The Spring Camp Begins in Okinawa
Choi Seungtaek sat across from Park Gayeong in a charming Italian restaurant, sharing a dinner before he left for Daejeon.
This had been his last meal with her before heading to Daejeon, and he had chosen the spot with care.
"Now you're really going to Daejeon?"
"Yeah, that's right. I'm a pro player now, so I have to live the pro life in Daejeon."
"Huu... I don't like it. I really don't like it."
Park Gayeong puffed out her cheeks in complaint. The thought of not being able to see Choi Seungtaek often was unbearable to her.
They had dated almost every day for two months, from December through January, but turning into a long-distance couple during this warm season felt far too painful.
"But Daejeon isn't that far away. The bullet train gets you there in no time."
"Baseball players don't have weekends. We'll only see each other for a single day on Monday at best."
"I'll try to make time whenever there's a game in Seoul. With your team in Seoul, it's easy to visit."
"Huu... your team is in Seoul, but you can't even make it to any of them?"
Park Gayeong sighed heavily, clearly disappointed by that part.
Choi Seungtaek had to admit the same regret. He had not planned to have a girlfriend when his mother first suggested it.
At least among the provincial teams, Daejeon was a small mercy.
"Khm... that's the fate of being drafted by the Daejeon Magpies."
"Okay. Just make sure you come visit whenever you can."
"Of course. I'll go see you no matter what, except when I'm spending time with Mom."
"That's fair."
The steaks and pasta they had ordered arrived, and Choi Seungtaek and Park Gayeong enjoyed the meal with genuine satisfaction.
Then Park Gayeong looked at him with a slightly awkward expression, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Right... Seungtaek."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Ah... you know, since I go out a lot, my parents already know."
"Know what?"
"That I have a boyfriend."
Choi Seungtaek sat up straighter, sensing something uneasy in her tone.
Park Gayeong was not one to speak this way with hesitation, and the oddness made him feel more anxious than ever.
"So, my parents want to see you."
Park Gayeong lowered her head deeply.
'Uh... what do I do?'
"Right now? This suddenly? Isn't it too soon?"
"No... I just... we... I mean, it's not about seeing our wedding, just that they're curious."
Choi Seungtaek suddenly felt his appetite vanish completely.
The System restricted him to healthy food only, so he had come to cherish every bite of it. This was like drinking carbonated soda after a long time.
"For now, we can't meet."
"That's right. Is it too much?"
"No, I can't meet them means I have to move to Daejeon soon, and after a few days I'll head straight to spring camp, so I won't be able to."
"Ah. Yeah! You already told me that."
"So don't worry about any misunderstanding. Um... after spring camp ends, we can see them."
"Huu... I guess we'll have to? Can I see him?"
"It's fine. No problem."
Choi Seungtaek answered calmly, but Park Gayeong looked deeply worried.
Her family home was strict, after all.
'I hope it's okay...'
Meeting Choi Seungtaek had been a kind of rebellion for her, and that made her even more anxious.
***
Spring Camp
Winter in Korea was cold.
There was no warm region in the entire country, so February training camps usually went abroad to places with pleasant weather.
The main countries chosen were those with baseball fields—America, Japan, Taiwan—depending on the team's preferred style.
Spring camp was divided into two main phases.
The first two or three weeks focused on training to build strength and skills, followed by the next phase where games against other teams were the priority.
This was about taking a body that had grown soft during the off-season and pulling it back up. The second phase involved actual games against opponents.
Manager Han Geunseong had chosen the Japanese region this time.
The spring camp location was again set in Okinawa, and the roster was prepared.
Choi Seungtaek, who had just moved to Daejeon, joined the camp immediately upon arriving in February.
***
"The weather's nice."
Choi Seungtaek felt the warm sunshine of Okinawa.
This was his second trip here, so he had more leeway.
"Hey, starter. Looks like you're finally getting some breathing room."
Park Gyeok-po came to tease him while Choi Seungtaek waited before catcher training.
"Right, of course. I even said hello to some locals here earlier."
"Yeah, this is the best time. The training schedule is brutal again this year, so I'm already scared."
"You've got to endure it again."
For a moment Park Gyeok-po looked at him in surprise.
"You did pretty well last time."
"Me?"
"Yeah, this time only four catchers showed up."
Choi Seungtaek had checked the list too. It was the expected result, but he pretended not to know.
"Four? Is that a problem?"
"Usually we take five."
'Yeah, right. Maybe we should have taken one more for the second team or developmental squad...'
Choi Seungtaek recalled his time with the Busan Seagulls.
Every time he barely made the first-team roster or was slightly short, he got to participate in spring camp.
Since they usually brought five players, and Choi Seungtaek cycled between third and fifth, he was often selected unless a veteran catcher was added, so he knew the system well.
"Ah... is that so? I'm still a rookie, so I don't know much about how the club operates. I just came along..."
"Hey, you don't know how impressive you are right now. Among the four of us who came to Okinawa, we're actually competing to see who gets into the first-team lineup. You're one of them."
"Haha... really that impressive?"
"Of course. How old are you now? Twenty? So '96, right?"
"Yes! That's correct."
"So you're crazy. The oldest senior here is Jo Oosoo at seventy-five. I'm eighty-two. The starter-trained Kyungho is eighty-seven. And here you are, '96, competing for the starting spot with us. You're insane."
Park Gyeok-po’s praise for him was genuinely shocking.
"Ah! Senior's here?"
"Senior's here?"
Park Gyeok-po greeted Jo Oosoo first after confirming his arrival, and soon Choi Seungtaek followed.
"Yeah. It's been a while, Gyeok-po. You call me 'hyung.' You're how old? Still calling me 'senior'?"
"Aigoo, but there's that rule..."
"You don't have to."
"Understood."
"But who is this? His face isn't familiar yet."
"He's the one, senior. This year's first-round first-pick catcher."
"Yes! That's right. Nice to meet you, senior. I'm Choi Seungtaek, the catcher selected first-round first-pick this year!"
Hearing that the catcher picked in the first round was Choi Seungtaek, Jo Oosoo glared at him.
"Senior, this guy is '96. '96. Time really flies, huh?"
Jo Oosoo was distracted by Park Gyeok-po’s constant nudges.
"You said to call me 'hyung,' right? Damn, this is messy. A '96 catcher is joining the first-team lineup?"
Thinking about competing for the catcher spot against a player nineteen years his junior, Jo Oosoo could only shake his head.
"Yes! I will work hard!"
"Yeah, do your best."
Choi Seungtaek said it with confident swagger.
Soon Jung Kyungho arrived with his catcher mask, and the battery coach joined, marking the start of spring camp training.
***
A few days later...
Manager Han Geunseong and the battery coach held repeated meetings.
They were deciding the starting catcher from among the current catchers, and the process was far more complicated than expected.
Four catchers looked likely to make the first-team roster, but each had distinct strengths and weaknesses, complicating the choice.
The biggest problem was the absence of any A-grade talent among the four.
Manager Han Geunseong wanted to lead the entire season with one catcher... so the decision on the starting catcher was crucial.
"How about... what do you think?"
"Judging by skill, Oosoo seems the best. I think he should be the starting catcher."
"Hmm... yes."
Manager Han Geunseong agreed. Having raised him, he understood how well Jo Ousoo handled the plate.
Although his condition was not the best right now, his ability remained solid. Being objectively a starter, Manager Han Geunseong continued to tinker with the Jo Ousoo card.
"The issue is, at his age, whether his stamina will hold up. Backup duty is mandatory, and if necessary, we may even bring in a third."
"Then... the remaining discussion should be about the backup catchers?"
"Correct, manager. We can use two out of the three. Which one do you choose?"
Manager Han Geunseong compared the players based on their training performances.
The remaining three were similar in ability.
The most talented among them was Park Gyeok-po, but he had too many minor injuries.
Jung Kyungho was good when he was on, but unstable—many mistakes when he wasn't.
Choi Seungtaek showed a pro frame for a rookie, but lacked the explosive talent of an A-grade player.
Moreover, he had never played in the first-team stage, so his ability was unproven.
Manager Han Geunseong hesitated, then finally decided to scout young Choi Seungtaek as a talent he could develop.
But since he did not yet know Choi Seungtaek's style well, he was unsure whether to use the whip or the carrot.
"Choi Seungtaek..."
"Yes! Manager. Are you going to use Seungtaek?"
"Pack Choi Seungtaek's bags and send him back home. Send him down to the second team."
"What? Choi Seungtaek?"
"Yeah. Calling his name to the first team too early will make him get spoiled habits."
The first choice by Manager Han Geunseong was the whip.