Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 38

Mound Villain – Episode 38

The photoshoot, which started at 2 PM, continued until 8 PM with almost no breaks.

“Okay! Ha-sung, this time, put your hands in your padded jacket pockets and stand diagonally. Yes! That’s great!”

I moved according to the director’s instructions and took photos.

Since these photos would be used for modeling for a year, having to wear and shoot in various outfits was exhausting.

What was fortunate was that I felt I was being treated well.

It seemed to be thanks to CEO Kim Hye-ryung.

There was one reason I knew this.

“Eun-ha! That’s not how you do it, is it?”

It was because of the way they treated Eun-ha, who was shooting with me.

“If you can’t bring out that feeling, how are you going to be a model?”

“I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”

“Saying sorry doesn’t solve everything! Let’s do it properly!”

“Yes… Yes!”

She didn’t seem to have done anything particularly wrong, but she was scolded a lot.

On top of that, the staff also subtly ignored her.

Ha-sung found the scene quite intriguing.

‘Even a future world star received harsh treatment as a rookie.’

I don’t know the name Eun-ha well.

But I knew the name EH very well.

No, if you’re a citizen of South Korea, you can’t not know that name.

‘Every album she releases is a hit, and she even starred in a drama and won a Grand Bell Award [South Korean film awards]. After 2020, she partnered with Netflix and succeeded in making a global breakthrough.’

The stage name she uses in the future is EH.

It’s just her name changed to initials.

Mysteriously, from the moment she changed her name, her albums became huge hits.

Thanks to that, her stage name became even more well-known, and the name Eun-ha disappeared from the public’s mind.

Of course, her die-hard fans would know, but Ha-sung wasn’t that much of a fan.

“Okay! Let’s have a quick meal and continue shooting!”

With the director’s words, Ha-sung sighed.

“Whew…”

“Are you tired? Have some of this.”

As I sighed, Eun-ha, who was next to me, handed me an ion drink [sports drink].

“Thank you. Eun-ha, you don’t seem tired at all?”

“I did some fitting modeling before I debuted! So I’m a little used to it!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her appearance as she clenched her fist and gave me strength, even though she must have been tired herself.

At that moment, someone who appeared to be her manager approached her.

“Eun-ha, you need to eat your lunch box.”

“Okay~ See you later!”

“Yes.”

Ha-sung chuckled as he watched Eun-ha walk away.

* * *

The advertisement proceeded smoothly.

In particular, the evaluation of Ha-sung was very high.

“Wow! Ha-sung, the fit is really alive! Maybe it’s because your shoulders are broad, but the clothes take shape as soon as you put them on!”

Ha-sung’s appearance was close to that of a handsome man.

He wasn’t an incredibly handsome face genius.

However, thanks to his body, which had been trained through constant exercise, and his clear skin, a synergy occurred.

Perhaps that’s why he caught the attention of the female staff on set at once.

“I heard he’s a baseball player. Isn’t he super handsome?”

“I know. He could be an actor.”

“His body is amazing.”

“Aren’t his shoulders like the Pacific Ocean?”

“If he’s in the major league, he’ll make a lot of money. Should I seduce him?”

The topic of conversation among the female staff was about Ha-sung all day long.

Eun-ha, who was shooting with him, also thought Ha-sung looked cool.

In particular, she was able to see Ha-sung in more detail because she was shooting so close to him.

‘Wow… He’s the same age as me. Why is he so big?’

Ha-sung’s height was 189cm [approx. 6’2″].

On the other hand, Eun-ha’s height was 160cm [approx. 5’3″], so there was a difference of 29cm [approx. 11 inches].

Naturally, he felt like a giant when standing next to her.

At that moment, Ha-sung, feeling her gaze, lowered his head.

Naturally, the two people’s eyes met.

The moment Eun-ha was startled.

Click!

The camera flash went off.

And the director, who saw the results, nodded.

“Oh! That was great acting just now! Wow~ This looks like a scene where you’re really surprised?”

“Re… Really?”

“Yes. Eun-ha, you’re good at acting. It was like you really fell in love.”

It wasn’t acting.

It came out because my heart was pounding for a moment.

But there was no reason to show it.

“Did it turn out well? I’m glad!”

She smiled brightly with professionalism.

Ha-sung thought as he watched her.

‘She has a talent for acting.’

Ha-sung could tell because he could see it up close.

That she was momentarily surprised.

Even so, she deals with it like that.

She was amazing despite her young age.

I felt like I knew why she would be good at acting in the future.

“Okay! There’s not much filming left now. Let’s fight to the end!”

“Yes~

The filming continued until late at night.

It’s difficult to finish all the filming in one day.

It was thanks to the staff’s teamwork.

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The filming was finally finished after 11 p.m.

Even for Ha-sung, who had good stamina, this kind of intense filming schedule was quite tiring.

“Are you tired?”

“Yes. I’m really tired. I feel like I want to lie down on the bed and pass out right away.”

“You’ll get used to it if you do it for a while.”

“How long is ‘a while’?”

“The places that are being talked about now…”

Kim Hye-ryung took out a file from the passenger seat and handed it over.

“There are 7 places.”

“Haha…”

Even though I’m a rookie, I’m talking to 7 places.

Is my recognition that high?

Or is Kim Hye-ryung’s ability that great?

Either way, it seemed like there would be enough funds to use in the United States next year.

“Um…”

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

When Kim Hye-ryung stepped aside, Eun-ha was seen standing behind her.

“I have something to talk about with the director for a moment. I’ll be back.”

Kim Hye-ryung was more perceptive than I thought.

As she quickly stepped aside, Eun-ha cautiously spoke.

“Good luck next season! This is nothing much… it’s my debut album CD!”

What she mustered the courage to hand over was a CD case.

I took it and saw that it was signed.

Having received the CD, Ha-sung pondered for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked for his bag.

“Just a moment.”

Opening the bag, he saw several baseballs.

He took one out, looked around, and asked Eun-ha.

“Do you happen to have a marker?”

“Ah, here you go!”

“I’ve only just debuted myself, but since I received a signed CD, as a thank you…”

Scribble, scribble!

“I’ll give you a signed ball.”

As he handed over the ball, Eun-ha’s eyes widened.

Her already large eyes became even bigger, making her look like a startled deer.

“I’ve never received a signed ball before!”

“Me neither. Receiving a signed CD.”

A strange atmosphere flowed between the two.

“Eun-ha!”

Her manager’s voice was heard from afar.

“Ah! I think I have to go now. Could I possibly get your phone number?”

“Yes.”

It was an era before messengers [instant messaging apps].

Texting was more developed, so the two exchanged phone numbers.

“I’ll contact you!”

“Okay.”

Watching Eun-ha leave, Ha-sung looked at his phone and chuckled.

‘You’ve grown a lot, Jung Ha-sung. You even got the personal number of a future world star.’

A smile spread across his face.

* * *

Kim Hye-ryung was definitely a capable person.

Out of the 7 commercials, 5 were successful.

Each one was a good fit for Ha-sung’s image.

Ha-sung was still a rookie with low recognition, but the fact that they could pick and choose commercials like this meant that Kim Hye-ryung’s abilities were excellent.

‘Hoo… being a model isn’t easy.’

Although he didn’t film any commercials for TV, he continued to film commercials that were quite lucrative.

He had done it in his previous life, but it was still difficult after so long.

But what allowed him to endure was his bank balance.

‘Money is piling up in my account.’

The balance in his account, which he checked through internet banking, was already over 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD].

Of course, not all of it was earned from commercials.

The money earned from commercials was in the range of 30 to 50 million won [approximately $22,500 to $37,500 USD] per commercial.

That totaled 400 million won [approximately $300,000 USD], and the remaining money was what he received for being registered on the major league roster for a month.

‘Even though it’s the minimum salary, to get this much money for just one month.’

It was an impossible amount if he had played in Korea.

‘Considering taxes, I should think of it as not being able to use about half of it.’

Baseball players are classified as individual business owners.

In this case, the annual taxes are reported all at once in May of the following year.

The tax rate varies depending on income, but Ha-sung is classified as a top earner, so he will pay the highest tax rate.

‘I need to file domestic and overseas taxes separately. I need to find a tax accountant through CEO Kim Hye-ryung for domestic taxes, and an agency as soon as I return to the United States.’

Ha-sung had once tried to advance to the United States, so he had looked into taxes.

At the time, he was told that income generated in the United States is taxed in the United States, and income generated in Korea is taxed in Korea.

Accordingly, he had to hire tax accountants in both countries.

“Considering all the money going out one way or another, I need to earn even more in the future.”

Thinking about paying taxes made him want to earn money.

“From tomorrow, it’s full-scale training.”

Most of the advertising schedules were finished.

It was time to stop the side job and start training for next season.

‘I’ve found a good training center too…’

He registered at a fitness center located in Gangnam [a wealthy district in Seoul], recommended by CEO Kim Hye-ryung.

The cost was quite high, but it wasn’t a waste because these things were tax-deductible.

‘I need to create a training schedule.’

He would make a final decision after consulting with a trainer, but Ha-sung began to create a training schedule himself.

‘First of all, I need the stamina to endure a full season.’

The major league schedule is brutal.

There are games almost every day, and the travel distance is also very long.

‘Even if you travel by private jet, the act of traveling itself consumes stamina. Of course, I have to increase the intensity more than training in Korea.’

His first season in the major leagues was successful.

But that didn’t mean he was settled in the major leagues.

‘The analytical power of the major leagues far surpasses the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization]. There are many cases where rookies who do well in their first season are hammered in the next season and go down to the minor leagues.’

The difference between the KBO and the major leagues.

There are many things, but the biggest difference is the analytical ability.

‘The major leagues identify players with a microscope and find out everything. Pitch type, velocity, preferred course, etc. depending on the situation. And the hitters have the ability to attack the pitcher through that analysis.’

In order to be said to have succeeded in the major leagues, you have to play for at least 5 years.

If enough data is accumulated during that period, it leads to a jackpot FA [Free Agent] contract.

‘I have to improve more in order to succeed.’

To do that, he was going to use everything he knew.

* * *

From the next day, Ha-sung began training in earnest.

He didn’t overdo it from the start.

‘Slowly raise the body condition.’

Overdoing it from the start can lead to injury.

He continued to prevent injuries by warming up with running and stretching thoroughly.

And he hired a trainer to help him.

“So, I just need to help you according to the program written here, right?”

“Yes, please take good care of me.”

“Okay.”

The program designed by Ha-sung was based on CrossFit, which would become popular in a few years.

‘Bodybuilding-style training that plays with muscles reduces flexibility. Rather, a CrossFit style that mixes anaerobic and aerobic exercise is more suitable.’

However, it was not a program purely based on CrossFit.

‘In order to play properly in the United States, I need to increase the amount of muscle. On top of that, I need to increase my size to build up the stamina to play a full season.’

So he created a CrossFit program mixed with weight training.

The program that tormented his body day after day made his muscles scream.

But his body changed that much faster.

The sweat shed through training will be the nourishment to play next season.

Ha-sung knew that, so he was able to silently continue the difficult training.

“Haa… I’m going to die.”

After finishing training and arriving home, Ha-sung showered and entered his room.

There was time left before dinner, so he lay down on the bed for a short rest.

At that time, a text message arrived.

The sender was Baek Joon-gi.

‘Why is Reporter Baek sending me a text message?’

They were friendly, but they didn’t contact each other often.