The Five Stages
Turning back the clock.
To a time when Gong Ji-hoo still wore the Suwon Wizards uniform.
Wizards Gong Ji-hoo <-> Rhinos Lee Min-ho
Drops at 2
One post from a so-called “rumor monger.”
Wizard fans clutched their stomachs and howled with laughter.
Most of the “scoops” these rumor mongers peddled were pure fiction, so whether any given tip from an alleged insider was true or false sat at a coin-flip probability.
Hit or miss.
Very few fans ever got worked up over that kind of murky accuracy. The truth was, Gong Ji-hoo had been a regular name in trade rumors ever since his days as a Minor League Yeopo.
But then—
Wizard fans who checked the poster’s past accuracy—the real measure of whether someone was a genuine rumor monger or a straight-up liar—finally felt the weight of the situation.
(Article link)
Why the hell is this one real, damn it
Once the article on Gong Ji-hoo’s trade dropped, what people commonly call “the five stages” began.
First: Denial.
Bullshit, no way
This is novel talk, right?
You mean Busan Gong Ji-hoo becomes Daegu Gong Ji-hoo?
Fans who insisted the trade article itself was a false report. But then—
Additional articles, plus—
—an interview with the Rhinos’ new skipper, Dong Sang-guk. The fans who had been denying Gong Ji-hoo’s trade had no choice but to accept reality, and they naturally slid into the next stage.
Second: Anger.
All he knows how to do is run his mouth
Manager contract late
Salary negotiations late
And now he ships the Korean Series MVP?
This is exactly why non-player GMs don’t work
Fans venting their rage at the general manager who had traded Gong Ji-hoo. In truth, the Wizards’ new GM had more than enough background to draw that fire.
Not only was he a non-player, he was a parachute appointment the parent company had suddenly dropped into the chair after shoving aside the championship GM.
And the fans’ anger even spilled a little onto Gong Ji-hoo himself, the other party in the trade. That was when his new nickname, “Reverse Yeopo,” was born.
Then—
Third: Bargaining.
Or trade them back
Rhinos Gong Ji-hoo <-> Wizards Lee Min-ho
How about it?
Fourth: Depression.
Lee Se-ho’s starting to hit the aging curve too
How big a share of this team’s bats does Gong Ji-hoo own
And they ship him
It’s not like they even brought in a good pitcher
They swapped a Korean Series MVP for a guy with a 5-plus ERA?
The GM bastard just saw “10-win pitcher” and his eyes rolled back
Might as well just give up on next year
Fifth: Acceptance.
Watching the Gong Ji-hoo bait roll was fun
And so, instead of the five stages of death, the Wizard fans passed through the five stages of a trade. They greeted the new season with half expectation and half worry.
The 2025 Suwon Wizards—
—were posting better results than expected, powered by the massive performances of the three players known as the Wizards’ Golden Generation.
Park Ji-han, who announced himself as the player right behind Ryu Hyun-seo by launching a leadoff home run in his first at-bat of the season.
Lee Dae-beom, who smashed home runs in three straight games and proved that breaking the 40-homer wall last year had not been luck.
An Sung-woo, who swiped three bases in a single game and showed off his trademark speed.
Players who had been franchise stars for the Wizards from the moment they debuted were proving they had the talent to match the hype.
Of course—
Gong Ji-hoo is god, thanks lol
Compared to Gong Ji-hoo and the Rhinos, who were starting to stand above the sky, the Wizards’ light had dimmed. Yet even with Gong Ji-hoo putting on a different uniform and putting up monstrous numbers, and even with Rhinos fans endlessly trying to teabag the community, the Wizard fans did not hate Gong Ji-hoo.
Because—
—in every interview, Gong Ji-hoo consistently showed respect for his former team.
That was why—
—even with the fact that Gong Ji-hoo of the Rhinos, currently bombing the league, was coming to Wizard Park, the Wizard fans might have been afraid, but they did not hate him.
Not yet, at least.
“Last year’s hero who led the Wizard army to the championship has now become the worst villain and come to Wizard Park. The protagonists of the big deal that heated up the offseason! The first matchup of the season between the Wizards and the Rhinos is about to begin.”
“After opening with ten straight wins, the Rhinos stumbled with three straight losses, but they took the previous game and are holding first place, finally catching their breath. And the Wizards…”
“Have been steadily posting good results and are cruising in third.”
“That’s why today’s Game 1 is more important than anything for both teams. Of course, which team actually won the trade matters too. This is a matter of pride.”
“Before the game, the four players once called the Wizards’ Golden Generation were caught on the broadcast camera chatting amicably. Even though they’re on different teams now, they still look close, don’t they?”
“I heard directly from Gong Ji-hoo that they were talking about baseball.”
Of course.
“Lee Dae-beom, it’s been a while, but your body’s gotten even more generous, hasn’t it?”
“What’d you say, you little shit? I bulked up.”
“That’s not a bulk-up, that’s a fat-up. You’re gonna hit wall-banging grounders instead of wall-banging singles.”
“Heh heh. Even after all this time, that mouth of yours is still completely free-range.”
The truth always gets a little distorted.
Before the game started, I stopped by the Wizard dugout—now the opposing side—and exchanged greetings.
“You’re doing well.”
Manager Kim Tae-sik, still expressionless as ever.
“Ji-hoo… why did you convert to third base? Every time I see your numbers I get this self-loathing, like, ‘Is this why he played third?’”
“Sorry about that.”
“Still, good thing you became a third baseman on another team. If you hadn’t, I really might’ve ended up unemployed.”
“Haha… but, uh…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Lee Se-ho, whose crown had started going thin in just a few months. And—
“You’ve been incredible lately, Ji-hoo.”
“Take it easy. Take it easy.”
“…”
—my classmates, still stuck together as always.
“So where’s that guy?”
“Who?”
“Senior Lee Min-ho.”
“Ah… he’s starting tomorrow, so he didn’t come out today.”
“Shame.”
Honestly, since he was the player I was traded for, I wanted to see him in person. I was also curious whether he was really good enough to ship me off to another team. Yeah, I’m petty.
“Is he doing well?”
“Not bad. We were short on pitching, that’s a fact.”
Lee Dae-beom made a subtle face beside Park Ji-han as he said that.
“Doesn’t look like that guy agrees.”
“No, he’s fine, it’s just— I don’t know!”
“Sudden toddler regression?”
“It means now that we’re enemies, I don’t feel like telling you.”
It felt like only yesterday that we had joined forces and won the Wizards’ first championship since founding. Now I was openly being called the enemy. It was a pretty strange feeling.
Of course.
“Looking forward to some love for the old home?”
“What?”
“We’re family, right?”
Like the muscle pig said, I had no intention of showing any love for the old home. This was business.
As a certain famous rapper put it: you need the business before you get the family.
Top of the first.
The Wizards’ starter was their immovable ace: Charlie.
If I hadn’t been there in the postseason, he might well have taken MVP for the monstrous work he put in. By wearing the Wizard uniform again this year, he had driven a stake into the claim that he was the greatest foreign pitcher in Wizard history.
Thwack!!
“Strike!”
And maybe last fall’s baseball had given him some kind of enlightenment. Charlie, who had taken a full step up, used an even more aggressive approach—
Tick.
“Foul!”
—and easily induced a grounder to short off Rhinos leadoff man Jang Tae-wook.
Crack.
“Out!”
“Ah, damn. If it hadn’t been that Ji-han bastard, that could’ve been an infield single.”
He had a point. With Jang Tae-wook’s legs, it was a deep enough ball that he could have beaten it out before it reached first. Only—
“That guy’s gunning for a Golden Glove this time for real.”
“Damn it, Ryu Hyun-seo leaves and now it’s Park Ji-han? How are ordinary mortals supposed to live?”
Jang Tae-wook himself was a top-three shortstop now that Ryu Hyun-seo was gone from the position. Anyway, after a short exchange with the leadoff man, I headed to the plate.
“Good work—”
—Waaaaaah!!
The cheers hit me just as I was about to offer the usual greeting.
—Gong Ji-hoo! Gong Ji-hoo!
The walk-up song I had used for that short time with the Wizards rang out, and fans chanted my name.
The uniforms they wore did not discriminate between Wizard and Rhinos.
“Uh…”
While I was briefly lost—
“Ji-hoo.”
“…Yeah?”
—Wizard catcher Park Sang-hee called my name.
“What are you doing? Go greet the fans.”
“Ah.”
I snapped back, turned toward the stands, took off my helmet, and—
Bowed deeply.
Toward first base, where the Wizard fans who had once cheered for me still sat. Toward third base, where the Rhinos fans who cheered for me now sat.
—Waaaaaaaaah!!!
The roar swelled even louder. Feeling my chest swell of its own accord, I stepped into the box with higher tension than usual.
So—
“You look happy.”
—happy enough that a catcher who had once been a teammate could tell.
“Hugely.”
“Makes sense. Not many transfers get cheered like you, especially from the Wizards?”
“Heh…”
“So repay the fans’ cheers by going down on a clean strikeout.”
“We’ll see…”
Would the fans really want me to strike out? The Gong Ji-hoo they remembered was not a hitter who went down easily on strikes.
Craaaack!!
I swung the moment the first pitch entered the zone. The ball soared high and far—outside the foul pole.
“Foul!”
A foul home run.
“Tsk…”
“You really trying to strike out?”
“As if.”
Charlie had always been aggressive; this season he was even more so.
Whooooosh!!
One more look.
Which meant he was never the kind of pitcher who would duck a fight with me.
“Strike!”
Just like now.
A fastball drilled deep into the inside corner of the zone. I nodded at the pitch.
“As expected…”
“As expected, after a foul homer comes the hanging-curve strikeout?”
“Haha, saying things you don’t even mean.”
Foul home run followed by hanging-curve strikeout was the national rule, sure. But not this at-bat.
I was not a hitter who went down easily on hanging curves, and Charlie the pitcher would rather beat me with his fastball than his off-speed stuff.
Whooooosh!!
Two strikes. The third pitch, thrown from a pitcher’s count, headed for the spot both pitcher and hitter trusted most.
Up in the zone.
I gripped the bat hard—
Craaaaaack!!!
—and showed the same swing I always did in a familiar park. The result of that swing—
Whirrrrr.
—was exactly the same as the ones that had made Wizard fans’ hearts race last year.
Only now the team whose scoreboard numbers changed was the Rhinos, not the Wizards.
“Heartless bastard.”
“…”
“Still completely ruthless, huh.”
“When you run wild like that it makes my life hard, Ji-hoo…”
I rounded the bases under the not-quite-scolding of former teammates I had been especially close with.
—Waaaaaah!!
Even after giving up a home run in the first inning, the Wizard fans sent up cheers and applause. I felt deep gratitude toward the people who were still rooting for me as a player—
Sorry about this…
—but the apology came first, because I already knew that by the time the game ended, those cheers would turn into sighs.