Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Best Winter
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- Your customer is currently unable to take calls….
That was already the twentieth call, but Park Ga-young still didn't pick up.
From Thursday, the day he returned, all the way to Friday evening, Choi Seung-taek had sent texts and made calls to Park Ga-young, but she hadn't answered any of them.
"Haa… What do I do."
The signal went through. She hadn't blocked him. She was just deliberately ignoring him.
With Park Ga-young refusing to respond, Choi Seung-taek felt like his blood was running cold.
Ding!
Ga-young: Let's meet at the cafe after 8 p.m. tomorrow.
'She's here! She's finally cooled off.'
Choi Seung-taek hurriedly typed a reply.
Seung-taek: Okay, got i….
Ding!
Ga-young: And don't text or call anymore. It's annoying.
'Ah….'
Choi Seung-taek had to delete what he'd typed.
Slurp.
Park Ga-young narrowed her eyes and glared at Choi Seung-taek as she sipped her coffee.
Thud!
'Gasp!'
Unlike Park Ga-young, who set her coffee down quite roughly, Choi Seung-taek carefully placed his down with both hands.
"Ahem…."
'I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. Stay calm, Seung-taek.'
Choi Seung-taek repeated those words in his mind.
"Got nothing to say?"
"I'm sorry."
"That's it?"
"No."
'Kneel!'
He'd knelt countless times during the wrap-up camp, and right now, for Park Ga-young, there was nothing he wouldn't kneel for.
Choi Seung-taek immediately dropped to his knees in the cafe.
"Gasp! Look over there!"
"Whoa…."
"Uh…. Looks like the guy did something really bad."
"Or maybe he's just whipped by his girlfriend?"
Choi Seung-taek's sudden performance instantly drew everyone's attention in the cafe.
Startled by the sudden stares, Park Ga-young quickly stood up and tapped Choi Seung-taek's shoulder.
"Don't overdo it. Get up now. You're embarrassing me. If you don't, I'm leaving."
"Yes, ma'am."
Choi Seung-taek sat back down at the same speed he'd knelt.
When you're wrong, you have to apologize big.
The effect was intense, and Park Ga-young's previously icy face flushed slightly in contrast.
Of course, whether it was in a good way was unclear.
"So, are you over it now?"
"No. Does this look like it makes me over it?"
"Should I stay quiet, then?"
"Yeah."
...
Choi Seung-taek quietly sipped his coffee again.
Before he knew it, he'd nearly finished it.
The bitter taste of the iced Americano seemed to perfectly match Choi Seung-taek's mood right now.
'Still, this is something. At least I can drink coffee. I'm used to iced Americano anyway.'
As the silence dragged on, Choi Seung-taek tried speaking up again.
"Hey, Ga-young. Why didn't you answer yesterday?"
Thud!
Park Ga-young set down the coffee she was drinking a bit forcefully and glared at Choi Seung-taek.
Her eyes said, 'Is now the time for you to ask that?' Choi Seung-taek looked down.
'Ah…. Am I an idiot?'
It was like a small protest from Choi Seung-taek, but his foolish protest was quickly quashed.
"Sigh…. A day feels so short. I waited two weeks. Or not?"
Park Ga-young spoke with a soft smile.
That scared Choi Seung-taek even more.
"I was in Japan, so it was hard to contact you. You know, to use your phone there, you have to swap the SIM chip and all that…."
"Is that an excuse? Didn't you swap it to use your phone in Japan?"
"Yeah?"
"Then you could've called if you knew my number. Didn't memorize it? Or just didn't bother?"
Choi Seung-taek felt the pressure building. He could sense the steam slowly rising in her once-gentle voice.
"Well…. Since it's always saved in my contacts, I didn't really…."
"Ah! So you didn't memorize my number?"
"No! I did—it's 427-something…."
Choi Seung-taek racked his brain to recall Park Ga-young's number.
"You memorized it? Then why didn't you call?"
'Ah….'
It was hell's easy mode. No, every choice led to defeat.
"No, it's just that…."
Choi Seung-taek couldn't keep up with Park Ga-young's dazzling attacks and stammered.
In the end, he only had one thing to say.
"I'm sorry."
"Yawn."
Park Ga-young glanced outside for a moment, then looked back at Choi Seung-taek.
Her face seemed a bit softer now. And she looked a little tired.
"Actually, it's fine. I was just messing with you. I'm not mad."
"Really?"
"...Yeah."
'She's not.'
Choi Seung-taek wasn't an idiot.
It was hard to believe she'd completely gotten over it.
In the suffocating situation, Choi Seung-taek rubbed his dry face.
"What? Annoyed?"
"No, that's not it."
"I'm really not mad. I was just pretending…."
Of course, after the college entrance exam ended, Park Ga-young had truly been upset.
On the day it finished, she spent it exchanging messages with family, relatives, and other friends.
But the next day, and the day after that, there was still no word from Choi Seung-taek.
"How could he not even send a single 'good job'?"
Eventually, unable to wait any longer, Park Ga-young reached out to Choi Seung-taek first, but she couldn't get through.
Of course, Choi Seung-taek hadn't come to school since late October. She'd only heard he'd gone to train with the Daejeon MacPhies, but Park Ga-young didn't know exactly where he was.
Because Choi Seung-taek hadn't contacted her. He meant well, thinking she should focus on studying.
Finally, frustrated, Park Ga-young searched for the Daejeon MacPhies where Choi Seung-taek was.
And then….
"Pfft."
- The situation of Daejeon MacPhies players who seem screwed today jpg. -
Online, photos of the Daejeon MacPhies players currently training in Okinawa were going viral.
True to their reputation under a manager famous for grueling training, they'd been rolling around since the wrap-up camp, spawning all sorts of memes.
Starting with outfielder Woo Jung-geun's wild flailing meme, the dying poses of the Daejeon MacPhies players made even non-baseball fans laugh.
And finally, Park Ga-young spotted Choi Seung-taek.
In a 10-minute video titled 'Blocking Machine,' she saw him.
The video condensed a 3-hour training session into 10 minutes, and in it, Choi Seung-taek blocked balls while making sounds like a zombie.
Having completed the 3-hour blocking drill without collapsing, Choi Seung-taek became quite the hot topic among Daejeon MacPhies fans.
- Whoa! Crazy. He did that for 3 hours?
- Will his knees be okay after that?
- Impressive. He endured it. He slowed a bit, but he caught them all.
- That's the first-round first pick. Good stuff. No balls got past him in 3 hours.
"Hiiing. He was in Japan, so no helping it."
Though she felt hurt by Choi Seung-taek, seeing him collapsed and panting made Park Ga-young pity him.
So she decided to hold out a bit longer and wait.
"I'm not mad. I was just being a bit grumpy. So, how've you been? Seung-taek?"
Finally, Park Ga-young called Choi Seung-taek by name.
"Uh…. You're really not mad?"
"If you keep saying I'm mad…. I really will get mad."
"Got it! I was fine. No, actually, I wasn't fine…. I mean…. Um…."
Choi Seung-taek seemed like he wanted to say something, but his thoughts weren't sorted out yet.
"Didn't miss me?"
"I did."
"And nothing else to say?"
Choi Seung-taek looked at Park Ga-young.
Thump.
Park Ga-young's earlier cold demeanor was gone, replaced by the look she'd had in the classroom.
Thump thump.
Choi Seung-taek felt his mouth grow heavy.
But as he kept looking at her face, strength welled up bit by bit.
Thump thump.
Thump.
Thump.
"Let's date. I've been waiting for this day."
Choi Seung-taek was picking out clothes.
"Son, something good happen?"
"Yeah! Mom, I have plans tonight too. I'll be back after dinner."
Choi Seung-taek's mother immediately noticed something different.
"No way, did you get a girlfriend?"
'Gasp! How'd she know right away?'
"N-No!"
"Don't lie. Have fun. Want some pocket money from Mom?"
Choi Seung-taek thought about it.
But taking it now would keep his mom from feeling left out.
"Yes! Give me some. This is what pocket money's for."
Choi Seung-taek's mother handed him a hefty 100,000 won.
"Mom, that's too much."
"It's not. You don't have money yet. Take it while Mom can give it."
"Yes!"
Their family wasn't well-off, so he didn't have any stylish clothes yet.
No choice—Choi Seung-taek picked the best he had: his Daejeon MacPhies training wear.
"But Seung-taek."
"Yeah, Mom?"
"You're going to meet a girl in that?"
"Yeah! It's cool! Plus, I'm a pro now!"
"Mom'll give you a bit more. Go out early, buy something nice, and wear that."
Seeing how serious Choi Seung-taek looked, his mother decided on the bold spending.
Thanks to her, Choi Seung-taek looked human.
He wore a decent shirt and coat, ready to meet Park Ga-young.
His confession to her yesterday had succeeded.
It was late, so he'd sent her home, and today they were seeing a movie and having dinner.
Choi Seung-taek headed to the theater where they agreed to meet.
The day was chilly, but she wore long beige slacks, a neat shirt in a matching tone, and a coat.
Choi Seung-taek admired Park Ga-young's elegant look for a moment before approaching.
Park Ga-young glared at Choi Seung-taek.
"You're late."
"Ahem, sorry. Took a bit to get ready."
But Park Ga-young smiled faintly at him.
"I know! I was surprised you dressed up like this. I'll let the tardiness slide. You look good. Let's go in!"
Park Ga-young grabbed Choi Seung-taek's arm, and he went into the theater with her.
It was the warmest, most satisfying start to winter.