The Start of May

"Pfuhuhu..."

Hyeon Myeongun, the Titans' general manager, had been struggling lately to hide his laughter.

A month into the season. The Titans were soaring, plain and simple.

Second place in the Eastern League. Just half a game out of first.

It was a ranking that felt utterly foreign to the Titans.

'Teams that start strong in spring? That's old news...'

The Titans hadn't even held onto a good spring record in recent years.

"Heh heh... I won't get fired."

The chairman— a die-hard baseball fan who owned the team— had given them three years to rebuild. This was year three.

If the results weren't there this season, heads would've rolled. His own included. Manager Jeong Hyeonho's too.

In that sense...

"Yuha's our lucky charm. Our guardian angel..."

Jin Yuha was the Titans'— or more precisely, the front office's— savior. It wasn't for nothing that Manager Jeong Hyeonho got flak for favoritism while doting on him.

Hyeon Myeongun and Jeong Hyeonho had poured everything into rebuilding the Titans. They'd ruthlessly cut veterans who poisoned the clubhouse vibe and drained payroll. They'd traded for promising prospects from other teams— both homegrown and external— and molded them into starters. But...

"In the end, Yuha was the finishing piece."

Without Jin Yuha, would any of it have mattered? Even Hyeon Myeongun had to shake his head at the thought.

Jin Yuha was the final, essential puzzle piece in the Titans' rebuild. Therefore...

"Haa... I'm stuffed. So damn full."

Having bought himself a lifeline, Hyeon Myeongun felt like he could burst just looking at Jin Yuha's face.

"Haa..."

Just like that, the GM's goofy grin faded into a deep sigh.

The front office staffer watching him just shrugged it off. The GM's mood swings weren't exactly new.

'Running a baseball team isn't a job for sane people.'

That was all they could think.

"I'm anxious. So damn anxious... Who knows when we'll drop off? My head's on the line too."

The Titans were hot right now, but there were plenty of cracks.

A bottom of the order starving for hits. Paper-thin depth. And...

"The foreigner..."

"Ivan Rodriguez's last two starts weren't bad."

"Not bad? He barely went five innings. And he's our foreign pitcher?"

James Gilbert and Frank Rodriguez were holding up their end. But the last import, Ivan Rodriguez, was the problem child.

"Still, it's too early to decide on a replacement."

"I know that."

It was premature to talk swaps. Ivan wasn't hurt or anything.

Besides, the Titans weren't gunning for a title. No team declares a rebuild over and instantly aims for the crown.

"Our preseason goal was the playoffs, right...?"

"That was then."

"Yeah, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that was then."

That had been the plan.

"Time to raise the bar now, huh?"

"Probably... yeah."

Goals could change on a dime.

"We've got two guys on MVP pace, and settling for playoffs feels like selling short."

Jin Yuha and Kang Gihoo. Out of nowhere, aces on both sides of the ball. Not chasing a ring would be weird.

"The imports are solid too... except Ivan."

So Ivan's output grated on Hyeon Myeongun. If they were just scraping for playoffs, sure, ride ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it out. But...

"To chase first, we swap him if he doesn't step up."

"Finding a replacement could be tougher."

"Tch, their season's underway too."

Tortured by the dilemma, Hyeon Myeongun suddenly slammed his desk and shot up, like a lightbulb had gone off.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. We'll tap our connections— separate from the scout team."

"...Connections?"

"Someone who knows the U.S. scene inside out, tight with the big agencies, and not a stranger to the Titans!"

"Who the hell... Oh."

The staffer's mind lit up with the perfect match.

"Jin Yusung!"

The man himself was Korea's baseball hero— and father to the Titans' ace.

"But will Jin Yusung even help us out?"

"It's like... parent privilege? Or Jeong Hyeonho mentioned they're buddies, so friend card?"

Foreign player swap talks were tabled for later. Reaching out to Jin Yusung? They'd run it by Jeong Hyeonho first.

The front office had real work piling up— like prepping for upcoming events.

"March-April MVP's locked for Yuha, right?"

"No contest."

Poor Kang Gihoo sharing the shortlist, but the award was Jin Yuha's in all but name.

"Let's throw him a proper celebration. He's gonna be the Titans' symbol."

"Got it."

Having issued the order, Hyeon Myeongun eyed the calendar.

"May already... Children's Day when?"

"This Saturday."

"Talk about timing..."

It was almost too perfect.

"His no-run streak's at 49.1 innings, right? He's at 42 now."

"Yep."

"Saturday's Children's Day, and rotation has him starting?"

"Rainout bumped it that way."

"This could be a massive gift for our cute little Titans fans."

Like, say, etching a historic record into KBO lore.

"Yuha might not get through innings. Could give up runs."

"Nah, no way..."

Hyeon Myeongun trusted Jin Yuha. And...

"Opponent's the Pistols?"

He trusted them too.

"Oh yeah, Jin Yuha's birthday's in May too?"

"Is it? Let's do a big bash then."

"Even for Yuha, a rookie's birthday from the team?"

"Hey, who were we just talking about?"

"Ah..."

Jin Yuha birthday bash? Inviting family was a given. Ceremonial pitches, at-bats. Meaning...

"Jin Yusung batting... and if we're lucky, Jack Gordon on the mound."

Hyeon Myeongun's grin stretched ear to ear imagining it. Jin Yuha was a player the GM couldn't help but love.

Monday.

The Busan Titans headed to Seoul early for their weekday series against the Seoul Guardians, settling in for rest. That's when I finally caught up with Dad.

'Why's he still in Korea?'

Shouldn't he be heading back to the States by now? Anyway.

"Uh, that thing. KBO's got interleague now?"

"Two leagues, so yeah, obviously."

Dad, the old-timer, seemed baffled by modern KBO scheduling.

"Interleague's 12 games per team, right?"

"Yep."

"We did 144 back in my day. So you guys hit 152?"

"Your day?"

Weird. Dad never played in KBO.

"Just a figure of speech. That's how it was in my playing days."

"Sure... whatever."

A bit suspicious, but I let it slide.

'Could he really...?'

Just a hunch for now.

"Oh yeah, Jeong Hyeonho hit me up."

"The skipper?"

Dad pivoted topics hard— obviously dodging— but it piqued my interest.

"Yeah. Asked if I knew any minor leaguers worth recommending."

"Ah..."

Guess the front office was eyeing a swap for Ivan Rodriguez.

"Why ask you, though... Oh, Jackson?"

Jackson was Dad's agent from his playing days. Back when Dad was a nobody, he tracked the guy down and became his first client.

Jackson blew up as agent to a MLB superstar, started his own firm— now a heavyweight agency. Even as "chairman," he and Dad stayed tight.

'I knew him since I was a kid, obviously.'

My old agency was his too.

"Has to be. But his clients are all studs."

"Only signs rookies on BA top prospects lists."

"Yeah. Ignores anyone short of national names."

Wrong guy to ask, then.

"So... you know anybody?"

"Me? Suddenly?"

"You've been here over five years now."

"Nobody comes to mind?"

Hmm.

"Got one."

"Yeah? Who?"

I gave Dad a name. A teammate from before my regression.

"Cool. I'll check with Jackson, then loop in Jeong Hyeonho."

No clue if the guy actually joins the Titans. He might balk at Korea; they might stick with Ivan. But...

'If he comes, it'll be fun.'

Bring back old memories.

'Kid's reminiscing about the old days.'

Jin Yusung read Jin Yuha's expression like a book. He was the kid's dad— and a fellow regressor.

'Feels weird as hell.'

Reconnecting with past ties while building new ones? Bittersweet for any regressor. Joy at reunions, melancholy over one-sided memories.

"Who's your matchup this week?"

"Children's Day start, vs. the Pistols."

"Hah..."

The Daejeon Pistols held a special place for Jin Yusung.

'That damn team.'

His face slipped for a second.

"Whoa, know someone on the Pistols?"

His son pounced.

Jin Yusung knew his son suspected him. Knew what about. But...

'Can't let on that I'm a regressor.'

Fatherly pride on the line. Unlike his son— a star even pre-regression, probably a two-way phenom— Jin Yusung pre-regression had raw talent but flamed out.

"Of course I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know folks. You've met him. That MLB from the Pistols."

"Oh... him."

"Yeah, the guy who nabbed Rookie of the Year and MVP same season. Your goal. He said his last dream was a ring."

And failed. Just like Jin Yusung.

Their stories differed, though. Jin Yusung was a dime-a-dozen busted prospect pre-regression. That guy? Korea's best pitcher, no do-overs needed.

"Hmm... feels like more to it."

Jin Yuha still looked skeptical.

"Truth? Of all KBO teams, Pistols are the ones I kinda root for."

"Dad, you're from Seoul?"

"Still can root for 'em."

"...Huh."

Jin Yusung had to spill a bit. More love-hate than pure fandom, but affection all the same.

"So you hope I stink it up against them?"

"Hell no. I'd love you to trash that team."

Hate was part of love-hate, after all.