The Date
"What are you doing? Something happen?"
On the bus back to Seoul, the question from Ko Mandeok — who I'd thought was asleep beside me — made me jump and hide the phone in my hand.
"Huh? What? Why are you hiding it?"
"Ah, no. I'm not hiding anything."
"Hmm. Suspicious."
"There's... nothing suspicious about it."
My clumsy answer earned me a skeptical look from Ko Mandeok, but when I stopped engaging, he eventually closed his eyes again and tried to sleep.
I waited, working to calm my racing heart, and only after I heard him snoring did I pick up my phone again to check the message I'd just seen.
!!!!!!!!
A message I never saw coming.
Is this a date invitation?
This was a reply to the contact I'd made before the last game against the Raiders.
Back then I'd called Han Song-yi, who was out in the provinces, and when she asked what was up, I didn't have anything particular to say, so I'd vaguely covered with, "I was thinking we could grab a meal or something."
She'd joked that the flower scent was her body scent... I couldn't exactly tell her I'd called because I wanted to smell it for myself.
I'd hung up that day and forgotten about it, but apparently Han Song-yi hadn't. Today she was the one who reached out first.
And I...
...sent that reply.
Han Song-yi arrived in Seoul before me. After getting her message that she'd be waiting, I fell into fretting.
The outfit Song-yi was wearing today...
An ivory-colored dress. A dress that had shown off Han Song-yi's figure to full advantage.
Meanwhile I...
Damn it. Should I stop by home?
Aside from my uniform, all I had was black training gear.
Black training gear and a flashy dress...
No matter how I looked at it, it was a total mismatch.
But I couldn't just leave someone who'd been waiting nearly an hour at a coffee shop near the meeting place while I casually went home to change.
"Haa... I'm going crazy."
I fretted over it again and again, but in the end there was only one conclusion. Someone had been waiting an hour — clothes weren't the issue.
But then...
"You're here?"
I sent a message that I'd arrived, and when I met Han Song-yi waiting at the coffee shop, I couldn't help but be startled.
Her long straight hair was twisted up and tied on top of her head, and the flashy ivory dress had been swapped for blue training gear.
"······"
"Does it look weird?"
"Huh? Ah, no. Not at all."
Honestly, she looked even prettier than in the dress. Especially that neckline revealed by her hair being up — I couldn't take my eyes off it.
And what about that training gear? Even though it was ordinary training wear, on someone with a figure as incredible as Han Song-yi's, it even felt a little sexy.
"But you came like that?"
"Huh? Why, why?"
What does that mean? Does she not like the training gear?
"Want people to spread rumors we met? At least put on a hat. If you have a mask, put that on too."
"Ah..."
Han Song-yi pulled a mask from her pocket and covered her face.
But did I really need to hide too? I'd never done that before...
Song-yi was famous as a baseball goddess, sure, but me too...
"Are you the only one who doesn't know how famous you are? KBO's first two-way player. On top of that, a top-tier performer — you think people won't recognize you?"
"······"
At her words, I obediently pulled out the hat buried in the corner of my bag and put it on. The mask I sorted out lightly at a nearby convenience store.
On the bus to Seoul, along with the outfit, I'd fretted over something else.
Where should we go once I met Song-yi?
The most serious problem was that I had no idea where anything was or where would be good to go.
Since joining the Savers, I'd only ever gone between home and the stadium, and beyond that, maybe the park near home or restaurants near home.
There were the meat restaurants we sometimes went to for team dinners, but... samgyeopsal for a first meeting? That was a bit...
I'd searched on my phone but never reached a conclusion.
"Do you like gamjatang?"
"Huh? Ah... y-yeah, sure."
"Then let's go to a place I know. They have private rooms, so it's good for eating quietly."
Looking delighted just at the thought of gamjatang, Han Song-yi linked her arm through mine and pressed close.
A heavy sensation on my arm.
Different from what I'd felt on my back before. More direct, somehow?
"Come on. Hurry."
Frozen by the sudden physical contact, I was pulled along by Han Song-yi as we headed to the gamjatang place.
"Ahh~ Looks so good~"
One medium gamjatang and a bottle of soju. As the stew started bubbling, Han Song-yi poured soju into my glass. And I filled hers in turn.
"Cheers~"
We clinked the soju glasses, knocked them back in one go, and took a sip of broth.
"Ahh~ How is it? Good, right?"
It really was delicious. Honestly, I was also starving. After the game I'd come straight up to Seoul, so my stomach was completely empty.
I'd forgotten about being hungry at the thought of meeting Song-yi, but once food hit my mouth, the hunger I hadn't noticed came rushing in all at once.
Seeing me say it was good, Han Song-yi grinned, brought over a side plate, set it in front of her, and started portioning out the noodles. Then she took a chunk of bone and carefully stripped the meat, took a potato and mashed it into several pieces, and finally ladled some broth on top.
Then she set that side plate in front of me.
"Try it. Gamjatang is best when everything's mixed together. Hehe."
Was Han Song-yi always this type?
I'd only ever seen her at the stadium in sexy outfits with that crisp, no-nonsense announcer demeanor, so the playfulness I was seeing now was quite unexpected.
Not that I disliked it. If anything, I liked her even more. She was cute, too.
Most of the conversation over drinks was led by Han Song-yi.
She talked about everyday trivialities, shared stories about the hard parts of being an announcer and badmouthed the broadcasting station a bit, asked me about my time with the Dragons and cursed out the old men on my behalf.
Before I knew it, I was chatting comfortably with her and laughing.
Time passed, and in front of us sat three empty soju bottles — and a gamjatang pot we'd wiped clean after frying rice in it.
With her face slightly flushed, Han Song-yi checked the time on her phone, looking like she was deliberating something.
It was twelve o'clock. I was startled to realize we'd already been together for two hours.
And looking at Song-yi still deep in thought, I figured today's meeting was probably over.
She didn't seem drunk, but the time...
Just as I was thinking that, Song-yi seemed to finish deliberating and put her phone in her bag.
"Eating more here would be a bit much, right? Let's move somewhere else."
"······ Huh?"
"What? Want to eat more here? I don't mind either way."
"Ah, no. It's not that. Y-yeah. Let's move."
"Wait... are you tired and I'm keeping you? If that's the case..."
"No! No no! It's not that... Let's go. Where do you want to go?"
"Pfft! You said you don't know this area at all, right? Let's go somewhere quiet. I know a bar."
"Yes!"
Han Song-yi gathered her things first and left the room. At her decisive exit, I hurriedly packed up and followed, but she was already at the counter paying.
"I was going to get that."
"Uh-uh! This noona doesn't freeload off her dongsaeng~"
"······?"
So she was the older one. Come to think of it, I didn't even know her age.
"Why that face? Don't tell me you didn't know I was older? Haha. I'm three years older?"
"R-really? Should I call you noo... na?"
"...Don't you dare! Absolutely not! If you say that, I'm going straight home."
"...Yes! I won't."
Giggling, Han Song-yi and I left the gamjatang place and waited for the light to change.
Standing side by side with her, waiting for the green light... I suddenly noticed her small hand. Before I knew it, I'd grabbed it.
The absurd moment of me taking her hand and then panicking myself. Her fingers slipped between mine. I could feel her small hand gripping mine firmly.
Those interlaced hands didn't let go until we arrived at the bar she knew.
The bar we arrived at before we knew it. Stepping inside, it had a somewhat classic feel.
Still holding my hand, Han Song-yi looked around searching for someone, and soon we met a woman in her early-to-mid thirties who came out to greet us.
Guided by the woman who introduced herself as the bar's owner, we settled into a secluded corner seat, and even without a special order, a small bottle of whiskey was placed in front of us.
Sitting side by side close enough that our shoulders touched. Whether from the quiet atmosphere or from suddenly being so close, we almost grew awkward without much to say.
Fortunately the proprietress who'd guided us came over, and under her skillful conversation, the mood quickly loosened up.
In the pleasant atmosphere, laughing and chatting over the somewhat strong whiskey for an hour and a half. The small whiskey bottle hit bottom, and Han Song-yi's face was flushed even redder.
And without either of us saying who first, we left the bar...
"Are you going home?"
My question, courage borrowed from the alcohol. To this, Han Song-yi answered without hesitation.