Junho had been with the Hansung Little League for a month.
Now, instead of his old practice clothes, he stood on the field wearing a navy uniform.
His number was
17.
Wearing his new uniform, Junho looked down for a moment at the team logo over his chest.
It wasn't the Blue Hawks' blue eagle.
But one side of his chest felt a little warmer.
"Looks good on you."
Minjae approached with a grin.
"Now you're really one of us."
Junho smiled quietly too.
"It still doesn't feel real."
"It will soon."
Minjae said it as he gave his glove a light smack.
"The competition starts today."
Junho soon learned exactly what he meant.
Coach Oh Seongjin gathered the players.
"I'm announcing next week's practice game roster."
The field fell silent in an instant.
"Nine starters."
"Three bench players."
"Everyone else will have to wait for the next opportunity."
It was a much smaller number than in soccer.
The thought that he might miss a game over a difference of just one spot made Junho tense.
But the coach didn't announce the roster.
Instead, he started practice.
"Today is a defensive evaluation."
High fly balls rose one after another into the outfield.
The first ball.
The moment it went up, Junho read the wind before he read the ball.
Two steps.
Three steps.
After moving back, he raised his glove.
Whap!
The ball disappeared into the center of his glove.
"Good."
Coach Oh Seongjin said it briefly.
The next ball followed.
This one went much higher.
Junho started running backward.
Unlike the other players, who chased only the ball, he moved in advance toward where it would land.
The result was another success.
Minjae called out with a grin.
"Junho's a natural outfielder!"
But not everyone was happy about it.
Lee Seongmin, an outfielder watching practice from one side, had a stiff expression.
Seongmin had originally been a starting outfielder.
But over the past few weeks, Junho's growth had been faster than expected.
After practice, Seongmin approached Junho.
"Hey."
Junho turned around.
"Yeah?"
"I heard you came from soccer."
"Yeah."
Seongmin looked at Junho for a moment before speaking.
"This isn't a soccer field."
His tone wasn't cold, but there was no smile either.
"I know."
"Then don't take it lightly."
Seongmin slung his glove over his shoulder and walked past him.
Minjae let out a quiet sigh.
"Don't worry about him."
"They're all like that when the competition for starting spots begins."
Junho watched Seongmin's back.
Strangely, he didn't feel bad.
With the Blue Hawks, he had run toward the same dream as his friends.
Here, he had to compete with players who shared the same dream for the same spot.
The sport was different, but the weight of competition was the same.
The last part of practice was hitting.
Junho still wasn't used to the bat.
His first swing was late, and his second was too early.
The third pitch.
Coach Oh Seongjin deliberately threw a slow ball.
Junho didn't rush.
He waited until the ball came all the way into his hitting zone.
Then he swung the bat in a short, compact motion.
Crack!
The ball rolled quickly through the gap between first and second.
"That's it!"
The coach's voice rang out.
"This time, you knew how to wait."
Junho looked down at the bat.
In soccer, he waited for open space.
In baseball, he waited for the ball.
The method was different, but in the end, what mattered was the same: not getting impatient.
Coach Oh Seongjin gathered the players again.
"That's all for today."
He paused for a moment, then took out the roster.
"The starting lineup for the practice game is..."
Every player's eyes turned toward him.
Without realizing it, Junho clenched his fists.
For the first time since he started playing baseball,
his moment of truly competing with someone for the same spot was approaching.
The field grew so quiet that even their breathing could be heard.
Coach Oh Seongjin slowly unfolded the roster in his hands.
"I'm announcing the starting lineup for next week's practice game."
The players focused on the coach.
"Pitcher Yoon Seonghyeok."
"Catcher Seo Minjae."
"First baseman Park Jeonghun."
The players' expressions shifted with each name called.
Faces filled with joy.
Faces filled with relief.
Faces trying to hide their disappointment.
Junho felt the sweat gathering in his palms before he even realized it.
"...center field."
The coach looked down at the roster for a moment.
"Kang Junho."
For an instant, Junho thought he'd heard his name wrong.
Minjae was the first to give him a push in the back.
"Don't just stand there. Get out there."
Junho quietly walked forward.
Without saying a word, the coach folded the roster.
After announcing all the remaining names, he looked around at the players.
"Congratulations to those of you who made the starting lineup."
A brief silence followed.
"But being a starter isn't about your ability. It's only the result of today."
The starting players' expressions hardened again at those words.
"It can change at any time in the next game."
The words weren't unfamiliar to Junho.
Coach Jeong Seonghwan was the kind of person who gave his trust first.
Coach Oh Seongjin gave his players opportunities first and made them prove themselves.
Their methods were different, but both of them saw their players' potential.
After practice,
The players began putting away their equipment one by one.
That was when Lee Seongmin quietly approached Junho.
"Congratulations."
His words were congratulatory, but his expression was complicated.
Junho lowered his head.
"Thanks."
Seongmin hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"But remember one thing."
"What?"
"It's harder to hold on to a starting spot than it is to take one."
Junho engraved those words in his heart.
Seongmin left the field without saying anything else.
Minjae came over and lightly tapped Junho on the shoulder.
"Don't worry about him."
"Seongmin isn't a bad guy."
"I know."
Junho answered while watching Seongmin's back.
"He must really love baseball too."
Minjae flashed a grin.
"Exactly."
"That's why he lost."
Junho quickly understood what he meant.
Seongmin hadn't lost to him personally.
What hurt was the fact that he had lost his spot on the team.
A few days later,
The day of the practice game finally arrived.
The Hansung Little League players gathered at the field early in the morning.
Wearing a starting uniform for the first time, Junho adjusted his cap and drew a deep breath.
It was a different kind of tension from the one he had felt before a soccer final.
Soccer was a game where the ball kept moving.
Baseball was a game where you had to wait for your turn.
The longer he waited, the faster his heart beat.
Coach Oh Seongjin gathered the players.
"Don't focus only on winning today."
The players looked at the coach.
"Show them what you've learned."
The coach smiled at Junho.
"Junho."
"Yes."
"Don't chase the ball."
Junho looked puzzled for a moment.
The coach pointed toward the outfield.
"Just like you've always done."
"You only have to get there before the ball."
The moment he heard those words, some of Junho's tension eased.
It was what he had heard most often while learning baseball,
and it was also what he had done most naturally when he played soccer.
The opposing team's players began entering the field one by one.
The umpire took his place at home plate.
Minjae pulled on his glove and smiled.
"Nervous?"
Junho smiled honestly.
"A little."
"It's okay."
Minjae put on his mask and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Everyone's like that in their first game."
Junho slowly looked out over the outfield.
The wide grass.
The tall fence.
And the space he had to protect.
It was a landscape completely different from a soccer field.
But strangely, he wasn't afraid.
Instead, one side of his chest began to pound little by little.
The umpire called the captains of both teams over.
Soon, a powerful voice rang out across the field.
"Play ball!"
Junho's first baseball game
had finally begun.