Wild Card Showdown 1
September 2023, late evening. As the clock ticked toward night, the TV was tuned to the baseball show Baseball Together, in full swing.
Centered on the screen, announcer Kim Ga-eul spoke in her calm voice, wrapping up the late-season situation. "The regular season is nearly over, and the standings battle is pretty much decided."
With her words, the current league rankings appeared one by one on screen. Leading the pack was the Eulji Crows, who had dominated all season. They'd locked down first place with a stable rotation, a solid bullpen, and their manager's aggressive small-ball tactics leveraging speed.
Second was the Incheon Cranes. Rocky early on, but their bats heated up from midseason, securing the runner-up spot.
Third place went to the Jamsil Falcons. A nice blend of young talent blooming and veteran savvy, but they fell just short of challenging the top two.
Fourth: the Gocheok Turkeys. They'd sunk to tenth early in the year, looking like a lost season, but clawed back midseason, surging fiercely late to snag a playoff spot—and even climb to fourth.
Fifth was the Gwangju Pigeons. Pushed to sixth by the Turkeys, their postseason hopes dimmed, but they edged out the Suwon Egrets in a nail-biter to reclaim fifth.
Trailing: sixth Suwon Egrets, seventh Busan Seagulls, eighth Daegu Eagles, ninth Daejeon McPhies, and tenth Changwon Larus. That was how the regular season was wrapping up.
Kim Ga-eul smoothly shifted to the Wild Card matchup. "Barring surprises, the Wild Card will pit fourth-place Gocheok Turkeys against fifth-place Gwangju Pigeons. Should be a fun one, right?"
Commentator Jo Byung-heon nodded in agreement. "Realistically, the standings hold. So Turkeys vs. Pigeons it is. The sad part? It's lopsided."
He cited head-to-head records first. "Turkeys went 12-4 against the Pigeons this year—clear dominance. Especially late season; the games weren't even close. Pigeons have to feel the pressure."
One silver lining for the Pigeons: "At least the 'original Pigeons Killer' Jeong Yi-hoon, who's historically owned them, has struggled all season."
"But aren't the others stepping up big?" Kim Ga-eul countered, spotlighting one player. "Separate from Jeong Yi-hoon's slump, the Turkeys have a new Pigeons Killer this year."
"Exactly. Kim Hu-seong's another headache. He crushes their starters and pressures the battery the second he gets on base—steals, smart baserunning, flips the momentum entirely." Clips rolled showing just that.
Here, Kim Ga-eul highlighted Hu-seong's stats. "And Kim Hu-seong's basically locked up stolen base and runs titles, right?"
Jo Byung-heon rattled off precise numbers. "59 steals, league lead by a mile. 104 runs, tops. Steals are done; runs gap's safe with games left. Sure, he's looked fatigued lately—team's resting him—but the damage is done. No real threat."
Time flew; the regular season ended. The Gocheok Turkeys finished fourth—a huge win after dipping to tenth.
Ahead of the Wild Card, they got a day's rest. Damn... Training and games had drained my weight and stamina to the point I could barely play. Reactions slowed; the team pushed rest. Good thing we'd stabilized, so I was recovering. Still, my body felt off.
Mood soured, I headed to the nearby park. Sat on a bench, zoning out on passersby, letting time drift. Fall was closing in; breeze cool. But my head felt clogged.
Crunch, crunch... A silhouette caught my eye. Sneaking up careful-like. Familiar outline? Kim Se-rin, the cheerleader.
I blurted, "Long time no see."
She blinked wide, startled, then grinned. "Oh? How'd you spot me? I was super stealthy—and dressed incognito."
I shrugged. "Just... not many look like that."
She tilted her head. "Compliment?"
Words tangled. "Uh... more like, body type's rare..."
She cut in. "Not a compliment then?"
I shook my head fast. "It is! Hard to maintain. And only one dresses like that around here."
She stepped closer, playful. "So, you like it? Or nah?"
...Teasing again. I dodged with a chuckle. "Who wouldn't?"
Closer still—nose-to-nose. "Not what others think. You like?"
Silence hung. She stood right there, amused, giggling. "Like? Dislike? Answer."
Finally, soft: "Like."
She burst out laughing, stepping back. "Hahaha! Took you forever."
"Your game's to blame. Already answered, though."
"Hmm~? Didn't sound proper."
"...Now it is."
"Yeah. Sigh..." A sigh? She rarely did that.
"Something up?"
"Yeah. Facing your team."
"Huh?"
"Made playoffs somehow, but against you guys? We'll get swept."
Pigeons cheerleader worry, through and through. I stayed cool. "Yeah... probably."
Eyes wide: "Cocky much?"
I grinned. "Yep. Against Pigeons, at least."
She mock-fumed, exaggerating. "Watch out. Our team's gunning for you—full throttle to win at least once."
Shrug. "Still beating Pigeons. I'm due. Resting up for playoffs."
"Oh reaaally? Taking care of yourself? Hmm... yeah, slimmer than early season. Was kinda cute then; now you're skeletal."
"Cute...? Skeletal...?"
"Yep." Grabbed my hand, feeling it up. Whoa...
"See? Hands are thin. Palms rough from hitting, but yeah."
Her soft touch sparked Seo Ha-yoon memories. Mood dipped; I pivoted. "Cheerleaders rest less than I thought. Busier now, sis?"
She released, nodding. "Yeah. Oh? Interested in cheer stuff? Kinda. Volleyball and basketball start soon."
Joking: "They'd fly you to Taiwan."
Casual: "Yep. Tons of invites from every team."
"Big money?"
"Big money."
Stomach twisted. Hesitant: "You... don't have to go, right?"
Head cock, then beaming. "What, want me to stay? Miss me?"
"Kinda."
"Oh? How'd you survive without?"
Honest: "Endured. Focused on baseball—gotta get good first."
Lip pout. "Mean. I waited."
"Huh?"
Eyes flicked away, then smile. "Nah. ...Not going to Taiwan."
Stunned stare.
"Got a good spot here. Sure, Taiwan pays fat stacks—stupid not to. But every league needs a dumb local stay."
"Dumb if you don't..."
"Yep. Couldn't anyway. I'd bolt if asked. Korean cheerleaders kill it there."
"That big?"
"Yep. Feels like a status bump."
Beneficial... "Then why stay?"
"Told you. Oh! New reason now."
"What?"
"When asked, say Hu-seong begged me to~!"
I blanked; she cracked up long and hard.