Dating Rumors
"You bastard."
"······?"
"You piece of trash."
"······??"
"You absolute piece of—"
"What the hell is your problem? Why are you suddenly cussing me out like this?"
The second I got home and opened the door, Ho-min started hurling every insult he could think of at me, and I had to stand there in the entryway taking it all.
My good mood had already been completely ruined, leaving nothing but irritation—and now the guy responsible for that was the one swearing at me?
"Why didn't you show up today?"
"What?"
"I said, why didn't you come? You were supposed to pick me up. Do you have any idea how much I suffered because you never showed?"
"Bullshit. Am I your personal chauffeur?"
"··· What the hell are you talking about, you lunatic? Didn't you say you'd be my manager and handle my commute?"
"Th-that's···"
"And then you just don't show up without a word? When I call, you reject it and send one lousy text? And now you're the one cursing me out? Fine. Get lost. Manager, whatever—I'm done with all of it!"
After finishing the interview and even taking a shower, I'd headed out in a great mood only to find neither the car nor the person who was supposed to be waiting for me. Thanks to that, I couldn't escape and ended up giving autographs and photos to the fans who'd waited late for me before I was finally free.
I called my invisible manager, only to get a rejected call. While I stood there dumbfounded, a message arrived with just four words: "Figure it out yourself."
The stadium and home weren't that far apart, but I still had to walk a fair distance. I was fuming over the unexpected hassle the whole way back···
"Kang Hajin?"
"That's him, right? Kang Hajin?"
"Wow~ You were amazing today!"
"I'm a fan~ Can I get an autograph~?"
I got stopped so many times I started wondering if this entire neighborhood was nothing but our team's fans.
After going through all of that, I finally made it home completely exhausted and fed up. A distance that would've taken five minutes by car had taken me well over an hour.
How was I supposed to not be pissed? And then the second I walked in, I got a full dual-curse barrage? Before I'd even taken my shoes off?
If I'd actually done something wrong, sure··· but all I'd done was go to work, play a game, and come home. What could I possibly have done to that bastard Ho-min?
"Hey. Forget the whole thing. This is ridiculous. Seriously."
I turned right back around and started to open the front door again. Hwang Chan-young lived alone in the team dorms—I could crash there for a night.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
A weak voice came from behind me just as I was about to leave.
"Did what?"
"Han Song-yi!"
"······???"
"A guy who already has a girlfriend."
"What kind of nonsense is this now?"
Why was Han Song-yi suddenly coming up? Out of nowhere, at this timing? And besides—I didn't have a girlfriend.
"Where do I have a girlfriend? How many times do I have to tell you that woman is not my girlfriend?"
"So that's why you did that to Han Song-yi?"
"No, what the hell did I even do?"
"You got hugged by Han Song-yi. You bastard."
"?????????"
What on earth was this···
"Explain properly."
I finally took off my shoes and went inside. I needed to know what had started this completely incomprehensible conversation.
"Just spit it out already."
When I asked Ho-min what the hell he was talking about, he showed me a video instead of answering.
It was today's interview footage of me.
"What about it?"
"Keep watching."
"What··· huh?"
Near the end of the interview, there was the moment when Shane had smeared cream all over my face and nearly knocked me over backward.
Ah! That sensation against my back had been··· for a twenty-four-year virgin like me, it was definitely something memorable···
"So what? That idiot Shane didn't just smear it on—he pressed my face so hard I almost fell over."
"That's all? Then why did Han Song-yi do this?"
"Huh? Do what?"
"Right here, you idiot! Here!"
Ho-min paused the video and jabbed his finger at a spot, practically foaming at the mouth.
I looked closer to see what he meant···
"Huh? What's this?"
When my back had leaned against Han Song-yi, her arm had wrapped around my waist and come around to the front.
In simple terms, it looked like she'd given me a back hug with the hand that wasn't holding the mic. She'd literally held me. From behind.
"Uh··· what is this?"
"You didn't know? You didn't know? Are you kidding me?"
"I really didn't know?"
I'd been too startled by the sensation coming from my back··· why would I notice my stomach or waist?
"Ah··· so that's why it felt even stronger?"
I'd thought the feeling was too intense for just a light lean···
"What? Whoa! You crazy bastard! Are you two dating?"
"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot. Do you think I date every woman I see or something?"
"Then why did she hug you? Why? Why?"
"······!"
Ah··· I hadn't known about this.
"Did you like Han Song-yi?"
"······"
"Ha! So that's why you abandoned me today? And why you started cursing the second I walked in?"
"······"
"Sheesh. Heh heh heh."
Once I understood everything, all I could do was laugh. It was ridiculous how much of a fuss he was making over something so minor.
But apparently he wasn't the only one losing it.
"Why are you taking it out on me? Shane, that brute, is the one who caused it!"
The baseball communities were going crazy too. Han Song-yi had hugged me from behind. Posts that cropped out everything before and after, showing only that exact moment, were racking up endless comments.
"Was Han Song-yi that popular?"
"You're asking because you don't know?"
"··· I really don't? She's just kinda pretty, right?"
"You have zero taste in women."
"What?"
Anyway, why was I the one getting cursed out by baseball fans?
Ho-min's insults didn't even count. The communities were full of people wanting me dead.
Rival fans I could understand, but why our own team's fans too···
I'd hit a single for the first run of the game and pitched six scoreless innings today—so why···
It felt completely unfair. And along with that, the thought hit me that if I was going to get cursed anyway, I might as well go big and take the heat.
"Should I actually ask her out?"
"What? What did you just say?"
"I'm gonna get cursed either way, so I might as well meet her and get cursed for that."
"Ha! You think she'll go out with you just because you want to? You virgin. You don't even know how to date."
"I told you I'm not a virgin··· And what about you?"
Neither of us had ever properly dated a woman.
"Ah··· Still, this is really unfair. Maybe I should make some time. There is something I'm curious about···"
"Don't you dare! Seriously! Don't you dare!"
This guy really must have liked Han Song-yi a lot.
I cleanly ignored Ho-min's wailing and sank into thoughts of Han Song-yi.
That flower scent he'd gone on about. I was curious why I hadn't smelled it since that day. If we met often, maybe I'd figure it out?
"I said don't!!"
This guy clearly wasn't in his right mind today, so I decided not to engage.
When I woke up the next morning, it was even worse. There were actual articles.
Articles pieced together from those perfectly cropped photos into something resembling a dating rumor.
"How does garbage like this even make the news?"
"You think it blew up because of you? It blew up because of Han Song-yi."
"Exactly—why are there this many articles about a baseball player and a baseball announcer?"
"Because she's a goddess! The baseball goddess! Are you disrespecting the goddess? You think it blew up because of you? It blew up because of the goddess!"
"······ This is next-level crazy."
At this point, wasn't it basically worship? Was Han Song-yi really on that level?
Sure, she had a pretty face, and the figure that showed through those always-tight dresses was impressive, but···
"Haa··· Don't go outside today."
"What? I'm going for a run."
"I said don't go. Unless you want to get dragged off somewhere and beaten to a pulp."
"What are you talking about?"
"Your face is everywhere now. If you try pulling a hat down and jogging in the park like before, people will swarm you. Just stay home."
"My face was already···"
"Is being on a baseball broadcast the same as being plastered all over the papers next to the goddess? If you don't get it, just do what I say!"
"······ Fine."
I still didn't really understand if this was something worth going this far over.
In the end I did nothing, ate lunch, and flopped onto the sofa. Not doing the things I always did left me feeling weirdly off.
"Maybe I should just go to the stadium."
"What?"
"Hey! This isn't working. Take me to the stadium later so I can loosen up."
My body felt stiff—I needed to at least go for a run. I might hate training, but I was the type who never skipped daily running.
While I was bickering with Ho-min, who was stubbornly refusing, a call came in.
"Yes, hyung."
It was Ko Mandeok.
Is it real?
"Is what real?"
These articles. Are they real?
"Haa··· Even you, hyung?"
Had everyone actually gone insane? Why was everyone losing it over such flimsy articles?
So it's not?
"Do I even have time for that? Time to date a woman without you knowing?"
Hmm··· That's true, but you never know.
"Haa··· Even if it were real, would it be a problem? You're doing well with that woman you were introduced to, right?"
······
The call went strangely quiet.
Right then Ho-min jabbed me in the side and started waving both hands frantically.
"Why? Did hyung break up?"
Ah··· I'd said it right into the phone. Ho-min stared at me like I was a maniac even as he nodded.
"··· Hyung, are you jealous?"
I'm hanging up, you bastard.
Click.
"Tch··· I didn't know."
"You seriously··· Do you do this on purpose, or do you just have zero thoughts in your head?"
"You should've told me. Not my fault!"
"······ Whatever. You··· haa···"
I shooed away the frustrated Ho-min and dozed off on the sofa for a bit.
After sleeping about an hour, I washed up roughly and headed out for the stadium. With Ho-min, of course.
We parked at the stadium and headed inside together—Ho-min said he had something to tell Ko Mandeok—when···
"Huh? What kind of picture is that?"
"······"
Right in front of us stood Ko Mandeok and Han Song-yi, facing each other and talking.
"What's that woman doing here at this hour?"
This was nowhere near a time Han Song-yi should be around—so why was she here? And what was that scene?
"Hyung!"
I was about to just watch for a second when Ho-min next to me bellowed and charged at Ko Mandeok.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? Ah··· Just saying a quick hello."
"······"
The look Ho-min was giving Ko Mandeok was exactly like the one he'd given me yesterday.
Afraid he'd start spouting nonsense if I left them, I hurried over too.
But···
"Huh? This is···"
I could smell it. A flower scent. Not as intense as the Hooded Woman's, but a soft, subtle floral fragrance.
That brute Ko Mandeok and that idiot Ho-min definitely weren't wearing anything, so the scent had to be coming from Han Song-yi, who was standing right here with us···
"Did you put on perfume?"
"Pardon? You're asking that again? No?"
"Hyung. Ho-min. You guys don't smell flowers?"
"Huh? No?"
"I don't smell anything."
"··· You don't?"
"You asked me that time too. I really don't wear perfume or anything when I come to the ballpark."
"Uh··· Okay···"
This was seriously weird.
Why did everyone else say they couldn't smell it? Why only me···
I couldn't take it anymore. The curiosity was killing me.
"Um, Miss Han Song-yi."
"Yes?"
"Can I get your number?"
"Pardon?"
"Let's meet outside sometime. There's something I want to ask."
Ko Mandeok and Ho-min stared at me with blank faces. What? Is there a problem? Isn't this how you do it?
"··· Yes. Just a moment."
Han Song-yi pulled out a business card and wrote something on the back.
"That number is my personal one. Please contact me there."
"Yes. I will."
See? She gave it. I did just fine.