Liar and Liar - Chapter 50

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 50

 

With just a hand’s width of distance between them, Danielle froze like stone, unable to move forward or back.

 

She had briefly imagined that such a moment might come someday, but even so…

 

It was too sudden. Even in her imagination, the backdrop for a kiss had just been the dormitory or something. Not a moment like this with 50,000 spectators all watching.

 

As Danielle gripped her pants, Frederick’s gaze also fell upon her.

 

I can’t do it. I’ve never even kissed before, so how can I suddenly do it in front of all these people.

 

Her heart felt like it would burst, but her mouth wouldn’t open. As if screams were pounding inside her body, there wasn’t a place that wasn’t trembling from her shoulders to her arms and legs.

 

At that moment, Frederick’s hand approached.

 

His hand was warm, but the moment his touch reached her cheek, Danielle flinched and trembled.

 

The moment she saw Frederick’s lips slowly approaching, Danielle squeezed her eyes shut.

 

But the sensation that touched her was not her lips, but her cheek.

 

Finally, Danielle’s eyes slowly opened. Frederick was still… smiling. It was the same gentle and relaxed smile as always.

 

Behind Frederick, a new sponsor promotional video was starting on the screen. Danielle suppressed her trembling breath as quietly as possible.

 

“Honey, were you very surprised? Did you dislike even the cheek kiss?”

 

“It’s… it’s fine. Thank you for being considerate…”

 

“Of course.”

 

She was confused. An indefinable feeling stirred inside Danielle. She didn’t know what was what, but she wanted to turn back time.

 

Why?

 

Why…

 

Why… Even after the 7th inning started, Danielle’s mind was full of question marks, and only after repeating “why” twenty times did the rest of the sentence slowly emerge.

 

Why… did I act like I disliked it.

 

…Like an idiot.

 

Glancing to the side, Frederick was calmly watching the game as if nothing had happened.

 

From the 7th inning, the Sharks and Blue Jays began a fierce battle to score just one point.

 

Top of the 7th. The atmosphere was heated to the max, and when a new pitcher came up from the Sharks bullpen, the crowd chanted the pitcher’s name.

 

“JONNY, JONNY, JONNY!”

 

The first batter was easily handled with an infield pop fly. It was a good start.

 

The second batter seemed to persistently work the count by hitting consecutive fouls, then finally walked to get on base. With each pitch, each time someone got on base, the stadium’s atmosphere repeatedly surged and fell like rushing rapids.

 

Danielle let out her frustration with a sigh through her nose and tried to cheer like the other fans. GO SHARKS. Someone’s scream brought her back to her senses.

 

The next hit went over the pitcher’s head. The shortstop threw his whole body and barely caught the ball with the tip of his glove. You could almost hear people gasping for breath.

 

Even if the early runs could be recovered, now that it was already the 7th inning, any runs scored from now on would be tantamount to a game-ending sentence. Especially since the opponent was the Blue Jays.

 

The shortstop threw to second base and the inning ended. Now the Sharks had three more chances to attack.

 

The first of those, bottom of the 7th.

 

It was good that the leadoff batter got on base. But the next batter’s hit rolled to third base and the man in front of Danielle slapped his forehead with one hand.

 

“OH S**T!”

 

As everyone anticipated, it was a double play course and two outs were recorded in an instant. The next batter struck out swinging.

 

One precious offensive opportunity disappeared in less than five minutes.

 

“This is the Sharks? THIS? I skipped work for THIS?!”

 

Two security guards immediately took away one fan who exploded two beats early. Even so, the restless atmosphere wasn’t easily settled.

 

The 8th inning was about to start. Looking up, she could see the sunset descending in the sky. The sun was setting.

 

“They can’t break through the pitcher and defensive line. At this rate, we can only hope for a home run.”

 

“If that were possible, wouldn’t home runs have been flying left and right already…?”

 

Let them eat cake part two?

 

“It’s time to consider a pinch hitter. A pinch hitter to save the batting lineup that just can’t score.”

 

Danielle looked at Frederick with eyes round as a rabbit’s. Her mind became complicated in an instant.

 

‘…Is that just empty talk? A guess? A prediction?’

 

Danielle tried to recall the Sharks lineup. She was trying to remember if there was a player whose on-base percentage and batting average hadn’t been great today.

 

‘Could he… come out? Would the manager really consider a pinch hitter?’

 

As far as Danielle knew, the current Sharks manager rarely used pinch hitters, though he might use pinch runners. However, after both the 8th and 9th innings ended without either side scoring, and the moment extra innings began, the Sharks’ bold moves started.

 

“Waaaaaaah!!!”

 

Top of the 10th. The moment the pitcher’s name appeared, people stood up. The pitcher who came up to the mound was none other than Takuya Masamoto, who had started as the starting pitcher in the last Game 5.

 

“My goodness.”

 

The Sharks really bet everything on this game. The player who decided to take the mound was amazing, but the manager who trusted and executed that decision seemed equally amazing.

 

“Seonwoo Kang must be warming up continuously right about now. Right.”

 

Danielle could tell where Frederick’s gaze was directed as he said this. It was the Sharks’ dugout.

 

Danielle’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

 

Had she gone half crazy being mixed in with people who were already half insane? Realistically impossible things kept being imagined.

 

The scene of her precious star, whom she had long and sincerely supported, really coming to the plate at the most important moment was gradually, gradually becoming clearer.

 

People applauded when Seonwoo Kang’s Major League debut was decided, but when he didn’t immediately produce results, they quickly changed their stance and mocked him.

 

Do you think everyone who goes to the Major Leagues does well?

 

You should know your place. You’re embarrassing Korea internationally.

 

You went to the Major Leagues but your batting and average aren’t even decent. So what are you good at.

 

Is it wrong to dream? The player himself must be the one enduring everything and working hard.

 

Danielle had no choice but to support Seonwoo Kang. It was destined fate.

 

Someday you’ll shine.

 

I know such a day will surely come.

 

Stubbornly, Danielle had maintained that belief. In fact, it seemed like after giving up astronomy, she had become even more obsessively hopeful for Seonwoo Kang’s success. As if she had bet her most precious thing on that player.

 

Did I perhaps also bet 30,000 dollars, or something even more than that?

 

Danielle quietly exhaled and looked straight ahead. Takuya Masamoto was delivering perfect pitches again, even after throwing nearly 100 pitches in the last game.

 

He gave the team a flawless bottom of the 10th. Instead of shouting his name at the top of their lungs, the crowd poured out applause.

 

Now the stadium was completely shrouded in night’s curtain. Bottom of the 10th. The air grew cold, and according to the batting order that continued again, the 7th batter came up. Since it was still the lower batting order, at least one person had to get on base to get Naoki, the leadoff hitter, to the mound.

 

‘…If this batter gets on base, they’ll aim for a sacrifice bunt, so they probably won’t use a pinch hitter…’

 

Even if Masamoto’s pitching still showed no signs of wavering, this inning was definitely an important turning point that couldn’t just be let slide.

 

The pitcher tried to fool the batter with a breaking ball. He worked the count a couple of times, but eventually the Sharks batter weakly swung and missed in place.

 

“Aah!”

 

People genuinely groaned. Each out count was tightly choking people’s necks. Wails continued here and there.

 

‘Statistically…’

 

Whether it should be called coincidence, the next batter was the player with the worst batting average and on-base percentage among today’s starting lineup.

 

‘If this batter also can’t get on base…’

 

From the manager’s perspective, wouldn’t he use a pinch hitter… Danielle’s mind quickly went through the current Sharks’ 40-man roster. She was trying to gauge which player the manager might use as a pinch hitter against the current pitcher.

 

Seonwoo Kang was a left-handed batter. The pitcher was right-handed. No matter how much she thought about it, only Seonwoo Kang came to Danielle’s mind.

 

Before she knew it, the battle between the pitcher and the 8th batter had reached a full count. In a situation where a strike absolutely had to be thrown, the stadium became surprisingly quiet.

 

The pitcher surprisingly threw a fastball. It was a true showdown. The batter couldn’t hit it and hung his head. Looking strikeout. The second red light came on for the out count.

 

“S**T THE F**K, WHAT THE ***** ****!”

 

Another person reeking of alcohol spat out thick curses before being stopped by security personnel. Sighs could be heard from here and there.

 

To avoid dampening the atmosphere, the next batter would usually quickly come to the plate, but for some reason the game flow stopped.

 

‘…No way.’

 

The stadium under night now relied on the light from strings of illumination. The moment letters appeared on the scoreboard, the spectators’ gazes turned to the scoreboard in unison.

 

A pinch hitter, really. Danielle gaped and stared blankly at the next screen.

 

The image of the player Danielle had supported for almost 10 years appeared on the scoreboard. When she turned her gaze, he was really entering the batter’s box.

 

The one Danielle had eagerly waited for, Seonwoo Kang.

 

A morale-boosting fight song echoed throughout the entire stadium.

 

“Kang?”

 

People murmured. Danielle felt like lava was spreading through her entire body. It wasn’t a normal sensation. Every sensation on her skin stood on edge and goosebumps rose from her fingers to her arms and back.

 

“Raise your left hand, honey.”

 

Feeling her gloved left hand being lifted, Danielle turned her gaze to the side.

 

Frederick was gently holding the back of Danielle’s hand. He leaned slightly toward Danielle and whispered in her ear.

 

Honey.

 

“You know? Seonwoo Kang hit a home run against that pitcher in Game 1 too.”

 

Danielle’s heart pounded.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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