Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Translator Wjin
Chapter 33
Lee Si-ha is officially a heroine, but I wonder if she really is.
She hardly appears in the story, and there isn't a single line describing Lee Ji-ho feeling even a flutter of excitement for her until the very end.
Even Seo Jia had a few moments like that...
I think she was just introduced to be a financial backer.
A position to solve problems without breaking the plot's logic if a lot of money was needed.
That's why, in my memory, she's associated with pity.
"Excuse me."
I turned my head, clearing my mind of extraneous thoughts, at Lee Si-ha's voice.
"You're Cha Tae-hyun, right? It's a bit sudden, but could you spare some time?"
Jin Myung-hwan, who was next to me, looked at me with envious eyes.
It's not like that, Myunghwan...
"I can spare a moment."
I didn't ask why she wanted my time.
Because I knew.
Lee Si-ha, the second daughter of Nixon Sports' CEO, had the ambition to revive the practically failed baseball business with her own hands.
One part of that baseball business revival project was finding an exclusive promotional model.
That's why the young lady from a chaebol family came all the way to Hyeoksan High to find me.
However... as I recall, it was definitely...
"I've been pushing to select Mr. Lee Ji-ho as the model since a year ago. He had the makings of a star."
I remember a line like that.
She'd been pushing for it for a year, so would she change her mind, no matter how great my performance was? But...
She changed it?
Do business plans change so quickly? I mean, she must have planned products with Lee Ji-ho's name on them.
Anyway, I followed Lee Si-ha out of the lounge.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
We arrived at the coach's office, escorted by men in black suits.
The coach was already gone, perhaps having been informed beforehand, and we sat facing each other on the sofa.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Lee Si-ha spoke first.
"The reason I sought you out today, Mr. Cha Tae-hyun, is to offer you to be the exclusive promotional model for our Nixon brand. I saw the makings of a star in you, Mr. Cha Tae-hyun."
Lee Si-ha handed me a document that looked like a contract.
"Would you mind taking a look?"
I nodded and scanned the contents.
It was a 3-year contract, with a signing bonus of 1 billion won paid immediately upon signing.
There were no additional incentives.
Various other clauses were present, but the core was this 3-year, 1 billion won signing bonus.
Considering my future value, it was an absurdly low amount, but for Cha Tae-hyun as he was now, it was a perfectly satisfactory sum.
In fact, it made me wonder, "They're giving me this much?"
Even if I was being called a monster rookie, I was still only a second-year high school baseball player who had been making achievements for less than a year.
Could there be anyone other than Lee Si-ha who would offer me an exclusive promotional model contract for this amount?
The funny thing was that the original contract Lee Ji-ho would have received had 500 million won written on it, not 1 billion.
Anyway... this is truly satisfactory.
Now I can live a bit more comfortably with Jihyun.
"It's good."
Lee Si-ha smiled faintly at my words.
"Yes. Thank you. Did you read the items I marked?"
Her words just now reminded me. This is it.
The moment Lee Si-ha became interested in Lee Ji-ho.
Here, Lee Ji-ho checked the contract again and then suddenly terminated it.
His reason was truly... what can I say, very much like a protagonist.
"Looking at the contract, it seems it might interfere with my training. I apologize."
He actually kicked away a 500 million won contract because he was worried it might interfere with his 'training'.
Thanks to that, he became the first person Lee Si-ha, his main financial backer, saw who wasn't obsessed with money, a worn-out cliché that led to him receiving greater support and unrequited love later on.
But me...
Money is only urgent now, and I'm confident I can earn a lot anyway. Plus, I don't particularly want to attract Lee Si-ha's interest.
"Yes. I've read it. There are no problems, so let's sign."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
The contract was finalized faster than expected.
Thanks to Cha Tae-hyun's satisfaction with the contract.
Initially, she herself had wondered if the signing bonus she set was a bit too high, so it wasn't strange that the contract ended so cleanly.
Lee Si-ha felt quite refreshed.
Ironically, the type of person she, as a businesswoman, disliked the most was someone who showed greed for money.
Of course, she knew very well that business itself was about revealing a desire for money.
But even knowing that, and even wanting to fix this habit as a businesswoman, it was like a part of her personality, something she couldn't control herself.
Lee Si-ha was clearly that kind of person.
"If I actually use company products in games, will there be additional compensation?"
"Can you add a clause for performance bonuses if I set records during the contract period?"
She should have felt displeased by Cha Tae-hyun's attitude.
'How strange...'
But why didn't the man in front of her elicit any repulsion?
Her curiosity grew, but she stopped there.
It was impolite to be lost in thought while someone was in front of you.
"Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything else or have any inquiries."
As she exchanged farewells and reached for the doorknob, a question popped into Lee Si-ha's mind.
"By the way... what do you earn money for, Mr. Cha Tae-hyun?"
Lee Si-ha immediately shook her head. Such a question outside the context of the contract was impolite.
She was about to apologize for her slip of the tongue when Cha Tae-hyun answered first.
"Is there anything special? I earn for myself and for my family. Isn't that the same for you, Ms. Lee Si-ha?"
Lee Si-ha looked at Cha Tae-hyun with a momentarily dazed expression, then nodded.
"Yes. Certainly... that's right. I'll truly be going now."
Leaving the coach's office and getting into her car, Lee Si-ha murmured, looking out the window.
"I really don't understand..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
Korean high school baseball officials were in a festive mood every day due to the unprecedented boom in high school baseball.
The number of YouTube live viewers, which used to hover in the double digits, now easily reached four digits for the finals.
TV broadcast viewership ratings also recorded an average of 0.5% and a peak of 1.2%.
Those unfamiliar might think that's not very high, but considering the previous popularity, which recorded viewership ratings in the 0.05% range, it was a miraculous achievement.
The association began to row hard, saying they absolutely could not miss this opportunity.
No, not rowing, but they attached a motor.
They squeezed the broadcasting team, making dozens of videos related to Cha Tae-hyun.
It was safe to say they did everything they could.
Nevertheless, the head of the broadcasting team was still hungry for more.
"Today, we're going to Hyeoksan High."
One of the staff, exhausted and editing like a zombie, turned his head in surprise.
"W-What do you mean?"
"The Presidential Cup is starting soon. Let's get an interview with Cha Tae-hyun before that."
"But... Team Leader, the tournament hasn't even started yet, and we're going for an interview...? Even in the pro league, they don't do that unless there's a rivalry..."
His subordinate's words were perfectly correct, but...
"It's Cha Tae-hyun."
The director simply answered curtly.
Truly... the absurd thing was that his single sentence felt like the truth, leaving no room for rebuttal.
And indeed... it was the thought that 'because it's Cha Tae-hyun, an interview like this would actually be popular' that came first.
"Right? So what should we do?"
"...Yes. I'll prepare."
"Good! That's it. I like quick wits."
'Ah... I want to quit my job.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
"Player Cha Tae-hyun, which school do you think will win the Presidential Cup?"
"Hyeoksan High."
"That's a very confident answer! Then, who do you think will be this Presidential Cup's MVP?"
"I think I'll win it."
"Ugh... how can he be so obnoxious? No, this goes beyond obnoxious, it's disgusting! Just disgusting, Cha Tae-hyun!"
Jin Myung-hwan, sitting in the dugout looking at his phone, was making a fuss, even gagging.
"They just asked him to say what he was told in the interview, man."
Well, even so, it's not far off from what I think.
It wouldn't be strange if Hyeoksan High's current team strength was genuinely called historically unprecedented.
Ignoring Jin Myung-hwan's continued nitpicking, I checked my vibrating phone.
[Taeyeon, Teacher's here! Are you going to hit a home run again today?]
I calmed the corners of my lips and sent a reply.
[If you hug me again today.]
Hmm... The reply is late.
Perhaps a hug requires a 5-game hitting streak with a home run each time?
As disappointment crept in, my phone rang.
It was Teacher Mi-yeon's call.
"Teacher?"
"Yeah... Taeyeon. You know..."
Teacher Mi-yeon's voice came through the speaker, which had been silent for a moment.
"...A lot of people are coming these days, right? My voice is small, so I want to tell you before the game starts in case you can't hear me well. Taeyeon, I'm cheering hard for you, so do your best!"
I slightly dropped my phone.
Otherwise, I might let out a silly laugh.
I calmed my wildly beating heart and picked up the phone again.
"Thank you. But... if I hit a home run..."
"...Yeah. I'll hug you tight, so hit that home run!"
Our opponent today was Hwacheong High...
I didn't have any particular feelings about them, but they were going to get hit hard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
It was the top of the first inning, and the game had just begun, but Hwacheong High's coach's expression was grim.
'Looks like we're going to lose in the first round...'
It was a thought a team's coach shouldn't have, but what could he do? Hyeoksan High was just that strong of a team.
Moreover, they had already tasted defeat once in the Cheongryonggi...
Still, he couldn't just give up, so the coach had devised his own strategy.
"Just walk Cha Tae-hyun!"
Whether there were runners on base or not, whether the next batter was another monster like Lee Ji-ho or not, he gave the order to intentionally walk Cha Tae-hyun the moment he stepped up to the plate.
One might think, "Is this even a strategy?" But...
No matter how much the Hwacheong High coach racked his brains, he couldn't think of any other solution for Cha Tae-hyun...
Soon, the first batter, Jin Myung-hwan, stepped up to the plate, and Hwacheong High's pitcher, Kim Taewhan, threw the first pitch.
"Strike!"
'Oh...? Taewhan's pitch is pretty good today?'
It was the first pitch, but the heaviness of the ball was evident at a glance. It was much better than usual.
The subsequent second and third pitches also passed through the strike zone with clean control.
"Good!"
The coach smiled with satisfaction and clapped.
Next was the second batter, Ji Chang-seop. He was known as a batter with good contact.
However, Hwacheong High's pitcher today was also having what is commonly called a 'good day,' so...
Thwack!
Ji Chang-seop seemed to have missed his timing and hit an infield grounder.
An easily catchable ball.
However, unpredictable events always occur in baseball.
"Sigh... just my luck."
Due to an irregular bounce, the second baseman fumbled the ball, and Ji Chang-seop ended up reaching first base.
The coach gnawed at his lip and looked at the third batter, Lee Taehyung.
'...This is crazy. Ji Chang-seop is followed by Lee Taehyun? And Lee Taehyun is followed by that madman?'
Why was a crisis emerging after just one hit...? The coach looked at his pitcher anxiously.
Contrary to the coach's worries, Kim Taewhan cleanly struck out Lee Taehyun.
"Oh? Taewhan, is he really... on fire today?"
Despite giving up a runner due to an unfair irregular bounce, he calmly struck out Lee Taehyun.
This was against Lee Taehyun, who would be considered a clean-up hitter on any other team, except Hyeoksan High.
The coach suddenly thought as he watched Cha Tae-hyun walk to the plate.
'Should I... trust Taewhan for once?'
The coach next to him seemed to have a similar thought and asked, "Taewhan's pitching well today, isn't he? Should we just let him pitch to Cha Tae-hyun?"
'Yes,' he was about to answer, but then the scene of Cha Tae-hyun hitting a home run on the first pitch flashed through the coach's mind.
'I must have been crazy for a moment...'
The coach shook his head and firmly said, "No... walk Cha Tae-hyun."
"Yes? ...But if we walk him when he's pitching so well... it might not be good for Taewhan."
"It's worse to pitch well and then give up a big hit. No... just walk him! Walk Cha Tae-hyun!"
'This is really not right...'
The coach sighed inwardly and nodded.
He thought Cha Tae-hyun would be intentionally walked, but Kim Taewhan shook his head.
The catcher had given the sign to walk him as instructed, but he refused.
The coach, seeing Kim Taewhan's defiance, frantically stood up and shouted.
"Kim Taewhan! What are you thinking! Walk him! Walk him!"
Kim Taewhan, filled with confidence after striking out Lee Taehyun, threw his pitch, and it left his fingertips.
Kim Taewhan's pitch was actually quite good.
Since it was a 'good day' for him, he broke his personal best speed record with a 148 km/h fastball.
The pitch was a pinpoint strike, perfectly on the inside border.
It was the moment of his life's best pitch.
"Oh...?"
If his opponent hadn't been Cha Tae-hyun.
CRACK!
Cha Tae-hyun swung his bat, and the ball soared high into the sky.
Kim Taewhan seemed to instinctively know it was a home run the moment it was hit and sank to the ground.
The coach muttered, his eyes vacant, chasing the flying ball.
"I said walk Cha Tae-hyun..."