The Work Just Keeps Piling Up

"On Sunday's game, the Raiders looking for a sweep faced off against the Savers trying to stop them. Kang Hajin and Sanchez took the mound as starters for both teams and put on a truly spectacular pitching duel."

When I opened my eyes, it was already past noon. Rubbing my heavily swollen eyes, I came out to the living room to find the review broadcast from last night's game replaying on TV.

"You're up? I figured you'd sleep in completely so I didn't wake you, but you got up earlier than I expected."

"Yeah… my eyes just opened. Maybe because I'm hungry?"

Ho-min, who'd been watching TV, heard me and got up from the sofa to head for the fridge.

Last night. Ko Mandeok's dramatic solo home run in the seventh had become the game-winner right then and there.

A game that just wouldn't go our way. One that kept looking like it might break open only to get bottled up again, leaving us frustrated—until Ko Mandeok finally opened the floodgates. Energized by that, I finished the whole thing myself through the ninth.

My second shutout of the season.

We'd returned to Seoul in high spirits, and when a few guys said it felt too soon to part ways, we ended up having another team dinner disguised as a simple meal.

By the time I got home, it was well past midnight.

Late as it was, Ho-min had waited up for me. We went over the game while grabbing a late-night snack, and I finally hit the bed after three in the morning.

"What's the occasion? You're actually cooking for me?"

"…… Even when I cook, you still give me shit."

Ever since he'd unloaded on me that time I stood him up because of Han Song-yi, he'd been a little more obedient like this. No idea how long it would last, but I was thoroughly enjoying the rare opportunity while it was here.

"Not going to training today?"

"Dunno… still thinking about it."

My body felt seriously heavy after throwing a complete game yesterday and not getting any real rest. Ideally I'd just do a light run and get a massage, but the thought of actually going out made it feel like a hassle. I was stuck in that awkward in-between.

"If only you knew how to give massages."

"What are you talking about? Have you lost it? Go ask Han Song-yi for that."

"… Why'd her name suddenly come up?"

The random mention of Han Song-yi turned the meal noisy all over again.

I'd planned to finish eating, catch about an hour of nap, and then figure out what to do—but a single message that arrived not long after blew that plan to pieces.

That completely random message. I didn't have the guts to reply with something like I'm resting today, though?

Manager Park had clearly assumed I'd show up. Seriously—I'd started and thrown a shutout yesterday. Why couldn't he just assume I'd take the day off…

For one reason or another I ended up heading to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the stadium, and I made the still-grumbling Ho-min drive. He complained the whole way but still drove without any real protest.

"Manager, I'm here~"

The first place I looked for upon arrival was the manager's office. Manager Park was sitting there as usual with a mountain of stuff scattered across his desk.

"Oh. Sit over there for a second."

Sure thing.

After about five minutes of sitting, he finished whatever he was working on and came over to the sofa.

"You worked hard yesterday. Not resting at home?"

"……"

Was this guy joking right now? He sent that message and now he was saying this?

"I wanted a massage, and I figured I'd run a bit. Lately too many people recognize me… I can't really do it at the park anymore."

"Hmm… yeah. Good call."

What exactly was the good call…? Getting recognized by people?

"Was there a reason you called me…?"

"Ah! You pitched yesterday and today was a rest day, right? So I was wondering—can you step into the batter's box starting tomorrow?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Well… that should be fine, I think."

"My thinking right now is to have you play as a hitter for all three midweek games this week, take one day off, then pitch. How does that sound?"

"Uh… I'll give it a shot. If it starts feeling too much, I'll let you know."

"Good. I'll keep that in mind then."

"Yes. Anything else…?"

"That's all. Go on."

"… Yes."

Why did he absolutely have to say this face-to-face…? A phone call would've been plenty.

I'd been debating whether to come in anyway, but now that it had played out like this, I felt pretty deflated.

I trudged out of the manager's office intending to find a trainer for a massage… when I spotted an unfamiliar face way out on the practice field.

Even from a distance he stood out massively. Up close, he was even more enormous.

"……"

"Pretty huge, right?"

Ko Mandeok had somehow appeared beside me and rested a hand on my shoulder as he spoke.

"Huh? Yeah. He really is. Who is that?"

"Rookie who came in last year. He was down in the Second Team, then rehabbing from an injury, but it looks like he got put back into Second Team games a little while ago."

"Ah~ But why's he here…"

"Manager seems to be thinking about calling him up."

"R-really? Looks like he's got power, at least."

"Right? Heh heh~."

Why was he laughing like that?

Height had to be over 190 cm. Weight… even a rough guess put him well over 120 kg.

An absolute giant. And it wasn't a body covered in muscle like Shane's either. In a word: fat.

"What's his position?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"…? Is that a hard one?"

"He's a pitcher."

"…… What? With that body?"

I hadn't even considered pitcher. I'd naturally assumed he was a hitter. Maybe catcher, or first base.

A pitcher… Looking at that massive gut, how was anyone supposed to guess pitcher?

"He's pretty well-known. You really don't know him at all?"

"Not even a little."

"Weird. Once you see him, you don't forget."

"Yeah, I can see that. But when I was with the Dragons I had zero interest in anyone else. Or rather, zero interest in baseball itself?"

"…… Fair enough. That can happen. Then this next part's gonna surprise you even more."

"What is it?"

"He's a sidearmer."

"What?"

"Left-handed sidearmer, at that."

"…… Does that guy's waist even turn?"

"He's actually super flexible."

"Huh…"

I couldn't even begin to picture it. Watching him loosen up his shoulder carefully, it looked like he was about to start pitching any second. I was dying to know how he threw.

"Forget the massage—I gotta watch this guy pitch first."

"Suit yourself. Heh heh."

Ko Mandeok and I grabbed some drinks and headed out to the practice field.

There we watched Lee Yong-hun prepping for tomorrow's start and Hwang Chan-young working for the day after. We were killing time like that when the guy we'd been waiting for finally stepped in.

"Bin-ah. You ready?"

At Jeong Jong-seong's words, the pitcher called Bin nodded.

"Bin?"

"Yeah. Hyeon-bin."

"What?"

"Yu Hyeon-bin. That's his name."

"…… Why?"

The gap between the name and the person was way too big. Completely unexpected name.

"He's twenty?"

"Yeah. I told you. High ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠school graduate rookie who came in last year."

"You didn't say high school graduate."

"Yeah. He is."

"Huh…"

I really wasn't the type to go on about someone's appearance… but I kept doing it without meaning to.

I could've easily called him hyung and meant it, yet he was only twenty.

"Alright, starting."

Hyeon-bin flashed the sign for a fastball and got set.

Just like Ko Mandeok had said, his delivery was pretty flexible and smooth…

Pop!

"……??????"

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

Pop!

"Hyung… that right there. Is he…"

"That's full effort."

"Come on, don't lie."

"He's throwing with everything he's got."

"… Doesn't even look like it's hitting 140 km/h."

That was the truth.

Our Hyeon-bin, with that enormous body, wasn't even cracking 140.

Of course velocity wasn't everything for a pitcher, and a big body didn't automatically mean a fastball… but this was a bit much.

I'd heard plenty of "what a waste of a body" comments myself back in the day… and this guy had me beat.

Even for a sidearmer, this was something else.

"The fastball's just for show anyway."

"Huh?"

"Here it comes. Watch closely."

Paaang!

"Whoa…"

"How about that? Killer slider, right? Doesn't it look just like watching your pitches?"

"That just broke from one end of the zone all the way to the other. No—even bigger than that."

"Yep. He eats with that pitch. Heh heh."

"Whoa…"

This was genuinely impressive. Enough to completely erase the memory of those earlier fastballs.

"There's almost no velocity difference between the fastball and that. From a hitter's perspective, it's pure hell."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Looks like once he's done rehabbing and we see how far he's come, they're gonna compare him against Geun-sik hyung. What do you think'll happen?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Geun-sik hyung… He was a good guy, but.

Bye.

Tuesday.

Just as we'd expected, No Geun-sik got sent down to the Second Team. He'd bombed as a starter early on, looked a little better out of the bullpen, then completely collapsed in the last game and finally got optioned.

And the one who took his spot was our Hyeon-bin.

He seemed to already know Hwang Chan-young well—the two of them were stuck together chatting away.

And our team had a small problem crop up.

I'd thought it was weird that Kim Tae-seong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was nowhere to be seen yesterday. Figured he was just taking a rest day. Never once considered injury.

Apparently a muscle knot had flared up. He'd be back soon enough, but he definitely couldn't play today.

That alone would've been fine… but Na Seung-won also had thigh pain and couldn't go either.

Starting third baseman and center fielder both out.

"Yang-gyu's gonna start for the first time in a while."

Just like Ko Mandeok said, Ju Yang-gyu was a guy who could cover the entire outfield, so that choice made sense.

"What about third?"

"Captain'll go, probably."

"Ah…"

Seo Gyeongmin, who'd been the everyday third baseman through last year, heading back to the hot corner after a long time.

"Then first base?"

"Dunno? Maybe Jong-seong'll take it?"

"Ah… Senior Jeong-hun's not playing?"

"Jeong-hun hyung… I don't think Manager Park's gonna use him."

Early in the season, whenever the captain was at DH, Park Ji-hoon had sometimes filled in at first or third.

This twenty-eight-year-old was pretty solid defensively. The problem was the bat. A low .100s average was the issue.

Even as a backup, if the guy who was supposed to handle first or third was hitting in the low .100s, that was a real problem.

Which was why the captain had basically become a fixture at first base lately.

But a little later, when we saw the lineup, we couldn't help but be stunned.

"Uh… w-why is this…"

"Whoa… so you really are playing defense."

"What is this?"

"Didn't you tell the manager before? That you were good at defense."

"Th-that was…"

This damn big mouth of mine.

Why had I said something like that back then? And so confidently, too.

And what exactly was Manager Park trusting when he put me in left field?

I hadn't even looked at defensive practice since the few times during spring training. And Manager Park had seen exactly how I looked out there during spring training—so why this decision…

Sure, pitchers did defensive work too. But that was just puttering around on the mound as a pitcher. Running around that huge outfield was a completely different story.

"So what are you gonna do? Go tell the manager you can't do this?"

"… How am I supposed to say that. Haa. He could've at least given me a heads-up. We even met face-to-face yesterday."

"He didn't know Seung-won was hurt until yesterday. Do your best. Heh heh."

"Haa…"

I really wasn't sure this was going to be okay.