Mothers' Feast and Sera's Stage
I'd done some studying, but afternoon practice time rolled around. Normally, the day after a game is a rest day, so you don't have to go. But Kim Na-seong had stopped by during break and insisted I come to the baseball club building today no matter what, so after classes ended, I had no choice but to head over.
The moment I opened the door, something felt off. It wasn't the usual laid-back vibe of a rest day—there were voices and laughter filling the air. Peering inside, I saw a long table laden with food stretching out. The smell of grilled meat hit my nose first, followed by the spicy tang of kimchi.
"Jeong-ui, come sit down quick. Get in here and eat up! It's like a victory celebration feast."
The Director waved me over with a booming voice.
...Hadn't we already done a team dinner after the game? Oh! This must be an unofficial one.
"Come on, take a seat."
The mothers—who looked like they belonged to the third-years—were bustling around preparing food, urging me to sit. They all had aprons on, making it feel like I'd stumbled into a proper banquet hall. I awkwardly found an empty spot and sat down. That's when the Director suddenly plopped next to me, grabbed my shoulder, and raised his voice even louder.
"Moms, this guy right here is Kim Jeong-ui—the one who threw a complete game shutout in the Blue Dragon Cup finals that won us the championship. Our second-year ace, who joined the team back in April."
A cold sweat prickled down my spine.
What? Out of nowhere?
"Those of you who've heard the news probably know—this is the son of MLB legend Kim Jeong-seok."
The atmosphere shifted in an instant. All the mothers' eyes turned to me.
"Aigoo, so you're that kid."
"We won thanks to you. Thank you so much."
They showered me with praise and thanks, some even grabbing my hand. Before long, a mountain of meat piled up on the plate in front of me.
...Whoa... How am I supposed to finish this?
"Eat lots."
"You worked hard—more meat for you."
"This goes great with kimchi."
..."Yes, thank you!"
I hurriedly started chowing down on the mountain in front of me. The meat melted in my mouth the second it hit my tongue. Honestly, it was insanely good. But the pressure hit right away too—the moms kept piling on more, watching my plate like hawks.
Munch munch... I quickly polished off half. But as fast as I ate, fresh piles of grilled pork kept appearing.
..."Whew, our Jeong-ui eats like a champ. Gotta fuel up after all that hard work."
"We'll be counting on you next time too."
I waved my hands frantically.
"No, no—it's nothing. Just did my job."
But that only egged them on.
"Aigoo, so humble."
"Here, a little more meat."
...Isn't this food assault? Seriously, how much are they giving me? What about the other guys...?
"Not to your taste?"
"...No! It's delicious."
I had no choice. I just ate. Shoved it down.
My stomach felt like it was about to burst by the time I dragged myself home. I kicked off my shoes haphazardly and collapsed onto the bed.
"No dinner?"
"Baseball club had a feast today. I'm stuffed."
"Got it."
The smell of grilled pork still lingered in my nose.
"Now I can finally rest..."
Full belly making me drowsy—I figured I'd pass out the second I closed my eyes. But right then, lightning struck my brain.
Yoo Sera's violin contest.
My eyes snapped open.
"Oh... right. What do I do about that?"
I had a problem. I knew zilch about violin contests. Especially what to do when I got there—that was the killer.
I barely know anything about the violin...
I bolted up, grabbed my phone, and started frantically searching.
Violin contest etiquette. Famous violin pieces...
The more I searched, the more daunting it got.
"Vibrato? Bowing? What's this? Sigh... oof. This is tough."
My focus started fading. Unfamiliar terms piled up, churning my already stuffed gut, eyelids growing heavy. Eventually, I gave up.
"Ugh, this isn't sinking in. There has to be some way..."
Then it hit me: anime.
Easy to watch... maybe it'll stick better that way.
So I picked an anime with violin and binge-watched till the wee hours. Protagonist was a piano-playing guy, heroine a violin girl. Bit sad, gave a slight contest vibe, but piano-heavy—kinda meh for my needs.
Not enough. Next one.
This time, orchestra with violin stars. It was long, so two days. Good—both leads played violin, boosted my knowledge. Learned violins can lead sections in an orchestra too.
Then it dawned: If she asks where I learned about violins... saying anime might kill the mood. Anything else...?
I hunted for dramas or movies. Found one called Concert—watched on Thursday. Afterward, I had a better feel.
Nice. Got some talking points for Sera now.
Next day came. I casually asked Yoo Sera after her morning violin practice.
"Sera, contest this weekend, right?"
She blinked, tilting her head.
"Huh...? Contest? Did it yesterday?"
...?
My face froze solid.
"What? Yesterday?!"
I yelped, genuinely freaked. Brain went blank. All that prep... down the drain.
Sera giggled at my expression.
"Yeah, yesterday. Didn't know? That's why you skipped."
"No, but...?"
I stammered.
"Hahaha."
She burst out laughing.
"Yesterday was prelims. Finals are the day after tomorrow. Sunday. Come then."
She added innocently. I finally exhaled.
"Phew! Whew. Close call."
My heart settled. But my brain kicked in.
"Wait, finals mean... you passed prelims, right?"
Sera's face puffed up. Lips pursed, eyes sharpening.
"Think I wouldn't?"
"Ack! No!"
She jutted her chin, more miffed.
"I'm pretty damn good for my age, y'know?"
"Oh~ yeah?"
I caught on late, but that poured fuel on the fire.
"...Wanna die?"
She growled low.
"No, sorry! Sorry."
"Just show up the day after tomorrow. Here."
She handed me a poster for the contest at some Seoul high school.
"Violin section starts at 2 p.m., so come then."
"Got it. I'll be there."
The big day arrived. I stood in front of my closet all morning.
...No decent clothes?
Hoodie or sweats screamed zero effort. Summer limited options too. Settled on a neat dark short-sleeve shirt.
Yeah... this shows some respect.
Long pants instead of shorts. Best I could do.
Near the venue, I caught my breath. Hands empty—grabbed a single flower from a nearby shop. Big bouquet felt too much. Small, just one. My limit.
Time flew; contest started. Third turn: Sera entered. I was speechless.
Not the usual school Sera. Normally, her black hair swayed simply, cute and casual. Today: neatly tied up, subtle makeup sharpening her eyes. That black dress... suited her weirdly perfectly.
Was Sera always this vibe? Looks like someone else. Honestly, stunning.
I stood frozen, dumbstruck. Show ended in a blink. Applause faded, next up prepping. I jumped from my seat, rushed downstairs.
Paced halls and waiting area hunting Sera. Spotted a black-dress back in the crowd—dashed over.
Now's the time. After all contests, it'll be chaos—better quick drop and go.
"Sera."
She turned. Up close, it hit harder. I scurried up, thrust the flower.
"This... you looked amazing today."
She took it, eyes flicking away.
"Performance sucked?"
I blanked.
"Uh..."
Buy time. She saw me scrambling and laughed instead.
"Haha. Nice try. Don't sweat it."
Lifted the flower: thanks. But I meant it—anime and movies flashed back, words forming.
"Y'know... contest with no accompaniment was kinda unique."
She flinched, eyes widening.
"Huh?"
"And... you nailed it. No piano masking—your sound stood out crystal clear. No distractions, so even I could tell."
Sera went quiet. Flower hand frozen, staring straight. Playful eyes turned seriously intent.
"How'd you know that?"
Score! I puffed up.
"Ahem, did my homework!"
That's when—
"Oh? My girl's bringing a boy to her contest. Not just friends, huh?"
"Mom!"
Sera's mom appeared.
"..."
"Uh, well... close friends."
"Close how close?"
Well... Ahem...