The Extra in a Baseball Novel

After the tests for both the fielders and pitchers ended, the coach finally announced the names of the players who would be wearing the national emblem.

Naturally, my name was called, as well as Jin Taehyun, Lee Jiho, and even senior Changhyun.

The rest… were people I didn’t know, so I honestly wasn’t too interested.

“Alright, everyone, you all worked hard today for the tryouts. We’ll start training once the team is officially decided, so take care of yourselves until then. That’s all.”

“Yes, sir!”

On my way to the locker room, I checked the list of results from the pitcher test posted in the dugout.

I wasn’t particularly interested in other high school pitchers, but I was curious about how senior Changhyun performed.

“Oh…?”

[1st Place: Kim Sinhwa]

Senior Changhyun placed 2nd?

Of course, he is a good pitcher, but he was always more of a secondary character—the second starting pitcher of Hyuksan High School.

For him to take second place nationally was quite surprising. Of course, this was with the absence of Lee Seungtae.

Looking at things like this… it seems this world is progressing differently from what I know in StrikeHeart. The appearance of Jin Taehyun and the changes in Lee Jiho… Is my existence causing a butterfly effect, or will these changes continue to happen in the future…?

As I was getting lost in thought, someone placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Cha Taehyun.”

It was senior Changhyun, but… something about his expression seemed off. He looked calm as usual, but that was the problem.

He’s someone who desperately wants recognition and takes pride in his pitching. So, for him to have confidently secured 2nd place today and still look so downcast…?

His behavior only made my already complicated mind even more confused.

“Uh, senior Changhyun, what’s going on all of a sudden?”

Without warning, he removed his cap and bowed his head toward me.

He stayed that way for a moment before speaking softly.

“Could you help me out?”

“Uh… what kind of help do you need?”

“Today, I realized that I’m really nothing…”

“Senior, you came in second place among the pitchers, didn’t you? Is it because you weren’t first?”

Still bowing, senior Changhyun gave a bitter smile.

“No, that’s not it. I just can’t be satisfied with myself.”

He continued speaking calmly, still with his head lowered.

“Kim Sinhwa in first place is remarkable, but when I saw the match between you and Kim Hosan… I realized how lacking I am. I need to work harder.”

…That’s not right.

Senior Changhyun’s effort is anything but lacking. If anything, it’s excessive—to the point where he risks injury.

Although in StrikeHeart, he was a minor character who appeared briefly and then faded away, the Kim Changhyun standing before me now, who purely wants to be better at baseball and humbles himself before a younger junior without regard for pride, is not someone who will remain just a background player.

“I’m not sure what kind of help you need, but I’ll do my best.”

Still bowing, he replied.

“Could you stand as the batter for my pitching practice from time to time? I believe that facing high-level batters is the best training.”

“Please, senior, lift your head. You’re making me uncomfortable. And you’re my senior, you can just order me to do things like this. Why are you being so formal?”

“If you’re asking someone for a favor, you should be polite.”

“Fine, I get it. I’ll stand at bat whenever you want, so please, lift your head.”

Finally raising his head, senior Changhyun gave a faint smile.

“Thank you, Cha Taehyun. I’ll make sure to repay this favor.”

“This might sound presumptuous, but as long as you don’t lose that willpower, I’m sure you’ll surpass Kim Hosan, who was here today.”

Senior Changhyun opened his mouth a bit in surprise, then burst into laughter.

“You sure are full of yourself, just like Myunghwan said.”

“What? Myunghwan said that to you, too?”

“Pretty much every day? …Anyway, thanks again. I’ll head out first.”

Senior Changhyun waved his hand and walked away from the dugout with a more relaxed expression.

—

Recently, Shin Hayoon had become increasingly interested in Cha Taehyun.

Of course… not in a romantic way. It’s just… he’s good at baseball… Analyzing good players is necessary if she wants to fulfill her dream of becoming a coach.

“Yeah, analysis is important… It’s essential, after all.”

After hesitating for about five minutes, Shin Hayoon finally placed her hands on the keyboard.

[Cha Taehyun’s player record.]

She intended to start by looking at Cha Taehyun’s data.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Hmm…?”

Moving her mouse, Shin Hayoon tilted her head. No matter how many times she refreshed…

“Why are there so few records…?”

Normally, a high school baseball player would have records from weekend leagues, tournaments, and even international games. Yet, for Cha Taehyun, there were only five games listed from the Golden Lion Tournament.

In other words… Cha Taehyun hadn’t played baseball until his sophomore year in high school, and then he stormed through the tournament…

“That doesn’t make any sense…”

It’s almost like something out of a fantasy novel; it’s too unrealistic…

In the end, Shin Hayoon started searching for the broadcasts of the Golden Lion Tournament.

“If I’m going to watch, I might as well start from the first game.”

She decided to watch all the games from the Golden Lion Tournament today and pressed play.

An hour passed, then two, then three…

“He really is good…”

By the time the first game ended, she had to admit it. The Cha Taehyun on screen was a monstrous rookie, through and through.

She was curious about the next game. Quickly moving her mouse to find the following match…

– Please watch Cha Taehyun’s interview. He’s so admirable.

– Agreed. Thank you for holding on, Cha Taehyun!

– I’m also a high school student, and I really respect how hard Cha Taehyun has worked. I hope you succeed!

The comments stood out.

Something about them seemed very different from the image of Cha Taehyun she knew…

“An interview… maybe I’ll just watch it for a bit.”

Shin Hayoon moved her mouse again to play the interview video. She stared blankly at the screen.

And…

Not long after.

Her hand, which was holding the mouse, began to tremble.

“…”

Shaking her head in disbelief, she rewound the video.

When she watched the interview a second time, she couldn’t help but lower her head.

Fleeting memories of the harsh words and actions she had directed toward Cha Taehyun flashed through her mind.

She couldn’t imagine how he must have felt in those moments.

‘No… maybe this interview is a lie…?’

She tried to rationalize, but it was no use. Hearing Cha Taehyun’s slightly sobbing voice and seeing his teary eyes on screen made her conscience ache.

What was she supposed to do with this overwhelming guilt and self-reproach…

Unable to keep her mouth shut, Shin Hayoon buried her face in her knees.

—

At 8 p.m., a bit late for dinner, I sat at the table with Jihyun and picked up my spoon.

Whenever I ate with Jihyun like this, I always noticed how quiet she was.

If I didn’t start a conversation, she would just finish eating and head to her room.

“It’s nice having you come home early these days, Oppa. Eating together.”

But today, Jihyun spoke first.

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s a bit lonely eating alone.”

“I’ll try to come home early more often if I don’t have training.”

Jihyun shook her head.

“No, you don’t have to. I shouldn’t get in the way of what helps you make a living for us.”

“What do you mean, ‘in the way?’ You cook for me every morning and evening. We’re family, and family helps each other.”

“…Yeah, you’re right. Family should help each other.”

Jihyun faintly smiled and asked another question.

“Are you entering another tournament? In Seoul?”

“Yeah. It’s called the Blue Dragon Tournament, and it’s held in Seoul.”

“Then you won’t be able to come home for a while…”

Her subdued voice was tinged with clear disappointment, and I couldn’t help but smile.

A warm feeling grew in my chest.

Is this what family bonds are?

“I’ll call you often while I’m there.”

“Okay.”

After a rare, lengthy dinner conversation, I returned to my room.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, I felt dizzy. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a while. Cha Taehyun’s memories were starting to flow into my mind again.

– Oppa… I want to leave this place…

– I wish I had my own room, so I could be alone.

– Is that what you really want?

– Yeah…

– Okay. Then let’s get out of here. Just wait a little longer…

“So that’s why we left the orphanage…”

It seems like Jihyun had trouble adjusting to the orphanage… or maybe she was bullied.

In any case, there must have been a problem.

Is it that she’s not good at socializing with others?

Come to think of it, she doesn’t talk

much, but more than that, I’ve rarely seen her leave the house except for school.

And she never talks about friends.

Anyway, it’s a problem I can’t solve just by thinking about it. I can only hope for more memories to come back.

As I was about to lie down, my phone vibrated.

“Oh…”

I thought it might be Miyeon, so I quickly checked the message, but it was Shin Hayoon.

[Shin Hayoon: I’m sorry…]

The sudden message was unexpected, but its content was even more so.

“Why’s she apologizing all of a sudden?”

I decided to ignore it and laid down.

—

In baseball, there’s a saying:

“Baseball is a pitcher’s game.” Ultimately, a great pitcher dominates the game, and I think it’s true.

This is especially pronounced in high school baseball.

There was even a time when high schools would sacrifice their ace pitchers’ arms like a dark ritual to win championships.

Oh, of course, that was a long time ago. Trying that now would spell immediate doom.

To prevent such things, pitch limits have been implemented, making attempts impossible.

Anyway… even with pitch limits, high school baseball still heavily relies on the pitcher.

Unlike professional baseball, where games are played almost daily except for one day a week, high school tournaments often have a three-day break, providing ample time for rest.

Therefore, even without many pitching resources, having just two excellent pitchers can lead to good results.

That’s the kind of team Hyuksan High School is.

Our top batting lineup is quite strong, but our lower lineup is awful, and our bullpen is infamous for consistently blowing leads.

The team is not well-balanced, but our starting pitchers, Lee Seungtae and senior Changhyun, help compensate for this.

What I’m getting at is that even though we won the Golden Lion Tournament, there’s no guarantee we’ll win the Blue Dragon Tournament just as easily.

Well… today’s first opponent, Hwacheong High School, doesn’t seem to be too tough, though.

“Nice to see you, Cha Taehyun. Remember me?”

As part of baseball’s image improvement, both high schools had a handshake event, and the guy in front of me spoke.

Who was this guy…?

“Oh, yeah… I remember.”

I feigned familiarity, and he grinned and continued.

“You’re good, I’ll admit. But today’s game won’t be easy. I’m not the same as I was during the tryouts.”

Tryouts… That rings a bell. Wasn’t he that Kim… something? Anyway, he was the one who tested for the shortstop position along with me.

“Sure, let’s do our best.”

I shook his hand lightly, and the game began.

And the game…

…contrary to what he said about it not being easy…

“Game set!”

[Hyuksan: 7]

[Hwacheong High: 1]

…ended surprisingly quickly in our favor.

“We had a tough draw in the Golden Lion Tournament, but we’re getting lucky in the Blue Dragon, huh?”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen us clear the first round this easily.”

“Senior Changhyun pitched phenomenally today. Why is he suddenly doing so well?”

“Right? Did he find some secret technique or what?”

I hate to say this, but… it was too easy.

Senior Changhyun allowed only one run and perfectly controlled the game for eight innings. Even the closer managed to finish the ninth cleanly.

Considering how tough our previous first round was, this almost feels unfairly easy…

Leaving the dugout, I took out my phone.

Today, Taehyun’s school, Cheongshingo High, also had their first game, so I wanted to check the result.

Cheongshingo probably won. They put up a tenacious fight in the finals last time, after all.

“Still playing, maybe?”

We did finish our game rather quickly, after all.

However, when I saw the result on the screen, I couldn’t help but wonder.

[Game Over: Daesangogo High Wins]

Cheongshingo:

│1││0││0││1││0││0││0││0││0│[2]

Daesangogo:

│2││0││2││0││1││0││1││4││0│[10]

“They lost by this much…?”

—