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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Game set.
The umpire’s call to end the game echoed, but the scouts remained seated in the stands. Some stared blankly at the mound, some couldn’t close their mouths, and others couldn’t take their eyes off the 157 km/h speed displayed on the scoreboard.
They were all thinking the same thing.
‘What on earth is that kid?’
When you witness something so surreal, the first thought that comes to mind is ‘doubt’. The situation unfolding before them was beyond their comprehension.
The New York Yankees scouts were in a similar state.
“Rick… can you explain to me what I just saw?”
“If you’re talking about the crazy hitter who came in as a closer, hit a home run, and then broke a bat with a 97-mile-per-hour cut fastball, then no, I can’t explain it.”
“Oh, damn… That’s exactly what it was.”
“Rick. Do you still think Cha Tae-hyun can’t make it to the majors?”
“Haha… Jake, do I look like a fucking idiot to you? As long as I have eyes, how can I not bring that monster in? Contact the club right now. I’m going to go get the business card I left behind.”
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Meanwhile, the broadcast chat was in a state of ‘super explosion.’
└???????
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I can’t help but laugh ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└This is our Hwangnix shortstop ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└??? Isn’t your shortstop Ji Chan-woon, who has the most errors?
└That bastard is gone as of today. Our Hwangnix shortstop is only Cha Tae-hyun.
└If we bring in Cha Tae-hyun, we solve our shortstop + closer problem…? What, is this for real?
└I am now one with Cha Tae-hyun… Anyone who attacks Cha Tae-hyun…
└Shin.Tae.Hyun
└Wow, he comes in as a closer and just dominates the top of the Ilmyeong High lineup…
└Baby me, baby Taehyun, I want to go to the Phoenix when I grow up
└You satanic bastard, cursing a baby
└ㅋㅋ Good. Next year, our Daejeon Volcanos will be last. No complaints if we take Cha Tae-hyun, right?
└ㅋㅋㅋ You think? Don’t you know we’re the original ‘Kkol’?
└Our team was always above you. You never know.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋTwo stubborn morons ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The commentator, seeing the spiciness of the chat, wiped his cold sweat and opened his mouth.
“Wow… you’re all saying such nice things. Yes, yes… it seems everyone really wants Cha Tae-hyun! And for good reason! Haha… Alright, everyone, please calm down. We’ll now announce today’s MVP!”
└It’s Cha Tae-hyun, lol
└Taehyun-god ㅋㅋㅋ
└Shin.Tae.Hyun
└Lee Seung-tae deserves it too
└But he scored the only 2 runs and even got a save as a closer in a one-run game. How can you beat that?
└Agreed
“Today’s MVP is… Cha Tae-hyun!”
The camera moved from the commentators to Cha Tae-hyun.
└Wow ㅋㅋㅋ His face is intense ㅋㅋㅋ
└He looks a bit rough, but his features are good. He’ll be handsome if he just grooms himself a bit ^^ Tae-hyun is cool.
└Wow ㅋㅋ He already has fangirls ㅋㅋㅋ He’s a star in the making
“Cha Tae-hyun. You’ve become the MVP with your outstanding performance today. And what’s really surprising is that today was your debut. Weren’t you nervous?”
Cha Tae-hyun, who received the microphone, looked at the camera and smirked.
“Did I look like it? I don’t think so.”
The female announcer giggled at his slightly playful and arrogant tone.
└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He’s so likable ㅋㅋ
└But for real, he didn’t look nervous at all ㅋㅋㅋ
└He was actually smiling, so I thought he was crazy ㅋㅋㅋ
└I love you so much, Tae-hyun oppa ㅠㅠㅠ
└What oppa, you crazy? He’s a high school student ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Cha Tae-hyun continued the interview smoothly, to the point where it was hard to believe he was a high school student who had only played baseball.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve done an interview, so it’s fun.’
As the atmosphere was warming up, Cha Tae-hyun interrupted the announcer’s question and spoke first.
“Just a moment. There’s something I really have to say. I want to say it now, is that okay?”
The director immediately nodded.
‘Our Cha Tae-hyun, do whatever you want!’
He couldn’t say it out loud because they were on air, but he really wanted to shout it. He was so grateful that he had saved the flagging broadcast, and he was even doing such a great job with the interview. What couldn’t he do for him?
Cha Tae-hyun, holding the microphone, looked up for a moment, blinked a few times, and then mumbled.
└Our shortstop, why are you crying…
└Don’t cry, Tae-hyun… You did well, why are you like this?
└Tae-hyun oppa, don’t cry ㅠㅠㅠ
└Stop calling him oppa
In the end, Cha Tae-hyun rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, looked at the camera again, and smiled brightly, as if to say, ‘I’m okay now!’
‘The acting was good.’
The reason Cha Tae-hyun had even faked tears and set the mood was to repay and thank those who had helped him during this interview. Isn’t there a saying that if you repay kindness greatly, it will return to you even greater?
‘Honestly, I’m really grateful too.’
“I… I really… love baseball. So I really wanted to be a player. …But the world doesn’t always go the way you want it to. Money was holding me back…”
Suddenly, Cha Tae-hyun’s story of his unfortunate family environment began. He didn’t reveal that he had no parents, but he added a spoonful of seasoning to his story of working part-time to support his only sibling and training in his spare time.
Was it because of his calm voice? Or was it because he expressed his unfortunate past so well?
Sniffle, sniffle…
The sound of sniffling began to be heard from here and there.
└ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└It’s so sad… Tae-hyun, let’s be happy with the Phoenix now
└Even Satan would cry at the Kkolnix ㅠㅠㅠ;;
└Hearing this makes me want to kill our team’s salary-stealing bastards even more. Is this normal?
└This isn’t the time for such a comment, but I agree
At that moment, Cha Tae-hyun smiled slightly and opened his mouth.
“There are people who gave me the opportunity to play baseball.”
“Ahem…”
The coach, who had been watching from a distance with the baseball team members, turned his back for no reason.
“First, our coach. Really… no matter how many times I thank him, it’s not enough. When he heard that I was working part-time, he told me to quit all my jobs. My livelihood depended on it.”
“Wha-? Why did he do that?”
“He said he’d give me living expenses, so I should just focus on baseball. Then he handed me a piece of paper and told me to write down my account number. So I did… and the next day, 2 million won was really deposited.”
Cha Tae-hyun glanced at the coach. The coach had his back turned and his head bowed, but it was obvious that he was smiling proudly.
“If it weren’t for the coach, I wouldn’t have been able to play baseball. And… the owner of the Phoenix Batting Center…”
Next came the story of the Phoenix Batting Center. He also embellished this story a little.
└Wow… his life is a story…
└The coach of Hyeoksan High’s baseball team is a real romantic ㄹㅇ
└He coolly donated 2 million won ㄷㄷ
└Why do stories that only appear in comic books keep coming out…
└Isn’t this fake?
└This bastard dares to slander our shortstop?
“Cha Tae-hyun, you’ve really had a lot of ups and downs to get here. So today’s victory must be even more precious. Now. Finally, if you could say one last thing, we’d be grateful.”
Cha Tae-hyun, holding the microphone, looked at the stands and said,
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Huh…?”
The announcer, who tilted her head at the unexpected words, soon skillfully delivered her closing remarks and ended the interview.
“Cut, cut! Wow~ Cha Tae-hyun, your interview today was so clean…?”
When the director put down the camera, Cha Tae-hyun had already disappeared.
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“…You’re going back separately?”
“Yes. It’s my first time in Seoul, so I want to look around a bit before I go back.”
The baseball team basically lived together, so it was quite a無理なrequest.
“Alright, if you want to. But don’t get into any trouble and be careful, okay?”
Of course, that was the story for an ordinary baseball team member, and my relationship with the coach had become even stronger after the interview just now. I thanked the coach, took a quick shower, changed my clothes, and ran to the stands.
Ms. Miyeon was looking at her phone in the stands. Perhaps because of the setting sun, her face was a little flushed.
“Tae-hyun? Y-You really came?”
It seemed she was watching the broadcast on her phone earlier.
“I said I would.”
“No… the baseball team was all leaving together.”
“Our coach is a little free-spirited, so I just told him and came. So let’s go too.”
I held out my hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, but soon took my hand and stood up.
“Tae-hyun… but my hand…”
“If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll let go.”
“……”
I didn’t know how long this silence would last. But for now, I was grateful to be able to feel the warmth of her hand in mine, and I slowly headed towards the exit.
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Very good, even earned some points for the coach