The Extra in a Baseball Novel
Chapter 67

TL Note:

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“Hey, Director Lee, what’s with the call at this hour? Have you already started negotiating the trade I requested?”

“We’re working on the trade, but that’s not the reason for this call… The chairman said he wants to attend tomorrow’s game.”

“What? Why is he suddenly saying that? Isn’t he busy?”

“I just heard about it today as well. But he insists on coming to watch the game.”

Coach Lee Eun-seok rubbed his face with his hand. The good mood he had from winning the series today quickly plummeted.

If you’re wondering why the chairman attending a game is such a big deal, it’s simple to explain.

It’s like finishing training successfully, only to come back and hear that the division commander is visiting.

And the opponent for this three-game series is the Dinos. Losing in front of the chairman to a team that’s already a strong rival…?

“…That sounds awful.”

“I understand…”

“Alright… I’ll do my best. If he insists on coming, we’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Oh, and… there’s one more thing.”

“One more?”

‘It doesn’t end here?’

“He said he’ll personally give a big reward to the player who wins MVP.”

That was some good news. A reward like that could boost the players’ morale. However, what the director said next made Coach Lee Eun-seok fall into thought again.

“The chairman specifically wants to see Cha Taehyun pitch and hit in tomorrow’s game.”

The coach, leaning on his hand, thought for a moment before speaking softly.

“You know that doing both pitching and hitting basically means a complete game, right? I’ll ask Cha Taehyun, but if he says it’s too much, I won’t make him do it back-to-back again. Maybe once every two weeks at most.”

“I understand. I’ll let him know.”

“Good. I’ll ask him and get back to you. If he can’t do it, you might have to explain it to the chairman yourself. Good luck with that.”

“…Yes, I suppose.”

The director’s response was heavy with a sense of resignation.

As the call ended, Coach Lee clicked his tongue.

‘Being a director isn’t easy either.’

“Cha Taehyun! Come over here for a minute!”

Cha Taehyun, who was gathering his luggage after getting off the team bus, quickly approached.

“What’s up, Coach?”

“Nothing much. You know you’re starting tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I know. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

It seemed like he was about to say that pitching and hitting would be too much.

“Can I pitch and hit in tomorrow’s game too?”

“Huh…?”

The response was unexpected.

“Are you sure you can handle it? You’d have to aim for a complete game.”

“I tried it once before, and I think I can handle it. Plus, I just have to pitch a complete game, right?”

Coach Lee burst out laughing.

It might just be youthful recklessness, but as a coach, he was certainly glad to hear it.

“Alright, then do it. But if I think it’s too much during the game, I’ll substitute you. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

‘Thank me?’

I should be thanking you.

A rookie taking on both being the ace pitcher and the cleanup hitter.

The coach patted Cha Taehyun’s back and headed home with a lighter heart.

“I protected your victory and your arm, Seungtae!”

“Yes… Thank you.”

“Hey, Taeseop, wasn’t my grand slam amazing?”

“Lee Sangjin, haven’t you mentioned that like ten times already…?”

“So what? We won and I hit a home run! Feels great! Haha!”

Despite the long travel, the players heading home seemed to be in a good mood.

And why not?

The Phoenix team was currently 4-1 in their last five games, sitting in first place, even if they’re often referred to as the “Spring Phoenix.”

But what’s up with Shin Siwoo?

During the game, he was all excited, shouting “Siwoo!” but now that it’s over, he’s been sulking since getting on the bus.

Maybe he’s just tired.

As I greeted the older players and was about to head home, Shin Siwoo caught up with me.

“What’s up?”

“…Tomorrow’s our first home game, right?”

“Yeah, so?”

“All my family and relatives are coming… Ugh…”

He sighed as if it were a huge problem, and I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with your family coming?”

I’d be thrilled if Jihyun came to watch my games.

“You know how bad my stats are lately… I’m fine with it, but I don’t want my family to see me like this and be disappointed.”

I chuckled and tapped Shin Siwoo on the chest.

“You’re hitting well. Seriously.”

“Me…?”

“Yeah. Like I said during the game, it’s just bad luck. You need more confidence. I’m telling you, you’ve got talent.”

I wasn’t just trying to comfort him—I meant it.

Debuting in the first team as a second-round rookie catcher without causing any major problems was already impressive.

His hitting was a bit lacking, but that could be worked on over time.

“And even if you don’t do well, so what? Do you really think your family will be disappointed? No family in the world would do that. They’ll just support you even more.”

Shin Siwoo nodded and, regaining his usual energy, straightened his shoulders.

“Yeah, you’re right. That actually makes me feel better. Thanks, man.”

“No problem. Things will go well tomorrow, so don’t worry too much. Just get a good night’s rest.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks again.”

“Are you seriously going to keep thanking me? I’m heading out.”

Despite telling Cha Taehyun he was going to rest, Shin Siwoo headed to Sajik Stadium, not home.

‘I need to work harder to make up for my shortcomings.’

He’d already given up on trying to be as good as Cha Taehyun. That would be too unrealistic.

But he still needed to try his best not to fall too far behind.

“Chanwoo-sunbae? You’re still here?”

While walking through the hallway, he ran into Ji Chanwoo.

“Oh, yeah… Taehyun is starting tomorrow… I don’t want to mess up again like last time, so I’m sticking around to work on my fielding with the coach.”

“Fielding drills? Won’t that make you tired for tomorrow?”

“Well, I was just on the bench today, so I’ll take it easy. Just trying not to lose my fielding touch.”

Shin Siwoo let out a small sigh of admiration.

Staying late to practice fielding so he wouldn’t burden a much younger player… if nothing else, that mindset was admirable.

“Are you here to practice too?”

Ji Chanwoo glanced at the bat Shin Siwoo was holding.

“Yeah… My hitting’s been bad lately. I can’t let the team down.”

“You’re not even playing tomorrow… Haha.”

Ji Chanwoo stopped mid-sentence and laughed at himself.

“Haha! Yeah! I won’t overdo it either.”

Ji Chanwoo smiled and said,

“Let’s do our best tomorrow.”

“Of course. Chanwoo-sunbae, since you’re batting ahead of me, how about doing the ‘Siwoo!’ celebration together if you hit something big?”

“Hm…? You mean the one you always do?”

“Yeah. It’s good for motivation, and it’s pretty fun.”

‘It’s kind of embarrassing, though…’

Ji Chanwoo didn’t mind the request from a teammate who shared the same struggle.

“Sure, if I get the chance.”

“Did you just say yes? Then let’s practice it now! Siwoo!!!!”

“Si… Siwoo…”

“No, no! Louder!”

“Si! Siwoo!!!”

“Great! Siwoo!!!!”

Under the dark night sky, long past quitting time, in the echoing, empty hallways of Sajik Stadium, the laughter of two men filled the air.

Early in the morning, I woke up to find Jihyun busily setting the table for breakfast.

“Jihyun, you don’t have to make breakfast anymore. It’s tiring for you. Just use the card I gave you and buy whatever you want. Get something expensive if you like.”

“No, I have to make breakfast for you. Besides, isn’t today an important game for you?”

“Today?”

It’s just a regular game.

“All the kids in my class were talking about it, saying they’re excited to see your game today. Isn’t it a big one?”

Well, I guess it’s important. It’s our first home game, and we’re playing the Dinos.

“You’re really popular these days. Everyone says they’re jealous of me because of you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Because of you, I’m super popular now.”

I’d been worried she wasn’t fitting in with her friends, so hearing that they were taking an interest in her because of me was a relief.

“Next time I have some free time, I’ll come by and sign autographs for your friends.”

“…No, that’s okay.”

“Huh? Why? Wouldn’t they like it

?”

“That’d be too much. You’re busy.”

I laughed.

What a considerate little sister. If it were me, I’d have asked for a visit to the school right away.

“Here’s your soft tofu stew! I put extra beef in it, so eat up and win today!”

Well… I guess I’ll have to pitch a complete game again.

“Of course. I’ll definitely win today.”

The Phoenix operations team predicted this three-game series against the Dinos would be a huge hit.

But it wasn’t much of a prediction.

The first home game, the anticipation of Cha Taehyun starting, and the fact that Phoenix was still in first place with only one loss had fans excited.

Everything pointed to a massive turnout at Sajik Stadium.

But the Phoenix fans were more serious about baseball than the operations team expected.

[Real-time, what’s up with the line outside Sajik’s ticket booth? lol]

It’s 6 AM, and there’s already a line in front of the ticket booth?

Are these people trying to get one of the few remaining on-site tickets because they couldn’t get one online? lol

└ Crazy people, lol

└ I kind of get it, though. I really want to watch the game too, damn.

└ Yeah, the online tickets selling out instantly was a pain.

└ First home game + Cha Taehyun starting = can’t stop this, lol

└ Is this really a Friday game? lol

[I’ve lost 12 straight games when watching live, but I got a ticket!]

It sucks that they lost every time I watched, but I managed to get a ticket for Cha Taehyun’s start!

Am I finally going to break my curse?

[Proof of my 12-game losing streak, jpg.]

└ Get lost, damn it

└ You’re a Dinos spy, aren’t you?

└ What’s the team doing? They should’ve blacklisted you by now.

└ The ghost of 12 straight losses vs. the god Cha Taehyun, wow.

└ If Cha Taehyun wins with this curse lifted, I’ll admit he’s the best.

[It’s not just the ticket booth, lol. The merchandise shop is even worse.]

Damn, they’re selling Cha Taehyun special jerseys and merchandise on-site today, and there’s a huge line for that too, lol.

└ Ah, Cha Taehyun special jersey? Can’t miss this, I’m heading over now.

└ Too late, man, lol. The line is already huge.

└ Then I’ll at least try to get a Cha Taehyun phone case.

└ Think they’d have something like that? lol

└ Check the website’s notice, they do, surprisingly.

└ Why do they even have that…?

└ Because… it’s Cha Taehyun.

└ Phoenix is really milking their 2 billion won investment with all this merchandise, damn, lol.

“Hehehe… I got my ticket.”

“Huh? Ms. Miyeon, what did you say?”

Lee Miyeon, who was secretly browsing the fan community in the teacher’s office, quickly flipped her phone over.

“Oh, nothing. I’m just excited for the weekend.”

“Haha! We’re always excited for the weekend. Got any plans for today? A date? I’ve got plans with my husband too.”

“It’s not that, but…”

Lee Miyeon smiled shyly.

“I’m going to see someone I really like.”

Shin Myeonghoon, the owner of the Phoenix team and chairman of the large corporation Rendezvous, couldn’t stop smiling from the moment he arrived at Sajik Stadium.

“Wow~ Secretary Kim, don’t you feel like you’re back home coming to Sajik Stadium?”

‘My hometown is Changwon, though…’

“Yes, it’s very comforting.”

“Exactly! I feel the same. Haha!”

Inside, the stadium was packed with people.

“Waaah! I told you to buy me a Cha Taehyun special jersey!”

“Dad wants to buy it for you, but they’re all sold out…”

The merchandise shop had a long line of people waiting.

“Hey, I heard the Rendezvous burger place is selling the Cha Taehyun set. Want to go?”

“Oh yeah, I saw that too. They give out Cha Taehyun photo cards at the Sajik location. Let’s go!”

Even the Rendezvous burger place, which was selling Cha Taehyun-themed items, was filled with people.

After passing through the crowd, the chairman entered the office and was handed two jerseys by the staff.

“Wow! They really did a great job with these. What do you think, Secretary Kim?”

The chairman immediately put on the jersey and turned his back to Secretary Kim.

[Cha Taehyun (1)]

“I love that Taehyun’s number is 1. I’m very satisfied.”

“It looks great on you, Chairman.”

Secretary Kim clapped, and the chairman handed him a jersey as well.

“Chairman, this is…?”

“I can’t be the only one wearing something this nice. I got a jersey for you too. Don’t refuse, just take it.”

Secretary Kim forced a smile and accepted the jersey.

It was another Cha Taehyun jersey.

As Secretary Kim tried to tuck the jersey into his bag, the chairman widened his eyes.

“You’re not going to wear it?”

“Huh…? Well, I…”

Secretary Kim could tolerate playing along with the chairman, but as a longtime Dinos fan, he couldn’t bring himself to wear a Cha Taehyun jersey.

“I was thinking of displaying it at home. It’s too precious to wear.”

Secretary Kim thought he came up with a clever excuse.

“Really? Then I’ll give you another one to wear.”

But the chairman was one step ahead.

“…Yes, sir.”

“Haha! It looks great on you! Oh, have you heard the new Cha Taehyun cheer song? If not, we should practice it together!”

“…Oh, Phoenix, oh, Cha Taehyun! Swing away, Cha Taehyun…”

“Perfect! You’re a natural!”

The dugout is a surprisingly sensitive place.

When the atmosphere is good, it’s full of singing and shoulder-shaking. But when things are tense, it’s as cold and uncomfortable as can be.

That’s why they say the dugout atmosphere is important…

“Mom, Dad, my cousins… and even the chairman are coming. What do I do…?”

It’s understandable that Shin Siwoo, who’s secretly a bit of a nervous wreck, is panicking.

“Sigh… Why is the chairman coming…”

“Seriously. He came last year too, and it was a disaster…”

“Can’t he just not come…?”

But it was strange to see even the senior players, who had experienced the chairman’s visits before, acting like this.

“Suho-sunbae, did something happen the last time the chairman came?”

Suho-sunbae smiled wryly.

“If only it was just a bad loss.”

What on earth happened?

“Do you know, Taehyun? Our chairman’s personality is a lot like Phoenix.”

“What do you mean? His personality is like Phoenix?”

“He has a fiery personality. Last year, when we lost 12-0, do you know what happened?”

“What happened?”

With a distant look in his eyes, as if recalling a bad memory, Suho-sunbae said,

“He came down to the dugout and grabbed the starting pitcher by the collar, asking if we even considered ourselves professionals.”

“…”

I was about to ask if that was for real, but I decided not to.

Because it really wouldn’t be surprising if it were true.

“…I guess I’d better pitch well today.”