Chapter 25
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Career-First Complete Shutout
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I kept my focus locked on the game.
From the start of the third inning, I snagged a fly out on just one pitch.
"Out!"
Next up, three pitches.
"Swing! Strikeout!"
This time, a ground out on two pitches.
"Out!"
I wrapped up the third with only six pitches total.
The fourth inning that followed wasn't all that different.
"This time it'll be different!"
Busan High's leadoff hitter, Chu Hyeong-woo, stepped up to the plate for his second at-bat looking like he'd made some big resolution.
"Swing! Strikeout!"
I finished him off in four pitches.
The decisive pitch was a backdoor slider that dragged the right-handed batter's bat around toward eight o'clock.
"Argh! This is driving me insane!"
I slowly nodded as Chu Hyeong-woo vented his frustration after back-to-back strikeouts.
"It's not that my slider isn't working. Baek Kang-ho's just a freakish genius."
With that, I'd already racked up six strikeouts in today's game.
I'd regained full confidence in my stuff.
And the result?
Crack.
A grounder to short. It got sucked right into the shortstop's glove.
"Out!"
Thwack.
This one was a weakly hit ball that floated up into shallow outfield.
"Out!"
Two pitches, then one more.
Ground out and fly out to close the fourth.
In those two innings—the third and fourth—I'd thrown just 13 pitches total. Pure efficiency.
"Nice! Defense is on point today, fielders!"
"What about me, sunbae?"
"Gyu-hyun, great defense! Clean throw to first!"
"Yes sir, thank you!"
I waited for the fielders who'd made those great plays, then praised them one by one.
It was a heartwarming sight from a team firing on all cylinders.
For the good image of Seomun High's baseball team—and for the baseball insiders no doubt watching this game closely—I paid attention to even the smallest details.
And that effort paid off right away.
The scouts from various pro teams who'd shown up on-site started praising Seomun High's baseball.
"Seomun High's teamwork is outstanding."
"Great team vibe."
The scouts praising Seomun High soon pinpointed the main reason for our upward momentum.
"Nice play, fielders!"
It was me.
Standing at the center of the players, offering them bright smiles and encouragement—it naturally won them over.
"Especially the starting pitcher, Song Hyun-jun. His leadership is top-notch. A pitcher with that kind of healthy mentality won't break easily, even in big crises."
"Lefty with pinpoint control, varied breaking balls."
"Clutch in jams, leads the team vibe. That mental game is rare on the high school stage."
"Plus, his velocity topped 148 km/h today. Great command, and now velocity too."
"Honestly, third round or lower? No way. He's at least a first-rounder."
Right there on-site, evaluations of me shot up.
"We need to re-evaluate Song Hyun-jun."
All of this was the result of me gaining confidence by beating Baek Kang-ho and pouring even more focus into my pitching.
I knew it well.
No room for complacency.
"Stay focused. Gotta face Baek Kang-ho again next inning."
"Yes, sunbae!"
"Even the non-Baek Kang-ho hitters aren't pushovers. Stick to the pitching plan from the scouting report, plus the data from facing them head-on this game. Pick the optimal zones and pitches to attack each one."
"Right. Against everyone but Baek Kang-ho, mix forkballs and curves, and use four-seamers as finishers. Sunbae's fastball movement is sharp today."
"Deok-gu, good call. Let's do that."
I called catcher Lee Deok-gu to the mound and synced up, updating our pitching strategy on the fly.
"Hm..."
Team captain Shim Chae-geun watched us intently.
He smirked and whispered to a nearby underclassman.
"Looks like Baek Kang-ho woke up the ace potential that was sleeping in Song Hyun-jun."
"Huh? Ace?"
"Song Hyun-jun's velocity is a bit slow, sure. But he's always had that gambler's instinct."
The underclassmen nearby nodded in agreement with Shim Chae-geun.
Today's game?
To them, my pitching embodied the word "ace."
"He'll nail hitters with pitch sequences I can't even comprehend. Slow or not, his ability to hit spots is downright demonic."
"But now sunbae Hyun-jun's velocity is up too."
"Yeah. The guy's already throwing like a demon, and now his heat's faster. No wonder Busan High's hitters can't touch him."
Captain Shim Chae-geun's sharp assessment of me.
Just a few weeks ago, he'd openly shown jealousy toward me.
But today, he'd changed his mind.
"Who'd have thought he'd strike out Baek Kang-ho... Even that hotshot Shin Su-ho gave up a homer to him last season."
That infamous nationwide genius hitter, Baek Kang-ho.
The wall every high school batter had to overcome.
Watching me strike him out after a 10-pitch battle had Shim Chae-geun's heart pounding.
Thrill. Excitement.
"This rookie draft's gonna be fun on the pitching side."
Riding that rush, Chae-geun ditched his jealousy and decided to support me as a teammate.
"Batters! Let's step up today! Our ace starter's out there battling— if we can't even score one run, what'll people think of Seomun High baseball? Right?"
"Yes sir!!"
"Just one run! Busan High's pitcher's no slouch, but score once and Hyun-jun'll keep shutting 'em down like he is. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Alright! Let's go."
With that, captain Shim Chae-geun and the Seomun High hitters ignited their fire to back me up.
And soon, they backed up their words.
Crack!
Shim Chae-geun's bat connected solidly, the ball sneaking past the shortstop.
"On base!"
Then Lee Deok-gu's bat rang out.
The ball flew toward right field; with the runner sprinting, everyone roared.
"Home! Home!"
Dust flying as the runner stomped the plate.
The announcer's voice raced along.
"Score! The scoreless tie is broken! Shim Chae-geun singles, followed by Lee Deok-gu's RBI! Runner home! Seomun High breaks the 0-0 deadlock!"
The balance tipped.
1-0.
With the fifth inning underway, I took the mound again.
"Swing! Strikeout!!"
Leadoff hitter down on four pitches.
Tension filled the stadium.
"Whoa..."
"Here we go again."
Expectant murmurs erupted from the stands.
"Hup!"
Outfielders shifted toward the walls; infielders crept back toward the grass.
I drew a deep breath watching them.
"Hoo—"
Alright.
Let's do this again.
Beat that monster genius one more time.
Top of the fifth, one out: Busan High's cleanup hitter again.
Perfect game to this point.
"..."
But as he stepped in, the festive vibe turned stormy.
A tiger's aura billowed from the box.
Baek Kang-ho.
One more strikeout, and we'd crush Busan High's momentum completely.
"Deok-gu."
"Yes, sunbae."
I called the masked catcher to the mound and drilled our pre-planned strategy.
The result?
Crack!!!
"...He hit that?"
This time, he somehow yanked my inside cutter into fair territory, all the way to the wall. Insane bat control.
Baek Kang-ho had solved the cutter that broke his bat last at-bat—right here in the next one.
This is true genius.
Feeling that viscerally.
"Hahaha. He beat it. Incredible."
I just grinned at Lee Deok-gu behind the plate.
You give one, you take one. Right, Deok-gu?
That's what my big smile said.
I'd sensed a homer.
But then—
"Sunbae! Behind! The wall!"
Deok-gu's frantic point had me spinning toward the fence.
And there—
Whoosh!
Left fielder Yoon Jin-sik planted on the wall, launching like a dunk to snag Baek Kang-ho's blast mid-air.
And—
Snap!
He clawed it out of the air. A spectacular grab I'd never seen from Yoon Jin-sik.
"Out!"
I jumped from my frantic footing to joyful stomps at the third-base ump's call.
"Whoa, Jin-sik! Yoon Jin-sik!"
I raised my glove high toward left field.
Expecting a homer, but turned into a fly out by Jin-sik's wizardry.
Praising the fielder was a given.
Snap.
Yoon Jin-sik hit the dirt and, responding to my cheers, thrust the ball high toward the mound.
I fired back a left-handed thumbs-up.
"Yeah! You're the man, Jin-sik!! Big bro owes you a bowl of soup later!"
Baek Kang-ho down again.
This time thanks to Jin-sik's defense, but a win's a win.
"Swing! Strikeout!"
Four more pitches to seal the fifth clean.
Just 46 pitches for the complete game win condition.
"Nice! Hyun-jun's dealing today!"
Manager's hearty praise hit me as I returned to the dugout.
No hook in this spot, naturally.
Inning after inning.
Out counts and K's piling up.
I was fully immersed.
All I saw: the bats of the hitters I faced and Deok-gu's mitt.
"Strikeout!!"
The home plate ump's emphatic call added perfect flair to the stage.
The mound.
This was my domain now.
My land. My kingdom.
Hitters stepping up with bats as weapons to topple it.
The gatekeeper holding the line for Seomun High's win.
I filled that role to the brim.
Whoosh!
"Out!"
Another pitch, another out.
Hold the line.
Protect Seomun High's victory.
That was my sole purpose on this mound, my role as starter.
So I held it.
The breathless battle raged on until I glanced back at the dugout.
The underclassmen and teammates' gazes had totally shifted.
"Whoa..."
"Sunbae."
"Hyun-jun, you..."
The way they looked at me had changed.
Before: trust, reliability, envy, jealousy.
Now? Way different.
"Hey. Don't bug Hyun-jun."
"Huh?"
"Our starter's in the zone. Don't break it."
Pulling back the guys and underclassmen?
Park Jin-woong.
Even he, who'd always treated me like a lesser rival, was acting different now.
"Song Hyun-jun."
"Yeah."
"You're doing great."
That was it.
His gaze carried an emotion I'd never seen from him.
Respect.
Was I seeing things?
Why would Park Jin-woong respect me?
Must be wrong.
I gave a curt reply.
"Yeah, thanks."
Focus.
Still 1-0.
One run, and they'd flip our lead.
So focus harder.
Deep in that zone, the eighth rolled around.
"Out!"
My immersion shattered on the home plate ump's booming call.
One out in the eighth.
Facing Baek Kang-ho again.
Crack!!!
He finally got his barrel.
A compact hack on my outside two-seamer hooked foul—no, ripped it to right field wall. Insane contact.
Thud!!
Luckily, it banged off the wall and rolled.
But while right field chased it, Baek Kang-ho—the runner now—unleashed another weapon.
"Crazy! He's already at third!"
"Throw to third! Hurry, third!!"
No error from right field.
Relay perfect.
Whoosh!
Still, like a tiger eyeing prey.
Baek Kang-ho's blazing speed beat the throw to third.
Splash!
"Safe!!"
Third-base ump's call: safe.
Baek Kang-ho dusted off his uniform casually.
"He finally got one."
Monster.
True geniuses are like this.
Haha, couldn't hold back the laugh.
I'd squeezed two outs from him, but he got his hit.
No helping it.
Shake it off, handle the next guy.
Why's Deok-gu coming up, though?
"Sunbae, you okay?"
"Eh, happens in games. You'll give up a hit now and then. No biggie."
"Huh? Per... uh, no. I'll call the pitches for the next guy."
"Yeah. Let's shut 'em down."
"Yes!"
As Deok-gu and I talked next batter...
"..."
The usually quiet Baek Kang-ho chatted with our third baseman from the bag.
"Your pitcher's a monster, huh."
"Pardon?"
"No hits."
Sudden words from Busan High's cleanup.
Our third baseman was floored.
"You just hit one."
"Barely one."
Baek Kang-ho glanced at the mound.
Song Hyun-jun.
The pitcher dominating today.
The stoic Baek Kang-ho swallowed words unspoken about him.
'If I hadn't hit that, we'd be the perfect game victims.'
That was why the Busan High monster hitter said those brief words to me after the game—Hyun-jun's complete shutout win.
"Song Hyun-jun."
"Yeah."
"You were good."
"What?"
"See you in pro ball often."
The team lost, but the monster hitter Baek Kang-ho smiled at me.
Meanwhile, my gaze—
I flinched.
196 cm tall.
Beast of a frame, monster hitter Baek Kang-ho's smile.
What? Scary as hell.
Threat?
Gonna crush me in the pros?
Even through that chilling vibe, I grinned wide.
【Settling victory rewards.】
→ Issuing special reward for career-first complete shutout.
Blue Dragon Cup semifinals. Career-first complete shutout.
My smile spread wide at the reward message.