Did They Already Catch On?
Did they already catch on? Before the next game, while resting in the dugout, a familiar voice called from behind.
"Hu-seong! Hu-seong!"
"Yeah? What's up?"
He turned to see Hwang Do-yoon standing there.
"Hey! I heard you got your own shelf! Congrats, man. The team finally recognizes you. Cheers!"
It was clearly meant as congratulations, but it felt like teasing somehow.
Ah… no way!
"I'm not happy about it at all. Sigh… why didn't I know about stuff like this? A personal shelf… sigh…"
"We did tell you, didn't we? Actually, no one spells out how differently players get treated around here."
Son Tae-ho, who'd been listening quietly beside them, chimed in.
Wait… was it Gu Min-seok? He'd heard something similar…
"Of course, I'd heard rumors like that. But… I had no idea it was this kind of thing."
"Obviously. That's why no one talks about their perks even when they get them. It's embarrassing. You ever see Lee Hoon bragging about his?"
"Nope."
Hwang Do-yoon grinned like he'd been waiting for that.
"Exactly. 'Hey, I got my own drink shelf! I can have a whopping four per game. Pretty awesome, right!' They don't do that."
For a split second, he pictured it—bragging about drinks in front of Kim Se-rin the cheerleader.
…
Suddenly, the back of his neck burned hot.
Fuck… ngh. Yeah… total mood-killer…
He let out a short, disbelieving breath.
"Haha, yeah…"
Hwang Do-yoon laughed harder at his reaction.
"Oh! Now that the rookies are here, you should show it off to the new guys coming up. That'd be hilarious."
"What? Tease the rookies like that? I'd be too embarrassed."
Son Tae-ho chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Yeah, that's normal. What can you do? Better than nothing— just sip it casually. Great for summer, right?"
"Yeah…"
Sigh… He was starting to hate the organization more and more.
Just a bit longer, and they'd pull ahead of the Gwangju Pigeons in the standings.
An hour later, game time approached.
Checking the lineup, he was right fielder, batting third.
Hmm… third?
Wasn't he supposed to stick with leadoff since yesterday?
"What's wrong?"
The hitting coach noticed him lingering by the lineup sheet.
"Yeah. Wasn't I leadoff?"
"Ah… well… There was a lot of talk that third suited you better, so we adjusted. Honestly, you're too good to stick at one. Two or three fits better, but with our lineup shortages, we slotted a lefty at two."
Tsk… He preferred leadoff, but… whatever. It was a reasonable explanation, so he nodded.
"Got it. Understood."
Then why ask yesterday? Hmm…
Time passed, and the game began.
He headed straight to the on-deck circle.
Hmm? Whiff!
"Swinging strike three!"
Leadoff hitter Gu Min-seok went down on strikes.
Tick!
Then Kim Han-seong at two hit into a groundout.
Hmm… Giving up outs too easily?
- Third batter Kim Hu-seong steps up to the plate. He notched a multi-home-run game yesterday.
As soon as he entered the box, he eyed the opposing pitcher closely.
He needed to gather intel fast.
Regular righty…? Should've studied the guy more…
But he'd been distracted sightseeing weird perks…
The game was on now. Best he could with what he had.
Shiiiip… fastball?
Whoosh!Thwack!
- Swinging strike! The batter's swing whiffed big.
"Swinging strike."
His swing sliced empty air as the ball slipped outside like silk.
The trajectory clicked instantly.
A pitch he'd faced in the States: sweeper.
Longer and sharper sweep than a slider, gliding sideways.
The angle was nasty—not just a good slider, a real breaker.
Oho… decent pitcher.
Felt almost major-league caliber.
But now, a dilemma: attack aggressively or lay off?
As a righty batter, he'd see this a lot.
Going toe-to-toe with the sweeper was suicide…
Decision: play it safe.
Don't chase. Wait for his pitch.
That was his play.
- What will James throw to Kim Hu-seong…?
Shiiiip!Thwack!
Second pitch: sweeper again.
He held back, watching.
Ball called. Count: 1-1.
Good. Let's go like this today.
A fastball had to come eventually. At least once.
Exhaling long, he reset his stance.
Shiiiing!Thwack!
Whoa… curve?
Third: curve, diving sharp outside.
Bat twitched, but he held. It tailed off—ball.
2-1.
Now he had the edge.
Maybe a fastball next. Or ball if they're bold.
Chance to read the pitcher or catcher.
Fourth pitch.
Shiiiip!
He timed it, swung.
Whoosh!Thwack!
Damn. Sweeper again.
Looked middle till late, then swept wide outside.
2-2.
Okay, slippery type. Expect another sweeper—clear the mind.
Shiiiip!Thwack!
Yup…
Fifth: sweeper. Tracked it all the way outside.
Smart if it'd been fastball, but glad it wasn't.
3-2. Full count.
No escape now.
Pitcher felt the pressure more.
He decided: they've thrown so many sweepers?
High chance again.
Shiiiip!Thwack!
Yup, sixth: sweeper.
As it broke outside, he froze the bat.
- Ball! Kim Hu-seong walks to first.
"Ball four."
He strolled to first, exhaling quietly.
- James's sweeper was nasty, but Kim Hu-seong battled well.
- His plate discipline looks sharper now… Making him tougher to crack.
Gwangju Pigeons No. 4 starter Yang Do-young let out a deep sigh.
"Whoa… Kim Hu-seong's eyes are sharp now. We knew he could cut on pitches, but if he lays off like that, how do you get him?"
"You gotta execute better."
Third starter and ace Lim Jong-hyun replied.
"Still…"
Shiiiing!Thwack!
"Ball four."
- Second plate appearance, and Kim Hu-seong walks again.
Watching him trot to base, Lim Jong-hyun rubbed his chin.
"Hold up. Let me think."
He studied Kim Hu-seong intently.
"Weird. Good eye, sure…"
"Yeah? He walked."
"Yeah, he's a better hitter now, no doubt… But something's off. James's sweeper is filthy, okay. But why not chase that meh curve? It wasn't even that great."
Yang Do-young shrugged.
"Dunno? Maybe lack of film—he skipped spring games."
Lim Jong-hyun still wasn't convinced, squinting deep in thought.
Hmm… Just hunting fastballs? Or… can he only hit fastballs?
"Do-young."
"Yeah, hyung."
"James didn't throw Kim Hu-seong a single fastball today, right?"
"Nope."
Lim Jong-hyun's gaze shifted to the bullpen in back.
"Hmm…"
Scanning likely relievers, he spotted middle reliever Hwang Ui-chan.
"Ui-chan."
"Yeah, hyung."
"When you face Kim Hu-seong later, throw only breaking stuff."
Hwang Ui-chan's eyes widened.
"Only offspeed? What if Choi Woo-seong calls something else?"
"If Woo-seong asks, I'll explain. Got a hunch."
The reliever was thrown by the sudden order but trusted the ace's reasoning.
"Got it."
Soon, the seventh began.
Runner on first, one out. Kim Hu-seong up.
- Pitcher change. James is done; reliever Hwang Ui-chan takes the mound.
Tsk… figuring me out, and now a new arm.
The pitcher climbed the mound and called the catcher.
…?
Hmm, rare.
Something up?
After warm-ups, the pitcher's demeanor was off. Fidgety.
…?
What's that? Fiddling in the glove…
Usually means breaking ball.
Felt deliberate.
Clever if so… but what?
Better watch the first one.
First pitch came.
Shiiiing!Thwack!
Curve. Grazed middle of the zone, then dropped.
Next. Fidget again.
Another breaker?
Shiiiip!Thwack!
Slider this time. Zone again.
Fidget fidget.
…?
A chill ran up his neck.
…
Did they already catch on?