The Reason for Worry
"Ha-yoon."
I called her name with a serious expression, and Seo Ha-yoon looked a little startled.
"Yeah?"
"I've got somewhere I need to go."
"Where?"
"A restaurant... I need to eat a ton today..."
Seo Ha-yoon's eyes went wide at my words.
"Why?"
I took a deep breath and explained that the scale in the team training room had been malfunctioning, so all my previous weigh-ins were wrong. I told her that my current state fell short of the standard, and if I didn't hit the right weight, I might not be able to play. She nodded like she got it.
"So I have to somehow pack on the pounds by tomorrow..."
I added with the most serious face I could muster.
My expression must have looked graver than I thought, because she dropped the playful vibe completely and started searching on her phone.
"Got it. So where should we go?"
Then she added a practical worry right away.
"But players can't just gorge themselves, right?"
"Yeah, probably not."
"Then how about a restaurant? Steak would be good—lots of protein. Or even pasta."
Not a bad idea. It'd cost a bit, but... well, today felt kinda like a date. A little splurge wouldn't hurt.
"Sounds good. Know any places?"
I nodded and said,
"Nah, I gotta look too."
Seo Ha-yoon searched nearby spots, swiped through a few screens, and stood up, saying there was a steakhouse close by.
Just like that, we crossed the street and headed into a quiet alley to a steakhouse tucked away inside.
The place was dimly lit with the rich aroma of grilling meat filling the air. We sat down, menus in hand, and I immediately scanned the steak section.
"What do you think? Looks good?"
"Tomahawk? I've seen this on TV and YouTube sometimes. Should we get this cut?"
Right as I was about to order, the server approached.
"If you're ordering steak, we've got this 300,000-won Wagyu steak—1kg, aged to perfection. Promotion's got it for half off, about 130,000 won. How about the Wagyu?"
Seo Ha-yoon glanced at me, and I quickly did the math in my head.
Hmm... 130,000 won... Not bad...
But oddly, I didn't hesitate long.
No. That wasn't the point. I was being stupid.
"If we take the whole 300,000-won one, would you do it for 260,000?"
I looked up at the server and said.
"Pardon? The whole thing? That's enough for 4 or 5 people..."
The server's face froze for a second as they asked again.
"Yeah, the whole thing, please."
I didn't waver at all.
"Uh... one sec?"
The server dashed inside, asked someone something, and came back out.
"Let me confirm one more time. The 300,000-won Wagyu is 1kg. You want the whole thing?"
"Yes, all of it. I need to eat a lot today."
The server gave an awkward smile, said okay, and jotted it down.
"Alright, with the promo, that's 260,000 won for the full Wagyu steak."
"I'll have the seafood cream pasta, please,"
Seo Ha-yoon ordered her dish. She said steak alone would be too much, so she'd share a bit.
The steak arrived soon after. The moment the plate hit the table, I realized there was a huge problem.
It was way more than I'd imagined—thick slabs of meat packed the enormous plate tight.
I stared blankly for a second, then called the server back over.
"Sorry, but could you slice all this up for me? It'll take too long to cut myself."
The server nodded.
"Got it. I'll send it back to the kitchen."
The plate went back, and shortly after, it returned—cut into bite-sized pieces.
The mound of meat piled up like a mountain on the plate, and the sight made my breath catch.
"...Hu-seong, you sure you can eat all that?"
"Gotta. Looks like it's not that much up close."
I grabbed my fork and dove in.
Chew, swallow, grab another. I moved my jaw mechanically, not giving myself time to think.
The meat was delicious, no doubt, but there was no room to savor it. I kept going until my jaw ached and my mouth burned.
Midway, I picked five pieces off my plate and slid them to Seo Ha-yoon.
She looked surprised for a beat, then ate them.
As she twirled some pasta on her fork, she said,
"Want a bite? To break up the monotony?"
"Not tired of it yet... but thanks."
I thanked her and took a bite of the pasta. The seafood and cream gave a brief breath of fresh air, but I jumped right back to the steak.
We ate in near silence, just munching away. Piece by piece, the meat vanished from the plate—before long, more than half was gone.
But by then, my jaw was done. My temples throbbed with every chew, and just opening my mouth hurt.
I finally set down my fork.
"I... I can't finish this. If I don't, no game for me."
Self-loathing crashed over me. My hand went limp on the fork, and I felt pathetic.
Yeah. My eating stamina was weaker than I'd thought.
Seo Ha-yoon started looking at me with worry.
They'll weigh us again for sure. How do I fix this? Even this much, and it'll drop off by morning. Can I hit 75? Two days—no, a day and a half—to pack on 5kg? How?
As I sat there in full panic mode, Seo Ha-yoon watched me for a moment, then spoke carefully.
"Hu-seong... um... no cheating allowed?"
I looked up.
"Cheating?"
"Yeah. You just need to play, right?"
"W-well, yeah?"
"Then during workouts... you know, that pull-up thing where you hang and climb up. Make yourself heavier on purpose. Something like that?"
Huh? Hanging and climbing? Pull-ups...?
I paused, then got it—my eyes lit up.
"Weighted vest?"
She nodded, startled I'd caught on.
"You're a genius! Yeah... weighted vest. Not a bad idea."
Fired up, I attacked the steak again.
That makes it doable.
But any old vest might give me away.
"Okay, finish this, then go buy one. Needs to be discreet."
Seo Ha-yoon nodded, relieved at my shift in mood.
I stood in the middle of the away locker room in front of the fitness trainer. The AC made the floor chilly underfoot.
Stepping onto the scale, my heart started pounding.
"Hop on."
"Yes, sir."
I took a breath and got on. The numbers flickered, then settled.
77kg.
Yes!
The trainer went quiet for a sec, then looked up at me.
"Seriously?"
Short words, but his face showed real surprise.
He nodded and added,
"Impressive. You pass."
Then, with a sigh,
"Everyone was freaking out yesterday. Sent ten guys home who didn't make weight to stuff themselves. Three more failed today."
He shook his head at me.
"Honestly, you were my biggest worry. This is... great. Relieved."
He pointed at the scale.
"But just to be sure, one more time. My eyes might be off. No way three kids fail right before you and you pass. Doesn't add up."
Sharp eye. Pro for a reason.
But the result was the same. I stepped on casually.
77.5kg. His eyes widened.
"Oh. Good. You pass."
Results of constant nibbling till morning and picking a subtle weighted vest with Ha-yoon. About 2.5kg from food, 5kg from the vest.
The trainer nodded and headed out of the locker room. He yelled toward the dugout,
"Manager! Kim Hu-seong passes!"
"What? He passed?"
Kim Young-ho manager came in, sounding surprised.
"You're starting today as leadoff. Get ready."
But his tone shifted to satisfaction at the good news.
"Yes, sir."
Phew. Close call.
But the relief didn't last. The team suddenly cracking down on weight had a reason.
Summer weight loss is always an issue. But today was extra strict because this away series was against the Daegu Eagles.
Daegu. Korea's hottest spot in summer. Weather that drained your stamina just breathing.
Sweat pouring after one inning, dead on your feet by the ninth.
And here I was, leadoff and shortstop. While hiding my real weight.
...Body... hold up...
You worked hard these two days... You can do it, right?