Tears Over Pork Belly and Soju Comfort
I headed to a pork belly joint with Seon-ah and grabbed a table. Throughout the walk there, she'd been fidgeting like she had something to say but couldn't quite get it out.
"Two servings of samgyeopsal, please." After raising my hand to order, Seon-ah finally spoke up.
"Ah... come on, spit it out. What's going on?"
"It's exactly what you heard. Coach Shin Hyun-kyung asked me to be a coach."
"Whoa... seriously? So you're quitting as a player?"
At my words, Seon-ah leaned in closer. "Yeah... pretty much."
"What do you mean?! I know how hard you worked, and Coach knows it too..."
Seon-ah looked even more heartbroken than I did, her eyes welling up with tears. "Yeah... he knows better than anyone."
That was true. Coach had watched my efforts up close—closer than even I had. For him to suggest this meant he saw more talent in me as a coach than as a player.
Seon-ah got what I meant and started to say something but held back.
"So... that's why you were drinking yesterday?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah. Sorry about that."
"No, it's fine. I had no idea... you must've been through hell."
Seon-ah patted my back. That simple gesture hit me hard, like permission to finally let it all go.
"Wh-what... are you crying...?"
I couldn't lift my face. After running for over ten years, it felt like someone had grabbed the back of my neck and forced me to stop. The reality of my playing days ending only sank in now. Yesterday with Coach, it had felt more like the start of something new as a coach, but Seon-ah's pat brought me crashing back to earth.
"Jin-ho, it's not over. You're gonna be a coach. Think of it as a fresh start. I'll cheer you on."
"Waaahhh!!!"
Her encouragement broke the dam, and I burst into loud sobs before I knew it.
"Oh my gosh!!"
The ajumma bringing our pork belly jumped in fright and let out a scream. Everyone in the BBQ joint turned to stare at us.
"Looks like... he got dumped..."
"Never seen a guy cry like that..."
The murmurs made embarrassment flood over me.
"Ah... no, it's not that! Nothing like that!!"
Seon-ah, equally mortified, stood up waving her hands. "He had a rough day today... we were just comforting him!"
Her flustered look made me burst out laughing mid-sob. I wiped my tears with my hand, still chuckling.
"Ahahaha... so embarrassing. I just lost it out of nowhere."
As I stood up laughing, the crowd seemed to write it off as a funny mishap and chuckled along.
"Boss, a bottle of soju here, please."
Seon-ah ordered soju from the owner.
"Booze... now?"
"Not on a day like this?"
"But I drank yesterday too..."
I was worried with the hangover still lingering.
"Pfft, trust your noona. I'll take responsibility!"
Seon-ah grabbed my wrist and yanked it. She took the soju from the boss, spun the bottle with flair, and filled my glass to the brim.
"Training tomorrow, so just this one bottle. Okay?"
"Okay!!"
"That's right!! This is the hangover cure!!"
The pork belly sizzled on the grill, and I ordered kimchi jjigae to help with the recovery, downing glasses eagerly. We'd said just one bottle, but before long, the two of us had polished off four.
"Hic... you're gonna make it. With your grit, you can do anything..."
"Thanks... Seon-ah... hic... ugh... ugh..."
It had been ages since we'd drunk together, and it was pure bliss.
"Ah... gotta... go home..."
"Huh? Where... home..."
Despite the buzz hitting hard with work tomorrow, I staggered to my feet. Seon-ah slung her arm around my neck and came along for the drag.
"Boss... bill, please..."
I pulled out my card to pay, and the owner even called us a taxi.
"I'm... coming toooo..."
Seon-ah was still hanging off my neck.
"Ugh... this is tough..."
I grumbled, but it wasn't really hard. After years as a baseball player, how could carrying her tire me out? I piggybacked her to the main road and hopped in the taxi.
I took Seon-ah back to my place in the cab. She was no stranger to my one-room, so she moved around comfortably. The fresh air sobered her up a bit; as soon as we got in, she raided the fridge for water and chugged it.
"Ah... wiped out... seriously, got any food...?"
"You just stuffed yourself on meat and want more?"
"Yeah... the booze made me hungry again."
She rubbed her belly like she meant it.
"Fine, sit tight. I'll heat up some gomtang."
"Gomtang?? You have that here???"
Her face lit up at the mention.
"Yeah, Mom sent it over. Frozen in portions to last."
I dumped a serving from the freezer into a pot and set it to boil. The icy block melted into a milky broth. Once it bubbled, I divided it into two bowls and handed one to Seon-ah.
She dove face-first into hers and scarfed it down.
"Whoa... you sure you just ate BBQ?"
"I'm crashing here?"
She glanced at me after my comment and tossed it out casually.
"What? No way! Eat up and head out."
A guy and girl alone in a room—where's this sleeping over coming from?
"Ah... come on... I'm beat. Give me some clothes."
She puffed her cheeks in fake aegyo, demanding clothes.
"Sigh... fine. Hold on."
I grabbed comfy clothes from my closet and handed them over.
"Honey~ I'm off to shower~"
She winked at me and headed to the bathroom.
"Good lord..."
I shook my head as the door cracked open.
"Jin-ho, did you toss my toothbrush?"
She came here often enough that she had her own.
"Nope, check the top shelf. Kept it separate."
It was in a mini sterilizer in the cabinet.
"Ooh... seriously... I'm touched. I'll do anything you want today."
"Cut the crap. Hurry up and shower. I wanna sleep... I'm beat."
"Sheesh... no fun..."
She pouted dramatically and went back in.
Seon-ah emerged showered and changed into my baggy boxy tee and training shorts. On her, it looked like model wear.
I showered too, and there she was, sprawled on my bed. I yielded the bed to her and laid out a blanket on the floor.
"Jin-ho. You asleep?"
Her soft voice floated down from the bed. The booze and exhaustion had me drifting off.
"Nah... about to. What's up?"
"Nothing much... I just know you'll nail it."
"Huh? Oh... thanks."
"I had to say it. Night~"
Her words brought a smile.
"Thanks. If I make it big, I'll take care of you."
I said it half-joking, but she didn't reply.
Did she fall asleep?
After a quiet pause, her voice came, a bit shy. "You better succeed..."
"I will. Night."
Of course, nothing happened that night. We'd had plenty of nights like this since she visited so often. It wasn't that I didn't see her as a woman—she was stunning, alluring, and my rock. But one reason I couldn't approach her was that I wasn't ready yet.
A perennial bullpen catcher with no talent. She was too good for a guy like me. Sure, I was stepping into coaching, but I hadn't even officially started.
I shook my head. Once I succeeded more, if she felt the same, then I'd make a move.
And so our night passed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The alarm blared. I twisted around groggily to shut it off.
"Ugh..."
Back-to-back drinking sessions left my head throbbing. Seon-ah was out cold on my bed, totally exposed. Despite the chilly morning, her shirt was hiked up, belly out—she must've scratched it in her sleep. It was dangerously close to showing more.
My eyes drifted to her figure involuntarily. She had the body, no doubt. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and gently pulled the blanket over her.
She had afternoon work, but today was my first official day as coach. No contract yet—just Coach Shin's word—so I figured I should head to the ballpark.
Even after I showered and got ready, she slept on obliviously. How could a woman be so defenseless sharing a room with a guy? I changed quickly and headed out to the team.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As soon as Jin-ho left for work, Seon-ah stirred awake.
"Ha... is this guy seriously impotent?"
She was cursing the very Jin-ho who'd tucked her in. She'd deliberately flashed her toned abs, but he hadn't budged.
"Well, that's Jin-ho's charm. Time for me to get ready too?"
Truth was, she hadn't been asleep. How could she sleep properly sharing a room with the guy she liked? She'd tossed all night and barely made it to morning.
Seon-ah sat up and slipped off her clothes. Her firm, beautiful figure emerged.
"And I'm this pretty."
She twisted to admire herself, smiling. She sensed Jin-ho liked her back, but she couldn't figure out why he wouldn't make a move.