The Genius Pitcher Dad Throws for His Daughter - Chapter 70

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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 70
#70.
The night after the game ended.
The Dolphins Community blazed back to life after a long silence.
– Kang Ho-jin is a god! Finally out of last place!
Normally, this would have been the hour when countless new posts flooded in, but instead, the community remained quiet.
People felt one post was more than enough, so they simply left comments beneath it, reveling in their joy.
└ Let’s keep building on this!
└ Heroes play tomorrow and we don’t, so if they win it’s a half-game gap. If they lose, we’re alone in 9th!
└ I heard rain was in the forecast, but since it’s a home game at Gocheok, we’re definitely playing.
└ Thank goodness this isn’t a domed stadium.
└ Of all teams, it had to be the Dragons. They’re going all out, so 9th place seems locked in?
└ Wow! The drinks tomorrow are already tasting sweet!
└ If you drink like this starting Tuesday, what about the rest of the week?
└ What do you mean what? Just stay drunk the whole time.
└ The person above is a genius, it seems?
Intoxicated by pure joy, fans left comments one after another, each raising their own glass of celebration.
To Dolphins fans, Kang Ho-jin was a treasure that filled their hearts with pride just by watching him.
The team had transformed since he joined the 1st Team, and with the results he continued to deliver, they boldly called him not the next ace, but the current ace.
Moreover, among the countless wishes the Dolphins had harbored over the years, one of them seemed within reach through him, which only deepened their joy.
– Kang Ho-jin’s definitely the Rookie of the Year this season
└ If you disagree, I’ll buy you drinks at the bar!
└ Ah! Kang Ho-jin is definitely the Rookie of the Year!
└ He’s got the complete package—stats, looks, and a compelling story!
└ But doesn’t he not have that thing?
└ This guy has zero intention of buying drinks!
A new post appeared, but the fans simply laughed.
Especially since it had even pulled in an internet meme, the people who had been playing comment games on the previous post all migrated over and joined in the boisterous celebration.
In just fifteen games, Kang Ho-jin had completely captured the hearts of Dolphins fans, and his jerseys, which had seen sluggish sales for some time, began flying off the shelves again.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins took another day of rest before heading to Seoul for their away series.
Thursday and Friday would be against the Seoul Dragons, while Saturday and Sunday were away games against the Phoenix.
In the meantime, the Heroes snatched back 9th place with a nail-biting walk-off victory, and the Seoul Dragons, with a magic number of 5 remaining, prepared to face the Dolphins.
* * *
As the Dolphins began producing results, there was one person in particular who was delighted.
“Baseball is actually fun to watch these days.”
None other than the Dolphins’ owner, the Chairman of a major corporation.
For the past decade or so, he hadn’t even glanced at the sports section in newspapers or online.
To be precise, he had checked it in secret, and each time, he had quietly swallowed the burning rage that welled up from deep within his core, alone.
It was Kang Ho-jin who had rekindled the Chairman’s interest in baseball after all this time, and he made sure to watch every game in which Kang Ho-jin pitched.
And on the day after Kang Ho-jin won, the Chairman wore a smile all day long, so his secretary and the staff members who dealt with him that day were equally unable to wipe the smiles from their faces.
“Secretary Kim, what about the CF deal for Ho-jin?”
Secretary Kim had classified it as a critical matter, knowing that the Chairman held Kang Ho-jin in high regard and that this CF opportunity was significant to him.
“Once the season ends, we’ve arranged it with an appliance company.”
“Tsk… Image-wise it fits, but it might be a bit painful for him personally.”
“In compensation, we’ve negotiated the payment generously. As an athlete, he’ll receive S-tier treatment, and if he were an entertainer, we’ve structured it so he could command A-tier rates.”
Typically, corporate advertising fees vary wildly depending on an athlete’s tier.
For a team’s franchise star, it’s in the tens of billions; for players with decent recognition, it often starts in the hundreds of millions. In Ho-jin’s case—a rookie earning minimum salary—this represented quite substantial compensation.
Still, the Chairman worried that depending on the advertisement’s content, it might remind Ho-jin of his ailing daughter.
“Take good care of it.”
“Yes. I’ll be as careful as possible.”
“Good. Now, what about Se-ah—our future president?”
Secretary Kim picked up his tablet and swiped through it before reporting.
“She’s been shadowing General Manager Park Ju-ho and learning the practical aspects. Unlike the previous president, President Bae who only handled actual approvals, Miss Se-ah wanted to learn everything from the ground up, so she’s started as an intern.”
“What? An intern?!”
Shin Chairman’s expression shifted to one of surprise.
In reality, starting as an intern was nearly impossible. Rather, everyone already knew Se-ah’s identity. She was the granddaughter who’d practically grown up at Sajik Baseball Stadium since childhood, and she’d made several appearances at official events.
So calling her an intern was a joke—by now, the front office staff must be dying from the arrangement.
“General Manager Park Ju-ho is actually encouraging it, finding it amusing. Through the process, Miss Se-ah gets to learn everything the front office does, and she’s quite pleased with that.”
Shin Chairman, sensing that it was best to simply let the two of them handle things on their own, nodded in response.
“Tell Manager Bong and General Manager Park: let’s just avoid last place this year. If we do, I’ll prepare a gift next season that’ll help Ho-jin.”
It was essentially an admission that the team owner was showing favoritism toward one player, but Secretary Kim wasn’t the type to relay it so bluntly to the manager and general manager.
Instead, he would phrase it more diplomatically.
Adding encouragement to finish the remaining season strong.
* * *
I arrived in Seoul.
Naturally, since I wasn’t scheduled to pitch today, I made my way to my daughter’s hospital and spent some time there.
Originally, I hadn’t planned to go.
Or rather, even if I did, I thought I’d stop by briefly on the morning I was scheduled to pitch, or after the game, instead of heading back to Busan with the team, I’d rest in Seoul for a few days before returning.
“Go visit her.”
But the Manager practically forced me to go.
The moment we arrived at the hotel—our lodging in Seoul—a team staff member brought a car and drove me straight to my parents’ home.
I was taken aback by such considerate treatment.
But thanks to the front office staff who left without hesitation or attachment, I managed to get home before the night grew too late.
“You’re here? Have you eaten?”
“I did… though I think I might be a bit hungry still.”
“Wait a moment. I’ll prepare something right away.”
Mother headed to the kitchen, and soon the clatter of pots and pans echoed through the house.
I could’ve made do with instant noodles, but seeing her prepare various things, I simply waited patiently.
“What about Father?”
“Ye-jin’s grandfather? He’s probably at Jang President’s place.”
“Ugh… again?”
He was referring to the meat restaurant run by Jang President.
The restaurant owner who had become my fan, and the meat restaurant that had transformed into a gathering place for Busan Dolphins fans—whether they were from Busan or lived nearby.
The place had become so famous that when I first signed something for the restaurant, it was the only autograph on display, but after several celebrity Dolphins fans visited, the restaurant grew increasingly well-known.
‘Now that I think about it, a few senior players mentioned going together once…’
Not immediately, but there was talk of visiting after the season ended.
Since I was a Dolphins player, it was Se-jin who suggested that I should visit what fans considered the sacred ground of Dolphins supporters.
I learned about this not long ago, and Se-jin’s fan service was truly exceptional.
Apparently, whenever a restaurant claimed to be his fan, he would personally visit, sign autographs, and boost their sales. He did this regardless of location across the entire country.
For places farther away, he would visit during the off-season, while for restaurants near the stadium, he would time his visits on days without games or travel days to provide fan service.
Among athletes known for generating controversy, I could confidently say that Se-jin was the one who cared most about his fans.
That was something to consider after the season ended. For now, I could only hope Se-jin was doing well in the 2nd Team.
‘Since it came to mind, should I give him a call?’
As soon as I called, he picked up immediately.
– Yeah. What’s up?
“Just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”
– What, that’s so bland.
I could picture his face from the sound of his gentle laughter.
Though not conventionally handsome, his likable face with that warm smile naturally came to mind.
– Resting well, eating well, and taking care of business well.
“The last one seems unnecessary, doesn’t it?”
– Hey! Are you dismissing one of humanity’s three basic desires?!
“Ahem! I concede.”
Se-jin and I continued our pointless banter.
Still, I caught the important parts—that the senior was recovering well and steadily preparing for next year.
For Se-jin, whose dream was to wear a championship ring before retirement, this year was already over, and next year would arrive soon enough.
– Oh, right! I heard a new president is coming to our organization.
“During the season?”
– Yeah. But since he’s such a famous person, you won’t need to worry about it.
Strangely, Se-jin’s voice was full of mischief.
Though it felt unsettling, I let it pass since I knew there was nothing I could do about it.
“Well, I’ll call you when I head down to Busan.”
– Sure! There’s a new meat restaurant in Sangdong that’s pretty good.
“I’ll come with an empty stomach, counting on you to treat.”
– Yeah, no. We’ll see each other the day before your start.
As Se-jin and I were bickering, Mother called me.
“Come eat.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
After usually calling her Mother, I called her Mom for the first time in a while and gave her a quick hug.
Feeling the warmth and catching the savory scent of miso from her apron, I realized I was home, and for a moment, I regressed into my childhood self and acted spoiled.
“Sigh, you’ve grown so big now—I can’t even carry you anymore, my son.”
I felt my eyes growing moist at Mother’s gentle touch.
I quickly pinched my own arm to hold back the tears, then sat down at the table and picked up my spoon.
“I’m grateful for this meal.”
Slurp.
The soybean paste stew Mother had made.
South Korea’s finest soybean paste stew—the very sustenance of my life—I savored every bite of Mother’s cooking, scraping the bowl clean without leaving a single grain of rice.
After I finished eating and was washing the dishes, Father arrived home.
“Son! You’re here?!”
Father, having had a drink or two, came home with an energy I rarely saw from him.
“Yes, Father. You should rest.”
“Right. You get some rest too. You have a game this weekend.”
At those words, I stopped in my tracks toward the bedroom.
If this had been before I returned to the past, this would have been a time when I was scraping the bottom of despair and depression, unable to feel the warmth of my parents’ words and touch.
I was grateful to have returned, and even more grateful that I could save my Daughter.
My points stood at 1.
I had roughly 5 more pitching appearances ahead.
There was still time remaining.
My Daughter still showed no signs of waking.

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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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