Chapter 21: You, Be My Sister

[Summary] ‘Baseball Goddess’ Jeong Su-hyeon, Wins First Victory in Japanese Professional Baseball Debut

I thought Jeong Su-hyeon died a few years ago, but then I saw a woman… playing baseball?!

└Gramps….

└Su-hyeon, let’s do our best

└This isn’t women’s baseball, right?

└Japan’s women’s pro league disappeared quite a while ago

LIt’s because there’s no broadcast, so people aren’t interested

└I wish someone would broadcast it

In baseball communities, including the NPB Gallery, she was going beyond a goddess and approaching the status of the one and only god.

But as you can see from the comments on the news on portal sites, Su-hyeon’s public recognition in Korea was still lacking.

However.

The reaction in the Japanese archipelago, where baseball is a national sport, was different.

The Japanese were going wild over the shocking debut of the first-ever female baseball player.

As it once was with Ohtani Shohei.

The archipelago was about to experience another baseball paradigm shift.

“What did I tell you?

I told you Su-hyeon would do well, didn’t I?”

The person sitting across the sofa and asking this question was none other than SoftBank’s chairwoman and the Hawks’ owner, Son Yumi.

“Yes.

You’re amazing, as expected, Chairwoman.

I’m impressed.”

The man in his 50s wearing glasses who answered Son Yumi’s words with a disinterested tone.

He was the general manager of the SoftBank Hawks, Shirakawa Takashi.

“You don’t seem to accept defeat.

You’re saying we can’t know after just one game, right?”

“That’s true, too.

But I just wonder if this is right.

My goal is always to win.”

It wasn’t that General Manager Shirakawa wished for Su-hyeon to fail.

He just hoped that this female player, who was signed at the owner’s insistence, would perform moderately, finish her contract, and leave.

So that she wouldn’t interfere with his team-building plans.

However, after watching Su-hyeon’s debut, Shirakawa couldn’t help but agree with the owner’s opinion to some extent.

“That’s right.

That’s why you’re in that position.”

Son Yumi continued.

“Let’s each do our part.

You win, and I’ll make money.”

After the two-game series against the Fighters, the Hawks returned to Fukuoka.

A day off before the three-game home series.

Players who wanted to rest could rest, and players who wanted to train could come to the training facility.

Su-hyeon, who had pitched yesterday, participated in training to adjust her condition.

“Su-hyeon, do you have a moment?

This is a supervisor from the team’s marketing department.”

Pitching coach Saito introduced a woman in her 30s in office attire to Su-hyeon, who was stretching.

“Nice to meet you, Jeong Su-hyeon.

My name is Uehara Aki.

Pleasure to work with you.”

“Uehara A…

Hello?

It’s been a pleasure wor…

Nice to meet you!”

But why is the marketing department looking for me?

Perhaps it was evident on Su-hyeon’s face that she was curious, Uehara quickly got to the point.

“We’re planning to film a special feature on Jeong Su-hyeon for the team’s official YooTube channel.

We would appreciate it if Jeong could cooperate with the filming.”

“The manager has already given his permission, so don’t come to the stadium tomorrow and just cooperate with the filming.”

With Coach Saito saying this, Su-hyeon couldn’t bring herself to say that she didn’t want to do YooTube in front of him.

Oh well, if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

“Okay, so where and what are we filming tomorrow?”

“I’ll be in front of your accommodation by 8 AM.

I’ll send you the filming details later, so please take a look.”

After exchanging contact information, Uehara Aki disappeared.

After finishing training, Su-hyeon checked the materials sent by Uehara.

[Getting to Know This Person] Su-hyeon’s Day Off?!

I don’t know Fukuoka well because it’s my first time here

– 10:00 Brunch at a cafe

– 11:00 Shopping on Daimyo Street

In short, it was a plan to film a vlog with Su-hyeon as the main character and upload it to YooTube.

What’s the big deal?

Is this something the marketing team needs to be involved in?

They could just give me a selfie stick and I could film it myself.

Su-hyeon, who had such a carefree attitude, changed her mind not long after.

She met Uehara, who was waiting in front of her accommodation the next morning.

“Let’s go, Jeong.”

“But the first schedule starts at 10, why are we leaving now?”

“We have to go get your makeup done.”

This is serious!

Uehara, sitting in the passenger seat, also seemed to be unusually pumped up.

About an hour later.

After getting her hair and makeup done, Su-hyeon looked in the mirror.

Hmm, is today’s concept a K-pop idol?

Su-hyeon was unsure if this makeup was suitable for someone who was 174cm tall and weighed 66kg.

But since it wasn’t her YooTube channel, she had no intention of voicing her opinion.

“Let’s go, Jeong.”

Uehara Aki reappeared.

I was wondering why she had disappeared for a while.

It turned out that Uehara had also gotten her makeup done, just like Su-hyeon.

“Uh…

Supervisor?”

“Yes.”

“You look so pretty, I didn’t recognize you.”

“Wh-what are you saying all of a sudden?!”

Hearing Su-hyeon’s words, Uehara’s face, and even her ears, turned red and she became embarrassed.

What?

Don’t women usually exchange these kinds of compliments as greetings?

“But why did you get your makeup done, Supervisor?”

“Because I’m also appearing.

On YooTube.”

Aha.

So we’re appearing together.

Then who’s filming?

“I’m Tanaka, the driver and cameraman.

Jeong, your debut game was amazing!”

Oh, yes.

Nice to meet you, Tanaka.

Two people from the marketing team.

Renting out a cafe for an hour for filming.

Can you even call this a vlog?

“What should I do now?”

“Just eat deliciously.

Not too much, just one bite at a time.”

Su-hyeon picked up a piece of cabbage salad with her fork and brought it to her mouth.

Nom nom nom.

“Do you always eat so little?”

“No?

Isn’t this how you’re supposed to do it in front of a camera?”

“That makes it look like it’s not tasty.

Can you eat like you normally do?”

Geez, there are so many things to pay attention to.

In that case, I’ll show you.

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Why is this suddenly activating?!

Munch munch yum yum slurp Boing~ smack-

After eating brunch excitedly, Su-hyeon looked up to see Uehara staring at her mukbang in a daze without saying a word.

“Supervisor?

Is there something else you don’t like?”

“Huh?

Oh, no.

You just ate so deliciously.

I’m sorry.”

Tanaka, who was filming, also seemed to like Su-hyeon’s mukbang, as he immediately gave the cut sign.

After filming a scene where Su-hyeon and Uehara exchanged lines according to the script, the YooTube team headed to Daimyo Street.

“When I give the signal, please run towards the camera.

One, two, start!”

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Su-hyeon running with her long hair flowing under the 11 AM morning sunlight.

The citizens who came out early for some shopping, the tourists, and even Uehara and Tanaka.

Everyone was captivated and couldn’t take their eyes off Su-hyeon.

Boing~

Boing~

“Cut!

Great job!”

Next was a scene where she was teaching Uehara at a batting center.

“Think of it as continuously gathering your chest with both elbows you have grasped.

Think of hitting the ball with your left hip here.

Yes, good bat!”

As Su-hyeon touched Uehara here and there to teach her how to swing, Uehara flinched.

Are Japanese women all this shy?

Based on the stereotypes I had, it seemed plausible, so Su-hyeon just accepted it.

After taking sticker pictures together, Su-hyeon felt like she had become much closer to Uehara.

There were many people around my age in the 3rd army, and the atmosphere of liking me was not bad.

But when I came to the 1st army, I felt like I was being treated coldly.

No, not coldly, exactly.

But it felt like they were treating me like it was just business.

Just like Uehara Aki is doing to me right now.

“Thanks to you, we finished early.

Jeong, you worked hard.”

“You’re the one who worked hard, Supervisor.

I’m hungry, do you want to have lunch together?

My treat!”

Tanaka left first, saying that he had to go in and edit, leaving Uehara, who was hesitant.

Uehara had no choice but to follow Su-hyeon to a sushi restaurant.

“Supervisor, can I call you unnie?”

“Unnie?

What’s that?”

“In Korea, even if someone isn’t your real older sister, you can call an older friend unnie.”

On-nee, on-nee.

I like the sound of the word, it’s cute.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then On-nee, please speak comfortably to me too!

Su-hyeon is good, Hyon-chan is good too, being called by my last name is too awkward.”

Alright!

“O-okay.

Su-hyeon.

How’s life in Japan?

Is it difficult?”

Uehara Aki, who suddenly became Su-hyeon’s marketing manager due to the owner’s ఆదేశ.

Since the owner was determined, it wasn’t a situation where they would just film a couple of YooTube videos and be done.

It wouldn’t hurt to get closer to Su-hyeon for future work.

But Uehara was hesitating.

Uehara Aki had a boyfriend she was planning to marry.

Her frontal lobe was reacting to Su-hyeon’s chest and her easygoing attitude.

‘Aki, are you crazy?

She’s a woman.

You’ve never been like this in 30 years, why are you acting like this now?’

In comparison, Su-hyeon didn’t have any particular concerns about Uehara.

Anyway, since they’re the same gender, there’s no pressure in approaching her.

And it’s kind of cute how she acts shy while being professional.

I don’t know why the trait is activating even though we’re not at a baseball field.

But I needed a friend, so it’s all good, that’s about it?

“Everyone is nice to me, but it feels hard to get close to them?

That’s why I’m being so forward with On-nee like this.

Hehe.”

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Su-hyeon’s unexpected straight talk.

Uehara Aki couldn’t respond to the fastball thrown right down the middle.

“I see.

From now on, if you have any difficulties, talk to On-nee!

On-nee will help you as much as possible.

On-nee…

Is this how I should talk?”

It was a strikeout.

“Yes, that’s right.

Let’s go eat delicious food together a lot, On-nee!”