The Extra in a Baseball Novel

Game Set.

Even though the umpire’s call signaled the end of the game, the scouts remained seated in the stands.

Some scouts stared blankly at the mound. Others were left speechless, their mouths hanging open. Some couldn’t take their eyes off the scoreboard that displayed the 157 km/h pitch speed.

They were all thinking the same thing:

“Who the hell is this guy?”

When witnessing a truly unbelievable event, the first reaction is always one of confusion.

What they had just seen defied their understanding.

The New York Yankees’ scouts were in a similar state.

“Rick… could you please explain what we just saw?”

“Oh, damn… That was exactly it.”

“Rick, do you still think Cha Taehyun isn’t ready for the majors?”

“Haha… Jake, do I look like a damn idiot to you? With these eyes, how could I possibly ignore that monster? Contact the club right now. I need to grab the business card I left behind.”

Meanwhile, the chatroom for the live broadcast was in an absolute frenzy.

└???????

└Haha, this is so ridiculous, I can’t help but laugh.

└This is our shortstop for Phoenix, LOL.

└??? Your shortstop is Ji Chan, who leads in errors, right?

└That guy doesn’t exist for us anymore. From now on, our shortstop is Cha Taehyun.

└So, if we recruit Cha Taehyun, we get both a shortstop and a closing pitcher? Is this for real?

└From now on, I am one with Cha Taehyun… Those who attack Cha Taehyun…

└God.Tae.Hyun

└Wow, he comes out as a closer and shuts down Ilmyeong High’s top lineup…

└Goo goo ga ga, I’m baby Taehyun, and I want to go to Phoenix when I grow up.

└Satan, why are you cursing a baby?

└LOL, nice! Next year, Daejeon Volcanoes will take last place, so we’ll take Cha Taehyun. No objections, right?

└Haha, do you think you can do that? You have no idea why we’ve been the “true bottom” all along.

└Hey, our team has always been ranked above yours. Who knows what might happen?

└LOL, two prideful idiots going at it.

Watching the heated banter in the chat, the commentators wiped the sweat off their brows and began to speak.

“Wow… You all have some strong opinions! Yes, yes… It seems like everyone is eager to recruit Cha Taehyun! I can understand why! Haha… Okay, everyone, let’s calm down now. It’s time to announce today’s Player of the Game!”

└It’s gotta be Cha Taehyun, LOL.

└TaehyunGod, haha.

└God.Tae.Hyun

└Lee Seungtae deserves it, too.

└But he’s the only one who scored two runs and then came out as the closing pitcher to seal a one-run lead. How do you beat that?

└Agreed.

“Today’s Player of the Game is… Cha Taehyun!”

The camera moved away from the commentators and zoomed in on Cha Taehyun.

└Wow, look at that fierce expression, haha.

└He might look a bit rough, but his features are decent. A little grooming, and he could look great. He’s handsome.

└Haha, there are already fans falling for his looks. He’s definitely star material.

“Cha Taehyun, you’ve been selected as the Player of the Game for your outstanding performance today. What’s more surprising is that this was your debut! Were you nervous at all?”

Cha Taehyun took the mic, looked into the camera, and grinned.

“Did I look nervous? I don’t think so.”

His playful and slightly arrogant tone made the female announcer burst into laughter.

└Haha, he’s so likable, haha.

└Honestly, he didn’t look nervous at all, LOL.

└He was grinning like a maniac; I thought he was crazy, haha.

└Taehyun-oppa, I love you so much, ㅠㅠㅠ.

└What do you mean, oppa? He’s a high schooler, LOL.

Despite being just a high school student who only played baseball, Cha Taehyun handled the interview smoothly.

He spoke so well that the announcer couldn’t stop laughing.

“It’s been a while since I did an interview; this is fun.”

As the interview was going well, Cha Taehyun suddenly interrupted.

“Excuse me, I have something I need to say. Can I do that now?”

The camera director quickly nodded.

“Sure, let our Cha Taehyun say whatever he wants!”

He couldn’t say it aloud on the broadcast, but he really wanted to cheer that on.

He was grateful that Cha Taehyun revived the broadcast, which had been dwindling in viewership, and now he was nailing the interview.

Holding the mic, Cha Taehyun lifted his head and blinked a few times before mumbling.

└Why is our shortstop crying…

└Taehyun, don’t cry… You did well, so why cry?

└Taehyun-oppa, don’t cry, ㅠㅠㅠ.

└I told you, stop calling him oppa!

Cha Taehyun wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, then looked at the camera with a bright smile, as if to say, “I’m okay now.”

“Nice acting.”

The reason Cha Taehyun put on a little crying act was to set the tone for the interview. It was time to express his gratitude and repay those who had helped him.

As they say, when you repay a favor, it comes back even bigger.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Honestly, I’m really grateful.”

“I… I really love baseball. I always wanted to become a player… but things don’t always go as we wish. Money kept holding me back…”

Cha Taehyun began sharing his story of growing up in a difficult environment. He didn’t reveal that he had no parents, but he did add some emotion to his tale of juggling a part-time job to support his only sibling while finding time to train.

Was it because of his calm voice, or because he expressed his challenging past so well?

Sniff… sniff…

Sniffling sounds started to be heard here and there.

└ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└It’s so sad… Taehyun, come to Phoenix and be happy now.

└Damn Phoenix is so bad even Satan would cry, LOL.

└Listening to this makes me want to kill those useless high-paying players on our team even more. Is that normal?

└Not the right time, but I agree.

Then, Cha Taehyun smiled slyly and spoke.

“There are people who gave me the chance to play baseball.”

“Ahem…”

The coach, who was watching from afar with the other players, turned his back.

“First, I want to thank our coach. No matter how many times I say it, it’s not enough. When he found out I was working a part-time job, he told me to quit them all. He knew my livelihood was at stake.”

“What? Why did he do that?”

“He said he’d cover my living expenses, so I could focus on baseball. Then he handed me a piece of paper and told me to write down my bank account number. So, I wrote it down… and the next day, 2 million won was deposited.”

Cha Taehyun glanced over at the coach.

The coach had his back turned and his head bowed, but his satisfied smile was clear.

“If it weren’t for the coach, I wouldn’t have been able to play baseball. And… there’s also the owner of the Phoenix Batting Center…”

Next, he shared the story of his time at the Phoenix Batting Center, embellishing it a bit.

└Wow… This guy’s life is a story on its own…

└The Hyuksan High baseball coach is a true romantic, for real.

└Gave him 2 million won just like that, amazing.

└This sounds like something out of a manga…

└Is this fake?

└How dare you slander our shortstop?

“Cha Taehyun, you certainly went through many hardships to get here. That makes today’s victory even more valuable, doesn’t it? Now, for the final question, would you like to say a few last words?”

Holding the mic, Cha Taehyun looked toward the stands and said,

“I’ll be there soon.”

“Huh…?”

The announcer tilted her head at his unexpected words but quickly wrapped up the interview smoothly with her closing remarks.

“Cut, cut! Wow~ Cha Taehyun, that was a great interview…?”

When the camera director put down the camera, Cha Taehyun was already gone.

“…You want to go back separately?”

“Yes. It’s my first time in Seoul, so I want to look around a bit before heading back.”

Baseball teams usually operated as a group, so this was quite an unusual request.

“Well, if that’s what you want to do… Just don’t get into any trouble and be careful, alright?”

Of course, that’s the story for an average player. After the interview, the bond between the coach and Cha Taehyun had grown stronger.

After bowing to the

coach, Taehyun quickly took a shower, changed clothes, and rushed to the stands.

Miyeon was sitting in the stands, looking at her phone.

Her face had turned a bit red, likely because of the setting sun.

“Taehyun? Y-you really came?”

It seemed like she was watching the broadcast on her phone.

“I said I would.”

“Well… I saw the baseball team leaving together.”

“Our coach is pretty lenient. I just told him I was leaving. Now, let’s go.”

Taehyun reached out his hand to Miyeon.

She hesitated for a moment but soon grabbed his hand and stood up.

“Taehyun… but our hands…”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll let go.”

“…”

He didn’t know how long this silence would last.

But for now, he walked slowly toward the exit, feeling grateful for the warmth in his hand.

—