The Extra in a Baseball Novel

“Ahhh!! Cha Taehyun hits a bases-clearing, game-ending hit, sealing this game with a cold-game victory! It’s Cha Taehyun again! Who is this player?”

└ What do you mean who? He’s the future of the Phoenix, its treasure, the man who will become a Phoenix legend, Cha Taehyun.

└ Just memorize it: baseball is Cha Taehyun. LOL

└ I can’t even worship him properly anymore. I might need to create a worship macro at this point.

└ Honestly, if it’s not a home run but a double, I don’t even get excited anymore. LOL

└ Ah, I’m so happy that this player is on our Phoenix team. LOL

└ Let’s be real, the reason we ended up in last place this year was to pick up Cha Taehyun, right?

└ Who doesn’t know? Last year’s last place was Lee Seungtae, this year’s is Cha Taehyun. LOL

└ Getting first-rate players by being last place, other teams are probably crying a river.

The Phoenix team owner smiled contentedly and put down the phone displaying the broadcast.

‘Reading the chat can be quite entertaining.’

He wasn’t the type to usually read chat comments.

– The owner of this team isn’t just a fool; he’s plain stupid. They keep finishing last every year, which devalues the brand more than promoting it. Why does he even invest in this team? They should just disband already.

That comment still lingered in his memory as a sort of trauma. But now, even the most vicious fans had become mild and were cheering for the Phoenix because of Cha Taehyun, making it all the more enjoyable.

“Manager, you know, I really love the Phoenix.”

The sudden comment from the team owner made the general manager sitting across from him laugh awkwardly.

“Haha… Yes, I know.”

“That’s why I haven’t sold this team even when it changed its name from Phoenix to ‘Pheonix Losers.’”

The owner was smiling as he spoke calmly, but the general manager suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

“Even after making the largest investments every time, only to have the worst performance.”

The general manager forced a bitter smile and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

“But there seems to be a limit… I’m starting to feel exhausted. You understand, right? Sometimes I wonder if I should just sell the team.”

The general manager couldn’t say a word. He couldn’t disagree with the owner’s sentiments, as he felt the same.

“But lately, watching Cha Taehyun has made those thoughts disappear. I feel like I must see him join our Phoenix.”

“I’m looking forward to it as well.”

“Yeah, I really want to see that. You know, Cha Taehyun has what it takes to make it to the major leagues, right?”

Of course, he knew. Cha Taehyun was becoming something beyond just a star among Phoenix fans, and as the general manager, he was well aware of that. It was also one of his biggest worries lately.

‘If Cha Taehyun goes to the majors, I’m finished!’

It might sound like an overreaction, but Busan didn’t earn the name “Baseball Mecca” for nothing.

If the perception arose that they lost Cha Taehyun due to his mistakes or incompetence…?

He might actually get pelted with eggs or chickens around Sajik Stadium.

“Yes… He certainly has what it takes to go to the majors. But, um… I’ll do my best-”

Before the general manager could finish speaking.

“No.”

The owner shook his head.

“That must not happen.”

“…Yes, of course.”

“I mean, no matter what. Do you understand?”

“Well… If the player himself is strongly determined to go to the majors, there might not be anything I can do…”

“Is there such a thing as ‘nothing you can do’? Think about that high salary you’re getting. Isn’t that right?”

The owner asked with a sly smile, and the general manager had no choice but to nod along.

“Yes! I’ll do my best to keep him.”

“Good. I’m counting on you, Manager Lee.”

As soon as he left the owner’s office, the general manager immediately contacted Kim Eunchan from the scouting team.

“Do you know Cha Taehyun’s home address? Or at least his contact information…”

Desperation filled his voice.

—

Even though high school baseball has recently been booming, the Presidential Cup currently in progress is not as popular as the Golden Lion or Blue Dragon tournaments.

The reason for this is quite ironic: “Hyuksan High is too strong.”

Baseball is more thrilling when it’s close, but Hyuksan High’s overwhelming power made the games too one-sided, killing the excitement.

And so, the Presidential Cup seemed like it would pass by without much fanfare—until the finals.

“I didn’t expect to face Daesango High again.”

It was the exact same matchup as the Blue Dragon finals, which drew attention as people wondered if Daesango High would succeed in taking revenge.

“Well, they are a strong team.”

They’re a bit annoying, but they are undeniably a solid team. If I weren’t around, even Hyuksan High couldn’t be certain of victory.

“Hey, did you see the interview with that guy?”

“What, did he start bragging again?”

“No. Look at this.”

Jin Myunghwan handed me his phone, and there was Kim Sinhwa in another interview.

However, the atmosphere was quite different from the previous interview, where he wore a cocky expression.

This time, he seemed more subdued.

“As Hyuksan High is a strong team, we will give it our best effort.”

“Cha Taehyun? He’s a great player, a very skilled one.”

Jin Myunghwan snickered.

“He’s been properly taught some manners, huh? He’s not so annoying now.”

No sooner had he said that than…

“But this time, I’m certain we can show a different side. I’ve grown a lot. This time, I’m planning to make Cha Taehyun taste his first defeat.”

“Looks like he still hasn’t learned his lesson.”

—

The finals of the Presidential Cup began. The stands were filled with quite a crowd, including a significant number of scouts.

It was one of the few opportunities to showcase one’s talent before the draft.

In fact, this could be the last chance, as it was the finals.

‘I won’t lose today, Cha Taehyun…’

Daesango High’s starting pitcher was Kim Sinhwa again.

He was a stubborn pitcher who insisted on going head-to-head with Cha Taehyun, but Hyuksan High’s batting lineup was too strong for the coach to send anyone else.

Still, Kim Sinhwa had done some reflecting.

It was true he had been stubborn, but he failed to prove himself.

So today…

‘I will prove myself by defeating Cha Taehyun.’

While practicing his pitches on the mound, Kim Sinhwa recalled Cha Taehyun’s interview.

“He still doesn’t seem to get it. I plan to show him what it feels like to be knocked out by the same team twice in a row.”

Just thinking about that interview made his blood boil. Sure, his previous interview during the Blue Dragon tournament was a bit provocative, but this time, he had been gentlemanly.

And yet, such an ungentlemanly interview?

‘Karma always comes back around, Cha Taehyun…’

“Hey, hey! Sinhwa, relax! Are you trying to burn out before the game even starts?”

“There’s a saying: practice like it’s the real game, Ji Daesoo.”

Daesango High’s catcher sighed at Kim Sinhwa’s nonsense.

‘Did getting hit by Cha Taehyun mess up his mind…’

—

Kim Sinhwa might be mocked as a pitcher who got taught a harsh lesson by Cha Taehyun, but…

He’s not actually a pitcher to be made fun of.

His control is quite good, and most importantly, he can pitch over 150 km/h.

It’s just that this generation has some extremely exceptional players; Kim Sinhwa is certainly a talent worthy of recognition.

To prove his skill, Kim Sinhwa cleanly took down Hyuksan High’s top-ranked batting order—first, second, and third— in the bottom of the first inning.

Although Hyuksan High’s pitcher was Lee Seungtae, who also made Daesango High retire in order, Kim Sinhwa paid no mind.

He could confidently say his condition was at its peak today.

This time, unlike before, he was fully focused when Cha Taehyun stepped up to the plate.

‘…This time, I won’t let my guard down.’

His pride and stubbornness, which had made him reluctant to throw breaking balls back then, had been left behind when he stepped onto the mound.

He hated to admit it, but Cha Taehyun was definitely someone who hit fastballs well, so he ruled out fastballs.

He was also a guy who could easily hit pitches that were outside the zone, making it seem hopeless, but that was only because others didn’t have enough pitch quality. His own pitches could certainly induce a swing and miss or weak grounder.

He aimed for a slider that broke inside…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

-Crack!!

“What?”

Kim Sinhwa let out a death rattle-like groan of confusion.

His previously clear thoughts suddenly halted, and his head instinctively followed the ball’s trajectory.

The ball flew in a straight line and barely cleared the fence.

Kim Sinhwa’s eyes widened as he froze like a

statue.

└ LOL LOL LOL

└ Kim Sinhwa: I’ll make him feel his first elimination. LOL

└ Isn’t Kim Sinhwa’s face already broken? LOL

└ It’s understandable for him to break down. LOL

└ But seriously, how do you deal with Taehyun? That pitch was slightly outside, wasn’t it?

└ Throwing it just slightly outside was the mistake. LOL

└ Looks like he hasn’t learned yet. LOL

—

Even though he gave up a ridiculous home run in the second inning, Kim Sinhwa surprisingly didn’t lose his composure.

‘You were lucky, Cha Taehyun. The left fielder would have easily caught that if the wind hadn’t blown… There won’t be a next time.’

Whether you’d call it keeping his composure or falling into narcissism, he continued to pitch calmly.

-Crack!

“Cha Taehyun hits another slightly inside pitch! The ball flies just past the shortstop for a base hit!”

Though he didn’t give up consecutive home runs like before.

“Nice!”

Of course, it was true that he had allowed a hit. His victorious fist pump, oblivious to the fact that he was being recorded, was rather bizarre.

‘A single against Cha Taehyun counts as a win.’

This was the new defense mechanism Kim Sinhwa had instinctively developed.

‘It’s not that I’m lacking; it’s that guy who’s abnormal.’

‘If anything, I’m holding up pretty well.’

This odd mix of respect and narcissism allowed him to…

“Strike! Out!”

He struck out Hyuksan High’s fifth batter, Lee Jiho, keeping the score at 2-0 until the eighth inning.

Feeling confident, Kim Sinhwa subtly sat beside his coach.

“Coach, I’ve proven that I can face him without having to avoid him.”

The coach patted Kim Sinhwa’s shoulder with a smile. Slightly cocky, but today Kim Sinhwa had indeed pitched well.

“Yes, you did great! Now that Lee Seungtae is off the mound, it’s doable!”

“Of course.”

Kim Sinhwa smirked, glancing over at Hyuksan High’s dugout.

Although he had slightly “lost” to Cha Taehyun with four hits in four at-bats, including one home run.

‘If we don’t win the game, it’s all pointless. In the end, I’ll be the one smiling, Cha Taehyun.’

Of course, they were still trailing 2-0, but Hyuksan High’s bullpen was rumored to be weak. As a batting-oriented team, Daesango High had every reason to expect a comeback.

Just as the coach seemed to be thinking similarly, smiling, the announcer’s voice filled the air.

“We’re starting the bottom of the ninth with Hyuksan High’s attack… Oh, wait, is Cha Taehyun stepping onto the mound? Wow! I had a slight hunch, but it’s true, Cha Taehyun is coming in as the closing pitcher!”

└ Has the coach lost his mind? Is he trying to burn out our Phoenix ace?

└ But honestly, if you’re hyped, give a thumbs up! LOL

└ Thumbs up! LOL

└ Taehyun, what are we going to do now…?

└ Well, it’s because he’s Hyuksan High’s coach that he can make these decisions. If I were the coach, I’d use him every day, agreed? LOL

└ Agreed! LOL He’s a cheat card, and considering the timing now, it’s understandable.

Cha Taehyun climbed onto the mound with a smug smile, as if to say it was nothing.

—

Despite the concerns of the viewers, it was entirely Cha Taehyun’s decision to take the mound.

In fact, the coach had been worried about injuries and tried to stop him, but Taehyun had insisted on going out there.

He felt a bit sorry for Hwang Gwanghyun, but in Taehyun’s opinion, Gwanghyun wouldn’t have been able to calmly pitch against the 3rd, 4th, and 5th batters with a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.

‘I can’t let a ninth-inning comeback happen with Miyeon watching.’

Not in the finals, of all times. Absolutely not.

With Cha Taehyun’s surprise appearance on the mound, the Daesango High coach’s head was filled with so many thoughts, it was about to explode.

He knew that Taehyun also pitched, of course.

But since the Golden Lion tournament, he hadn’t pitched even once, so he never imagined they would bring him in now.

Kim Sinhwa, who was nervously pacing, smirked and spoke up.

“Coach, there’s no need to worry. He just played shortstop and immediately came up here, so he probably hasn’t recovered his stamina or warmed up his arm.”

The coach sighed and nodded at Kim Sinhwa’s words.

“That’s true…”

“Besides, he hasn’t pitched at all up until now. There must be a reason for that. Just relax and watch as our Daesango batters crush Cha Taehyun…”

-CRACK!

The instant the sound of the mitt rang out, Kim Sinhwa’s mouth, which had been running quickly, suddenly froze.

‘What was that just now…?’

Even at a glance, the velocity and quality of the pitch were on another level. Kim Sinhwa jumped up and checked the scoreboard.

[154 km/h]

“…What?”

Kim Sinhwa’s jaw dropped.

‘Is this the pitch of a guy who was playing shortstop just moments ago and didn’t even warm up his arm?’

Slowly turning his head back to the mound, he saw Cha Taehyun throw the second pitch.

-CRACK!

It was a fastball aimed straight down the middle, as if challenging the batter to hit it.

[155 km/h]

The batter could only stand there, mouth agape.

Then came the third pitch.

Once again, it was a fastball right down the middle. The batter gritted his teeth and swung the bat with all his might.

-Whoosh.

The ball sailed just above the bat, seemingly sucked into the mitt.

“…S-strike! Out!”

For once, the umpire’s call was delayed.

The cheers of the crowd erupted belatedly as well.

They couldn’t help it. The scoreboard displayed an unbelievable number that had drawn their eyes.

[157 km/h]

Likewise, Kim Sinhwa, who was staring at the scoreboard, let out a hollow laugh and hung his head.

“This can’t be…”

—