Daily Runs and a Grandfather's Gift
Back at my grandfather's house, I instinctively turned on my phone. And right away, I typed Kim Se-rin cheerleader into the search bar. The results poured in, and I could check them out immediately. Kim Se-rin was a cheerleader for the Gwangju Pigeons, one of the top-ranked in popularity among all cheerleaders. Probably because the Gwangju Pigeons were such a popular team, right? In that moment, something felt off inside me—something strange, something nagging. She wasn't just some girl I'd bumped into around the neighborhood; she was already a celebrity with hordes of fans. And she was really pretty... ahem... As I kept scrolling, it felt like I'd stumbled into a whole new world. My baseball life had been nothing but grueling training, shower, sleep, repeat—I'd never had time to learn about this stuff. I barely knew pro players, let alone cheerleaders. But once I started watching videos, their performances were insane. Swaying dances synced with fans cheering along—it gave such a great vibe. Before I knew it, I was digging up fan-shot videos of Kim Se-rin cheerleader herself, watching them on loop, rewinding over and over.
Ah! But then reality hit me like a fastball. She was with the Gwangju Pigeons, and I was a Gocheok Turkeys player. We'd hardly cross paths even on the pro stage. And here I was, slated for the farm team, potentially stuck there for a whole year before vanishing altogether. The thought that I might never actually see her in a real pro game sank in. In the end, I'd be just like any other fan, stuck watching videos. It left a bitter taste.
Then, out of nowhere, I remembered what she'd said right before we parted: This place is great for running, right? See you around. I'm done for today. Thinking it over, I arrived at a ridiculously simple conclusion. Just run every day, duh? We'd bump into each other at least once a week, right? She seemed like the consistent type from how she ran... It was straightforward, but it sparked real hope. With my mind made up, my heart felt lighter. Yeah, I had to exercise anyway, and I needed to build my body. This was just one more reason.
So the next day, I woke up at the crack of dawn. Slipping on my running shoes and heading out, my heart pounded for no good reason. But disappointingly, she wasn't there in the morning.
"Ah... she's not here. Makes sense—not everyone does morning workouts."
A twinge of disappointment passed, but I'd come to exercise anyway, so I got to it. I spent the day like that, then changed into running gear again that evening and headed out.
"Hu-seong, out exercising again?"
"Yeah. I'm barely at half my usual pace—it's frustrating."
The sky had darkened. Back at the park, I scanned around while stretching lightly, but no sign of her. Tsk. Wrong time...? She'd been out at this hour yesterday... Resigned, I was about to start running when something poked my back.
Poke, poke.
"Eek?!"
I whipped around in shock, and there she was—a familiar figure standing behind me.
"Hi."
It was Kim Se-rin cheerleader. Same as yesterday: hat, mask, workout clothes.
"Out again today?" she teased.
My mind went blank. This was the moment I'd waited for all day, but face-to-face, I had no clue what to say. I forced an awkward smile and mumbled something.
"I run every day anyway. Did my morning run too."
I'd answered, but a weird wave of embarrassment washed over me. Uh... uh... uh...! I couldn't take it anymore.
"Well... I'll get running first!"
No sooner had the words left my mouth than I spun around and bolted. My pace quickened for no reason. I heard her laughing behind me, but I deliberately didn't look back. My face was burning; I couldn't meet her eyes.
"Huff... huff..."
I caught my breath after one lap. This was usually just a light warm-up. But my whole body burned more than expected, sweat dripping down my forehead. As I geared up for the next lap, light footsteps approached from the side. Glancing over, Kim Se-rin cheerleader was jogging up slowly.
No way! Not from behind?
My heart raced, but I averted my eyes and kept going.
"What, not running together?"
She matched my pace beside me.
My throat felt parched; nothing came out at first. Finally, I muttered shortly.
"If you wanna run together, then run."
That was my answer—or non-answer. I played it cool, but inside I was dying of awkwardness, staring straight ahead.
"Hahaha. You're hilarious."
Her light laugh rang out, but I couldn't bring myself to look. Not knowing what to say every second was mortifying. In the end, I barely managed any conversation during the run and stayed silent until we finished.
Ah... so embarrassing...
Heading home after the workout, a stuffy frustration settled in. I'd mustered the courage to talk, but all I'd done was run and spout lame lines. Every little action replayed in my head, making me cringe. Am I an idiot? Why'd I do that? My body still burned. Need a cold shower, stat...
As I got ready to wash up at home, Dad called my name.
"Hu-seong."
"Yeah?"
Dad hesitated a moment before speaking.
"You know tomorrow's Grandpa's birthday, right? All the relatives are gathering—you're coming too."
I blinked in surprise.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I told you before. Evening plans."
Oh... time flies. No running tomorrow, then. I nodded.
"Got it, Dad."
Dad nodded back and headed to his room. I went to shower. The cold water soothed my burning skin a bit.
Whew... damn. But the mental damage lingered.
The next evening, I headed to the reserved restaurant with my parents. It was Grandpa's birthday, so all the relatives were gathering. Dad was unusually excited in the car. Normally, he'd just sit quietly at these events, reminiscing, but today his shoulders were squared with pride.
"Third son's here?"
Grandpa called Dad warmly.
"Everyone, sit down quick. Reserved a nice place."
My eldest uncle spotted us and spoke up. I sat with my parents. Our family was doing decently overall. Eldest uncle ran a mid-sized company after Grandpa; second uncle was a manager at a big trading firm. Dad was a department head at a small firm, and the youngest uncle worked production at a major corp. Not bad by any stretch. The cousins were solid too—one working under eldest uncle, another in a famous restaurant kitchen sans college, and youngest uncle's daughter acing school, aiming for med school.
Wait. So why's Dad so chipper...?
Once everyone sat, Grandpa started asking about recent updates. Our turn came quick.
"Doing well, second son? How about third?"
Dad jumped in first.
"Yes, Father. Doing great."
Grandpa's gaze shifted to me.
"And you, Hu-seong? How's it going? Said you were playing baseball."
"Oh yeah, you're a senior this year—where you headed?"
Eldest uncle asked. Dad's eyes lit up as he cut in.
"Hu-seong's gone pro."
The air shifted instantly. Grandpa's eyes widened.
"What? Real pro baseball?"
Dad nodded proudly.
"Yes. Signed with the Gocheok Turkeys. Just this year."
Oh man... My face heated up.
"Hahaha!"
Grandpa burst out laughing.
"Outstanding! Pro ball! Ha! What a gift you've given me."
He grinned.
"Your success is the best present. A pro baseball player from my bloodline...!"
"No, Grandpa."
But Grandpa turned serious.
"Can't just let it slide, though. I should give you a gift."
"Me?"
I asked, stunned.
"Yep."
Grandpa pondered briefly, then decided.
"Take my car. Drive it for your pro career. You're a full-fledged player now—gotta roll up everywhere in style. I barely use it anyway."
"Dad, that's too much for Hu-seong..."
Dad said, surprised.
"It's my gift to my grandson. I'll take care of the others too—take it!"
Grandpa's car was a Z80. A luxury sedan from Z Motors, the premium brand spun off from Korea's auto giant H Motors. I was speechless. It was a bit older, but still solid—not cheap by any means.
"Grandpa, that's way too big."
But he shook his head, gripping my hand tight.
"Take it and make us proud. Come to your games when you can."
I bowed my head, at a loss for words.
...Sigh... Suddenly feels heavy.