Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Spring Camp 1
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Choi Seung-taek was having dinner with Park Ga-young.
Thinking it was their last meal together before he headed to Daejeon, Choi Seung-taek had brought her to a nice Italian restaurant.
"You're really going to Daejeon now, huh?"
"Yeah, I have to. I'm a pro player, and my pro career starts in Daejeon."
"Sigh... I hate it. I really hate it."
Park Ga-young puffed out her cheeks, voicing her complaints. She hated the idea of not seeing Choi Seung-taek for so long.
They'd gone on dates almost every day for the two months of December and January, so it felt especially regrettable to become a long-distance couple right when things were heating up.
"Still, Daejeon isn't that far. You can hop on a train and be there in no time."
"Baseball players don't have weekends. We might only get to see each other one day a week, if that."
"Whenever we play in Seoul, I'll come see you if I can squeeze in even a little time. You've got four teams there, so it'll be easy to catch a game."
"Sigh... With four teams in Seoul, can't you make it to at least one?"
Park Ga-young let out a deep sigh, clearly bummed about that part.
Choi Seung-taek realized it was a bit of a letdown for him too. He hadn't planned on getting a girlfriend after his mother—he hadn't planned for her at all.
At least among the provincial teams, Daejeon wasn't too bad, he thought.
"Ahem... That's just because the Daejeon MacPhies drafted me. Nothing I could do about it."
"Fine. But you have to come see me whenever you get the chance."
"Of course. Unless I'm spending time with Mom, I'll always make time for you."
"That I can accept."
The steak and pasta they'd ordered arrived, and Choi Seung-taek and Park Ga-young enjoyed a satisfying meal.
Suddenly remembering something, Park Ga-young looked at Choi Seung-taek with a troubled expression.
"Oh, right... Seung-taek."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"Uh... Well, since I've been going out a lot, my parents found out."
"Found out about what?"
"That I have a boyfriend."
Sensing her hesitation, Choi Seung-taek straightened up in his seat.
Something feels off.
Park Ga-young wasn't the type to beat around the bush like this, so it struck him as really strange.
"So anyway, they want to meet you."
Park Ga-young promptly ducked her head.
Uh... What do I do?
"Suddenly? Like this? Isn't that too fast?"
"No... It's not like we're getting married or anything. They're just curious."
Choi Seung-taek suddenly lost his appetite completely.
Restricted to healthy foods by the system, he'd come to appreciate meals more, but this felt like chugging a soda after a long time away from them.
"I can't meet them right now anyway."
"Yeah, that'd be a bit much."
"No, I mean I literally can't—I'm moving to Daejeon soon, and then straight to spring camp a few days after that."
"Oh. Right! You did mention that."
"So don't get the wrong idea. Um... We can do it after spring camp."
"Sigh... Guess so? Think it'll be okay?"
"Yeah. No problem."
Choi Seung-taek answered calmly enough, but Park Ga-young was seriously worried for him.
Her family was pretty strict.
It'll be fine, right?
Since her relationship with Choi Seung-taek had started as a bit of rebellion, it made her even more anxious.
Spring Camp
Korea's winters are cold.
With no warm spots anywhere in the country, teams usually head overseas for February's full-team training camps.
The top destinations are places with baseball fields like the US, Japan, or Taiwan, chosen based on the team's preferred style.
Spring camps are generally divided into two phases.
The first 2-3 weeks focus on conditioning to build stamina and sharpen skills. The next phase shifts to games against other teams.
It's about whipping the rested bodies back into shape first, then ramping up with real competition.
Manager Han Geun-seong preferred Japan.
This time, he'd selected Okinawa for the camp and put together the roster.
After moving to Daejeon, Choi Seung-taek joined the camp as soon as February rolled around.
"Nice weather."
Choi Seung-taek basked in Okinawa's warm sunshine.
This was his second time there, so he felt right at ease.
"Hey, Choi. Looking pretty relaxed now, huh?"
Park Bombardier came over to mess with Choi Seung-taek while they waited for catcher training to start.
"Of course. I even exchanged greetings with one of the locals just now."
"Enjoy it while it lasts. The training schedule's no joke this year—I'm already dreading it."
"Gotta tough it out again."
Park Bombardier stared at Choi Seung-taek in astonishment for a moment.
"You must've impressed them last time."
"Me?"
"Yeah. Only four catchers made the trip this time."
Choi Seung-taek had seen the roster. It was expected, but he played dumb.
"Four? Is that a problem?"
"Usually it's five."
Yeah, makes sense. They could've brought one more for the second team or development squad...
Choi Seung-taek recalled his Busan Sea Gulls days.
He'd barely scraped into the first team or fallen just short, so he'd often made these camps.
With five spots usually, he'd bounced between third and fifth, frequently selected unless a veteran catcher was signed. He knew the drill.
"Oh... Really? As a rookie, I don't know how the organization works yet, so..."
"You have no idea how big a deal this is. The four of us here? We're basically competing for spots in the first-team lineup. And you're one of them."
"Haha... That impressive?"
"Damn right. How old are you? Twenty? Born in '96, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"That's insane. Our veteran Jo Woo-su is '75. I'm '82. Kyung-ho, the one we're grooming for starter, is '87. And then there's you, '96, right in the mix for the starting job. Nuts."
Park Bombardier's praise for Choi Seung-taek was genuinely astonishing.
"Oh! Senior's here?"
"Senior's here?"
Spotting Jo Woo-su, Park Bombardier greeted him first, and Choi Seung-taek quickly followed suit.
"Hey. Long time, Bombardier. Call me hyung, kid. How old are you to keep going 'senior' on me?"
"Still, there's protocol."
"Not for you."
"Got it."
"Who's the kid? Face isn't familiar."
"This is him, senior. The first-round first pick catcher."
"Yes, sir! That's me. Hello, senior. Choi Seung-taek, first-round first pick."
Hearing he was the rookie draft's catcher pick, Jo Woo-su eyed Choi Seung-taek.
"Senior, he's '96. '96. Time flies, huh?"
Jo Woo-su's mind reeled from Park Bombardier's prodding.
"I said call me hyung, damn it. Whoa, head's spinning. A '96 catcher in the first-team mix?"
Realizing he'd be competing for the catcher spot with someone 19 years younger, Jo Woo-su could only shake his head.
"Yes, sir! I'll do my best!"
"Yeah, let's give it our all."
Choi Seung-taek declared confidently to veteran catcher Jo Woo-su.
Soon Jeong Kyung-ho joined them with his catcher's mask, and with the battery coach's arrival, spring camp training kicked off.
A few days later...
Manager Han Geun-seong and the battery coach kept holding meetings.
They were trying to sort out the starting catcher from the current group, but it was more complicated than expected.
Four catchers looked first-team caliber, but each had strengths and weaknesses, giving them headaches.
The biggest issue? None of the four were A-grade talents. It was bleak.
Manager Han Geun-seong wanted one catcher to anchor the whole season... so picking the starter now was crucial.
"How do you think we should handle it?"
"Woo-su's the best overall. Starting with Jo Woo-su makes sense."
"Hmm... Yeah."
Manager Han Geun-seong agreed. Having developed him himself, he knew how solid Jo Woo-su was behind the plate.
Even out of shape now, he still had the skills. Objectively, he deserved the starting nod, so the manager kept mulling that card.
"The issue's his age—stamina's a question mark. We'd need backups ready, maybe even a third option."
"So... Time to discuss the backup catchers?"
"Yes, Manager. We can use two of the three. Who do you pick?"
Manager Han Geun-seong compared the players based on training so far.
The remaining three were evenly matched.
Park Bombardier edged out slightly but had nagging injuries.
Jeong Kyung-ho was great when great, but his mistakes came in bunches—unreliable.
Choi Seung-taek showed pro-level form beyond his rookie status but lacked the explosive A-grade spark.
Plus, no first-team experience meant he was unproven.
After agonizing, Manager Han Geun-seong settled on young Choi Seung-taek as worth developing.
But unsure of his style, he didn't know whether to use the stick or the carrot.
"Choi Seung-taek..."
"Yes, Manager. You going with Seung-taek?"
"Have Choi Seung-taek pack his bags and send him back home today. Down to second team."
"Pardon? Choi Seung-taek?"
"Yeah. Promote to first team too early, and he'll get cocky."
For now, Manager Han Geun-seong chose the stick.