The First Pitch and a Fiasco

Inwoo grudgingly opened his eyes, roused by the doorbell ringing in his sleep. This time, the insistent knocking on the door was accompanied by his phone’s shrill ring. He sat up, his face still rumpled from sleep, and checked the time: 8 AM.

Glancing beside him, he saw no sign of the man he had spent the night with. The sound of running water from the bathroom suggested he was showering.

Always so diligent, Inwoo thought wryly.

The phone rang again, prompting him to finally rise. He slipped a robe over his naked body and walked toward the door. With a soft click, he opened it slightly, only for his head to tilt as he saw Dakyung’s huffing face through the gap.

“My, my, Dakyung. Aren’t you diligent?”

Without a word of explanation, Dakyung simply pushed Inwoo aside and strode inside. She held her phone and car keys, clearly having come from her own home.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone? You said you were going home yesterday. Is this your home?”

Inwoo simply smiled at Dakyung, who glared at him with narrowed eyes.

“If I come and go as I please, isn’t it home?”

Dakyung shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. It wasn’t entirely wrong; Inwoo spent more nights in hotels than at his actual house. The real problem was that if anyone saw him, she would be the one left to clean up the mess.

He already had enough bad rumors circulating in the tabloids. As she muttered under her breath, the bathroom door opened, and a man emerged, clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist.

“The manager’s here.”

The man barely acknowledged Dakyung. She, in turn, offered him a perfunctory greeting before checking her wristwatch.

“We’re heading straight to the salon. You can finish getting ready there.”

Her gaze dropped from her watch, landing on the condoms and lubricant scattered across the floor, but even that didn’t faze her. This wasn’t the first time.

At least it’s only one guy today, she thought. She still remembered the shock of finding four people once. In her two years as Lee Inwoo’s manager, she had seen it all, but four was truly astonishing. She didn’t even want to imagine what they had done; it certainly wasn’t a game of Go-Stop.

“I’m leaving. The car’s in the parking garage, so come out quickly.”

As she practically fled, the man who had just exited the bathroom approached Inwoo from behind. It seemed he was about to embrace him, but his hands swiftly untied the sash of Inwoo’s robe.

“Let’s go one more round before you leave.”

Inwoo firmly removed his hands, then began gathering the clothes strewn about the room.

“I have to go. My manager is truly terrifying when she’s angry.”

“What a pity.”

After putting on his shirt, Inwoo searched for his phone, but it was nowhere to be found.

“Could you find my phone?”

The man dialed Inwoo’s number from his own phone. A moment later, a vibrating sound—vzzzt, vzzzt—echoed from beneath the sofa. It must have fallen out during their activities last night, which had started on the sofa.

The man bent down and retrieved it. He then let out a hollow laugh, seeing the eleven digits displayed on the phone screen.

The phone he had been holding slipped from his grasp. Inwoo, now fully dressed and wearing a baseball cap, snatched the phone and tucked it into his coat.

“That’s harsh. Was it really so hard to save my name? It’s only three syllables.”

“You know I change my phone often.”

“That’s just an excuse.”

“Come on, don’t be so petty.”

Inwoo playfully tapped the man’s chest with his fingertips and chuckled.

“I’m leaving. See you later.”

He blew a kiss and exited the room. The man waved, a bitter smile on his face. He knew if he clung any longer, he might never see Lee Inwoo again. Though Inwoo had said ‘see you later,’ no one could guarantee when that would be.

A black van pulled to a stop, and Inwoo stepped out as the door slid open. Bodyguards flanked him, and the eyes of the onlookers, gathered to watch the game, immediately converged on him.

It’s Lee Inwoo!

He offered them a brief wave and a warm, amiable smile before heading inside.

Inside the stadium, there were more players than spectators. An older man in a uniform and a slightly younger man stepped forward, warmly greeting Inwoo. Scattered players across the field cast furtive glances his way.

Dakyung politely introduced herself with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Lee Inwoo’s manager. You must be Director Kim Seokjung?”

The man pushed his glasses up his nose.

“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We have a very famous actor joining us today. CEO Yang must have put a lot of effort into this.”

Inwoo managed a wry smile. His presence here was solely due to his agency CEO, Yang Daehwan. Yang was a renowned baseball fanatic with extensive connections.

He not only played on an amateur baseball team but also harbored ambitious plans to establish his own professional team someday. He should just focus on his actual work, Inwoo thought, cursing internally. Yet, he still offered a pleasant smile to the director who greeted him so warmly.

Soon after, team officials emerged for a uniform presentation ceremony, followed by a commemorative photo shoot. Once the official photos were done, several players approached, requesting individual pictures.

Just then, Dakyung’s phone rang. She left Inwoo with the players and moved to a quieter spot nearby.

As Inwoo posed for photos and signed autographs for the players, someone suddenly burst forth from among them. The man wore a baseball cap, was a head taller than Inwoo, and wore an extremely flustered expression.

When he tried to turn away, two players behind him pushed him forward again.

“Inwoo-ssi, this guy is a huge fan of yours! Please take a picture with him!”

The man protested, telling them not to, but overwhelmed by the insistence of those around him, he eventually stood facing Inwoo. Seeing this, Inwoo couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

While he certainly had male fans, there was something both amusing and endearing about seeing such a large man so shy and fidgety.

“Thank you for your support.”

As Inwoo moved to stand beside him for a photo, the man’s large frame visibly shrunk, his body stiff with tension. Just then, a coach observing from the side interjected.

“This guy will be at bat when you throw the first pitch, Inwoo-ssi.”

“Oh, really? It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

When Inwoo extended his hand, the man flinched. He quickly rubbed his hand on his thigh, rubbing it again and again. Was he trying to erase his fingerprints entirely?

Then, his hand tentatively reached forward. As their hands met, a faint tremor was distinctly conveyed. Inwoo’s eyes narrowed.

What was that?

Just then, Dakyung, having finished her call, approached the two men. Upon recognizing the man’s face, her smile widened, and her voice rose in pitch.

“Oh my! You’re Seo Junwon, aren’t you? I’m such a huge fan!”

Dakyung shoved Inwoo aside, grabbed the man’s hand, and greeted him with the most delighted expression imaginable. Inwoo, abruptly pushed away, frowned, but Dakyung paid him no mind, instead getting an autograph and a photo with Seo Junwon.

The man, flustered, glanced nervously at Inwoo while still signing autographs and taking pictures with Dakyung. Seeing this, Inwoo clicked his tongue and picked up his uniform.

He needed to change into the player’s uniform bearing his name, so he carried it and headed toward the locker room.

Dakyung, checking the photos she had just taken, swiftly followed behind him.

“Why are you following me? You should have just stayed glued to him. And what was with that tone? ‘Oh my, you’re Seo Junwon, aren’t you? I’m such a huge fan!’ Did you develop an allergy or something?”

“Are you jealous?”

“Dakyung, there are two things I’m genuinely terrible at in this world. Do you know what they are?”

“Method acting?”

“Hey!”

“Just kidding. But I wasn’t always like this, you know. Honestly, try to remember.”

Inwoo, about to retort, clamped his mouth shut. Dakyung wasn’t wrong. When they first met, she had showered Inwoo with incredible dedication.

She would fuss over him, saying “Our Actor-nim, our Actor-nim,” taking care of him with fierce devotion. Many had given up on being Lee Inwoo’s manager, but she was the only one who had lasted nearly two years.

“Still, even so. If that player is my fan, and you, my manager, show such obvious delight, what happens to my reputation? Don’t you think?”

Dakyung gasped in surprise at his words.

“Seo Junwon is your fan?”

“Yeah.”

“Good heavens. He only ever focuses on sports; does he have no taste in people?”

The words slipped out inadvertently, and Dakyung quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. Inwoo, who was fastening the last button of his uniform, raised one eyebrow askew.

“So, that’s your true feeling coming out.”

“You misheard me.”

“If you keep acting like this, I’ll tell CEO Yang to get me a new manager. I’ll protest.”

At his words, Dakyung’s eyes sparkled, and she eagerly clasped Inwoo’s hands. Really? Are you serious? Please, send me away!

Her expression was so overjoyed at the mere thought that Inwoo shook off her hands and flashed a devilish smile.

“No. Just kidding. I’ll work with you until the day I retire. No, I’ll even exploit you after I retire.”

“…”

“You must be thrilled, right?”

Damn it. Dakyung cursed a river in her mind. She then folded Inwoo’s clothes into a shopping bag, smoothed out his uniform, and forced a smile.

“Blue really suits you well. Our Actor Lee looks good in anything, after all.”

Inwoo brushed her hand away and took the baseball cap, placing it on his head. They bickered good-naturedly as they walked out, only to find Seo Junwon standing at the entrance.

Their eyes met for a brief moment before his gaze dropped to the floor. Dakyung, following behind, also spotted him and her eyes widened, but she didn’t make a fuss this time, perhaps mindful of Inwoo’s presence.

Seo Junwon politely offered the drink he held in his hand.

“It’s a drink… please have it.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Inwoo took the drink. Junwon’s lips parted as if he had something more to say.

“Did you have something to say to me?”

“Actually… ah, I didn’t get your autograph earlier… I was wondering if I could still get it now…”

Ah, an autograph. Inwoo smiled faintly and looked back at Dakyung. See? he seemed to say. The player you like came directly to me for an autograph.

“Park Dakyung. Paper.”

Dakyung was about to search for paper in her bag when Seo Junwon waved his hand.

“Ah, no. I actually prepared something because I heard you were coming today, Inwoo-ssi… If it’s alright, I was hoping you could sign on that…”

“Of course, go ahead.”

At Inwoo’s ready agreement, a wide smile spread across Junwon’s face. He bowed deeply, then scurried back toward the locker room.

Inwoo couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at how surprisingly nimble the large man was. Then, he turned to Dakyung behind him and whispered softly.

“He likes me a damn lot, doesn’t he?”

“Indeed. He looks like he’s absolutely thrilled.”

Inwoo clicked his tongue at Dakyung’s utterly lifeless expression and tone. A moment later, Seo Junwon emerged from the locker room. He opened the lid of a long, art-tube-like container and pulled something out.

What he retrieved from the tube was a rolled-up paper. As he unfurled it, Dakyung’s jaw dropped.

“Wow.”

It was the movie poster for Lee Inwoo’s debut film.

Inwoo’s eyes in the poster looked hollow and sad. The film hadn’t been a massive box office hit, but it had played a significant role in establishing the name Lee Inwoo.

“Please sign here… I brought it because I heard you were coming to throw the first pitch.”

He smiled shyly. Noticing his neck and ears had turned crimson, Inwoo cast a momentarily suspicious glance. His face keeps turning red; it’s suspicious no matter how I look at it. He can’t be going through menopause…

“Your name?”

“It’s Seo Junwon. Seo, Jun, Won.”

Inwoo wrote his autograph along with a message of continuous support, then handed it back. Junwon, seemingly ecstatic, bit his upper and lower lips to suppress a smile. He then thanked Inwoo repeatedly.

“Don’t mention it. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

Inwoo, about to head onto the field after their greetings, paused and turned back to Junwon.

“Ah, you said you’d be going up with me, right?”

“Pardon? Oh, yes.”

“If I pitch, will you be batting, Junwon-ssi?”

“No… I’ll just be standing there.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s usually how it’s done…”

“Don’t just stand there; hit it.”

“Pardon?”

“It looks a bit odd, doesn’t it? It would make for a better picture if you swung the bat.”

“Ah… but still…”

What’s the big deal? Please do it. Inwoo even gave a playful wink, and Seo Junwon’s entire face turned bright red, on the verge of exploding.

See that? Still suspicious, Inwoo thought.

Inwoo smirked, then turned and headed toward the field. When Dakyung looked back, Seo Junwon was still standing there, utterly lost in thought. She sighed and shook her head.

He’s fallen for it, completely.

“He’s still standing there, isn’t he? Staring at me?”

“No.”

“Liar. My nape is tingling, stinging as if poked by needles.”

“He’s your fan, Oppa.”

“Anyway. He looks like he’d strip if I asked him to, right?”

“What kind of person thinks about stripping someone the first time they meet them? Don’t do that. It makes you look cheap.”

“I can’t even think it?”

“Just think it, don’t say it. Please.”

“Dakyung, did you actually like that type?”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, did you like the naive, goofy type?”

“Oppa. Seo Junwon, despite how he looks, is a completely ruthless beast when he plays.”

“Pfft. A beast? What kind of beast? A bear?”

While Dakyung glared at him, the team mascot joined them. After exchanging appropriate greetings, Inwoo stepped onto the field.

The stands were already packed with people. To the sound of the cheering song, Inwoo’s face appeared prominently on the big screen.

Amidst the crowd’s cheers, Inwoo took off his cap and waved it before stepping onto the pitcher’s mound. At home plate, Seo Junwon, who had just received Inwoo’s autograph, appeared with a bat in hand. The stadium buzzed with shouts and cheering songs.

Following the catcher’s signal, Inwoo adopted the stance he had been taught. He knew nothing about baseball and had no interest in it. Worried he might embarrass himself, CEO Yang had called him in a few days prior for pitching practice.

Still, if you’re going to throw, might as well do it properly, he had said.

He pulled his shoulder back and threw the ball with all his might. It flew straight. At that moment, Seo Junwon swung the bat.

Clang!

A sound echoed, followed by a roar of cheers.

Normally, Inwoo would have removed his cap, bowed to the crowd, and exited, but he froze on the spot instead.

The ball he had just thrown was flying straight back towards him. In a panic, he covered his face with both arms. However, his face was not the place he should have covered. Seo Junwon, his face pale, dropped his bat. Park Dakyung, watching from afar, reacted similarly.

The noisy stadium fell silent as if doused with cold water.

Thwack.

The baseball, having struck Inwoo squarely between his legs, dropped and rolled across the field. Simultaneously, Inwoo collapsed forward, unable to even let out a proper scream.