Chapter 70 – Episode 70. Am I Representing the Country? (One)

“Haven’t you both played a full season yet?”

“Yes, it is.”

Right before we arrived in Australia and started training in earnest, Kwan Woo called us.

“What is the difference between amateur baseball and pros?”

Woo Kwan hyung looked at me and opened his mouth. Well, since I’m the only amateur here, I naturally asked me.

“Are you getting paid?”

“Yes, getting paid makes a difference, but that’s not what I meant when I asked. The biggest difference between amateur baseball and professional baseball is that you have to play baseball 6 days a week. 144 games like that, the big difference is that most players can’t stand it.”

“Am I confident in my stamina?”

“Where are the pros who aren’t confident in their physical strength?”

“Yes, it can be said that there is no professional who is not confident in his physical strength like Seong-tae said. However, any pro will be blocked by the wall of stamina once in a season. And so the slump begins. Well, it’s something that humans can’t help.”

Well…. Is it that hard?

“Looking at your expression, it looks like you don’t believe me.”

“Senior, do I really have to explain this to an old man like this?”

“Well, there are things you have to experience to know.”

“What about you, senior? Isn’t that the designated hitter? Is it difficult to be a designated hitter?”

As far as I know, Woo Kwan-hyung has been on the field as a designated hitter for the past three years. You can’t even defend, is it that hard?

“…….”

“Wow… , Dude, you’re really smart.”

“Anyway, keuhum, ha…. The reason I brought you two here is to teach you about fitness and routines before the season starts…. Sung Tae. How are you preparing for the season?”

“I’m thinking of taking the routine that I used to work for at Sangmu. I think the results last season were good.”

“Okay then, Maengho, what’s your routine like?”

My routine… ?

“I guess I was just training before the game, having sex and something like that?”

Rossby said the same thing.

“…….”

“Sex? Your underage child?”

“I was in a hurry?”

“Kuhm, usually there are players like that. Even the seniors and juniors I know had sex after the game. But wouldn’t it be too hard to do that during the season?”

“Ah, it was difficult for me to think about it during the game if I didn’t step in.”

This was a fact I didn’t have sex for about a week at the finish camp, so I couldn’t concentrate.

“That, yes. Anyway, if the performance improves, there is nothing to say. Anyway, I will pass on my know-how during the battery training period. Besides, Sands, the coach of our team, is a coach who guarantees the autonomy of the players, so if he can’t find his own way to train, he’ll easily fall behind. I won’t tell you who it is, but many juniors on the team have already lost their grades due to the illusion of free baseball.”

Are you guaranteeing autonomy? That’s good

“So, during this training period, I plan to train like I do during the season. Take a good look and I hope you find a routine that suits you. Shall we start training then?”

“Yep!”

“Yes.”

“The instructor I called and the people who will help with the training will come soon, so let’s warm up until then. You know that exercise is important for the lower body, right? Let’s start with light running.”

It was a bit intense because of the jet lag, but it wasn’t to the extent that I couldn’t run. Well…. But would it be okay to have sex here? I’m a total nerd, and it’s not my style to buy and eat.

Under…. Is this the beginning of a forced abstinence?

*

“Did you read your article?”

“A knight?”

On the last day of the off-campus training proposed by Woo Kwan-hyung, as I was packing my bags to go back to Korea, Yoon Seong-tae spoke to me. He must have become friendly while training together for two weeks.

For reference, I couldn’t even see girls for two weeks and only trained. Fuck.

“Wow, the preliminary entry for the WBC national team has appeared, haven’t you seen it?”

“Look, what are you doing? There won’t be anyway, but it’s not even the Asian Games.”

“Look at it.”

I accepted the smartphone Yun Seong-tae handed to me. And check out his article.

“Announcement of 50 WBC preliminary entrants. 24 pitchers, 26 batters confirmed!”

“No, don’t just look at the article. See also the content.”

What is it about? It’s such a fuss.

‘It was a later entry announcement than usual. I finally came up with a list that I thought I had thought about so much. Well, skip the useless part….’

I slowly went through the list of preliminary entries. The feeling of being there. In our team, Kim Su-ho, Ki Sang-joo, and Choi Jin-cheol were selected as batters, and Jang-yoon and Park Jun-hyung were selected as pitchers?

Huh? What? Why is my name on the infielder?

“Did you see it?”

“Do you have my name?”

“Right. That’s how the article came out. I knew it would be like this.”

“Is there an article out?”

I didn’t know because I didn’t have time to look at the article because I was concentrating on training.

“I’m going to pick Jang Woo-joo and you, don’t you know it’s an article?”

“How do I know that? I know people who don’t focus on training and only use the Internet like my older brother.”

“This bastard is a real jerk.”

“That bastard, ttlgae.”

I ignored Yun Seong-tae’s words and read the last part of the article about my story again.

-‘On the other hand, there is something unusual about this preliminary entry. It is the fact that there are names of Jang Woo-joo and Ji Maeng-ho, who are new high school graduates this year. The KBA Technical Committee said, “The two players who have shown outstanding performance in high school baseball are the future leaders of Korean baseball, and the Technical Committee has already judged that the two players are professional-level players, and for the development of Korean baseball, new players are also encouraged. I thought it was right to give them a chance to represent the national team.”

Well…. I don’t know who the technical committee is, but one eye is normal. I don’t know Jang Woo-joo, but I’m definitely a pro.

‘Even in the country of monkeys, there are some people who are well-intentioned. Do you know this Rosby’s masterpiecehehe.’

‘It’s because I’m good at it.’

‘Shut up, monkey kid.’

‘Yep.’

‘Keep reading the article.’

‘Let’s do as instructed.’

-‘On the other hand, the Technical Committee reported that they would be selected for the national team if they were in satisfactory physical condition after seeing the two players at this spring camp. Some experts questioned the technical committee’s selection.’

“Are you questioning it? Are your eyes sick?”

“Where do you read that, swearing so brutally?”

“Oh, that’s a surprise.”

When I suddenly cursed, Yoon Seong-tae seemed to be curious about the part I was reading.

“But isn’t this person right?

“Brother, are you jealous? Oops, ugly I will go to the national team first.”

“Leave behind.”

“Ah, to be honest, hyung also felt it while training with me. That doesn’t work for me.”

“…….”

Yoon Seong-tae did not respond to my words. Batting ball pitchers and instructors all praised me in unison, so it was easy to feel the wall.

“Turn it off.”

Yoon Seong-tae raised his middle fingerhehe, ugly.

“Brother. You know you’re lucky. I was a shortstop until my sophomore year. If I had seen a shortstop in my junior year, hyung, I wouldn’t have even been able to set foot in the first team this year.”

“Is it the infielder who ran away because he couldn’t even see the shot? With a side ball.”

“It was considerate. Consideration. If I even look at the shortstop, he’s too impersonal.”

“What the fuck.”

“Are you coming to spring camp and seeing me anyway? It’s a bit unlucky to be involved with Jang Woo-joo, but it’s not bad.”

“Have you played with Jang Woo-joo?”

“One time? Would have stuck Of course I hit a home run.”

“How about throwing 160?”

“It’s that baby. Just feathers. The ball is clean, nothing special.”

“Well, with your Pata Speed, you won’t be able to hit anything.”

“Now you acknowledge my greatnesshehe.”

“Yes, you are good.”

“Are you making a lot of noise while packing?”

While I was fooling around with Yoon Seong-tae, Kwan-hyung Woo came into the room.

“Ah, senior. Are you here?”

“It was cheap.”

“I thought you wanted to be here because you kept talking.”

“No!”

At Woo Kwan-hyung’s words, Yoon Seong-tae responded in a panic. Men don’t have ambition.

“It’s a fierce tiger.”

Hey, why are you calling me? Suddenly, Woo Kwan hyung called me.

“Yep. Did you call?”

Hehe, you monkey. What do you do when you’re scared too….’

‘I’m not self-sufficient, but I’m paying tens of thousands of won to pay my respects to my seniors who let me participate in field training. The Eastern Kingdom of Courtesy, you know?’

‘Beauty god.’

“Congratulations.”

“Yes?”

“National team article. I saw it too.”

“Oh, thank you. But it’s still a preliminary entry, so it’s not confirmed.”

“No, I heard from a senior in the technical committee that it was almost confirmed.”

“Oh, Ji Maeng-ho. Do you want to enter the national university before making your professional debut?”

“As expected, the future of Korean baseball is bright. You know someone like me.”

“I like all of you, but I think it would be better without that strange confidence.”

“Ah, senior. Athletes have to have that level of gonzo. Right, senior?”

I said while looking at Woo Kwan-hyung. This is what I felt after being stuck together for two weeks, but Woo Kwan-hyung didn’t particularly hate this.

“Okay. An athlete should have that much confidence. It’s much better than no ambition.”

“But how about the national team? I’ve never been there.”

“Wow, haven’t you been to the National University? What did you do in high school?”

“What did you do? Has your brother been there?”

“I was a regular.”

“Among those who came to the pros, it’s not uncommon for players without national team experience.”

Uh, if it wasn’t for Lee Ki-cheol, I’d go to Cheongdae too….

“Still, I also went once as a batting ball pitcher.”

“I’m proud of you, ma’am.”

“Still, I will go to the adult national team before my older brother.”

“Yeah, you are good. Bastard.”

Yoon Seong-tae, perhaps furious, cursed once and went back to his room.

“Always behave carefully when selected for the national team and wearing the national team uniform. Because every action you take represents the country.”

“All right.”

As if he wanted to say this, Woo Kwan-hyung finished talking and went back to his room.

I’m a national representative…. For some reason, his heart was pounding. I was excited to be able to wear the uniform I saw while pitching in St. Louis.

‘Are you making my heart flutter over something that isn’t a dick?’

‘Still, it’s a national standoff. When I was young, the national baseball team won the Olympics. When you were five? Because that’s when I started playing baseball. It’s been my dream since I was little.’

‘If this bastard opens his mouth, he’ll say goodbye.’

‘Yes? Where do you think I’m lying?’

‘How can a bastard like you remember what happened when you were five years old? That’s not even funny. Tell me honestly, do you remember what happened in middle school?’

‘What bullshit? I’m talking seriously.’

Hehe, you have to say something that makes sense to take it seriously. When I see it, you won’t even remember what happened a year ago?’

‘Oh, what! I also remember things when I was young. And how much of an impression it must have had on that young heart, can you still remember it?’

‘Then who was last at bat?’

‘How do I know that! I just remember that impression. And we must have been a super attack?’

I remember this. I knew it because it was played on TV so many times. Even now, the ball that induces double play was artistic.

‘You just watched TV and put it together. Because you don’t have the intelligence to remember that time.’

‘What, I remember. Oh, okay. Just turn it off. Because I want to be alone.’

Hehe, you bastard. He’s swearing because he has nothing to refute.’

I ignored Rossby’s words and silently started packing up. Seriously, I remember….

*

Sew. As soon as I arrive at the airport, I breathe in the nostalgic Korean air. No matter how much I was in Australia for two weeks, is Korea still the best?

I was in Australia for two weeks from the end of December after Christmas, so this was my first time visiting Korea. I celebrated the new year abroad, but it didn’t bother me or anything like that. Because I had no one to meet anyway.

The only thing that annoyed me was that I couldn’t have sex?

“Then you worked hard. Seniors. It was an honor to be able to train together.”

“Yes, Seongtae. See you in group 1 this year. Because if you’re good enough, you can work in the first team.”

“Thank you. Seniors. Maengho, see you at the Nido scam. Good job.”

“Yes, go.”

They left the airport one by one. I picked up the phone as soon as the seniors left.

“Soyoung? Are you busy now? I just finished training.”

-“I’m here? I’m busy, but…. Salary negotiations are not over yet…. It’s not like I can’t make time for it though. Are you okay later tonight?”

“Okay, then see you tonight.”

I made an appointment with Soyoung and dialed her phone number again. Hyuna is in season, and Hyejin noona is due to give birth soon, so the only option left is Joeun!

“Joeun, what are you doing now?”

– “Mr. Fierce Tiger! I was waiting for you!”

“I am busy with training. Anyway, is it time now?”

-“Yes…. In the center as usual? Or at home?”

“Let’s go home. Comfortable.”

Damn, let’s have sex first!