Community on Fire
"Good morning~ Beautiful morning, isn't it~"
"······?"
"Hello~ The weather's just perfect. Haha."
"······? What's wrong with him?"
"No idea. It's past three and he shows up late, so why the hell is he going on about morning?"
"Did he eat something weird?"
"The way he's grinning is seriously off. Look! He keeps smirking for no reason."
"Maybe the heat finally cooked his brain···"
I could hear the other players muttering behind my back. So what? I couldn't control it either. Everything that had happened from last night right up until a few minutes ago kept replaying in my head—there was no way I could hold back a smile.
Last night, Han Song-yi and I had spent an incredible night together. I still couldn't understand where all that energy had come from; neither of us had been willing to let the other go until we finally collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep.
We only managed to drift off around sunrise, then had to drag ourselves up again after just a few hours of rest.
When I opened my eyes with Song-yi still in my arms··· the light filtering through the curtains made her skin look so pale it was almost translucent.
Seeing her like that in the bright morning light for the first time, I···
Song-yi woke up with me and smiled prettily when she saw my face, but then—
"H-honey? Huh? Kyaah! Again??"
Ahem···
After that morning, a completely drained Song-yi and I somehow made it out of the hotel and grabbed a simple meal. Then we each headed off to work.
I came straight to the stadium after saying goodbye to her, and I still couldn't get Song-yi out of my head.
"Something going on with you?"
Ko Mandeok finally couldn't take it anymore and sidled up to ask.
"Ah~ Me? Nothing at all."
"···That's weird. Then why are you walking around like you've got a screw loose?"
"Nah. It's not like that."
Even as I waved him off, my cheeks kept trying to climb upward on their own.
Since I'd arrived late, I didn't do any special training today. Just a light jog and some weights, then a shower. I was changing clothes and about to head home when—
"Huh? Senior. You didn't go home last night?"
"U-uh?"
Out of nowhere Hyeon-bin blasted the question at me in a completely unnecessary volume. Every eye in the room snapped toward us.
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"No, Senior. Looking at your underwear and that training gear—aren't those the same ones you wore yesterday?"
"······ Ah··· I don't think so?"
Why the hell was this crazy kid staring at other people's underwear?
The bear of a kid had sharp eyes for all the wrong reasons.
"Weird. I'm pretty sure they're the same as yesterday. Did you just not change?"
This absolute maniac···
He seemed to think he was muttering to himself, but his voice was so loud that everyone around us heard every word.
"You little bastard."
"What's this? Is it true? Is what Bin said for real?"
"Now that I look, those really do look like yesterday's clothes."
"Whoa~ So that's why you turned down dinner last night? Who was it? Who'd you meet?"
I was screwed. Shit.
I'd thought about stopping by home to change but decided it was too much trouble and came straight here. If I'd known it would turn out like this, I never would have shown up for training today.
Then Ko Mandeok spoke up.
"D-don't tell me··· i-it isn't, right? It isn't?"
"What? You know something?"
"Ha-Han··· it isn't, right?"
"······ Han Song-yi? For real? No way!!"
Ha··· Where had everything gone wrong?
This was exactly why I'd sworn I'd never say a word even if it killed me.
Everyone except that clueless Hyeon-bin was staring at me like they wanted me dead.
Okay, but wasn't this a little much?
Sure, our Song-yi was a goddess, but did they really have to look at me like I was some kind of criminal?
"No. Do you guys think I don't have any other women I could meet?"
"What women could you possibly meet? You're a guy who can't do anything except baseball."
"······"
That bastard Ho-min.
"And why do you assume I was with a woman? I could've had a drink with a friend and crashed at his place."
"What friends do you have? You've only got Ho-min. You live with the guy—what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
"······"
What exactly did Ko Mandeok think of me? Declaring with total confidence that I had no friends.
"Ah, whatever. I'm leaving~ See you tomorrow~"
"Hey! You stop right there. Hey, you!"
I shook off the hands grabbing for me and barely managed to escape the locker room—only to find Seo Gyeongmin standing there snickering at me.
How long had this guy been eavesdropping?
"Hurry up and go. You'll be exhausted if they catch you. Heh heh."
"Haa··· Tell me about it. I'll head in first."
"Yeah, yeah. Congratulations. You finally claimed the goddess. Heh heh."
"No! Haa··· I'm going."
Every last bear on this team had ridiculously sharp instincts.
Beep-beep.
I'd left in such a rush I couldn't even call Ho-min. Waiting around would just get me caught again and make everything even more exhausting.
So I walked home. At least with my cap pulled low and the mask I'd bought yesterday, I made it back without any trouble.
"You're back?"
Ho-min greeted me halfheartedly from the couch where he was watching TV.
"Yeah. I'm back."
"Were you with a woman?"
"······"
"Mandeok hyung called. Asked if you came home last night. Said it was with Han Song-yi, wasn't it?"
"Crazy. So what did you say?"
"Told him you stayed out overnight."
"You bastard!"
"And I told him it wasn't Han Song-yi."
"Huh?"
"Did you finally decide to meet that girl? The chocolate one?"
"······ Ah!"
I hadn't even thought of that.
Ho-min had been asking forever whether I was dating the Hooded Woman. I'd completely forgotten.
"So I told him. Said there was a girl who'd been hanging around you for a while. Pretty cute one."
"······ Nice work."
"Th-that so?"
Why was he the one getting flustered?
My body must have been more worn out than I realized.
I ate dinner early in the evening and fell straight asleep—when I opened my eyes again it was already the next morning.
After nearly twelve hours of sleep, my body felt incredibly refreshed.
I left for the stadium and took batting practice before the game against the Hawks.
It was just a simple batting session, but···
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
"Hajin's looking good today! They're flying out of here!"
The ball was rocketing off my bat with terrifying force. Even with easy, effortless swings, the contact felt completely different.
"As expected···"
I'd actually wondered if something like this might happen.
The floral scent that had filled the hotel room all night while I was with Song-yi.
It had only been a hypothesis at first, but it was hardening into certainty.
The pills from the Hooded Woman and that floral scent. Two things that had suddenly appeared in my life.
Honestly, I was starting to doubt whether the Hooded Woman was even human. And I still had no idea why that same floral scent came from Song-yi instead of her···
But one thing was certain: both of them were giving my baseball career an enormous boost.
Bottom of the 1st — one out, bases loaded. Batting fifth as the designated hitter, Kang Hajin steps in. A chance right from the start of the game.
We got a look at Kang Hajin's batting practice before the game, and his condition looked excellent today.
Hawks starter Seong Ju-yong has been struggling with his command early, giving up three straight hits. We'll see how he handles Kang Hajin, who's looking sharp.
The first pitch was a fastball low and away.
People said that when you were locked in, the ball looked as big as a watermelon.
That was probably a lie. A ball was just a ball.
But it really did seem clearer than usual. How to put it··· I could see exactly where that pitch rocketing toward me was going to end up?
It was a completely new sensation.
Second pitch also misses outside. Two balls. He's getting deeper into the count.
Seong Ju-yong is trying to get Kang Hajin to chase, but he's not biting at all. That slider was a good one, but Kang Hajin doesn't even flinch.
The pitcher sets for the third pitch. If he falls further behind here, things get really tough, don't they?
Exactly. He has to challenge him here.
Third pitch! Oh! That's huge!
It's gone. He got all of that.
Kang Hajin! Turns the bases-loaded chance in the first into a home run. Score 4-0. The Savers jump out to a big early lead!
At two balls, the pitcher had nowhere left to hide and came inside. The moment the ball left his hand I knew—this one was coming in on me.
Once I knew the location, there was no reason to hesitate.
I opened my front foot and yanked it.
The instant I made contact I knew. It was gone.
The pitcher who'd thrown it hung his head, and the catcher behind me let out a deep sigh.
Suddenly I remembered someone telling me to do a bat flip, so I flung the bat cleanly and took my time circling the bases.
The Hawks made a quick pitching change and shut us down through the first and second innings.
Then came the third. My turn at the plate again.
Leading off the third is Kang Hajin, who hit a grand slam in his previous at-bat.
Seo Jong-myeong pitched aggressively through the first two innings and did well, but he has to be careful now. Kang Hajin looks different today.
Will Seo Jong-myeong keep attacking? Windup. First pitch.
CRAAACK!
Oh!
It's gone. Over the wall.
Kang Hajin clears the fence again! Back-to-back home runs! Another massive drive that sails well beyond the right fielder!
He goes the other way on an outside slider. Wow··· that pitch looked like it might have been just a bit too far out. Kang Hajin is terrifying today.
Up to that point, everyone still thought it was just a hot day at the plate.
Hitters had days like that, after all.
But then—
Bottom of the 7th, Savers at bat. The Hawks have closed the gap to 6-4, but now they face a massive crisis. Bases loaded, nobody out, and the fifth hitter Kang Hajin steps in.
Bases loaded again. This has to be frustrating for the Hawks. They intentionally walked him in the fifth, but now it's nobody out with the bases full. They have to pitch to him.
The Hawks make a pitching change—sidearmer Heo Jeong-woo. He takes the mound in a tough spot.
They're going to challenge him here. Putting in their most reliable bullpen arm to try to escape with minimal damage.
Heo Jeong-woo's first pitch. He swings! To left! Where's it going··· oh! Foul. Called foul.
Just barely missed. That was so close. Almost hit the foul pole.
Kang Hajin looks disappointed.
He squared up that curveball perfectly. If the location had been just a touch better it would have been gone.
Spooked by the foul home run, Heo Jeong-woo started throwing nothing but bait pitches. But today I was Kang Hajin after a full night of that floral scent.
When a ball was that obviously a ball, there was no way I was going to bite.
Three straight balls followed.
Heo Jeong-woo is in a hole. Three balls, one strike.
The Hawks bench will be putting on a sign. Whether to battle him even if it costs a run, or to challenge the zone aggressively.
What did the Hawks bench decide? Heo Jeong-woo winds up. Fifth pitch!
It was a ball. The forkball Heo Jeong-woo threw every now and then.
The break wasn't huge, but the velocity was high enough that he'd been using it effectively to get hitters out.
I knew it was a ball··· taking it would walk in a run···
But I also didn't feel like I couldn't hit it.
I had a clear sense of where it was going to drop, and holding back just felt wrong.
CRAAACK!
Oh! Oh! I-it's gone! Kang Hajin's third home run of the day clears the wall! And his second grand slam!
Wow··· this is something else··· That was a ball. Heo Jeong-woo threw the forkball ready to walk in a run. It was dropping out of the zone, and he still golfed it out of the park.
Kang Hajin with his ninth RBI of the day! Tying the KBO single-game RBI record!
This home run gave me a little chill.
I'd wanted a home run, and I'd thought I could hit it, but I never expected to drive it out that cleanly···
Is this effect a little too good?
It was working so well it was almost scary.
The final out is recorded. The Savers take the win, 13-4.
Naturally, I was the player of the game.
When I went for the post-game interview, Han Song-yi was waiting in a blue dress.
Grinning.
The second I saw her face, the smile kept leaking out of me.
Same for her. She was trying hard to keep her expression professional, but it wasn't working—her face ended up looking strangely soft.
"Kang Hajin, you seem to be in a good mood. You can't stop smiling."
At Song-yi's playful question, I shot back,
"Something good happened starting the day before yesterday, and it seems like it's carried over all the way to today."
That finally broke her—she let out a little "Pfft!" and laughed.
Meanwhile, the moment the interview ended—
The community was on fire.