The Return of a Pitcher

“Hello, this is Cha Seok-young, pitcher for the Changgeon Dragons.”

Standing center stage, Cha Seok-young looked more like an actor or singer than a baseball player. He didn’t seem at all awkward bathed in the stage lights.

His pale skin tone and delicate features, unusual for an athlete, immediately drew all eyes.

Hyun stared blankly up at Cha Seok-young. The last time he saw him, he was a child full of youthful impulsiveness, but now, Cha Seok-young’s entire aura was different.

The way he smiled so smoothly at a senior’s teasing joke was unnervingly beautiful. It was as if he alone had suddenly grown up and become an adult.

‘No, twenty-six is an adult. I’m really stating the obvious.’

He frowned, finding his own thoughts amusing, when his eyes met Cha Seok-young’s. Hyun instinctively held his breath. He didn’t know how to react and couldn’t even blink.

Cha Seok-young was the first to smile at the stiff, frozen Hyun. He beautifully curved his large, dark eyes and softly pulled back his lips. It was the face his team’s fans raved about, calling it the advent of the Archangel ‘Michael.’

“I look forward to working with you.”

It would be a lie to say he had never imagined the moment of their reunion. In his countless imaginings, Cha Seok-young’s reaction was always negative. He would coldly ignore Hyun, avoid him, or even openly express anger and displeasure.

He had never imagined seeing him smile so sweetly, gazing directly into his eyes.

Cha Seok-young’s eyes crinkled in a gentle smile, as if he had met a very welcome person. It was so affectionate and warm that Hyun felt confused, wondering if he was dreaming.

‘Did he forget everything? Or does he think it’s all in the past now…’

It had been six years, so it was natural for memories or feelings to fade. Unlike Hyun, Cha Seok-young’s clock would have moved diligently, and past days, looked back upon as an adult, tended to be somewhat romanticized. Perhaps his interactions with Hyun had already become a distant memory for Cha Seok-young.

‘If so, then it’s actually a relief. Since I’ve come to settle things with baseball, I should also tie up the final knot with Cha Seok-young. This time, I’ll truly be able to forget Cha Seok-young.’ Hyun deliberately thought dispassionately and returned the smile. As if asking, ‘It’s been a while, how have you been?’

Cha Seok-young’s gaze lingered for a moment before slowly moving away. It was as if he was settling everything with a brief eye-greeting.

The opening shoot ended shortly after he put down the microphone. A short break was given.

Half of the players went out to smoke. Amidst the crowd of people leaving, Hyun was caught by Song Him-chan.

“Hyung-nim, could you please give me an autograph?”

There was no time to dwell on their unremarkable reunion. After giving an autograph, the next request was for the camera.

“I’m sorry, but could you also take a verification photo just once…”

Before Hyun could answer, the screen was already on. Hyun laughed, as if resigned, and bent down. As he lowered his face to Song Him-chan’s height, a series of clicks rang out.

“Ah, shoot! This isn’t the right angle. Just a moment.”

Perhaps dissatisfied with the result, Song Him-chan grumbled and stretched out his arm. He moved the phone right, left, down, and all over, making Hyun dizzy. It was more difficult than most camera tests.

“I’ll hold it.”

In the end, Hyun took the phone. Song Him-chan seemed to like the angle, raising both thumbs. His dark, grinning face was captured at the bottom of the camera.

“Can I take one with you too?”

Suddenly, a low voice interjected. At the same time, a shadow fell over Song Him-chan’s head.

Before he could turn to check, a face appeared on the screen first. The small, pale face he had just seen on stage was there. It was Cha Seok-young.

“Hyun and I are classmates, and it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen him.”

He smiled gently, wrapping an arm around Hyun’s shoulder. The two captured in the camera’s angle looked very close.

“Oh? You two are classmates?”

“Can we just take a photo together, and then could I steal Hyun away for a bit?”

Cha Seok-young added, tapping Song Him-chan’s shoulder with his free hand. The face smiling widely through the screen showed no hesitation.

“Ohhh, of course, that’s perfectly fine!”

Song Him-chan, completely won over in an instant, started pressing the shutter instead of the stiff Hyun. To the rapid clicking of consecutive photos, Cha Seok-young struck various poses. He tilted his head, and with a grin, rested his chin on Song Him-chan’s cap.

Hyun forced a smile to hide his very unfamiliar and awkward feelings. To think that Cha Seok-young, who lacked even basic social skills, let alone amiability, when they were students, would be so informal with others… Time certainly seemed to work wonders.

“Thank you. I’ll cherish this as a family heirloom forever!”

Leaving the teary-eyed Song Him-chan behind, they went outside together. Cha Seok-young walked ahead, and Hyun silently followed.

Cha Seok-young walked towards the stadium’s back exit. Not far away was a short walking path and a running track. It was the same place where Cha Seok-young and Hyun used to run together often when they were students.

They had shared ice cream there and fought endlessly over dropping it on the ground. Amidst it all, an amusing thought struck Hyun.

Just as he was about to suppress a smile, Cha Seok-young turned around. He wore the same splendid smile as before. It was a movie-like eye-smile, so much so that Hyun felt his thick eyelashes flutter.

‘He truly doesn’t care anymore.’ As he realized this, his heart ached, but Hyun reached out his hand first.

‘Hi, long time no see. How have you been?’

It was the perfect timing to utter the practiced greeting. He cleared his throat and parted his lips.

But suddenly, his foot was nudged, as if kicked. It was because Cha Seok-young had come so close that their breaths almost touched.

The face, more beautiful than his romanticized memory, was extremely close. It was a countenance where the praise of an angel was not laughable at all. Hyun, captivated, slowly blinked.

“Jung Hyun, you’ve gotten quite shameless. To show up at a place like this.”

The cold voice belatedly brought Hyun back to his senses. He should reply, but he utterly had nothing to say.

“You said just thinking about baseball pissed you off, but now you’re filming a baseball variety show?”

“……”

“Guess acting isn’t as easy as you thought. Well, you did get famous for the wrong reasons first.”

He uttered thorny words and let out a short laugh. Because of the excessive proximity, his laughing breath was felt on Hyun’s face. Hyun flinched and took half a step back.

“Why, going to run away again?”

Cha Seok-young followed closely, matching his retreat. Their shoetips were almost stepping on each other.

His eyes, burning fiercely as if daring him to run further, met Hyun’s immature gaze, and Hyun felt as though he had returned to six years ago.

‘No. Don’t remember.’

Hyun hurriedly composed his expression. He laughed lightly, pretending to be completely unaware of Cha Seok-young’s hostility.

“It’s not easy. So I’m trying to put effort into other things too.”

He let out a hollow laugh and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Cha Seok-young’s persistent gaze followed his every movement.

“Still, if I’d known you were coming, I wouldn’t have done this. My apologies.”

This much was sincere, but Cha Seok-young seemed unconvinced. He let out a sardonic laugh and lowered his gaze askew. At the look that urged him to say more, Hyun took a deep breath.

“Can you just bear with it for today, no, just for a few hours? I’ll be eliminated midway anyway.”

It wasn’t pessimism, but a fact. Hyun knew his place well. He felt sorry for the CEO who was hoping for a regular appearance on the variety show, but no matter how hard he prepared, it was close to a pipe dream for someone not from a professional background to expect final acceptance.

“There are so many great pitchers, you know? I might not even get to step on the mound before going home, so please bear with me for a bit.”

He said it lightly, deliberately putting on a fake smile. Then Cha Seok-young bowed his head.

“Hyun-ah.”

He brushed back his fallen bangs and met Hyun’s gaze.

“Let’s not be ridiculous.”

At the blatant profanity, Hyun’s eyes widened, and he first scanned their surroundings. Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone near the empty running track.

“The game the day before you disappeared. Four innings, no hits.”

“Are you crazy? Why do you still remember that?”

“And then what? You quit baseball because of injury and declining performance? Did you learn acting just to use it for such excuses?”

Cha Seok-young openly sneered. His words relentlessly pulled Hyun back, who was desperately trying not to be dragged into the past.

Hyun slowly composed himself. If he let his emotions take over like this, it would only repeat itself. He calmly fixed his expression and replied as if it were no big deal.

“That’s an old story. I quit baseball six years ago. Do you think I’d even have proper form?”

“I watched all your evaluation videos. That kind of nonsense won’t work on me.”

“That was when I was in good condition.”

“Don’t even think about just throwing casually and leaving. If you don’t pitch properly, I’ll reveal the real reason why you quit baseball.”

Cha Seok-young said ‘the real reason why he quit baseball’. At this point, even Hyun felt his stomach churn. The forced smile he had put on slowly faded.

“Why did I quit?”

He asked, almost whispering, without realizing it. Cha Seok-young tilted his head as if utterly dumbfounded.

“You don’t even remember now?”

As if he wouldn’t remember. If asked to repeat the excuses he made back then, he could recite them word for word. A past he had replayed and regretted hundreds of times did not easily fade.

“Forget it, why are you doing this?”

Hyun rubbed his tired eyelids. ‘Don’t get pulled in,’ he told himself again, looking at Cha Seok-young.

“You don’t want to see me, do you? I make you uncomfortable. So why are you making a fuss when I’m quietly leaving?”

“No, Hyun-ah. I was the one who quietly left.”

“……”

“Even though I disappeared as you asked, it was you who kept bothering my eyes.”

Hyun’s sharply raised eyes trembled greatly.

“So do it properly today. I came here because of you. To mentor Jung Hyun.”

Contrary to his threatening words, Cha Seok-young gently extended his hand. His large hand wrapped around Hyun’s shoulder, lightly patting it.

“Hyung will teach you well. Don’t be scared.”

He had tried so hard, but his voice instantly brought back an old memory.

It was the day a mere fifteen-year-old Cha Seok-young first put on a pitcher’s glove. Hyun had patted his awkward shoulder and said playfully,

“Hey, don’t be scared. This hyung will teach you well.”

What did Cha Seok-young reply then? Hyun couldn’t quite remember.