Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Meeting the Legend
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At 7 a.m., Choi Seung-taek woke up naturally.
"It's already 7? Ugh..."
It felt like he'd just fallen asleep, but morning had come around again.
"More training..."
"Son! Why are you sighing so heavily?"
Choi Seung-taek let out a big sigh from his room, and his mother called out to him.
"Huh? Mom, why are you here?"
"Why am I here? Because it's home. Would you rather I left?"
"Oh! Right!"
This wasn't Okinawa—it was Choi Seung-taek's house in Daejeon.
"Sorry, Mom. I thought I was still in Okinawa! Haha. Oh yeah, I'm home! Hahaha."
The joy of escaping spring camp kept bubbling up inside him, leaving Choi Seung-taek no choice but to keep laughing.
"Well, since I'm up, I should hit up a place for some weight training."
"It's a rare day off, and you're heading out again?"
"Mom, pros don't get days off. It's training every day."
Choi Seung-taek quickly found a decent gym near the house.
"Hoo. Hoo..."
Nice! The burn is hitting my muscles just right!
Choi Seung-taek started his weights slowly, focusing on strength exercises.
He'd barely done any strength training lately, so he regretted not building more power.
But now he had two full weeks to train on his own, and he planned to make the most of it.
Bzzzzt.
His phone vibrated.
Clang!
Choi Seung-taek set down the barbell he was using and checked his phone.
Ga-young: Seung-taek, does the day after tomorrow in the evening work? That's what they said, so let's meet then.
Hmm. What should I do?
Choi Seung-taek pondered for a moment.
He was 20 years old now. Should he play it casual, like a typical 20-year-old meeting Park Ga-young's parents? Or go all out with a proper, polished approach?
Should I just stick to the classics?
He worried that going somewhere too fancy might make her parents think he was trying too hard.
What to do... Ah, whatever. FM it is.
Seung-taek: Sure! Let's do it then. I've got a spot in mind. We'll meet there. I'll send the address.
Baseball players had plenty of foodies among them, especially the veterans who knew all the best spots and often shared them with teammates.
Every region had its own list, and Choi Seung-taek picked out a classy, upscale restaurant in Seoul perfect for family outings.
Phew... It's basically a surefire killer move.
The place Choi Seung-taek sent to Park Ga-young was pricey enough that only veteran players with some financial cushion went there for special occasions or when they really craved luxury. He was betting big on it.
Phew... It'll be fine.
Park Ga-young felt a bit tense.
But what if Dad doesn't like Seung-taek?
Her father was a high-ranking civil servant, so their family was on the conservative side, and she'd been raised pretty strictly.
She'd turned out upright because of it, but sometimes it felt suffocating, and that rebellion had led her to date an athlete like Choi Seung-taek.
Her dad would obviously prefer a nice college student her age, which made her even more worried.
At least it's a relief. Seung-taek picked a place Mom and Dad would like.
Choi Seung-taek's choice was spot-on. The moment Park Ga-young arrived, she knew he'd put real thought into it.
As she fretted and tensed up about the meeting between Choi Seung-taek and her parents, a middle-aged man at the next table over—who was there with his family—suddenly spoke up.
"Why are you fidgeting so much over there?"
"Huh? Oh... well... My boyfriend's meeting my parents for the first time today, so I'm a little worried..."
"Ah-ha! Introductions today, huh? But why worry? Is there something wrong with the guy?"
"He's an athlete. Dad prefers regular guys over athletes."
Park Ga-young found the middle-aged man oddly approachable. Before she knew it, she was chatting freely with a total stranger.
"I was an athlete too. Baseball player. But look—got a beautiful wife, two daughters. Built a great family."
"You were a baseball player? My boyfriend's one too."
The man's face lit up when she mentioned her boyfriend played baseball.
"Pro?"
"Yeah. This year, he... Daejeon MacPhies? Anyway, I think he signed with them."
The middle-aged man's face brightened even more at the mention of Daejeon MacPhies.
"Then he's my junior. I retired from the MacPhies two years ago."
"Really?"
Right then, Park Ga-young's parents arrived at the restaurant.
"Oh! Hold on. My parents are here."
The man smiled and shooed her off to greet them. Park Ga-young went out to meet her folks.
"Mom! Over here."
"Wow... He picked a really nice place."
"Right? My boyfriend chose it."
"Really? Didn't you say he's your age? A 20-year-old picking a spot this fancy? How'd he even know about it?"
Park Ga-young quickly praised Choi Seung-taek, but her father grew suspicious instead.
"Pfft. Picking a nice place and you're already making a fuss."
"Where's the boyfriend? Not here yet?"
"Traffic's bad, so he's running late. He lives in Daejeon."
"Daejeon?"
"That's where his job is."
"Hmph..."
Her father's expression hardened at the mention of him already having a job.
Having a job was usually a plus, but right now, it backfired.
"Mom, our table's over here."
Seeing her dad's sour face, Park Ga-young quickly tried to lighten the mood.
Just as they were settling in for a rocky start, her father spotted the middle-aged man at the next table.
"Huh? Oh my! Who is this? Could it be..."
Choi Seung-taek didn't feel much on the way, but as he pulled up to the restaurant, his heart suddenly started pounding.
Damn... Why now?
His heartbeat quickened, tension building.
Can't let this happen. Hoo... Hoo...
After two deep breaths, Choi Seung-taek entered the restaurant.
He spotted Park Ga-young's back and her parents across from her in the distance.
Choi Seung-taek walked over slowly and bowed in greeting.
"Hello. I'm Choi Seung-taek."
Park Ga-young had given him the rundown on her parents the day before. Conservative family, so politeness was his best bet.
"Oh? So you're Seung-taek!"
"Nice to meet you."
Park Ga-young had worried so much that Choi Seung-taek was on edge, but the table's vibe was weirdly warm.
What's going on? Did something good happen?
Good was good, so he sat right next to Park Ga-young.
"Ga-young said you work in Daejeon. Traffic jam?"
"Yes. Evening rush hour—lots of cars out."
"Mind telling us what you do? Heard you're working already at 20."
"I'm a pro baseball player. With the Daejeon MacPhies."
"Ah! Baseball player! Hmm. Not bad."
Unlike his fears, Park Ga-young's father seemed receptive to Choi Seung-taek being an athlete.
What? He seems to like it?
"Oops, shall we order first?"
"Yeah. Care for a drink with me?"
Drinking together would be perfect for bonding, but Choi Seung-taek had that damn penalty, so he had to decline.
"Ahem... Sorry, sir. I don't drink."
"Right, Dad. Seung-taek doesn't drink. And he's super picky about food too."
"Oh... Does he just eat whatever he wants?"
Her mother's question implied he was fussy, so Park Ga-young jumped in.
"No, it's because he's an athlete managing his body. He only eats good stuff. No chicken, pizza, ramen—nothing like that. Same with alcohol."
"Ah... I see."
"Yeah. Even if I suggest drinks one evening, he never does. Makes me a little bummed sometimes."
"Ahem..."
It was meant to hype him up, but Choi Seung-taek bowed his head.
He wanted to eat those things, but the restriction made him embarrassed.
"A young player already managing his body like that? Impressive."
A voice came from the next table.
Caught off guard, Choi Seung-taek glanced over.
Where do I know him from? Feels so familiar... Who is it?
The man looked incredibly familiar, but nerves kept the name from surfacing.
After zoning out briefly, it hit Choi Seung-taek who the middle-aged man was.
Whoosh!
A legend sat before him.
"Whoa! Senior! Hello! I'm Choi Seung-taek, catcher for the MacPhies."
"Whoa! You scared me."
"Sorry for startling you, sir."
Choi Seung-taek shot up in shock, drawing some stares.
"Everyone's staring. Sit down quick. Heard a bit from your girlfriend. Rookie, right?"
"Yes! Second-round first pick, number one overall."
"Signing bonus?"
"About 300 million won."
"Ga-young's folks, I guarantee you—this kid will make it big. Getting picked first round first overall means talent, but he's nailing the basics too. I'm jealous. Would be great if my daughters brought home a guy like this someday."
The legend showered Choi Seung-taek with praise, and Park Ga-young's father—who knew exactly who he was—felt his mood lift.
Her mother wasn't entirely sure who the legend was but was pleased by the big compliment anyway.
"Oh dear, sorry. My husband's a talker."
Tap.
The legend's wife gave him a look.
"It's your intro time—we won't interrupt. Enjoy, all four of you."
She neatly wrapped things up.
Thanks to her, Choi Seung-taek could chat more with Park Ga-young's parents over dinner, sharing light stories.
"...So at least you don't have to worry about drinking issues. I won't put Ga-young through that."
"True, sounds good. Even if seniors push you?"
"Yes. Skipped it at the last team dinner too. Some seniors aren't thrilled."
Thankfully, the conversation stayed positive. As tension eased, Choi Seung-taek needed the bathroom.
"Excuse me, I'll hit the restroom."
The legend, who'd been watching him, stood up too.
"Gonna give some advice to my junior real quick."
"Honey... We need to head home too. Keep it short. Twenty minutes max!"
"...Yeah, got it!"
The legend followed Choi Seung-taek.
"Phew..."
With the meeting nearly over, Choi Seung-taek relaxed with a sigh.
As he steadied himself to head out, the legend called to him.
"Choi Seung-taek, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Mind a quick chat? Got some advice for my MacPhies junior."
"Of course! Anytime."
Choi Seung-taek stepped out to the terrace with the legend.
Wait, I came out for advice, so why am I getting nervous all of a sudden?
Facing Park Ga-young's parents had him so wound up he'd momentarily forgotten who the legend was.
Oh!
Then one line from the legend jogged his memory.
"So... when I was in LA..."