The Legend's Shadow
I used to love baseball. The reason I fell for it? My dad was a famous baseball player. Back when I was little, all I vaguely knew was that he was some kind of athlete. Of course, I had no idea what kind. We'd just go to the ballpark with Mom every now and then, grab some tasty snacks, and I'd point excitedly, saying, "Dad's over there!" That was it. We went to the stadium to have fun, and I don't even remember the games themselves, but it was always a blast. That's why I loved going to the ballpark, and naturally, I started loving baseball too.
Then, in fifth grade, I picked up a glove. A year later than kids who started early, but what could I do? With Dad being a pro, it took time to decide. Once I started, though, I got serious. Playing baseball let me see his influence up close. People didn't call me Kim Jeong-ui much—they called me "Kim Jeong-seok's son." At first, it felt great. Having strangers come up all friendly, saying they knew my dad? Pretty cool experience.
Club life was good too. Dad's a big deal in baseball, so I got all sorts of perks. Or maybe the coaches were just wary of his fiery temper. Either way, I played every game, got into middle school as a sports recruit, and had a solid run. But... year by year, things changed. Baseball's tougher than it looks, and Dad's fame started poisoning me.
Kim Jeong-seok. The guy who skipped KBO and went straight to MLB. Blasted through the minors and hit the majors in two months. Threw perfect innings. Won two World Series rings. And because he made strikeouts look effortless, they called him Strikeout by the Book—KB for short.
I couldn't live up to that. So, in my third year of middle school, I quit. No talent for it, as a hitter or a pitcher. From then on, I was just a regular kid. Luckily, I made it into high school. Seoul Jeon-san High School is a bit unique. It's a standard liberal arts school, but it takes in sports and arts recruits too. Thanks to my athletic background, I got in—but I couldn't keep up with regular classes. My role? Don't disrupt, scrape by with passing grades, graduate quietly.
A year slipped by like that.
I walked through the school gates with a tense face, heading to my classroom. Just knowing it was the first day of second year made my shoulders stiff. New room, new faces—adapting to the routine all over again. I'd kept a low profile last year, and no need to change now. Stay quiet, avoid drama, save energy.
I headed to Class 2-5. Whew... Nerves hit harder than expected at the door. I took a breath, then stepped in. A few kids already seated, but no familiar faces. That awkward vibe of strangers hung in the air. I slipped to the back, away from eyes, dropped my bag, and leaned back. Tension eased a bit.
Glancing around, no one yelling or rowdy. Calm atmosphere—relieving. This class'll be chill.Yeah, just coast through like last year. No need to chat first or stand out. Listen in class, survive the day. That thought loosened me up. I gazed out the window, picturing the routine: head home after school, crash on bed, binge anime.
First day flew by easy. Home, I dove into backlog 2028 Q1 anime. "Just one episode," I lied to myself—as usual. Next-episode button got me till dawn light crept in. Uh... already? Clock said 5 a.m. Too late to sleep without being late. Better go early and nap at school.
Finished the season, splashed water on my face at 6, grabbed bag, headed out. Empty streets, quiet campus—peaceful. Arrived an hour early, straight to classroom. Then... a familiar sound hit my ears.
Hmm? What's that? I paused, listened. Ah... like that orchestra anime. Violin? Thought school'd be empty this early. Stopped, checked the door sign.
[2 – 5]
Definitely our class. Door open, I crept in quietly—no need to disturb. Girl in the middle, playing violin. Ah, arts recruit. Held my breath, eased into my seat without a creak. Chair was loose enough. Bag down, head down.
Nice sound... Used it as lullaby. All-nighter hit; eyes heavy, melody pulled me under fast.
How long? Music stopped. Sleepy voice: "Whew~ Mornings are the best."
Then—shriek filled the room. "Kyaaah!"
I jolted awake. Looked up: violin girl staring wide-eyed, face pure shock.
"What? When'd you get here?"
Still groggy, I mumbled, "Uh... when you were playing."
She sighed, grumbled. "Make some noise next time. Scared me." Then sheepish. "Too loud? You looked annoyed?"
"Nah. Sounded good. Was gonna nap to it—kinda bummed it stopped."
Her face lit up, beaming. "Really? Mind if I play more?"
Whoa... That smile froze me—two seconds blank.
"Uh... no good?" Smile faded.
"No, no! Go for it. I'm sleepy... slow reaction."
Flustered, I waved her on. Violin filled the room again. I shut eyes, drifted off.
Next blink: chairs scraping. Class time. Yawned, sat up. Still tired, but nap helped—head clear-ish. Eyes stung, but manageable.
Glanced: violin girl, chatting with some girls. Laughing, different vibe. Tried not staring... failed, kept peeking. Morning flashed back. Shoulda asked her name.
Then—she said, serious: "Heard? Our school's baseball team might shut down."
Girl next: eyes wide. "For real? They take recruits—can they do that?"
Baseball team? I eavesdropped casually, breath held. Memories flooded: our team, mediocre records, mid-to-low in locals. Barely noticeable.
"Player shortage. Not enough to field a team, fewer applicants every year—on the brink. Should have fewest third-years, but incoming first-years are worst."
"Aigoo... transfer?"
"Probably...? Sucks. Hoped they'd go far—watch games, y'know."
Another teased: "Right! You like team aces, captains."
Violin girl nodded, no denial. "Yeah. No soccer team, but baseball had potential. Kinda disappointing."
...
That lingered. Hand on desk, stared ahead. Classroom noise faded. Baseball. Once my everything. Now nothing. No way I'd go back—done deal. But those words... my resolve cracked.