episode_0019

“Hello! Player Ji Maeng-ho!”

A woman with a gentle but beautiful appearance approached and spoke. Was she the journalist I had contacted?

“Yes. Hello.”

“I’m Kim Ji-yeon from Art Sports, as I mentioned.”

The day after the final match. She quickly requested an interview, and the coach readily accepted. I had sex with Hye-jin noona until this morning, but this was nothing.

Kim Ji-yeon, who appeared to be in her late twenties, shook hands with a warm smile. I also shook her hand. Quite smooth, isn’t it? Is it because she’s a journalist? Moreover, her gentle smile matched well with her delicate and pretty face.

Today is the day of my first interview in life. I even applied wax to my hair for the photos. Although I did interviews after the final match, having a journalist come to cover me like this was a first. So, I prepared a lot…

“Idiot, baseball players should wear hats during interviews.”

“…I didn’t know because it’s my first time.”

“You’re pitifully unintelligent. Pitiful.”

Except for the fact that my waxed hair was hidden under the hat, everything was perfect.

“Reporter Kim. Long time no see. How have you been?”

Oh, one more thing. It would have been perfect if Coach Lee Ki-cheol wasn’t there. The coach’s face was full of beard and the smell of alcohol emanated from him. As Hye-jin noona said, he probably spent all day yesterday drinking with the coaches without even going home.

Well, thanks to that, I was able to have sex with Hye-jin noona all night until this morning.

“Oh, Coach. Long time no see. Well, you know, same old, same old. Roaming around the streets. Congratulations on the championship. It’s the first championship in Hanche High School baseball history, right?”

“Yeah. Thanks. This kid is my cherished disciple, so write the article nicely. Got it?”

Cherished disciple my foot. He doesn’t even treat me properly! I feel like I want to perform a brain-bat insertion surgery on him. But since I can raise my child soon, I decided to let it go.

“Of course. Thank you for allowing the coverage.”

“Yeah. Let’s grab a meal together in a bit.”

“Sure. Please come in.”

As the coach entered, Reporter Kim Ji-yeon met my eyes again.

“Oh, Player Maeng-ho. Can we take the photos first?”

“Oh, of course.”

Upon my words, Reporter Kim adjusted her posture, holding the camera around her neck. Seeing that, I awkwardly raised my hand to strike a fighting pose.

“Oh, nice pose. Let’s take the pictures then.”

Click, click, click. The flash went off, and the sound of taking pictures echoed continuously. What? Is it over? Just as I thought that, Reporter Kim approached and brought the camera close. Ah, the scent of perfume. A fresh scent that matched her appearance well.

“Did they turn out well? Maybe because the subject is good? They came out really well, right?”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. When I first saw you, I thought you were a model. You have a tall physique and a handsome face. I thought you were a celebrity! The handsome high school baseball player who won the tournament! Oh, how much I pestered the chief to let me cover you… Oh! I’m sorry. Did I talk too much? Sometimes I get carried away and talk a lot, sorry.”

“…It’s okay.”

It was like a verbal storm. Her slightly excessive talking didn’t quite match her gentle and beautiful face. …A bit too much.

“Oh, shall we sit down and continue?”

Reporter Kim held my hand and led me to the bench. As we sat down, she immediately took out a refreshing drink from her handbag and handed it to me.

“Athletes don’t drink carbonated drinks, so I prepared an ion drink. Enjoy it comfortably. Oh, is this drink okay? Nowadays, even high school students are sensitive to such things. Oh! I didn’t mean to belittle high school students. I meant that it’s good to manage yourself well from high school. Self-management is important even for becoming a pro.”

“Ahaha, yeah, that’s right?”

I couldn’t focus due to her rapid speech.

“Ross, is this how interviews usually go? Ross? Ross? Where did this person go?”

I tried to ask Ross for advice, but it seemed like he had already run away. A person who can’t even finish a sentence and runs away….

“Why are you suddenly wandering around? Is this seat uncomfortable by any chance? Is the bench a bit off? Ahaha. Still, it’s nice to be interviewed where you can see the stadium, right? Or do you prefer indoors, like an ‘I’ style? Oh, I’m talking about MBTI, have you taken the MBTI test, Maeng-ho player?”

“…No.”

I haven’t tried it, but I knew what MBTI was. As far as I know, ‘I’ is a homebody style. But does that have anything to do with doing interviews indoors?

“Then try it later. They say it’s surprisingly accurate, you know? What type do you think I am? Oh, you said you haven’t tried it. Look it up later. It’s a good way to pass the time. Wait, athletes shouldn’t waste time. They already have insufficient training. I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary.”

A good first impression turned sour within 5 minutes of conversation. I want to finish this interview quickly….

“…When will we start the interview?”

“Oh, excuse my mind. Sorry. Shall we start now then? Should we start with your thoughts on winning?”

“It’s amazing. It still feels like a dream. To think that I, who couldn’t even participate in the game, became the core of the team and led them to victory. It truly feels like a dream.”

In reality, there wasn’t much excitement. But it was nice that many scouts came to watch.

“That’s right. Indeed.”

“But do I really need to write it down?”

“Oh, these days we do everything by recording. There’s no real need to write it down. Besides, it’s not like it’ll be a long article. But among other seniors, there are those who insist on writing with a pencil, which seems a bit old-fashioned in this day and age. But those seniors… ”

“I’m sorry. I brought up something unnecessary without knowing.”

“Hahaha. It’s okay. It’s fine. So, where were we?”

“We were talking about your thoughts on winning.”

“Right. Then let’s move on to the next question. You took a break, right?”

“Yes. When I was in 1st grade, there was a big accident, so I had to undergo surgery. The coach suggested it would be better if I took a year off if that happened.”

“I see. Is your body okay now?”

“Well, I had surgery in several places, but it doesn’t affect my baseball playing.”

“That’s really fortunate. But unfortunately, due to that accident, your parents…”

Is this woman a reporter or something? She seems to know everything in advance.

“Yes. I feel a bit sorry for being the only one left, but since I’m working hard at baseball, they must be watching over me from above. I’m fine.”

“Maeng-ho player is truly brave. Your parents must be happy watching over you from above.”

They probably are. Because there’s Rossbi the ghost. Knowing that there’s a soul. Always watching over me. …No, they’re probably just watching me play baseball. Even if they’re family, they have their own private lives. …That must be it, right?

“Let’s move on to the next question. Maeng-ho player didn’t participate at all in 1st and 2nd grade, how were you able to perform well in your 3rd year?”

“I guess my skills were lacking. I was originally a shortstop, but I couldn’t play because of poor defense. However, when I changed positions to second base, I started playing good defense, and as my defense improved, I began hitting well too. Haha, could it be that the weight training I did while not playing helped my batting? Secret? Well, maybe.”

“Ah, I see. Considering Maeng-ho player is quite tall for a center infielder, is it not challenging for you to play defense?”

“Yes. My body is in good shape, so I’m agile. Is it in my genes? Also, there are bigger shortstops and second basemen than me in the Major Leagues.”

“Hagin, Maengho player’s base running was really fast. From the batter’s box to first base…”

“When I tested at school, it was around 3.95 to 4.05 seconds.”

“Wow, even though you’re a right-handed hitter, you’re really fast. Is athleticism innate? Do you have any plans to change positions to maximize your hitting advantage?”

“Not at all. I like second base. It feels like my calling. My dream is to become the best second baseman in the Major Leagues.”

It was also Rosby’s dream. He said that if I became the best second baseman in the Major Leagues, Rosby could succeed. Living with that lifelong grudge ghost, I must become the best second baseman in the Major Leagues.

“Oh. Are you aiming for the Major Leagues?”

“Oh, no. I plan to go to the KBA (Korea Baseball Association: Korean Baseball Association, Korea Professional Baseball League) first and then go to the Major Leagues if I have the skills. There are issues with military service, and many players who went directly failed.”

“I see. Do you have a preferred team?”

“No, not really. But it would be nice if I were selected by a Seoul team in the first round. After all, I was born and raised in Seoul.”

In addition, avoiding AT Thunders and Hancheol Grizzlies, who use Jamsil, the widest baseball stadium in the world, as their home, seemed necessary. As a hitter, going there could potentially harm my stats. Hmm… so one team remains?

“Oh, then you could compete with your teammate Kim Won-ho.”

“Haha. Won-ho is almost certain for the first round. I’m not certain yet. I need to work harder to prove my worth.”

“I see. Do you have a separate team you support?”

“Well… when I was young, I supported AT Thunders. Oh, but I shouldn’t be talking about this before being drafted, right?”

“No! It’s okay. Speak freely. Comfortably.”

“My father was an AT Thunders fan. Well, most Seoul-based baseball fans of his generation were AT Thunders fans, right? They were doing well back then. I naturally became a fan by going to the stadium with my father, but since high school, I’ve been too busy training to watch professional baseball. Haha.”

At that time, I was too busy to watch baseball. Moreover, it was just because my father liked it that we went together; there wasn’t really a deep affection on my part.

“I heard that AT Thunders had a good atmosphere at the beginning of the season, but it’s been quite a while since they missed out on fall baseball, right? It’s 2022 now… it’s been how many years? They haven’t made it to fall baseball in 20 years.”

Ultimately, AT Thunders were not good at baseball. They haven’t made it to fall baseball since I was born in 2003. Are they now a top avoidance priority? They don’t have many opportunities to sign free agents from other teams, and playing at Jamsil Stadium, which is disadvantageous for hitters, as their home ground, makes them easy to avoid.

Hancheol Grizzlies, who also play at Jamsil, have performed well and have many promising players, but due to unfavorable corporate circumstances, they haven’t been good at retaining internal free agents unless they are key hitters. In addition, the remaining Seoul team, Silla Triggers, is known for sending many players to the Major Leagues and nurturing players well, so it would be good to join one of these two teams.

“It would be great if Maengho player, who I supported when I was young, was picked by AT Thunders and led the team.”

“Oh, haha. Really? That would be nice for me too.”

She’s pouring out such harsh words when she comes. Another nickname for AT Thunders was the graveyard of promising rookies. A team that doesn’t suit me at all. This was completely offensive to me, a promising rookie. However, looking into the reporter’s eyes, it seemed there was no malice, so I decided to forgive her.

“Shall we move on to another topic?”

“Yes.”

“There aren’t many questions left, so it seems like we’ll finish soon! Let’s hang in there.”

*

Finally finished. As the reporter finished the interview and was about to leave, Rosby, who had been hiding, appeared.

“That girl talks too much.”

“Is it bad for a woman to talk a lot?”

“I don’t like women who talk a lot. A woman should keep her upper lip closed and lower lip open.”

“You’re quite something. How was the interview?”

“Wasn’t it too smooth?”

“You’re a high school student, you need to be careful now before going pro.”

“You idiot. You need to build your image now so that things can pass smoothly when incidents happen later, right?”

“But still, I’m just a high school student.”

While talking with Rosby, a voice calling me could be heard. A voice that felt like it was piercing through.

“Hey! Jimaengho. Your drawing is good, isn’t it?”

It was Hyuna. For some reason, Hyuna wasn’t wearing her usual gym clothes but was dressed in casual attire. She wore a light tennis skirt, a tight crop top showing a hint of her toned abs, and a bright cardigan. Despite being tall, her face and body complemented each other well.

“Huh? What’s going on? You came all the way here?”

“You ignore my messages, but you seem to chat well with that girl?”

“What? Are you jealous?”

“Fuck off!”

Hyuna raised her middle finger.

“What are you talking about!”

Hyuna looked around nervously, checking if anyone was around. Even though we hadn’t seen each other for almost a month, she was still the same.

“So, what’s up? There’s no training today, and Wonho isn’t here either.”

“It’s because you haven’t replied since then! Tell me when you’re free.”

“Me? I’m free today, but there’s no training.”

“Good. I don’t have training today either. Let’s make the most of it. If you hesitate, you won’t be able to endure it.”

See this? Aren’t I considerate? Hyuna said, crossing her arms and looking at me with a proud expression. But to me, that expression felt more like “Please give me your semen quickly,” cute as it may seem.

“Okay. Let’s go. But I’m in my uniform, so I’ll change and come back.”

“I’ll be waiting in front of the main gate. Hurry up.”

I hope it goes well this time too…!