Chapter 3
Chapter 3
A week had passed since the Korean Series ended.
With baseball gone from their lives, the fans all shouted in unison:
So what now?
The dopamine rush from the upset victory just days ago had left them restless.
But in two days, a new rush would arrive.
The crown jewel of the stove league: free agency.
From Monday onward, rumor-mongers, clickbait hunters, and overly excited fans would spend all day glued to baseball news and community posts.
For now, the forums were eerily calm, like the quiet before a storm.
While some fans were giving constructive feedback about the season and speculating on next year’s direction, a sudden post appeared.
6 PM: PNX – MRS Trade
I didn’t expect this, but after getting upset by Phoenix, seems like they’re serious Main pieces are a promising pitcher and a starting-level outfielder.
Starting-level outfielder? Could it be Ha Seojin?
Even if it’s Choi Myeongjun from Phoenix?
If true, Marlins would probably send Choi Junwoo. But would Marlins even trade him?
Why trade Junwoo? We’ll need him immediately if our outfield has a gap.
But if not Junwoo, no team would trade with us
Can you believe it? Every rumor about Junwoo so far has been wrong. If any were true, he’d be playing for all nine teams by now.
The post had no source, just a sensational stir, yet it spread quickly across forums. Speculation about the pitcher involved also followed.
At 6 PM, the awaited article was finally posted:
[Exclusive] Daejeon Phoenix Park Siwoo – Busan Marlins Choi Junwoo Trade Completed! Phoenix declares “Win Now!”
Phoenix sent two pitchers including Park Siwoo, Marlins sent Choi Junwoo, a pinch-hitter/DH-capable batter, and a 4th-round draft pick—a major trade.
Once the rumor proved true, chaos ensued.
[Park Siwoo? Did the GM go insane? Giving him away?]
You mean a pitcher with a career ERA of 6.31, 0 wins, 15 losses?
Didn’t he throw 2.56 ERA as a high school rookie? Left-handed, hit 155 km/h.
Yeah, but he got injured. Now he can’t even throw 140 km/h. Considering that, isn’t selling him at his current peak a good move?
Exchanging Park Siwoo for Choi Junwoo? Feels off.
Siwoo had potential, but trading a half-season shine for Junwoo seems questionable.
Back then, even Ha Seojin couldn’t be obtained for Siwoo, but still… feels weird.
Honestly, this trade depends on how Siwoo grows; for our pitchers, it’s not bad.
The consensus: Phoenix is the short-term winner, but the trade’s success would ultimately depend on Park Siwoo’s performance.
And the person at the center of it all, Park Siwoo, was still reeling.
“…Crazy. This isn’t a dream.”
2,535,566,421 won.
The paper slip he held was worth that much.
It was almost unbelievable. Even after taxes, it was close to 2 billion won.
For a moment, he felt like all his misfortunes had led to this exact moment.
As the excitement settled slightly, his incessantly ringing phone caught his eye.
The caller was senior teammate Park Chanhyuk.
“Yes, hello?”
…You okay?
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
Right, he’d been traded. Honestly, he had forgotten until hearing Park Chanhyuk’s voice.
Phew. When I heard you were going to meet the GM, I got nervous.
“Senior, I really am fine.”
Was this some kind of financial therapy?
Just moments ago, he had been anxious, but now he felt perfectly calm.
Siwoo.
“Yes?”
Well… it’s strange to say, but I think it might actually be for the best.
“Eh?”
You’ll have more opportunities elsewhere. Not my place to say, but you were really unlucky here too.
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Playing somewhere new could help you. Still, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.
“Promise?”
Remember? I said I’d make sure you got a win.
Hearing that, the memory returned faintly. So many things had happened since then.
He must have felt some debt, even if Park Chanhyuk didn’t outwardly show it.
“That promise… you’ll keep it even if I join Marlins, right?”What? “You just need to go easy on me when we play against each other.”Crazy. But I’m glad you seem fine. They laughed heartily and agreed to grab a meal before heading to Busan.
Having a senior like that made his time with Phoenix feel less miserable.
Besides Park Chanhyuk, there were his parents, friends, and coaches to check in with. He collected himself.
The trade, and the lottery, had come one after another—enough to give him a splitting headache, but it felt exhilarating.
He had wanted to keep playing for Phoenix, sure, but now he wouldn’t have to see the detestable Choi Myeongjun, and he even pictured him crawling on the bathroom floor. Satisfaction.
The lottery too.
20 billion won.
Enough to live comfortably for life if managed properly.
If he lied and said he didn’t care about money, it would be false. Even with baseball, his salary wouldn’t increase significantly.
Now, he could focus on baseball without worry.
All he had to do was wait for Monday.
“Which day do I get the lottery?”
The two-day wait felt agonizingly long.
“Congratulations, lucky customer. Please be careful on your way out.”
After leaving the bank, he checked his account.
1,731,829,841 won.
Almost 800 million had been taken in taxes. That hurt.
Still, with the remaining contract money, it exceeded 2 billion won. Just looking at it felt good.
He quickly put the bankbook away to avoid advertising his winnings in front of the NH Bank main branch.
“Give me the fastest KTX to Busan, please.”
“Yes. One moment.”
He planned to find a place to live in Busan and visit the team. He could afford to live alone, even though the team offered a rookie apartment.
“Ah, lucky you.”
“Huh?”
“A seat just opened up. Put in your card.”
Recently, he’d been hearing that he had been lucky a lot. Small, but pleasant.
“Here. Car 7, please.”
“Thanks.”
A man approached the counter, seeming rushed.
“Fastest KTX to Busan, please. One ticket.”
The same request as him. But the man had a ticket too, just probably not for the same train.
The train departed in ten minutes. A quick snack would be enough.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes? Me?”
It was the hurried man.
“Really sorry, but are you taking the train that leaves in 10 minutes? I’m in a hurry, so if it’s okay, could we swap tickets?”
Hmm.
A short deliberation. Busan wasn’t urgent; the room wouldn’t disappear in minutes. But the man looked desperate.
Decision made.
“Yes. I’ll swap.”
“Thanks!”
“Oh, but this is first-class… I’ll cover the difference.”
“No, it’s fine. You let me go first. Here’s my card; contact me if you need to.”
He stopped the man from giving the card.
“Don’t worry. The train leaves soon, go ahead.”
The man hesitated slightly.
Hmm, he didn’t expect to say this, but…
“Just… you’re lucky today.”
“…Lucky?”
“Yes. Days like that happen.”
The man slowly nodded and smiled.
“Yes, really lucky. Thank you.”
He left afterward, but it wasn’t over yet.
“Have we met somewhere before? Your face looks familiar.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks again for the ticket.”
A baseball fan might recognize him, but he didn’t want to advertise it.
The 30 minutes gained let him grab lunch before departure.
But his luck seemed to end there.
“Son, sorry. The room I mentioned just got taken.”
“…Ah, well. Can’t be helped.”
Even though he traveled comfortably to Busan in first-class, the room he had eyed in that short span was gone.
She explained that apartments often get snapped up quickly, and frauds occur, but the agent seemed genuinely apologetic.
“Wait a bit. I’ll try to find another similar one.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The agent called around but struggled, so she suggested seeing another house first.
“Really? That one’s available? I’ll go immediately.”
She beamed and beckoned him into the car.
“Is it a good place?”
“Unbelievably. Every tenant who’s moved in has luck on their side.”
“Really?”
That piqued his curiosity.
The house looked ordinary at first.
“Hello! Open the door, please. I’m here to see the house.”
Inside was a young woman with big glasses, looking awkward.
“Wow, you came really fast.”
“You know this place. First to book gets it. Quick in, quick out. Come on.”
The previous tenant lowered her head politely; he barely noticed.
The agent launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
“The first tenant was an accountant, next a lawyer, even a lottery winner.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This girl retook the exam, moved here, and did extremely well. I heard she got into Seoul National.”
Huh, seemed legit.
“What's your job? College student? You must be really athletic.”
“Ah, I’m a baseball player.”
“Baseball? Marlins? Oh my, incredible! Many here were in arts and sports. That person… um…”
“Jisoo Jeong?”
“Yes! How did you know?”
He knew. The 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist shooter had lived here.
Impressed, he barely had time to react before someone shouted from outside.
“I’m here to see the house!”
“Quickly! First to book gets it.”
He had already decided.
“Yes. I’ll take it.”
The agent contacted the landlord and confirmed the contract.
“Excuse me…”
“…Ah, sorry. I’ll leave now.”
He realized he was in a woman’s home alone.
“Oh no, no. It’s fine. Are you really a baseball player? Marlins?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Did you join this year or last? I haven’t watched baseball for two years.”
She looked at him brightly. He found her very attractive.
“No, I was traded this year.”
“Traded? From which team?”
“Phoenix.”
“Really? Who left?”
“Uh, too many. Easier if you check the article.”
Her eyes went wide scanning the news.
“…Choi Junwoo? Is this real?”
“Yes.”
She was shocked.
“…My uniform.”
Ah, right. The rookie version she remembered.
“…Are you Park Siwoo?”
“Yes.”
“No way! Phoenix went crazy? Why trade you for Junwoo?”
He struggled to keep up with her rapid-fire comments.
She had only followed baseball up to his rookie year.
“…I had an injury and played poorly.”
“Oh… sorry.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Awkward.
“Want a signature?”
“Really? First one I’ve ever gotten!”
She opened a wardrobe hesitantly, looking at him.
“A uniform’s probably better, right?”
The Choi Junwoo-marked uniform.
He nodded slightly. She searched more but found nothing.
“Paper’s fine too.”
“Still, I wanted the first on a uniform.”
“I’ll sign your uniform later. Sound good?”
“Really?”
“I never forget stuff like this.”
She smiled, a little fluttering in his chest.
“Hey! Time to go to the real estate office! Let’s move!”
He left the house, grateful for the experience, and headed to the agency.
“Ah, I forgot to mention. This one’s 2000 with 40.”
“…Really?”
“That’s normal. Nothing should change; energy matters. Price unchanged for years. Landlord’s polite.”
Indeed, the contract was 2000 with 40.
“Thanks.”
“Yes, good luck.”
All preparations were done. Move-in in a few days.
Everything was going smoothly—from the lottery to the house.
But his luck didn’t stop there.
At the stadium, he went straight to the GM’s office.
And he was surprised. The man from Seoul Station was here.
The man smiled after looking at him.
“Wow, I must be lucky today, Park Siwoo. Didn’t expect to be able to thank you properly.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Gyutae, GM of Busan Marlins.”