The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 48
The pockets of the two men who slipped away from the film set were pleasantly heavy.
A cash envelope containing the promised daily wage of 1,000 dollars.
With a premium glove for Tommy added to the haul, today had been nothing short of a jackpot.
“We made money and got a gift! Let’s grab some food! My treat today!”
Mark shouted with excitement.
But Soo-ho shook his head and gazed in a different direction.
“We’ll eat later. There’s somewhere we need to go first.”
“Where? The bank?”
“No. Over there.”
The place Soo-ho pointed to was a large outlet mall near the film set.
“Why the shopping mall?”
“I can’t show up empty-handed. I’ve been staying at your place for two weeks.”
Soo-ho led the way without waiting for Mark’s response.
In truth, during those two weeks at Mark’s house, I had always carried a sense of debt in the corner of my mind.
Of course, Mark had said it was natural since we were partners.
But given my nature, simply receiving without giving didn’t sit right with me.
‘My budget is 1,000 dollars.’
I intended to spend every penny I’d earned today.
This money was essentially a bonus anyway.
In truth, I wasn’t without funds.
My bank account held a portion of the signing bonus I’d received from the Korean Professional Team, and
a substantial signing bonus from my contract with the Dodgers—hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting untouched.
It was enough to repair Mark’s house or cover his living expenses if I wanted to lend it.
‘But that wouldn’t be right.’
The reason was clear.
My actions could be perceived as clumsy pity.
‘It would make things awkward between us.’
Besides, who pitied or charmed whom?
I wasn’t in a position to deserve that.
‘But the money I earned today is different.’
This was money I’d made while staying at Mark’s house.
It wasn’t an enormous sum, and treating him generously with it carried no burden for either of us.
‘So let’s spend it without hesitation.’
The first place we stopped was the toy store.
Upon stepping through the entrance, mountains of stuffed animals came into view.
Without hesitation, I picked up a massive teddy bear that was nearly as tall as my upper body.
“Lily would like this, wouldn’t she?”
“What can I say? It’s bigger than her. Obviously she would.”
Mark laughed in amazement, but I headed toward the checkout counter.
For a five-year-old, size equals joy.
I knew from my time at the Orphanage how that overwhelmed expression looked when a child received a stuffed animal larger than their own body.
Next was the Electronics Store.
I scanned the display shelves and picked up a pair of headphones.
Not the latest model, but they were noise-canceling headphones famous for their excellent performance.
“These are for Jenny.”
“Headphones? She does like listening to music, but…”
“Besides, the house gets pretty chaotic.”
I let out a soft chuckle.
What a teenage girl needs most is a space of her own.
But in such a cramped house.
It must have been difficult for Jenny to find any time alone amid her younger siblings running around.
These headphones would at least give her a sense of peace, disconnected from the world whenever she needed to study or rest.
‘Casey seems to enjoy them… I noticed that.’
I didn’t bother voicing this thought aloud.
The relationship between Mark and Casey still wasn’t particularly good.
“…Wow.”
Mark was left speechless.
It was something he hadn’t even thought of.
I, a stranger, understood what his sister needed better than he did, her own older brother.
“You’re really… either incredibly thoughtful, or you have supernatural intuition? Are you living your second life or something…”
“Stop joking around. Last one—for Mother.”
The two of us headed to the Shoe Store.
Instead of flashy designer shoes, I selected functional athletic shoes with the best cushioning.
“Mother’s shoe size is 240, right?”
“Yeah…”
Then I stopped by the Cosmetics Section and picked up a set of highly moisturizing hand creams.
“Hey, this is really over the top. Mom will feel burdened, you know? The shoes and this cream are both expensive.”
Mark tried to protest, but I was firm.
“She’s on her feet all day working at the Restaurant. Her feet and hands take the most beating. You and I both know what it’s like as athletes, right? Comfortable feet make for a comfortable day.”
I finished checking out and carried the shopping bags in both hands.
I didn’t buy anything separate for Tommy.
I’d already gotten a glove from Rawlings, and that product alone cost over 1,000 dollars.
I had 300 dollars left.
Yet my shopping still wasn’t finished.
“Let’s go.”
The final destination was the Supermarket.
I grabbed a cart and rushed toward the Grocery Section.
Then I swept up several packages of beef steak that Mark had picked up and put down several times, saying they were too expensive.
Fortunately, meat at American supermarkets was quite affordable, so it wasn’t a burden.
To that, I added fruits the children loved.
I stuffed the cart to overflowing with bulk cereals, milk, and essentials like toilet paper.
“Hey! Hey! Stop loading! The refrigerator’s going to burst!”
Mark protested in alarm, but I remained unfazed.
“I’m going to eat all of this. I’m still growing, so I need a lot.”
“Growing? You’re already full-grown!”
“My heart is still growing. Besides, I need to eat well before I leave next week.”
At the checkout counter.
The receipt printed out in a long strip.
When I added up the grocery expenses, they matched the cost of the gifts.
Because of that, I had to spend all the thousand dollars I’d earned today and add another three hundred on top of it.
But since I’d be eating this food too, I didn’t mind much.
Mark glanced at the receipt, sighed, and asked seriously.
“Why go this far?”
His voice carried gratitude mixed with something deeper—a sense of guilt.
I crumpled the receipt and stuffed it into my pocket, speaking matter-of-factly.
“Do the math. If I’d slept at a hotel for two weeks, the lodging and meals would have cost far more than this.”
I gave Mark’s shoulder a light tap.
“So don’t feel burdened. This is fair rent.”
It was a lie, of course.
If I’d stayed at a cheap motel and managed my own meals, I would have saved considerably more.
But I had gained something money cannot buy.
The warmth of family that made me forget loneliness in a foreign land, home-cooked meals, and the scent of human connection.
‘And if Mark hadn’t invited me, I never would have dreamed of a film set opportunity like today.’
The value of these things cannot be measured in currency.
No—I would have gladly paid thousands more, but this was all I could offer, and that regret gnawed at me.
“Let’s go. We need to stock the refrigerator and prepare dinner before Mother arrives.”
I walked ahead.
Watching my back, Mark felt his nose sting with emotion.
He thought I was a friend he simply couldn’t match in every way.
* * *
That evening.
Mark’s house filled with the aroma of grilling meat for the first time in ages.
Premium ribeye steaks I’d purchased sizzled as they cooked.
The dining table was laden with fruit, salad, and cake.
It was a feast rarely seen even during holidays or birthdays in a poor household.
“Let’s eat!”
The children’s eyes sparkled.
The moment the meat touched their tongues, it melted, and gasps of delight escaped them.
When everyone was sufficiently full.
I quietly rose from my seat and retrieved the shopping bags I had left in the corner.
“Here, consider this a dessert substitute.”
I first handed a large wrapped package to Lily, the youngest.
“What is this?”
Lily tore open the wrapping with her small, delicate hands.
A teddy bear larger than her own body tumbled out.
“Wow! A teddy bear!”
Lily hugged the plush toy tightly and rolled across the floor, thinking to herself.
I was just like Santa Claus.
After all, she had only ever played with hand-me-downs from her older siblings or worn toys purchased from flea markets.
Her first brand-new possession in her entire life.
And it was a teddy bear larger than herself, one that belonged only to her.
Therefore, to Lily, I was not simply an older brother who fed her well.
I was a prince who had woven magic into her small world.
Next came Jenny’s turn.
Jenny’s eyes widened as she opened the small box I handed her.
“Is this… noise-canceling headphones?”
“You seemed to enjoy music.”
Jenny bit her lip.
‘How did he know?’
A cramped house, noisy younger siblings.
For a teenage girl, a space of her own was a luxury.
Always yielding to her younger siblings, no one had ever asked what she truly needed.
Of course, she understood it was because the family had no spare means.
Yet at this age, she couldn’t help but feel a certain longing.
But that subtle void—one her own family hadn’t even noticed—had been filled by a passing stranger, an older brother.
“Thank you. I’ll use them well, really.”
She said, clutching the headphones to her chest.
Her gratitude carried an unspoken message of appreciation for being respected.
Then I tossed a pair of batting gloves to Tommy beside her—ones I had obtained from the film set earlier.
“Wear them when you grow into them. They’re quality.”
“Wow! These are Rawlings! That’s awesome!”
Tommy was overjoyed with just that alone.
Unaware that the real gift awaited him atop the shoe cabinet.
Treasure hunts always worked well with boys.
After dinner, he would put on the gloves and rush outside to swing a bat.
That’s when he would discover the real gift—the baseball glove.
Finally, I approached Mark’s Mother.
“This one is for you.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly…”
Mark’s Mother waved her hand dismissively, but Soo-ho opened the box and retrieved a pair of functional walking shoes.
Beside them, he gently placed a hand cream set as well.
“I hope this helps, even a little.”
Mark’s Mother accepted the shoes and fell silent for a long moment.
Her eyes grew moist as her weathered hands touched the plush insoles of the shoes.
“My son has found such a wonderful friend.”
Since her husband’s departure, she and Mark had always been the pillars of this household.
There had been no room for leaning on others or seeking comfort.
Yet this young man from a distant foreign land had breathed warmth into the home over the past two weeks.
He played with the children, filled the dinner table, and now even tended to her aching feet.
It felt less like Mark’s friend had visited and more like a dependable second son had come into their lives.
“…Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Mark’s Mother grasped Soo-ho’s hand firmly.
It was a rough but warm touch.
Mark watched the scene with contentment, though his eyes grew a little misty.
After that, the family fully savored the evening together.
In truth, when the sun rose tomorrow morning,
they would need to worry about overdue bills again,
return to their exhausting work,
and perhaps struggle with what to eat.
One meal could not erase their poverty.
But it didn’t matter.
A person cannot run with their breath caught in their throat every single day.
To climb a steep uphill path, one must have a level stretch where they can catch their breath.
This warm fullness and laughter felt tonight—
this day’s respite would become the solid foundation to endure the hardship that lay ahead.
Mark gazed at Soo-ho with warmth.
He felt proud and grateful that his friend had created this moment.
“Since everyone received gifts, shouldn’t they say thank you?”
At Mark’s words, the family cried out in unison.
“Thank you!”
Soo-ho rubbed his nose with his index finger, looking embarrassed.
There could not have been a more perfect day before departing for Arizona.
* * *
Another week passed after that.
The day of departure to Arizona had finally arrived.
Soo-ho and Mark stood at the Entrance with their luggage packed.
“Travel safely. Make sure you eat well.”
“If you appear on TV, I’ll brag about it at school!”
Mark’s Mother and the children all came out to see them off.
Though the time had been brief, Soo-ho had become another member of this family in all but name.
Soo-ho smiled and gently ruffled the children’s hair.
“I should get going. I’ll come back later.”
The two of them then settled into the Uber that Mark had called ahead.
“Thank you. Really… I mean it, friend.”
At Mark’s sincere words, Soo-ho shook his head.
“No. I’m the one who should thank you.”
“You didn’t gain anything from this.”
“But I got to rest well because of you.”
It was no empty courtesy.
The warmth I had felt within the embrace of family.
Perhaps it had granted me the greatest weapon of all—peace of mind—to someone standing at the precipice.
The certainty that I was no longer alone.
The assurance that I had someone at my back.
That alone was enough for me.
And this was precisely what Mark had intended when he first invited Soo-ho.
The taxi entered the airport approach road.
In the distance, runways and aircraft began to come into view.
The landscape of Los Angeles was receding behind me.
Now the gates to the real battlefield were opening before me.
Soo-ho clenched his fists. The respite was over.
‘Now the real test begins.’
Arizona.
A desert teeming with monsters.
The time was drawing near when I would have to prove everything about myself beneath that scorching sun.

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