Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Exhibition Game 1
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'Pl... Please spare me.'
The good atmosphere at the table had its reason.
A top-tier major leaguer from Korea was seated at the next table over, and thanks to him, Park Ga-young's father had taken a positive view of Choi Seung-taek.
Of course, that didn't mean Choi Seung-taek had wanted things to turn out like this.
"That's how I ended up leaving the Dodgers, bouncing around teams, and what I realized was that everyone treats you well when your own value shines through. So, no matter what else, raising your own value is key."
'Oh! The Dodgers story is finally wrapping up.'
"Sounds like quite a ride until you left the Dodgers."
"It was. Oh yeah, you said you're a catcher, right? Moving between teams in the majors, I met a lot of backstops, and the ones called elite catchers usually planted themselves dead center. At first, I didn't get it, but when I played with guys who barely budged from the middle, just working their mitts, the pitchers' control felt sharper. So if you can manage it, train to stay rooted in the center of home plate, adjusting your glove instead of shifting around much. And nail the basics of blocking—that's what lets pitchers throw freely. It's like that trust where even if I screw up, the catcher's got it no matter what. That's the battery's core, tossing and catching with that faith."
"Thanks for the blood-and-guts advice, sir."
Choi Seung-taek nodded mechanically with a bright smile, chiming in agreement with the legend's words.
"Ahh... And after tasting failure, what I learned is that staying healthy is everything. Not just avoiding injuries, but keeping the right weight, the right muscle, and then drilling reps—tens, hundreds, thousands of times—to hit pro-level velocity and find your own groove. Once you've got that groove, drill it another tens, hundreds, thousands of times to own it completely. Master that, and you're a pro who gets respect. From then on, it's training to never lose that feel. Once you know it, even if you lose your groove, you can rediscover it—so you bounce back no matter what."
Choi Seung-taek felt like blood was about to pour from his ears.
'Ugh... Getting hard to hold out much longer.'
The endless advice dragged on, and just as Choi Seung-taek's eyes were glazing over, an unexpected figure entered his field of vision.
It was the legend's wife. She'd spotted Choi Seung-taek out on the terrace from her seat inside and was beckoning him over.
'No way!'
This was salvation.
Choi Seung-taek tilted his head slightly, but the legend's wife nodded emphatically with a gesture that said, 'You're seeing this right. Come on in.'
"At the time, I had to admit my peak was past and was mulling my options when a Japanese club reached out. So I figured I'd try a new challenge..."
"Sir! Uh... looks like your wife is calling you."
"Oh!"
Choi Seung-taek blurted it out quick, and the legend froze for a beat. He made a reluctant face, glanced at his wife waiting inside, and cut himself off.
"Hmm... guess I should head in. Let's go."
"Yes, sir!"
As he returned to his seat, Choi Seung-taek gave a small bow of thanks to the legend's wife.
He exchanged light goodbyes with the legend's family on their way out, then spent more time with Park Ga-young and her parents.
While Choi Seung-taek enjoyed his time with Park Ga-young, the Daejeon MacPhies had wrapped up their second camp.
If spring training's first camp built the body, the second honed real-game feel through a slew of scrimmages against other teams.
In Okinawa, Japan, they'd faced local Japanese squads and other KBO teams there; now back home, they were prepping for exhibition games.
The MacPhies had gotten swept in scrimmages, so the mood wasn't great.
"Any word on Choi Seung-taek...?"
"Coach, just call him up."
"No. We wait."
"Coach! You didn't drop him from the first-team roster—why chase him off instead of just letting him train?"
"Right now... we're breaking him in."
Head Coach Han Geun-seong was frustrating the chief coach to no end.
"Coach, Woo-su's knee is shot, and Gyeok-po’s always nursing nagging injuries. This is exactly when we need to throw Seung-taek in!"
"Seung-taek's... solid, sure, but the kid's gotta want baseball. Gotta come crawling to the office... on his knees... begging to play hard. That's how he turns into a real star later."
"Aigoo, Coach... you're killing me here."
The chief coach looked ready to burst from frustration.
"Just prep for today's game."
"Got it."
Choi Seung-taek, utterly unmoved by Head Coach Han's whip, had spent days lost in sweet time with Park Ga-young.
"Hee hee hee."
"That happy, huh?"
"Seeing you every day makes me like you more."
"Aigoo."
Thanks to that dinner the other day, her parents had loosened up on her outings, letting Choi Seung-taek take her on near-daily dates.
"Where to today?"
"You know I’ve got the best spots lined up. Lamb BBQ today."
Choi Seung-taek's pick was a spotless lamb joint near Jamsil Bon-dong.
A big park sprawled outside, with Jamsil Stadium a bit farther; inside, the decor was sleek, and a massive TV dominated one corner.
"Lamb? You're full of surprises. How do you always know these gems?"
"Ahem! I put in the work to make our time special. Once the season hits, I'll be slammed and won't see you much. Gotta make the most now."
"Ugh, I'm gonna gain so much weight."
"As if. You're gorgeous already. Let's sit—word is their salt-grilled lamb is killer."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Order up!"
But Park Ga-young's face had clouded a bit.
'Sigh... Does Seung-taek even see me as a girl?'
She loved Choi Seung-taek's gestures, but something felt off.
They'd been dating a while now, yet his physical contact topped out at holding hands.
'Guys are supposed to take the lead... Even in front of Mom and Dad, a kiss would've just gotten a chuckle.'
"Hey, Seung-taek."
"Yeah?"
"I wanna do more than just meals or movies for dates."
"Like what? Amusement park? It's still chilly, but fewer crowds might make it fun. Not a bad idea."
'This dense idiot.'
"No..."
'No, this is just how he is.'
Choi Seung-taek never picked up on hints. So Park Ga-young steeled herself.
"Seung-taek. I'd... like trying a date at a hotel sometime. What about you?"
"Wha... what now?"
"I'd love a night in a nice hotel once."
She turned to gaze out the window, cheeks flushed.
In the end, Park Ga-young lobbed the straight fastball first, leaving Choi Seung-taek reeling.
'That's basically a green light!'
Her shy reaction confirmed exactly what he was thinking.
"Uh... s-so... tonight, then?"
Park Ga-young nodded faintly.
Choi Seung-taek's heart raced as he whipped out his phone to scout nearby hotels.
The TV in the shop was broadcasting baseball.
"Seung-taek, isn't that your team on there?"
Choi Seung-taek, mid-hotel hunt, glanced up at the screen.
"Huh? Yeah, it is. Exhibition game today? News to me."
"You didn't know?"
"Nah, no word."
As Choi Seung-taek watched curiously, four guys in the corner started yapping.
"Whoa! Your team's playing. What'd the MacPhies finish last, like eighth?"
"Hey! Don't rag on the eighth-place squad."
"Eighth? With Gangnam Parrots joining, they're ninth now. Impressive, right? New kids on the block get intimidated, so they slid down to ninth themselves. Can't tease 'em, then."
The apparent MacPhies fan bristled and cursed.
"Ha... you assholes."
His buddies, fueled by the reaction, doubled down on the ribbing.
"Oh right, you're a Sparrows guy? This game's gotta be sweet for you."
"Where'd your team land?"
"Sparrows? Fourth last time. Slipped after summer, but we topped the standings briefly... and made the fall playoffs, so solid year."
"Says the team that knows how to drop."
The MacPhies fan fired back weakly.
"That's why I'm jealous. Your team's got nowhere left to fall."
"Ooh, shit."
"Pbbbt~"
The over-the-line mocking had the MacPhies fan shaking with rage again.
"Haa... damn it."
'Ahem... I haven't even played yet, and this guy's taking heat for me.'
Then a loud roar erupted from the TV.
- Park Gyeok-po grabs his thigh!
The screen replayed Park Gyeok-po, subbing at first, suddenly clutching his thigh and collapsing while dashing to cover the bag.
Luckily, the ball hadn't gotten away, so they'd nabbed the runner, but Park Gyeok-po going down solo en route to first looked bad.
'Thigh? That's a hamstring.'
Choi Seung-taek scowled at the TV.
"Whoa... we're screwed."
The MacPhies fan reacted instantly.
"Why? Big loss?"
"Nah... Gyeok-po's our best bet right now. Woo-su's knee is out too, so that leaves Jeong Kyung-ho?"
"What's wrong with him?"
"Just... trash."
In the end, Jeong Kyung-ho replaced him as catcher in the bottom of the second, and the game rolled on.
...
Crack!
Top of the fifth, one out, runners on first and second: Jeong Kyung-ho's turn.
"Hit this, and MacPhies take the lead, right?"
"Don't hold your breath. Him striking out helps the team more."
The MacPhies fan's blunt take stunned his friends.
"Strike out? That's dying without a fight—how's that helpful?"
"Strikeout, he goes down alone. Makes the pitcher waste three pitches. For him, that's helping."
"You psycho—is that fan talk?"
His buddies shook their heads at the harsh assessment.
Crack!
But Jeong Kyung-ho, true to fears, grounded weakly to short. The shortstop tossed to second, who relayed to first—inning over.
"Agh... first pitch! Told you."
"Damn, spot on."
"MacPhies whisperer. You coach instead."
His friends shook their heads at the dead-on call.
Crack!
"Aigoo..."
Crack.
"Nice!"
Bottom of the fifth, Sparrows at bat—they were raking, trading joy and agony between the fans.
No outs, runners on first and second. One hit here, and Sparrows score.
Crack!
Center fielder Lee Geon-taek rifled it home, where Jeong Kyung-ho took the throw—and collided hard with the incoming Sparrows foreign slugger.
- Massive collision at the plate!
"Oof! What's the call?"
The sudden commotion pulled Choi Seung-taek back to the screen, lamb forgotten.
Jeong Kyung-ho writhed onscreen, too pained to rise.
"Oh no, that looks bad."
"Big trouble. Does that mean senior Woo-su comes up?"
Park Ga-young jumped at the crash; Choi Seung-taek frowned.
'Hold up—that fan said Woo-su senior's knee is hurt too? Any second-team catchers left?'
Choi Seung-taek, fork midair with lamb, froze solid.
'Me?'