Stealing Third and Catching Eyes
Hu-seong had watched the Turkeys' pitcher twice from the batter's box, burning with envy, but he couldn't spot any obvious weaknesses. He had no idea at what moment to take off when the ball was released. He couldn't just charge recklessly either. With his lack of experience, it wasn't that easy for him. He wanted to go, but he couldn't make the call—his hesitation made him look like a runner dithering at the starting line.
Shiiiik—pop! It was a ball.
"Ah~ this is getting tricky," Lee Seo-jin, the commentator, said in an intrigued tone.
"What's up?"
"I just figured it out for sure. Kim Hu-seong isn't a savvy runner, unfortunately."
"Pardon?"
"Ah! As a rookie, he must lack experience, right?"
"Exactly. If it were me, I'd have gone several times already. Perez has tons of openings. But Kim Hu-seong doesn't see them. That's why he can't go."
"Given his lead, though, that might be because he doesn't know the right lead distance either. But his movements scream 'steal sign received.'"
"Ah! So the sign's out."
"Yes. Kim Hu-seong needs to go. But with his inexperience, his lead is iffy, and he can't spot the pitcher's flaws. That's what makes this situation so fun. It's nagging at the pitcher. Perez knows it too—the runner's about to bolt. But the lead's too short for a good pickoff throw."
"Ah~! So that's the bind he's in."
"Yep. Exactly."
"So what's best for Perez here?"
"Easy for the pitcher. Trust the catcher and throw. That lead won't give a high steal success rate, no matter how fast the feet."
It's nagging at him. But Perez was starting to feel it. The opponent report from the previous game had flagged Kim Hu-seong as fast on the bases. Aware of that, Perez had glanced at him several times.
He's definitely planning to go... Plus, the runner kept eyeing second, lowering his stance. Years of baseball instinct screamed that the guy was gearing up to run.
This is trouble... Irritated, Perez fired a few pickoffs. But with the runner close to the bag, they were just light tosses to first—nothing more.
Damn... he's pickoffing nonstop. Does he see I'm about to go? How does he know when I'm barely showing it?
Actually, this works in my favor. Constant pickoffs will make it look weird if I do go. Even if I don't, the manager will let it slide.
Hu-seong actually felt relieved by the pickoffs. Then, fortune smiled on him.
Shiiiik—crack!
"Wild pitch! Wild pitch!"
"Go!!"
Perez of the Gwangju Phoenixes unleashed the pitch, but it sailed low and became a wild one. Crazy! Hu-seong bolted for second. By the time he touched it, he spotted the third-base coach waving him on.
The coach kept circling his arm. Keep going? Hu-seong scrapped his plan to slow down and rounded the bag wide for third.
"Runner keeps going!"
"Ah~ he's taking a big turn. Recognizing fast feet and playing it safe... let's see...!"
Swooooosh—pop! Diving into third, Hu-seong hit the dirt just as the third baseman's glove arrived.
"Safe!"
Whew... made it. I'm alive. Alive... His whole body felt drained. He stood, brushing dirt from his uniform.
"Nice. We'll cruise from here today."
"Whew... Coach, how'd you know I wouldn't get thrown out at third?"
"That's what makes me a coach."
Then, leaning in close, he whispered, "That big turn to third was a bit risky... but it worked out."
Ah... Still, it opened things up nicely. No outs, runner on third changed everything.
Thwack!
"Batter hits!"
Leadoff hitter Kim Han-seong lofted a high fly to right. Right on cue... Hu-seong was already set at third for the tag-up. The instant the ball hit the glove, he sprinted home without hesitation. The right fielder's hurried throw reached the mitt after Hu-seong had crossed the plate by a mile.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
The crowd erupted as the Turkeys took the lead. The Gwangju Phoenixes' away fans fell silent.
"That's why a speedster on base is huge. One wild pitch to third, then a sac fly scores him."
Catching his breath in the dugout, Hu-seong heard cleanup hitter Son Tae-ho tease him.
"Hey, Kim Hu-seong. Grab that drink with your number on it and take a swig."
A drink with my number? Ah... so that's it? Hu-seong couldn't help chuckling. Absurd. Utterly absurd.
He opened the fridge slowly. Sure enough, there were drinks labeled with players' numbers. They really track if we drink based on performance? Totally plausible. Impressive. Scary impressive.
He found his #52, an electrolyte drink, cracked it open, and took a refreshing gulp.
Ahh... cool.This is the taste... A twinge of bitterness hit too. All this over a drink? Some guys must buy their own.
"How is it? Refreshing?"
"Yeah, cool and good."
"Then put it back quick. Don't leave the door open—electricity costs money."
"Ah..."
No way! Hu-seong froze, then hurriedly stashed the drink.
"Hyung, do we really need to go this far?"
"What do you mean?"
"The drinks... feels kinda cruel."
Son Tae-ho nodded.
"Well... the team's cheap, but it fires you up. Oh, and don't buy your own. That's the real embarrassment."
Ah...
"Gives us a goal, right? Everyone gets at least one sip a day. It's bullshit, but what can you do? This is our team. They pay us, at least. Got it? Just play well."
"Yes, hyung."
The Gwangju Phoenixes fans were already sunk in gloom. The game was slipping away again today. The Turkeys' up-the-middle defense had been a clinic all game, snatching sure hits and drawing sighs from Phoenixes supporters each time.
Meanwhile, the Turkeys capitalized on lucky hits and wild pitches for their slim lead—the difference between win and loss.
Bottom of the eighth, the leadoff hitter rolled a deep grounder. The veteran shortstop sensed it was his ball, dove, and fired to first—but the runner's foot beat the throw. Safe.
"Haa..."
The Phoenixes cheering squad leader sighed.
"What a day. That guy's alive again. Man... this one's tough."
The stands echoed the vibe. Even the cheerleaders looked deflated, staring at the field.
But Kim Se-rin zeroed in harder than anyone. The runner safe at first was Kim Hu-seong.
Already 3-for-3 today, he'd now gone 4-for-4 with another hit—a monster performance.
He's not just doing well—he's crushing it. The guy who acts like an idiot in front of me?
As she watched, a fellow cheerleader pouted.
"Ugh, that guy's so annoying. Why do we always lose to the Turkeys? So sad..."
Another nodded, adding curiously, "But that guy's a rookie, they say."
The first one pouted more.
"Wow... Turkeys even draft rookies this good. Jealous~ So jealous."
Talk naturally shifted to the runner at first: Kim Hu-seong.
"Kim Hu-seong? Never heard of him. Rookie? Saw him at third earlier—clean-cut guy. Handsome."
Kim Se-rin's eyes twitched. She turned away casually, but it bugged her.
Ah! Snap out of it.
She refocused on the field.
Still... impressive. A rookie putting up numbers like this.
Pretending to ignore her chattering teammates, she sneaked a glance at Hu-seong's face.
Their eyes met.
Uh...?