The Extra in a Baseball Novel

Chapter 50

Cha Taehyun was on stage wearing the Phoenix uniform, answering the announcer’s questions.

‘He really is a star…’

‘I’ve never seen a high school player handle an interview this smoothly.’

‘Every one of his answers could be a headline…’

Journalists, who were typing away on their laptops while watching, couldn’t help but be impressed. Clearly, this player had only been focused on baseball his entire life, yet his speaking skills rivaled those of a celebrity.

“Cha Taehyun, do you have any goals you’d like to achieve after joining Phoenix?”

The reporters perked up and listened attentively to the announcer’s question.

This was the key question that could generate a headline-worthy topic.

Whether he aimed to be the home run king, win Rookie of the Year, or, with the boldness of a rookie, go for the MVP, whatever he said would be perfect for the headlines.

Everyone was eager as Cha Taehyun fixed his gaze on the camera and gave a sly smile.

“Of course, I have set a goal. Actually, it’s not ‘goals’ but a single ‘goal.’ I’ve set only one.”

Hearing that, the announcer beamed, exclaiming enthusiastically.

“Oh! I see! Then, that one goal must be quite significant! Is it… perhaps the MVP?”

The journalists nodded in agreement, having the same thought. However, Cha Taehyun shook his head.

‘Then, is it Rookie of the Year?’

The reporters, feeling a bit disappointed, were momentarily stunned as Cha Taehyun opened his mouth.

“Phoenix winning the championship. That is my one and only goal. I’m not interested in anything else.”

Everyone had naturally expected him to talk about personal career goals, which was also the intent of the announcer’s question…

“Is this what it means to walk a different path?”

A journalist chuckled, feeling confident.

If Cha Taehyun excelled in baseball, he would undoubtedly become a superstar.

The scene was soon broadcasted live, causing a sensation online.

– “When he said he had just one goal, I thought he meant MVP, but he suddenly goes, ‘Phoenix championship’ LOL.”

– “LOL, a rookie claiming he’ll lead a team that hasn’t won in over 30 years to a championship? LOL.”

– “That’s some high difficulty, saying he’ll confidently take them to the top LOL.”

– “Honestly, it might be harder to win the championship with Phoenix than to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year at the same time LOL.”

– “It’s happened once in history, but Phoenix has only won twice… And regular season wins? Zero.”

– “Taehyun walks a different path LOL.”

– “He really is a superstar LOL.”

– “Damn, this is it. If a rookie is aiming for a championship, learn from him, you Phoenix salary thieves!”

After parting with Cha Taehyun and heading home, Miyeon received a sudden call from her parents and headed to their home.

She didn’t think much of it until she opened the door. She just thought her parents wanted to see their daughter suddenly.

But…

“Miyeon.”

Her mother’s voice was too cold to be that of a mother who simply missed her daughter.

‘Did I… do something wrong?’

There’s that chilly feeling you get instinctively when your parents call your name, especially when they use your full name.

“Oh… Mom, why did you call me today?”

She responded as innocently as possible, pretending not to know anything. Her mother then pulled out a photo on her phone, showing a picture of the TV screen.

“Huh…? What is this…?”

Just as Miyeon was about to ask what it was, her eyes widened, and she froze, her mouth hanging open like a hippo.

It was a picture of her at the draft, smiling brightly as she looked at Cha Taehyun.

“That student, Cha Taehyun, is from Hyuksan High, right…? The school where you work?”

Seeing her daughter’s pale face, her mother sighed heavily.

“Yes… Miyeon, I know how hard you studied to become a teacher without making a single friend. You’ve achieved your dream, and now you’re 26, an age where you’d naturally want to date…”

She had no intention of interfering with her daughter’s love life. In fact, she wanted to support her.

She had seen firsthand how much her daughter had sacrificed and how hard she had worked.

But…

“Still… shouldn’t you date someone around your age? And not your student…”

“No, it’s not… That’s not it…”

Her daughter couldn’t deny it right away and seemed lost for words, causing her mother to feel a bit dizzy.

She had feared it, but it seemed there really was something between her daughter and that student, Cha Taehyun.

After collecting herself for a moment, she continued speaking.

“You… haven’t crossed the line, right?”

Unable to meet her mother’s eyes directly, Miyeon mumbled.

“…What do you mean by ‘the line’?”

Her mother swayed slightly.

“I mean… have you treated him like a lover…?”

“…Just as a teacher cheering on her student…”

“Fine. A teacher can support her student.”

“By holding his hand…?”

“Yes… After some thought, I suppose it’s understandable to hold hands, considering how much hardship that student, Cha Taehyun, has gone through…”

Holding hands was something she could somehow rationalize and come to terms with. However, Miyeon seemed to have more to say, her mouth slightly pursed.

“Did you do more than hold hands…?”

“Just… hugging… a little…? But that’s it! I swear…”

Miyeon’s mother rubbed her face with her hand.

She felt lightheaded, but at the same time, she was relieved. At least they hadn’t crossed the line…

After pondering for quite a while, her mother made up her mind.

‘Well… as long as they’re happy… Our daughter is technically the one stealing here, anyway.’

“Miyeon. I’ll try to understand. It’s your life…”

“No, I’m really just Taehyun’s supportive fan…”

“Enough with the nonsense. But you have to promise me one thing… You have to wait until he graduates, okay?”

“So… you’re giving your approval?”

Miyeon’s mother let out a short laugh. All this time, she had been pretending to be just a fan…

“Yes. I’m not against it… but you’re on your own. You know you’re responsible for this, right?”

“Yes!”

As she watched her daughter cling to her, saying thank you, she sighed.

‘She studied too much…’

[Monster Rookie Cha Taehyun chooses Phoenix over the Major Leagues!]

[Phoenix spending big! 2 billion won invested in Cha Taehyun!]

[Phoenix fans: Overpay? We got Cha Taehyun, that’s all that matters!]

[Cha Taehyun: My only goal is Phoenix winning the championship.]

In the past few days, articles that would make the hearts of Phoenix fans flutter flooded the news.

– “I trusted you, Chairman!”

– “The eternal light of Phoenix… God-champion.”

– “Right, is this really the Phoenix GM?”

Even the notoriously fierce online fan communities were celebrating, so it was natural for the Phoenix team’s owner to feel his spirits lifted.

Laughing heartily as he put down his phone, the owner patted the general manager on the shoulder.

“See? You just had to try! GM, I always believed in you!”

Of course, he hadn’t believed at all and had been thinking of firing him, but he hadn’t said it out loud, so it was fine.

“Haha… Thank you.”

“Yes, yes. You’ve done a great job, so take it easy now and eat well. You’ve lost too much weight. What, have you been stressed?”

“…No. What would I be stressed about?”

“Our GM is really a good person, huh? Always trying not to show when he’s having a hard time. Well, since you’ve done a great job, I’ll give you a generous bonus!”

A bonus! That sweet reward was something the general manager had been hoping for, but he still had one more task left.

“I don’t need a bonus.”

“Hmm?”

With Lee Seungtae, Cha Taehyun, and the legendary three-time winning manager Lee Eun-seok joining the team, it was almost as if the universe was aligning for Phoenix.

This was a precious opportunity that would never come again. The general manager thought this was not a time to settle for just being satisfied.

“…Could you provide a little more funding?”

“Hmm…? I thought we set a sufficient budget? For next season, too.”

“To win the championship, we’ll need more.”

The word “championship” made the owner widen his eyes before bursting into laughter.

He had already invested a lot, so adding more funding was a burden. However, the general manager, who had previously been content with just keeping his position, was now refusing his bonus and earnestly making this request.

‘Finally, he’s acting like a proper GM.’

It was enough to sway the owner’s heart.

“Alright, spend as much as you want. I’ll handle the aftermath.”

“Ch-Chairman!”

“You’re right, GM. It’s wise to invest when the opportunity arises. Let’s go for the championship!”

Autumn had passed, and winter winds were now

blowing coldly.

Phoenix held a press conference, confidently declaring that the next season would be different.

– “Next season will be different (10th year).”

– “Sure, aiming for 9th place, now that Cha Taehyun is here.”

– “I’m a Phoenix fan too, but honestly, thinking that Cha Taehyun’s arrival means a championship is just nonsense.”

– “The truth is, Phoenix fans say stuff like that, but behind the scenes, they’re calling it ‘God-nix,’ ‘Emperor-nix,’ and shouting for victory LOL.”

– “True LOL.”

Baseball fans were busy mocking it as the same old talk, but when Phoenix started revealing their cards one by one, public opinion began to change.

[Is Phoenix really different now? Legendary manager Lee Eun-seok accepts the Phoenix manager position!]

– “What?”

– “Is this for real?”

– “No way LOL Why would Lee Eun-seok come here LOL.”

– “WTF LOL Lee Eun-seok at Phoenix LOL.”

– “LOL Is Lee Eun-seok going to ruin his career in his final years?”

“Lee Eun-seok is going to be our manager, Taehyun! The coach who led the team to three consecutive championships!”

Teacher Miyeon was so overjoyed at the news of Lee Eun-seok’s appointment that she was practically jumping with excitement. I was quite satisfied, too.

I didn’t know much about Lee Eun-seok since he wasn’t covered significantly in StrikeHeart, but he was a coach who had experienced three consecutive championships.

It was definitely better than having Kim Jichan, who would have buried Phoenix even deeper within a year.

Phoenix’s bold moves didn’t stop there.

[Seoul Winners’ franchise star Lee Joon joins Busan Phoenix… Four-year, 8 billion won free agency jackpot.]

[Another Phoenix signing? Foreign slugger Andy John signs a $1 million deal!]

[Phoenix’s spending doesn’t stop! Foreign pitcher Iric Wood signs for $1.3 million!]

– “This is getting scary…”

– “I asked them to sign a free agent, but they’re buying everyone…?”

– “The fact is, even if you gather all these players, in a few months they’ll underperform, and the money will evaporate LOL.”

– “So true LOL.”

Like the fans said, even if Phoenix spends a lot of money, there are always misfortunes: ‘turns out to be a scammer,’ ‘homesick foreign players,’ ‘players who performed well before free agency suddenly lie down.’ But still, the scale of this investment was enough to raise expectations, even considering all those factors.

If a salary cap system existed in this world, they would already be under sanctions.

“Phoenix really is different! We’re winning next year, for sure!”

Well, even so, I wasn’t sure if it was worth shouting, “We’re definitely winning!” just yet.

“I’ll try to win the championship no matter what.”

“Yes! Teacher believes in you, Taehyun.”

Right, Ms. Miyeon is hoping for a win, so I have to make it happen.

The year changed, and following the schedule for spring camp, I joined the team early.

Surprisingly, today was my first visit to the team since being drafted.

This was because I had chosen self-training instead of joining the rookie camp.

You might think it’s arrogant for a rookie to choose self-training, but none of the fans complained.

– “Cha Taehyun isn’t joining the rookie camp, he’s just going for self-training.”

– “That’s the right decision. Phoenix’s coaches would just ruin him.”

– “Agreed.”

They even praised me for my judgment.

Anyway, for that reason, this was my first time meeting the Phoenix players.

I was walking down the hallway, carrying some anticipation, when I came across a familiar face.

“Isn’t that senior Lee Seungtae?”

However, Lee Seungtae, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, looked… very different.

His appearance was, of course, the same since he hadn’t undergone plastic surgery, but his aura had changed quite a bit.

His eyes, which used to be full of confidence, now looked hollow and lifeless, and his whole demeanor seemed downcast.

“Oh… Taehyun? It’s been a while. Good to see you.”

“Yes, have you been well, senior Lee Seungtae?”

At my words, Lee Seungtae gave a bitter smile and placed his hand on my right shoulder.

“Taehyun… Phoenix isn’t a team where you can live well.”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind… You’ll find out when the season starts. Anyway… hang in there. Oh, and try not to look at the internet… especially on days when we lose.”

“Uh… yes, understood.”

It seemed like… a lot had happened to Lee Seungtae.

—