Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Translator Wjin
Chapter 47
Listening to the coordinator's fuss, Lee Si-Ha headed to Cha Tae-Hyun's waiting room. The moment she opened the door and walked in, she was momentarily stunned.
Is that really him…?
For a moment, she really wondered if it was a different person; Cha Tae-Hyun had changed beyond recognition.
The sharp eyes that had given him a fierce impression now harmonized with his forehead-revealing hairstyle, exuding a masculine charm, and his facial features had been good to begin with.
His proportions were, of course, impeccable, and now that he was dressed in luxury clothes, those incredible proportions seemed to stand out even more.
Lee Si-Ha recalled her sister's previous words and a slight smile formed on her lips.
And she said his visuals were lacking?
What kind of expression would her sister make if she showed her this? She wanted to take a picture and send it to her…, but this wasn't part of the plan.
Lee Si-Ha looked at the coordinator suggestively and said, “Um… shouldn't we take a picture?”
The coordinator was flustered for a moment but soon played along with a knowing look.
“Yes, of course! We have to take a picture. The new face of our Nixon Baseball has been revealed! We need an Instagram verification shot too.”
When Lee Si-Ha still wore a slightly disappointed expression, the coordinator thought for a moment and then smiled as if he understood.
“Ah! And you also have to take one with the president! Just like how… um… the coach? Just like how you take pictures with them!”
Lee Si-Ha nodded and said to Cha Tae-Hyun, “If you feel burdened, you don't have to take it.”
I shouldn't have said that…
She regretted it slightly, but soon Cha Tae-Hyun replied that it was okay.
Lee Si-Ha scurried over and stood next to Cha Tae-Hyun, smiling slyly. It was a genuine smile, not one for acting.
“It came out great! President, is this good enough?”
After checking the photo, Lee Si-Ha smiled with satisfaction and whispered to the coordinator.
“Um… could you please send the data file to me as a personal message?”
“Hehe… of course.”
Just as their secret conversation was taking place, Cha Tae-Hyun asked.
“We’re starting the shoot now, right? I need to put on the uniform. Where can I return these clothes?”
“Ah, those are over there-”
“You can just take them. They're a gift.”
The coordinator's eyes widened.
All of that would easily be over hundreds of thousands, wouldn't it?
“This watch too?”
“Yes. Of course. Please don't refuse. We're… um… um….”
Mumbling, Lee Si-Ha continued in a smaller voice, “friend partners, you know.”
Cha Tae-Hyun chuckled and held out his fist.
“That's right.”
To Cha Tae-Hyun, it was just a casual greeting, but Lee Si-Ha had a hard time controlling the corners of her lips from rising. A fist bump, wasn't this a friendship sign she had only seen on NewTube!
It felt like she had really made a genuine friend beyond a business relationship. It was a ‘friend partner’… but that was just a joke… It was the same thing.
Lee Si-Ha lightly bumped her fist against Cha Tae-Hyun's and left the waiting room in a good mood.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
[What equipment does the superstar who appeared like a comet, Cha Tae-Hyun, use?]
[It's not Nixon Sports! It's Nixon Baseball! Signs of success for Nixon's newly revamped baseball business…]
[Thanks to Cha Tae-Hyun's heartwarming story, Taiwanese and baseball fans worldwide are rushing to pre-order Nixon Baseball products…]
[Thanks to Nixon Baseball's rise? Nixon Sports' stock price begins to soar!]
[Yamada Ryuji: I now respect Tae-Hyun, so I will also use the same equipment. Signs of Korean-made baseball equipment's success in Japan too!]
[Kim Ho-San: I will also use proud Korean equipment! Please use Nixon Baseball a lot!]
Just how much money did they pour into publicity?
Not just sports news, but most other categories were filled with articles about Nixon Baseball.
Lee Si-Eun clicked her tongue and muttered irritably.
“Did they hire this Kim Ho-San person too? Just how much money did Father give them?”
Kim Ho-San was a national star that even Lee Si-Eun, who had little interest in baseball, knew about. And such a star had even left a comment like that.
They must have paid him a lot of money. Otherwise, there was no way he would say such good things about brand new baseball equipment just because it was ‘Korean-made’.
In any case, she didn't like it.
“Come to think of it, didn't she say it was the photoshoot today? The atmosphere must be great~.”
A smile began to return to Lee Si-Eun's hardened face. That's how advertisements were. Even if it looked easy, you had to act with a natural expression, understand the poses the director required, and apply them well to your own body.
But Cha Tae-Hyun? A raw player who was just a second-year in high school. Had he ever even been in an advertisement, let alone been a promotional model? Already, she could see the chilly atmosphere of the film crew in her mind's eye.
“I should go check on how my little sister is doing.”
Feeling much better, Lee Si-Eun immediately left her office and headed for the elevator.
On her way to the shooting booth, Lee Si-Eun glanced at a man who passed by. As she walked, thinking that he had an unusually handsome face, she suddenly turned around and called out to the man.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes?”
After scanning the face of the man who had turned around once more, Lee Si-Eun's eyes widened.
“Are you Cha Tae-Hyun?”
“Yes? I am, but who are you?”
“Ah, I'm Si-Ha's older sister, Lee Si-Eun. I saw your profile too, but your impression has changed a bit.”
“Ah, Si-Ha took some care in styling me since it’s a photoshoot today. Does it look okay?”
Of course. It looked okay…. No, it had surpassed the level of okay. For a very brief moment, even Lee Si-Eun, who had quite high standards, had felt her heart flutter a little.
So the saying that a man’s look depends on his hair was true….
Lee Si-Eun smiled faintly and asked.
“But where are you going? Aren't you still in the middle of the shoot?”
Seeing that he was dressed neatly instead of in a uniform, it seemed he hadn't started shooting yet.
“Oh, that's finished.”
“What…?”
“The director was pretty cool about it, you know? It felt like we didn't shoot much, but he called ‘cut’ quickly. Anyway, the chairman said he'd buy me a meal, so I'll be on my way.”
Huh…?
“E-excuse me?”
Lee Si-Eun, who had been watching Cha Tae-Hyun leave so coolly, ran over to the director of the shooting booth in disbelief and asked.
“Director?”
“Ms. Si-Eun? What brings you here? Is another shoot scheduled?”
“Ah… no, it's not that.”
Lee Si-Eun looked around. The staff were busy cleaning up, as if the shoot had really ended.
“By any chance, did the shoot start early today? There’s no way it could have ended this quickly…”
This was not the scene Lee Si-Eun had expected. She had expected a director who would be sighing at the repeated NGs, but wasn't the director laughing heartily?
“No, I was surprised too. I thought today would be pretty tough since he's a high school baseball player. But wow~ he was like a veteran. It was like he had filmed dozens of commercials before, you know?”
Just as Lee Si-Eun was becoming dazed at the director's flood of compliments.
“What, sister, did you come to cheer me on because you thought I'd have a hard time with the shoot?”
Lee Si-Ha approached, the corners of her lips raised high.
“I was surprised too. That person becomes a different person in front of the camera, to the point where I think he could really be an entertainer.”
At Lee Si-Eun, who was struggling to manage her expression and nodding, Lee Si-Ha immediately continued.
“That’s a relief, isn't it? That today's shoot wasn't a failure like you thought it would be, huh?”
A very sweet voice.
Lee Si-Eun's lips trembled.
“Wh-what are you talking about? As if your sister would think something like that.”
“Pfft.”
Lee Si-Ha laughed loud enough to be heard, added one more thing, and turned her back.
“If you say so.”
In that moment, Lee Si-Eun, who had failed to manage her expression, called out to her younger sister.
“Where are you going?”
“Where am I going? I’m going to have a meal with that person and Father. Oh, you can't follow, sister. You weren't invited.”
Lee Si-Ha looked at her sister, who was frozen with her mouth slightly open, and smiled with satisfaction. It felt as if all the resentment that had built up had been washed away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
When the chairman said he wanted to buy me a meal, I naturally thought it was a business occasion. I thought maybe some additional contract would come up, but…
“This is a hidden gem of a restaurant, you know. The meat is good, and it's a good value.”
“Ah… Father, why did you come to a place like this?”
“Hey! What do you mean, a place like this? I told you it's a good restaurant.”
It seems he really just wanted to buy me a meal. This situation, where the chairman of a large corporation is grilling meat for me at an ordinary meat restaurant.
It's a little strange, but not bad. Right. It's more comfortable than going to some high-class restaurant.
Is that why? I was also able to talk with the chairman without any reservations. The chairman didn't stop laughing throughout the conversation, and when he asked about my tough times, I added a little seasoning to the story, and he even shed a few tears.
“Really… you really grew up well! It reminds me of my own childhood. It’s even more regrettable…. If we had come in last place this year, you would have come to our Volcanos…”
“Father… what's so regrettable about that? It means we were just above last place…”
I don't think so.
As far as I remember, the Volcanos give up the spot just above last place to the Dinos at the end. It's a little strange to give up the spot above last place, but anyway…
“The Dinos were falling pretty hard too.”
“Haha…. That’s right. I don't know why they're like that either.”
Because the author, Nemas, is a Dinos fan.
For the main character, Lee Ji-Ho, to go to the Dinos, their ranking has to be low. If you're asking why they weren't in last place, then it seems the author didn't want the Dinos to be in last place, no matter what.
The Phoenix, with the setting that they are desperate for a catcher, passes over the main character, Lee Ji-Ho, and drafts Lee Young-Hwal, who is said to be a monster catcher who will start to stand out from next year.
Of course, that Lee Young-Hwal lives up to his name, hits 0-for-5 in five consecutive games in the first team, gets the nickname ‘Bbang-Hwal’, and disappears just like that….
Anyway, the chairman even had a drink and asked in a rather loud voice.
“You seem to be quite close with my daughter… what's your relationship?”
At the word ‘relationship’, Lee Si-Ha flinched. At that sight, a little mischief stirred in me.
“Partners…”
“Hmm…?”
Lee Si-Ha looked at me with wide eyes. I held back my bursting laughter and continued.
“Excellent business partners and friends.”
“Phew….”
Lee Si-Ha stroked her chest, and the chairman said with a somewhat disappointed expression.
“Still friends? My daughter doesn't fall short anywhere. You need to put in some effort, Si-Ha.”
“Ah… Father! What!”
“Hahaha! Don't be shy!”
The chairman, who had burst out laughing, offered me a drink.
“Father! Tae-Hyun is not an adult yet.”
“So what? At this age, it's okay to have a drink or two. Right?”
Although I was a famous lightweight, what's a drink or two? This is all part of social life.
“That's right. One drink is fine since there are no games anyway.”
“Haha! Manly and good! Have a drink!”
“Yes!”
Hmm….
I have no memory after this.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇;
Creeak!
As the old front door screamed, Cha Ji-Hyun, who was in her room, shot up from her bed and ran to the entrance.
“Oppa…?”
For some reason, Cha Tae-Hyun's condition was a little strange today. Even after training all day, his eyes would be sparkling, but now, um… He was in a dazed state?
“Why are you carrying so much?”
And there was something dangling from his hands. Although they were paper bags, they looked high-end and seemed quite expensive.
“Ah… this? It’s a pre-sent for our Ji-Hyun! Open it… open it.”
“Huh, a present? O… Oppa?”
Cha Tae-Hyun, who was handing her the present, swayed and then fell toward Cha Ji-Hyun.
Cha Ji-Hyun, who barely managed not to fall and caught Cha Tae-Hyun, grunted as she dragged her brother into the room.
“Present… Ji-Hyun-ah…. This…. I thought it would look good on you….”
His eyes were half-closed, but his mouth was moving. Just how much did he want to give her a present to be like this?
“Okay, Oppa. I'll check it, so let's lie down first.”
Cha Ji-Hyun, who had barely succeeded in laying Cha Tae-Hyun down, finally noticed that her brother's appearance was different from usual.
“He's gotten more handsome.”
Her brother, who had been so busy with work that he didn't even dress up, looked much more handsome, as if he had gotten styled somewhere.
“Present… this….”
“Haha. I said I get it.”
Cha Ji-Hyun chuckled and checked what Cha Tae-Hyun was calling a present.
“Uh…?”
Although she didn't know much about luxury brands, the bags were filled with luxury brands that even she had heard of.
She wondered if they were fakes, but the genuine mark, the certificate of authenticity… and most of all, the quality was clearly genuine to anyone who looked.
“Oppa, where did you get these expensive things….”
As she asked worriedly, Cha Tae-Hyun slowly sat up and stroked Cha Ji-Hyun's head.
“Oppa… earns good money now…. So…. if there's anything you want to buy, huh…? Just tell me… I'll buy it all for you….”
“No… sudden-”
Before she could finish her sentence, Cha Tae-Hyun's head fell onto Cha Ji-Hyun's shoulder.
“It's true…. I'll make sure you live without envying others from now on. So… just accept it….”
Cha Ji-Hyun, who had been supporting her brother quietly for a moment, smiled gently at the sound of his soft breathing.
Did her brother even know? That thanks to him, she had been able to live without envying others all this time.
“Thank you, Oppa.”
Cha Ji-Hyun whispered softly into her brother's ear, laid him down on the bed, and carefully left the room.