He Was Cute Back Then
The next day, during a casual meeting, the operations team leader brought up the issue of Kim Hu-seong.
"Director, so we're going to mention Kim Se-rin the cheerleader to Kim Hu-seong player, making it seem like we're giving him some special perks...?"
"Not a bad idea. Gotta sweet-talk him with something like that. We sent him down to the minors before, after all."
That was when it happened.
"I don't think that's the right approach."
The marketing team leader spoke up. She had been keeping a close eye on Kim Hu-seong, who was now a key marketing asset.
"What do you mean by that?"
The operations team leader, who had raised the point, looked flustered.
"Well... it's true they went to that restaurant together yesterday, but their conversation was just Kim Se-rin the cheerleader offering to help Kim Hu-seong player a bit with his bulking up."
"Bulking up?"
The Turkeys director responded to the marketing team leader's detailed explanation.
"Hold on, marketing team leader. Give us more details. What exactly happened? Weren't they just meeting up?"
"According to that rumor from yesterday... there was no lovers' talk between them."
The Turkeys director let out a deep sigh upon hearing that.
"Operations team leader."
"Yes..."
"You need to do proper research before pushing things forward. You sure about this?"
"Well... um..."
"Did you confirm anything first, or not?"
"..."
"Haa, what a mess. Marketing team leader, what do you think?"
The marketing team leader let out a small sigh of her own.
"Honestly, both Kim Hu-seong player and Kim Se-rin cheerleader are perfect marketing tools for us. But this situation is really bothering me. Because even if they're not together right now, I see huge potential for them to develop into a couple. However! We should still verify the facts before proceeding..."
"Looks like we're on the same page. We should play it safe, right?"
"Yes. Since it doesn't seem like they are at the moment, why not let it breathe a little? We could spin it into promoting them as the perfect handsome guy-pretty girl couple... We can't drop Hu-seong player now anyway—he's someone we'll be using long-term."
The Turkeys director nodded at the marketing team leader's words.
"Yeah, that's the way to go. You hear that, operations team leader?"
"Pardon?"
"Approach things with a more open mind."
"Yes, sir..."
Then, the Turkeys director turned to the marketing team leader with an expression of trust.
"Marketing team leader."
"Yes."
"We've got a lot on our minds right now because of this. We're trying to push Kim Hu-seong player, but misunderstandings keep popping up."
"Ah..."
"So, for now... you're a woman, right? Could you get close to Kim Se-rin cheerleader and dig a bit deeper?"
"Um... I'll give it a try."
Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. Gurgle... My stomach had been bloated all day; just standing still made it feel tight and churning. Sometimes something would rise up into my throat, and taking a deep breath tugged at the pit of my stomach.
As I stretched with a grimace, the fitness coach approached.
"Hu-seong, you okay? You've been looking sour lately."
I hesitated for a moment. Saying I was fine would be a lie, but admitting I felt like I was dying seemed too dramatic.
"Uh... aside from the bloating, I'm good."
The fitness coach scanned my face and nodded.
"I know it's from bulking up... Can't be helped. Just don't push too hard. Some players get side effects. Right now, with Min-seok injured, you're covering outfield full-time—you can't afford issues. Pace yourself. Okay?"
"Yes, sir."
"We'll weigh you after. Gotta keep tracking it."
A bit later, I moved to the scale, and the fitness coach checked my weight.
The moment the number appeared, he let out a short whistle.
"81kg. Doing great."
81kg... Slower than I thought... My goal is 90kg. The coach is satisfied, but I'm struggling right now. My body is screaming at me to stop, and I have no idea how much longer I need to keep this up...
On top of that, it's early May. Summer's creeping in. Even if I hit 90kg by July or August, maintaining it without dropping means eating the same volume ongoing. At this rate, it's a problem. Not reaching the goal means I have to eat even more. And I'm already at my limit...
"You dropped to 73kg when you lost weight before. This is ideal growth. Gaining like this mid-season isn't easy—you're crushing it."
Yeah... I guess so. Suddenly, Kim Se-rin cheerleader crossed my mind. When I complained about eating for bulking, she grabbed me and force-fed me. It was a bit aggressive, honestly. But it was working. I should thank her properly later—maybe get her a gift.
"So, keep going like this?"
"Well... If it plateaus, up the intake. You're not low on training volume, so it's muscle gain, not fat—it's on track. But if it stalls... more food."
"...Got it."
The mention of eating more nearly made me puke, but I barely held it down.
After the game, I packed my gear with a dark expression. We won. But... the bloating made my movements lag a beat throughout. No major errors, but my batting wasn't sharp, and it bugged me. Sighing heavily, I headed to the parking lot.
Nearby, a familiar voice rang out.
Huh? That voice... It was Kim Se-rin cheerleader. And mixed in was the marketing team leader's voice. They were chatting in front of the parking lot.
Hm... Should I wait? I awkwardly stopped behind a pillar. I wasn't hiding, but then my name popped up, freezing me in place.
"Ah! Me and Hu-seong?"
Kim Se-rin said with a laugh.
"Uh... you're not dating, right?"
"Yeah? But you two seem close lately."
"Ah! I'm just the neighborhood noona."
"Neighborhood noona?"
"Yeah. We live in the same area. Since I started coming here, we carpool sometimes."
"So you've been in touch a lot before!"
"No. Until recently, we didn't even have each other's numbers. Hu-seong doesn't do social media, so no DMs... We just said hi if we passed on the street."
The marketing team leader smoothly followed up.
"And now?"
"Now..."
That's when Kim Se-rin turned her head. Her gaze nailed the spot behind the pillar.
"...Huh? Hu-seong. What're you doing there?"
I flinched. Stepping out now would scream I'd overheard; staying put looked even shadier. Forcing a stiff smile, I walked out. My grin was wooden, my voice catching like something was stuck in my throat.
"Oh, uh... I was passing by and missed the timing..."
The marketing team leader glanced at my face and chuckled softly.
"You two must be close. Huge loss for our marketing team, you know? Half the female fans are Hu-seong's, half the male fans are Se-rin's, and if you two~ get together~ watch out~."
Kim Se-rin froze at that. A nervous laugh escaped her lips like a breeze.
"Haha... yeah... we're just really good friends~!"
She waved her hands dismissively.
"Like, I help him out if he gets into trouble."
I tilted my head. Trouble?
"Huh? Trouble? Me? When?"
Kim Se-rin's eyes went wide.
"You got blackout drunk before and couldn't even pay the designated driver."
...Did I?
"I happened to pass by and took care of it. You don't remember?"
Suddenly, it clicked in my head.
"Oh? Did I...?"
That day flooded back. Seniors dragged me out drinking hard. I don't drink much, so I pinpointed it easily. Almost a year ago... Memory was hazy. I'd thought that night was a total blank, but fragments flashed up.
The driver looking troubled. The apartment lobby dimly. And oddly, a scent lingered between shards. Familiar. Sweet and clean—shampoo or perfume? It matched Kim Se-rin's scent.
I opened my mouth, then shut it. My heart thumped hard.
The next fragment was killer. Me, on the verge of tears... I miss you, Se-rin noona~!
...I reflexively forgot the marketing team leader was there and approached Kim Se-rin.
"Hold on."
I grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.
"Huh?"
I leaned in close to her ear, voice low but desperate.
"Noona... did I ever... drunk in front of you... say 'I miss you~'...?"
Kim Se-rin blinked once, then burst into bright laughter.
"Hahaha! You remember! Yeah!"
My vision went white.
"..."
I couldn't speak. Just stared blankly at Kim Se-rin, who was still laughing.
Finally, something snapped inside me.
"Uwaaaaaah! What did I do...!"
I bolted across the underground parking lot.
"...What's with him?"
"Oh... probably remembered something embarrassing. No big deal. Just his own shame."
Not the full story, but the marketing team leader got the gist quick.
Kim Se-rin cheerleader's got Kim Hu-seong player locked down now. She's got a solid weakness on him.
"Must've been cute back then."
"Yeah. He was cute back then."