episode_0408

[In the top of the 9th inning, with Korea trailing by one run, it’s the final American attack. On the mound stands Korea’s closer, Go Young-hwan. Oh, and at second base, defensive specialist Park Cheol-young has entered.]

[Seeing Ji Maeng-ho hit a ground ball he usually doesn’t, resulting in an out, it seems like he might be injured. His batting form didn’t look great for his knees, so he’s been substituted. Probably got injured during the 8th inning defense. Hopefully, it’s not a major injury…]

[I hope Ji Maeng-ho isn’t seriously injured. Now, Arena steps up to bat… Out! The 6th batter, Freeman, steps into the batter’s box! … Strike! Out! Only one count left until the finals! Go Young-hwan! You need to give it your all! Here comes America’s pinch-hitting strategy. Pinch hitter Bryce Harper steps up to bat.]

[You need to give it your all, Go Young-hwan. It’s tough, but you have to do it!]

-Please, please! If we get just one batter out, it’s the finals. Damn it, block it no matter what!

-Am I the only one too nervous to watch the game?

┗I can’t watch either.

-S**t, let’s just get one out!

With only one out left until the finals, Korea’s closer Go Young-hwan faces off against Bryce Harper, who overcame an injury in 2023 to represent his country after falling in 2021, before his troubles. Harper may not be in his prime anymore, but he was always a hitter capable of delivering a home run at any moment, having even won MVP until his injury.

In this intense showdown where there’s no room for complacency, American fans watching baseball hope Harper can tie the game, while Korean fans pray for Go Young-hwan to finish the game.

[Go Young-hwan nods. First pitch!]

Thwack!

And Harper swings at Go Young-hwan’s first pitch. A solid, full swing as if he had aimed for it. However, the ball flies high with an impressive launch angle.

[Park Cheol-young waves his hand. Signaling that he will catch it! He catches the hit! Go Young-hwan handles Harper’s fly ball! 4:3! The decisive end to a fierce match! Defeating the strong contender, the USA, Korea advances to the finals! Releasing the regret of WBC runner-up status and advancing to the finals!!!]

[Woohoo!! Korea! Advancing to the finals! I’m so proud of our juniors! Amazing! I really want to praise Kang Han-beom. It was a truly daunting situation, but in the bottom of the 8th… Wow, truly amazing. Kang Han-beom!]

[Kang Han-beom’s solo home run in the finals was decisive. Amidst extreme underperformance with only 1 hit in 18 at-bats, Kang Han-beom finally delivered the crucial blow! Shortly after, an interview with Kang Han-beom, the 4th batter who sank the USA, will follow. Up until now, S…]

-Damn!!!!! Advancing to the finals!!! Let’s go for the gold medal!!!!

-Wow, they beat the USA lol. This is epic.

-Haha, no matter how good the players are, the dark aura of the Laughingstock couldn’t be overcome.

┗Cowards, Korea! You should’ve included Wu Kwang-hyung in the lineup too!

┗┗Didn’t Wu Kwang-hyung win last year?

┗┗Since he wasn’t in the entry, nobody recognizes it.

-Give back the Olympic gold medal, Laughingstock! You’re all cheaters.

┗If Garrett Cole hadn’t choked, the USA would have easily won haha.

-Who’s playing against them?

┗Japan is winning against the Netherlands.

┗┗Game’s over, Japan won.

┗┗Was it against Ohtani?

┗┗Yeah, Ohtani versus Jang Woo-joo.

┗┗Ah…

-Wow, Han-beom is insane. Thought I was watching Jung Hyung-jin play lol.

┗Hey, it’s Ham. Ham’s not dead yet.

┗Han-beom is on fire C DA C.

-But Maeng-ho’s injury though? Can’t afford an injury right now…

┗Doesn’t seem like a major injury. He was running around just fine after the game ended lol.

Hmm… We won, but some Yabung fans are feeling down? Of course, Korea won the game, but it’s regrettable that the ‘Big Brother’ country, the United States, got eliminated from the Olympics because of us. Oh, as a nation, we didn’t fulfill our duty.

┗The Korea-US alliance is crucial.

┗┗HMDM

┗┗HMDM

┗Sigh… I’m not at ease either. However, there’s still the ‘Little Brother’ country, Japan, left. Let’s fulfill our duty as a nation in the finals.

-Although I appreciate the support, I had to deactivate my social media because of you guys. Damn it. And the jerk who sent me a private photo, I’ll find and kill him. Thank you for your support, and I will continue to work harder. Look forward to the second half. [25612 comments]

┗ASMH!

┗You hit a home run today. Maengho, come back to the team safely without getting hurt.

┗Maenghosin, your dedication saved Korea once again today. The eternal GOAT in baseball history, ‘Ji Maengho.’

┗Haha, Maengho, what were you trying to pull off today?

┗┗Seriously, I thought my knees would shatter when you caught that ball.

┗Maengho surpasses 25,000 hits~~~!! Let’s strive for over 30,000!!

┗This guy intentionally threw the bat, what a jerk. Seriously.

┗┗Haha, a traitor? It’s just Maenghosin’s ‘patriotism.’

┗When will this guy make it to the majors? Damn it, send him quickly so he doesn’t mess up the ecosystem in the KBO.

┗Go, Maenghosin! Let’s knock one out in the finals too!

┗AGAIN 2008!!!

-Was I the only one shedding tears during the game today? Getting older and watching baseball, but I was truly moved by the players’ spirit. Seonghyeon, Kang Hanbeom, those players who were rookies in 2008 are now shining in 2024. It brings tears to my eyes.

┗I shed a few tears tooㅠㅠㅠ

┗Just trust the players haha They will win this time too.

┗I can’t help but praise Ji Maengho. Despite the young players challenging him from outside, he consistently performs well.

┗┗Hmm… I hope he focuses on his character more than baseball. It’s hard to become a great player if you play around like that.

┗┗That’s why people here sound old-fashioned. Just play baseball well. Ruth, Mantle, Jeter dated a lot of women and still excelled. And isn’t it difficult to become a great player? He’s already the best player in South Korea.

┗┗He’s not the best player yet. There’s Seonghyeon and Ju Hyeongjin. They need validation in the majors.

┗┗That damn major validation haha Did you not see him hit a home run against Gerrit Cole today? He’s already an MVP contender at least when he goes to the majors.

-Ju Hyeongjin vs Ju Seungcheol vs Ji Maengho Who do you think is the best hitter in Korea?

Ju Hyeongjin Beijing Olympics champion. 599 career home runs between Korea and the US, 28 home runs and 100 RBIs in a single season in the majors.

Ju Seungcheol This Olympics .529 batting average with 3 home runs, 30-30 for two consecutive years, three consecutive Golden Gloves since debut.

Ji Maengho This Olympics .529 batting average with 6 home runs, last year’s MVP, world’s first 6 consecutive home runs, etc.

Looking at Ju Seungcheol’s performance in the Olympics, he seems capable of competing in the majors. Who do you think is the best hitter in Korea?

┗Haha, did you really ask this as a question? Obviously, it’s Ju Hyeongjin.

┗┗Considering last year’s 60 home runs with a .400 average, it’s fair to say Ji Maengho surpassed Ju Hyeongjin in just one season.

┗Why is Ju Seungcheol even here? Let’s be realistic; Ju Seungcheol couldn’t surpass Choi Jutae or Kang Hanbeom.

┗┗Still, Ju Seungcheol and Ji Maengho have a rivalry going on.

┗┗Honestly, it feels forced rivalry. Because of AT and Hanchul. He’s doing well this season, but Ju Se

“Why not choose between Ju Hyeong-jin or Ju Seung-cheol?”

“Nah, Ji Maeng-ho is better.”

*

“What are you doing on your phone at a time like this?”

“Ouch! Oh, oppa! I was just commenting on an interesting post.”

After a brief break following their first sexual encounter, Ji-ah, who had been rolling around naked, was caught smiling at her phone. Playfully tapping her petite and alluring buttocks, I asked what she found so amusing, only to discover she was surfing the internet.

“Is it that entertaining?”

“Well, there are a lot of stories about us. Mostly compliments. There is a sense of satisfaction in saying ‘I had this man.’”

Ji-ah used to cry after our first time together, but now seeing my name celebrated online brought me joy.

The day Ji-ah arrived in the United States coincided with the quarterfinal match against the Dominican Republic. Despite being busy appearing on various programs in Korea and the U.S., we finally managed to make time for each other today.

Following Hyung-jin when she was young, occasionally appearing on TV, from terrestrial broadcasts to YouTube appearances. Although she was quite busy with schedules almost akin to that of a half-celebrity due to frequent appearances on baseball-related programs, I felt fortunate that we could meet now.

In a room chilled by the blasting air conditioner, as the sweat cooled off, lying beside Ji-ah, I flipped the blanket over and stretched out my arm, prompting her to naturally rest her head on my arm.

“Ji-ah, we need to be more careful now.”

“Why?”

“Seung-cheol or Hyung-jin might look at me differently.”

Even I felt a bit nervous finding Ji-ah’s accommodation without getting caught.

“Really? Dad and oppa? …What should we do? Should we just say we’re dating?”

“No, there’s no need for that. If we say we’re dating, many fans might leave your YouTube channel.”

“Ugh… I’m getting undeserved criticism because of a weird article. It’s bothering me.”

What was that reporter’s name again? Choi… something, anyway, I was quite content enjoying a comfortable sex life, but Ji-ah seemed to think she was being harmed by that reporter’s disapproval.

“Still, we managed to sneak out without getting caught today.”

“But, oppa, even though it’s a typo in the starting lineup for the final game, can I stay with you like this? I’m a little worried…”

Before having sex, we were eagerly exploring each other’s bodies, but after finishing, Ji-ah seemed concerned. Do women also have post-sex worries? Well, I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t leave Ji-ah worrying.

“Ji-ah, didn’t you watch the WBC last year? I mentioned Ohtani, right?”

“…But still, he’s ‘Ohtani.’”

That ‘Ohtani’… Ji-ah’s words implied that I didn’t measure up to Ohtani. Worries stemming from her knowledge of baseball… Of course, I understood. Ohtani was currently summoning Babe Ruth, challenging the legacy of the greatest baseball player ever.

Honestly, I too acknowledged Ohtani. Last year, he hit 58 home runs and recorded 13 wins, unanimously winning the American League MVP. This year, after moving to the Dodgers, he finished the first half with a record of 12 wins and 2 losses, with an ERA of 2.25, showing improvement as a pitcher.

More terrifying than his pitching stats in the National League were his batting stats. He hit 38 home runs in the first half alone, recording an OPS of 1.127 and wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus, where 100 is average and one of the most accurate hitting stats in sabermetrics) around 200, making him a monster. He was competing with pitchers like San Diego’s Yu Darvish and Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom in the National League, but his hitting performance was even more impressive, smashing 38 home runs in the first half and boasting an OPS of 1.127, with a wRC+ hovering around 200.

However, even if such a monster, my woman thinking more highly of Otani than me was unbearable. And on top of that, worrying. My male pride does not allow it.

“Jia.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll show you tomorrow.”

“…Yeah.”

With my confident expression, Jia’s expression became much brighter than before. A face that showed trust rather than worry.

‘Making my woman have such an expression, Otani, you’re in for it tomorrow.’

As I made that vow, a knock sounded.

“Huh? Who could it be? Brother, Dad? Brother, hide for now!”

Frantically, Jia threw on a loose short-sleeved shirt and dolphin shorts scattered on the floor and covered me with a blanket. Then she rushed to the door.

“W-Who is it…?”

“It’s me.”

A familiar female voice. And that voice was familiar to Jia too.

“Me? Could it be, Hyuna unnie?”

“Hurry, open up. What if someone sees?”

At Hyuna’s voice, Jia opened the door.

“Oh, the smell. Were you already at it? Look, you even left your nipples standing out?”

“Wha-what are you touching!?”

“Surprise!”

Approaching from behind Jia, as I spoke, Jia’s expression when she turned to look at me was quite something.

“Oh! Brother! Without a word…!”

She must have thought it was really her dad or brother, as tears welled up in her eyes.

‘But still, to face Otani tomorrow, I should replenish my energy.’

A long-awaited threesome. To prepare for facing the reigning best baseball player, Otani, some preliminary measures seemed necessary for peace of mind.

*

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

“Our opponents are from Japan. Prepare to swim back home if you lose. Understood?”

“Understood!”

…And the day of the final match arrived. My condition right now is top-notch. Until yesterday, there was a slight ache in my knee, but thanks to a good time spent yesterday, I don’t feel any pain now.

“Phew, feeling good.”

The person who will become the greatest baseball player of all time is me. The thought of firmly planting this fact in Otani’s mind today made my lower body tingle with excitement.

“You idiot, that’s because you had too much sex yesterday.”

“…Shut up.”