A Rookie in the Baseball Team is Too Good

Chapter 5: No Backing Down (1)

Time passed.

It had already been a month since Kim Ji-seop started working at [Superstar Baseball].

He was on his way to work with his ‘senior,’ Coach Han Min-wook.

It turned out that their homes were in the same direction.

“Did you have something good to eat yesterday?”

On the way to the lesson center after exiting the subway station, Coach Han asked.

“Sorry?”

“Yesterday was payday, wasn’t it?”

Coach Han adjusted his backpack.

“And you must have gotten a hefty bonus from the Director as well…”

His voice carried a hint of envy.

A junior who had sold all the gloves stacked in the consultation room within a month of joining.

For Coach Han, who had only managed to sell three or four batting gloves in the past few months, Ji-seop must have seemed extraordinary.

“If I were you, I would’ve immediately gone for some top-tier Hanwoo beef.”

“I was really tempted too…”

Ji-seop gave a somewhat lonely smile.

“But I just bought two chickens to share with my family.”

“What? Chicken? Just that?”

“Yes.”

Ji-seop nodded.

“I did get a lot of money, but… there are so many places to spend it.”

Credit card bills, living expenses, savings account deposits…

Moreover, Ji-seop had accrued a considerable amount of debt over the past decade while wandering abroad.

As he started covering the expenses his parents used to support, the substantial paycheck slipped away like sand through his fingers.

Although he didn’t share these details, Coach Han seemed to understand.

“Well, it’s something that any retired baseball player goes through at least once.”

“Is that so?”

“Isn’t it? While you’re active, your parents or your wife take care of money matters…”

Coach Han clicked his tongue.

“But you only realize after retirement, ‘Ah, so much money was spent on me. Now I really need to tighten my belt.'”

Perhaps recalling his decision to retire, Coach Han walked in silence for a while.

When the [Superstar Baseball] sign came into view, he turned to Ji-seop and said,

“Don’t be too down about your first paycheck disappearing. October is coming soon.”

“Excuse me?”

“October, fall, the perfect season for baseball.”

Coach Han continued,

“There will be finals in the amateur baseball league, short-term leagues, company baseball tournaments…”

“Ah.”

With more tournaments, more members would naturally join the lesson center.

When more members join, some would request personal lessons, and others might propose mercenary games.

Personal lessons and mercenary games were lucrative sources of income for amateur baseball coaches.

“October is the last peak season of the year for the amateur baseball industry. When winter comes, fewer people play baseball. So let’s make the most of it.”

Coach Han gave a big grin.

“Make some money, and by the end of the month, we should have some Hanwoo beef together.”

“Hehe, you really like Hanwoo beef, Coach.”

“What are you talking about? Is there anyone who doesn’t like Hanwoo beef?”

As they exchanged light-hearted conversation, they pushed open the old, creaking glass door of the lesson center.

“…Hm?”

The [Superstar Baseball] was usually bustling with the sounds of throwing, catching, and hitting.

It was Wednesday.

The one day of the week when the lesson center was ‘open’ for members to come in and practice freely before lessons started.

But for some reason, a heavy silence had settled inside the lesson center.

“……”

“……”

It wasn’t that the members were absent.

As usual, a dozen or so middle-aged men were gathered.

However, all those men were huddled around the consultation room, whispering among themselves.

Among them was a man Ji-seop recognized.

“President Choi.”

It was President Choi Kyung-min, who had bought the ‘Tabota Limited Edition’ glove from Ji-seop.

“Oh, Coach Kim! Coach Han is here too?”

President Choi greeted them warmly.

Ji-seop asked him,

“Did something happen at the lesson center? Why aren’t you all practicing…?”

“Sigh, is baseball really the issue right now?”

There, over there.

President Choi pointed towards the consultation room.

“There?”

The first thing Ji-seop noticed was [Superstar Baseball]’s Director Oh Su-man.

For some reason, he was repeatedly wiping his sweat with a handkerchief and bowing his head.

And sitting across from Director Oh was—

‘…An old man?’

An old man with white hair.

Could he be in his seventies?

The old man, with his hair slicked back with pomade and dressed in a three-piece suit, was glaring at Director Oh with a fierce gaze.

Next to him seemed to be a middle-aged man, likely his secretary, though Ji-seop couldn’t see him clearly from where he stood.

Ji-seop asked President Choi,

“Who is that person?”

“Huh?!”

At that moment, Ji-seop felt the gazes of everyone around him focusing on him.

“What, Coach Kim doesn’t know who that is?”

“He’s been quiet lately… But he used to be all over the newspapers!”

“Is that all? There was even a drama where he was the main character!”

“No, not the main character… He was the villain who tormented the protagonist, right? There was a lot of talk about suing the writer or something.”

The men chattered excitedly.

Ji-seop tilted his head in confusion.

“A dra…ma? Then, is he an actor?”

“Wow, you really don’t know. Suddenly, I feel a huge generation gap with Coach Kim.”

Looking at Ji-seop in amazement, President Choi finally spoke.

“He’s Park Hong-ju, the Vice Chairman of KH Group.”

He continued,

“But more than his name, he’s been famous for his nickname for a long time.”

“What’s his nickname?”

“Sakhalin.”

President Choi said,

“Sakhalin Park, Park Hong-ju.”

* * *

Though it was the first time Ji-seop had heard the name, he seemed to be a well-known figure among the men at the lesson center.

“It was in the early 90s, right? There was a time when KH Group was on the brink of collapse. Their Russian business partners kept delaying payments.”

President Choi recounted.

“Stock prices were plummeting, rumors spread about selling off company buildings, even the chairman’s house was said to be on the market… But then, that man, Park Hong-ju, solved the problem in one fell swoop.”

“How?”

“He got on a plane to Sakhalin…”

President Choi’s expression turned as if he was sharing a legendary story from the martial arts world.

“And he met the Russian president, who was on a tour of the area.”

“No way.”

“I’m serious. It was in the newspapers too.”

They said that Park Hong-ju, then an executive, had shouted these words when he met the Russian president:

– Russia claims to be a great nation, but from what I see, it’s no more than a small country.

– If you betray trust over a few coins, who would value a relationship with Russia?

– KH will never forget this. Whether it takes a hundred years or a thousand, we will make sure you taste the bitterness of your actions.

It could be seen as a bold remark or a reckless move.

However, this aggressive approach unexpectedly moved the Russian president.

That night, after a private meeting with Park Hong-ju, the Russian president ordered immediate resolution of the issue, allowing KH Group to overcome its greatest crisis since its founding… or so the story goes.

“KH Group’s professional baseball team is the [KH Cannons], right? That name also came from that man. He brought back state-of-the-art weapons from Russia in exchange for the unpaid fees.”

“So that’s why he’s called Sakhalin Park?”

“Exactly.”

President Choi had an ‘I told you so’ expression, but Ji-seop only felt more confused.

“But if he’s such an important person…”

Ji-seop scratched his chin with his finger.

“Why is he here at our lesson center?”

“Well, I wonder?”

Even President Choi seemed unsure.

But it didn’t take long for everyone, including Ji-seop, to find out the reason for ‘Sakhalin Park’ Park Hong-ju’s visit to [Superstar Baseball].

“So, what’s the conclusion?!”

The same voice that had impressed the Russian president boomed through the consultation room.

“Are you telling me that you can’t teach me baseball… Is that what you’re saying?!”

* * *

At that very moment.

Countless question marks popped up over the heads of the men outside the consultation room.

“Baseball???”

“Did he just say baseball?”

“Is Sakhalin Park going to play baseball? At over seventy years old?”

“Why here? If he’s Sakhalin Park, he could learn from an active pro player, right?”

Nothing made sense.

The men began to shuffle towards the consultation room, eager to hear more.

They seemed ready to press their ears against the wall to catch every word.

But their efforts were in vain.

Bang!

Just as they were about to lean in, ‘Sakhalin Park’ Park Hong-ju burst out of the consultation room.

“Damn it, what a waste of time!”

“I-I apologize, Vice Chairman!”

Following him out was [Superstar Baseball]’s Director Oh Su-man.

“It’s my mistake. If I had explained more clearly, you wouldn’t have made this trip for nothing.”

Director Oh was clearly flustered.

“It may sound like an excuse, but I assumed you were at most in your mid-sixties. I didn’t realize you were already over seventy…”

Despite his best efforts to explain, Director Oh’s words only made Park Hong-ju’s face harden even more.

“Seriously!”

Finally, Park Hong-ju exploded once more.

“My age is something you could find out with a simple internet search! How could someone in business not even bother to check that before flapping their gums?”

Director Oh shrank back like a turtle retreating into its shell.

“And you can accept someone in their sixties but not in their seventies? Who came up with that trash rule? Do you people enjoy treating me like some useless old man? Is that it?”

Park Hong-ju’s fury spilled over onto the surrounding men.

“Hey, you there! Tell me! Do you think I’m unfit to play baseball? Do I look like someone who’ll drop dead the moment I step into the batter’s box?”

It seemed the rumors about Park Hong-ju once negotiating with the Russian president were true.

As he raised his voice, even the innocent bystanders cowered, lowering their heads.

No one dared to step forward, each hoping that ‘Sakhalin Park’s’ rage would soon subside.

“……”

However, there was one person.

Ji-seop, unlike the others, remained calm, his expression unchanged.

And it was only natural.

Ji-seop could read ‘Sakhalin Park’ Park Hong-ju’s true thoughts.

‘This is… troublesome.’

Amidst the yelling, Ji-seop heard the inner voice clearly.

[Even after exhausting all my connections, after searching every lesson center in Seoul, I still can’t find a coach to teach me baseball…]

[This was practically my last hope, but if I can’t find a coach here… Damn it, what do I do now?]

Despite his furious exterior, his inner voice was filled with deep concern.

Having grasped this much, Ji-seop straightened his back and squared his shoulders.

He was tempted to call out to the old man, but he decided this was the perfect moment to make his presence known.

And,

Ji-seop’s approach worked.

“Hey, you!”

‘Sakhalin Park’ Park Hong-ju pointed his finger at Ji-seop.

“Do you have something to say? Why are you staring at me like that?”