20Cm

WHAT IF?

TAEHYUN

Taehyun deals with heartbreak the only way he knows how. After a long drive back to Oakland and a rough night of sleep, he took a hot shower to wake himself up. He changed into a t-shirt and shorts and packed his travel bag. This afternoon was going to be rough on him. He had a meeting with a representative from the New York Yankees to discuss a possible contract deal. Since he was now a free agent, he was free to sign with whichever team he wanted. He was still discussing a return to Oakland, but for now, he was focused on getting out of California. Taehyun had too many bad memories here and maybe a fresh start in another state was just what he needed.

To take his mind off of his breakup with Beomgyu and contract talks later in the day, he scheduled a batting practice with Jay and Oakland's pitcher, Park Chanyeol. Even though he wasn't technically signed with the Oakland A's, he was still allowed to use their facilities for the time being. That would change if he signed with another team.

After the short drive from his apartment to Oakland's practice facility, he finds Jay and Chanyeol talking in the bullpen. Jay was standing next to Chanyeol while he was putting on his catching gear. Chanyeol's wide eyes focused on him, his plump lips wrapped around a bottle of water. His large ears stood out from his green baseball cap.

"Hey guys, thanks for meeting me here," Taehyun tells them when he walks into the bullpen.

"Of course, it's always nice to get some practice in," Jay tells him with a smile.

"I'm afraid I'm going to be rusty today, though," Chanyeol murmurs before grabbing one of the baseballs from a large bucket. "You guys enjoying your break?"

"It's going good so far besides the contract stuff," Jay told him.

Jay's rookie contract expired along with his this year. He and Taehyun discussed their contracts, despite the confidentiality issue. Jay seemed just as confused about where to go or what to do as Taehyun. If they ended up signing with different teams, he would miss having his best friend at his side. They had a strong bond from the years of rising through the minors together; Jay was like a brother to him. If they had to separate, Taehyun was confident that they would remain friends, even if they ended up on opposing sides on the field.

"I remember when my rookie contract expired," Chanyeol clicked his tongue, "I couldn't imagine myself in any other jersey than green, so I stayed here. Also, it helped that I had my house paid off."

"Taehyun and I still rent," Jay said, "I never got a chance to house hunt here in Oakland."

"If you guys are coming back, you'll need to soon," Chanyeol told them, "I can set you up with some good realtors."

The thought of having to search for a house here in Oakland if he ended up renewing his contract with the A's sounded stressful. He was hardly at his apartment. Even during the off-season, he'd go to Los Angeles to stay with his grandmother and half-siblings. If he ended up leaving California, he'd have to find a new place to either rent or buy all before the start of the season next year. He had a lot to think about with his status as a free agent.

The three of them departed the bullpen and walked toward home base. Chanyeol carried the large bucket of baseballs with him to the pitcher's mound. Taehyun set his bag down by the dugout and grabbed his bat along with his gloves and helmet from it. He strapped on his gloves and put on his helmet and glanced over as Jay stretched before getting into position to catch. Taehyun walked back over and gripped his bat before lining up to swing.