Trion Fires.
This is the professional baseball team based in Incheon.
Jungwoo was a pitcher on the Fires' second team.
Whack!
"You're in good form today!"
Jungwoo lightly rotated his shoulder at the bullpen catcher's shout.
"Maybe it's because I slept well last night. My shoulder feels lighter than usual."
"At this rate, you'll be in the first team soon, right?"
"Heh heh, then I'll treat you all!"
"I'll be waiting for it!"
The catcher's praise lightened his shoulders.
It had already been seven years since he was drafted into the pros.
He was now 26 years old.
His peers, who had been drafted with him, were split into two groups.
Some were playing in the first team, while others had left baseball entirely to pursue other careers.
There were only a handful left in the second team, like him.
"This year, I will definitely make it to the first team."
It was the resolution he made every season.
But this year was different.
"No minor injuries, my condition is great, and I've prepared perfectly."
During the offseason, Jungwoo had even attended private academies to prepare for the season.
As a result, he had been performing quite well in the second team.
It was the reason he thought there was a high chance of getting called up in the latter half of the season.
"Han Jungwoo!"
He lifted his head at the voice calling him.
Standing there was a club staff member.
"Manager Kim is calling for you!"
"Manager Kim?"
"Yes, he's asking for you to come to his office."
"Right now? But it's still practice time…"
"He said practice is done, so head over right away. Go on."
"Understood."
Manager Kim was one of the key front-office members overseeing the second team.
There was no way he wouldn't know practice hours. The fact that he was summoning him now was odd.
Just then, Kim Deokbae, the bullpen catcher, approached him.
"Hey, hey, could today be that day?"
"That day?"
"There's only one reason they'd call you at this time."
Jungwoo knew what he was talking about.
A call-up.
It could only mean that.
With a pounding heart, Jungwoo headed straight for the office.
Knock knock
"Come in."
A voice came from beyond the firmly closed office door.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, a middle-aged man with glasses, who looked like a straight-laced type, spoke without taking his eyes off the paperwork.
"Have a seat."
"Yes."
Jungwoo sat in the prepared chair opposite, but silence followed.
The uncomfortable silence was broken by Manager Kim Taeseong.
"Han Jungwoo, please pack your things and leave the dormitory by the end of this week."
"...What?"
"You're being released. The remaining salary for this year will be paid in a lump sum on next month's settlement date, so keep that in mind."
Jungwoo's eyes widened at the unbelievable news.
"W… Wait a minute. What do you mean, released? This is all so sudden…"
"You've been with the club for six years now, correct?"
"Yes…"
"The fact that you haven't made it to the first team in all that time is simple. The club has deemed you as not part of our plans."
Jungwoo's face hardened at the blunt words.
"I understand."
He had no choice but to accept the reality that there would be no more opportunities.
______________________________________
Two days later.
Jungwoo packed up all his belongings from the dormitory.
Then he returned home.
"You've worked hard. Take a good rest for now."
His parents could only offer those words.
But he knew they were deeply disappointed.
"The money spent on this wasn't small, after all."
Jungwoo started playing baseball in the fifth grade.
He went through little league, middle school, and high school, all while playing baseball.
It must have cost at least several hundred thousand dollars.
Even without attending other academies, it wasn't a small amount of money.
But all of that had become useless.
Although he was drafted into the pros, as a late-round pick, his signing bonus was almost non-existent.
His salary was close to minimum wage, and he didn't get paid while he was in the military.
In many ways, it was a failed investment.
'They must be disappointed. But they don't even show it…'
Jungwoo felt sorry for his parents.
And there was another person he felt sorry for.
"You've been released?"
"Yeah, it happened."
They were at a cafe near the neighborhood.
Seo-yeon, who had a cute appearance and short hair, sat across from him, her expression constantly changing.
She was Jungwoo's girlfriend.
They had met in high school and had been dating ever since.
Even when Jungwoo went to the military, she waited for him, and she had stayed by his side even though he still hadn't secured a place in professional baseball.
But Jungwoo suspected that this might be the end.
'There's no reason for her to stay with a boyfriend who has no future.'
At that moment, Soyeon spoke up.
"You've worked hard. Let's take some time off and slowly find something else. I'll ask around to see if there's anything you can do!"
She didn't talk about breaking up; instead, she talked about the future.
There was no sign that she intended to leave him.
"It's okay... huh?"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"I'm no longer a professional baseball player.
I don't even know what I'm going to do from now on…"
"Hey, did you think I dated you because you were a baseball player? I like you, just for you! That's why I've been with you all this time! And who knows what they want to do in the future? I'm only working because my company pays me!"
She smiled brightly.
There was no pretense in that cheerful smile.
"You'll do great no matter what you do! So don't worry too much and let's find something new to do!"
"...Thank you."
"Thank me for what? Everything will be fine!"
Her warm words of comfort made him feel like he might burst into tears at any moment.
Jungwoo was surrounded by good people.
He didn't want to show such powerless sides to people like them.
So he immediately started looking for a new job.
Hey, Jungwoo. Released? Damn... it finally happened? I heard Fires drafted a lot of pitchers. Got it, I'll ask around and get back to you.
Oh, Jungwoo, it's been a while. A job? Hmm, there aren't any openings at the academy right now, but I'll let you know if anything comes up!
He contacted seniors who had retired or been released before him.
Really? Then drop by the office tomorrow. One of the seniors running a place gave him the green light.
Jungwoo walked inside after seeing the sign for Kim Jung-ho Academy.
"Welcome."
"It's been a while! Senior!"
A senior who had gained some weight compared to his days as an athlete greeted him.
Senior Kim Joong-ho, who used to steal bases with his lean physique during his playing days, had since retired and established the academy.
With his vast network and natural social skills, it had now become one of the most renowned academies in Seoul.
"Actually, we've seen a big increase in members recently, so I was thinking about hiring new staff. It's perfect timing that you reached out, so I'm grateful."
"Is business really that good?"
"Recently, the TV show God of Baseball and retired players' YouTube channels have blown up, so the number of social baseball players has increased significantly."
God of Baseball was a baseball variety show that had recently gained popularity.
It's a program where retired superstars and college or independent league players form a team and play games against actual professional teams or independent league teams.
This show had become a huge topic, not just among baseball fans but also with the general public, leading to a significant increase in the number of social baseball players.
Those new players sought out academies to improve their skills, and the academy industry was experiencing a boom.
"Our academy has an incentive system, so the base salary won't be that high. Are you okay with that?"
"Yes! As long as you let me work, I'll give it my all!"
"Great. Then let's do our best together."
And so, Jung-woo started working as a coach at Kim Jung-ho Academy.
A coach is a god.
That was common sense for Jung-woo, who had played baseball from little league, through middle and high school, and even in the pros.
But it wasn't the same in society.
Bam!
"Sir, as I mentioned before, your upper and lower body aren't moving in sync, so your pitches don't have the life they should. Are you following the program I suggested at home?"
"Squats? I've been doing them, but. No, forget that. Coach, can you teach me an amazing slider?"
"A slider? All of a sudden?"
"You know that guy Bumsoo I told you about from my team? He learned a slider from somewhere and kept bragging about it! And now the coach says his breaking ball is good enough and is planning to use him as a starter instead of me!"
Using the lower body is fundamental to pitching.
But trying to master breaking pitches without even having the basics down?
It was absurd.
"The problem right now isn't with your slider, but with your fundamentals. In your current state, even if you throw a breaking ball, you won't be able to control it, so it won't be useful in a real game."
"Ah... Is that so?"
The member's expression twisted in disappointment, but Jung-woo deliberately ignored it.
He believed it was his duty to uphold the coach's authority.
However, that was a mistaken belief.
"Member Lee Sunghoon has requested a change of coach. Did something happen?"
"Huh? A coach change?"
"Yeah, he's a bit of a picky client, but it's rare for someone to request a change right after their first session. That's why I'm asking."
"Well…"
After explaining the situation, Kim Joong-ho let out a sigh.
"Sigh... Jung-woo, this isn't a professional team. Each of these members is paying their own money to come here and learn. We have to meet their needs to make a living."
In a private academy, a coach was
essentially a service worker.
However, the fixed mindset Jung-woo had was like a thorn stuck in the sole of his foot—it wasn't easy to remove.
"Sir, you can't just use your upper body to swing."
Jung-woo was the type to emphasize fundamentals.
"You need to strengthen your lower body more."
That was the foundation of the baseball he had learned.
"Breaking balls are important, but you need to get used to the basic four-seam fastball first. Only then can you master other pitches better."
So, he taught his members based on that principle.
As a result, complaints from members naturally increased.
"Please change my coach."
"I don't think I'm a good fit with this new coach."
"I'd prefer to work with Coach Choi, who I was with before."
As the owner, Kim Joong-ho had no choice but to comply with the members' requests.
After several days of this, Jungwoo was left with only the group members who weren't receiving private lessons.
But the problem didn't end there.
"Senior! My paycheck seems to be less than last month. I only received a million won."
"That's correct. Remember when we discussed the base salary when you first signed with the academy?"
"Ah... yes."
"In the first month, you had some private lesson members, so you received three million. But since you didn't have any private lessons in the second month, you only got the base salary."
Private academies were structured similarly to personal training gyms.
The coaches at these academies were in a similar position to personal trainers at a gym.
They received a base salary, but if they didn't conduct private lessons, they wouldn't earn more than the base amount.
"It's good that you stick to your principles, but as a coach, you're still just a rookie. Think about it simply. If someone with no pro experience suddenly came to your team as a coach and started telling you what to do, would you be able to follow them?"
"...But I was a professional player."
"Do you know how many former professional players work as coaches in private academies? Some of them even played in the first division. To be blunt, given the same money, wouldn't it make more sense to learn from them?"
It was a harsh truth, but a valid one.
"What you're doing is a type of service job. If you can't accept that, you're going to have a hard time moving forward."
Jungwoo found himself deep in thought.