The Man Hits a Home Run (3)
“Hey there, Home Run King.”
The next day.
The moment I stepped out of the equipment room, Cha Seo-rin’s voice came flying at me. She had her catcher’s gear slung over one shoulder and was watching me with a playful smile.
“Gimme one autograph, would ya? You’re the home-run hitter who actually connected off Baek Ha-rin’s pitch, after all.”
“As long as it’s not on some kind of contract, I’ll sign for you.”
“…Tsk. You’re no fun.”
When I answered without giving her much of a reaction, Cha Seo-rin’s interest seemed to dry up just as fast, and she dropped the teasing.
“Still, looking at the video, your form’s solid. You’ve been playing baseball a long time, huh?”
“Well, I haven’t exactly been playing a little.”
“But doesn’t our school have a men’s baseball club too? If you like the game that much, why not just join something like that?”
“I like baseball. I don’t like men’s baseball.”
In this world, men’s baseball shortened the distance between the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box, and you could only steal once the pitcher had already delivered the ball into the catcher’s mitt—rules that made it completely different from real baseball. If that was what they called baseball, I would rather stay here even if I never got to swing a bat again.
“Whoa, that was almost cool just now? Yeah, fair enough—what those guys do, fiddling around with a ball, doesn’t even count as baseball. Right?”
“You’re just teasing me, aren’t you?”
“What else would I be doing? Look at you, one home run and suddenly your shoulders are all puffed up.”
“I haven’t done anything like that.”
“Sure, sure. Once you’re done hauling the batting practice balls, go fill the water jugs too, Home Run King.”
…Well, I had vaguely expected this much. There was no way one swing would suddenly change how people saw a man playing baseball. Even if I compared it to my original world before the possession, nobody would start recommending a woman become a pro ballplayer just because she happened to hit a home run once in a chance at-bat.
Looking at the video, your form’s solid.
“…….”
Still, Cha Seo-rin’s compliment had lifted my mood a little. She had tossed it out like a joke, but given her personality, she wouldn’t have said it if she didn’t mean it.
Thinking that, I hauled the balls over toward the indoor training facility—and the long-haired left-handed pitcher immediately caught my eye.
—Thwack!
“Nice ball!”
Even though she wasn’t scheduled to pitch today, Baek Ha-rin was loosening up in the bullpen. I had a pretty good idea why. Yesterday’s home run I took off her must have hit her pride harder than expected. Everyone in the Cheonwon University baseball team knew Baek Ha-rin was quiet but fiercely proud. The way the bullpen catcher was tenser than usual just receiving her pitches made it clear that getting on her bad side today would only lead to a headache.
—Glare.
“……?”
—Thwack!!
“One-fifty-four.”
“Hah… hah…”
The pitching coach standing beside her checked the radar gun and called out the number. Throwing that hard in a bullpen session on a day she wasn’t even pitching? She was supposed to start next, as I recalled. Surely she wasn’t planning to keep throwing like this until then.
Sheesh. Who am I even worrying about right now?
I prepared for the game the same way I always did, thinking that even as a bench player I’d settle for a single plate appearance or a pinch-running chance. Hitting a home run off Baek Ha-rin’s pitch hadn’t changed a single thing about the Cheonwon University baseball team’s daily routine. I was still the equipment manager, and even with the season about to open, my name was completely absent from Coach Yoon Ga-eul’s lineup plans. Even in the practice games against other universities—where reserve infielders, backup catchers, first-year rookies, and second-string pitchers all got their turns—my name was never called.
“Tae-oh, grab a few more new bats.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, and bring another box of practice-game balls while you’re at it.”
“Understood.”
Not a pinch hitter, not a pinch runner, not even a defensive sub—just the guy stuck with the chores. Still pacing the edge of the field carrying water jugs instead of a bat. A man hitting a home run was more than enough to stir up a fuss online, but a man actually playing on a real baseball diamond was an entirely different story.
“Do-hee, get ready!”
“Yes!”
Min Do-hee, who had laid down a bunt single against Baek Ha-rin yesterday, stepped into the box. Just like the day before, she didn’t hesitate—she dropped a surprise bunt, made contact, and took off running.
—Crack!
“Run, run!”
“She’s fast—Min Do-hee!”
She dove headfirst on a close play and slid into first.
“Safe!”
“Nice one, Do-hee!”
“Yes!”
She had come in as a pinch runner in the seventh and stayed in through the ninth without being lifted for a pinch hitter, manufacturing another bunt single and getting on base. Watching how they used a first-year who had only just enrolled this year, she would almost certainly claim a spot on the C-League roster. She had always had the potential, of course, but yesterday’s bunt single had clearly been the spark.
“Jealous?”
Cha Seo-rin’s voice came from beside me.
“Does it look that way?”
“Yeah. Fucking obvious.”
I almost denied it the way I usually would, but it would have been such a transparent lie that I didn’t bother.
“I am jealous, but I saw it coming, so I’m not exactly disappointed.”
“That so?”
“If it hadn’t been for the coach, I wouldn’t even have gotten a single at-bat in yesterday’s scrimmage. I was lucky enough to take a swing at Baek Ha-rin’s pitch once. That’s enough for me.”
“…Hey. If you really want to play baseball that bad, want me to introduce you to a men’s team? My older brother plays for one. It’s men’s baseball, but they’ve got decent sponsors and all…”
“I already told you I’m not doing men’s baseball. What kind of baseball is that even supposed to be?”
“…Whatever.”
I hadn’t known Cha Seo-rin could make a face like that. It was proof that my own expression had looked pretty bad, so I forced a smile onto my face. Ever since I had been possessed into this world, being treated as less than even a reserve was already a familiar experience from my high school days.
“I’m going to go fill the water.”
While I was filling the jugs, dodging Cha Seo-rin’s pitying look, a cheer rose from the field. From the voices, it sounded like Min Do-hee had just stolen a base. Hearing it, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
…I wish I could get even one more chance to prove myself out there on the field the way she just did.
The day before Baek Ha-rin’s final pre-start check scrimmage.
After practice ended, Baek Ha-rin stood in front of Coach Yoon Ga-eul’s office and knocked lightly.
“Come in.”
She opened the door and stepped inside. Yoon Ga-eul was seated at her desk, looking over a lineup card. Her start tomorrow was probably written right there. Thinking that, Baek Ha-rin finally brought up the issue she had been agonizing over for days since her last outing.
“Coach.”
“What is it?”
“About tomorrow’s scrimmage.”
“Right. Your final start check, Ha-rin.”
“Yes.”
The last practice game before the college league began at the end of March.
“How’s the body feeling?”
“No problems.”
“Good. I’m looking at around eighty pitches. Depending on the situation, I might let you go up to ninety.”
“Understood.”
“Throw freely and without pressure. Even if you don’t finish five innings, there’s no chance of you being left off the C-League roster.”
“…Yes.”
After the short reply, Baek Ha-rin fell silent for a moment. Only then did Yoon Ga-eul seem to realize she had more to say; she set her pen down and turned her gaze on her.
“Well? Something else on your mind?”
“I have a request regarding tomorrow’s scrimmage roster.”
“…Go on.”
“Please put Kang Tae-oh in.”
“…….”
“Starter, whatever—it doesn’t matter. Just once is fine. When I’m on the mound, please put him in the batter’s box…”
“Baek Ha-rin.”
“…Yes.”
At the low drop in Yoon Ga-eul’s voice, Baek Ha-rin bowed her head.
“The player lineup is the coach’s exclusive authority.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Even if you’re this school’s ace pitcher, you don’t get to interfere with who I put in or take out.”
“…I know.”
“And one home run doesn’t lower your value either. The noise will die down once C-League starts at the end of March. Don’t get worked up over public opinion that comes and goes.”
“…Yes.”
Under Yoon Ga-eul’s successive rebukes, Baek Ha-rin couldn’t bring herself to lift her head. Even she knew the request had been shameless. She was fully aware how ridiculous it was to walk into the coach’s office and ask for a rematch simply because a man had hit a home run off her. She had only made the unreasonable demand because her desire to face Kang Tae-oh again had outweighed that awareness.
She needed to prove to herself that the pitch that left the park had merely been a mistake, that if she threw seriously a male trainee who wasn’t even a formal player would go down on strikes every at-bat… and that she was not the kind of pitcher who would be shaken by a single home run from a man like that.
“Don’t interfere with my lineup again. If you understand, get out.”
“…Yes.”
In the end Baek Ha-rin left the coach’s office without the answer she wanted, having received only a scolding.
—Creeeak.
“…Ah.”
“…….”
The moment she stepped outside, she came face-to-face with Kang Tae-oh, who happened to be standing right in front of the coach’s office.
“You eavesdropping?”
Baek Ha-rin looked at me and asked in a low voice.
“Eavesdropping on what?”
I had actually heard a little, but for the sake of her pride I pretended I hadn’t. …Judging by her expression, she didn’t really buy it.
“…Don’t get cocky just because you hit one mistake pitch.”
“I haven’t.”
“…Hmph.”
I hadn’t run into Baek Ha-rin much lately, so I hadn’t realized—but from this reaction, she clearly had me marked. Pride like a brick wall, as always.
—Knock, knock, knock.
“Coach, may I come in?”
“Come in.”
I opened the door and stepped inside. Coach Yoon Ga-eul looked up from her seat.
“This is the record file the coach told me to bring you…”
“Set it down there.”
“Yes.”
If I looked around too carefully it would be obvious I had overheard the conversation between Baek Ha-rin and Coach Yoon Ga-eul, so I set the file down quickly and turned to leave—
“Tae-oh.”
“Yes.”
“Before you go, sit down for a second.”
Hearing Coach Yoon Ga-eul’s words, I quietly took a seat in the chair across from her.