Chapter 1: Babe Ruth's Blessing
“Fuck!”
I curse a lot in my heart but rarely out loud. Yet the curse slipped from my mouth.
The reason was that I had heard the news that my idol, Ohtani, who had been having an all-time great season, had retired from the season early due to injury.
A pleasant weekend had been in store, but nothing felt right in my hands.
I had been told I had talent for baseball since childhood, entered the sport admiring the great national team players, but from my first year in high school, I gradually hit a wall. By my second and third years, I was basically not even a real baseball player since I didn't play in games.
If I had hit the wall early, I might have given up sooner, but until middle school, I was somewhat promising. Of course, not guaranteed talent, but talent worth scratching at.
I somehow got into a famous high school baseball club in Seoul, but the lottery called Lee Junseong was judged a bust right away.
For someone like me, who was evaluated as having insufficient talent to break into the pros, the only pleasure was watching the greatest players.
Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and my favorite player was the two-way player Ohtani.
In an era where it had become common sense that hitters only hit and pitchers only pitch in the pros, seeing Ohtani, who became MVP in Japanese pro baseball and Major League as a two-way player, I could momentarily forget my reality and return to being a pure baseball-obsessed boy.
And then the news of his injury came. The moments when I habitually checked his records and watched games without missing any opportunity came to a halt.
The present time has come. Now, fear of an uncertain future comes to me.
Being drafted as a pro player is impossible. College is still a possibility. But would it mean anything to me? Is quitting baseball the right thing to do? My father would be free if I solved the military issue sooner, but is that right? Since I repeated a year, I can go to the army soon.
Frustrated, I went outside for a walk.
It was empty, and worrying about other people, especially those earning hundreds of billions a year with huge popularity... was that correct?
'I worked hard too.'
Honestly, the school I'm about to graduate from is very prestigious, and many of my classmates are talented.
Among the coaches at school, there was one who recommended switching to hitting instead of pitching, but the coach didn't allow me to focus on batting practice without giving me a chance to pitch.
What did he say? Something like if you do everything ambiguously, you end up neither here nor there. At least, shouldn't they give opportunities and say such things?
I know, if someone is going to succeed as a pro, they have to chew up the high school kids like me. And among my classmates, there happen to be pitchers called all-time greats...
But I am a high school baseball player, and if I had received even a little opportunity, the scouts might have thought of me as the lowest pick. But that's not the case.
The lefty fireballer who took me from that hell, of course, I hear that the ball is like a feather compared to the velocity, and occasionally unintentionally hitting the opposing batter is true, but...
“Hey, what a shitty life.”
The only thing I could do right now was swagger on the neighborhood streets.
Wait?
A car was coming towards me at high speed from ahead.
Not an empty highway, how could he drive so recklessly on this narrow road?
And near our house, there was a school zone, so there were really crazy drivers.
I calmly swerved to the side.
Eh? What the fuck??
The car accelerated even more and rushed towards my direction.
—Bang!
Ah!
I couldn't even scream.
My body jumped high into the air and then fell headfirst to the ground.
I felt death approaching.
Why? Why did I have to die here?
I didn't have the luxury to resent the driver who killed me. Consciousness was fading quickly.
“Ugh... ugh... It's your fault.”
I see a man I've never seen before getting out of the driver's seat.
“You... if you hadn't been there...”
Who is it? Oh well, now I'm dying, what does it matter who it is.
In my next life, let me be born as a guy who plays baseball amazingly well, succeed greatly, be filial, and meet many women...
It was the first time I felt this comfortable.
I hadn't slept so well in my life.
Even if it was a dream, it was too vivid. Who would dream of dying from being hit by a car in a human-like way?
It felt good, but getting up from a good sleep becomes a habit quickly. I was about to get up.
“Huh?”
This isn't my room. Full of pink flowers, and around where I was standing, there was a river. There were also forms that looked like clouds.
The unfamiliar landscapes I've never seen before in my life made me confused.
Upon closer look, my body was naked.
Ah... So I died. Did the afterlife exist?
“Are you awake?”
Looking to the side, an old man was talking to me.
“Who are you?”
Although old, he had a very sturdy build, and upon closer look, he was white.
“My name in life that gained fame, and in the language you mainly used in life, is Babe Ruth.”
“Huh? Babe Ruth?”
If it's Babe Ruth, I know who it is. But what is this situation?
Actually, Babe Ruth is a figure that symbolizes the sport of baseball, and the greatest baseball player in human history. Why is he meeting me, who has already died, in this place?
“As expected, you seem to know me. In your country too, I'm somewhat famous.”
Am I dreaming in a dream? No, it's too vivid right now.
“I understand, but why are you here, and before that, why did I come here?”
“As you might have noticed, you have already lost your life. Have you accepted that?”
'... I have accepted.'
“Then the conversation will be quick. I passed away in the afterlife a long time ago and became a baseball immortal through reincarnation.”
“Reincarnation?”
“Yes, you seem to know what it means.”
I know, but isn't it a setting from martial arts novels? Reaching the realm of becoming a human and then going to the immortal realm after death to become a baseball immortal.
“Reincarnation is a concept made in East Asian fiction, right? That doesn't make sense. Are you mocking me?”
I gave a timid resistance to the absurd situation.
“You are really foolish. Then, isn't it reasonable that a dead person like you is talking normally with someone, and in your native language? You're making silly remarks in this situation.”
“That's...”
“Your rudeness is treated as the spoiled behavior of a soul who has only recently lost his life. But from now on, it would be good to behave with manners. Do not take the consideration of the immortal lightly.”
“I'm sorry...”
If what this human said is true, I shouldn't provoke him. And as he said, the unbelievable situation had already happened.
“Well, that's fine. Let me tell you why I brought your soul, who has lost his life, to my land.”
“What is the reason?”
“You greatly distorted the destiny that will unfold in the afterlife, especially in the field of baseball, which is my domain.”
“You distorted the destiny?”
“Yes. Do you remember Jeong Gijun, the pitcher from your high school first year who was hit by your pitch?”
“Jeong Gijun?”
I don't know who that is. There were many pitchers I hit, and I don't have the obligation to remember them all... And I don't think there was any seriously injured guy.
“You don't remember?”
“My memory is...”
“At that time, Jeong Gijun, the starting pitcher, had his wrist hit by your pitch in the at-bat. The injury itself wasn't serious, but the problem was that after that, a strange trauma occurred, and he fell into a slump not only in batting but also in pitching, and he quit baseball.”
“...”
Did my dead ball have such an effect? But...
“Such things can happen to anyone. Hit by pitch is part of baseball. It's not my responsibility that a light injury ended a player's career through butterfly effect.”
“That's right, but the problem is that originally, Jeong Gijun was destined to become the world's greatest hitter someday.”
“The world's greatest hitter!”
“Yes. If it had been according to the original destiny, he had the talent to dominate the world with batting, overwhelming the pitcher's talent. And your pitch completely distorted that destiny.”
It's because of me?? Why?
“Is my words uncomfortable? Don't misunderstand, I'm not blaming you. In fact, Jeong Gijun had a destiny to avoid injury risks for his whole life, but your pitch cleverly broke through that destiny.”
“Such...”
“Humans like to say 'if' when talking about baseball, but in fact, all of that is within the will of fate. But unfortunately, this time, a crack was created in the destiny of baseball. If you think about it, it's my responsibility, not yours.”
Babe Ruth, claiming to be the immortal, humbly admitted his fault in a benevolent tone. From some point on, I believed that this was the Babe Ruth who had ascended.
“Then why did you call me here?”
“I don't have much time, so I won't say too much, but the existence of Jeong Gijun, the future baseball emperor, being deleted is distorting too many destinies, not just in baseball, but in other fields too. So, as a baseball immortal, I have to take responsibility, and I intend to make you my messenger.”
“Huh?”
Am I becoming the messenger of the baseball immortal Babe Ruth? Me?
“I have already died. What can I do in the immortal realm?”
“There is nothing for you to do in the immortal realm. I plan to send you back to the afterlife.”
Send me back?
“...”
“But even if I return, what can I do?”
“You have to become the new baseball emperor. I know you. Upon checking, although your talent isn't at the level to attract the interest of the baseball immortal like me, your love and passion for baseball are tremendous.”
“If you say new baseball emperor?”
“I plan to share my power with you. Your talent, if any, is enough to become a pro player in your country. Of course, it's not at the level to leave a legacy, and originally the destiny didn't allow pro career, but with this level of talent and my blessing, you will be able to handle it.”
“Ah...”
So, I was destined not to become a pro, but I received one talent from the baseball immortal. And with Babe Ruth's blessing...
“Both pitcher and hitter will be at a normal level, so feel free to use them as you like. Of course, the condition is that you must continue playing baseball. Do not betray the immortal.”
“Of course there is.”
Since he's reviving me and giving me talent, if I quit baseball thinking I'm crazy?
“And remember, if my blessing is bestowed, there will be some side effects.”
“Side effects?”
Of course, there's no such thing as free in this world.
“Hmph, although it's a bit boastful, I was born with not only baseball talent but also transcendent stamina. You who received the blessing will not be able to avoid that stamina and libido either.”
Babe Ruth's stamina! His characteristic was not only his baseball skill and enormous power, but also the anecdote that after visiting a regular brothel and sending all the prostitutes to Hong Kong, he himself was satisfied and returned. Literally transcendent stamina.
“...”
“I guess I have to bear that much.”
After sex, baseball performance doesn't drop or something, no problem.
“Yes, I believe you. I will watch over you from now on. And although I am also your messenger, since it's a life given again, live without regret.”
“Thank you. Babe! I will never forget this grace.”
Light began to emanate from my body. Really, it's returning!
The figure of Lee Junseong disappeared from the resting place of the baseball immortal in the immortal realm.
“Babe... It's been a long time since someone called me by my nickname.”
Actually, Babe Ruth's real name is not that. But it didn't matter.