The Misunderstanding Is Resolved
Customer not picking up the phone...
‘Aigoo… something big has happened.’
Choi Seungtaek could not reach Park Gayoung.
Just as her calls had piled up on his phone earlier, now it was his turn to be the one calling. He had already dialed her number multiple times, but Park Gayoung kept rejecting the calls.
‘Should I just send one last text?’
— Gayoung-ah, everything I saw on the internet, I have to do it. The club is going to run an article soon.
By the time he finished typing the message, Hwang Ganggyeong called him.
“Seungtaek-ah, the game starts soon. Hurry and gather up.”
‘This…’
Choi Seungtaek had not received any reply from Park Gayoung yet.
“Ugh… I’ll see. Yeah! I’m coming right away.”
In the end, he headed to the dugout without speaking to Park Gayoung.
Information is power…
That was why, in professional baseball, you analyzed your opponent as thoroughly as possible and struck at their weaknesses based on that data.
And they did the same to you. Both sides scoured the other’s and their own team’s vulnerabilities to launch attacks.
Once Choi Seungtaek was pulled from the lineup, Daejeon Magpies’ batting order grew noticeably weaker.
Thud!
— The Busan Seagulls are swinging hard from the top of the first inning!
Daejeon’s second starter, the foreign pitcher Damon, had spent three full years in the KBO with Busan Seagulls.
— Asechi! A single drops between left and center field! The runner from third scores!
The phrase carried a positive meaning—he had survived three years of Korean professional baseball—but…
Crack!
A dull sound rang out.
— The fourth batter, Choi Seokjun, clears the fence at Daejeon Stadium!
Busan Seagulls had plenty of information on Damon, having watched him for three years.
‘Damn, is this my bad luck?’
Choi Seungtaek watched the game with a heavy heart.
Five runs had already been surrendered in the first inning. It was a familiar sight for him, yet it still pained his chest.
Especially watching the second-string catcher, suddenly called up and donning the mask, struggling.
Thud!
— He’s hitting another single and the bases are loaded!
Teams that couldn’t win had very good reasons for it.
— Sixth batter Yoon Jungbak swings! Ah… uh. Ah!! The catcher drops the ball. Not out. The batter reaches first; the runner on first advances to second.
The pitcher had already been hammering the batter, and now the catcher’s blocking error sent the ball sailing straight back into the stands.
Consecutive defensive miscues widened the gap between Busan Seagulls and Daejeon Magpies from the very first inning.
Busan Seagulls, having been denied revenge from yesterday’s game, unleashed a merciless assault, and the long first inning showed no signs of ending.
“What should we do?”
Manager Han Geunseong stared at the field with an unreadable expression.
“Replace the catcher in the sixth inning.”
“Replace with Choi Seungtaek?”
“No, with someone else.”
The head coach frowned.
‘What exactly are you thinking?’
“Manager… but—”
“We’ll see what the other guy can do. Of the two, Choi Seungtaek is the better backup.”
“Then?”
“From now on… Choi Seungtaek is the starter. Right now we’re just looking for a temporary backup catcher.”
The head coach’s face brightened slightly.
“What about the pitchers?”
“Damon… limit him to two innings only. Test the free-agent pitchers you brought in. Bring him back later.”
“Understood.”
“And… send Damon back to the minors after today’s game to rest and regroup. He’s not working. If he can’t catch, we’ll release him.”
“I’ll relay that.”
Manager Han Geunseong’s notebook already began filling with notes about several players.
A few players had already been assigned to the minors.
The game against Busan Seagulls ended. The final score was 11–1, a humiliating loss.
It felt strange to ask after defeat, but Choi Seungtaek sought out team captain Tae Pyung-yang.
“Senior.”
“What is it?”
Given the lopsided defeat, Tae Pyung-yang’s expression was not kind.
“There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What?”
“If a misunderstanding arises, how do you resolve it?”
It was an odd question, but since Choi Seungtaek never asked pointless things, Tae Pyung-yang thought for a moment before answering.
“You do your absolute best. As quickly as possible.”
“As quickly as possible?”
“That’s right. The answer lies in resolving it fast. If you wait until the misunderstanding clears, more misunderstandings pile up. The fastest way to resolve it is best.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
After returning to the locker room, Choi Seungtaek tried calling Park Gayoung again.
She still did not answer.
‘Then…’
Instead of driving home, he headed toward Park Gayoung’s house.
‘The drive to Seoul is long—three hours each way. By the time I return it’ll already be past midnight.’
The rumored romance between Daejeon Magpies catcher Choi Seungtaek and cheerleader Lee Naeun was completely false.
Contrary to the recent internet headlines, the club issued a full denial of any relationship.
“Of course our Naeun wouldn’t do something like that.”
The mysterious man who had read the article written by an internal Magpies reporter wore a satisfied smile.
“Even so…”
The man closed the article and opened a folder on his computer.
Inside were dozens of photos of Lee Naeun, the cheerleader.
He opened the most recent one.
“This guy still gets on my nerves. Is he bothering our Naeun? A baseball player, huh?”
The man’s stupefied expression at seeing Choi Seungtaek staring at Lee Naeun’s phone together was infuriating.
Even more so, the man was enraged that Lee Naeun smiled at Choi Seungtaek in the photo.
“This won’t do.”
The man began writing again.
‘If this keeps up, the club will discipline him, right?’
The man captured Choi Seungtaek’s serious face in the dugout and wrote one line of sensational copy:
Is Magpies’ discipline in order?
Young rookie catcher openly complains he wasn’t given playing time
‘Perfect.’
The article was deliberately aimed at Choi Seungtaek.
But the comments told a different story.
— I watched the game today with that expression. I would’ve been upset too.
— The pitchers were a problem, and the other catchers who came up were all confused. I miss Jung-kyungho.
— Just let Choi Seungtaek play! The answer is already out!
Becoming a well-known baseball player as a boyfriend was a wonderful thing.
Park Gayoung was in a good mood after yesterday’s performance by Choi Seungtaek.
While relaxing on the weekend and searching for him online, she saw a shocking headline.
— Magpies in love?
‘What is this?’
A photo showed Choi Seungtaek at a sandwich shop called Train, standing very close to a beautiful woman.
The woman in front of Choi Seungtaek smiled at him brightly.
Park Gayoung’s heart dropped with a thud.
‘Dating…?’
She immediately called Choi Seungtaek.
He did not answer.
She kept calling.
Still no answer.
‘Why won’t you pick up?’
Park Gayoung’s frustration began to surge.
Frustrated, she searched the name in the article.
“Lee Naeun, cheerleader?”
Lee Naeun was Daejeon Magpies’ popular cheerleader.
“She’s popular…”
Photos taken at the game, star photos from hotels, and casual street shots were all stunningly beautiful.
Park Gayoung’s mood sank even further, and a strange bitterness rose inside her.
— I hate you.
— Why won’t you answer my calls?
— Die! Just die!!
After that final line, Park Gayoung hurled her phone onto the bed and lay there crying until she fell asleep.
…
When evening arrived, Park Gayoung woke up.
She checked her phone.
— Nine missed calls
— Missed messages
Seungtaek: I’m outside your house right now. I’m coming in.
Park Gayoung was shocked.
‘Eh? What? Outside my house?’
“Gayoung-ah~!”
Her mother’s voice called from outside.
“Choi Seungtaek is here.”
‘What? Why here?’
“This is Gayoung’s room, right?”
Knock, knock.
“Gayoung-ah, may I come in?”
Choi Seungtaek’s voice sounded from the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
Park Gayoung’s heart began racing violently.
She glanced around the room.
It was a mess.
“No! Wait!”
She hurriedly cleaned up.
“Aigoo, I usually clean. You come and everything gets messy.”
“Haha…”
Her mother’s scolding mixed with Choi Seungtaek’s awkward laugh.
Finally, after the room was spotless, she quietly opened the door.
“Aigoo, you’ve tidied up everything, huh?”
“Yeah… but why did you come here?”
“Why? To see my girlfriend.”
Park Gayoung was at a loss for words.
“Is it okay if I come in now?”
“Eh?”
Choi Seungtaek stepped straight into the room.
“No…”
“Here! I came right away after hearing the advice of a married senior. Do you have something to be angry about today?”
Park Gayoung stayed silent. Her face remained slightly pouting.
“Hmph, playing with a popular cheerleader and you came here?”
“That’s what the club article said.”
Choi Seungtaek’s eyes were serious, and Park Gayoung trembled again.
“What about the photos? You two were standing so close.”
Choi Seungtaek opened his phone.
“Here you go! Daejeon’s healthy dining list! That was from Lee Naeun the other day. Nothing else came with it.”
“…”
“And Gayoung-ah, one more thing: dating a cheerleader as a baseball player is against unwritten rules. It can’t be done. One of you will be cut. Neither you nor Lee Naeun is fine. That’s why it’s all a lie.”
Park Gayoung’s heart slowly melted.
“Really?”
“Yeah, you’re the only one I have.”
Choi Seungtaek stepped right in front of her.
“…From now on, no talking to any other woman.”
Park Gayoung’s voice trembled with tears.
“I know. But if it’s a fan asking for an autograph?”
“That’s also not allowed.”
The trembling, teary voice was adorable to Choi Seungtaek.
“But you can talk to my mom, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then the misunderstanding is completely resolved today, isn’t it?”
“Mhm.”
“Then come here and let me hug you. I was really tired today too.”
Park Gayoung hugged Choi Seungtaek tightly.