Chapter 34

Genius Coach -5-

#

Is it the past or the future?

Past and future?

A future that no longer exists, and a past that only I know.

So, before the regression, when I was playing in the Major League, Yurika didn't really like coming to the stadium.

There were various reasons, and Yurika felt hurt by that.

Now, though, it's just nice. The mere fact that she's here watching me gives me a surge of energy.

I wish I had done this earlier. Or at least, I should have explained it properly.

Sometimes, the memories of the past that no one knows about sting me. I don't want to see Yurika sad or crying.

Of course, no one can be happy all their life.

And even if it's not the most serious problem, everyone has their issues. Perhaps it was the most serious kind of problem for Yurika, but honestly, I still don't fully understand it.

Back then, Yurika was often sad because of the Oceans.

She would say that this year would be different before each season, but every time the Oceans' performance got close to the tragic number (the number that confirms their elimination from the postseason), she would feel bad. It was amazing how this repeated every year.

Still, I think it's fortunate. I can make Yurika happy, even if it's just a little, with what I do best... no, what I almost exclusively know how to do.

“Gang! Geon! Woo! Gang! Geon! Woo!”

From one side of the Jamsil Stadium, I can hear the fans chanting my name. I bet Yurika is also shouting “Geonwoo!”

“Sam! Jin! Sam! Jin!”

On the other side, the voices cheering for the Bulldozers' pitcher on the mound are loud.

We started the game with a 3-run homer in the first inning. And our coach called me before the top of the ninth inning, when we were losing 7-8. I think I did a good job as the Oceans' fifth starter.

“I heard your girlfriend came to the stadium today.”

“Yes, she flew in last night to see me.”

The coach is quick to notice things. He proposed a bet to me.

“If you turn the game around in your next at-bat.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give you an hour of free time after the game. You don’t have to take the team bus. It’s an official offer. How about it?”

Even though it’s just an hour, I thought I could spend some good time just walking hand in hand with Yurika, who came all the way here to see me.

Actually, there are quite a few restrictions for rookies in baseball. My Major League experience is not recorded anywhere, and no matter how well I do, I’m just a rookie earning the minimum salary.

“Sure.”

“Great.”

The coach patted my shoulder and announced to the team.

“Alright, my friends! Look here! I want to give an hour of freedom if Gang turns the game around. Anyone against it? And if anyone else wants an hour without any interference, show your skills! No need to raise your hand! Just score and raise your hand!”

From the atmosphere, no one was against it. Actually, it would have been awkward to raise a hand in opposition.

“Oh, an hour, huh...”

Bae Young-han said with a grin. An hour wouldn’t be enough for him to drink as much as he wanted or to meet a woman.

The head coach looked a bit dubious, but since he’s the one who wants to leech off me, he didn’t seem to strongly oppose it.

The team captain seemed to be on my side.

“Oh, an hour. Hey, Si-wook. How many skewers can you eat in an hour?”

“Ah, sir. An hour would be enough to finish the skewer house’s stock.”

“Let’s hit a walk-off and go eat skewers.”

“I’ll hit it, so you won’t have a chance, sir.”

“If you hit it, lend me 30 minutes.”

“If you hit it, I’ll take 30 minutes from you.”

“Deal.”

Anyway, the others didn’t seem to care much.

And the top of the ninth inning.

Bulldozers' closer, Yong Su-hyun, came to the mound. The home fans started cheering for the pitcher.

“Bulldozers' Yong Su-hyun! Let’s end this here! Let’s end it!”

His four-seam fastball can reach up to 150 km/h, and his curveball has a significant drop. A two-pitch stuff closer.

He didn’t pitch in yesterday’s game. He saved a game three days ago with 13 pitches, so he should be in good form.

His weakness is said to be his control, but it has improved this season, so we’ll have to see.

Fortunately, I’m up first. I’ll get my chance.

Senior Hwang Seok-gyu joked with me before the inning started.

“I’m selling an hour.”

He seems a bit cool, but sometimes he wants to make people laugh. He’s hard to approach, but he wants to fit in and can’t.

“I’ll give you 10,000 won.”

“Do you need it?”

“What? I don’t have a girlfriend, so it’s fine.”

“What have you been doing without a girlfriend?”

He meant it as a joke, but No Gyeong-woo looked dejected.

“Seok-gyu sir! No Gyeong-woo, a man who sold his youth to baseball! So he doesn’t have time to have a girlfriend, a passionate man of this era!”

“Geon-woo has a girlfriend and is good at baseball.”

Instantly, Park Eui-hyun, who doesn’t have a girlfriend, opened his mouth but couldn’t say anything. Senior Lee Si-wook quietly looked around and put a chocolate pie in his mouth.

From the look of the ball, my condition seems pretty good today. The curveball’s drop was excellent, and the fastball had good movement. So, it means that Senior Hwang Seok-gyu was out on a routine play.

“Hey, guys.”

“...”

“I still have a girlfriend.”

“...What?”

I headed to the on-deck circle, looking at No Gyeong-woo’s bewildered face.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, I could easily find where Yurika was. Just look for the place with two large flags.

I stared at that direction. Yurika must be watching me too.

I wish I had brought binoculars, but now is not the time. I need to carefully observe how the pitcher throws.

I put a lot of force into my lead foot. If the damage accumulates, it can lead to an injury.

“Strike!”

The release point is inconsistent. He’s a type who puts a lot of force into his whole body when he throws. On a good day, the ball comes in heavy regardless of the release point, but on a bad day, his control is off and the spin rate drops.

“Foul!”

But today seems to be a good day. Bae Young-han, who always smiles casually, spat and gripped his bat shorter.

It seems he’s focusing on making contact. I try to maintain my style no matter who I face at the plate, but Bae Young-han’s approach isn’t bad either.

Putting aside his ability to produce hits, power, and plate discipline, his ability to make contact with the bat might be at the average level of the Major League.

And the third pitch, a high inside pitch. Bae Young-han started to swing but pulled back, and he appealed to the umpire by flapping his sleeve, saying the ball hit his clothes.

When the umpire shook his head, the coach requested a video review. The result was a hit-by-pitch.

“Uuuuuuuuuu!”

“Maaaaa!”

The home fans’ boos and the away fans’ protests mixed together.

And I stepped into the batter’s box with a runner on first.

Bae Young-han, grinning, tapped the Bulldozers’ first baseman’s butt and pointed to the fence, looking at me.

Hit a homer?

I was already thinking about it.

#

“Su-hyun! Your pitches are good today! Just hit the middle!”

The Bulldogs’ star third baseman, Seo Woo-ju, encouraged the pitcher from his defensive position. Today, he has three walks and a double, fulfilling his role as a star.

I knew it would be a power vs. power matchup.

Yong Su-hyun is a power pitcher who strikes out batters with high fastballs, and Kang Geon-woo enjoys a strong uppercut swing.

I was impressed when he hit a line drive over Bong Jae-seok’s fastballs. Bong Jae-seok’s four-seam fastball is among the best in the league, comparable to a top foreign pitcher.

So, even though I said that, I was a bit nervous. I hoped he would诱导地投出曲线球，诱使对方击出地滚球。

“Su-hyun! I’ll catch it!”

The shortstop also encouraged the pitcher.

The outfielders positioned themselves deeper, ready for a long hit. A double play would be ideal, but fundamentally, this batter has the ability to hit the ball to the outfield.

Yong Su-hyun took a deep breath and started his pitching motion. His inverted W pitching form, with his elbows higher than his shoulders, looks refreshing just to watch.

His strongest weapon, the four-seam fastball, flew toward the catcher. The first baseman, Bae Young-han, took a step toward second base.

Kang Geon-woo’s bat started low and aimed for a high contact point.

He lifted his left foot slightly and shifted his weight to his right foot. Just before the bat made contact, his wrist and bat formed a perfect right angle, and his right armpit and elbow rotated quickly and powerfully, using both his lower and upper body strength in a very efficient swing.

As the bat made contact, his right wrist pushed the bat, and his left hand gripped it firmly, using centrifugal force.

The hitting point was in front of his body.

He met the 150 km/h pitch and sent it flying like a missile.

Crack!

Then, his right hand maintained his balance while his left hand completed a smooth follow-through.

It was a soft yet destructive swing.

Coach Hugh Breadman, who was wearing sunglasses, performed an aggressive uppercut celebration, and when Kang Geon-woo rounded all the bases and returned to the bench, he shouted in an excited voice.

“Fucking glad you didn’t go to the Major League!”

#

Yurika is leaving tomorrow morning. She won’t be able to see the third game against the Bulldogs, but we have plenty of time to walk along the Han River together.

“Hit a homer, and you get an hour of free time, right?”

Is that enough?

“If I get a game-tying or go-ahead hit, I get an hour.”

“Park Dong seems to know a thing or two.”

“Yeah. Ah, if it was two hours, I’d hit a grand slam.”

Yurika laughed at my silly comment. We won the game 9-8. Senior Kim Jung-hyuk, who didn’t pitch in yesterday’s game, came in and closed it out steadily.

He gets weaker when he pitches in consecutive games. I don’t think the head coach decided not to bring him in today because of yesterday’s game, but winning is what matters.

“Did you enjoy today’s game?”

Yurika smiled and answered.

“How much fun is baseball these days?”

“Wasn’t it boring yesterday?”

“Yesterday...”

Yurika fell into deep thought. Well, she probably didn’t see the game because she was on the plane.

“I don’t know. Yesterday, I didn’t really care whether we won or lost.”

“Why?”

Yurika always had the habit of analyzing games while watching the Oceans. Maybe that’s why her coaching skills developed from a young age.

Yurika smiled awkwardly and then suddenly became serious.

“Hey, Kang Geon-woo.”

“Yeah?”

“After reading your letter...”

“My letter?”

“...I just felt like seeing your face...”

Yurika’s hesitation was cute, and I felt a warmth in my chest.

I like Yurika. Honestly, I was worried about what to do if she didn’t like me. More honestly, I felt a sense of guilt for meeting Yurika again as if nothing had happened, after I had left her once.

So, regardless of how things go between us, I decided to be honest and express my feelings openly.

I feel relieved. Yurika likes me too. I knew it, but still.

“Good thing I wrote the letter.”

It was the first time. I never asked her to write a letter, but I secretly hoped she would. I didn’t know how to write it, but I tried.

Yurika smiled shyly and then poked my side with a mischievous look.

“Hey, your handwriting is really bad.”

“So, should I stop writing?”

“What? No. Hey, you always exaggerate what I