Chapter 65

# The Burning House -4-

#

“Daegun.”

“Yes, Brother Yonghan.”

“Isn’t your team going too far?”

“What did our team do?”

“Hey, well, I can understand what Changyeol did, but your catcher...”

“Brother...”

“Huh?”

“It’s me...”

“Hmm?”

“I’m just a loudmouth, but I have no strength at all...”

“What?”

“Especially Park Yihyun, I can’t handle him...”

“What are you talking about?”

“Brother, could you say something to Park Yihyun? Hey, Daegun said you’re too much for him. Could you stop tormenting him a bit...?”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

“He doesn’t listen to me, but he might listen to you. Aren’t you the role model for all catchers?”

“Daegun.”

“Brother. Kang Geonwoo, No Gyeongwoo, Park Yihyun. These three are bad guys. They’re eating up the Oceans. I’m just a loudmouth. I think I should go.”

“Hey! Hey!”

#

I don’t know much about the senior-junior culture in the KBO, but from the way Daegun, who just met the Vikings’ captain, came back with a rather agitated face and said, “Hey! Do whatever you want!”, it might not be as strict as I heard.

If not, then what?

Maybe he got beaten up a few times and was scared of our captain.

Still, he called me and No Gyeongwoo over and talked to us separately.

“Be careful when sliding into second base. Especially Seo Changyeol and Jo Hoonki... Sometimes they run in with their spikes high. Don’t get hurt. It’s better to just give up the base.”

He seemed a bit worried. Anyway, No Gyeongwoo looked a bit scared.

“Hey, you don’t really mean to spike them, right?”

“Spike them first before they spike you.”

“Then won’t it turn into a fight?”

“It will turn into a fight even if you get spiked.”

“But...”

“Getting your ankle broken and coming back three months later to find your starting position taken is worse than just being a tough guy.”

“Bro.”

“What?”

“I’m a bit scared, so could you do it first?”

“No way.”

“Why!”

“I don’t want Yuli to think I’m violent.”

“Bad guy...”

I think it’s better to strike first rather than be struck. In the major leagues, I used to worry Yuli because of such things, but I couldn’t tolerate it.

And while I was worried, I also heard this.

‘Well... Yeah. It’s better to come back winning than to lose.’

Actually, if you decide to fight, you should be prepared to take as much as you give.

That’s what the old Oceans were like.

Jeong Gihyun and Ko Euntae didn’t care about anyone but themselves, Park Jeongshin pretended to be aloof and walked his own path, and Yang Daegun just stayed quiet.

But now that Yang Daegun has his magical bat, they can’t just do whatever they want, right?

Anyway, the atmosphere was quite good.

Of course, this is only about our team, not the opposing team.

We added another run with a double by Lee Siwook, who has recently improved his hitting, followed by a timely hit by No Gyeongwoo.

The Vikings fans at the Munhak Baseball Stadium shouted.

“Kim Yo-han, if you get beaten up again, just retire!”

“If you lose to the Oceans, you’ll be too embarrassed to live, you guys!”

Baseball fans.

It’s not a big deal. This is the kind of thing you hear even in the womb if you grow up in a baseball family.

“Look at how Siwook runs. Isn’t he running stupidly?”

Daegun is quiet when Park Yihyun is in the dugout.

But when No Gyeongwoo was up to bat, Park Yihyun was in the on-deck circle, and since the second base runner was Lee Siwook, who Daegun almost exclusively teases, he said with a very pleased look on his face.

I didn’t say that there’s someone who runs even more strangely than that person. I just congratulated Lee Siwook, who came back to the dugout after scoring.

“Ah, nothing’s going wrong these days, nothing! It feels like we’re about to hit a grand slam, doesn’t it?”

Next was Park Yihyun’s at-bat.

No Gyeongwoo attempted a steal, and although Jo Yong’s throw was quite good, No Gyeongwoo slid in safely by rolling to the side.

I was a bit hopeful. Maybe No Gyeongwoo would spike Jo Hoonki’s ankle with a bent-leg slide.

“No Gyeongwoo is doing well!”

“He’s so fast!”

While the Oceans players cheered, No Gyeongwoo got up with a smirk and dusted himself off. Then, as if to avenge what Seo Changyeol had just experienced, Jo Hoonki pretended to throw the ball, just like I did, but kept it hidden in his glove.

If No Gyeongwoo fell for it, the atmosphere might change. But No Gyeongwoo pretended to step off the base and then stretched his foot to touch second base before Jo Hoonki could tag him with his glove.

“Wow, No Gyeongwoo is crazy!”

“No Gyeongwoo has a great sense!”

No Gyeongwoo, who I thought was annoying, made a V sign with both hands and waved his arms. Then, it seemed like he bowed to Jo Hoonki, who said something.

“...Gyeongwoo seemed a bit scared just now.”

“Scared of what? That guy is completely crazy.”

“Jo Hoonki seems to have lost it?”

“How did such a guy end up on our team?”

The Vikings players looked a bit angry, but our team players were quite enjoying it.

Especially Daegun, who nodded with a moistened eye.

“To think I’d live to see the day we could tease the Vikings...”

“...It seems you’ve had a lot of pent-up feelings.”

“Geonwoo.”

“Yes.”

“Can you do well even without me?”

“Huh?”

The captain, wiping his eyes, said,

“If something happens... I’ll have to go and sort it out...”

“Ah...”

“I’m counting on you to hit well even without me...”

It seems he had already planned a bench-clearing.

The team is getting a bit strange.

Crack!

Park Yihyun hit a big shot and threw his bat as if it were a walk-off home run.

“Out!”

But the ball didn’t go far. It was a fly out to right field. No Gyeongwoo tagged up and ran to third base, and Park Yihyun grumbled as he came back to the dugout.

“Seniors, it seems the ball calls are off today.”

What is he talking about?

He hit the first pitch and then talks about ball calls.

It’s clear that the madness started with that catcher.

Daegun closed his mouth firmly when Park Yihyun came back.

He doesn’t seem to dislike it.

Is he scared of it?

#

Many people disliked the Vikings’ style of play, but the Vikings players didn’t care.

Some saw it as a winning technique or as a display of fighting spirit. In fact, even Oceans fans, when they saw their team lose to the Vikings’ style, would curse them as dirty, but most would rather see the Oceans win by any means.

It was frustrating. Why don’t they try their hardest to win?

They should use any means to win, but why don’t they show it?

When the Oceans played provocatively against the Vikings, the Oceans fans cheered even more for this reason.

If you get hit, you should hit back. If you get hit and do nothing, you’ll just be treated as a pushover.

And among those people was Jeong Yuli.

“Our Geonwoo can do anything...”

Andy Garfield had just attempted a pickoff to second base. Kang Geonwoo hit the Vikings runner in the groin with his glove, and the Vikings runner was complaining of pain.

Yuli’s family, who were watching the game together, burst into laughter.

“Oh, Seo Changyeol, that guy. He’s really twisted.”

“Did Seo Changyeol’s balls burst?”

Seo Changyeol, who was lying on the ground in pain, got up with a red face and shouted at Kang Geonwoo.

“Who the hell is that crazy guy yelling at!”

A curse slipped out of Jeong Yuli’s mouth without her realizing it.

Then, the expected sequence of events unfolded.

Players from both teams poured onto the field, and although we couldn’t hear it on TV, a conversation was taking place there.

“Hey! Shit! You did that on purpose!”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Come here! Hey, shit, No Gyeongwoo. What are you doing?”

No Gyeongwoo, a high school junior, stepped in front of Seo Changyeol. Although they hadn’t played together, he knew he was a junior.

Curses were flying everywhere. Since it wasn’t a beanball, physical contact hadn’t yet occurred.

Kang Geonwoo smirked. It made Seo Changyeol even angrier, but a giant figure appeared, parting the players like a villain in a movie.

“Why?”

Yang Daegun’s fierce expression, which we rarely see.

Not just the Vikings players, but even the Oceans players involuntarily stepped back.

Yang Daegun slightly bent his waist and brought his face close to Seo Changyeol’s.

“Why are you doing this?”

Seo Changyeol, with a red face, shouted.

“Hey! Shit, are you calling that a word?”

“So what’s the problem? You’re going to hit a kid because you accidentally hit his balls while tagging?”

As Seo Changyeol was about to say something, Yang Daegun raised his left hand.

Everyone flinched and tried to stop Yang Daegun, but he just adjusted his cap. Then he said to Seo Changyeol, who had raised his hands in a ridiculous guard.

“Changyeol.”

“...W-what, shit, what!”

“Let’s play baseball.”

So everyone went back to their positions.

If Yang Daegun says to play baseball, we have to play baseball.

If we say no, the sport might change from baseball to a fight.

“Wow. Did you see? Everyone backed off when Yang Daegun came out.”

“Did you see how Seo Changyeol put up his guard when Yang Daegun raised his hand?”

“What did he say?”

“I should ask Geonwoo.”

“Yang Cap is really cool. A captain should be like that.”

#

What became clear during that bench-clearing was that we had won the mental battle.

Daegun was hit by a pitch in his next at-bat.

But the opposing pitcher, Kim Yo-han, immediately took off his cap and bowed 90 degrees after hitting him.

Daegun, expressionless, took off his gear, looked at the pitcher, and walked to first base.

Hmm.

Is it just my imagination that this guy would do well as a dedicated bench-clearing player in the major leagues?

Anyway, after that hit-by-pitch, the pitcher, trying to regain his composure, threw a wild pitch, and the Wolfpack hit a solid swing.

Crack!

A three-run home run.

The captain, stepping on home plate, said to the opposing catcher,

“I held back for you, Brother.”

“...”

The score and the atmosphere were both heavily in our favor.

Honestly, I also got into a bit of a fight during the bench-clearing.

But Daegun, who resolved the situation without using his fists and completely killed the opposing team’s morale, seemed even more impressive.

That guy, who had been trying to provoke and change the momentum, was silenced with just a few words and returned to the locker room as the good guy we knew.

“Of course! Amazing! I was already feeling down because of all the provocations! Our captain is awesome! Our captain is the best!”

“Hey...don’t...”

Despite the conflict, the team atmosphere was really good.

We won 8-3, and Andy, who became the winning pitcher with 2 runs allowed in 7 innings, looked happy.

But the fact that someone within the team was trying to ruin that good atmosphere was something I couldn’t understand no matter how I thought about it.

The head coach entered the locker room before the manager and yelled at the captain who had saved the team.

“Hey, Yang Daegun! What are you doing today!”

He’s a strange guy. No matter how I think about it.

Even if he’s incompetent, he seems desperate to ruin the team’s atmosphere.

“No Gyeongwoo! Park Yihyun! Kang Geonwoo! Why are you provoking the other team? You’re just kids. Do you think you’ve been playing baseball for a day or two? Don’t the seniors teach you that the baseball world is small? Just cross a few bridges and everyone will be your senior! What?”

The atmosphere turned sour. The foreign players, who didn’t understand what was being said, also looked serious, and No Gyeongwoo, who couldn’t have imagined this would happen, bowed his head deeply.

Daegun stepped in.

“Head Coach. That’s...”

“Don’t try to find excuses, you guy! What did you do well?”

The head coach, hands on his hips, sighed loudly and muttered,

“Shit. Nothing is going right...”

And our savior was someone we never expected.

The general manager, who usually doesn’t show his face in front of the players, entered the locker room with the manager. Having heard the shouting from outside, he said something to the manager and then walked out of the frozen locker room to the head coach.

“Coach Bae. Starting tomorrow, report to the minor league stadium.”

“What?”

“Effective immediately, Coach Bae You-hong will be reassigned as a minor league rehabilitation coach.”

“...You...I...can’t...”

The head coach shut his mouth.

Then he cursed and kicked a water bottle before leaving. The general manager shouted after him,

“Pack your things and leave right now! Don’t forget to submit the bus receipt for reimbursement!”

Well, that’s what happened.

It might have been for the best. It’s better to cut out a mess like that stupid guy than to drag him around and ruin the atmosphere.

In the quiet atmosphere, Coach Hugh Breadman clapped and drew our attention.

“Finally, it seems we can talk about baseball again. Good. Am I lucky that I haven’t learned all the Korean yet? I’m curious what crazy things he said. From the atmosphere, it seems no one will tell me properly.”

Then he made eye contact with me.

Yes.

I’ll tell you.

According to Senior Lee Siwook, the head coach is quite close to the Vikings’ manager.

So, did he come to the locker room after the game and cause a fuss? Did he get scolded by a friendly opposing manager?

I sent a message to Yuli as soon as things settled down in the chaos.

-Me: (Breaking News) Bae You-hong to the minors

-Me: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah