The Extra in a Baseball Novel

“Hey, Rick… I told you! Damn it, we should have definitely spoken to Cha Taehyun the last time! Look at the expression on that New York Mets scout’s face; those eyes are completely out of it already!”

“I agree with you, Jake. That beautiful curveball from Kim Sinhwa was impressive, but Cha Taehyun’s perfect hit was simply gorgeous…”

“Yeah… So why didn’t you approach him when we first found him? We’re going to lose Cha Taehyun to another team at this rate!”

Rick looked wistful for a moment before replying.

“I didn’t say it at the time, but… that boy was walking, holding hands with a girl, looking so happy. I just couldn’t bring myself to interfere with his love.”

Jake snorted and grumbled.

“What a romantic you are… Anyway, we must get Cha Taehyun today, understood?”

“Well… that is, if she’s not by his side.”

“Damn it… I hope she’s not around today so your madness won’t flare up…”

‘So now even the Major League scouts are here.’

Lee Miyeon glanced at the foreign-looking scouts and smiled.

Watching Cha Taehyun perform well was enjoyable, but seeing him being recognized brought her even greater joy.

However, a thought crossed her mind, and her smile faded.

“Will Taehyun go to the majors…?”

Cha Taehyun had once said he would go to the Phoenix team, but it wasn’t certain if he truly meant it. Moreover, with his exceptional skills, it would be strange if he didn’t go…

Supporting his future was the right thing to do, but…

‘If he goes to America, I won’t be able to see him much…’

These thoughts were inevitable.

After all, what’s the problem with not being able to see him? She and Cha Taehyun didn’t have any special relationship.

They were just teacher and student.

That was all their relationship was.

So why did the thought of not seeing him as often make her chest ache?

-Slap!

Lee Miyeon slapped both her cheeks with her hands to clear her head, then forced herself to look at the field.

But still… the lump in her chest wouldn’t go away.

—

The catcher of Daesangogo rushed up to the mound to check on Kim Sinhwa’s face.

He looked furious after giving up a home run, but that was better than him being mentally out of it.

“You okay?”

Tsk. Kim Sinhwa clicked his tongue.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I threw a bad pitch. The ball didn’t spin right.”

‘…It seemed like a perfect pitch to me, though.’

In the catcher’s opinion, it was the cleanest curveball Kim Sinhwa had thrown so far, but he nodded cautiously.

“Right. Everyone makes a bad pitch now and then. We’re only down by two runs, so don’t let it get to you. Anyway, their pitcher is no big deal. We’ll get our hits! And as for Cha Taehyun…”

Kim Sinhwa cut him off.

“Don’t tell me to walk him.”

“Uh… No, that’s not what I meant.”

“And don’t tell me to play it safe.”

‘…Ah, this stubborn kid…’

The catcher barely swallowed his sigh, handed the ball back, and returned to home plate.

Cha Taehyun might be on another level, but today, Kim Sinhwa’s pitching wasn’t bad.

‘As long as it’s not Cha Taehyun… we should be fine.’

The catcher signaled for a fastball and moved his mitt inside.

“Hey, Daesangogo.”

The fifth batter, Lee Jiho, spoke up.

The catcher pretended not to hear him.

He had already tried some mind games with Cha Taehyun and paid dearly for it, so it was better to keep his mouth shut.

Kim Sinhwa wound up and threw the pitch, and as Lee Jiho prepared to swing, he spoke.

“If you’re going to run your mouth… make sure you pick the right target.”

-Crack!

The huge impact sent chills down the catcher’s spine.

Throwing off his mask, he looked up to see the ball sailing over the fence.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake…”

Finally, letting out a sigh, the catcher hung his head.

—

Even after giving up back-to-back home runs, Kim Sinhwa didn’t waver. He swiftly took care of the bottom of the lineup.

Still, Daesangogo’s dugout felt like a completely different place compared to before the game.

And understandably so. They had thought it would be an easy win with Lee Seungtae not pitching, only for the top of their lineup to go down in order. Then, the confident Kim Sinhwa got smashed in the first inning…

‘…This isn’t good.’

The most stunned person was the coach.

He had expected this tournament to be Daesangogo’s path to reclaiming their honor. Their aces had fully recovered from injuries, and many players, including Kim Sinhwa, had shown significant improvement.

Yet, here they were in the second inning, with the coach doubting their chances of winning.

‘Hyeongyu is our only hope…’

Moon Hyeongyu, the cleanup hitter, stepped up to the plate.

He was a solid batter. Being the fourth hitter for Daesangogo, known as an offensive powerhouse, was no small feat.

Only now, monstrous players like Jin Taehyun, Cha Taehyun, and Lee Jiho had emerged.

Moon Hyeongyu took a deep breath and readied himself.

‘It’s not Seungtae… I can do this.’

While this confidence might have seemed arrogant, it was justified for Moon Hyeongyu.

Despite being the cleanup hitter, he had never forgotten the day he was struck out without touching Lee Seungtae’s pitches.

He used that humiliation to fuel his relentless effort and believed his skills had surpassed what they once were.

Thus, it was natural for him to slightly underestimate Kim Changhyun.

However…

There was one thing Moon Hyeongyu didn’t know.

If he had worked himself to the bone over the past year…

-Thwack!

“Strike!”

…Kim Changhyun had worked himself to the point of coughing up blood.

[153 km/h]

‘…It’s fast.’

Watching the first pitch, Moon Hyeongyu understood why the earlier batters had fallen so easily.

But understanding it didn’t mean he would go down the same way.

He had trained to face fastballs by dueling countless times with Kim Sinhwa, and his pitching machine was always set to over 150 km/h.

If it was Seungtae’s 157 km/h, maybe…

‘This much, I can handle!’

-Whoosh.

He was sure he had hit it in his mind, but his bat swung through nothing.

‘What…?’

Before he knew it, the ball was already in the mitt.

“Strike!”

It was now two strikes, an extremely disadvantageous count.

‘Is he going to throw a ball now? …He finished earlier with two fastballs followed by a forkball… There’s no way he’d throw another forkball, right?’

As Moon Hyeongyu’s thoughts grew complicated, Kim Changhyun wound up for the pitch.

The throwing motion was completely different, and the ball was much slower.

He wasn’t sure exactly what kind of breaking ball it was, but judging by the pattern so far…

A forkball on two strikes? That’s way too disrespectful.

He must have thought that… He must have known it was a trap to lure him…

Yet, when the ball came flying toward him, Moon Hyeongyu found himself swinging his bat.

-Whoosh.

The bat sliced through thin air again as the umpire called out.

“Strikeout!”

“Haha…”

So this is what they mean when they say you can’t help but swing even when you know.

Feeling a strange sense of shock, Moon Hyeongyu shook his head as he left the batter’s box.

“…The Daesangogo cleanup hitter looks shaken.”

“It’s understandable. His pitches are quite heavy for their speed; I bet the spin rate is incredibly high. That batter probably doesn’t even know why he couldn’t hit the ball.”

“…Yeah, his pitches definitely have some lift. But that forkball he’s using as the finisher… it’s top-notch. I wonder if he has any other pitches?”

Jake smirked as he continued.

“Well… Kim Changhyun is worth considering too, wouldn’t you say?”

“I agree.”

The fifth batter walked to the plate, playfully patting Moon Hyeongyu on the shoulder.

“A strikeout? Come on, man. He’s not even Seungtae; that’s embarrassing.”

It was meant as a joke, but Moon Hyeongyu responded with a hollow laugh.

“That guy… He’s on another level. He’s pitching like he’s possessed… Seungtae’s no different.”

“Haha! Don’t talk so big just because you’re embarrassed. I’ll show you how it’s done.”

“…Yeah, go ahead and show me.”

The fifth batter walked to the plate with bravado, unable to hide his grin.

‘What’s this talk about pitching like he’s possessed? His speed is lower than Sinhwa’s.’

That confidence stayed with him as the first pitch came. No, it lasted even as he swung at the first pitch.

Right up until the moment he made contact.

‘Why can’t they hit something like this…?’

-Pop.

He hit it. It wasn’t that the ball missed the bat entirely.

But the timing was way off, and the ball skidded off the bat awkwardly, popping up weakly.

The batter’s gaze followed the ball’s arc until he locked eyes with Kim Changhyun, standing at its final destination.

In that instant, Kim Changhyun grinned as he casually extended his glove.

“Out!”

The ball nestled inside the glove.

Now the fifth batter understood the meaning behind Moon Hyeongyu’s hollow laughter. Smiling himself, he left the batter’s box.

“Haha… We’re in big trouble. Can we even score today…?”

He muttered to himself, his thoughts shifting.

Could they even get a hit?

It didn’t take long for the answer.

“Strikeout!”

The sixth batter was struck out as well.

“It’s another strikeout! That’s already three strikeouts for Kim Changhyun, who hasn’t allowed a single runner through the second inning! He’s proving himself!”

└ What is this? Is Daesangogo just trash, or is Kim Changhyun really that good?

└ Can’t you tell from the pitches? Look how heavy those fastballs are. They have so much lift, haha.

└ Throwing two of those cheat fastballs for strikes and then finishing with a sinker. Total savage, haha.

└ Hmm… Can’t we just bring both Seungtae and Changhyun to the Phoenix?

└ Where’s your conscience?

└ Kim Changhyun belongs to our Daejeon Volcanoes. Other teams, please refrain from mentioning him ^^.

—

Shin Hayoon loved baseball as a lifelong Phoenix fan.

So when her family suggested a trip to Seoul and then, out of nowhere, decided to watch the Blue Dragon Finals, she had no reason to say no.

However, sitting in the crowd at the Blue Dragon Finals, her lips stuck out in a pout.

“Hayoon, isn’t it exciting to watch the Blue Dragon tournament in person?”

“It’s not even a Phoenix game… What’s so exciting about it? I wanted to go to the department store. Why are we at the Blue Dragon Finals…?”

“What does it matter? There are two Phoenix players here; it’s practically a Phoenix game!”

“Where are you getting this ‘Phoenix players’ nonsense?”

Her mom giggled and pointed to the dugout of Hyuksan.

“Seungtae isn’t playing today, but he’s probably in there… Oh, look! Hayoon, look! Our Phoenix player is coming out!”

Sighing at her mother’s sudden enthusiasm, Hayoon flinched as cheers erupted.

-Whoooaaa!

-Cha Taehyun! Cha Taehyun!

The reason Shin Hayoon was uncomfortable watching the Blue Dragon Finals.

Cha Taehyun, the culprit, was walking to the plate.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Taehyun oppa~!!”

“Our ace! Hit another one!”

“Our son-in-law! Set a new record~!”

“Hey! Who said he’s our son-in-law?!”

Shin Hayoon yelled out, prompting her family to burst into laughter.

It wasn’t that she was bothered by her family teasing her over this game.

Well, that was certainly part of it…

Glancing at Cha Taehyun’s face, Shin Hayoon’s eyes darkened.

Every time she saw that face, she was reminded of his tearful interview, and it made her chest feel tight.

That’s why she didn’t like it…

“Hayoon? Where are you going?”

“Bathroom.”

In truth, she didn’t really need to use the bathroom. She just felt uncomfortable watching his at-bat.

She walked off, heading toward the restroom.

-Taehyun-ah!!!

“Huh…?”

A voice she had heard before made Shin Hayoon stop in her tracks.

Following the sound, she turned her head and tilted it slightly.

“Teacher…?”

—