Gocheok Heroes
I woke to the feeling of warm, soft sunlight filtering into the room. It was like everything was a dream. But beside me, Seon-ah's stunning nude body sparkled in the sunlight, proving yesterday hadn't been a dream at all.
Seeing her naked in the bright morning light after waking up made me feel embarrassed. Last night, we'd devoured each other like we were possessed, but now with clear heads, it felt different. Of course, it wasn't that my feelings had cooled or changed. If anything, they burned even deeper than before.
"Mmm..."
Seon-ah must have felt the warm sunlight too. She stretched languidly, then our eyes met, and she jolted in surprise, yanking the covers over herself. Her full stretch had exposed everything, nearly getting me excited first thing in the morning. She blushed bright red when our eyes locked—probably feeling the same way.
"Sleep well?"
"Mmm... You too?"
"Thanks to you."
"What...?"
Her wide-eyed reaction to my joke was unbearably cute.
"Being with you feels like a dream."
"Me too..."
I pulled her close as she huddled under the blanket.
"I want to stay like this forever."
"Tch... You're too late for that."
I knew my confession was overdue. But confessing now, after everything, felt more honest to her—and better for us. If I'd confessed back when I was just a bullpen catcher, we might have dated, but my inferiority complex could've ended it quickly.
"Better late than never. I'll take responsibility for life."
I kissed her forehead as she pouted.
"By the way, what was that you said yesterday? Something about a manager offer?"
"Yeah. It came while we were at the spa. From the Gocheok Heroes."
"Has fall baseball already ended?"
"Guess so? I should check."
Yeom Kyung-yeong was already the manager there, having led them to second place. It hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility, but they'd reached out anyway. A quick phone search showed they'd lost the Korean Series to the Daegu Lions and finished second. I'd have to return to Korea for the details—and the contract terms.
Unlike other teams, the Gocheok Heroes had no owner, just a majority shareholder, since they lacked a parent company. Financial support was weaker, so they'd always focused on rebuilding: developing players and selling them for profit. No corporate backing meant trading talent to stay afloat. They must've seen my rebuilding skills and pegged me for manager.
My talent was perfect for nurturing rookies, so it could fit their style—as long as they didn't sell everyone off ruthlessly.
I set aside worries about the future. Right now, time with Seon-ah mattered more. We'd already burned through quite a bit of the morning, so we checked out and headed to the pier. We'd wasted the whole day, but I had zero regrets.
We naturally clasped hands. It wasn't our first time, but the warmth from her hand seeped straight to my heart. We were only a day into dating, yet our shared history made it burn hotter.
The rest of the trip, we rested plenty and learned even more about each other. Being lovers revealed sides we hadn't seen as just friends.
...
Back in Korea, I headed straight to Mokdong Stadium to sign the contract. The team was called the Gocheok Heroes, but their current home was Mokdong—the Gocheok Dome was still under construction, set to open the year after next. Coming from Daejeon would've meant an extra trip, but landing at Incheon let me go right there.
Seon-ah stuck right by my side, not even stopping at home. Having her there made me feel secure and happy—no complaints from me.
Mokdong Stadium felt noticeably smaller than Eagles Park, and the facilities looked a bit dated. Were those bad rumors true?
"Seon-ah, wait here. I'll head in."
I couldn't bring my girlfriend to my first contract signing.
"Okay. I'll poke around."
She smiled brightly. Inside, someone from the front office greeted me.
"Manager Lee Jin-ho, right? Wow, you're as handsome as they say. Nice to meet you. I'm Operations Team Leader Kang Byung-seok."
"Nice to meet you. Lee Jin-ho."
We shook hands and headed to the director's office.
"Is the reason you're appointing me because of rebuilding?"
"That's... a big part of it. Our situation demands it."
"I hear Kang Ho-jung is heading to MLB. That true?"
"Yes. Offers are coming in left and right. It's confidential, but you're the manager now, so I'll let you in on it."
He smiled. Train 'em hard, then sell 'em off. The vibe was strong. But I couldn't back out over that.
Knock knock.
"Operations Team Leader here. I've brought Manager Lee Jin-ho."
"Come in."
The director's voice called from inside. We entered. It was humbler than the Eagles' office but cozy enough.
The director looked like a kindly uncle.
"Welcome. I'm Heroes Director Park Seong-sik."
"Nice to meet you. Lee Jin-ho."
"Hoho, handsome just like they said."
I had no idea where he'd heard that, but it matched what the team leader said.
"Have a seat."
He sat on the sofa; I took the spot to his right. The team leader sat opposite. Time for the real talk.
"As we discussed on the phone, we're offering a two-year guaranteed contract."
The team leader slid the contract forward. I didn't even glance at it, turning to the director instead.
"What does the team expect from me?"
"Hohoho."
He let out a hearty laugh.
"We need rebuilding."
"Even after finishing second this year?"
Rebuilding was for bottom-feeders aiming to climb. Rookies for future contention when results sucked. Not for top teams.
"We always need rebuilding. No parent company."
Park Seong-sik seemed to get my point.
"But results can't drop. Develop rookies, but keep winning. That's how we profit."
Hurry up and wait. Rough start ahead. But I wasn't worried. No veterans stifling rookies here. And I was optimized for nurturing talent.
"Sounds good. I'll meet expectations."
I read the contract. My salary: 200 million won. Low for managers, but solid for my career. Incentives weren't bad compared to the Eagles. Stingy on money? Not here.
Odd clause: Rookies must play at least 20% of games. Outrageous for most teams, but spelled out plain. Minimum four rookies on the 21-man roster—starters, even.
Fine by me. Exactly what I wanted.
"Contract looks good. One addition?"
The director brightened at my rookie approval.
"Sure. What?"
"If a rookie gets posted to MLB, give me 5% of the posting fee."
"What?!"
His friendly smile twisted.
"Not for developed guys like Park Byung-hyun. Rookies posting."
His face relaxed instantly.
"Ah! Of course. Easy. If you develop 'em that well! Hahaha!"
A third-year rookie posting to MLB? Rare dream for Heroes. He laughed because it almost never happened. For them, turning zero into 10 billion won, handing over 500 million wasn't much—they'd net 9.5 billion.
Assuming such a player existed.
The contract sailed through.
"Looking forward to it, Manager Lee!"
"Same here."
We shook hands.
"Tour the team today?"
"No. Need to find a place to live. Give me some time to settle."
"Fair enough."
Heading out with the team leader, we chatted about training levels, gear, facilities. I'd check myself later.
"When should we announce?"
"Take it easy. Gather players and coaches in a week. I'll greet them formally."
"Got it."
We parted. I looked for Seon-ah—no sign. Called her.
"Yeah! Jin-ho."
Bright as ever.
"Where are you?"
"In the cheerleader room."
"Huh? Why? Know someone?"
"Nope. Applying for cheerleader."
"What?!"
Classic Seon-ah. Lightning-fast action. Knew I was switching teams? Boom—cheer squad transfer.