An Unlikely Mentor

After the program ended, the two ran towards Han River Park. Although it was later than their usual routine, they decided not to skip catch-ball.

All the way there, Song Him-chan couldn’t put down his phone. He was overjoyed checking the continuously pouring articles and comments.

“Hyung-nim, look at this. There are so many comments about me too.”

Jung Hyun, who was also happily reading the comments displayed on the phone Song Him-chan handed him, tilted his head.

Comments:
I’m going all-in on JungSong stocks.
└ Do you always pick sub-couples?
└ Yes, why?

“But why do they keep talking about stocks?”

“Oh, that? I asked my younger sibling earlier, and they said it’s a really good thing. It means we have good chemistry, so they told me to stick close to you often? They said that’s how we’ll get popular.”

“Really?”

“Yes! In that sense, hyung-nim, let’s take a selfie.”

He wondered why he suddenly wanted a photo while running, but they happened to have to stop at a traffic light. Song Him-chan held his phone up high. Hyun silently bent down and entered the frame.

As soon as he lightly pressed his cheek against Song Him-chan’s head, a series of enthusiastic shutter sounds rang out.

“People are complaining that hyung-nim, as an actor, doesn’t have a single SNS account, so I’m going to post this. Can I also post the one we took at the tryout last time?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Thank you. I’ll make sure our stock price goes up properly!”

Song Him-chan, clenching his fist, frantically tapped the phone screen. He was so enthusiastic that the rattling sound was like a tank.

Soon, the green light turned on. Song Him-chan, with a proud expression, put his phone away and shouted loudly, “Let’s go!” Hyun smiled and sped up his run.

Tonight was unusually cool. Being late, the streets were even emptier, and his mood was somewhat elevated from the broadcast. In his strangely excited mind, Cha Seok-young’s interview kept replaying.

‘I hope you pass, and we can play baseball together. Like before.’

‘Honestly, you missed it too, didn’t you?’

Even if they were insincere words spoken for the camera, it felt good. It was a feeling hard to bear without throwing a ball. His feet on the ground kept getting faster.

The catch-ball, which started with excitement, continued for quite a long time. Because they did everything from simple weights to pitching tests, they couldn’t get home until after midnight. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

When he showered and lay in bed, it was late dawn. Only then did Hyun check the messages accumulated on his phone. Skipping the long, emotional messages from Kwon Hyuk-won and Song Him-chan, a familiar combination of numbers appeared. He now noticed there were three missed calls as well.

[Stop playing catch-ball with that brat and come to training starting tomorrow.
I’ve even set the staff schedule, so don’t even think about skipping.
Sending address.
9 AM]

The unilateral notification was read in Cha Seok-young’s voice. No matter how handsome the face it was overlaid with, it was an utterly unfriendly message. It was completely different from the affectionate face he had seen in the personal interview.

Since he had agreed to train together once the broadcast aired, there was no justifiable reason to refuse. He also had a strong desire to get his body into proper shape as soon as possible.

Hyun simply sent ‘ㅇㅇ’ (okay) and belatedly saved Cha Seok-young’s number. He didn’t ponder the save name for long. His three-character name was enough. Because Cha Seok-young was just Cha Seok-young.

Even though a sudden schedule had appeared out of nowhere, Song Him-chan was not at all displeased. Early in the morning, in the dim light of dawn, he greeted Hyun with a bright smile.

“Hyung-nim, good morning.”

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep much because I was so excited. Dopamine was just exploding. Look at this! Hundreds of comments have been posted.”

Song Him-chan, who handed his phone to the back seat, hummed. Hyun sat in the recliner seat and read the SNS post he had brought up.

[Likes 3,432
strongchaniii Our hyung-nim, who I’ve been playing catch-ball with every day for the past two weeks.. The grateful hyung-nim who trusted me, lacking as I am, and even entrusted me with being his manager. Thank you for cheering me on to not forget my dream of baseball and to keep challenging myself.. Hyung-nim.. I will devote everything to serving you. I love you!! #JungHyun #DahireonFirstBroadcast #WatchLive #CelebrationParty #Chimaek #CoupleHats #HanRiverPark #CatchballOfLove
View all 359 comments
backsj_cap Good news. Him-chan, I hope to see you at the stadium someday^^
sundaegyu9090 Handsome guys are beautiful even in their hearts, lol]

It was certainly a large number, even to Hyun’s eyes, who knew nothing about SNS. As he handed back the phone, congratulating him, Song Him-chan, with his hands on the steering wheel, danced joyfully.

The car drove for nearly an hour, cutting through the heart of Seoul. The training ground, located in the middle of the city, was a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility, different from the old stadium they had visited last time. From the moment they entered, unfamiliar machines and clean turf sparkled, welcoming the two.

Hyun walked down the corridor, looking around curiously. Passing white walls and a green floor, they headed deep inside.

“Hyung-nim, but it seems no one else is here yet.”

“We did come too early. I’ll warm up a bit. Do you want to go eat breakfast?”

“Oh, where would I go, leaving just you, hyung-nim?”

Song Him-chan laughed playfully, whispering into Hyun’s ear. The whisper, made even closer by him standing on tiptoes, tickled Hyun’s ear canal. Hyun turned his head, laughing, when a cold voice flew from behind.

“Why did you bring that along too?”

No sooner had he turned around than his eyes met a sharp face. It was Cha Seok-young.

‘Why did he come so early too?’ While Hyun blinked his surprised eyes, Song Him-chan was the first to greet him loudly.

“Senior, hello! Nice to see you again. I’m Song Him-chan!”

It was a bow so deep his head nearly touched the floor. His excessive submissiveness seemed to be a habit, which bothered Hyun even in that moment. Hyun grabbed Song Him-chan’s deeply bowed shoulder and pulled him up.

Cha Seok-young’s gaze clung to the back of Hyun’s hand on Him-chan’s shoulder. He looked back and forth between Hyun’s hand and face, then let out a short, hollow laugh. Then, he approached with a cold smile.

“Who is your senior?”

“Uh, what?”

“Did you go to Jeongwon Jeil High?”

“Ah, uh, well…”

“You couldn’t go to college, and you’ve never even stepped on a minor league mound. So how am I your senior?”

Cha Seok-young was now close, right in front of them. The question was directed at Song Him-chan, but his gaze was relentlessly fixed on Hyun.

As a child, Cha Seok-young was famous for throwing a ‘dirty fastball.’ Not only on the mound but also in real life, he often spoke without thinking, needlessly starting fights.

Each time, it was Hyun’s job to sort things out. Stubborn Cha Seok-young would at least listen to Hyun, but it was uncertain if it would still work now. Hyun, with a helpless expression, pulled Song Him-chan even closer.

“What’s bugging you so much first thing in the morning? Speak nicely.”

“I asked because I was genuinely curious, why? Am I wrong?”

Cha Seok-young replied slowly, again looking at Hyun’s hand. Hyun felt somewhat intimidated and discreetly let go of Song Him-chan.

“Uh, you’re wrong. You can just treat him as a baseball junior/senior. Why are you picking on him so much?”

“Hyung-nim, I’m fine…”

“And Him-chan is my manager now. I’d appreciate it if you treated him with respect from now on.”

“Manager?”

Cha Seok-young’s cold gaze slowly rose. When Hyun nodded, he looked down at Song Him-chan with a slanted gaze.

“My apologies. I didn’t realize you had found a new calling so quickly.”

“Hey, Cha Seok-young.”

“Manager-nim, you’re lucky. To meet an actor who cares so exceptionally about his manager.”

At the clear sarcasm, Song Him-chan rolled his eyes. His eyes, trembling anxiously, seemed to ask, ‘Hyung-nim, what should I do?’ Hyun frowned and brushed back his bangs.

“If you want to pick a fight, pick it with me. Don’t bother an innocent kid.”

When Hyun retorted coldly, without inflection, Cha Seok-young’s face hardened. His dry gaze glared at Hyun.

Hyun did not avoid his gaze. He simply accepted it calmly, then gestured with his chin towards the inside of the training ground fence.

“Aren’t you going to train?”

There was no reply. In the tense air, the two silently stared at each other.

‘Why did the atmosphere become like this again?’ Just yesterday, when he watched his personal interview, Hyun had felt a glimmer of hope. There was a sweet expectation that he might get along with Cha Seok-young without much trouble.

But the moment they met, it was like this. As the silence lengthened, Song Him-chan became restless and suddenly raised his hand.

“Uh… hyung-nim. I-I’ll go buy some water!”

Since there was a water dispenser nearby, water was clearly not his real purpose. Hyun, reading the expression that clearly said he wanted to escape, nodded. Song Him-chan, as if he had been waiting, dashed out.

The training ground, with only the two of them left, became even quieter. Hyun placed his equipment bag on a bench lined up against the wall and looked back at Cha Seok-young. Still standing in that spot, Cha Seok-young gazed at Hyun like a statue. Despite his bristling attitude, the subtle undertone of hurt in his eyes kept unsettling Hyun’s heart.

‘Stubborn bastard, as always.’ Hyun grumbled and plopped down on the bench.

“Aren’t you going to manage your image? Like at the tryouts.”

“What image management?”

Cha Seok-young’s expression, as if he had no idea, bothered Hyun. The nagging he had constantly tried to suppress burst out uncontrollably.

“You don’t watch your words at all. You know all the Changgeon fans are watching only you these days, right? How much they adore you as the promising player who will revive Changgeon, and you have no sense of responsibility? I don’t care if you swear, but the fans definitely will. They treat you like an angel, calling you Michael, but what are you going to do if your temper is exposed? These days, cameras and recorders are everywhere. Moreover, Him-chan is a kid who plays baseball. Knowing that this industry is small, how can you be so fearless? If you get a bad reputation like that…”

Hyun’s words, which had grown agitated and faster, suddenly stopped. The belated realization that he had overstepped cooled the back of his neck. His throat tightened.

“Of course, it’s none of my business. I know. I know, but there’s no harm in being careful.”

Hyun wiped the back of his neck and observed Cha Seok-young’s expression. He had even interfered unnecessarily, so he was probably even angrier.

But Cha Seok-young had softened. Instead, he approached Hyun with an intrigued expression.

His large frame deliberately sat right next to Hyun, despite plenty of space. It was close enough for their knees to brush.

“It’s true that I have a bad personality, though.”

Cha Seok-young turned his head very close. It was as if he wanted Hyun to look at him, but Hyun stubbornly kept looking straight ahead, avoiding his gaze.

“Not really. It’s the way you express yourself, but you’re quite affectionate…”

Taken by surprise, the words blurted out. Hyun, abruptly shutting his mouth mid-sentence, quickly stood up.

“Anyway, I’ll talk to Him-chan, so you clean up your act a bit.”

He unzipped his equipment bag and took out his glove. Cha Seok-young leaned in beside Hyun, who was deliberately moving busily. He rested his head on Hyun’s equipment bag as a pillow and looked up at Hyun.

“Otherwise, my reputation will suffer?”

His suspiciously wide smile was radiant. His eyes, sparkling with playfulness and satisfaction, were like an innocent boy’s. For some reason, it felt like they had returned to the past, and Hyun nodded without resistance.