Villain On The Mound [EN]: Chapter 92

The Villain on the Mound – Episode 92

The Villain on the Mound Episode 92

In just one year, Ha-sung rose to become a blue chip in the advertising world.

His recognition soared to the top class not only nationwide but also in the United States, leading to increased demand to capitalize on his promotional effect.

As demand increased, Ha-sung’s value naturally rose.

“Stars classified as A-list in the advertising industry receive about 400 million won [approximately $300,000 USD] for a six-month contract and about 600 to 700 million won [approximately $450,000 – $525,000 USD] for a one-year contract.”

“Is there anyone above that?”

“There are people who receive about 2 billion won [approximately $1.5 million USD], but that’s the ‘President of Culture,’ someone living in a completely different world.”

“Seo Seung-won?”

“Yes. You know him?”

“I was young, but he was really amazing.”

“That’s right. Excluding him, the boy group Black Hole is receiving about 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].”

Osung Group was acknowledging Ha-sung’s full value.

Knowing that, Kim Hye-ryung felt a deep sense of regret.

“You should have signed the contract.”

“Osung Group’s goal is to use me to start global marketing. Considering that, the price is too low.”

“We can remove it from the contract.”

“They won’t be willing to give that up. You’ll see when the second offer comes.”

As Kim Hye-ryung tried to bring up the topic again, Ha-sung cut her off.

“I understand what you mean, but I’m not undervaluing myself.”

“You think 1 billion [approximately $750,000 USD] is low?”

“It’s a low amount if I become an even bigger player than I am now.”

“A bigger player…”

“What if I become a player representing the Major League?”

“You’re already a closer representing the Major League.”

“Not as a closer, but as a starting pitcher.”

Kim Hye-ryung’s eyes widened.

“Are you thinking of transitioning to a starter?”

“I’m starting preparations this year. There are parts I need to negotiate with the team, but they won’t be able to refuse. I’ll be pitching as a starter starting next year.”

Ha-sung said quietly.

Since there was a partition between the driver’s seat and the back seat in the van, it was too quiet for the driver to hear.

Kim Hye-ryung also lowered her voice and said.

“Then that changes things.”

She was a smart person.

She instantly calculated how different the meaning of Jung Ha-sung as a closer and Jung Ha-sung as a starting pitcher would be.

“As Ha-sung said, it would be better to sign contracts for no more than two years, rather than long-term contracts.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll tell the companies we meet in the future. Oh, and this came in yesterday. We received a request to attend an awards ceremony.”

“Awards ceremony?”

“Yes, they’re offering you a special award at the Ilgu Awards [awards recognizing achievements in Korean baseball] and the Professional Baseball Awards and asking you to participate.”

“They’re giving me awards even though I’m not playing in Korea.”

“I think there have been a few cases in the past. What are you going to do?”

“Let’s attend. It would be nice to have more trophies.”

Trophies were like rewards for his efforts.

More than anything, there was no harm in the media covering him.

With that, Ha-sung’s attendance was decided.

* * *

Ha-sung spent busy days.

He spent busier days than during the season, handling the work Kim Hye-ryung had prepared.

Thanks to that, he barely had time to be at home.

‘I wish I had ten bodies at times like this.’

If the reward for all this work wasn’t money, he would have given up immediately.

But he couldn’t because he knew there was a huge profit at the end of this hardship.

As Ha-sung was spending such busy days, he received a text message.

[Ha-sung! I heard you’re back in Korea. I’m doing a concert this time, so if you have time, I’ll send you a ticket!]

The text was from Eun-ha.

She gained recognition through commercials, but she hadn’t had a big hit yet.

‘Will I have time?’

He was managing a schedule that divided each day into minutes.

It wasn’t easy to make time that wasn’t planned. But he had no intention of refusing her request.

‘Eun-ha’s songs are always good.’

He was one of Eun-ha’s fans.

It’s not a strange thing.

She enjoyed fame as an entertainer of a different class, called the star of stars.

Not only Ha-sung but also other entertainers admired her as a great figure.

‘There’s no need to cut off the connection with her with my own hands. Let’s squeeze in some time and go.’

He made a decision and sent a message.

* * *

Eun-ha, who sent the text, was looking at her smartphone with a trembling heart.

‘Ugh… Did I send it too suddenly? It’s been so long since I contacted him. Will he even remember me? What if he thinks I’m a weird person?’

She was anxious, lost in her own thoughts.

Only a minute had passed since she sent the text, but her head was already filled with regret, expectation, sadness, and more.

Various emotions dominated her head and then disappeared.

Woo-oong-!

At that moment, her smartphone rang and a text message arrived.

[It’s been a while. I’ll adjust my schedule to fit the date. Please send it to me ^^]

The moment a positive answer came.

All the negative thoughts that had dominated her head disappeared.

Pink thoughts filled the space, making her smile.

“He’s even adjusting his schedule to come!”

She couldn’t contain her joy and jumped up and down on the bed.

* * *

The Professional Baseball Awards.

This award, presented by Dongjo Pharmaceutical, is given to the player who has shown the most outstanding performance in the KBO [Korean Baseball Organization].

As a Major League player, Ha-sung would not have been eligible for the award.

However, Dongjo Pharmaceutical decided to create a special award in the name of making a great contribution to baseball and give it to Ha-sung.

And along with the news that Ha-sung would participate, they distributed a press release to promote the awards ceremony.

Thanks to that, more reporters and fans gathered at the awards ceremony than ever before.

“It’s Lee Kyu-jin!”

“He’s dressed up properly today?”

“Park Tae-kyung has arrived.”

“Ooh~ Park Tae-kyung has great proportions as expected. He looks good in a suit?”

As players belonging to the KBO arrived one after another, reporters engaged in fierce coverage competition.

“By the way, when is Ha-sung coming?”

“I brought an expensive camera today because Jung Ha-sung is coming.”

“Even a public broadcasting station came to cover it?”

“Wow… that side even mobilized the entire filming team.”

The reporters’ interest was, of course, in Ha-sung.

No matter what article they published, it would attract public attention, so they had no choice but to wait for him.

It was then.

Vroom-!!

A sports car was coming from afar with a roar.

A black Aston Martin stopped, and a man in a black suit got out of the driver’s seat.

“It’s Ha-sung!”

“But what’s with that hair?”

“Red?!”

“Did he bleach it or something?”

The man was Ha-sung.

But he had a different hair color than before.

His hair color, dyed in a dark tone of red wine, was shocking in itself.

In Korea, sports players still had conservative tendencies.

Some high schools even forced buzz cuts.

Even after becoming a professional, they were educated to behave properly.

In particular, dyeing hair was a kind of taboo.

Of course, some autonomy is now in place, but many players still did not express their individuality.

‘But red?’

‘At a place to receive a baseball award of all places?’

The reporters were surprised, but the fans were not.

“Kyaaaaak!!”

“Oppa! Your hair is so pretty!!”

“Red hair suits you too!”

“Please sign!”

The fans’ reaction was hot.

Rather, they cheered all at once, as if they liked Ha-sung’s hair color.

The reporters, who came to their senses at her cheers, quickly began taking pictures of Ha-sung.

The photos taken were quickly uploaded to portal sites.

* * *

Ha-sung, who took pictures and provided enough fan service, entered the venue.

As he entered, CEO Kim Hye-ryung approached and greeted him.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s routine. By the way, how long do I have to wait?”

“The event starts in 30 minutes. They said there’s a waiting room, so I think you can rest there.”

It was when he was heading to the waiting room with Kim Hye-ryung’s guidance.

A sturdy man walking from the opposite side frowned at Ha-sung’s hair.

“Mr. Jung Ha-sung.”

At his call, Ha-sung stopped walking.

“I’m Kim Tae-hyun from the KBO Technical Committee.”

It’s a face he knows.

Beyond simply knowing him, he even ate in the same pot [shared meals, implying a close relationship] before the regression.

Kim Tae-hyun was a pitching coach, and he had been coached as a player.

‘There wasn’t really any contact in this life, but to see Coach Kim again. It feels strange somehow.’

He felt even stranger because he had received a lot of help before the regression.

“I know you well. I’m Jung Ha-sung.”

“You know me?”

“Aren’t you a KBO legend? It would be stranger if I didn’t know.”

“Ahem!”

Ha-sung smiled inwardly when he saw Kim Tae-hyun crossing his arms.

‘He’s still the same, that habit.’

He knew very well that it was Kim Tae-hyun’s habit that appeared when he was in a good mood.

As if to prove it, Kim Tae-hyun said to Ha-sung with a softer expression than at first.

“I enjoyed this season. You played really well.”

“Thank you.”

“It must have been your first full-time season. Is your physical condition okay?”

“Yes, thankfully, it’s okay. I didn’t have much strain because I played in the bullpen.”

“Still, make sure to check your physical condition well. Injuries can come at any time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Okay. Then let’s see each other again soon.”

“Yes.”

After shaking hands, Ha-sung passed Kim Tae-hyun and headed to the waiting room.

Kim Tae-hyun, who was looking at Ha-sung, had a strange expression.

‘I thought he would be rude, but he’s surprisingly polite.’

Kim Tae-hyun was confused by Ha-sung’s appearance, which was different from what he had expected.

* * *

[Special Award! It’s player Jung Ha-sung.]

Ha-sung’s name was called, and the camera captured him getting up from his seat.

As his red-haired appearance was broadcast nationwide, the internet became heated.

– It’s really red hair ㅋㅋ

– The World Cup ended a long time ago, is he cosplaying as the Red Devils?

– That’s bright red, and that’s a low tone like red wine.

– He really likes to stand out ㅈㄴ [short for ‘jonna,’ a Korean slang word for ‘very’ or ‘extremely’].

– I heard that the car he came in was also an Aston Martin?

– Wow… Major Leaguer class is amazing.

– Are there sports cars in Korea too?

– It must be a rental.

– Anyway, it means he’s classy enough to ride something like that for the awards ceremony, right?

– That much would be pocket change.

– ㅇㅈ [short for ‘ 인정,’ a Korean abbreviation meaning ‘ 인정합니다,’ which translates to ‘I acknowledge’ or ‘I agree’]. Even if he only receives the minimum salary, is he in the KBO salary rankings?

– If salary arbitration goes in, it will be insurmountable.

Every move of Ha-sung became a big topic.

His hair color, as well as the car he rode in to the awards ceremony, became a hot topic and was talked about by fans.

But not everyone was favorable to his actions.

– There are kids watching, what’s with that hair?

– He’s a baseball player. Isn’t he mistaken for a singer?

– He should train more instead of doing that hair.

– If he’s a professional player, he should act like a professional player.

– Here come the old men.

– Is it the Joseon Dynasty [historical Korean kingdom known for its strict social norms] now?

– It’s the first time I’ve seen someone criticize hair color.

– The old men’s dentures fell out.

As negative opinions appeared, opposing opinions naturally opened up, and the site became a battlefield.

In the meantime, Ha-sung received the award and finished the event.

“Hooah… I’m tired.”

The awards ceremony made people tired.

Still, he was satisfied with the fact that he had added another trophy, and he left the waiting room and headed to the parking lot with Kim Hye-ryung.

As he came down the stairs and arrived at the underground parking lot, he saw fans gathered.

Some players were passing in front of them.

“Please sign!”

“Oppa! Just one autograph!”

“My son is a fan, please sign!”

The fans asked those players for autographs.

However, most of the players seemed annoyed and headed to the car.

Kim Hye-ryung frowned at the sight.

‘Even if they’re tired, they should give some autographs. The fans must have waited hard until this time.’

She was angry at the attitude of the players who had terrible fan service.

“Please sign!”

A child grabbed the sleeve of a passing player.