Chapter 18: In Search of Lost Time

Ji-hwan.

Why are you so old?

Your knees are even worse.

It looks hard for you to just stand.

Damn it, I’m going to cry again.

For the first time since her body changed, Su-hyeon acutely felt the passage of five years.

And also the fact that professional baseball players age quickly.

It’s only natural since they exercise under the scorching sun every day.

You really have to be good at sun protection.

Hyeon-jong, I finally understand.

Su-hyeon decided that from tomorrow, she would apply sunscreen until her face turned white.

She knew Ji-hwan’s weaknesses better than anyone.

He stood close to the catcher’s mitt and hit outside pitches like a demon.

But on the inside, he was as impotent as they come.

He was a nightmare for pitchers who lacked confidence in their inside pitches.

But Su-hyeon, both then and now, was a pitcher who enjoyed a bold inside battle.

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Choi Ji-hwan let the inside low four-seamer and Boing-Linker go by.

Su-hyeon then threw a Boing-Rider outside as a waste pitch.

With a 1-2 count, she threw a high fastball on the inside corner as her finishing pitch.

Whoosh-

Thwack!

“Swing, batter out!”

Four consecutive strikeouts.

Cheers erupted from the Hawks’ dugout.

This year, 36-year-old Chickens cleanup hitter Choi Ji-hwan.

He was a top-tier offensive catcher in the KBO, but switched to designated hitter five years ago due to knee problems.

Last year, he had a career-high 26 home runs and a 1.028 OPS, making him one of the few players on the team who was pulling his weight.

Among all the batters the Hawks’ 21-year-old rookie foreign pitcher Jeong Su-hyeon had faced so far.

Choi Ji-hwan was the player with the most outstanding career and experience.

By striking out Choi Ji-hwan, Su-hyeon was once again convinced.

This pitch works even at the professional level.

To be more precise, the fact that Boing Boing (EX) was still EX-level even at the professional level.

Hawks 4-0 Chickens.

The game had now entered the 7th inning.

Su-hyeon’s stats so far.

6 innings, 11 strikeouts, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs.

Pitch count: 73.

Since it was agreed beforehand that she would only throw 80 pitches, this 7th inning would be Su-hyeon’s last.

Su-hyeon easily got the first batter out.

And with one out and no runners on base, Choi Ji-hwan came up for his third at-bat of the day.

Ji-hwan’s stats so far: 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Ji-hwan, who had only played baseball his entire life, was furious at being completely defeated by the much-talked-about female player.

Of course, he wasn’t the only one being dominated by Su-hyeon today.

But as the team’s leader and cleanup hitter, it was unacceptable.

The female pitcher on the mound shook her head a few times at the catcher and then began her windup.

Boing~

Thwack!

“Strike!”

A change-up right down the middle?

It had some movement, but it was definitely a mistake.

Oh, what a waste.

Ji-hwan, who had been subjected to persistent inside pitching in the previous two at-bats, was anticipating an inside pitch this time as well.

And he missed Su-hyeon’s mistake pitch right down the middle.

0-1 count.

The opposing pitcher shook her head a few more times and then threw the ball.

Boing~

Su-hyeon’s Boing change-up flew towards the middle of the zone again.

And this time, Choi Ji-hwan didn’t miss the mistake.

Crack-!

Ji-hwan pulled the pitch with a full swing, and the ball sailed far over the outfield wall.

A solo home run by Choi Ji-hwan, breaking the silence of his team’s offense.

Rounding first base and heading towards second, Ji-hwan looked at the pitcher he had just taken deep.

At the same time, Su-hyeon also turned and looked at Ji-hwan.

For a moment, their eyes met.

‘Here’s a gift, Ji-hwan.

I thought maybe you’d recognize my change-up if you saw it.’

But.

Maybe too much time had passed for that.

A secret that can’t be shared with anyone.

It was harder than she thought, living while keeping a secret all to herself.

It’s not like I committed a sin.

But I feel guilty.

Why is that?

The first exhibition game between the Hawks’ 2nd army and the Chickens’ 1st army ended with a 6-3 victory for the Hawks.

Su-hyeon’s stats for the day: 7 innings, 12 strikeouts, 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 run.

Pitch count: 82.

Except for the solo home run she gave up in the 7th inning, it was a near-perfect pitching performance.

“Su-hyeon, you were amazing today.

Except for that home run you gave up in the 7th.

What was that meatball?”

“People make mistakes.

Even after giving up a home run, I composed myself and finished the inning.

Isn’t that the quality of an ace?”

I thought I had been praising her too much.

So I was planning on seriously critiquing Su-hyeon’s pitching today.

But instead, I got caught up in Su-hyeon’s pace.

“Right.

That is an important quality.”

“Right?

So just give me some praise.

Hehe.”

Yeah.

7 innings and 1 run is a good performance.

Especially striking out 12 batters was encouraging.

Starting with 4 consecutive strikeouts from the 1st inning and getting 7 strikeouts by the 3rd inning.

It was a pitching performance that justified why the SoftBank team invested $1.5 million.

“I’m having dinner with Choi Ji-hwan later.

Do you want to join, Su-hyeon?”

Huh?

Did Dae-joon have a connection with Ji-hwan?

That never happened when I was alive.

“Yes.

Since I gave up a home run, I should at least get a free meal out of it.”

Thinking it was a good opportunity, Su-hyeon headed to a Korean restaurant near the camp with Dae-joon.

Choi Ji-hwan was already sitting at a table, waiting for Su-hyeon and Dae-joon.

“You’re here, hyung?

Oh, Ms. Su-hyeon.

Nice to meet you.

Nice pitching today.”

“Nice to meet you, sunbae-nim.

You’re complimenting me after hitting a home run off me?”

“Haha.

Mistakes happen.

I struck out twice before that.”

“Thank you.

Please speak comfortably.”

Dae-joon was next to her, and Ji-hwan was across from her.

Su-hyeon felt like she was back in the old days and felt like crying again.

Am I going through menopause?

Or is it because Su-hyeon is originally a tearful person?

“How did you two get to know each other?

Coach, you were a pitching coach, and sunbae-nim, you were a catcher.”

“Oh, that’s, it’s a bit complicated to explain.”

Dae-joon cut off Ji-hwan and answered instead.

“A younger brother of mine who played baseball had an accident, and at the time, Ji-hwan was the player on the team who was closest to him.

We naturally became close while fighting the team together.”

Hearing Dae-joon’s story, Su-hyeon felt her heart sink.

This sounds like my story.

“Oh no.

Is your younger brother okay now?”

“No, he passed away from a heart attack at 33.

He didn’t have any underlying conditions, it doesn’t make sense, right?

So I went to the Chickens and raised hell.

Ji-hwan helped me a lot back then.”

It was definitely my story.

“You really went too far.

Rumors spread and your career was almost ruined.

But it’s good that you ended up joining a Japanese team, at least.”

“It’s good.

It’s more than I deserve.

It’s all thanks to Su-hyeon.

Oh, right, Su-hyeon.

My late younger brother’s name was the same as yours.

Jeong Su-hyeon.”

Su-hyeon just listened to their conversation without saying a word.

Dae-joon and Ji-hwan, thinking that Su-hyeon had nothing to say because they were talking about old times, continued their conversation.

“But why are you only scolding me?

You quit being a catcher because you didn’t want to catch without Su-hyeon.”

“They say a catcher is like a wife.

Without Su-hyeon, it felt like cheating.

Why did I feel guilty even though I didn’t do anything wrong?”

Su-hyeon couldn’t hold it in any longer and stood up.

“I’m going to the restroom.”

“Okay, be careful, Su-hyeon.

This isn’t Korea.

Be careful.”

Hyung, why did you do that?

What was I to you?

And, guilt.

So you felt it too, Ji-hwan.

Su-hyeon sat on the toilet lid, trying to muffle her sobs.

Why is this so sad?

I thought a new life was a blessing.

Why is it like this?

Su-hyeon washed her face with water to remove any traces of crying and returned to the table.

Fortunately, Dae-joon and Ji-hwan had a few drinks and didn’t seem to notice anything.

“You’re back, Su-hyeon?

We were just talking about you.”

“Oh, really?

What about me?”

This time, Ji-hwan chimed in and answered instead of Dae-joon.

“Your pitch earlier?

The change-up I hit for a home run.

Even if it was right down the middle, it’s not an easy pitch to hit.

Do you know how I hit it?”

“Hmm?

Do I have a tell or something?”

Ji-hwan shook his head and replied.

“Your pitch was exactly the same as that Su-hyeon hyung’s change-up, the one we were talking about earlier.

I’ve caught that pitch thousands of times.

So I just hit it out right away.”

“It’s because you both learned from me.

You should be thanking me.”

I thought about going to the restroom again.

But fortunately, I didn’t cry this time.

I was just grateful.

That he remembered.

“It’s exactly like my change-up?

He must have been a really great pitcher, that Jeong Su-hyeon from the Chickens!”