Chapter 79

So, who is the main character? -2-

#

During his major league days, Joon-i's older brother used to pick fights with Dane Christian, the best pitcher of his time.

“Hey, do you know why I’m picking on that Christian bastard?”

“You’ve always been a mouthy fighter.”

“Hey, what do you mean by a mouthy fighter?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Listen up. This is a tip that will stick with you like bone and flesh.”

Anyway, this older brother was notorious for being unlikable.

It seemed like it would be better to just keep quiet, but he had his own logic. Whether it was right or wrong, I’m not sure. And it’s the same now.

“Since we’re going to rub it in, we should rub it in the best. Hey, in baseball, there’s this 20-80 scale, right? If you’re really good at baseball, you get 80 points. But if you have star quality, you can get 100 points. For us Asians to have star quality?”

“Bro.”

“Yeah?”

“What you have isn’t star quality but unlikability.”

Anyway, the fact that Jung Joon, the outfielder, performed exceptionally well in the Diamonds' three-game series and suddenly pointed at me means he’s aware of me.

Old habits die hard.

Well, Yurim never really liked Jung Joon much and is annoyed that he’s picking on me.

“Joon is so annoying.”

“Joon is so annoying?”

It’s said that even the king can be criticized when there’s no one around, so what’s the big deal?

“Yeah. Really annoying.”

“Joon will beat you up.”

“Really? Then does that mean you only trust Geon-woo?”

When Yurim’s eyes sparkle, I get the urge to do anything for her. It’s a cliché, but her eyes really do sparkle.

That’s what makes me feel good. Yurim really likes the Oceans, but when she talks about the Oceans, 70-80% of the time, her eyes are dead.

But ever since I started performing well in the Oceans uniform, Yurim’s eyes have sparkled much more often.

“While I’m at it, should I also speak my mind?”

“No. It’s fine. Your handling was really good. You were much more mature than Joon, who is four years older.”

I’m worried that Joon might slip out when I talk to Joon-i’s older brother.

No, to be honest, I’m not really worried.

It’s just that if I say it out loud, we won’t be as close as we used to be, right?

“Right. Yurim.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have any friends to set up with Geon-woo?”

“Geon-woo?”

“Yeah.”

Yurim thought for a moment, then started folding her fingers. Then she spread her hand and answered.

“Many.”

“Many?”

“Yeah. Isn’t Geon-woo nice? There must be a line of people who want to date him.”

Maybe it’s because the Oceans are doing well these days.

Geon-woo, you’re lucky.

“He’s a bit stupid sometimes, but he’s nice.”

#

When I met Geon-woo at the training ground, he looked upset.

“Hey, am I really that unqualified?”

“What kind of qualification?”

“I’m leading the Eastern team second baseman vote, but people keep insulting me...”

It’s not just Geon-woo. Fans who had stopped following baseball but came back due to the Oceans' good performance are now all jumping in, and Oceans players are leading in all Eastern All-Star position votes.

It seems they’re criticizing Geon-woo, saying what’s he doing when there are players like Hyun-dong and Hoon-ki.

“Does it bother you?”

“Of course it bothers me when I get insulted.”

In the Western All-Star vote, the Meteors, who are doing well, take up almost half, and the Angels take up the other half.

Some players feel the pressure, but others don’t feel it at all.

If I have to find an example, it’s this guy.

“Oh! Wow! The future All-Star shortstop and second baseman are here! Nice to meet you! I’m the All-Star catcher who grabbed the Oceans uniform and ate the star candy at the birthday party! Park Eui-hyun! We’re all All-Stars from the same year! Isn’t this a wonderful bond?”

On the other hand, there’s another type of person.

“I want to go camping with my family during the All-Star break...”

Our team captain, who has been selected for the All-Star team for eight consecutive years this year, doesn’t seem to have much desire for the All-Star game, but he does seem to have some desire for other events this year.

“I wish I could be selected for the Olympic national team instead of the All-Star game.”

“The military is already taken care of, right?”

“I was exempted due to my shoulder.”

“Wow.”

“You’ll probably resolve it this year if you do well.”

The Olympic national team is selected from a preliminary list of over 140 players before the league starts. I’m on that list because a few amateur players were included by KBSA’s recommendation.

Well, it’s not bad. Even if it’s not the Olympics, I can resolve it somehow, but it’s more convenient to do it right away.

“Will I be selected?”

At my words, Daegun’s older brother laughed as if it was absurd.

“Hey, Geon-woo.”

“Yes.”

“If you’re not selected, the KBO will explode...”

Actually, I also think I’ll be selected. I’ve drawn a lot of attention this season, and it’s obvious that these things will work in my favor.

“Let’s go to the Olympics together.”

“The first basemen are so strong.”

“With your level, you can get them all.”

When I call him older brother, he flinches a bit. But he doesn’t seem too upset as he answers. I only call Daegun’s older brother as older brother in the team.

“Ho-geun, Jong-sub, Tae-ho, they’re all strong. Ji-yong can also play first base. You have to work hard to be selected. If you keep working hard until the final announcement... will it work?”

He doesn’t look very confident, but...

Considering his abilities alone, there are almost no such hitters in Korea.

“You have to go.”

“Huh. Why?”

He seems to be expecting something.

“If you face off with a foreign team, who else can take the lead but you?”

The captain, who received a slightly different answer than he expected, looked a bit disappointed, but he looked down at his fist and muttered quietly.

“Well... if it’s a foreigner... maybe I can hit without feeling guilty..."

He’s a funny guy. Really.

“Are you a racist...?”

Daegun’s older brother jumped up and wildly waved his hands.

“No! No! Absolutely not! I’m not like that!”

Is this the first time he’s shouted like this except during a game?

“I’m joking.”

#

Just before the game against the Oceans started, Jung Joon threw another tasty morsel to the reporters.

“We need to watch more. We’re not playing one-day baseball, are we? And what, just because the ball is fast? We haven’t played many games yet. Personally, I hope to face that guy on the mound and be at bat. I need to hit a home run.”

Reporters pounce on a story when they have a target. Jung Joon’s words were published as articles.

“Leading the All-Star vote? Yes, well... what can I say. It’s a popularity vote, after all. If I were on the Oceans, I would have changed all the rankings.”

The team didn’t tell Jung Joon to hold back. This was partly because the parent company of the Pirates, a shipbuilding company, didn’t really care about the opinions of domestic baseball fans.

And Geon-woo responded.

“Yurim-ssi said to get a strikeout against Jung Joon.”

Geon-woo’s image is a bit complex.

From brutally beating up a senior in the baseball world to being an unprecedented (by KBO standards) 166 km/h super closer who maintains unbelievable stats, he’s also known for being a younger man who dotes on his older sister.

[“Jung Joon: ‘I have the confidence to hit a home run against Geon-woo.’”]

[“Geon-woo: ‘Yurim-ssi said to get a strikeout against Jung Joon.’”]

Both players are quite unique in the baseball world.

However, the online netizens’ opinion is in favor of Geon-woo.

[“Confidence is one thing, but Yurim-ssi is even stronger...”]

└Yurim-ssi is amazing. Geon-woo is invincible.

└Honestly, I thought he was just a regular guy, but Yurim-ssi is pretty.

└Does Jung Joon have a girlfriend?

└Does Jung Joon not have a girlfriend in his class? Can’t you think a bit?

└If Joon doesn’t think and just spout off, I can’t do that either, right?

└Is Joon your friend?

└I’m Joon’s classmate.

└Hahaha, friend appearance.

└Joon said he would charm all the girls when he became a pro.

└Joon said in an interview that he plays baseball and dates.

└Joon probably doesn’t even remember what he said.

└Hahaha.

Actually, these elements are quite interesting from the perspective of the entire league and help the league’s popularity.

The KBO, not wanting to miss this opportunity, tried to frame the two players as rivals. When the game started, the Oceans and Pirates fans, as if they had planned it, each took half of the stands and cheered competitively.

“Jung Joon! Jung Joon! Jung Joon! Jung Joon!”

“Geon-woo! Geon-woo! Geon-woo! Geon-woo!”

- Hello, baseball fans! Today’s game between the Oceans and the Pirates will be held at Changwon Pirates Park! The rivalry between Jung Joon and Geon-woo has been heating up even before the game. What do you think?

- Both are excellent players. Jung Joon’s abilities are amazing, but considering that Geon-woo is in his debut season, it’s almost unbelievable. If they maintain a healthy rivalry, it will greatly help the popularity of baseball.

- Yes, that’s true. And Jung Joon also said this before the game: ‘I also threw some good pitches in high school.’

- Jung Joon was a player who was expected to excel both as a pitcher and a batter, but I think focusing on batting might be better. Actually, Geon-woo is a very unique case. While Jung Joon is a top star player, having won the MVP last year, he might tear his crotch trying to keep up with Geon-woo.

- Haha. Pirates fans might feel a bit disappointed, right?

- If I were a Pirates fan, I would just ask him to focus on batting and surpass Geon-woo.

#

Our team players often feel embarrassed by Eui-hyun. And the Diamonds players sometimes feel the same way about Min Seung-gi.

The Pirates players also have a similar feeling about Jung Joon.

“Geon-woo, how are you?”

“Hello. How are you?”

Pirates catcher Kang Tae, who seems a bit prickly but has a good relationship with Geon-woo, once helped Geon-woo by getting signatures from Pirates players during a pre-season practice game.

In the first inning, with one out and a runner on second, when Geon-woo stepped up to bat, Kang Tae greeted him warmly and then said in a low voice.

“Actually, Joon is nice. He doesn’t seem like it, but you know what I mean?”

“I’m a fan of Jung Joon.”

“Really? Joon will be really happy. I’ll definitely tell him.”

After the friendly chat, the game resumed.

The Pirates' starting pitcher today is Nelson Pepe, a fastball pitcher with a top speed of 156 km/h and the team's ace.

Ricky Miguel, who was brutally hit in the previous match against the Oceans, was dismissed, and a new foreign pitcher has arrived to start his evaluation.

From the start of the game, the battery had a long exchange of signs.

‘Throw a ball, ball!’

Kang Tae was asking for a breaking ball.

‘No.’

Because he’s quite close to Jung Joon, Nelson Pepe, who is almost brainwashed, strongly expressed his refusal.

Geon-woo knows that when the pitcher and catcher exchange signs for a long time and their opinions don’t match, you can roughly guess what pitch will come by looking at the pitcher’s expression.

And pitchers, more than 90% of them, can’t tell the difference between shit and soy sauce unless they experience it themselves.

In the battle of wills between the battery, the pitcher usually wins. If the battery is made up of Korean players, it might be decided by seniority, but if the foreign pitcher is stubborn and refuses to listen, especially in the early innings, the game will likely go the pitcher’s way.

His main pitch is a fastball, and his secondary pitch is a slider. He occasionally mixes in a curveball, but generally, what pitch will a two-pitch pitcher stubbornly throw?

As the pitcher started his pitching motion, Geon-woo moved like a machine.

Left foot step, waist rotation, lower body shift, precise left and right arm swings.

Thwack!

After the hit, his follow-through drew a beautiful circle, as if he had grabbed the campus and spun it.

The runner on second, Hwang Seok-gyu, seemed to think it was a home run for sure, so he ran slowly around the bases instead of sprinting. While the Pirates fans were spewing angry curses, the Oceans fans were jumping up and down in joy.

Then the Oceans fans’ prepared performance began. Without anyone telling them to, some fans started using finger-shaped cheering tools to show Geon-woo where Yurim was.

“Geon-woo!”

“Yurim-ssi!”

“I’m here!”

Geon-woo, who is often described as having a face that lacks charisma, smiled widely and raised his hand to make a heart shape in that direction.

Yurim, who used to feel embarrassed, wasn’t today.

“