Just Work Hard
Mold on the walls. Cobwebs on the ceiling. Dead bugs in the window cracks—all visible at a glance. Damn... There was no way I could live in a place like this. Staying here would definitely bring on all sorts of pointless illnesses.
I stopped unpacking my bags and immediately started hunting for cleaning supplies. The only stuff inside was a broom and a mop.
"Haa... This won't cut it."
I dashed back out, hit the nearby mart, and stocked up on heavy-duty cleaners. Then I put on a mask and gloves, diluted some bleach in water.
"Alright, time to wipe out these goddamn mold bastards..."
A few hours later, I was drenched in sweat. My shirt clung to my back, and my hands reeked of bleach. I'd scrubbed, wiped, and aired the place out all day, but the room looked worlds better than when I'd first walked in. Sure, the wallpaper was a bit frayed from all the bleach scrubbing, but that beat leaving the mold there.
"Whew... Time for a break."
Exhausted from the deep clean, I stepped outside to rest—and that's when I spotted the next batch of arrivals.
"Ah... I really hate 2군 dorm life. This place is a nightmare..."
"If it bugs you that much, don't stay in rehab and go back to 1군."
"Eh, what can you do... Gonna be stuck here for two, three months. Commuting from Seoul is a pain anyway."
Hwang Do-yoon and Gu Min-seok. They'd been 1군 players but got sent down for rehab, so they had no choice but to crash here too. Their faces screamed irritation—they knew exactly how hellish 2군 life could be.
"But why won't they let just the two of us in... Now the kids downstairs are gossiping, and it's exhausting."
Hwang Do-yoon grumbled like it was all a hassle.
"That's 'cause we've got some seniority—they want us mentoring a bit. Orders from above, what can we do?"
"We've shown our faces enough; isn't there some kid who'll kiss ass?"
Right then, Hwang Do-yoon spotted me and his eyes widened. He waved me over.
"Hey, Kim Hu-seong! Rookie, first time here, right? How's the 2군 setup treating you?"
I hesitated for a second, then gave it to him straight.
"Way too much mold... Pretty gross, honestly."
"Kekekeke. Knew it. That's our 2군 dorm for ya. Get to 1군 quick and bail."
"Well... I cleaned all day, so it's a bit better now."
Hwang Do-yoon's eyes lit up as he rushed over.
"Hold up—what? You cleaned? No mold left?"
I wiped sweat from my face and nodded.
"Yeah, scrubbed it all with bleach and aired it out. Wallpaper's kinda ragged now... but way better than mold everywhere."
His face brightened instantly, and he grabbed my shoulder hard.
"Perfect! Starting today, I'm your roommate. No arguments."
Gu Min-seok looked at him like he was nuts.
"Hey, hey. Who decided that on their own?"
"Me."
"Nah. You gotta tell the 2군 manager first, right?"
With that, Gu Min-seok bolted inside. Hwang Do-yoon realized his mistake and chased after him.
"Ooh! For real? No mold smell!"
Hwang Do-yoon, the winner, stepped into the room with a satisfied grin, checking it out.
"Whoa, night and day compared to the others. Air's totally different!"
"Hyung, that's bleach you're smelling. Hasn't fully aired out yet."
"Exactly, kid. Beats the alternative. Shit, everyone here catches a cold every season 'cause of that crap? Problem is... even cleaned like this, it'll come back in summer..."
"Summer?"
"Rain. Hits, and boom..."
"Ah..."
A horrifying image flashed through my mind.
"Eh, beggars can't be choosers. Beats Hwaseong or Gangjin—they say those were worse. Gotta wrap up rehab quick and get back to 1군."
"Better than here?"
"Gangjin was legendary bad, but I wasn't there. Everyone says it sucked balls though. Sigh... Anyway, unpack roughly today, training starts tomorrow. Got it?"
"Yes, hyung."
The next morning. Most players had trickled into the 2군 dorm by late night, settling in and making a racket that kept me tossing and turning. But as always, I got up for training and started loosening up.
"Eh... Not bad. No snoring either."
Hwang Do-yoon hyung, lying across from me, pulled his blanket up to his chin, glanced over, and smirked.
"Kim Hu-seong. I'm on rehab today, so resting. Good luck."
Ah... Kinda jealous all of a sudden? True to his "Lazy Slugger" nickname, he buried his head back in the pillow and passed out again. Envy flickered through me, but he was a solid 1군 guy. I was an 11th-round rookie. Different leagues. I laced up my shoes tight and steeled myself. All I could do was train diligently.
Whoa... Check out these facilities. Total dump. Uneven dirt. Grass in ruins... Mess up here, and you'd get hurt for sure.
I was stretching, eyeing the field, and doing solo drills when someone suddenly called my name.
"Kim Hu-seong!"
I turned—Oh Tae-sik, the 2군 manager, was walking over with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes, Coach!"
I ran up, doffed my cap, and bowed.
He scanned me head to toe, nodded, and spoke.
"Training diligently. That's commendable. These guys—do they even want to make 1군? Sun's high, and half aren't even out here."
Today's not official training day... Sure, some were warming up, but...
"Exhibition games start the day after tomorrow. You know?"
"Yes!"
"But... Watching you, you've still got issues."
Tension spiked. I asked carefully.
"What parts need work?"
Oh Tae-sik replied firmly.
"First off, you lack baserunning experience. Speed's improved, but no instincts. And executing plays? Still green."
I nodded silently. Spot on. In high school, I was mostly a defensive sub—almost no real game reps as a pinch runner. No hitting expectations meant few manager signals, few chances to read situations. I knew better than anyone how thin my three years of game experience were.
"I've watched you closely. You've got potential. But without experience, it's worthless. Won't cut it in 1군. Can't keep games rolling. Basics first."
"Yes..."
"Hmm... I'll put you in every exhibition game from here on."
"Every one?"
I blurted in surprise.
"Yeah. But every at-bat or run, expect plays. Memorize the signs, think ahead on responses."
He nodded.
"And after games? Not done. Night baserunning drills too. Even if you're wrecked, push through. Experience is everything—you're short, so cram it in fast."
I took a deep breath.
"Understood."
He nodded again, no more words, and headed toward the other players.
Every exhibition? Plus night drills? Just thinking about it choked me. I'd handled packed schedules before, but no end in sight here. Could I last? Burn out before season? Baserunning eats stamina...
Back at the dorm after solo work, Hwang Do-yoon hyung was still lounging. He yawned, sat up as I entered.
"Training done?"
"Yeah. Official starts tomorrow, so just warmed up today."
"Good, take it easy. Easy's best."
Take it easy? Can't do that...
"But... Coach said he's upping my workload specially..."
"Huh? Suddenly? Just you?"
"Yeah, just me..."
He eyed me. I recapped the coach's words.
He tilted his head after.
"Rookie in every game, plus night baserunning? Night training, huh?"
"Yes."
He scratched his forehead, mumbling.
"Hm... Pushing a rookie that hard already? That's Oh Tae-sik's style, but... Starting like that tanks stamina. He knows better..."
Then it hit him—he looked at me.
"Hey! Don't overthink. Just shut up and grind."
"Pardon?"
"Just work hard. Do it."
Weren't you just saying take it easy...?