Isn't This Vertical?

"Man, it's really coming down."

It was Tuesday. We'd come back to Seoul after the Dragons series and were prepping for my second start of the season. The spring rain that had started that morning showed no sign of letting up, and the game was eventually called early for weather, leaving the whole day hanging open.

"By the way, you guys not heading out?"

After the rainout and a quick indoor session, everyone had scattered. Everyone except the ones still hanging behind me — Hwang Chan-young, Hyeon-bin, and the rookies Jang Hak-yeon and Kim Geun-su.

"You're going to train more, right, sunbae?"

"Huh? Uh… yeah, I was gonna throw a little longer before I left. Why?"

"We want to join you."

"…Really?"

I'd just been planning to mess around with the new Deathball a bit before heading home. Ever since the first start, I'd been working on keeping my arm from riding up a little too high when I threw it, and I'd already asked Jeong Jong-seong to catch for me today.

I'd originally meant to ask Ko Mandeok… but that guy had been putting on this whole busy-act lately, like he had somewhere important to be. Something was definitely going on — he just wouldn't tell me what.

"I'm fine with it, but… Jong-seong, you okay?"

"Of course~"

Jeong Jong-seong was all for it. I felt a little bad for him, honestly.

His defense had improved a lot since he first joined the team. The problem was that Ko Mandeok had improved even more. Once Mandeok started producing at the plate — ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠which had always been his weak spot — Jong-seong's role kept shrinking. Through the early-to-mid stretch of last season he'd at least been getting regular at-bats as the DH… but somehow that job had ended up with me. Ahem.

If Jong-seong went to another team right now — especially somewhere like the Dragons, or the Jaguars we'd just played — he could probably walk right into a starting job. But on our roster he barely even got backup innings.

I'd heard he'd even thought about working on outfield defense. As a catcher he had good speed and a strong arm, so it wouldn't have been a terrible idea… at least before the season started. But with Go Yeong-su joining the team, that outfield conversion was dead in the water. So he ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was back to grinding catcher defense with everything he had. Which was probably why he'd lit up so much when I asked if he could catch for me today.

Sure, maybe he was just putting on a polite face because a senior had asked — but that wasn't how it felt to me. Getting that happy over a simple training session… you could feel how hungry he was.

Anyway, I'd planned to throw maybe thirty to fifty pitches and call it. Suddenly I had four extra guys who needed catching. Looks like Jong-seong was going to have a longer day than expected.

I'd already loosened up my shoulder, so I went first. A few easy fastballs to get the feel, then I locked in on the Deathball.

Pop!

"Whoa! That's filthy!"

Pop!

"The break on that thing is insane!"

Even I had to admit it looked gorgeous coming out of the hand. A slider that dropped almost straight down like a 12-6 curve, with barely any horizontal movement. The command that had been a little shaky in the last start felt locked in now, too.

I wrapped it up around thirty pitches. I had another start tomorrow — pushing further than that would've been pure greed.

"Uh, sunbae."

"Yeah?"

"Could you teach me that one too?"

"Huh?"

I turned around at the sudden request and found four pairs of chick-bright eyes sparkling at me.

Jang Hak-yeon might actually take to it. His release point sat pretty high. Hwang Chan-young… eh, he might manage something decent. That was about whether their mechanics and pitch mix fit the grip — not whether it was smart to suddenly chase a brand-new pitch this early in the season. My situation was different. I had my reasons.

Hyeon-bin and Kim Geun-su, on the other hand…

"Hey. You two throw sidearm and submarine. What are you even thinking."

"Still, though…"

They wanted to try it, so whatever.

"Do what you want."

Who was I to stop them? I showed them the grip, threw a few more demos, and walked them through the feel. Then I stood back and watched the four chicks give it a shot.

Hyeon-bin and Kim Geun-su — yeah, no need to even look. Hwang Chan-young was about the same. The guy had never been able to throw a pure vertical dropper, same as the old me.

Jang Hak-yeon was a little different, though. There was a flicker of something there. Still raw as hell, command all over the place — a long way from game-ready. But a flicker.

We wrapped the light session with the four chicks, showered, packed up, and headed out of the stadium.

"Wanna grab food before we go?"

"Yes!"

It was an off day, still early, and just sending them home felt wrong. The second I asked, they lit up like I'd offered them the world. The four chicks, Jeong Jong-seong, and Ho-min — who'd come to pick me up — all headed for the regular barbecue place right outside the park.

The six of us walked into the private room we'd reserved, put in the order, and were just settling in when my phone rang. Han Song-yi.

"Babe, where are you right now? Doesn't sound like home."

I told her the truth.

"Then should I come over? I'm already out near there anyway."

She asked if ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was okay, and of course I said yes. She'd said she was close and would be right over — then she showed up dragging two extra people with her.

"…What the hell is this lineup?"

"S-sunbae… how did this happen?"

"Th-this can't be real."

Ko Mandeok — the same Ko Mandeok who'd ditched me and left early — walked in with Han Song-yi. And stuck right to his side was announcer Yoon Jia.

"I'm serious. What is this combination right now?"

"It just happened."

"Oppa, we're dating~"

"…You've got to be kidding me."

When had Mandeok been seeing Yoon Jia behind my back? And more importantly — why was Yoon Jia into Mandeok of all people?

I wasn't the only one reeling. The other five just sat there with their mouths hanging open.

"…Shit."

Poor Ho-min. The guy had gone on and on about how pretty Yoon Jia was.

With three more at the table, the meal got underway. Everyone except Ho-min recovered the second the glistening beef hit the grill and dove in like nothing had happened. A few more rounds of orders later, once everyone was reasonably full—

"Starting next week, I'm working Mondays too."

"Yeah?"

Every head turned toward Han Song-yi.

"I talked to the company."

"About what?"

"That I'm resigning."

"Ah…"

So she'd finally said out loud what she'd only been hinting at for a while.

"Looks like I'll stick around through about the All-Star break… they want me to keep doing the Monday broadcast until then."

"Got it. What about weekends?"

"Together."

"Hmm…"

Mondays had basically been our guaranteed day. Now we had a problem.

"Still, I can just watch from home, right?"

"Huh? Yeah…"

True enough. No daytime or evening dates, but we'd still have the nights. Yeah. That worked.

Ko Mandeok, Yoon Jia, Ho-min and the others already knew the rough outline, so none of them looked particularly shocked. The rest of the table, though — they had no idea. They looked stunned.

"Y-you're quitting?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I've got a wedding to plan, after all."

"Huk!"

"Ah…"

The way those kids were looking at me had gone completely sour. Two minutes ago their eyes had been sparkling. Was the baseball goddess retiring really that big a deal?

"And even without the wedding, I might be heading to the States. I can't keep working."

"The States?"

"Ah… sunbae…"

"Ah!"

The sour looks shifted again. How do you even describe that expression? Wistful? Distant longing? Somehow this look was even more annoying. A bunch of grown men making faces like that…

That was when Ko Mandeok turned to the four pitchers.

"So before he leaves, learn everything you can from this guy. Honestly, nobody's got better feel for this stuff than him."

That was not it. Feel, my ass.

"Yes. I'll learn everything I can."

"Me too…"

There is nothing. Stop it.

"By the way, when you go, Ho-min's going with you, right?"

"Obviously."

"Ah… then who am I supposed to get my analysis packets from…"

What was this guy even saying right now?

"Pay for them!"

"So cheap. Guy's already raking in a ridiculous salary."

"…"

"Man… that's honestly what worries me the most. Having Ho-min around was so good."

"Just use the team's scouting reports."

"Are you joking? Where am I supposed to use those for anything?"

"…"

He wasn't wrong. Our team's analytics department was… rough, to put it kindly.

"Ho-min, want to sign a contract with me? You send me the packets from the States and I'll—"

"Does that even make sense?"

How many teams were there in the majors? And he wanted analysis from all the way over there?

Mandeok looked genuinely heartbroken. But some things were possible and some things weren't.

The mood was starting to sag. Luckily, I had the perfect subject sitting right in front of me to flip it in one shot.

"Alright, enough! Tell us how you ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠two even met. Anyone can see she's way too good for you — fair-skinned, gorgeous, total waste. What'd you blackmail her with?"

"What'd you just say, you little—"

"Ahahahaha."

Still laughing, Yoon Jia launched into the tear-jerking saga of Ko Mandeok's efforts. Apparently it had started at last season's championship dinner — the night Song-yi and Yoon Jia had both come. He'd been grinning like an idiot that whole night, now that I thought about it.

They'd exchanged numbers that evening, and from then on it was daily texts, constant check-ins, gifts… the whole package, by the sound of it.