LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 7 - No Backing Down (3)
Chapter 7. No Backing Down (3)
Kim Ji-seop didn’t have anyone he could call a ‘close friend.’
“……”
It seemed like he had some when he was younger.
But after gaining the ability to read people’s thoughts, those good friends gradually drifted away.
It was inevitable.
Since he could see through every little lie they told, it was impossible to maintain the same close relationships as before.
– Ji-seop, don’t be too disappointed. Not getting drafted by the pros doesn’t mean your baseball career is over.
– Hehe, doesn’t saying that make you feel a bit guilty? Deep down, you think it’s all over, don’t you?
– Wh-what did you say?! I’m just trying to comfort you here…
One by one, those friends who had been truly close to him left, yet ironically, Ji-seop always received the evaluation that he had ‘good relationships with people.’
This, too, was unavoidable.
Since he could see right through people’s thoughts, he became very skilled at maintaining just the right relationships with the right people.
– Coach, you seem to be in a really good mood today. Did something good happen?
– Hmm? Oh, does it show? Haha, actually, my kid won a prize at an art competition yesterday!
– Oh, congratulations! That’s really amazing, isn’t it?
– Haha, right? The team’s been on a losing streak, so I felt a bit awkward boasting about it… But as expected, Kim, you always understand me well!
One of the reasons he managed to sustain his career as a player for over ten years, despite only having a 128 km/h four-seam fastball.
Because of this experience, Ji-seop was confident this time as well.
‘Sakhalin Park… Well, he’s definitely a tough guy…’
But he could handle it.
What could be difficult?
If he did things as he had always done, he believed he could not only secure the agreed lesson fees but also secure more private lessons by impressing the client.
‘…Damn it.’
To reveal the conclusion first,
‘Sakhalin Park,’ Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju, was a much tougher opponent than Ji-seop had anticipated.
“Hey, Qingdao! Can’t you move faster?!”
* * *
First of all, this old man,
His stamina was almost limitless.
“One! Two! Three! Four!”
“Five! Six! Seven! Eight!”
It didn’t seem like a lie that he was still working at the forefront of KH Group’s management even though he was over seventy years old.
When Ji-seop trained middle-aged men in [Superstar Baseball], they would be gasping for breath just from doing proper stretches, but this old man went through every program Ji-seop prepared without even batting an eye.
No matter how much Ji-seop increased the intensity of the training, the old man would still call him at 4 AM sharp the next morning, making it truly unbearable for Ji-seop as the instructor.
– Don’t you have any learning ability? I told you to be here by 4 AM!!!
“I’m coming, I’m coming! I’m putting on my shoes, so stop nagging me already!!!”
Secondly, this old man,
Constantly found fault with Ji-seop’s training methods.
“Hey, Qingdao! Why do you keep throwing those slow, looping pitches? How is hitting those supposed to help with batting practice?!”
From warm-ups to fielding practice to batting practice, he wouldn’t follow anything without complaints.
For the first two days, the time spent explaining ‘why this training was necessary’ was longer than the actual training itself.
It only got slightly better after Secretary Yang, unable to watch any longer, chimed in, “Vice Chairman, please leave the lesson content entirely to Coach Kim.” But even then, the old man wouldn’t stop grumbling.
“If you’re thinking of just skimming through, you better forget it. Even if I may seem like this, I was part of the Daeyoungsan High School baseball team and even participated in the Blue Dragon Tournament, and more importantly…”
“You were the inaugural general manager of the KH Cannons, right? Yes, yes, I’ve heard it so many times that it’s practically drilled into my ears, Vice Chairman!”
To be honest, even up to this point, Ji-seop could reluctantly understand.
With his natural stamina, it made sense that he decided to play baseball at his age, and his meticulous nature, which didn’t let anything slide, probably helped him rise to the position of vice chairman.
However, the most absurd thing from Ji-seop’s perspective was this:
The fact that Park Hong-ju, the formidable ‘Sakhalin Park,’ was an incredible cheapskate.
“……”
Park’s routine was to have breakfast every morning at 8 AM at a hotel under the KH Group.
Since the baseball lessons that started at 4 AM would end around that time, Ji-seop, accepting the old man’s invitation, accompanied him to the hotel.
He enjoyed a breakfast so luxurious that it was hard to believe it was just breakfast, but then Ji-seop was handed half of the bill for that day’s meal.
“You mean… I have to pay for this?”
Looking at the receipt in his hand, Ji-seop stared at Park.
To which Vice Chairman Park responded,
“Then, should I pay for you?”
And added,
“Why should I buy you a meal when you haven’t done anything?”
For the record, this is what Ji-seop saw in Vice Chairman Park’s mind at that moment:
[Why should I buy you a meal when you haven’t done anything?]
It had been a long time since Ji-seop encountered someone whose thoughts matched their words so precisely.
Cursing silently to himself, Ji-seop pulled out his card.
“…Damn it.”
* * *
Looking at it from the perspective of a single person, ‘Sakhalin Park,’ Park Hong-ju, was far from a good client.
He had an excessive amount of stamina, grumbled constantly, and despite being wealthy, didn’t know how to be generous to his subordinates.
‘He’s the worst.’
However, it seemed that even ‘Sakhalin Park’ had a bit of a conscience.
Or maybe the phrase ‘Why should I buy you a meal when you haven’t done anything?’ implied that ‘If you do something, I might buy you a meal.’
Thwack!
It was exactly a week after they started private lessons.
Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju, who had adjusted his batting form under Ji-seop’s guidance, hit a clean long shot for the first time during practice.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
And the long shots didn’t stop at just one.
Every time Vice Chairman Park swung the bat, the ball flew off with a resounding crack.
“……”
Park stood there, silently watching the white ball vanish into the distance.
Then, suddenly, he turned to Ji-seop and said,
“Hey, Qingdao.”
“Yes, Vice Chairman.”
“Keep your evening open tonight.”
At that moment, hearing the next words, Ji-seop couldn’t help but doubt his ears.
“Let’s have dinner together.”
The dinner location was informed by Vice Chairman Park’s aide.
A Japanese restaurant on the 29th floor of a hotel under the KH Group.
When Ji-seop’s brother, Kim Ji-chang, heard the news, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
“That, that place… It’s got 3 Michelin stars!”
“Amazing, amazing, absolutely amazing.”
Kim Ji-chang looked at his younger brother with envious eyes, knowing he was about to dine with a high-ranking executive of a major company.
“A single dinner there costs over 700,000 won… and if you add some alcohol, it easily exceeds a million! Wow, my brother, you’ve really made it!”
“…Made it, my ass.”
Though he said that, in truth, Ji-seop was also secretly looking forward to it.
Three Michelin stars.
A luxury he couldn’t even imagine just a few months ago.
But what slightly bothered him was that this dinner invitation came from Vice Chairman Park Hong-ju.
Considering the old man’s usual behavior, Ji-seop couldn’t shake the feeling that something expensive and good wasn’t going to come easily.
And,
Ji-seop’s suspicion turned out to be correct.
“Welcome, Coach Kim Ji-seop.”
Guided by a well-dressed staff member, Ji-seop entered a room located in the deepest part of the restaurant.
While he waited in a place that offered a clear view of the Seoul city skyline, Vice Chairman Park finally made his appearance.
“You’re here, Vice Chairman.”
“Oh, you’re already here?”
The only ones seated at the long table were Ji-seop and Vice Chairman Park.
“Vice Chairman, then…”
“Hmm, you may begin.”
As soon as Vice Chairman Park nodded, the staff members started bustling around.
What they brought in was not the expensive cuisine from a 3 Michelin star restaurant, but a large projector and a rolled-up screen.
They plugged in the cables, set up the screen, and after a bit of clattering, they finally said, “We’re ready to begin.”
And the next moment, what unfolded before Ji-seop’s eyes was a video.
– KH Group Special Documentary
– KH’s Innovation, 40 Years of Turbulence
* * *
The documentary was produced by KH Group.
Centered around the life of the group’s founder, the late Chairman Joo Tae-san, it detailed the development of KH Group.
During the documentary, Vice Chairman Park rambled on about stories no one asked for.
“There, there, there! Look, there! The person holding the trophy next to Chairman Joo! That’s me! Didn’t I tell you? I was in the Daeyoungsan High School baseball team! Hahaha.”
“Oh, and there I am again! The one in the middle is Chairman Joo, next to him is the King of Saudi Arabia at the time, and next to him is me! Haha, it brings back memories! Such nostalgic memories!”
The much-awaited meal began only after the special documentary, which lasted a full 1 hour and 40 minutes, ended.
But even the 700,000 won per person, top-notch course meal didn’t last very long.
Just as the appetizers were finished and the main course began to be served, a soft sound came from the other side of the table.
“…Snore.”
It was ‘Sakhalin Park.’
The Vice Chairman, who had been chatting so excitedly just moments ago, had fallen asleep without a word.
He was asleep as if he were dead, with his chopsticks still in hand and his head resting on the chair.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Ji-seop sighed deeply and called for a staff member. About five minutes later, Secretary Yang rushed into the room after receiving the staff’s call.
“Oh dear, this is… Vice Chairman! Vice Chairman!”
Secretary Yang shook the Vice Chairman’s large frame, but all that came out was the sound of snoring.
With a wry smile, Secretary Yang looked at Ji-seop.
“He’s not usually like this… It seems the Vice Chairman has been very tired over the past few days.”
“I suppose so.”
It made sense.
A 70-year-old man had been undergoing a training regime that even men in their 40s could barely handle three times a week, for an entire week.
Even though Ji-seop didn’t want to stroke the old man’s ego, he was secretly impressed by Park’s sheer persistence.
“It doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to continue the meal… It might be best to get him home quickly, don’t you think?”
“Yes, yes, we should.”
Secretary Yang made a call somewhere, and soon, several burly men in suits entered the room.
Since it didn’t feel right just to stand by, Ji-seop helped them support the Vice Chairman’s large body.
“Come on, Vice Chairman! Try lifting your hips! You’ve got to go home!”
Ji-seop shouted in the Vice Chairman’s ear.
That was when it happened.
“Hey… Qingdao…”
He heard Vice Chairman Park’s voice in his ear.
In the next moment, Ji-seop couldn’t help but take another look at the Vice Chairman’s face.
“I… I really have to do well in this baseball tournament…”
“I really need to show that brat Joo Yeong-eun… how it’s done…”
Did he get the message?
With those words, Vice Chairman Park was carried out of the room on the back of one of his attendants.
* * *
About 30 minutes later,
After leaving the restaurant, Ji-seop was on his way home in Secretary Yang’s car.
“Secretary Yang, I appreciate the ride, but… shouldn’t you be with the Vice Chairman?”
“It’s fine. A personal assistant doesn’t stay by the boss’s side 24/7.”
Secretary Yang skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel as he continued,
“Besides… Coach Kim, you have to guide the Vice Chairman early tomorrow morning, don’t you? It’s best to get you home as quickly as possible.”
“Tomorrow?”
Ji-seop tilted his head in confusion.
“Do you think the Vice Chairman will be able to do the lesson tomorrow? He seemed completely knocked out today…”
“You can bet on it.”
Secretary Yang’s voice was filled with confidence.
“The Vice Chairman will undoubtedly call you at 4 AM sharp tomorrow.”
“He’ll come out again tomorrow…”
It was at this point that Ji-seop felt a slight unease.
Something seemed off.
Why was a man in his seventies so obsessed with baseball?
And what was the meaning behind the words he said before leaving the restaurant?
‘I suspected he wasn’t just in it for the sake of participation…’
It felt like there was something more.
Ji-seop turned to Secretary Yang and spoke up.
“Just a moment ago.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“The Vice Chairman mentioned that he had to show someone named Joo Yeong-eun a lesson.”
“J-Joo Yeong-eun, he said?”
Secretary Yang, who always had a gentle smile on his face, showed a hint of surprise for the first time.