JD 134

When he first arrived at the stadium, Hakyung had thought, Wow, it’s big! But actually stepping onto the field, that was a whole different feeling. The seats encircling the field were already more than half filled with spectators.

In just a few minutes, all those people would be watching him. The thought alone made his stomach churn with fear, and his palms were damp with cold sweat.

To distract himself, he kept mentally reciting the national anthem lyrics over and over again.

“We will now begin the national ceremony. All players and spectators, please rise.”

As the announcer’s voice echoed, everyone turned toward the Taegukgi displayed on the screen. Hakyung stepped up to the mic the staff had set up for him.

The familiar prelude to the anthem began, and a hush fell over the entire stadium. Hakyung’s heartbeat thudded in his ears, as if keeping time.

He gulped hard and opened his mouth.

“Until the East Sea’s waters and Mount Baekdu are dry and worn away…”

Just ten seconds ago, his mind had been blank. But now, the lyrics and melody flowed naturally.

His usual clear, pure voice rang across the field and echoed through the crowd. Some fans who recognized him quickly pulled out their phones to record.

Those who didn’t yet know him—famous mostly on YouTube—still turned their attention to the screen, intrigued. It wasn’t every day a live voice joined the normally dull national anthem prelude.

After about a minute, the ceremony ended. Hakyung received a round of applause as he finished singing. But before he could fully exhale with relief, he had to take the mascot’s hand and walk out to the pitcher’s mound.

The moment it became clear he’d be throwing the ceremonial first pitch too, a handful of Hakyung’s fans cheered even louder to encourage him.

Even in the noisy atmosphere, their voices cut through loud and clear. Hakyung turned in their direction and waved. Their high-pitched squeals grew louder.

“Hello! Mr. Kang Hakyung, or should I say, Mu-il Mu-i?”

“Whichever is comfortable.”

“Then Kang Hakyung it is. You sang the national anthem so beautifully! You have an amazing voice.”

“Thank you. Honestly, I was so nervous I don’t even remember how I sang it.”

The announcer’s practiced questions were met with Hakyung’s sincere answers. After a few exchanges, she finally asked him to give a short cheer for the Daegu Pumas.

Hakyung had spent days agonizing over this short message. He’d even obsessed over changing tiny particles and prepositions.

Muheon had told him not to overthink it, but got a soft dolphin slap for his trouble.

So, while it wasn’t particularly fancy, the final message was packed with Hakyung’s sincerity.

“I heard if the Daegu Pumas win today, they’ll take first place in the league. Lately, I’ve been super lucky and filled with happiness, so I want to share that luck with the players. I’ll be cheering you on! I hope you make it to the top, go Daegu Pumas!”

Hakyung shouted, fists clenched. The adorably earnest message drew a round of applause from the audience.

With first place on the line, the fans were extra fired up today.

After his cheer, Hakyung exhaled deeply. Now came the pitch. He gripped the baseball tightly, silently praying that the ball would fly at least as well as it had in practice.

Raise the hips, lift the shoulders, use the core, not the arm.

He recalled Park Taehyun’s instructions step by step and gathered his strength.

The ball left his hand with all of Hakyung’s wishes behind it. It didn’t crash to the ground… but it didn’t make it to the catcher’s mitt either. It rolled to a stop just short of the plate. The batter, already at the plate for show, awkwardly swung into the air.

“Ah…”

If there were a mouse hole nearby, Hakyung would have crawled into it. He was a river dolphin, but maybe he could squeeze in.

His face turned pink to match his hair as laughter bubbled up from the dugout and the stands.

Still, as a polite dolphin from the Land of Etiquette, Hakyung bowed repeatedly before exiting through the staff gate. Just a little further and it could’ve been a perfect first pitch. The disappointment stung.

The announcer followed him backstage and patted his shoulder.

“You spoke so well and threw a great pitch! Thank you!”

“No, it was terrible…”

“Oh, come on! That was actually a solid pitch. Great job today. I hope we meet again next time!”

With a cheerful smile, the announcer hurried off. Her spot was quickly filled by stadium staff.

They explained how to get to the reserved table seating area for guests.

“Don’t take the main aisle, there’s a smaller path beside it that leads to the VIP section. You can bring snacks or anything else you want while watching.”

“Okay, got it.”

“And we’ll need you to stay at least until the fifth inning, please.”

“Yes!”

Hakyung nodded firmly. It sounded like a rule he had to follow.

The game began, and cheers exploded from every direction. Just an hour ago, the stadium had been silent. Now it was overflowing with noise.

Hakyung hummed along with the lively atmosphere. With his big task done, he finally had the energy to hum a tune. Up until now, even his hums had been the national anthem. It felt so freeing to sing anything else.

He walked off to find his manager and Muheon, who were waiting somewhere nearby.

“Hakyung!”

Sure enough, he didn’t make it far before Kim Hyunsoo spotted him and waved. Of course, Muheon stood beside him.

Hakyung quickened his pace and wrapped his arm around Muheon’s waist. Muheon naturally pulled him in by the back.

Hyunsoo had been the one waving excitedly, but now that Hakyung was glued to Muheon, he felt just a bit awkward. They were always affectionate, so he expected it, but still.

Whatever Hyunsoo was feeling, Hakyung had eyes only for Muheon.

“Did you see my pitch? It was awful, wasn’t it? I did better in practice, right? I was so nervous my fingers went limp.”

“I thought it was great.”

“No way. If you keep telling me that, I’ll get spoiled.”

Hakyung puffed out his cheeks. With his face still flushed pink, he looked even younger than usual. Not that he wasn’t objectively young already.

Even if he rejected the compliments, it was a lost cause. Muheon was the kind of man who wanted to praise Hakyung just for breathing in and out.

Hakyung shot him a side glance but didn’t seem genuinely annoyed. Truthfully, he was thrilled by his husband’s praise, no matter how much he pretended otherwise.

“Oh! And apparently there’s a path that leads to the table seating area. They said we can bring food and whatever else to eat while we watch!”

“Ah, yes. I heard that during your pitch as well. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

Kim Hyunsoo, who’d been standing back a little, jumped into the conversation. Hakyung looked at Muheon. His eyes asked, Do you want anything?

Muheon shook his head. That kind of decision was entirely up to Kang Hakyung.

After confirming, Hakyung took out his phone and started searching. Each stadium had its own famous foods, and this one was no exception.

He quickly made a shortlist and picked their meal with Hyunsoo.

“I’ll go buy it. You guys head in first.”

“Thanks!”

After just a few days at the stadium, Hakyung had realized he was more of a hindrance in crowds like this. He thanked Hyunsoo and set off with Muheon.

Broadcast staff, team members, and stadium workers rushed back and forth around them.

If anything, it had gotten busier after the game began. To avoid being in the way, Hakyung stuck close to the wall. That’s when he spotted a restroom sign.

“I’ll just pop into the bathroom.”

“Okay, go ahead.”

He hadn’t felt the need earlier, probably because of nerves, even after drinking coffee and water. But now it hit him.

He rushed inside. After finishing, he stood at the sink, washing his hands, when a voice came from behind.

“Hey there.”

In the mirror, Hakyung locked eyes with Kim Taeyoung.