The Extra in a Baseball Novel – Chapter 19

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
A typical weekend morning. Shin Ha-yoon, who had been studying all night, rubbed her eyes and came out to the living room.

“Wow! What is this! He hit a home run on the first pitch, and what a course! I want to see that again… This is it. This. Does this make any sense? He hits that? You’re telling me he hits that?”

“Look at this fantastic uppercut swing. I think we can call it Cha Tae-hyun’s trademark now. Should we call him a baseball player or a golfer?”

But the scene in the living room was unfamiliar.

‘The Golden Lion Flag…?’

It wasn’t unusual for Shin Ha-yoon’s family, all ardent Phoenix fans, to watch a baseball game, but they didn’t usually watch high school baseball.

And more importantly… her parents’ conversation was strange.

“Wow, that Cha Tae-hyun is really something.”

“I know, right? And he’s so handsome too.”

“What does his face have to do with it? You don’t play baseball with your face.”

“It’s better if he’s handsome. I’m thinking of getting a jersey with his name on it.”

“That’s a great idea! Get one for me too.”

‘What…? What Tae-hyun…?’

She tried to dismiss it, thinking she had misheard, but a thought lingered, and she cautiously asked, “Mom, Dad, who did you just say… Tae-hyun?”

“Oh? Our daughter’s awake? What do you mean, who Tae-hyun? Is there any other Tae-hyun besides our Cha Tae-hyun?”

Shin Ha-yoon, momentarily stunned, shook her head vigorously and asked again, “Who is Cha Tae-hyun?”

She thought it couldn’t possibly be the delinquent Cha Tae-hyun she knew.

“Our daughter said she’s been studying lately, and she must be working really hard. He’s already famous among Phoenix fans. Look, there he is. Isn’t he handsome?”

Shin Ha-yoon’s mouth fell open as she looked at the screen.

‘It really is Cha Tae-hyun.’

The delinquent Cha Tae-hyun she knew was swinging a bat. She had heard he joined the baseball team…, but he was already a starter and playing so well?

“Wow… Unni, look at that, he’s really good, right? Our Tae-hyun oppa is handsome, and he’s so good at baseball. I’ve been watching him since the first day.”

Not just playing well? The highlights were all about him.

“…What on earth…”

“Oh, right, Unni, he goes to the same school as you. You should try to hit on him. Where else would you find a guy like that?”

“Hey! Little daughter! What are you… that’s a brilliant idea! See, she’s so smart. Ha-yoon, I’m all for it. Even if you can’t date him, get me a signed ball.”

“Right, Unni, a Phoenix ace as your husband? I can’t pass this up. What are you saving that pretty face for?”

“Hahaha!!”

Laughter filled the living room. Her mom, dad, and younger sister were all laughing, a picture of a happy family. All except for one person, Shin Ha-yoon.

“Hmph… don’t be ridiculous!!”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

After hitting the grand slam, I was met with a barrage of high-fives in the dugout.

“Cha Tae-hyun, you crazy bastard! I’m speechless, hahaha!”

“Stop being so good, Cha Tae-hyun!”

“That’s it, Cha Tae-hyun!”

“Hey, why is this guy copying what I say?”

After finally escaping from the team members, I sat down next to Jin Myung-hwan.

“Crazy bastard…”

“Why?”

“You just crushed the hopes of hundreds of people in the stands…”

“So what, am I the bad guy?”

Jin Myung-hwan chuckled and held out his fist.

“No, you’re the best. That was so satisfying. The villain of all villains.”

I chuckled and bumped his fist. Seeing how happy he was, it seemed the cheers during his first error had really bothered him. Anyway, I refocused on the game. The 5th batter, Lee Ji-ho, was in the middle of a check swing.

“This is the crucial point.”

“Huh?”

“Whether the pitcher completely collapses or holds on a little longer.”

“Right… if he gets hit here, he won’t be able to recover.”

Well, after giving up a grand slam, the former was more likely, but there was no ‘absolutely’ in baseball. Soon, the pitcher threw the first pitch.

Thud!

“Ball!”

A slider that just missed the borderline.

“Oh… his mentality hasn’t shattered, I guess.”

“…Really? I’m not so sure…”

Although the slider was a ball, it was a decoy pitch from the start. It meant his control wasn’t shaken. His stuff had diminished a little, but his mentality wasn’t completely broken.

That Jin Tae-hyun kid must have given him a speech on the mound and helped him regain his composure. He was definitely a talented catcher. Helping the pitcher with his mentality was also one of the catcher’s abilities.

Next, the second pitch. Another slider, away. At first glance, it looked like a normal decoy pitch to induce a swing…

“Jin Tae-hyun… he’s more prepared than I thought.”

“…What do you mean, he’s prepared?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it.”

“…”

Jin Myung-hwan looked at me with a disappointed expression, but this time, I wasn’t teasing him. It was true.

To understand Jin Tae-hyun’s pitch selection, you had to know Lee Ji-ho as a batter very well. As a devoted reader of Nemesis, I couldn’t not know him.

Anyway, that pitch selection was ruthlessly exploiting Lee Ji-ho’s weaknesses. As if he had divided the strike zone into sections and was only throwing to the spots where he was least likely to get a hit.

“He’s meticulous for a passionate baseball manga protagonist.”

“I don’t know… But if you say so, then I guess so.”

How much analysis must he have done to be able to do that? He must have reviewed Lee Ji-ho’s records, and if there was a video, he must have watched it dozens of times. A genius who combined effort and talent…

He definitely wouldn’t be buried. Soon, the Cheongshin High pitcher threw the third pitch. A curveball with a large drop, low and inside. One of Lee Ji-ho’s representative weaknesses. I wanted to applaud him for aiming so well, but…

Thwack!

Unfortunately, Lee Ji-ho, who had overcome his slump, was also on a rampage these days.

“Huh? No, wait, it’s going to go over.”

“It’s gone.”

“Huh…? No, it really went over…? Hey, you said the pitcher’s mentality hadn’t shattered.”

“It hadn’t. Lee Ji-ho just hit it well.”

“Um… Ji-ho did hit it well…”

“Get ready. The inning is about to change.”

“Huh? There’s not even one out yet? A home run just came out…?”

“Jin Tae-hyun is going up. If he gives another speech, the pitcher will regain his composure. He’ll be able to hold off the lower part of the lineup.”

“No… what, is the catcher all-powerful? Can he really regain his mentality just from a speech?”

“Jin Tae-hyun is good at speeches.”

“No, what do you mean by speeches…”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

After giving up a grand slam and then another home run to the next batter, the pitcher somehow managed to hold his mentality and shut down the lower part of the lineup…

But after that, Cheongshin High’s ordeal continued. In the top of the 5th, the score was 7 to 3, and they were still losing. Besides Jin Tae-hyun’s solo home run, they hadn’t scored at all.

“……”

It was just… bleak. The pitches from Kim Chang-hyun, who had come in for Lee Seung-tae, were so sharp that it was difficult to even make contact.

Thwack!

“Finally! A decent hit! It’s heading towards third and short, but ah…! Cha Tae-hyun makes a diving catch! He throws to first for the out!”

“Wow… that really feels like a stolen hit. Pitcher Kim Chang-hyun is all smiles! He has to be happy. With defense like that!”

Somehow, whenever they managed to hit the ball, that shortstop would magically catch it. Now, there were no cheers for ordinary hits, and some people were even starting to leave the stands.

Strike out!

Just now, the second batter had struck out without even swinging his bat. His expression was downcast, but he didn’t seem particularly disappointed. It was more of a ‘what did you expect’ reaction.

‘……How do you hit a ball like that?’

The strange thing was that the second-string pitcher, Kim Chang-hyun, was pitching as well as Lee Seung-tae…

As the second batter was putting his bat away and about to sit down, Jin Tae-hyun suddenly stood up. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and…

“At least act a little disappointed!!”

He shouted so loudly that the dugout echoed. The Cheongshin High baseball team members flinched.

“It’s okay to fail… it’s okay not to hit…! It’s okay not to catch! Damn it, it’s okay to lose!!”

Jin Tae-hyun, his fists trembling with emotion, continued.

“But… is this right? Looking at your faces, it looks like the game is already over. It’s written all over your faces that you want to go home! Aren’t you even angry? Huh? How can you not be? I’m going crazy right now! What, you’re happy just because we made it to the finals? You think we were going to lose anyway? Bullshit! If you’re going to play baseball with that kind of mindset, then don’t play at all! Pack your bags and go home right now!”

Jin Tae-hyun, still fuming, took a few deep breaths, picked up a bat, and said quietly, “Haa… I’m sorry for getting angry. I’ll hit a home run and get us a run… Let’s do it properly from the next batter. Even if we lose, let’s go down fighting…”

As Jin Tae-hyun walked to the plate, a silence fell over the dugout. The coach was the first to speak in the tense atmosphere.

“That’s what I wanted to say. Just watch. See how Jin Tae-hyun is different from you all.”

Thwack!

No sooner had the coach finished speaking than a loud crack of the bat echoed through the dugout. A huge hit, soaring through the air, looked like it would easily clear the fence. But, Jin Tae-hyun ran.

He ran with all his might towards the bases, his teeth clenched, without even looking at the ball.

“Baseball isn’t a one-man sport. No matter how much people say we made it here thanks to Jin Tae-hyun, he can’t win the game alone. It’s because of you all that we were able to come this far. Both Jin Tae-hyun and Cheongshin High.”

The coach paused for a moment and then said with a faint smile, “I’m sure you all understand what I mean.”

“Yes!!”

Not yet. Cheongshin High’s baseball wasn’t over yet.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The top of the 6th inning ended, and the only additional run was Jin Tae-hyun’s home run. The score was 7 to 4, so it was still a bad situation.

But the look in the Cheongshin High players’ eyes had changed. It wasn’t a look of helplessness, but one of determination to win, no matter what. Jin Tae-hyun, who had scanned their eyes, nodded.

‘Right. We can do it. You never know what will happen in baseball.’

Jin Tae-hyun, wearing his catcher’s mask, looked at Cha Tae-hyun, who was walking towards him with a smile.

Although he hadn’t scored any more runs, he had certainly shown that the atmosphere had changed by getting his timing back. But that face, as if it didn’t bother him at all.

‘He’s a good player.’

So he couldn’t let his guard down. As Jin Tae-hyun was thinking about his pitch selection, Cha Tae-hyun suddenly spoke.

“You’re working hard?”

He was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly suppressed his anger. Wasn’t this also a part of baseball? He thought it was a kind of psychological warfare.

Jin Tae-hyun responded as calmly as possible.

“Of course, I have to work hard. The game isn’t over yet.”

“Really…?”

Cha Tae-hyun trailed off and then closed his mouth. He was getting into his stance, as if to focus on hitting. Jin Tae-hyun also focused on his pitcher.

‘Let’s walk him… but try to induce a swing.’

Having given up two consecutive home runs, he had realized that Cha Tae-hyun was a batter who could hit almost any pitch. So, he had no choice but to walk him.

But since he also swung at bad balls… he decided to use that. He might swing at a ball that was clearly out of the strike zone. Jin Tae-hyun gave a sign and moved his mitt far out. The pitcher wound up and threw the ball.

The ball, which was quickly heading towards his mitt, suddenly changed its trajectory.

‘W-Wait a minute.’

Jin Tae-hyun had overlooked one thing. Although it was still the 6th inning, the pitcher’s mentality was already at its limit due to the frequent hits and home runs. He hadn’t realized that he was barely holding on with his comfort and encouragement.

A mistake from such a pitcher wasn’t that strange.

Thwaa-ack!

A crack of the bat so loud that it sent shivers down his spine vibrated through his entire body. The ball soared into the sky as if it were going to pierce it, and flew over the center fielder’s head at a frightening speed. Its final destination was…

Thud.

The back screen, where the name of Cheongshin High was written.

“I think it’s over. The game.”

Cha Tae-hyun, who had coolly thrown his bat, said that one sentence and started running towards the bases.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇