The Extra in a Baseball Novel

When did it all start?

When did Seungtae, a baseball fanatic, start turning into a tyrant?

Maybe it was during his first year of high school when he hit a late growth spurt.

He’d wake up taller every morning, and every bit he ate seemed to go straight into building his physique.

The velocity he once thought he could never achieve was now easily surpassed, and his pitches became sharper day by day.

Before he could even realize it, there wasn’t a single player in Korea who could claim to be better than Lee Seungtae.

From a player who was merely commendable but lacked physicality, he suddenly became the most sought-after athlete by professional teams.

Was it possible that he had become intoxicated by his own success?

Whenever he looked at Hwang Gwang-hyun, short and with a closely shaved head like a chestnut, it reminded him of his pathetic self from the past.

Yeah.

That was really it.

It was simply because he had risen so high, thinking he was the best, indulging in his arrogance as if the world was his own.

He acted like a fool.

This was a realization he might not have come to for a long time, maybe even his entire life, if it weren’t for that single swing that shattered his pride.

“Haha…”

Recalling that memory, Seungtae let out a short laugh and left the dark room.

After taking a shower, he left his house and headed to the neighborhood barbershop he hadn’t visited since he started growing his hair in high school.

“Seungtae, you’re here.”

As he entered, Seungtae flinched.

“Why are you standing there? Sit down.”

“Yes…”

“Your hair’s gotten really long.”

“Yes…”

“Still playing baseball?”

“Yes…”

“Is that so? Seems like you’re doing well if you can grow your hair out this much.”

“…”

“So, should I just trim it for you today?”

“No…”

“Then you want it shaved?”

“Yes. Shave it… like a chestnut.”

When Seungtae returned, he was quite different.

No, calling it ‘different’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. It was like he had become a completely different person.

At first, when he asked where Hwang Gwang-hyun was, I thought he came back just to torment him.

But instead of bullying him, he got down on his knees and apologized in front of his juniors and teammates.

This was something the Seungtae I knew would never have done.

Hwang Gwang-hyun, being the kind-hearted person he is, thanked him for apologizing, even if it was late, and forgave him.

In return for the forgiveness, Seungtae promised to coach Hwang Gwang-hyun in pitching from now on.

It was a heartwarming ending I hadn’t expected.

“What could have made him change his mind so suddenly…?”

Well, it’s a good thing.

The baseball team is now free from the ticking time bomb that was Seungtae.

Now, the only issue left is Lee Jiho, who’s still in his slump.

This, too, is puzzling in its own way.

If my memory is correct, the cause of Jiho’s slump was Seungtae’s bullying.

Now that it’s been resolved, why is he falling into a slump on his own…?

Or maybe… there really isn’t any particular reason at all.

Slumps often come without any clear reason, so it’s not that strange.

Thinking any more about it wouldn’t bring answers, so I stretched and left the lounge.

As I was walking down the hallway, a paper on the wall caught my eye.

It was the match bracket for the Golden Lion Tournament, one of the major tournaments.

“It’s tournament season already.”

Since the Golden Lion is a major tournament, many scouts come to watch.

Not only domestic professional teams but even Major League scouts make an appearance, so it’s a must-grab opportunity for anyone dreaming of becoming a professional player.

Of course, I also plan to use this chance to make a strong impression.

The earlier I attract attention, the higher my market value will go.

Since I’ve walked this path before, I know how to increase my worth.

It’s simple. I need to showcase success in both pitching and hitting. The appeal of a two-way player is beyond imagination.

So, I’m planning to start pitching practice soon. I’ll need someone to catch for me…

At that moment, I saw Senior Ji Chang-seop walking by with a bat in hand.

“Senior Ji Chang-seop!”

“What’s up? Why are you running over in such a hurry?”

“Can you catch for me for a bit?”

“…I was about to do some batting practice, but if it’s our ace asking, I guess I’ll have to go. Come on, the pitching practice area should be open.”

“By the way, where’s the guy who’s supposed to pitch?”

As soon as we arrived at the practice area, Senior Ji Chang-seop asked.

Looks like he misunderstood something.

“I’m going to pitch.”

“What? You?”

Senior Ji Chang-seop’s eyes, which were usually half-closed, opened wide.

“Yes. I’ve been wanting to start pitching practice.”

“…You’re joking, right? From the way you’re talking, it sounds like you think you can pitch too.”

I smiled slightly as I stepped onto the mound.

“Then shall I give it a try?”

“…Go ahead, throw one.”

Senior Ji Chang-seop got into his catching stance, still looking skeptical.

“I’ll throw the first one lightly.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

As I stood on the mound, I felt my body itching to throw, but going full force from the start could lead to injury.

Oh, this is bad…

If I keep smiling on the mound, I’ll look like a crazy person.

Well, it can’t be helped.

I just really love pitching.

As I winded up, I smoothly raised my arm and pulled my upper body back like a javelin thrower.

From this position, I brought my arm forward, throwing the ball with all my strength as if pushing it down. My back foot naturally kicked forward from the sheer force of my dynamic pitching form.

The ball flew straight and fast into the mitt.

Thwack!

The sound of the ball hitting the mitt echoed through the indoor practice area.

Did I throw it too hard?

I intended to take it easy, but I ended up throwing it at full power.

Senior Ji Chang-seop, looking stunned, stared at his mitt.

After a moment, he snapped out of it and threw the ball back to me.

“Cha Taehyun. Take it easy.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to… I just threw it a bit too hard.”

“Why are you apologizing? I only said that because if our ace pitcher, who’s supposed to lead us to the Golden Lion victory, gets injured, the team would be in trouble.”

“Huh?”

Ji Chang-seop smiled playfully as he continued.

“Just kidding. Anyway, keep throwing. I’m getting curious about your pitches.”

‘This Cha Taehyun… He’s really insane.’

After catching the 60th pitch, Ji Chang-seop shook his head.

This guy hasn’t even been practicing pitching, yet he’s not showing any signs of fatigue. In fact, his pitches are getting faster. On top of that, he keeps grinning like some kind of maniac.

“They say the ones who are good at baseball just keep getting better.”

A faint laugh escaped from Ji Chang-seop’s lips. It wasn’t a laugh with any deeper meaning, just pure admiration.

He’s so far beyond everyone else that you don’t even feel jealousy or inferiority.

“Taehyun, stop, stop! Let’s call it a day. I’m getting tired too.”

“Yes, understood.”

“You like pitching this much, so how have you managed to hold back until now?”

“I held back by batting.”

“Haha! You’re really something… a baseball-crazy maniac.”

“By the way, Senior, how was my pitching?”

“How was it?”

Ji Chang-seop chuckled as he responded.

“It was good. From what I see, Chang-hyun is now our third starter.”

‘Isn’t that quite a high compliment?’

Despite that, there was a hint of dissatisfaction on Taehyun’s face, and he truly was feeling a bit regretful.

Back when he was around this age in the past, he was already at the pinnacle of high school baseball in Korea as a pitcher, so it was natural for him to feel this way.

‘Not having a fully developed body is the problem.’

Despite working himself to the bone over the past month, his growth had been stunted by the late nights spent working a part-time job.

But stopping the job wasn’t an option because he needed the money to cover his living expenses.

‘Should I seriously take out a loan or something?’

While Cha Taehyun was deep in thought, Ji Chang-seop tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, Taehyun, see those people? They’re scouts. They come here often, so I’m sure. Anyway, they seem to be looking for you. Go talk to them.”

‘Scouts?’

As Ji Chang-seop said, a man and a woman were looking around as if they were searching for someone.

“They might not be looking for me, though.”

“Who else would they be looking for? Now go.”

Pushed forward by Ji Chang-seop, Cha Taehyun approached the pair.

“Cha Taehyun, right? Could we have a word with you? We’ve already got permission from the coach.”

I followed the scouts to the coach’s office.

Once I sat down, one of the scouts handed me a cup of coffee

, though I had no idea where it came from.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, come on! No need to thank us. You’ve given us some of your precious time.”

“Huh? Oh, um… it’s not a problem to spare a bit of time.”

“Wow! What a great personality you have. You’d become a star the moment you join the Phoenix team!”

Oh, so they’re scouts from the Phoenix?

I was wondering why they were treating me so well, even though I’m just a second-year high school student… but now it makes sense.

Phoenix is a team that’s been stuck in a slump.

No one even calls them “Phoenix” anymore. They’re known as “Fail-nix” because they always finish at the bottom.

I guess it’s natural for their scouts to be desperate.

“There’s still over a year left until the draft. Stop getting ahead of yourself, Eun-chan.”

The coach commented, sipping his coffee.

“Haha… That’s true, I’m getting ahead of myself. Still! We just wanted to say hello to Cha Taehyun and express our interest in him joining our team.”

“Haha… Yes. Thank you. I actually like Phoenix.”

At that moment, the woman who had been silent next to Kim Eun-chan jumped up.

“Really? Is that true, Cha Taehyun? You’re exactly what our Phoenix needs! Our team’s shortstop depth is a complete disaster… Ah… I hear ‘Get us a shortstop’ all day long! If you join us, I might finally get a breather! Is that true?”

This woman… She must have a lot of pent-up frustration.

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