Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Old Folks Are Always the Problem
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Whoosh. The sound of water pouring from the shower echoed through the bathhouse. At that moment,
"Haah…. I finally got to start, but 3 innings and 2 runs…. You had it good, hyung. Hit a homer too."
Jang Woo-ju's voice drifted over from a little ways off. Why the hell was this guy striking up a conversation while we were showering?
Showering with another guy was shitty enough, but it was unavoidable in group living. Still, that didn't mean I wanted to chat with some dude while lathering up.
'At least it's just the two of us—small mercy?'
After wrapping up the batters' cleanup and the pitchers' gear, Woo-ju and I were the last ones hitting the showers, leaving the bathhouse empty except for us. Best to just ignore him.
"Hyung, you listening?"
'Ugh, what a pain. Should I kill him, Master?'
I called out to Rogers like always, but no response, as expected. The guy thought showers full of naked young punks were nauseating, so he always vanished somewhere. …Lucky bastard. When I became a senior, I'd shower alone.
"Hyung, say something."
I kept ignoring him, but the kid wouldn't quit. Fuck. Fine, give him a token reply.
"So you thought you were on my level?"
"Kinda at first…. But after seeing your training, I realized…. I'm way short."
"Big dreams. You're at least ten years off."
"Ugh, makes me wanna curse, but you smashed my pitch too. Total letdown. Why didn't you go to the majors, hyung?"
"Letdown? You're the one throwing 100. Why didn't you go?"
"My control's not perfect. Figured I'd crash and burn, so I planned to build experience here first. Like Sung-hyun hyung."
"Then go to Volcano like Sung-hyun."
"What kinda nightmare talk is that…. Anyway, why not you?"
"Military duty. Fuck this country—gives jack shit but works you to death. Was gonna snag a national team exemption and head to the States. Why?"
There was a route to the majors first then national team, but it was basically impossible. To get called up from MLB to the national team, you'd need to be a starter at minimum, and even if I balled out, it'd take 2-3 years grinding minors.
Plus, money-hungry MLB clubs wouldn't release me for the national team. No franchise does favors for a guy about to hit FA.
Big-market team or small, same story. Big markets already had vets on fat contracts locking down starting spots—no way they'd bench a high-salary guy for a young, cheap kid like me. Only if the starter left the team.
Small markets? They'd pinch service time like misers, juggling your roster days.
Either way, by the time you posted national team-worthy numbers regardless of talent, you'd be over 24. Too old for wildcard spots, which would prioritize young catchers and pitchers anyway. With ten teams scrapping for slots, no guarantees.
Whatever—staying in Korea let me meet So-young, so it worked out better. And like Joo-hyung said, way better to enjoy life here, drop bombs, snag a guaranteed deal, then ship off to the States. Suited my style.
"Can a national team guy say that?"
"And? Gonna tattle to the seniors?"
"Nah. Ha…. Anyway, what's my problem? Even for pros, 3 innings 2 runs is rough. Honestly, lucky to last three—could've hooked after one, no sweat."
"Your skill."
'This guy's still yapping in the shower…. Tch. Clean enough, time to bail.'
I shut off the water, ready to head out. Five minutes was plenty for a man's shower. Hair: one. Body: one. Dick: three.
"Huh? Leaving already, hyung?"
"Someone kept yapping."
"…Sorry. One last thing—what's my issue, in your eyes?"
Ha, what a pest.
"This."
"Ah, c'mon! Not that—advice from sunbae to dongsaeng."
"Sigh. First off, you pitch like a scaredy-cat. What's 100 mph mean when you're drumming solo and spraying balls? Pound the center."
"Huh? That's 'cause of you! Blue Dragon down the middle—you homered, so…."
"Sigh…. I hit it 'cause it's me. Think Korean hitters can tag 100 down the pipe?"
A few who could flashed through my mind, but right now, ending this chat mattered more, so I kept pumping him up vaguely. Truth was, most guys' bat speed couldn't even graze it. Only 'cause it was me.
"Forget control—aim center. You can't even hit center consistently. Get lucky, it'll tail to the corner."
"Yes…."
"And one more peep during shower? You're dead."
Final warning. Fine for a sunbae, but a young punk talking in the showers? Unheard of. Back in my day, we couldn't even tread near seniors' shadows. Felt like the world's gone to hell.
Anyway, soothed Woo-ju enough and headed to the locker room.
"Fucking annoying punk."
Muttering about the cocky junior, I toweled my hair, threw on clothes, and stepped out—only to find an unexpected face waiting.
"Out already?"
Gu Jin-mo. What the hell? Hadn't showered yet?
"Yeah."
"Who's in the locker room?"
"Empty. Woo-ju's showering."
"Yeah? C'mon in."
Bad feeling. What now? Years of group life screamed "assembly." Followed him inside—the quiet locker room now hummed with water sounds.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Ha…. What was that ceremony today? Vs. Japan?"
"Just did it."
I figured I'd fucked up big. Nah, over nothing.
"Still, all seniors—moderate it, yeah?"
No curses, but tone ice-cold. Laughable to catch heat over that. Rogers would've cracked up.
"Reverse homer—stay quiet?"
"…Fair. No, that's not it. Listen when seniors talk. Sass back? Nuts?"
Ha, fuck—this country's problem. Bullshit sunbae culture. Old guys acting like age is a flex: "Seniors talk, you listen."
"……."
"Not talking, just staring? Rebelling?"
What'd he want? Fucking boomer.
"Just a yell. Whatever."
"A yell? Moderate, moderate! Batting practice all forced too. Provoking?"
"Happens in games. Anyway, if it's this, I'm out first."
"Out first? Mocking seniors?"
"Frankly, your junior? Hanchego kid? AT senior? Just nationals reps—no beef, call it."
"Your side? Look at this punk. Ha… Can't even deck ya."
He raised a fist, pissed.
"Gonna hit? Then swing. Might sue for hush money."
His face flushed red, hand trembling.
"Tch. Nationals over, not teammates—cool it. I'm gone."
"Hey, you handle consequences? Su-ho's my dong, Sang-ju too?"
"Man, embarrassing nagging? Go ahead. Or talk sense. 'Got it.' Done. Ceremony fuss?"
No point listening more—left Jin-mo behind and bailed. Tch. Backlash coming, but no reason to eat that nonsense.
Anyway, old folks are the problem.
"Hey, got nothing to say to me?"
Lounging on the bed scrolling my phone when Sang-ju returned and hit me with it. Ah, more baseball. Braced myself, killed the YouTube, sat up, and replied.
"Nope."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"Heard you sassed Jin-mo hyung today?"
"Ah…. That?"
"That?"
This guy's really boomer-ing out.
"Yeah. Wasn't sass—just nonsense."
"What'd Jin-mo say?"
"Ceremony too much. Senior, reverse homer—little flex ok?"
"Hmm…. Fair. But Jin-mo's not the type."
"Dunno."
"Anyway, he's pissed. Tch, like my dongsaeng—don't wanna chew you out, dunno details, so apologize when you see him, say I reamed you hard. Got it."
"Yeah."
'That's it?'
'Why?'
'Tch, thought we'd see some fun. Shame. Anyway, fire that up again. Love these gadgets—watch girls change clothes. Why no such thing my day?'
'On it.'
"Anyway."
Resuming YouTube when Sang-ju piped up again. Now what?
"4-for-4, two hits today? Homer too."
"Yeah."
"How'd it feel?"
"Great."
"Yeah. Good stuff. But baseball's a sport where even with a homer, you're out more than not."
"True."
"Today .500 luck—season-long? God's no. Key's reflecting why you failed that at-bat. Right?"
"…Right?"
"Start first AB? Two-seamer, yeah? What thought process?"
…Fuck, maybe Gu was better.
"See, two-seam—same arm, tails in. Groundball city. US had a two-seam guy, Britton—know him? Basically sinker kin. More movement? Sinker. Drops: sinker. Bites in: two-seam. Majors don't split hairs. Beltre said names don't matter if you can't hit it. Anyway…."
"…Yeah."
New torture method? Rogers bailed the second nagging started.
"Point: heavy movement means bat path crucial. Got it? Sweet spot ideal, but pitchers vary—no game trajectories. First AB, you grounded it? Words fail—grab bat, follow."
Fuck, just rage like Gu! At least fightable!
"What? No bat?"
'No special training! Fuck!'
…Ended up in brutal swing drills with Sang-ju.