Goldensun Hides His Fast Feet
That wrapped up North Korea's turn.
Now South Korea's offense began.
On the mound stood North Korea's ace, Mu Jin-hyuk.
Crack!
"Out…!"
Thwack!
"Out…!"
Whoosh!
"Strikeout…!!"
"Kuh…."
Park Taeje trudged back to the dugout after striking out.
Mu Jin-hyuk had retired three straight batters on groundouts.
"That guy's pitches are filthy dirty."
"Insane velocity. I thought I squared it up solid, but it just floated to the outfield."
The batters showered him with praise.
Trailing by one, North Korea's offense resumed.
No matter his goofy image, Ma Cho-won was undeniably a national-level pitcher.
"Eehihihiiing…!!"
The guy shut down the inning cleanly.
His horse-neigh celebration was just icing.
Bottom of the second.
Leading off as the inning began: South Korea's cleanup hitter, Geum Seong-muk.
"Geum Seong-muk steps up to the plate…!"
"North Korea's fielders are playing deep? They're definitely wary of Geum Seong-muk's power!"
Seong-muk tugged on his batting gloves and eyed the mound.
He first checked Mu Jin-hyuk's stats.
Ding!
Name: Mu Jin-hyuk
Nationality: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Age: 22
Height: 183cm
Skill / Grounder (A+)
: Movement rises on starting appearances.
Pitching Stats (*Potential) / RHP Sidearm
Stamina: B+
Control: B
Velocity: S+ (*S+)
Fastball: A (*A)
Breaking Balls: A (*A+)
- Two-seam: A
- Sinker: B+
- Slider: B
'Even if he's faking his age, that S+ velocity is impressive….'
Insane stats rare even in high school.
No wonder the other batters struggled.
Sidearm already made him unpredictable, and the ball itself was so heavy it wouldn't carry far even on solid contact.
No pinpoint control, but with such quality stuff, anything stuffed in the zone induced grounders.
'Of course, he shows gaps when his stamina dips.'
B+ stamina was Mu Jin-hyuk's weakness.
Seong-muk had considered flipping the switch for a head-on power clash—S- contact—but then…
'Huh, wait a sec…?'
He was already boosted to S speed via Solar Divine Vein. Plus, North Korea's defense was pulled way back.
A tasty idea hit him.
He acted on it immediately.
"Mu Jin-hyuk fires the first pitch…!"
Whip!
A vicious two-seamer came in.
Mu Jin-hyuk's hard, shifty two-seamer looked tough to handle at first glance.
Seong-muk's response was simple.
Thump!
"………!!"
"………!?"
Straight-up surprise bunt!
Third baseman Jo Myeong-rok, playing way back, jolted forward in a panic.
Trained brutally with whips since childhood, Jo Myeong-rok handled the unexpected perfectly—from fielding to throw.
But Seong-muk's speed was S.
The split-second delay from surprise decided it at first.
"Safe…!!"
Seong-muk's foot beat the tag.
The first baseman's hands shot up.
The crowd roared at Seong-muk's first hit.
He had no plans to stop there.
'Might as well use this S speed fully—sticking at first feels wasteful.'
He'd picked up a trick from the baserunning coach.
With the team full of slowpokes, bored coach Jo Hoon-min had eagerly given Seong-muk private lessons when asked.
'Split your breaths—that ain't it, man…!!'
Jo Hoon-min specialized in boosting player speed via personalized breathing techniques, which clicked perfectly for Seong-muk.
User's Speed stat enhanced: B+ → A!
His stagnant speed finally broke through to A—now viable for straight steals depending on the situation.
'Time to try some Shrinking Earth Step myself.'
Seong-muk widened his lead.
Pitcher Mu Jin-hyuk glared briefly before turning back to home.
'…No way he can run.'
He'd seen Seong-muk's speed on the bases.
But it wasn't enough.
North Korea's catcher Ri Kang-san, famed as the "Yankee Lackey Sniper," boasted an 80% steal success block rate.
A battery North Korea trusted.
Seong-muk fidgeting at first was just mind games—or so he thought—
Pat pat…!
"Geum Seong-muk goes for second…!!"
Seong-muk took off.
Against catcher Ri Kang-san, no less.
Pop!
"Strike…!"
Ri Kang-san popped up and fired a rocket throw before the ump even called it. He figured Seong-muk was toast…
'That guy's fast…!!'
Stunned by Seong-muk's unexpected speed.
Tight play.
The ump's hands rose again.
"Safe at second, safe…!!"
"Woooaaah…!!"
Sense play for the bunt single, then stealing second off Ri Kang-san.
Seong-muk showed the world his true five-tool talent.
Next up: No. 5, Choi Seok-ho.
He swung big.
Crack!
Deep to right.
Right fielder Won Hyuk-min snagged it, but Seong-muk tagged up. Safe at third with ease.
One out, runner at third.
Stepping up: the one guy who'd worn both nations' uniforms.
No. 6, Ri Dong-hyuk.
"Boooooo…!!"
"Traitor to the nation!"
"If you have a conscience, drop dead…!!"
Jeers rained down.
Ri Dong-hyuk calmly set his stance.
"…Ri Dong-hyuk!"
Grinding his teeth: pitcher Mu Jin-hyuk.
He'd fudged his age, sure, but as fellow sidearmers, they'd crossed paths often.
Betraying the Dear Leader to defect south and yap? Unforgivable.
'As a hitter, Ri Dong-hyuk was just average.'
Catcher Ri Kang-san recalled.
They'd expected South Korea to use Ri Dong-hyuk heavily, but not as a hitter—so no deep scouting.
Still, they'd watched him long enough.
His bat wasn't on his pitcher's level.
Pop!
"Strike…!"
"……!!"
Ri Dong-hyuk faked a bunt then yanked the bat back. The ball thumped the mitt, and the charging third baseman retreated.
'Yeah, your best shot against prime Mu Jin-hyuk is a bunt.'
Even Korea's top hitters struggled now. No way a political pick like Ri Dong-hyuk could touch him.
'I'll bury you, Ri Dong-hyuk…!'
Two-seamers peppered the zone.
Infielder charged hard on extreme shift for the bunt.
That's when Ri Dong-hyuk smirked.
"Thanks for underestimating me…!"
Swish—
He pulled the bat back to normal.
Bunt was never the plan.
"Damn…!"
Gaping holes in the rushed-in infield. Ri Dong-hyuk's fake bunt slash exploited it.
Crack!
"Through short and second! Rolling toward center…! Third runner Geum Seong-muk scores!!"
"Ri Dong-hyuk's RBI single! South Korea snatches back the lead they just surrendered to North Korea. And the hero is none other than Ri Dong-hyuk, who knows North Korea best…!"
"Ri Dong-hyuk, Ri Dong-hyuk, Ri Dong-hyuk…!!"
Ri Dong-hyuk thrust his arms high to the South Korean fans. North Korea's cheer squad went mute.
"Whoa! Goldensun, nice play…!"
"Damn, General Goldensun's Shrinking Earth Step is killer?"
Back in the dugout, Seong-muk got cheers led by Ma Cho-won and Choi Seok-ho.
Hwang Tae-gang followed with a double play to end the inning, but South Korea reset the score.
Now South Korea's defense.
The fateful matchup was set.
No outs, runners at first and second.
At the plate: the Dear Leader's second son, Kim Jung-cheol.
On the mound: the Dear Leader's bastard, Ri Dong-hyuk.
"………."
"………."
Ri Dong-hyuk entered abruptly after Ma Cho-won loaded the bases. Earlier than expected, but everyone knew.
This transcended pitcher vs. hitter.
It was enemies clashing.
"I've waited for this moment forever, brother."
"Same here. Been counting days to beat a runaway mutt like you to death."
Words done, Ri Dong-hyuk and Kim Jung-cheol turned deadly serious.
No more talk needed.
"Hup…!"
Ri Dong-hyuk reared back fiercely.
The first pitch flew from his fingertips.
Whirrr…!!