Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Storm-Calling Baseball Club Founding Announcement
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After Myeong Sin-u agreed to take on the role of manager at Munhyeok High School, we had several in-depth discussions about how to build the team.
"...Man, I didn't expect you to recruit a catcher on Seok Un-gang's level. You should've told me ahead of time."
"Well, think of it as a surprise gift."
"Ugh, honestly, it's great. I bet this is how managers feel when they get a top-tier free agent as a signing bonus."
He was initially shocked that a catcher of Seok Un-gang's caliber was joining the team, but when I expressed my intent to respect the manager's opinions as much as possible—contrary to his expectation that I'd just be a puppet—he dove into planning the team with real enthusiasm.
Now came the important part: selecting the coaches.
The budget I'd wrangled from the chairman wasn't unlimited.
We could afford one coach per essential position, maybe stretch to two if we pushed it.
Fortunately, Manager Myeong Sin-u said he could handle hitting and defense coaching himself, which was exactly what I'd planned to leave to him anyway. That left just one spot open.
"Pitching coach is the tricky one, huh."
"What about a pitching coach? I do know a few people..."
"Hmm..."
Actually, one person immediately came to mind.
The legendary pitcher disguised as a dementia-stricken old man at that rundown pitching center: Grandpa Ma Deok-su. I'd even gone to ask him about the coaching position yesterday, but...
-Closed for the time being.
A shabby sign hung on the door, and he'd vanished.
With no way to contact him, I'd just had to leave empty-handed, twiddling my thumbs.
A pitching coach's role is crucial. Even I, with all my experience, have limits when it comes to checking my own form solo.
'Grandpa Deok-su's coaching is incredible, but I can't just sit around waiting.'
Regrettable, but there was nothing for it right now.
"Yeah, bring in someone you know, Manager. That should work."
"Good, he's got the skills, so it'll be fine."
Manager Myeong nodded vigorously.
In the midst of hashing out the smaller details, something important came up.
"Manager, the opening ceremony's tomorrow, so we need to make the announcement. You all set?"
The baseball club founding announcement at the opening ceremony was entirely up to Manager Myeong Sin-u. I'd handled what I could so far, but this was a job for an adult like him. I worried it might mess up recruitment if he botched it, but he seemed unfazed.
"Seong-muk, you think I got the nickname 'Survival King' for nothing?"
"...?"
"Just watch. Talking's what I do better than baseball. Heh heh."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Vacation flew by as we prepared everything, and before we knew it, the first day of school arrived. All of Munhyeok High's students gathered in the auditorium.
"Everyone, a new semester begins. New challenges always help us grow. Don't fear failure—learn from it and take one step at a time...!"
The chairman droned on passionately at the opening ceremony.
Of course, not a single student was paying attention.
"When's this gonna end?"
"Ugh, total snoozefest. Baldy's yapping extra today."
The chairman's speech finally wrapped up after what felt like forever.
He cleared his throat a few times, then dropped a bombshell.
"Ahem, I have an announcement to make."
"Starting this semester, Munhyeok High will officially establish a baseball club."
"............!!"
The auditorium erupted in chaos at the sudden news.
In this world, a baseball club was a content machine for the school all on its own.
Dance club and martial arts girls formed cheer squads, the orchestra played fight songs, and countless baseball fans spent their youth cheering at national tournaments for their school.
Munhyeok High had gotten rave reviews for everything except the lack of a baseball club.
From the students' perspective, how could they not get excited?
"So, regarding the vision for Munhyeok High's baseball club and player recruitment going forward..."
Buzz buzz—!
The auditorium grew deafeningly noisy.
"Everyone, please quiet down..."
The atmosphere stayed feverish despite the pleas. Even the teachers up front urging silence couldn't control the crowd.
The one who sorted it out was a student no one saw coming.
Screeeeech—!!
A brutal mic feedback howl ripped through the auditorium.
"Kyaaack...!"
"What the hell?!"
Dozens of students clutched their ears from the sudden auditory assault.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward the source of the noise.
"Oops, my bad."
"............"
There stood Geum Seong-muk, flashing a sly grin. When the auditorium got too rowdy, he'd jammed the mic into the speaker, unleashing the massive feedback.
'I went through hell to set this up. No way it's turning into a flea market.'
One way or another, the hall fell silent.
He handed the mic back to the chairman.
"Chairman, please continue."
"Ah, ahem. Thank you."
It was purely for his own benefit, but the chairman felt oddly reassured seeing even devilish Geum Seong-muk back him up. He promptly introduced the next speaker.
"Yes, ahem. Next up, please welcome Myeong Sin-u, the inaugural manager of Munhyeok High's baseball club."
A tall middle-aged man strode in at the introduction. Whispers broke out mainly from baseball fans.
"Padres' Cockroach Myeong Sin-u?"
"Wasn't he the guy who got booted for politicking?"
"Hello. I'm Myeong Sin-u, the new manager of Munhyeok High's baseball club."
He bowed toward the students.
A smattering of sparse applause, but no real welcome.
"I know your concerns well. As many baseball fans know, I was branded a politics-only fossil coach and chased out of Sejong Padres."
"I won't make excuses for the past, justified or not. I'll prove it with results. That Munhyeok High's choice was the right one."
Myeong Sin-u declared his ambitions in a powerful voice.
The diehard baseball fans remained skeptical.
"Here we go again. 'I'll make it up with baseball~'"
"Sigh, so many good managers out there, why him...?"
But Myeong Sin-u's true worth was about to shine.
He'd prepared a slick PPT and unleashed his signature silver tongue.
"When forming the club, I wondered: how could we, over a century behind other schools, catch up? How on earth?!"
"The answer was simple. Overwhelming investment across the board. And the first investment? Promising raw gems! Investing in people."
"Munhyeok High's baseball club aims high. Allow me to introduce the gracious students who share that ambition."
"Our first special admittee. Please welcome Geum Seong-muk from Busan's powerhouse baseball school, Bujeon High."
Geum Seong-muk stepped forward to the podium.
"A left-handed fireballer with a top speed of 151 km/h and a arsenal of breaking balls. Inspired by the chairman's vision during his injury-plagued slump, he transferred to Munhyeok High early."
"That kid who showed up at the end of last year? The one who said to leave him alone 'cause he just wanted to chill..."
"Heard he played ball, but a special admittee?"
'Guys, that's all BS...'
Seong-muk had simply transferred here to quit baseball due to his shoulder injury, but Manager Myeong's spin turned him into the chairman's secret weapon recruited for the club's founding.
The students were still lukewarm up to this point.
Just the expected reaction. But they couldn't stay seated for the next introduction.
"Our second recruit: high school baseball prospect ranked #12, Hong Kong national team catcher Seok Un-gang."
"Did I hear that wrong...?"
"Seok Un-gang? The Shaolin Temple one?"
"No way!!"
The auditorium plunged into frenzy at the sight of Seok Un-gang, crammed into the largest uniform size like it might burst any second.
Recruiting a top-tier high school prospect carried massive weight.
"Seok Un-gang was training at Shaolin Temple and planning to return home, but Geum Seong-muk's tremendous talent changed his mind. He'll play the next year as Munhyeok High's catcher."
Every eye turned to Geum Seong-muk at the manager's words.
They'd pegged him as just another fastball guy, but he'd won over the notoriously picky Seok Un-gang with pure skill?
'How insanely good is he...!?'
Boosted by Seok Un-gang's presence, Geum Seong-muk's stock soared too. Interest in the new baseball club began bubbling up in the students' hearts.
Of course, the unwanted spotlight irked Geum Seong-muk, who shot the manager a death glare, but with a motor in his mouth now, he barreled on.
"Beyond these two, promising players for every position have pledged to join Munhyeok High. Their skills won't fall short!"
Pure bluff.
We hadn't recruited anyone else yet.
"But we'll give every Munhyeok High student a fair shot, no limits. Anyone can try out."
Another bluff.
Geum Seong-muk planned to scan stat windows and insta-cut the hopeless ones.
"Accepted players will receive half-tuition scholarships throughout their time in the club."
This one was real.
Since my recruit list included kids from tough backgrounds, I'd squeezed the chairman hard for scholarships. The leftovers would go to depth players.
"Half tuition back...!"
"Whoa, the perks are insane."
Halving private high school tuition—the kind that sucked parents dry—just for making the baseball club? A golden chance to play filial son at home.
"Worried about support for a new club? Not here. We promise top-tier facilities, nutrition, gear, everything."
"Public tryouts one week from now, 3 PM at the city baseball field. We hope for your support. Thank you."
Myeong Sin-u's storm of an announcement came to an end.
Short as it was, it rocked Munhyeok High to its core.
The biggest uproar came from the baseball club kids.
"Hey, Choi Adam! You're trying out, right?!"
"Out of Hit & Run, you're the only one who can hang there. For real!"
Unlike his hyped clubmates, the short boy stayed calm.
"Nah, you guys. Where would I go without you idiots?"
His flustered clubmates soon grinned and clapped his shoulders.
"...We're not kidding, Adam."
"You've worked harder than anyone. You wanted to go pro."
"Please, just try out once. No regrets."
"............"
"Fine, I'll go check it out."
The club cheered at the grumbling boy's reluctant agreement.
And the most ecstatic reaction came unexpectedly from a martial arts club girl.
"Kyaaaaah...!!"
"...Takahina?!"
"Amazing...!! This is huge!"
The exchange student with pink twintails bounced uncontrollably in joy.
When someone looked puzzled, another student explained.
"Noah's a total baseball nut. She said if her family hadn't objected, she'd have gone to a baseball powerhouse to join the cheer squad."
"Ah, with Takahina's family..."
"...Yeah, exactly."
Two girls shuddered as if afraid to even speak the name.
Meanwhile, as the scary-rich girl hopped in excitement...
"............"
A beige ponytail girl watched from the back of the auditorium. Olivia Ramsey murmured coolly.
"Found you."