It's Tough
In the Gocheok Turkeys' dugout, short, subdued sighs escaped after the three-game series against the Eulji Crows wrapped up. They'd lost the finale. The players were quietly packing their gear and heading to the locker room, while murmurs and more sighs lingered in the dugout.
The chief coach, discussing the day's issues, shifted to a brighter note, as if refusing to dwell purely on the negatives. "Still, snagging that one win yesterday was a relief. At least we avoided the sweep. The starter crumbled early today, but we got a good read on those trade acquisitions—not a bad day overall, right?"
Manager Kim Young-ho nodded slowly. By other teams' standards, it wasn't impressive, but for the Turkeys, these were usable pieces. Kim Chan-seok, Choi Ji-hyeong, An Do-hyeon—the three traded in from other clubs to bolster the weakened pitching staff—had shown their outlines today.
"Yeah. All three were better than expected." Kim Young-ho spoke evenly, then paused. "The one with the best stuff..."
The chief coach jumped in without hesitation. "Kim Chan-seok stood out. Velocity on the fastball, and how he battled back from deep counts."
Kim Young-ho thought for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Stick him in the fireman role, even if temporary. He can handle high-leverage spots right away. Send the other two to the loss-prevention crew for now—let them throw without pressure."
With instructions given, Kim Young-ho turned to the pitching coach. "What about that thing I asked you to check on?"
The pitching coach, as if waiting, spoke up confidently. "Good news. Confirmed two pitchers from the farm director that could come up."
Kim Young-ho's eyes sharpened slightly. Oh Tae-sik didn't push promotions lightly—it meant certainty. Just one had been called up this year, and that player had become the new leadoff hitter leading the team.
"Really? Who?"
"Nam Seung-woo, the 2군 No. 2 starter, and Kim Do-yoon from the farm bullpen."
Kim Young-ho let out a short breath, flashing a smile without mirth. "Hm... yeah. Didn't think they were that solid before. But in our situation, not bad."
He stood, continuing. "I'll head to the farm park tomorrow myself. Confirm with my own eyes before deciding."
"Should I give them a heads-up?"
"Nah, go incognito. Announce it, and they'll tense up."
"Got it."
The next day, I headed to the training field early as usual. At 6 a.m., more fans than expected were already gathered at the entrance.
Ah... even more now... This fan service is gonna take forever, isn't it?
Aftermath of the Crows series or just my rising popularity—who knew? Either way, the crowd had doubled. Sigh... skip it, and it'll be a riot.
I was beat, but couldn't ignore them. I signed autographs one by one, snapped a few photos as requested, and finally got inside—thirty minutes later than planned. It bugged me.
But as I warmed up and finished stretching... my body felt heavily off. Fatigue hit like a truck; maybe lingering longer with fans would've been smarter.
What's this? Condition tanking again...
I dialed it back—no extra drills, just light batting. Into the cage, set the machine low, swung easy for timing only. A few reps in, I knew that was it. No forcing.
I found a quiet spot where few came, lay on the floor. Eyes closed for a quick rest... and I was out.
Ah... cool. Feels good...
I wasn't fully aware I was lying down, but the cool air wrapping my body felt nice in my half-dozing bliss.
Rustle.
A presence jolted me half-awake. Rustle? Huh?
I shot up reflexively. "Whoa! You're up."
Startled, I looked up—Seo Ha-yoon stood there. Her unexpected face blanked my brain.
She peered down with a casual smile. "Sleep well?"
Still foggy, I stared blankly before panic hit. "Uh?"
Simple reason: her outfit. Cheer uniform for work, sure, but summer meant exposed. Realizing we were alone in the tight space... my eyes had nowhere to go.
She caught it and grinned. "Haha! Gotcha. Blushing already?"
Her teasing tone made it worse. "N-no, it's..." Anything I say, she'll roast me. Pivot. Eyes averted: "Why're you here?"
She tilted her head, glancing around. "Me? Shouldn't I ask you? You love this spot, huh? Forgot? It's the cheerleaders' storage."
Pieces clicked. Eyes wide, I scanned: a suitcase. Oh yeah! This is that place.
"Ah! Right here!"
"Yep. Me being here? Normal."
"...Yeah, huh."
She studied my face, then cautiously: "You okay? Slept so deep, didn't wake you. Looked like exhaustion coma, like last time."
I dropped my gaze, honest. "Condition's trash today, so early rest. Didn't plan to crash here, just wanted flat anywhere."
She nodded, still worried. "Got it. Really fine?"
I sighed softly, leaning against the wall. "Dunno. Switched to shortstop—tougher than I thought. Leadoff already drains stamina, but SS? Wipes me out. Third base wasn't this active..."
Saying it made the drain real. Wider range, inning-after-inning pressure.
She murmured after listening: "Sounds rough..."
Then her face lit up. "Oh! Got something good!"
She rummaged her bag, pulled a prettily wrapped box. Opened: colorful macarons.
"This." Handed one over. "Macarons. My go-to when wiped during work. One bite, energy surges. Post-fifth rest? Powers the last four innings."
Skeptical, I took it. Won't fix much... But kindness—popped it in.
Chew...?
Sweetness flooded—too sweet?—but weirdly, my crashed energy whooshed back.
"Whoa... this works?"
Her face beamed. "For real? Tasty?"
I hesitated, truthful: "Yeah... sweet for me, but the energy rush? Love it."
She thrust the whole box. "Then take 'em all."
Inside: three macarons. "Wait—you?"
She waved it off, beaming. "Got another box. Eat up~"