episode_0061

Kim Jin-hoo, I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before… Well, what’s the point of thinking about this kind of stuff? I cleared my mind and focused on pitching.

Thud!

With a cheerful sound, the ball hit by the batter split between first and second base, dropping in front of the right fielder.

“He’s quite decent. His hitting is somewhat worth watching.”

“Yoon Sung-tae?”

It was unusual for Rosby to praise someone. Well, excluding Oh Gwan-hyung, Yoon Sung-tae’s skills were decent even in my eyes.

During the finishing camp, training in the same group as him, I found him tiresomely good both in batting and defense. Moreover, when training with the Keystone Combo, we synced well enough.

However, after the first day, for some reason, he started to cling to me a bit annoyingly.

“Hello, Coach.”

“I’m not a coach anymore; you should call me Coach Lee.”

“Oh, it became a habit.”

After greeting the battery coach for the second team, Lee Ki-cheol, I stood at the plate.

“He looks pleased; seems like that girl is doing quite well.”

“Really? I heard she just makes excuses and gets by.”

“Well, if you’re a man, seeing your seed grow healthy should bring joy, no matter how tough it is. Of course, she’s not my child. Haha.”

Well, it was fortunate that Lee Ki-cheol liked her. If he raises my child well, then it’s good for me.

“Play ball!”

With all preparations done, Lee Ki-cheol gave the start sign.

“Now, focus!”

Yesterday, playing without Rosby, I only got a walk in two at-bats, so today, I wanted to hit a home run to flatten Rosby’s nose.

“A slider, curveball, changeup at around 140 km/h.”

Recalling the pitcher’s characteristics heard before the game, I imprinted them in my mind again and matched the pitcher’s timing from the on-deck circle.

The pitcher’s first pitch soared high, captivating my eyes. However, having seen many high fastballs aimed at my upper swing, I could easily filter it out.

“Ball.”

“It seems I’ve learned how to read the ball.”

“I’ve seen too many balls like this.”

And then, the second pitch followed swiftly, as if the pitcher didn’t want to give me time to think.

Whizz!

“Strike!”

Huh? It was definitely the right timing.

“What was that pitch just now?”

“Changeup. Surprised? Since Jin-hoo throws the fastball and changeup perfectly at the same timing, newcomers often get flustered.”

“Oh, I see.”

Was it a changeup? It looked like a fastball. Even in the second team, they play like pros, huh? But considering the changeup, I thought I wouldn’t be able to react to the fastball, so I erased the changeup from my mind.

One strike, one ball. He probably wants to throw a ball outside the zone, right? I relaxed my body, ready to lightly brush off the incoming ball.

“As expected!”

My prediction was correct. A slider breaking away outside. Anticipating it from the start, I could handle the bat.

“Oh, you handled that quite well. But most rookie players struggle with these kinds of breaking balls. Probably, once you go pro, most will throw you changeups, right?”

Why does this guy like to talk like this? The catcher kept giving advice.

“Oh, I see.”

Giving a suitable response to the catcher who disturbed my thoughts, I tried to think about the next pitch.

“You think too much, like a monkey. With your athletic nerves, you should be able to see and hit. Swing boldly.”

“Got it.”

Rosby, who didn’t give advice yesterday, suddenly started advising today. Am I overthinking? Well, I was trying to predict every ball too much. Since there’s only one strike left, I’ll just see and hit.

Initially, I adjust to the timing of the fastball and wait for the pitcher’s fourth pitch. The pitcher’s glove rustles, head nodding slightly. Now! At the moment I judged it wasn’t a ball, I prepared to swing the bat along its trajectory.

The ball floated slightly, giving me the sensation of it flying.

“Damn, it’s a curve!”

In that fleeting moment, I sensed it was a curve, so I subtly paused the bat, gripping it with my waist strength before exploding with power again! Instinctively, I released my right hand while adjusting the timing.

Thwack!

I swung all the way through, feeling a solid impact in my hands. Usually, this would mean a foul… but the ball was flying high. Having made contact, I sprinted towards first base.

“Left! Left!”

In the quiet stadium without spectators, I could hear the outfielders calling out the play.

Upon reaching first base, the first base coach signaled to stop. Checking the runners upon seeing the sign, they were all watching my hit from midway between the bases.

“Oh, if only the wind catches it, will it go over?”

Listening to Rosby’s words, as I glanced towards left field, I saw the left fielder waiting close to the wall for my hit.

“If this were a bigger ballpark, it might have gone over, right?”

First baseman muttered while still watching my hit floating. Then, the left fielder extended his glove towards the sky and jumped.

Thunk!

Focused, I could almost hear the sound of the ball hitting the railing and bouncing back to first base.

“Run!”

As the ball hit the railing, all the runners, including myself, started running towards the next base.

Stepping on first base, then second! Seeing the third base coach’s signal to run to third, I wondered if all the runners had already scored. Not knowing where the ball was, I trusted the third base coach and ran straight towards third base.

“Slide!”

Damn, the third baseman has his glove ready? But at this point, it’s already too late!

“Ah, darn!”

“Nice slide. Too bad.”

The third base coach clapped with a rueful expression, offering me some comfort.

Internally cursing the third base coach and brushing off the dirt, I returned to the dugout to catch my breath when the hitting coach approached me.

“Tsk, even if we didn’t match the size exactly like Jamsil, it would have gone over. It’s a shame.”

“No, I should have hit it a bit better.”

“You made a good send-off just now, even if it was caught. Just sending it that far is a success. Indeed, you’re a monster in terms of strength.”

The hitting coach praised me with a genuinely impressed expression. That bastard, he does have a keen eye.

“Thank you.”

“Haha, indeed, it seems like there’s an orangutan among your ancestors. I thought it was just a fly ball.”

“Again, why add those remarks? Can’t you just acknowledge it? Are you afraid of Jimaengho’s growth, Rosby?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Well, even without Rosby, I could do this much.”

“Clearly, the training has paid off. With that kind of pitch, you should be able to hit it even without me. But you know, if you had hit it well, it would have been a home run.”

“…Yes. Ah, a bit disappointing.”

“Still, well done. Most batters would have whiffed, but the fact that you adjusted the bat’s timing in that split second shows you’ve got talent. Surprisingly, you can create hits like that even without me, I was honestly amazed. For a monkey, you’re quite good.”

Oh, praise! Running to third base and getting out made me feel like crap, but suddenly, my mood started to improve.

“Hehehe. Even in Rossby’s eyes, right? Exactly! Even if Rossby wasn’t there, I would have succeeded, right? Hehehehe.”

Igicheol, even if that bastard didn’t envy me, I was always destined for success! Hearing Rossby’s praise made the unpleasant feeling that had occasionally haunted me completely dissipate.

“Don’t laugh, you monkey. It’s annoying.”

“Heh, understood. As a disciple of Rossby, I’ll make sure to maintain my composure.”

“Sigh….”

Was it thanks to Rossby’s recognition? Despite striking out three times in the next at-bat, I didn’t feel bad.

*

“Great job during the finishing camp, everyone. Let’s prepare well for the next season.”

“Understood!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After the Cheongbaekjeon ended, warm farewells were exchanged. Is it finally over? I was a bit worried about the training of the rookies, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Maybe it’s because I trained with the second-string players? Anyway, after exchanging greetings with the players I had trained with, I headed back to my room.

“It’s finally over. Two weeks felt so long. If it weren’t for Jo Eun, I might have run away.”

“Hehe, we understand each other. I would have suggested running away first.”

Thankfully, after Pilates class ends, I can relax with Jo Eun. If she wasn’t here, I would have seriously considered escaping.

“Thanks to Jo Eun, everything ended without any issues. I should pack up and organize my things.”

“Jimaengho.”

“Oh, senior. Thank you for everything.”

While tidying up the room where I had stayed for two weeks, my roommate Woo Gwanhyung struck up a conversation. Why is this guy approaching me? Is he going to nag me again?

“How do you plan to train until the spring camp?”

“Huh? Shouldn’t we be resting?”

“Isn’t December enough rest for a month?”

“Oh, really? Well, I think I’ll focus on weight training until the spring camp. It’s too cold to go outside onto the field.”

“What about January?”

“Probably something similar. I don’t have any specific plans.”

“That works out.”

What does he mean by “that works out”? I’m getting anxious…

“Clear your schedule in January.”

“Why are you asking me to do that?”

“I plan to conduct personal training in Australia in January.”

Why is he telling me this? Is he showing off?

“Oh, that’s great.”

“You know what I mean, right?”

No, I don’t? Since I knew I’d be labeled as clueless by the team’s top brass if I questioned him, I kept quiet.

“Let’s go together. There’s one more person besides you. It’s a tradition at AT for veteran players to take rookies for personal training trips funded by them. Don’t feel sorry, just come along. Wouldn’t it be good for you to build your body while running in a warm place?”

Now that Woogwanhyung directly brought it up, I couldn’t refuse anymore. Damn, I was planning to just lift weights and have some fun during winter!

“Oh, okay. Thank you.”

“You don’t look happy. There’s no need to feel too sorry. It’s your duty as a senior. Just pay it forward when you start earning money.”

“Oh, I see.”

I couldn’t curse at Woogwanhyung who arranged for me to participate in personal training, despite my cozy winter plans going down the drain.

“Good job over the past two weeks.”

“You’ve worked hard too, senior.”

“Yeah, here’s my number, save it. Contact me in January.”

“Got it.”

As I looked at my phone to save Woogwanhyung’s number, I noticed an unread message.

– Cheon Soyoung: Maengho, is the finishing camp over today? Can we meet up by any chance?

She wasn’t the type to reach out first if I didn’t contact her. What’s going on?