Because Ella Came from America
Perhaps because his daughter had come from America, that evening's dinner was even more lavish than usual.
After enjoying the meal, Ella grabbed some of Yoo Min-hoo's casual clothes and headed to the bathroom, saying she was going to shower. For the record, he hadn't packed any separate luggage since he'd come straight to Korea right after the semester ended. It seemed he planned to stay in Korea during the break.
Once she finished showering and changed into Yoo Min-hoo's home clothes, Ella flopped face-down on the sofa, picked up her smartphone, and started scrolling through SNS. Humming a little tune as she tapped the screen, she suddenly looked up at Yoo Min-hoo, who was watching TV, and said,
"Roy, let's go shopping tomorrow."
"Why shopping all of a sudden?"
"Just browsing. Plus, I need to buy some clothes and underwear."
"Go with Mom."
"Why?"
Ella whined in dissatisfaction at her brother who wouldn't play along, but Yoo Min-hoo replied,
"I've got to head to Seoul tomorrow."
"Seoul? Why there?"
"For the tournament game."
"Tournament? In Korea, do even bench players have to go to those things?"
As Ella grumbled in a sulky voice, Yoo Min-hoo kept his eyes fixed on the TV and said,
"I'm a starter."
"Oh, really? Wait, what?"
Ella, who had been replying sulkily, suddenly widened her eyes and asked again.
"Starter."
"You mean you're on the roster for the tournament?"
"Yeah."
"But you can't use your left arm."
"I can't."
"……."
Ella frowned.
"Don't say weird stuff."
"I've got this perfectly fine right hand right here."
Yoo Min-hoo raised his right hand, flexing it into a fist and unclenching it as he spoke. Ella, who had never once seen her brother—family though he was—throw a ball with his right hand, narrowed her eyes.
"Are you messing with me?"
"No way."
"……."
Ella tilted her head.
"Is the Korean high school league level really that low?"
She muttered as if she couldn't comprehend, and Yoo Min-hoo shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
Of course, in terms of player numbers and team count, it was minuscule compared to America. But Korea often posted excellent results even in world youth tournaments. Small scale, but exceptional talent—that was the story.
It was nowhere near as easy as Ella imagined.
"I'm just better than you think."
Yoo Min-hoo grinned as he said it, and Ella stuck out her tongue and grumbled,
"Annoying."
She pondered for a moment, then asked again.
"Is the game tomorrow?"
"No, the day after."
"I see."
Ella's eyes sparkled. Watching her, Yoo Min-hoo thought to himself,
'She's coming, alright.'
Knowing Ella's temperament, it was more than possible.
The next day. Yoo Min-hoo, who had to gather by 1 p.m., woke up at his usual 6:30 a.m. and headed out for a light morning run. For athletes, especially pitchers, running was essential.
Pre-game runs warmed up the body, prepping it for full motion without strain. Pitching involved endless repetitions of the same motion. Relying solely on the arm would quickly wreck balance. Legs were crucial too, and running was the answer for lower-body training.
Baseball might look like it demanded less stamina than other sports—and it did, superficially. Unlike endurance sports that drained you steadily, baseball required explosive bursts of power. And games came far more frequently. Solid stamina was key, and nothing built it like running.
Distances varied—middle, short, long—for specific conditioning.
After about 30 minutes of morning running, he showered quickly at home and started breakfast. Yoo Min-hoo usually ate around 7:30.
As he sat at the table, he spotted Ella coming down from the second floor. Yawning widely, scratching her belly, she looked utterly disheveled, and Yoo Min-hoo shook his head. Full of openings, but after over ten years, it was all too familiar.
"Ella, sleep well?"
"Yeah…… but sleeping on the floor left me stiff."
Floor-sleeping was alien culture to the American Ella.
"We should hit a furniture store today. Eat breakfast first."
"Mmm…… Got any bananas and milk?"
At Ella's words, he leaned back over the chair back. Chewing on his chopsticks, he stared at her and tossed out casually,
"You've gained weight, huh?"
Ella shot him a glare. Knowing better than to push further lest she hit him, Yoo Min-hoo turned back to the table.
Kim Mi-hyun burst out laughing at the two, pulling bananas and milk from the fridge as she said,
"Ella's still slim and pretty—no need for diets."
"I've gained a little."
Ella pouted and grumbled softly. Propping his chin, Yoo Min-hoo said,
"You've got good athleticism. Just exercise a bit."
"You think that's easy? Maybe for pro athletes like you, but not for regular folks."
With Ella joining the usual Yoo Min-hoo and Kim Mi-hyun at the breakfast table, the mood turned lively and warm. Ella chatted happily with Kim Mi-hyun about afternoon shopping plans and more. Watching silently, Yoo Min-hoo smirked, then focused on his meal.
At 1 p.m., Yoo Min-hoo gathered at the athletic field to board the bus, inwardly clicking his tongue at the stares aimed his way. From snippets of distant chatter, everyone was buzzing about his girlfriend from America.
The source of the misunderstanding? Ella's surprise visit to the baseball team yesterday.
"Ridiculous rumors."
Lee Ho-seok chuckled at Yoo Min-hoo's grumble.
"Go tell them the truth."
"No need to go around explaining myself one by one."
Sure enough, as Yoo Min-hoo predicted, someone friendly came over to confirm: Kang Jae-seong.
"Min-hoo hyung! Min-hoo hyung! Heard your girlfriend came from America!"
Kang Jae-seong bounded over with boundless cheer upon spotting him. As Yoo Min-hoo opened his mouth to reply, Kang added,
"They say she's super pretty—got a pic?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Ooooh! Show me!"
Yoo Min-hoo sighed, pulling out his smartphone at Kang's excited outburst. Nearby teammates swarmed over.
Men gonna men, it seemed.
"Whoa, jackpot! She's gorgeous!"
"What model is she?"
They buzzed among themselves, debating. Yoo Min-hoo shook his head.
"How old is she?"
"College freshman."
"Older sister type!"
More commotion among them.
"How long you been dating?"
Kang Jae-seong asked curiously, and Yoo Min-hoo tossed out flatly,
"We're not dating."
"C'mon~ She flew all the way from America to Korea—not dating?"
Kang patted his shoulder lightly, but Yoo Min-hoo replied,
"She's my sister."
"Huh?"
"My dad's daughter. Sis."
"……."
The baseball team fell silent. Then, a voice cut through.
"What're you all huddled up for?"
It was none other than Director Park Sung-tae.
"Oh, just talking about my sister who visited the team yesterday."
"Ah, Ella? Game tomorrow, and you're not focusing?"
"……?"
Yoo Min-hoo paused at Park Sung-tae's words. He'd spoken as if he knew Ella.
But then it clicked, and he nodded in understanding.
'Right, Director was with Seattle.'
Made sense he'd seen her. Pocketing his phone, Yoo Min-hoo moved on.
"Alright, everyone on the bus."
Under Director Park Sung-tae's lead, coaches and players boarded. As the bus hit the highway, Kang Jae-seong from the seat behind leaned over Yoo Min-hoo's and asked,
"Hyung, she's really your sister?"
"Yeah. Stepsister."
"Ah……."
Kang let out a knowing sigh, his demeanor turning cautious.
Yoo Min-hoo eyed him curiously. America had little stigma against blended families, but Korea still carried heavy views on remarriages. Unaware of the cultural gap, Yoo Min-hoo found the sudden shift odd.
"Anyway, does your sister have a boyfriend?"
"Dunno, probably not."
Kang perked up at Yoo Min-hoo's indifferent mutter.
"Really? Introduce me then."
"Introduce you…… Hmm."
Kang pressed as Yoo trailed off unenthusiastically.
"You don't sound thrilled…… Pity?"
"Look at your face, kid. Of course it's a pity."
Lee Ho-seok, seated beside Yoo Min-hoo, snickered. Kang's eyes widened.
"What's wrong with my face? It's pretty good-looking."
"Kid's got some serious delusions."
Kang bristled at Lee Ho-seok's teasing. Yoo Min-hoo watched the bickering silently, then said,
"I could introduce you, but you'd get hurt."
"Why?"
"Ella's pickier than she should be."
"……."
With looks like hers, yeah, standards would be high. Kang sighed lightly and sat back. Lee Ho-seok chuckled at him.
Teammates' chatter filled the bus. Yoo Min-hoo plugged in his earphones, lifted his phone, and stared at the screen: Daegu High players in a game video.
His face grew deadly serious as he meticulously analyzed their plays. Lee Ho-seok yawned lazily, stretched, donned a sleep mask, and dozed off.
Long bus rides were boring. Analyzing plays could've been tedious, but Yoo Min-hoo never looked away. It was one reason the once-unremarkable Yoo Min-hoo survived years in the minors.
The bus rolled on and on, finally arriving at the dorms near Mokdong Baseball Field.