Chapter 35. Choi Seong School
I calmly looked at the guys who had come up to me.
Kwon Geonwoo had been my high school classmate from the start, while Go Gyeongtae owed me one.
“What is it?”
It wasn’t unusual for players to train in the stadium’s weight room on Mondays.
Practicing batting alone or throwing balls by yourself was also normal.
However, it was rare for someone to wake up early in the morning, show up carrying red ginseng extract, and smile awkwardly.
“Hehe…”
Kwon Geonwoo and Go Gyeongtae placed the red ginseng extract in front of me.
I left it there without touching it.
As a Taeyang-type constitution, I couldn’t eat it anyway.
“Why are you doing this?”
“We came because we wanted some help. Yoon Jaejun went through your hell training, and now he’s flying out there.”
Yoon Jaejun had actually recorded two hits in three at-bats in the previous game.
His batting average had shot up to .370.
His body was gradually becoming more solid as well, but the dark circles under his eyes were getting deeper.
Because of that, we had agreed that every Monday would be a complete rest day for him.
He was already heavily worked as a catcher.
If he didn’t get proper rest on top of that, his risk of injury would become much higher.
“So you want me to treat you the same way I treat Yoon Jaejun?”
When I easily smashed a 140 km/h pitch fired from the pitching machine, both of them gulped.
Honestly, they would probably be better off receiving training from our coaching staff…
I was only putting Yoon Jaejun through hell training because I needed to drag out his potential as quickly as possible.
“Gyeongtae sunbae, Geonwoo. Do both of you want to make the third national team roster?”
The two firmly nodded.
In tournaments like the Olympics or Baseball World Cup, if you didn’t make the first roster, getting added later as a reserve member was like trying to pluck a star from the sky.
Of course, I had managed to do it.
And Yoon Jaejun, a catcher with plenty of potential, would probably do the same soon.
“It won’t be easy…”
Still, I welcomed Kwon Geonwoo being this proactive.
As for Go Gyeongtae, I was curious.
I didn’t even remember him from my previous life.
What would happen if I personally trained him?
“Ugh…”
Both batters started groaning from the very beginning of training.
The reason was simple.
The moment we started with running and basic physical conditioning, they began screaming.
“Is it that hard?”
They were running all the way from the outfield to the infield and back.
Twenty round trips.
Kwon Geonwoo handled it somewhat comfortably, but Go Gyeongtae quickly became exhausted.
These guys needed to hold out if the crappy Oceans were going to have any chance of escaping last place.
“First, you’ll keep doing this warm-up once every day. Stamina is the foundation of a long season.”
Maybe they had focused too much on voluntary training until now.
They both weakly nodded.
This kind of stamina management would start showing its worth around the middle of the season.
Even if we were less skilled than the other teams, we could compensate by simply overpowering them with ridiculous stamina.
“Again. Again.”
I calmly watched as they struck tires with their bats.
For now, getting the basics down was the most important thing.
They needed to master the fundamentals before doing anything else.
I already had a rough idea of Kwon Geonwoo’s batting style.
He was definitely a contact hitter.
What surprised me was the way Go Gyeongtae swung his bat.
He was clearly better suited to becoming a singles hitter.
Morning and afternoon.
I spent the entire day training together with them.
“What should we eat for dinner?”
At some point, Go Gyeongtae was panting heavily while staring at me with shining eyes.
“Cut down on carbohydrates and focus mainly on high-protein foods.”
“Then how about boiled pork or bossam tonight?”
I calmly stared at him.
“I already have plans today…”
“What’s this, Seong? Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?”
Kwon Geonwoo gave me a meaningful grin.
“Well, our junior Choi Seong is insanely popular these days. You know top idols have been walking around wearing your jersey lately, right?”
How could I not know?
Whenever idols came to throw the ceremonial first pitch, they always asked for my autograph and got themselves one of my jerseys.
Some even asked for my phone number.
And I had only played six games.
“I’m not particularly interested.”
Of course, I could have been tempted.
But for now, I really wasn’t interested.
I had already dated more than enough in my previous life.
For now, I needed to focus on baseball and build the career I wanted.
“Today’s plans are with my family.”
I thought about my parents.
Since the season had started, I hadn’t even been able to properly sit down and eat a meal with them.
Of course, they came to the stands whenever they had time.
This was partly my way of repaying them.
Now that I had been given another life, I couldn’t afford to lose the warmth of the family that mattered most.
“Ah, I see… Then I guess the two of us will eat together. Sunbae, I’m looking forward to you buying me something delicious!”
“What? You got a huge signing bonus too! Your salary is practically the same as mine!”
The chemistry between the two was unexpectedly good.
“Enjoy your meal. And don’t forget. Tomorrow, we’re doing the exact same routine again.”
I emphasized that point before leaving.
I immediately caught a taxi and headed to the restaurant.
“Aren’t you Choi Seong?”
“No.”
“Hey, taxi fare is free for Choi Seong.”
“I’m Choi Seong.”
After signing the taxi seat for the driver, I met Mom and Dad at a private sashimi restaurant.
“What’s all this?”
They both looked confused.
“A present to celebrate my second win.”
I ordered the most expensive course and poured my parents some top-quality sake.
Both of them liked drinking, so they happily shared it.
“Right. Isn’t this when a son is supposed to show some filial devotion?”
The alcohol slowly began to affect both of them.
“Please just stay like this.”
When I showed them a rare smile, they both clapped.
“I’ve always been grateful.”
When I had fallen apart in my previous life, they were no longer there.
I would never collapse in this life.
But to make sure that happened, I needed to work hard.
It only took a moment for a baseball idiot to taste the bitterness of society and become a washed-up baseball failure.
No matter what happened…
For their sake.
“I’ll survive.”
“For a long, long time.”
The next day, the number of players following my training had increased to three.
Yoon Jaejun.
Kwon Geonwoo.
Go Gyeongtae.
Captain Kim Hakseong watched us for a while before teasing him.
“Gyeongtae, are you part of Choi Seong’s gang now too?”
