Chapter 96 – Episode 95. Son of a Hero. (One)

Panama? Where is this country? I don’t know where you are from, but my baseball skills weren’t zero.

“Jang Woo-joo is cool!”

“The youngest is doing well!”

Because it’s blocked by Jang Woo-joo. No matter how much he throws 160, this is a bit…. At the beginning of the 8th inning, Jang Woo-joo, who took the mound with the score 11:4, was blocking Panama’s batting line.

‘Ah, it’s not fun.’

My task today is to be the cheerleader on the bench. The match was not played. But it wasn’t particularly sad.

‘Mr. Rossby, let’s do it one more time.’

‘In addition? I think the match will be over soon.’

‘I want to join soon.’

Because I had something to do with Rossby. It was more interesting to train with Rossby than against Panamanian pitchers. I learned about this training method two days ago, after the game against Japan.

Depressed by defeat, I suddenly thought of that while receiving text messages of consolation from many people. If you can play against the pitcher in Rossby’s memory, can’t you play against the pitcher in my memory?

I immediately asked Rossby. Rossby said he hadn’t done it, but he somehow replied that it might be possible.

And now.

Ohtani was standing in front of me. Ohtani in my memory. Rossby completely restored my memories and created a lifelike illusion.

– Right!

– Whoa!

– Right!

It’s not easy either. Ohtani in my memory is also Ohtani. It wasn’t easy to touch the ball without Rossby’s help.

‘Mr. Rossby, help me now.’

‘Hate.’

‘Yes? Why?’

‘Because the game is over.’

With Rossby’s words, Ohtani’s illusion disappeared, and the ball floated high in the infield. What? I’m not done with Ohtani either. Is it over already?

“Maknae, weren’t you sleeping?”

“Ah, of course not. I was meditating.”

“Meditation? Why do you do that during a game?”

“As you know, there are times when you feel like this is a hit! That’s it.”

“Anyway, he’s a peculiar bastard.”

I went out of the dugout to meet the players who finished the game while talking to the weatherman who was given a break today.

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Thank you for your effort.”

“Effort….”

Damn, it’s such a hassle to say hello. Anyway, after the annoying greeting, the coach called the players together.

“Then, wash up and see you in the meeting room. Because I have to prepare for Gyeonggi-do tomorrow.”

The coach’s expression looked bright, probably because he had won the game. Korea’s current record is 2 wins and 1 loss. Even though they lost to Japan, they won against Australia and Panama, and the only opponent left was China with 3 defeats. Advancement to the quarterfinals was almost certain.

Even if they lose tomorrow, as long as Australia doesn’t beat Panama and Japan, advancing to the quarterfinals is certain. No matter how round the baseball is, there was little chance of Japan losing to Australia.

“Then wash up and meet at 4:00. Dissolution.”

“Thank you for your effort.”

Shall we wash up and train with Rossby?

*

-“Congratulations on advancing to the quarterfinals.”

After taking a shower, I got a call from Kim Won-ho after a long time. I debated whether to accept it or not, but still, you could see me as my only friend in high school. I accepted it.

“What is it? Finish the call.”

– “I just called. Between us.”

“What’s between us?”

– “Yumma, between friends. Anyway, I was going to call to congratulate you. It was unfortunate against Ohtani.”

“What about Ohtani? It was two days ago.”

-“Hey! I’ve been busy with training too. By the way, how about Ohtani? Are there different levels?”

“You wouldn’t be able to do that even if you practiced for a hundred years?”

– “Shit. I would have. What kind of splitter do you throw 140 on?”

“That’s right. How about you?”

-“Me? Same. Fuck. Under…. Hey. How is AT training? Damn, the youngest here has to drink only water. No drinks?”

“No drinks? What are you talking about?”

There is no way a professional team would do that without drinks. Right now, even AT alone, drinks of each color were piled up.

– “Isn’t it like a joke? Fuck. Beggar, beggar. I only heard It was a real beggar club.”

“You got a lot of down payment for that, didn’t you?”

I think he also received a little over 400 million….

– “I was fooled. I was tricked. Does anyone know anything about your club? Please ask me to take you.”

“Will Silla send the first nomination? Well, have you been fucking around for 4-5 years?”

– “Are you crazy? Lower your salary.”

“A bastard with a well-to-do home buys it and eats it.”

-“Under…. Anyway, from what I’ve heard, I don’t think I’m dead. OK. Let’s go to the next game together. Let me have some water, too.”

“OK. Hey, but aren’t you doing well these days?”

Wonho suffered from erectile dysfunction for a while after confessing to Hyuna and dumping him.

– “Hey, why are you talking about that now? Shut up, shut up, you bastard! Isn’t this crazy bastard?!”

Pop. Young. I have some worries

“Hey, Ji Maeng-ho. What’s so funny about it?”

Was I laughing I was about to go back to my room after the phone call with Wonho when Joo Seungcheol called me.

“Ah, Seungcheol hyung. You worked hard today.”

“Yes, yes.”

Joo Seung-cheol didn’t seem to be in a good mood after the match against Japan, but today he seems to have recovered somewhat.

“Hey, do you have a minute?”

“Yes. What.”

“Hey, relax. Comfortable. We’ve known for a few weeks now, are you still respectful? Cringe.”

To speak halfheartedly? It was a pleasant sound to hear.

“OK. Seungcheol. Why?”

“Ah! It’s ten You should attach your brother.”

“Okay okay.”

Shit, not cool.

“Hey, follow me. My brother will buy you coffee. Let’s talk.”

“OK.”

What are you talking about going to the cafe? I was curious and followed Joo Seung-chul.

*

Hyungjin Joo. Korean baseball hero.

He made a record that could not be surpassed in the KBA league and moved to the United States at the age of 30 and performed an impressive performance in five seasons with over 20 home runs. In addition, despite the club’s disapproval, he participated in the Olympics and won Korea’s historic Olympic gold medal. And in his retirement season, he returned to Korea and won the Golden Glove, a legendary player who retired gracefully.

Before Joo Hyung-jin, Korea was a periphery in world baseball to the point where it could be said that there was no Korean who had his name engraved in the major leagues. Even before that, a few people advanced, but it was enough to soak his feet for only one season.

However, since Hyung-jin Joo opened the way to the major leagues, juniors in Korea have been constantly knocking on the door of the major leagues, and players who have played an active role in the major leagues such as Sung Hyun, Kang Han-beom, and Choi Joo-tae were able to emerge.

And such Joo Hyung-jin gave birth to two children. The first is Joo Seung-cheol and the second is Joo Ji-ah.

Joo Seung-cheol and Joo Ji-ah were born as children of heroes and enjoyed everything they could enjoy. Joo Hyung-jin even married the most beautiful actress at the time, and the two children inherited their mother’s genes. Joo Seung-chul even inherited his father’s physical appearance in addition to his mother’s good looks.

But would you be happy with that kind of life? To that question, Joo Seung-cheol was able to answer firmly.

‘It’s hard to be happy.’

The younger sister, now a child tuber carrying on her mother’s genes and her father’s reputation, might be happy, but Joo Seung-chul wasn’t.

He respects his father so much, but that’s why Joo Seung-cheol’s life was miserable.

Born as the son of baseball hero Joo Hyung-jin, he feels pressure since elementary school. Besides, people recognized Joo Seung-cheol wherever he went because of the variety show he appeared with his father in his childhood, and those eyes were felt even more deeply when he entered the baseball team.

When he was in elementary school, he liked that kind of interest. In middle school, he started pitching because of his rebellious spirit. And when he was in high school, he was frustrated that he would never be able to surpass his father. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his respected father, but he had an inferiority complex that he would never fall short of the shadows.

And the eyes you feel. When he did something wrong, no, even when he didn’t do anything wrong, even when he didn’t play baseball, the burden of swearing at his father gripped Joo Seung-cheol.

That’s why Seungcheol Joo was always smiling. He always put on a kind self with a smile on his face, so the criticism of his father was less and less, and he was praised for being like his father when he happened to hit a home run. Around that time, I started making friends one by one.

That is Joo Seung-chul in his first year of high school. I was too young to grow up.

In the eyes of others, Joo Seung-cheol’s life was brilliant, but the inside of Joo Seung-cheol, wearing a mask, was rotting away in the eyes of the public, who had an inferiority complex toward his father and wondered if there was anything to criticize.

The only way to heal that wound is baseball. Build a reputation greater than his father’s, and keep his father’s record at his feet. And he is recognized Not ‘Joo Hyung-jin’s son’ Joo Seung-cheol, but ‘baseball player’ Joo Seung-cheol.

That was how Joo Seung-cheol thought.

To get rid of his father’s shadow, Joo Seung-chul has done and could do anything. So, it was nothing to Joo Seung-chul that he asked his junior a question.

“So, how did you hit Ohtani’s ball?”

Stupid looking tone. The first time my father came and praised this guy, he wanted to kill this guy. When I was young, I felt resentful of my father who never praised me, and when I saw a guy named Maeng Ho after my father complimented me for the first time, he wanted to strangle me.

However, as usual, Seungcheol Joo kindly approached me. Yes, there is something to be learned from this kid. And I could immediately understand why my father praised her. From bat speed to launch angle, the speed of the batted ball. Distance. When it comes to hitting, it’s different from other people.

Joo Seung-cheol, who respected his father from a young age and always watched major league videos, knew that fact right away.

‘Why is this bastard… ! Father’s approval… ! Swing like this… !’

Enduring a growing sense of inferiority, Joo Seung-cheol treated Ji Maeng-ho kindly as usual. There was a little bit of an idiot side, but there were a lot of fun things to do together.

In particular, the way he openly picked Ki Sang-joo in the interview was more fun because it was something he could never have imagined for himself, who was born as the son of a hero and forced to be humble.

By the time that good feeling started to cover up his feelings of inferiority, Joo Seung-cheol faced a big wall. A big wall called Ohtani. A sense of helplessness that seemed impossible to overcome no matter how hard I tried. Joo Seung-cheol was more frustrated than when he felt he couldn’t follow his father.

But he wasn’t frustrated this time. Joo-tae Choi, a 30% hitter in the major leagues, and Kang-beom Kang, who hit close to 150 homers in the majors. And even though he failed, all the kisangju who stepped on the threshold of the major leagues couldn’t hit Ohtani’s ball.

‘Yes, I am not lacking. It’s just that Ohtani is a non-standard monster. Besides, I’m younger than my seniors, right? I like the records I am setting in Korea even better. Seungcheol-ah, don’t be swayed. You are doing well.’

When I was comforting myself like that, I heard a light hitting sound. The ball hit the fence at a speed that was hard to follow with the eye. Perfect hit. If I had hit it with luck, the ball could have gone over, but that line drive hit wasn’t such a coincidence.

And the owner who hit that ball was a Korean player whom his father praised for the first time. It was Ji Maeng-ho.

“Well…. It is difficult to explain.”

Joo Seung-cheol sat in this place to listen to his advice while trying to calm his rising inferiority complex. This level of perseverance was nothing to Joo Seung-cheol in order to get better at baseball.

“I was just trying to hit it, so the ball seemed to come faster than usual. So I swung the bat faster.”

“What do you mean?”

I laughed out loud at Ji Maeng-ho’s explanation. Does this make sense? Did you swing the bat faster because the ball felt faster? If it were easy, all baseball players would have been Babe Ruth, Bones, and Joo Hyung-jin.

Joo Seung-cheol shook his head at the nonsense.

“Hey, is it because you don’t want to tell me? His brother even bought me coffee, but it’s too much. Yes, hit it Then how did you know it was a fastball in the first place?”

“Ah, you know that when you see it. Look. I see everything When you throw a ball, it changes or moves straight.”

“… What kind of bullshit is this?”

In the stuffy heart, the inner thoughts come out.

“Well, ordinary people don’t know for the rest of their lives. What. What can I do That’s the wall of talent. The wall called Ji Maeng-ho.”

It was possible to distinguish between Joo Seung-cheol’s fastball and breaking ball. Sometimes, on days when the condition is good, there are times when the rotation of the stitches looks different. But even if he figured it out, he was useless unless he was a very slow pitcher. Because the moment we separated was already too late.

Just to the point of not swinging wrong on a breaking ball?

“So you’re saying it’s the distinction between the ball’s on the way?”

“No, when I just threw it. You know hyung, it’s too late if you classify like that. Just the right feel. And bang!”

Who is this motherfucker making fun of? I wanted to choke Ji Maeng-ho. But I wanted to know more about the secret. What is the difference between a fastball and a breaking ball?

If he had that ability right now, he would have chewed up the major leagues.

Maybe this kid?

“Did you take any medicine?”

For a moment, Joo Seung-cheol’s eyes sharpened. But it was such a fleeting moment that Ji Maeng-ho didn’t notice the look in his eyes.

Something magical that increases muscle mass and adjusts hormones. If you take the banned drug, you can see the ball longer because you have more power and faster swing speed. Then the good eyes will also show synergy.

What if Ji Maeng-ho, who was born with good eyesight, borrows the power of medicine to hit the separated ball? There were plenty of possibilities.

“Approximately? What drug? How much protein do you eat? Why do you recommend supplements?”

A pure gaze that knows nothing.

“… Done.”

It must have gone too far What kind of medicine is a rookie…. There is no way Ji Maeng-ho, who was born as an orphan and has no baseball connections, could take medicine to prevent him from getting WBC. So is it pure ability? That’s great….

“Anyway, if you know what it is, just hit the timing right there. Doesn’t your brother do the same? Set the timing for each pitcher, perfect for that timing! Then the ball is tight!”

I don’t know what he’s talking about, but Ji Maeng-ho’s batting skills seemed real.

“Brother. Otani is that baby. The next time we meet, we will really smash it.”

Pure eyes and passion for baseball. Joo Seung-cheol was once a boy with such eyes and passion, so he could immediately recognize his pure heart for baseball.

“Okay. Good luck. Let’s get up The coffee is delicious.”

“Thank you. Lord!”

“Fucking around.”

‘Yes, not everyone is like me.’

A guy like Ji Maeng-ho who doesn’t know the burden will never know this feeling. This feeling that only those who were born as the son of a hero and receive public attention can know. If Mengho Ji also felt this way, would he have acted like me?

‘That’s probably something I don’t know.’

He won the Golden Glove two years in a row, but he had to move because he knew that there were still people like him in Korea. Ji Maeng-ho’s skills, which he had learned through training, were real. If this guy, not himself, breaks his father’s record….

You cannot pass that glory on to someone else. You have to work harder to do that.

‘Are they still there?’

… Whichever way it is Joo Seung-chul remembered what he hadn’t touched since the first year of high school for the first time in a long time.