Liar and Liar - Chapter 53

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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 53

He was wearing a championship cap backwards.

[Oh, hello.]

[Hello! You must be Korean.]

He greeted her cheerfully with the face Danielle had often seen in videos. His entire face was filled with smiles. Danielle cautiously looked at him standing about 4 feet away.

He had always been contained within a square screen. The moment reality hit her skin, Danielle’s heart began to race.

[How amazing that a Korean person caught my ball. And you caught it in one try, too.]

[Yes, well… I had prepared a glove. I’m a fan of yours. I thought you might hit a home run today…]

[Oh, really? You’re my fan? Wow, I’m so happy. I wasn’t even supposed to play today.]

He was already in his mid-thirties, but when he smiled, he looked noticeably younger. He clasped his hands together and laughed like a child.

Danielle had so much she wanted to say. That she always watched his games. That she had always cheered for him. That in fact, more than just cheering, she had always wished for the moments when he would shine brightest. But while her mouth moved, no voice came out.

Just then, Frederick and marketing manager Jonathan entered the meeting room through the open door. Frederick was holding something in his hand.

“Babe, this.”

Danielle looked down at the object Frederick suddenly handed her. The moment she read the text on the cover of the black hardbound book, she almost dropped it.

“Wh… what is this?”

The cover read:

“Exploring the Potential Correlation Between Orbital Periods of Planets in the Solar System and Baseball Hitting”

The book was actually the science report Danielle had submitted in Middle School. One focused solely on player Seonwoo Kang.

Holding the report with both hands, Danielle trembled silently. It was hard to suppress her nervousness. She could feel Seonwoo Kang’s gaze on her, and trembling, she slowly held out the report to him.

[P-Player… Today… you weren’t in the starting lineup, but if you came to bat even once… I believed you would definitely hit a home run. That’s why I tried to sit in the outfield seats and brought a glove.]

He blinked and took Danielle’s report.

[I… well… I did a science project in Middle School… I like astrophysics… I wanted to find out what factors could predict your home runs…]

[Ah…]

He looked down again to check the title of the report.

[I found exactly one factor. There wasn’t any scientific reason or explanation for it… but I believed in my research results, so…]

[What was the conclusion??]

Danielle squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart was pounding wildly.

[It was that your home run probability increases when there’s a full moon. This was the conclusion from analyzing not only Sharks records but also Korean records.]

What would he say? Would he burst out laughing? Or would he be grateful and encourage her…?

Danielle had worked hard, even reading various research methodology books and materials to conduct her research properly. So while she firmly believed in her results, she had no confidence that others would believe her research.

Seonwoo Kang was now looking through Danielle’s report with his smile completely gone. Soon he closed the report with a snap.

And he said something completely different from what Danielle expected.

[…Would you like to know why I could hit better when there was a full moon?]

[…What?]

Even though it was in Korean and they wouldn’t understand, Frederick and the Sharks staff just quietly watched the conversation between Danielle and Seonwoo Kang.

[My grandmother raised me when I was young, but unfortunately she passed away before she could see me get drafted. So whenever I saw a full moon, I thought of my late grandmother. I’ll do well, I won’t give up, I’ll make it happen. Please watch over me… I think I thought that way every time I was at bat when the full moon caught my eye.]

[Ah…]

I see. That’s how it was.

At the same time, Danielle felt like she might cry. To think that the research she had done was actually correct. It was truly an indescribable feeling.

[Thank you for watching over me with such care and warm heart. Actually, it would be a lie to say I haven’t been shaken recently… but this helps me pull myself together again. I didn’t even think I could hit a home run today.]

He slowly stroked the cover of Danielle’s report with his rough hands. Danielle bit the inside of her mouth.

[Until the day I eventually retire, I’ll always think of this book and never give up. So that your support for me won’t be wasted.]

He extended his hand asking for a handshake, and Danielle carefully took it. His palm was so hard, and she could feel the rough calluses completely.

“Jonathan. Do you have the items I requested right now?”

“Oh, yes. I brought them.”

In the bag Jonathan brought were various baseball items. The cap and ball showed no signs of use, but the bat showed some wear.

[I heard you’re my fan. First, as a token of gratitude, I requested as much as I could from the team for what I can give you now.]

When a staff member handed him a marker, he signed each item one by one.

Danielle wanted to shout out loud. That she knew very well how meaningful this home run ball would be to him, and since it was originally his anyway, he should just take it.

But every time she tried to speak, her family members came to mind. Even if 10 billion fell from the sky, that wouldn’t be Danielle’s money but her family’s money. Since Eunho was diagnosed in 7th grade, Danielle had never spent more than $50 on herself.

Frederick slowly approached Danielle as she hung her head. He gently stroked her cheek with one hand and whispered softly.

“Babe. I talked with Jonathan, and it seems we need to discuss the ball matter again later. There’s already a separate contract for this part, so instead of Seonwoo Kang paying directly, his sponsor company might pay instead. So they need time to discuss with the sponsor company.”

Sponsor company…? Danielle looked up at Frederick as if drawn.

“I know what you want. I’ll make it happen.”

“…”

Leaving Danielle standing quietly, Frederick smiled and spoke to Seonwoo Kang.

“Player, could you also sign my girlfriend’s jersey?”

Danielle decided to be a little shameless. She asked for autographs on everything she had, from her jersey to the back of her phone to her clear bag. And last was a commemorative photo.

As the very last thing, she sneakily asked for a video too, and he gladly agreed.

[Danielle~ Thank you~! Fighting to both you and me~~!]

He was so kind that he even asked for Danielle’s signature on the front page of the report. Even that made Danielle’s heart skip a beat.

Having barely adapted to Seonwoo Kang’s presence, Danielle was finally able to speak properly to him only when the gathering was about to break up.

[Player, I’ll really support you for life. You’ll do even better in the future. Always stay strong…!!]

Seonwoo Kang waved his hand warmly and left with a smiling face, and Jonathan pointed to the bag containing the signed items.

“Frederick, should we send this luggage by helicopter for now?”

“Please do. I’ll contact the captain myself.”

Frederick took Danielle’s hand and slowly led her out of the meeting room.

The players who had finished interviews had already left the mound to attend a beer party prepared by the sponsor company, and now more than half the audience had left too.

Danielle silently followed where Frederick led. She didn’t have the energy to ask where they were going.

The bullpen area came into view. However, instead of going down to the bullpen area, they went around to the area behind the stands.

Even the remaining spectators were all heading toward the exits, and since darkness had already fallen, only the afterglow of the lights softly illuminated the surroundings.

Except for the sound of wind, there were only the footsteps of Danielle and Frederick. It was like a mirror world.

Frederick leaned against the stadium wall. Then he gently covered Danielle’s lower back with his interlaced hands and drew her into his embrace.

“Babe.”

“…”

Danielle couldn’t answer. Her lips were stuck together as if they had adhered to each other and wouldn’t come apart.

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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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