JD 131

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any noticeable stares yet. Of course, it was possible they simply couldn’t tell amid the large crowd, so they had to stay alert.

If possible, Muheon wanted to handle everything quietly so that Hakyung could pass through this day without ever realizing anything had happened.

It was Hakyung’s first time standing before tens of thousands of people, just that alone would be more than enough to make him anxious.

“We’ll head straight to the stadium. You’re scheduled to practice ahead of time since you’re doing the opening pitch.”

“Ah, yes!”

Following Kim Hyunsoo’s lead to the parking lot, they saw the car already waiting for them. Every time this happened, Hakyung felt weirdly shy and embarrassed, like he really was a celebrity.

Ironically, Muheon, who was far more used to being taken care of, looked more like the star.

After about thirty minutes of driving, the massive baseball stadium finally came into view. It was so large it couldn’t be taken in at a glance. Hakyung’s eyes widened, this was way bigger than it looked on TV.

And now he had to sing the national anthem here? His knees instantly turned to jelly. Overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the stadium, Hakyung froze like a popsicle.

“This way, Mr. Hakyung. They’re already waiting for us.”

“Y-yes…!”

At the manager’s nudge, Hakyung quickly moved his feet. There was a separate entrance for staff and guests, so they got to the practice field without trouble.

To be honest, Hakyung wasn’t very interested in baseball. He had never even seen a baseball player up close until today.

He had tried watching a few Daegu Pumas games over the past few days, but for a total beginner, a three-hour game was like a river too wide to cross. It looked fun… but also distant, unreachable.

Still, he was determined to enjoy it as best he could today. So full of motivation, he didn’t even notice how stiff and awkward his own gait was.

They waited a little in the practice area before a staff member brought over a pitcher.

He was one of the most well-known starters in the league, Hakyung had even seen him in one of the games he’d crammed through.

Relieved to see a familiar face, Hakyung mustered a small smile.

“Hello. I’m Kang Hakyung.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Taehyun.”

As expected of a pro athlete, he was taller and broader than he looked on screen. Even standing next to Muheon, he seemed to hold his own.

Which meant Hakyung had to crane his neck to look up. But Park Taehyun, clearly used to this, naturally bent forward to make conversation easier.

People say baseball players are basically celebrities these days, and this kind of polished manner made Hakyung quietly impressed.

“I enjoy your songs. A lot of your covers are on music platforms now.”

“Ah, thank you. I enjoy watching baseball too.”

“Haha! Mr. Kang, you don’t know anything about baseball, do you?”

At the pointed remark, a bead of sweat ran down Hakyung’s temple.

How did he know…?

Park Taehyun laughed harder at his transparent expression. Hakyung, not finding it funny at all, turned away instinctively.

When in doubt, trust your husband.

Muheon, unable to ignore Hakyung’s silent plea for help, stepped forward.

“My husband only knows music. But he always puts his best effort into everything, so he won’t be a bother. Please guide him well.”

“Ah—yes, of course!”

He had jumped in like an overprotective parent, but Muheon showed no sign of embarrassment as he stared Park Taehyun down.

He might be a professional athlete, but he was still just a regular human. Anyone would shrink under Muheon’s presence.

Those jet-black eyes staring him down sent chills up his spine. Park Taehyun had only meant to tease Hakyung a little, but just like that, the impulse vanished.

From then on, the two kept a respectful distance, strictly pitcher and beginner.

“No, you need to rotate your hips a bit more. That’s right, just like that.”

“O-okay…!”

To extend his range of motion, Hakyung had to stretch his muscles carefully. As he repeated the same movements over and over, sweat dotted his forehead.

Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but… he had gone a little too hard last night. It was definitely not because his flexibility was lacking.

“Okay, let’s try throwing it. Aim for the center. Remember, don’t throw with your wrist, use your back muscles, shoulder joints, and core strength to avoid injury.”

Once the basic motion was explained, it was finally time to pitch. Recalling what Park Taehyun had taught him, Hakyung braced himself.

“Hup!”

Despite the serious grunt, the throw ended up flopping. Still, his posture wasn’t half bad.

Thump… thump, roll… roll.

The ball rolled away like it had a mind of its own. Hakyung flushed with embarrassment, while everyone else turned red trying to hold in their laughter.

“It’s okay. That was a good first attempt.”

“So it was only good for a first attempt…”

It was a compliment with conditions, and Hakyung’s expression wilted.

Park Taehyun scratched his head, sensing he’d misspoken. Hakyung quietly retrieved the ball.

“I’ll try again.”

“Ooh, that’s the spirit!”

“I’ve only thrown once… and you’re calling that grit?”

Still slightly embarrassed, Hakyung threw again. It wasn’t much better, but at least it went a bit farther.

Throw, retrieve, throw, retrieve. Like a puppy playing fetch with himself, Hakyung kept practicing. He was so focused, he didn’t even notice the big box of practice balls nearby.

“Mr. Hakyung’s really hardworking.”

From the sidelines, Kim Hyunsoo turned to Muheon and spoke.

Muheon gave a small nod, clearly thinking the same.

Even when working for his own company, Kang Hakyung had always given his all, in both career and marriage.

Muheon thought of Hakyung yelling about scattering condoms in the bathtub last night and smiled faintly.

He’d have to wait and see if he actually kept that promise. Either way, it would be fun.

“Alright, let’s wrap up practice here. Mr. Hakyung, please come this way and film a cheer video for us.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hakyung jogged over to the video team, energetic as ever, such a busy little river dolphin.

While he filmed the short video, which ended up taking longer than expected due to retakes and minor fumbles, Muheon quietly stepped out.

He contacted Sang-oh on his phone. Fortunately, the reply came quickly, he was already near the stadium, keeping watch.

— Nothing suspicious so far.

“Yeah?”

— There’s still time before the game starts, so the crowd’s manageable. We’re observing carefully.

“Got it. Keep me posted.”

— I’ll let you know right away if anything changes.

Even hearing that nothing had happened yet didn’t lift the tightness in Muheon’s chest. In the empty hallway, only the sound of his long, deep sigh echoed.

Meanwhile, Hakyung was still filming.

There were retakes because he stumbled over lines, and others because of staff mistakes. Even though it was a short video for social media, it was taking a surprising amount of time.

“Thank you for your hard work! Mr. Hakyung, there’s a café just up front. If you show them your staff pass, you can get a free coffee.”

“Really? Thank you so much!”

The video team leader pointed toward the door. Hakyung bowed politely, then walked over to Kim Hyunsoo.

He’d been running around nonstop, but the other two had just been standing there, it must’ve been boring and tiring.

“Manager, they said there’s a café nearby. Want to come with me for a coffee? It’s free if you show this.”

“Oh? Really? Sure, I’d love to.”

“Great! But wait, where’s my husband?”

He’d been next to Hyunsoo just moments ago, when had he disappeared? Hakyung glanced around the practice area, looking for Muheon.

The way his eyes darted around, looking for his partner, reminded Hyunsoo of a puppy searching for its owner. He chuckled to himself.

Hakyung was technically a river dolphin beastman, but aside from his singing, he really suited a puppy more.

“He said he had to take a call.”

“Ah… then should we hurry over and come back before he returns?”

“Or I could go for you.”

“Oh no, don’t be silly… let’s just go together. If he notices I’m gone, he’ll call me.”

Tapping the phone in his pocket, Hakyung tugged Hyunsoo along. And since a cold americano sounded just right, Hyunsoo followed without much resistance.