The Extra in a Baseball Novel

‘A high school student already making such clean defensive plays…?’

From the look on his face, he was still a young rookie. However, the entire process of catching the ball, pulling it out of his glove, and throwing it was so crisp that it left onlookers in awe.

One might even think that this place could be a Major League stadium without it feeling out of place.

-Thwack!

-Thwack!

-Thwack!

Jeon Hocheol kept hitting the balls, unaware of the time passing. There were others waiting behind him, and his arm was screaming in pain, nearing its limit.

“Good! Cha Taehyun! You can do a bit more, right? Let’s go one more round!”

What else could he do? A talent that shines so brightly in front of his eyes demands that he keep dancing along.

“Hoo… It’s been a while since I had such a good fungo session.”

Jeon Hocheol wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and steadied his breath. Though he was visibly exhausted, he was smiling widely enough to show his white teeth.

“Excellent, Cha Taehyun. You have value just in your defense.”

The coach’s eyes widened at Jeon Hocheol’s words.

‘The manager is actually giving out compliments like this?’

Jeon Hocheol was known for being strict. In fact, he was so exacting that even a single word of praise was rare. It was only natural that the coach was surprised.

Cha Taehyun bowed his head and returned to the dugout, prompting the manager to smile again.

“This guy even has manners, huh?”

‘…Looks like the manager is completely captivated by Cha Taehyun.’

The manager wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

“Where did this guy even come from?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Wait, isn’t he that guy who dominated the Golden Lion Tournament?”

“I thought I might get in as a substitute, but now what…”

“Damn, he’s really good…”

Various reactions came out, but they all converged on one thought.

‘The starter isn’t Kim Yoobin, it’s Cha Taehyun…’

—

If you were to pick a legend in Korean baseball… many names might come to mind. But if you were to choose one current player, everyone would think of the same person.

“Oh? Kim Hosan. Why are you here?”

Kim Hosan.

He’s the Korean pitcher who has achieved the best performance in the Major Leagues.

Although he’s taking a break this season due to Tommy John surgery, he’s expected to fully reclaim the ace role when he returns.

“I’m taking a break from the season, so I thought I’d visit my hometown.”

Since it was Jeon Hocheol who discovered and actively supported Kim Hosan, the first person he came to see upon arriving in Korea was none other than Jeon Hocheol.

“You had surgery, right? Is your arm okay?”

“Yes, it’s healed to the point where I could return soon.”

“That’s good to hear. So, why are you here today?”

“Haha, do I need a reason? I just wanted to see the players who will lead Korean baseball in the future. Are there any promising players this year?”

“There are. Some good players.”

Kim Hosan tilted his head slightly at the quick response.

“If the strict manager says there are good players… they must be pretty outstanding, huh?”

“What do you mean, strict?”

“Hahaha, just kidding. So, who’s the player that caught your eye, Manager?”

“Hmm… Well, I’ve only tested the defense so far, but if we’re talking defense alone, it’s Cha Taehyun.”

Kim Hosan asked curiously.

“Cha Taehyun? Never heard of him.”

“That makes sense. I just heard about him today myself.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I’ve been too busy to watch the Golden Lion Tournament, but it turns out he made his debut there.”

“Wait, are you saying that a player who debuted at the Golden Lion Tournament is already that good?”

Jeon Hocheol chuckled as he continued.

“Right? I couldn’t believe it either. But just in terms of defense, he’s at a professional level. I hit some pretty hard line drives at him, and he snagged them right away.”

“You hit fungo? Sounds like he has great reflexes.”

“Yeah. He was slacking off a bit, so I swung with more force than usual. But he just sat there and caught it… Oh, actually, you want to see for yourself? The fielding drills are done, and the hitting tests will start soon.”

“I was going to ask you anyway. I’m curious about the player who caught your eye.”

—

The results of the first defensive test were posted.

[1st place: Cha Taehyun]

“They even ranked the players?”

No idea what criteria they used, but being first certainly felt good.

I was about to take a picture to brag to Ms. Miyeon when—

“It’s Kim Hosan!”

Someone shouted, and suddenly, the atmosphere became chaotic.

Kim Hosan?

I knew that name. It’s impossible not to. He’s a character who became Lee Jiho’s role model in StrikeHeart.

Most importantly, there’s a scene that’s still vivid in my memory where Lee Jiho hits a home run off Kim Hosan in the Major Leagues.

But why is a player of his caliber here?

I followed the other players toward Kim Hosan.

“Don’t mind him too much. Remember why you’re here today,” the manager said earnestly.

But it was useless.

A guy who had achieved the dream that all of them were striving for appeared right before their eyes. How could they not pay attention?

“Now, we’re about to start the batting test… But I want you to remember one thing: I value contact ability in hitting the most. I like hitters who can at least hit singles. Understood?”

In short, it’s all about how well you make contact with the ball.

Well, that’s what I’m best at. It shouldn’t be too difficult.

“While you prepare, wait in the dugout.”

“Yes, sir!”

Back in the dugout, I sent the photo of my 1st place rank to Ms. Miyeon.

Not even ten seconds later, I got a reply.

[What’s this, what’s this? Did you get 1st place?]

[Yes, I’m currently ranked 1st in defense, haha.]

[Awesome! You’re the best, Taehyun! Can you get 1st place in batting too?]

Batting, huh?

Hmm… I was planning to go for a big hit, but I can’t be sure.

Lee Jiho and Jin Taehyun are also here. It wouldn’t be strange if they hit home runs too.

How they score it will be important…

Ah!

A brilliant idea struck me.

Yes, that would guarantee 1st place.

[Yes. I’ll send you a picture of me in 1st place soon.]

[Okay! I’ll be waiting. Good luck! ୧(๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭]

Some people go through all sorts of things to get a dopamine rush, but I don’t get it.

I mean, just sending a text makes dopamine flood my system!

I suppressed my uncontrollably rising grin and stepped out of the dugout.

—

With Kim Hosan watching, the preparations for the batting test were completed.

The manager gathered the players, and soon some players in Phoenix uniforms were brought in.

“For today’s batting test, the Phoenix 2nd team pitchers have agreed to help. They’ve given up their precious time, so make sure to thank them.”

The manager finished his brief introduction and organized the lineup, calling out the first player.

“Lee Jiho, step up to the plate.”

“Yes, sir!”

Lee Jiho shouted confidently and took his stance.

There was no starting signal. The pitcher wound up when he felt ready and threw the first pitch.

-Thwack!

A loud crack rang out, surprising the pitcher, who sighed in relief when the ball went foul.

Even so, it was impressive.

‘…These high schoolers are something else.’

Although he was currently in the 2nd team, this pitcher had experience in the 1st team and had survived in professional baseball for a while. He didn’t expect to get hit so easily, even if it was a foul home run.

‘I need to focus more.’

The second pitch, thrown with caution.

-Thwack!

The moment the ball was struck, the pitcher let out a hollow laugh.

Nothing was wrong with his pitch. He had thrown it just like he always did. He wasn’t complacent.

‘…They call this a rookie test, but it seems there’s a monster among them?’

Watching Lee Jiho’s home run, the next batter, Kim Yoobin, felt a strange sense of relief.

Or rather, he found it a little funny.

‘The Phoenix team really is legendary.’

With the season underway, it wouldn’t make sense for them to send their top pitchers. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for Lee Jiho to hit that home run.

After all, these were just 2nd team Phoenix pitchers.

‘I need to hit a home run too…’

With confidence, Kim Yoobin stepped up to the plate and gave a deep bow to Kim Hosan.

“Hello, senior! I’m Kim Yoobin from Hwachung High, the same school you went to!”

“Oh… really? You’re my junior? Manager, is this guy any good?”

The manager squinted slightly.

“His defense is alright… but…”

-Strike!

–

Strike!

-Strikeout!

“Hosan, looks like you’ll have to set things straight at Hwachung High…”

“Haha…”

‘W-What the hell? Why is his pitching so good?’

It was to be expected. Even if it was the 2nd team of a bottom-tier club, the pitcher was a professional. It wasn’t going to be easy for a high schooler to hit his pitches.

Lee Jiho was just on a different level.

Face red with embarrassment, Kim Yoobin ran back to the dugout as if to escape.

“Next, Jin Taehyun!”

Jin Taehyun stepped up to the plate, causing Kim Hosan to let out a sound of surprise.

“He’s got a sharp look in his eyes.”

“Yes, he’s a player I’ve been keeping an eye on. He never lets his guard down. He’s full of spirit.”

-Thwack!

Proving the manager’s keen eye, Jin Taehyun smashed the first pitch.

“Haha. Well, it’s not that the Phoenix pitcher is bad… These high schoolers these days are something else.”

Another home run. At this point, the manager couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

‘…A golden generation.’

He had only seen the fielders so far, and already three players stood out as potential stars.

Next up was Cha Taehyun.

“Next, Cha Taehyun!”

“Oh? Is that the player you mentioned earlier, Manager? Is he going to hit an out-of-the-park home run on the first pitch?”

Kim Hosan seemed quite excited, already making a fuss.

-Thwack!

He made solid contact on the first pitch, but it went foul. Still, the quality of the hit was decent.

This was proof that his contact ability was pretty good.

Even so, there was a hint of disappointment on Kim Hosan’s face.

‘Doesn’t seem like someone the manager would make a fuss about…’

Then came the second pitch.

-Thwack!

Another foul ball, though the quality of the contact remained high.

“Hmm…?”

Feeling that something was off, Kim Hosan narrowed his eyes and focused.

-Thwack!

Once again, the ball veered into foul territory.

‘Wait a minute… Is this on purpose…?’

The disappointment faded from Kim Hosan’s face, replaced by a slight smirk.

-Thwack!

-Thwack!

When the fifth consecutive foul ball flew past the line, a wide smile spread across Kim Hosan’s face.

“This guy… He’s insane.”

“Huh?”

The manager looked at Kim Hosan, confused.

-Thwack!

When yet another foul ball was hit, he finally spoke.

“Is this kid… doing this on purpose? Because I said I’d be looking at contact ability?”

With a mischievous smile that bordered on being twisted, Kim Hosan nodded.

“Watch. He’ll cut the next one too.”

-Thwack!

Just as Kim Hosan predicted, another foul ball.

“No… No way, is this for real?”

—

-Thwack!

That’s the fifth foul in a row. Of course, it’s not that my timing was late or that I missed the ball.

These were 100% intentional hits.

Why am I doing this in the batting test? The reason is simple.

I want to place 1st to brag to Ms. Miyeon.

The manager said he valued contact.

A home run? Sure, that can show my contact ability. But there are others here who can hit home runs, too. Lee Jiho and Jin Taehyun have already done it.

I can’t be sure that a home run alone will make me 1st.

However…

-Thwack!

A player who can intentionally foul off balls regardless of the course or type of pitch…?

Well, that player would be… me. At least in this place, for now.

I suddenly recalled the time I did this in the Major Leagues and ended up infuriating the opposing pitcher, causing a bench-clearing brawl.

The fans called it “Taehyun’s Game.”

Anyway…

-Thwack!

I’m saying that I’m going to take 1st place in this test, no matter what.

“Cha Taehyun! Are you doing this on purpose?”

The manager’s voice rang out, so I momentarily stepped out of my batting stance.

“Yes. I want to make sure I take 1st place.”

The manager let out a short laugh, his face showing disbelief.

Obsessing over a ranking that doesn’t even hold much meaning might be hard to understand.

But Ms. Miyeon wants me to be 1st. So, for me, this is a serious matter.

“Alright, then. Hit the next one properly!”

I nodded and subtly lowered my bat.

Looks like he’s a bit mad…?

The pitcher’s face had hardened. After hearing the conversation between me and the manager, which pitcher wouldn’t have his pride wounded?

Gritting his teeth, the pitcher wound up and threw with all his might.

Certainly.

“He’s pissed.”

The ball left the pitcher’s hand, spinning sharply and hurtling toward me. Even at a glance, the speed and power were on a completely different level than before.

So far, he had been holding back since I was just a high schooler, but now he decided to put some effort into it…

But I wasn’t about to be overwhelmed by the full force of a 2nd team professional pitcher.

-Smaaack!

The instant the ball met the bat, a thrilling sensation ran down my spine, making the corners of my mouth twitch uncontrollably.

The pitcher hung his head.

The ball soared high into the sky.

No matter how many times I see it, I never get tired of this sight.

I watched as the ball stretched out, showing no sign of stopping, until it slammed into the center-field screen. Then I asked the manager,

“Am I in 1st place now?”

The manager laughed heartily for a while before answering.

“What, do you think you’re 2nd?”

—