lower body?”

“Right? It’s good to start by destroying… starting with the lower body, right?”

They’re definitely devils.

“Then… should I do squats?”

“Squats are good, but lunges are better for pitchers.”

“It’s better to go with walking lunges, right?”

“Since you’re a beginner, definitely.”

The two gym rats started fitting manhole covers onto the ends of a 20kg [kilogram] bar.

“Wait, just, put on a little less.”

“No, you have muscles, so you have to take this much off.”

“Nooo!”

“Hyung, you’re strong. This isn’t much.”

“It’s okay, you can do it.”

“…….”

One, two, heave!

Looking at the lumps of metal attached to both ends of the long bar made me really want to go home.

Even though two people were holding it together, I started to feel disgusted by the sight of the two of them lifting those heavy things to head height and acting like it was nothing.

“What are you doing? Come quickly.”

“Hyung, it’s heavy.”

“Ah… yes.”

Thanks to them, I started weight training, which I never wanted to do.

“Kuaaa……!”

I have to overcome the gravity that’s relentlessly pressing down on me.

I struggled to put my left foot back in place. I sighed, and this time I put my right foot forward.

“Eueok……!”

The sound of a huge fight being waged was automatically replayed even though I didn’t particularly want it. It felt like my neck was going to disappear, not just my legs.

“How many… times is this……!”

“Eight times.”

“F***!”

Now one time.

“How many sets… is this!”

“You have to do 3 sets.”

“F***!”

I barely completed one set.

I threw the barbell back haphazardly and immediately sat down. As I held onto my legs, which were swollen and about to burst, I couldn’t help but burst into tears.

Clap! Clap!

“Okay, let’s go for the 2nd set.”

“Let’s go!”

Senior, let’s go!

Let’s go!!

Before I knew it, the gym rats had gathered around.

They were clapping and cheering for the gym newbie. I grabbed the bar against my will because I had no physical way to escape from this place, not for my body.

They were probably smiling and cheering me on, but to me, they were no different from demons enjoying watching a citizen in pain.

“Aooo… ok!”

Start of the 2nd set. Left foot forward, back in place. Right foot forward, back in place. The rest was a big help. The 2nd set was doable.

“Hak!”

Start of the 3rd set. Left foot forward, right foot forward.

“Wahuk…….”

The 3rd set was definitely tough. Even sitting down from where I was standing was a luxury for me. I collapsed as I was and cried again, holding onto my legs.

Ting―!

[Lunge Set]

– Complete 3 sets of walking lunges, side lunges, and backward lunges. (1/3)

– Reward ― Four-seam fastball +5

No, this is too much.

“Well, since I did walking lunges, I have to do side lunges.”

“What, were you really going to keep going?”

“I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t.”

I have to try everything I can. Now that the quest has appeared, I can’t give up because the reward for that quest is so sweet.

Whether it was the last bit of pride I had as an athlete, my legs, which felt like they were about to die, recovered faster than I thought.

I wandered around the training room once or twice to calm down.

One, two, heave!

Once again, with the help of the two, I put the lump of metal on my neck.

I really didn’t want to do it.

But I have to do it, I have to do it, I muttered to myself, and this time I shifted my weight to the left of my widely spaced feet.

“Wak!”

I immediately regretted it. Why did I do that?

“Euheu……!”

I put strength in my thighs and stood up. I took three deep breaths and went to the right. Then to the left again, then to the right again.

As I kept doing this, I reached a state of trance.

I don’t want to do it, but my legs were creating movements on their own. They were my legs, but they didn’t listen to me.

After an hour of doing side lunges and backward lunges, my legs were staggering on their own,

Ting―!

[Lunge Set]

– Complete 3 sets of walking lunges, side lunges, and backward lunges. (3/3)

– Reward ― Four-seam fastball +5

Control ― Top

Power ― Medium

Stamina ― Medium

Four-seam fastball ― 62+5=67

Curveball ― 55

Slider ― 43

Splitter ― 44

Changeup ― 51

Sinker ― 51

Traits

Detachment ― Accepts any batted ball or situation.

Discomfort ― Makes opposing batters feel uncomfortable when they see the pitcher at the plate.

Comfort ― Makes those who watch him feel comfortable.

I finally completed the quest.

I should feel proud of myself, and I should feel like I can do anything, but not at all.

I felt like I was going to cry because I was thinking about my mom’s cooking more than ever today.

“Wow, you worked hard. You’re going hard from the first day.”

“Hyung… you must have been really desperate.”

Praise came from the two weight training seniors. They said things full of lingering feelings, like let’s come again tomorrow, let’s come again next time, and I finally burst into tears.

Waaah, I miss my mom.

“Let’s go now.”

“Oh, where are we going?!”

“We have to wash up and get ready for the game.”

“Ah, I thought…….”

I was horrified that we were going to do more, but when I came to my senses, there was no one around except the three of us.

I got up, thinking that I should follow the two who were cackling with satisfaction, saying that they had done well with the iron today.

“…Excuse me.”

No, I was trying to get up.

“Yeah?”

“…C-can you hold my hand?”

Even a newborn foal wouldn’t tremble this much.

My legs, which were worse than a foal, denied my independence.

“Ugh.”

“Don’t be so disgusted.”

“Ugh!”

“I don’t like it either!”

I was able to get up by holding the hands of different men in each hand.

The shaking of about 5.3 on the Richter scale continued to interfere with normal walking.

What is that?

The sight of me being supported by the two was funny even to me.

I felt like I knew better than anyone else what the gazes of the people around us, especially at me, meant.

I barely made it to the bullpen and sat down in a chair.

Unlike Hyukjoon, who left with the words that I had worked hard, Eungu senior ran away quickly, saying “Ew!” as if he was getting rid of something dirty.

“Agh, my legs…….”

The sight of me sitting in the bullpen was almost the same as how I usually waited before a game.

What’s wrong?

But everyone who passed by said something after seeing me patting my legs.

“Hanwool, let’s go out in the 8th.”

“Ah, yes.”

The game started and I kept loosening my legs. I didn’t stop stretching and massaging.

The newfangled thing called a foam roller was shocking. Modern science is really amazing.

Thwack!

“Wow, you must have worked hard on weight training.”

The power of the fastball hitting the mitt is extraordinary. Gunyeong, who is currently feeling it more deeply than anyone else, is saying that. It’s certain.

Thwack!

It felt good even though it was just a simple warm-up. I can definitely feel that it’s gotten better.

The power of ‘Four-seam fastball +5’ is really…….

Thwack!

It’s the best!

“Hanwool, let’s go up.”

“Ah, yes.”

I forcibly hid the trembling and headed to the mound. My entrance song, as always, echoed.

But the cheers from the old days don’t exist. Considering the deviation, it was quieter than even in the 2016 season.

Disappointment.

This was the price for someone who was always thought to be in that place, in that form, being so broken. I silently put it in my pocket and stepped on the plate.

The very first practice pitch is a fastball.

Thwack!

I gently jumped and loosened my lower body. The ball that came back and Gyuhak’s surprised eyes looked similar.

Feeling good, I threw another fastball.

Thwack!

The carelessly thrown ball went way out. I have to concentrate, I have to concentrate on my legs.

There were definite aftereffects to performing my usual delivery with legs that weren’t at 100%.

Concentration, a pitch full of concentration is the concept of this appearance.

Ting―!

[Concentration]

– Pitch one inning with no runs allowed with a concentrated pitch. (0/1)

– Reward ― Slider +2