Who Are You, Exactly?
I spent the whole day with Chae-yeon yesterday, and today we met up again to watch a baseball game in person. This was the first time we’d seen each other two days in a row, so it felt a little awkward.
“Now that I think about it, have you ever been to a baseball game before, Jung-woo?”
“Yeah, back in elementary school. I went with Dad and my brother, remember?”
“Oh, right. It’s been so long I completely forgot.”
We were riding comfortably in the car thanks to Dad’s kindness in offering to drive us to the stadium.
When we arrived at Chae-yeon’s house, she was already waiting outside.
“Yeoni!!”
“Hi, Jung-woo. Hello, Uncle.”
“It’s been a while, Chae-yeon. Are you and Jung-woo getting along well?”
“Yes!! We’re doing great. We don’t fight at all.”
“That’s good to hear. Shall we get going then?”
“Yes!!”
I took a closer look at Chae-yeon.
She was wearing the uniform of the team she cheered for and comfortable training pants. It was the first time I’d seen her dressed so casually, but even this look was incredibly charming. I really picked the perfect girlfriend.
“Jung-woo.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“We’re going to watch baseball. Why are you dressed like that?”
“Uh… am I not supposed to wear this?”
“Sigh. You’re clearly not prepared for baseball. How are you supposed to have fun in such uncomfortable clothes?”
I hadn’t exactly come to play, and since I was meeting Chae-yeon, I’d put some effort into my outfit. Apparently that was bothering her right now. I had no idea there was a specific dress code for attending baseball games in person.
“You should’ve worn something comfortable so you can actually enjoy the game.”
“Uh… sorry?”
“Haha. It’s his first time going to a game since elementary school, so cut him some slack, Chae-yeon.”
“I’m only letting it slide because of you, Uncle. From now on, you can’t dress like this, okay?”
“Y-yeah. Got it.”
I hadn’t seen Chae-yeon at a game yet, but I could already picture it in my head. And the moment that picture became reality, I knew I’d see a side of her I’d never witnessed before.
“Alright, we’re here. Have fun, you two.”
“Yes, Uncle. Thank you for the ride!!”
“Are you coming straight home after the game? Or do you want to hang out somewhere?”
“Yeoni, what do you want to do?”
“If it ends early we’ll hang out, but if not, we’ll probably head straight home.”
“Really? Then just let me know how it goes. I’ll come pick you up.”
“Seriously?!”
“Yes, seriously. Have fun.”
“Thank you so much, Uncle!!”
After sending Dad off, I looked around. The stadium was packed with crowds and full of various event booths. Since it was basically my first time seeing all this, I had no idea what anything was. Still, there were way too many people. I was already feeling drained…
“Jung-woo! Over here!!”
“Huh? Where are we going?”
“We have to buy cheering sticks!! They’re an absolute must for watching baseball in person.”
“Oh, right. Let’s go buy some.”
Chae-yeon bought a set of cheering sticks for the team she supported and handed me one. From what I’d seen on YouTube, people banged these things like crazy while cheering. Was I supposed to do the same?
Holding the cheering stick, I got dragged around by Chae-yeon from the very start. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along since I had no clue where to go. I had no idea what I was even doing here and simply followed wherever she led.
“What do you think now that you’re here in person?”
“It’s huge. There’s still thirty minutes until it starts, and there are already this many people?!”
“Of course. Everyone’s that passionate about it!!”
“Can we just sit down?”
“Yeah. There’s a lot to do before the game even starts. Look over there.”
When I looked where Chae-yeon was pointing, the mascot for the team she cheered for had come out and was doing all kinds of cute antics. The tiger character was pretty adorable. Even though I knew nothing about baseball, the mascot’s silly performance was so entertaining that I couldn’t help but laugh.
After the mascot’s show ended, the ceremonial first pitch began. Since celebrities usually threw the first pitch, someone I actually recognized stepped onto the field.
“Whoa, not bad. That’s a good throw.”
“I don’t put too much meaning into the first pitch, but seeing one actually go in properly always makes me feel good.”
“I bet. So is the game about to start now?”
“Yes!! See the players over there?”
“Looks like they’re getting ready.”
The real baseball game finally began.
Since I knew absolutely nothing about baseball, I just sat quietly and pretended to react along with the crowd at the right moments. Even though it was still early in the game, the fans reacted enthusiastically to every single pitch.
“Ah, damn!! So close.”
“That was disappointing. They could’ve caught it.”
“They missed it. It’s okay. The game’s just getting started.”
The pitcher for the team we were cheering for struck out the opposing batter. The crowd immediately started banging their cheering sticks like crazy and erupted in cheers. If they started off this hyped, I wondered if they could keep that energy up until the end. Wouldn’t they run out of steam later and stop cheering?
“Jung-woo, what are you doing? You have to cheer with me.”
“I am cheering.”
“You have to do it with more heart!! You’re lacking so much passion.”
I had no idea why Chae-yeon had suddenly turned into a Spartan coach. I was already overwhelmed trying to match the energy, but she was whipping me into shape from the side. I never expected to see a brand-new side of her the moment the game started.
“No… it’s fine. That can happen. Everyone makes mistakes.”
Chae-yeon looked like she was swallowing down a flood of emotions, as if she were engraving the word “patience” into her heart three times over. It was so fascinating that I just stared at her, and when she noticed my gaze, she turned to look at me the same way.
“What is it, Jung-woo?”
“It’s just interesting.”
“What’s interesting?”
“The way your expression keeps changing in real time is fascinating.”
“Ah… well, it can’t be helped when you’re watching baseball.”
“I’m not saying I dislike it. I like this side of you too.”
“I can’t say stuff like that in a crowded place… Waaaaah!!”
The blush that had been on her face while looking at me vanished in an instant as her expression completely changed and she started waving her cheering stick. I’d known for a long time how seriously she took baseball, so her ignoring me didn’t really bother me. Besides, she said it had been a while since she last came to a game in person. At that point, I figured I should just let her do whatever she wanted.
“Nice hit! Run! Ruuuun!! Yes!!”
“Oh, they made it all the way to third.”
“They’re doing great. If only they’d played this well from the beginning!!”
The person sitting next to me didn’t feel like Chae-yeon anymore. It felt more like some middle-aged baseball superfan had taken her place. Why were her reactions so uncle-like?
“Yeoni, what’s the biggest reason you like baseball?”
“The biggest reason? Hmm… it’s just fun. The thrill when your team wins is exciting, and watching ten players work together as a team is fun too.”
“Maybe I should try getting into it.”
“What? No!! Don’t even think about it, Jung-woo.”
“Huh?! Why not?”
“Baseball isn’t something you casually get into. It can seriously damage your mental health if you’re not careful.”
Oh, was this that thing? Like when a girlfriend says she wants to play League of Legends after watching her boyfriend play, and he desperately tells her no. Saying it could damage your mental health meant it was on the same level as LoL. Just what kind of sport was baseball that it made her react this intensely?
“So anyway… Hey!! How could you miss that?!”
The middle-aged man from a moment ago had popped out again, yelling at the player who’d missed the ball. I’m asking again—who exactly are you…?
It was time for the teams to switch between offense and defense, and the heated atmosphere in the stadium began to calm down. Seeing Chae-yeon clear her throat a few times as if her throat hurt, I handed her a drink.
“Here, Yeoni.”
“Thanks, Jung-woo. So what do you think now that you’re watching in person? It’s fun, right?”
“The crowd’s energy is so intense that I feel like my own tension is rising along with it.”
“Is that what someone with rising tension looks like?”
“You know me. I’m not exactly the high-energy type.”
“Are you not having a hard time?”
“Huh? What would be hard?”
“There are so many people. And everyone’s super hyped up. I was worried it might feel overwhelming for you.”
To be honest, it wasn’t like I felt nothing at all. Everyone around me was in the same excited mood while I was the odd one out, so it felt like I’d stepped into a completely different world. As a result, I couldn’t adapt and was steadily losing energy in real time.
“It’s a little tiring, but I’m okay.”
“I feel like I dragged you here thinking only about myself…”
I had no idea why she was worrying about something like that. I was the one who wanted to come along with her. I gently stroked the head of a slightly downcast Chae-yeon.
“I’m having fun because you’re having fun. Don’t worry about it too much. I’m really fine.”
“You’re really okay?”
“Yeah!! So just enjoy yourself without holding back. You said it’s been a while since your last game, right?”
“Okay!! But if it gets too hard, you have to tell me, got it?”
While talking with Chae-yeon and looking around, my eyes landed on the big screen. The words “Kiss Cam” were displayed on it. Come to think of it, I’d seen that on YouTube before. Apparently even people who weren’t couples sometimes ended up on it. The camera wandered around like a lion searching for prey before stopping on one spot. The two people it focused on looked extremely familiar. It felt like… it was filming me and Chae-yeon.
“Jung-woo!! It’s us?!”
It wasn’t just a feeling. It really was us. Out of all these people, why did it have to be us?