As classes ended, I headed toward the baseball field with an unintended smile spreading across my lips.
The expression 'grinning like a fool' fit perfectly.
The reason was simple.
Through the conversation today, I had learned a lot about the girl playing the violin.
I learned for sure that her name was Yu Se-ra, and Se-ra also clearly learned that my name was Kim Jeong-ui.
We didn't exchange any special words, but just the feeling that we were conscious of each other made me feel strangely good.
That state itself was satisfying.
Perhaps thanks to that conversation, my heart had leaned just a tiny bit more toward joining the baseball team.
Because Se-ra likes people like the baseball team Ace or Captain.
Hehehe.
I hadn't completely decided yet, but it felt like I had taken one step closer compared to yesterday.
Besides, today was the situation where the baseball coach had called me, saying he wanted to check a few more things about my condition.
When I arrived at the baseball field, the coach was already waiting with one player.
Next to them was a box full of baseballs and a bat.
Hmm... he said he'd check various things, but don't tell me that's... Fungo?
Seeing that, I instinctively wondered if he was planning to check my defense too.
"Yes. Coach, I'm here."
"Oh, Jeong-ui, you came? Let's start with a quick game of catch to warm up."
I greeted them lightly and started with catch.
As we proceeded, the coach pointed to the player opposite me and introduced him.
"The person playing catch with you right now is third-year Lee Seok-hyeon. He's the current Captain and considered our high school's Ace pitcher."
Then he added casually.
"He said he really wanted to see you, so he came on purpose."
The moment I heard that, I felt a sudden burden land on my shoulders.
It was from then.
My throwing began to waver subtly.
Ah... it came a little too fast...
At first, it was just slightly off, but gradually, I felt the ball slipping out of my hand.
Soon, I couldn't even make a proper throw.
Seeing my movements, the coach told me to raise my arm angle and throw.
But the result was similar.
The ball went in the wrong direction.
Next, he told me to throw sidearm.
This time, it wavered even more, though the general direction was correct.
However, it was far from what you could call stable.
The coach pondered for a moment, then spoke his final instruction.
"Then... try throwing like it's underhand."
Throw like underhand?
I nodded and naturally threw the ball with an underhand motion.
At that moment, unlike before, the ball began to head relatively accurately toward the opponent's glove.
I threw a few more times, and the results were similar. Watching that, the coach let out a small sigh and wrote something in his notebook.
"Okay."
The conclusion that followed the short word was clear.
"You can't be a fielder. You'll have to stick to pitching."
...
"Well, it's something that you can at least throw with underhand, right?"
Then the coach immediately spoke to the captain, Lee Seok-hyeon.
"Seok-hyeon, call the kids and tell them to take that box."
He added as if organizing the training direction.
"Let's fold the defense training. Let's just look at the pitching. Ah! And call Jae-uk too, he needs to catch."
"Yes, understood."
A moment later, a few first-years came and carried out the box containing the baseballs, and soon Hwang Jae-uk, wearing full catcher's gear, entered while catching his breath.
The coach pointed to the catcher's box as if he had been waiting.
"Jae-uk, you're here? Sit over there. Then let's look at your control in earnest, Jeong-ui. You saw the catcher there before, right? He's the Vice-Captain. He's the best when it comes to batting."
Aha...
Then he turned to Lee Seok-hyeon and said.
"You step into the batter's box and watch the ball too. You won't hit, but there's a difference between having a batter in the box and not."
Even that far? He really intends to do this properly.
Then there is something I need to make clear.
"Um... Coach. I don't know how to throw breaking balls with underhand. I can only throw fastballs."
The coach nodded.
"Right, for now, that's enough. Just throw. The important thing right now is fastball command."
As soon as Hwang Jae-uk sat in the catcher's box, he set the mitt toward the batter's body.
Inside... that's tough right from the start...
I took a small deep breath and threw the ball.
Shhh-wiii-k
Pop
The ball was sucked exactly into the spot where the mitt was.
'Oh... was that a fluke? It came in properly. Then this time...'
The catcher, Hwang Jae-uk, moved his position slightly and set up on the outside this time.
When I threw the ball, it went right there again.
'Huh? It comes this accurately?'
Hwang Jae-uk's expression changed subtly.
'Ey, no way...'
This time, he lowered the mitt from the center downward.
The spot hanging at the bottom of the strike zone.
Shhh-wiii-k
Pop
The ball went into the mitt again.
'...This makes no sense.'
Next was up high. The result was the same this time too.
The ball arrived exactly where the mitt was.
At that moment, the catcher, the batter, and even the coach—the three of them looked at each other in turns simultaneously.
The coach continued immediately.
"Good, then try throwing to the corners too. And the one after that, throw one ball-width off the plate."
Immediately, the catcher moved to the outside corner, and I nodded and threw the ball again.
The ball that pinned the corner as if grazing it, and the ball that missed slightly just as instructed—all went to the intended locations.
The ball followed wherever the mitt moved.
Watching that, Lee Seok-hyeon put down his bat and laughed hollowly.
"Wow... what have I been doing all this time...? His control is better than someone who just came back from a break..."
"Hey, Seok-hyeon. You are normal. Maybe he is the monster? What kind of control is..."
Hwang Jae-uk shook his head from side to side with a look of disbelief.
And the coach, unable to hold back any longer, grinned broadly and walked toward me.
Then he tapped my shoulder and said.
"Hey, Jeong-ui. You have the best control among the pitchers on our team."
He paused for a moment, then added seriously.
"You have to play baseball. Got it? You can't not play baseball with that command."
"Uh... I'll go home and think about it..."
( ❋ ❋ ❋ )
But when I returned home, I felt that the atmosphere was strange.
All the lights in the living room were on, and Mom and Dad were sitting side by side waiting for me.
As I put down my bag, I wondered inwardly what this situation was.
Then Mom opened her mouth first.
"Son, don't you have something to say?"
At those words, my heart sank.
There is something.
I asked back, pretending as much as possible that nothing was wrong.
"What do you mean?"
Then, this time, Dad spoke in a low and firm voice.
"I heard you are suddenly joining the baseball team. What is that about?"
I was momentarily speechless and just blinked my eyes. I shook my head urgently and said.
"No? I haven't joined yet?"
"Not yet?"
When Dad asked back immediately, I nodded.
"Yeah. I received an offer... but because of the reason I quit before, I'm just checking my condition a bit. Right now, rather than the baseball team, I'm in a baseball club with regular students."
I tried to explain as calmly as possible, but the end of my sentence wavered a little.
As expected... he's angry...
Hearing those words, Dad's expression hardened even more.
"Then why did the school contact us saying you need to switch to the baseball team?"
Ah... the school mentioned it first... already!?
No, they should have waited a bit...
I haven't even made up my mind for sure yet...
"You quit back then, and now you want to do it again? Look for something else besides baseball. I won't support you."
Saying that, he got up from his seat and went into his room.
This is screwed...
( ❋ ❋ ❋ )
The next day, I headed to school early.
I hadn't explicitly promised to go at this time, but because of the conversation with Se-ra the day before, I felt like I had to go early.
While going to school, I kept thinking, 'Is this something I have to keep doing?' but today it couldn't be helped.
First, I had to get to school early.
Near the school main gate I arrived at, I ran into two people standing in front by pure chance.
It was the baseball coach and a middle-aged man I was seeing for the first time next to him.
The coach raised his hand in welcome when he saw me, and immediately pointed to the person next to him.
"Oh, Jeong-ui. This is the Manager."
At those words, I reflexively bowed my waist and greeted him.
"Ah... Hello!"
Then the Manager looked me up and down for a moment and asked immediately.
"You're going to join the baseball team, right?"
The moment I heard that question, the events at home yesterday surfaced in my mind exactly as they were.
I hesitated for a moment, then spoke honestly.
"More importantly... did you call my house?"
At those words, the gazes of the people turned to me simultaneously.
"My dad got very angry... He said even if I join the baseball team, there will be no support... I think I practically won't be able to do it."
Being on the baseball team costs millions of won every month.
Depending on the family, some households spend nearly 100 million won a year.
But in this situation, Dad saying he won't support me effectively means he's telling me not to play baseball.
"Ah, so that's what happened."
The Manager nodded for a moment, lost in thought.
And soon he opened his mouth.
"What do you want to do? do you want to play baseball?"
"Excuse me?"
"If you want to do it, I will talk to the school and make sure you receive support for all costs. Equipment, training fees, training camps, everything."
...?
Is this allowed?
"We think you are a rare player. So I hope you make a decision quickly. Money is no longer an issue."
(End of Chapter)
Read more on "novelshub.org"