Chapter 319
August 10th, Dosan Bricks vs. KSG Winners face off.
Since it was a match between two teams that have been ranked in the top 3 in terms of cumulative attendance, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul was packed with a huge crowd.
"It's still a long time before the game starts, but there are so many people."
"That's right. If we had come out a little later, it would have been a big deal."
Kang Si-yoon and I entered Jamsil Stadium and felt a little overwhelmed by the numerous baseball fans wearing the players' uniforms.
I thought I had often experienced grand stages while touring Japan and doing domestic concerts.
The wide open field and the countless seats surrounding it gave me a different feeling.
'The professional players who play in places like this every day are amazing.'
Before the game started, we greeted Dosan Bricks' Kang Tae-woon, who gave us a brief introduction to the first pitch and the first pitch technique.
"Hello! Nice to meet you."
"Hello."
"I, I'm shaking hands with Kang Tae-woon-!"
Kang Si-yoon was so happy to meet his favorite Dosan Bricks player, Kang Tae-woon, who has been performing exceptionally well as a starting pitcher recently.
I shook hands with Kang Tae-woon and used the information I had studied in advance.
"Your 7 innings of shutout pitching last week were really impressive. Congratulations on your personal best strikeout record."
"Oh my, did you watch it all?"
"Si-yoon is a huge Dosan fan, so I joined late."
"Wow, thank you so much. I never thought you watch our game."
"I'm a diehard Dosan fan! My mom, dad, grandpa, and uncle are all Dosan fans."
Hmm, hmm.
I expected Kang Si-yoon to be this excited and wild.
That's why I watched Dosan Bricks' game in advance and studied the names and history of the main players.
I'd feel embarrassed if I were the only one to blink innocently and pretend not to know anything.
Kang Tae-woon kept thanking us.
Then he hesitated slightly as if something came to mind.
"Actually, my younger sister is a fan of Seleste, so I've heard a lot about this..."
"Really!"
"Yes. So when I told her that the Seleste members were coming to throw the first pitch today, she made a huge fuss and asked to be let into the stadium too."
Kang Si-yoon heard this story and showed his wit in the moment, suggesting that we exchange our autographs for the Dosan Bricks players' autographs.
When Kang Tae-woon readily said yes, Kang Si-yoon clenched his fists and made a moved expression.
"I've dreamed of having a signed ball since I was little, and it's really come true.........."
The greeting time was over, and now Kang Tae-woon started to explain to us the grip for holding the ball in earnest.
Kang Si-yoon, who said that he wanted to receive one-on-one lessons from Kang Tae-woon even though he was a pitcher, listened to his story with bright eyes.
If Kang Si-yoon was happy, that was enough.
On the other hand, I..........
"Did you practice alone?"
"Yes, I think I'll be able to throw well if I practice beforehand and get to know."
"Aha."
I told Kang Tae-woon that I practiced beforehand because I was afraid he'd be surprised, and threw the ball.
Regardless of what I said, Kang Tae-woon's eyes couldn't help but grow as big as a full moon.
"You're pitching so well? Is this really your first time playing baseball?"
"Haha.........."
"You just threw with a four-seam grip, right? Let's try again. With the same grip."
As I continued to throw the ball with stable control and fairly fast speed, Kang Tae-woon opened his mouth wide with a dumbfounded expression.
"............ I don't think I have anything to teach you, what should I do..........?"
"No, that's too much praise."
"Wait a minute. Can you try throwing one more time?"
Even in the short time we spent together, I could feel that Kang Tae-woon was a very sincere person.
Kang Tae-woon, who knew that he didn't need to teach me the basics, tried to teach me even more detailed parts.
"It's a different feeling when you go up to the actual mound after throwing on the flat ground like this. You step on the pitcher's plate - you're going to throw, right?"
"Of course."
"Oh, then I'll tell you where to step on the pitcher's plate for the best form. The right foot is like this..."
After finishing the final practice, I bowed and thanked Kang Tae-woon, who took the time to teach me passionately.
"Thank you so much for explaining it in detail. I'll definitely show you a great performance."
"No, I barely did anything. Cheer up for the first pitch later! Fighting!"
***
6:20 PM, 10 minutes before the game starts.
Many baseball fans who turned on their phones to watch the game online were busy writing on various communities.
- (Photo) 10 minutes before the game starts........... Let's all pray together
└BMen [Bricks Amen; 도산 브릭스
└BM
└We absolutely have to win today, Bmen
└If we can just send down the starting pitcher quickly, it's possible because their bullpen is a nuclear bomb
The screen that was showing the entire baseball stadium changed to the back of home plate.
Two tall men wearing Dosan Brix's home uniforms were seen entering the field with gloves and bats.
-What? Was there a first pitch today?
-Who are they? Are they idols??
└Seleste
└What are they? I've never heard of them before
└But I guess they're not unheard ofㅋㅋㅋ
└I think I've heard of them somewhere
-Is he a foreigner? He's so handsome
└The physical is f*cking dope ㅋㅋ
└It's okay to be that handsome
People who have no interest in idols at all responded that they didn't even know who Seleste was.
Some fans with younger sisters or older sisters said that they had heard of Seleste somewhere, but most of the comments were still indifferent.
[Let me say hello, two or three!]
[Hello, this is Seleste!]
[I'm so happy to be in charge of the first pitch for the team I've liked since I was little! Today, Dosan Bricks players, do your best.............]
When Kang Si-yoon and Karis greeted the sold-out audience, the Dosan fans who were listening perked up their ears.
-Oh, he must be Dorin ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└A picture came up on the scoreboard ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└What is this, really? If it was 07 Olniform [Old Uniform], it's King Jung
└Basically, he can't resist the first pitch ㅋㅋ
-How is that foreign member so good at Korean? Is he mixed race?
└Fr I was surprised at how natural his pronunciation was ㅋㅋㅋ
└At that level, he seems to be better at Korean than Ha Gu-young
Everyone thinks that the real foundation is to throw the first pitch for the team you've been rooting for since you were young.
Kang Si-yoon, who knows this well, thought he'd definitely include this fact in his greeting.
For the first pitch, Karis grabbed his glove and ball and headed to the mound, and Kang Si-yoon stepped into the batter's box with a bright smile.
Most celebrities' first pitches are often thrown from under the mound to lower the difficulty.
Karis stood on the mound without hesitation, and he even stepped on the plate like a real pitcher.
The baseball fans who watched Karis, who was wearing his hat tightly and putting rosin on his hands, felt a strange feeling.
-Wow, sheez Even a guy like me would think he's handsome
└He's not vaguely handsome, he's just so damn handsome that I don't envy him
└Dosan's uniform suits him so well, it feels good ㅋㅋㅋ
└Something about his aura is unusual
└Look at his forearms, he looks like he'll throw really well
└Do you know how it feels to be captivated by a male idol you see for the first time?
The more baseball fans see Karis, the more captivated they feel by him.
Not only does he have a handsome vibe, he also looks like he'd be good at baseball.
Karis lowered his posture and acted as if he was exchanging signs with the catcher.
He nodded once and prepared for the setup position.
After a short deep breath, he slowly raised his legs.
His eyes, looking at the catcher's mitt, were like a tiger hunting for prey.
His legs, hardened by exercise, powerfully stepped onto the mound.
-Swoosh!
Karis's arm went out with an overhand throw without hesitation.
The ball, which he pressed with a perfect fastball grip, flew straight through the wind.
Kang Si-yoon, who came up as the batter, naturally swung the bat late and missed, but even if he had tried to hit the ball, he would never have hit it.
Karis' fastball landed right in the middle of the strike zone with a refreshing sound.
The SBM Sports commentators sitting in the broadcast booth, Dosan's starting pitcher playing catch behind the mound, and the many people gathered at the baseball stadium were momentarily surprised by his perfect first pitch.
-Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Did you just see the speed?
└The scoreboard at the baseball stadium showed 120 km/h
└???? I just came back from boiling ramen and he threw the first pitch?
└An ordinary person can hit a 120 km/h fastball in the middle
└He threw better than the Dosan bullpen that always does snack food accounting
-I will nominate Dosan Brix
"Seleste's Karis"
└I will stream infinitely when a new song comes out in the future ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└No, Fck Is there a picture of the first pitch? I didn't see it
└Someone will come to edit the meme for you soon, so just wait.
└He's so cool from the moment he steps on the plate and throws it, and he's even really good at throwing it
-His control is better than that of the Hanhak players
└I don't know whether to laugh or cry....
└Really, all the kids who are nitpicking should reflect on themselves. Even normal people can do it like this, ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└He throws the ball well and has a handsome face... Karis wins
└Of all the pitchers who have thrown the first pitch this season, this seems to be the best?
└Not just this season, but just all-time
Karis finished the first pitch perfectly, took off his hat, and bowed to all the spectators gathered at the ballpark.
Karis, who showed that he had excellent manners as well as skills, shook hands with catcher Dosan Brix who received the ball and then caught the ball he had thrown.
And as he was leaving, he waved to the fans who came to Jamsil Stadium with Kang Si-yoon.
This was the birth of one of the most popular videos in the KBO League this season.
***
"I have one suggestion!"
"Huh?"
August, when the heat was at its peak.
While we were eating chicken for the first time in a while with the air conditioner on in the dorm, we blinked a few times at Yoo Min-ha's random remark.
Yoo Min-ha aimed the chicken leg he was holding at me.
"I think Karis hyung needs to stop being perfect."
"Oh, everyone saw the pitching video."
"Why does everyone agree with me?"
"It's already over 1 million views?"
Chae Eun-gyu laughed as he took out a cola from the fridge.
I could only silently tear my chest out at the members' stories.
My pitching scene, where I threw a perfect fastball at 120 km/h, became famous in an instant.
Thanks to word of mouth not only among our fans but also among general baseball fans, my pitching video got over 1 million views, just as Chae Eun-gyu said.
Heo Yu-bin put down his fork and counted on his fingers.
"Archery, basketball, soccer, and now baseball. If things continue like this, I really have to send Karis hyung-nim to the Olympics, right?"
"I told you not to. If he goes to the Olympics, he's on the opposing team, not our side."
"Oh, right. Hyung, go towards Estonia. I really - unconsciously - thought Hyung was Korean."
Now, I'm used to these jokes.
When I was casually drinking cola, Kang Si-yoon sighed in an exaggerated tone.
"But this time, you're lucky, man. When you pitch, you didn't say 'Kneel down!'"
"Kuha-!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't squirt at me!"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
I was momentarily taken aback by Kang Si-yoon's words, and I tried my best not to squirt the cola on the table.
Strangely, I can tolerate everything else, but my face turns red when my dark past is mentioned.
I barely swallowed the cola and glared at Kang Si-yoon, holding back the bitter feeling that was creeping into my nose.
"I regret not having just squirted."
"Wow, your eyes were really fierce just now."
After finishing the chicken and washing the dishes, the manager came in through the front door.
I wondered why he was here.
"Huh?"
"A reunion?"
-