After the fielder and pitcher tests were over, the coach announced the names of the players who would finally wear the Taegeuk mark.
Of course, my name was called, and so were Jin Tae-hyun, Lee Ji-ho, and senior Chang-hyun. As for the rest… I didn't know them, so honestly, I wasn't very interested.
"Alright, everyone worked hard at the tryouts today. Training will begin once the team is finalized, so stay healthy. That's all."
"Yes!"
On my way to the locker room, I checked the list of pitcher test results posted in the dugout. I wasn't interested in other high school pitchers, but I was curious about senior Chang-hyun's performance.
"Oh…?"
[1st place. Kim Shin-hwa.]
[2nd place. Kim Chang-hyun.]
Senior Chang-hyun was in second place? Of course, he was a good pitcher, but he was supposed to be a supporting character, the number two starter at Hyeoksan High.
It was quite surprising that he had managed to take second place nationwide. Of course, Lee Seung-tae wasn't there.
Seeing this… it was clear that this world was different from the Nemas I knew. The appearance of Jin Tae-hyun, the change in Lee Ji-ho…
Had my existence created a butterfly effect, or would these changes continue to happen…?
As I was getting lost in thought, someone placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Cha Tae-hyun."
It was senior Chang-hyun… but his expression was unusual. No, he just had his usual indifferent face, but the problem was that it was senior Chang-hyun.
He was someone who craved recognition more than anyone and took pride in his pitching. And he had just taken second place, but he looked so down?
My already complicated mind became even more so at his next action.
"Ah, no, senior Chang-hyun, what are you suddenly doing?"
He suddenly took off his hat and bowed his head to me. After a moment, he said quietly, "Can you help me?"
"Yes…? What kind of help?"
"I realized today that I was really nothing…"
"No… didn't you get second place in the pitcher's test? Is it because you didn't get first?"
Senior Chang-hyun, still with his head bowed, smiled wryly.
"No, it's not that. I'm just not satisfied with myself."
Senior Chang-hyun continued to speak calmly, his head still bowed.
"It's not just Kim Shin-hwa, who was in first place, but when I saw your match with Kim Ho-san, I realized it. I'm hopelessly inadequate right now. I need to work harder."
…No. Senior Chang-hyun's efforts were never lacking. In fact, they were excessive. To the point where he had to worry about injuries.
Although he was just a supporting character who briefly appeared and was quickly forgotten in Nemas, this Kim Chang-hyun, who just wanted to be good at baseball and bowed his head to a junior a year younger, as if his pride didn't matter at all, was someone I could be certain would never be buried as a mere supporting character.
"I don't know what kind of help you want, but I'll do my best to help you."
Senior Chang-hyun, still with his head bowed, replied, "Can you stand in as a batter for my pitching practice from time to time? I think competing against a high-level batter is the best training."
"Senior Chang-hyun, please raise your head. I'm uncomfortable. And I'm your junior, so you can just tell me to do it. Why are you being so polite?"
"That's how one should be when asking for a favor."
"No… alright. I'll stand in the batter's box whenever you want, so please get up."
Then, senior Chang-hyun, who had raised his head, was smiling faintly.
"Thank you, Cha Tae-hyun. I'll definitely repay this favor, so don't worry."
"This might be a bit presumptuous… but as long as your will doesn't die out, I think you'll definitely surpass Kim Ho-san, who came today. I do."
Senior Chang-hyun, who had opened his mouth slightly at my words, soon burst out laughing.
"You're really a bit of a jerk. Just as Myung-hwan said."
"No, did Myung-hwan say that to you too, senior?"
"Almost every day? …Anyway, thanks again. I'm going first."
Senior Chang-hyun, who had waved his hand once, turned his back with a much more relaxed face and slowly disappeared from the dugout.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lately, Shin Ha-yoon's interest in Cha Tae-hyun had grown significantly.
Of course… it wasn't a romantic curiosity, just… because he was good at baseball… To achieve her dream of becoming a coach, it was natural to analyze good players.
"Right, analysis is important… Analysis is unavoidable, hmm…"
After hesitating for about 5 minutes, Shin Ha-yoon finally placed her hands on the keyboard.
[Cha Tae-hyun's records.]
First, she planned to check his data.
"Huh…?"
Shin Ha-yoon tilted her head as she moved the mouse.
Even after refreshing several times…
"Why are there only these records…?"
Usually, high school baseball players had records from the weekend league, tournaments, and even international games, but Cha Tae-hyun only had 5 games from the Golden Lion Tournament.
That meant… Cha Tae-hyun hadn't played baseball until his sophomore year of high school and then exploded in the tournament…
"That doesn't make sense…"
Isn't it too unrealistic, like a fantasy novel…?
In the end, Shin Ha-yoon even started looking for the Golden Lion Tournament broadcast.
"Since I'm watching… let's start from the first game."
She played the video, planning to watch all the Golden Lion Tournament games today.
One hour, two hours, three hours… time passed.
"He's good… really…"
When the first game was over, she couldn't help but admit it.
Cha Tae-hyun on the screen was a monster rookie.
She was curious about the next game. She quickly moved the mouse to watch the next game.
└You really have to watch Cha Tae-hyun's interview ㅠㅠ He's so admirable.
└I agree. Thank you for holding on, Cha Tae-hyun ㅠㅠㅠ
└I'm also a high school student, but I really respect Cha Tae-hyun for living so diligently. I hope you succeed!
The comments were particularly eye-catching.
Somehow… it was very different from the image of Cha Tae-hyun she knew…
"Interview… should I watch it for a moment."
Shin Ha-yoon moved the mouse again and played the interview video. She stared at the screen blankly.
And…
Not long after.
Shin Ha-yoon's hand, which had been holding the mouse, began to tremble.
"…"
Shin Ha-yoon, who had shaken her head in disbelief, rewound the video.
And when she watched the interview again, she couldn't help but bow her head.
The mischievous words and actions she had done to Cha Tae-hyun flashed through her mind.
She couldn't imagine how Cha Tae-hyun must have felt at those moments.
'No… could this interview be a lie…?'
Even if she tried to rationalize it, it was no use. Hearing Cha Tae-hyun's voice, which seemed to be slightly sobbing as he teared up on the screen, made her conscience prickle.
What should I do with this overwhelming guilt and self-loathing…
Shin Ha-yoon, who couldn't close her mouth, buried her face in her knees.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
At 8 o'clock, a little late for dinner, I sat at the table with Ji-hyun and picked up my utensils.
I always feel this when I eat with Ji-hyun, but she's a very quiet person.
If I don't start the conversation, she'll just eat and go to her room.
"It's nice that you come home early these days, oppa. We can eat together."
But today, for some reason, Ji-hyun started the conversation.
"...Really?"
"Yeah. It's a little lonely when I eat alone."
"I'll try to come home early more often. On days I don't have practice."
Ji-hyun shook her head.
"No. You don't have to. We can live because of you, so I shouldn't get in your way."
"What do you mean, get in your way? You always make breakfast and dinner, so we're a family, we help each other."
"...Yeah. That's right. We're a family, we have to help each other."
Ji-hyun, who had smiled faintly, asked again.
"Are you going to a tournament again? Seoul?"
"Right. It's called the Blue Dragon Tournament, and it's also in Seoul."
"Then you won't be able to come home for a while…"
Her sunken voice was filled with disappointment, and I couldn't help but smile.
It was a warm feeling in my chest.
Was this the family bond they talked about?
"I'll call you often when I'm there."
"Okay."
After a long dinner with a lot of conversation, I went into my room.
"Ugh…"
A wave of dizziness hit me. This feeling I hadn't felt in a while.
Cha Tae-hyun's memories were flowing in again.
'Oppa… I want to get out of here…'
'I wish… I had a room. So I can be alone.'
'Do you really want to?'
'Yeah…'
'Alright. Then let's leave. Just wait a little longer…'
"So that's why you left the orphanage…"
It seemed that Ji-hyun hadn't adapted well to the orphanage, or… she had been bullied.
Anyway, there must have been some kind of problem.
Is she the type who can't get along with others…?
Come to think of it, she was quiet, but I've almost never seen her go outside except for school.
I've never even heard her talk about friends.
Anyway, it's a problem that's hard to solve just by thinking about it. I can only hope that more memories will return.
I was about to lay down the covers and go to bed when my phone vibrated.
"Ah…"
I thought it was Miss Mi-yeon and quickly checked the text, but it was Shin Ha-yoon.
[Shin Ha-yoon: I'm sorry…]
It was strange that she texted me all of a sudden, but the content was even stranger.
"Why is she suddenly apologizing?"
I just ignored it and lay down in my blanket.
There's a saying in baseball.
'Baseball is a pitcher's game.'
In the end, a great pitcher dominates the game, and I think that's true.
Especially in high school baseball, this is even more so.
In fact, in the old days, there was a high school that used black magic to win a championship by sacrificing the ace pitcher's arm.
Ah, of course, that's in the old days. If you tried that black magic now, you'd be sent straight to hell.
And to prevent that, they have a pitch count limit, so you can't even try.
Anyway… even with the pitch count limit, high school baseball is still a place where the pitcher's influence is great.
Unlike professional baseball, where they play almost every day except for one day a week, high school baseball tournaments have a 3-day interval, so there's plenty of time to rest.
So, even if you don't have many pitchers, you can get good results with just two great pitchers.
Our Hyeoksan High is exactly that type.
The top of the lineup is quite strong, but the bottom of the lineup is terrible, and the bullpen is famous for always catching on fire.
You could say the balance is really bad, but it feels like the starting pitchers, Lee Seung-tae and senior Chang-hyun, are compensating for it.
What I want to say is that even though our team won the Golden Lion Tournament, there's no guarantee that we'll easily win the Blue Dragon Tournament.
Well… but today's first-round opponent, Hwacheong High, doesn't seem like a very difficult opponent.
"Nice to meet you, Cha Tae-hyun. You remember me, right?"
For some reason, there was a handshake between the two high schools to improve the image of high school baseball, and the guy in front of me started talking to me.
Who was he…
"Oh, yeah… I remember."
As I pretended to know him, he grinned and continued.
"Honestly, you were good. I admit it. But today's game won't be easy. I'm not the same person from the tryouts."
Tryouts. I vaguely remember. That Kim… something? Anyway, the guy who took the shortstop position test with me.
"Yeah. Let's have a good game."
We shook hands lightly and the game started.
And the game…
Unlike what he said about it not being easy.
"Game set!"
[Hyeoksan High: 7]
[Hwacheong High: 1]
It ended disappointingly quickly with Hyeoksan High's victory.
"The Golden Lion Tournament was a bit of a struggle, but the Blue Dragon Tournament is a bit lucky?"
"I know, right? It's the first time we've passed the first round so easily."
"Senior Chang-hyun pitched really well today. Why is he suddenly so good?"
"I agree. Did he find a secret manual somewhere?"
I feel a little sorry for saying this… but it was too easy.
Senior Chang-hyun pitched a clean game until the 8th inning, giving up only 1 run, and for some reason, the closer also pitched a clean 9th inning.
Considering the first game, it was so easy that I wondered if it was okay…
I left the dugout and took out my phone.
Jin Tae-hyun's school, Cheongshin High, also had their first game today, so I was going to check the results.
It seemed likely that Cheongshin High had won. They were a team that had shown a lot of tenacity in the finals.
"Are they still playing?"
We had finished our game quite early.
But the game result on the screen made me question it.
[Game over. Daesan High wins.]
Cheongshin High
│1││0││0││1││0││0││0││0││0│[2]
Daesan High
│2││0││2││0││1││0││1││4││0│[10]
"They lost by this much…?"
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