episode_0384

During the national team training period, staying in Seoul instead of the athletes’ village and training at Gocheok was somewhat disappointing. Of course, being in Seoul didn’t mean one couldn’t have sex, but the athletes’ village had its own unique charm that I experienced during the Asian Games.

Therefore, there was a tinge of regret as I boarded the plane to the United States. Moreover, for jet lag adjustment,

Nevertheless, the fortunate aspect was,

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“Sis, how was it?”

“Oh, it was so good!”

Before the start of the Olympic Games like the baseball national team, many players who had come over from Korea for jet lag adjustment were present. Baek Chaewon, whom I met at the athletes’ village last year during the Asian Games, just like two years ago. Before I could unpack in my room, I locked eyes with her in the lobby where Korean players were gathered, and this was the result.

“Ah, ah. Tastes even better after a long time. Shall we meet occasionally even when we go back to Korea? To be honest, I missed you a bit since that day.”

As she stroked my leg and lay down beside me panting, she spoke up. Meeting occasionally in Korea. However, I didn’t feel the need to meet by contacting her. After all, there were plenty of easy women around, and it would be awkward to complicate things for no reason.

“Oh, you’re married…. Let’s just be satisfied with meeting occasionally like this. It’s somewhat romantic to meet each other every time we represent the country.”

“Ah, because of you, I feel like I need to work out harder. Actually, I was planning to retire after just this Olympics…”

“Let’s see each other often during national team gatherings.”

“Mangho, but I’m in a risky period now. Is it really okay to do it inside?”

“…Aren’t you doing it with your husband these days?”

“Well, Juwon didn’t make it to the national team.”

“Oh, really? When was the last time you did it?”

“The day right before leaving for the United States.”

Well, there was no way that she and Coach Ji didn’t do it that day. The dates were roughly similar, so it didn’t seem to matter much. When I heard about the risky period before starting, I had planned to release the pent-up sexual desire on the plane, but hearing that her last time with her husband was close to mine put my mind at ease.

“Anyway, sis, I enjoyed meeting you today. Let’s do it again next time.”

“Just once today and then leave?”

“We have to gather soon… You know I came straight here without unpacking, right?”

The gathering time was now 30 minutes away. Considering the two hours of free time I had after arriving here, it seemed like I had enjoyed it quite well. I could go back to my room and tidy up quickly with the remaining time.

“You worked hard too, Sipnyeon.”

“That’s… Oh!”

Slapping her buttocks as she lay there, white liquid trickled out. Leaving her like that, I returned to my room, finding the door unlocked and someone inside.

“What’s this? Did I forget to lock the door?”

“Hyung! Where did you go and come back! I was waiting.”

Jang Woojoo was the only one younger than me in this national team.

“What? Why are you here?”

“Hyung, I was waiting. Where did you go and come back from? Maybe…? Hehe.”

Woojoo grinned mischievously, seeming to know what I had been up to.

“How did you get in?”

“Oh? The door was open?”

“Get lost, you brat.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. They gave individual rooms for team sports. It was nice when we went to China.”

As Woojoo mentioned, this time at the Olympics, even team sport athletes could have individual rooms. Truly American, right? Not having to worry about roommates was a significant advantage. Besides, my room was quite secluded among the players, almost like a pre-sex zone.

Now, there was no need to tiptoe around like last year when looking for other girls’ rooms. Today, I did end up going to that room since my luggage was still unpacked.

“I realize now, it was frustrating, right? Having to be cautious because of this guy.”

“Damn, last year was so tough because of you.”

“Oh, come on! Why are you like this again? We had a good time last year!”

“It wasn’t just good, damn it, it was annoying as hell.”

“Well, anyway, if there’s a nice girl this time, you know, meeting her together?”

“Just do it on your own now.”

“Oh, come on, don’t say that… Ah!”

Suddenly, the guy started acting cute, and without realizing it, I ended up flicking him hard on the back of his head. Tears welled up in his eyes, and silence fell between us.

“…Was that too harsh?”

“…Instead, I’ll help you tidy up the room. Let’s meet up together!”

…It didn’t seem too severe. He was asking me for help even after I flicked his head.

“Tsk tsk, what’s the big deal with girls.”

“Alright, buddy. Unpack your bag.”

“Okay, bro!”

Still feeling slightly guilty, I promised to call him if I had plans to meet two people and started organizing my belongings. There was about 10 minutes left until the gathering.

“Whoa, bro. Why did you bring so many condoms?”

“Why? Can I borrow some?”

“Oh, no. It’s… never mind.”

“Why? I won’t use them all, and you can manage without them.”

He was actually trying to give me a few out of kindness. The condoms I used were thin and fit me perfectly, so they didn’t slip off easily.

“It’s okay. Just keep them in the drawer.”

“…Okay.”

After organizing our things, we went outside and found the players gathered in one place. And at the center was…

“Oh! It’s Otani.”

It was Otani.

“Hey, buddy, first time seeing Otani? We saw him during the WBC.”

“Oh, I was on the bench then. Hey, remember when you hit that home run?”

“I do. Otani’s nothing special.”

“Oh, really? How does your pitch compare to mine? The speed is similar, right?”

“…What nonsense are you talking about? Even if your pitch is 10 km/h faster, it would be hard for Otani to hit.”

…”

After kindly answering Universe’s silly question, when I looked towards Otani, our eyes met. And next to him, Choi Joo-tae waved at me warmly. It seemed like Otani was here to see Choi Joo-tae, probably because they had a close relationship from their Angels days.

By the way, Otani is currently playing for the LA Dodgers with a whopping $106 million contract for 10 years. Thanks to Otani’s performance, the Dodgers were competing for the championship.

“Hey, Maeng-ho! Long time no see! Was the last time we met at the previous camp?”

“Hello, senior.”

“You’re still doing well in Korea? I heard about the match-fixing. Well done. Those guys should all be taken care of. [Oh, Otani, this is Ji Maeng-ho. You know him, right? A famous batter in Korea these days.]”

“[Of course, I know. We had a conversation last time.]”

As Otani walked towards me, the players who had gathered to talk with him parted ways, and he stopped in front of me, extending his hand for a handshake.

“[It won’t be easy this time. Ji.]”

“[Huh?]”

Why such a sudden remark?

“[I didn’t know much about you last time, but it’ll be different this time, right? I hope you’ll rise up.]”

“[We’ll see.]”

Otani’s hand, true to a baseball player, was firm. It was a hand that showed how much effort he had put in.

“[Well, I’ve seen your face now, so I should get going. Choi, take care and see you in the game.]]”

After finishing the handshake, Otani exchanged greetings with Choi Joo-tae and then disappeared.

“Wow, Joo-tae. You really made it. My friend Joo-tae, coming to see Otani like this. Maybe I should have stayed in the majors too.”

Choi Joo-tae’s colleague, Ki Sang-joo, seemed envious of that fact.

“Sang-joo senior. You’re also on the team with me.”

“…Are you close with Otani?”

Ignoring my words completely, Ki Sang-joo turned back to Choi Joo-tae.

“Well, buddy. We spent five years together. Hmm. Even though we left because the team didn’t win.”

“But why did you come here? Curiosity?”

“No, the Japanese guys are coming tomorrow and they wanted to see a lion.”

“A lion? Why?”

“He hit a home run in the WBC. That’s why Japan got eliminated. Well, maybe they still hold a grudge.”

“You saw him, right? Sang-joo senior. He’s the guy that Otani is looking for.”

“Yeah, you’re good.”

Looking bewildered, Ki Sang-joo glanced at me and then left, prompting one by one to enter the practice room.

“Maeng-ho, so how does Otani look?”

Just as I was about to enter like the other seniors, Choi Joo-tae approached me. I conveyed my thoughts exactly as I felt in response to Choi Joo-tae’s words.

“But, surprisingly, Otani seems a bit arrogant. When I read the articles, he seemed very polite and all.”

“Huh? Otani? He’s not that kind of guy.”

“Isn’t Joo-tae senior not much older than Otani? But he’s acting all arrogant. Arrogantly.”

“Hey, everyone calls him that way. And, if you think about it, aren’t you younger than Otani too? Isn’t Otani calling you that way?”

“Oh, I don’t know him, but you do. Just acting all high and mighty. It’s not like we met on the construction site. Senior, let’s have a little lesson. Should we tag when we get to second base? You from the left, and I from the right.”

“This guy is a funny one. I’ve known it from before. Anyway, I’ll rely on you. Partner.”

Throughout the Olympics, Choi Joo-tae, who matched well with me, patted my shoulder, saying, “Let’s do well.” Yoon Sung-tae was my partner in Korea, but now it’s Choi Joo-tae. Although it was a short time, last year when we practiced a few times, our coordination wasn’t bad, so I wasn’t worried.

“I’m counting on you.”

“Yeah, I sometimes watch your videos, and you need to work harder on defense. I’ll teach you a lot.”

“Then I appreciate it.”

Indeed, reassuring, right? It’s not easy for an Asian to succeed as an infielder in the Major Leagues, so during the Olympic period, I felt like I had a lot to learn from Choi Joo-tae. The team had a defensive coach, but an active Major Leaguer was more reliable, and thinking about playing defense in the Majors later on, it was good to learn from Choi Joo-tae now. And…

“…Is there none?”

“Why are you looking around suddenly?”

“Oh, just checking if someone was there.”

Although Ross B was experienced and had advice, honestly, his defense was a bit lacking. While helpful in positioning and throwing the ball, his footwork and glove work were sometimes hindered, possibly due to playing in poor conditions. Most of the errors I made this season were of that nature.

“Did you find me?”

And after disappearing somewhere following sex, Ross B suddenly appeared. It was a bit creepy how he showed up like a ghost after cursing, but I brushed off that feeling and spoke to Ross B.

“Mr. Ross B! Where did you go again?”

“I checked the accommodations’ structure and came back. Also checked where which country is staying. Most were empty, but you know. Hehe, excited at the thought of bedding hometown girls again. Well, Eastern women weren’t bad either.”

“As expected, Mr. Ross B!”

Well, what if you can’t play defense well?