We're Heading to Cheolwon!
Munhyeok High's baseball clubroom.
Members lounging on the sofa, fiddling with their phones.
The door slid open with a rattle, and a tall woman stepped in.
Slurp—!
"Hey, hey, Geum Seong-muk! Thanks for the coffee."
Manager Shin Hye-ji approached with a hearty swig from her cup. The coffee van had come courtesy of Rebaem TV, thanks to the interview with Olivia—enough for the entire Munhyeok High team to enjoy.
"Heh, swapping lunchboxes and now doing interviews together? You two aren't actually dating, are you?"
"What, like you and Choi Adam?"
"Watch it! What do you mean, with that shortstack?!"
Shin Hye-ji bristled the moment Choi Adam's name came up. Seong-muk watched her bickering with Adam, who was yelling from the back, "You brainless giant!!"—and couldn't shake the feeling those two would end up together someday.
"Hmm…"
Do Dojin looked lost in thought, furiously texting Doyeon: "Noona, you gotta step it up…"
"Hmph."
Ryu Ji stared off deep in contemplation. The cause? Noah, plastered right next to Seong-muk.
'Noah, what the hell do you even want?'
Even in a situation tense enough to rattle anyone, she was all smiles as usual. She got along great with his rivals, too.
If she'd given up on Seong-muk, fine—but lately, her affection seemed even deeper, plain as day. She wouldn't even answer when asked, leaving Ryu Ji frustrated as hell.
"…Sigh. Whatever, I give up."
Ryu Ji let out a heavy sigh.
He'd just let it play out. Noah was his precious little sister, after all, and Seong-muk had saved his life. Whatever decision the guy made about her, Ryu Ji would back him fully.
"Hehe, a new fancam dropped!"
"Oh, for real? Congrats."
Noah's eyes sparkled as she shoved the video in Seong-muk's face. She was thrilled at how the algorithm was finally putting her name out there.
"Speaking of, doesn't it bug you, Seong-muk oppa?"
"Huh? What?"
"Besides that lucky single yesterday, you didn't let anyone on base! You could've had a no-hitter or even a perfect game."
"Oh, that?"
Seong-muk had toyed with Cheonghyeon High like it was nothing.
Sure, a big record might've been possible, as she said—but he shook his head.
"Doesn't hurt to do it, but I'm not bummed. Just had a no-no and perfect not long ago, right?"
"Oh, yeah, true!"
No need for Seong-muk to chase records anymore. Noah nodded right away.
"Ooh, here it comes!"
Time for the Sejonggi tournament venue draw.
After the other schools, Munhyeok High's coach Myeong Sinu appeared on screen.
Cheolwon First High's coach looked like a mountain spirit—white hair, long beard. He stroked it and spoke.
"…Heads."
"Any objections from Coach Myeong Sinu?"
"None. I'll take tails."
The association official flipped the coin.
Ding!
Clink!
It landed on the back of his hand.
The Munhyeok High crew clasped their hands in prayer.
"Please Seoul, Seoul, pleeease…!!"
"Seoul! Seoul! Seoul! Seoul!!"
The hand flipped open.
To Munhyeok High's dismay—he heads.
"Gaaahhh!!"
"Aigoo, dear lord…!!"
Teammates rolling on the floor.
Seong-muk's face hardened most of all. He sighed deeply, then fixed his team with dead-serious eyes.
"Whole squad—pack your bags. Now."
"……?"
Confused stares at the sudden order.
But he'd already cleared it with Coach Myeong Sinu.
If worst came to worst and they had to play in Cheolwon, they'd move immediately.
"We're heading to Cheolwon right now—if you don't wanna crash out in the third round."
"………!!"
Seong-muk figured it: the key to this matchup was adapting to that alien ballpark.
Cheolwon Stadium.
A madhouse ballpark perched at 1,500 meters above sea level.
To understand why anyone built this insanity, you had to go back to Korea's Joseon Dynasty, the era of the tenth king, Prince Yeonsan.
One day, when Yeonsan was off his rocker.
He told his ministers:
"I want to play gekgu at the mountaintop!"
"………??"
Gekgu—polo on horseback, whacking a ball into goals with mallets. Needed wide, flat land. On a mountaintop? Ministers doubted their ears.
But questioning the mad king's whims meant risking your head, so they bit their tongues and scouted sites.
The search dragged on fruitlessly.
Then rumors swirled in Gangwon Province.
"Big earthquake lately? Made Geumhak Mountain in Cheolwon way taller!"
"Saw it myself! Flat plain up top!"
Skeptical ministers checked it out—and their jaws dropped.
"We… found it…!!"
A vast plateau, unbelievable for a peak. Nature's miracle from tectonic shifts.
"Ooh, oooh!!!"
Yeonsan climbed Geumhak and marveled nonstop. Ministers thought polo time—but no.
"Wasting this space on polo is a shame! Hey!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Build a baseball stadium here!"
"Y-yes…!?"
"If it doesn't outshine Jang Yeong-sil's old Jongmyo Stadium, everyone involved gets beheaded!"
Ministers begged, heads to the floor—but Yeonsan wouldn't budge.
'A grand stadium up high—posterity will praise my name forever!'
He'd even named it: Heungcheong Stadium, from his heungcheongmangcheong—reckless spending.
Construction began with grand dreams.
Joseon baseball stadiums were ahead of rivals thanks to Sejong-era builds—but mountaintop? Different beast.
"Our king's finally lost it…!!"
"Shh, walls have ears!"
Gangwon locals dragooned into labor cursed Yeonsan daily for years.
Hauling materials was hell. Compensation was decent, but the treasury tanked, taxes and corvee crushed the people.
"Can't let this mad king slide!"
"Rise up!"
Coup time: Jungjong Rebellion. Yeonsan deposed, new king crowned.
"Scrap this mountaintop stadium lunacy immediately!"
"Yes, Your Highness…!!"
Jungjong wanted the abomination gone—but Gangwon folk flooded Changdeok Palace, begging.
"Please, let us finish Heungcheong Stadium!"
"We implore you!!"
Stunned, Jungjong asked a Gangwon expert.
"What's going on?!"
"…It's complicated. From their view."
Summary: Many families lived off construction gigs. Plus, Gangwon lacked tourism—finally, a draw.
Damned if you do, damned if don't.
Jungjong inspected: massive structure at 80% done, killer views.
"Yeonsan had taste, damn him!"
He claimed the glory.
"I want that tyrant's trash gone—but can't ignore my people's voice!"
"We'll finish it—for the people! No more nobles-only; commoners play free!"
"Rename it: Cheolwon Stadium—for Cheolwon's folk!"
"Your benevolence humbles us!"
Cheolwon Stadium completed triumphantly.
The insane idea bloomed into a landmark, drawing nobles nationwide—and elites from China, Japan.
Its fame endures. Planes fly folks worldwide here. Winter snow turns it Alpine—eternal top winter spot.
'…Though Cheolwon has no such mountain in reality.'
Seong-muk thought, eyeing the valley.
The team bus climbed Geumhak Mountain, home of Cheolwon Stadium.
Real-world 800m peak, pumped to 1,500m by adult whims.
Vast plateau for baseball? No mountain has that.
But hey, devs rewrite history without blinking—terrain tweaks? Child's play.
"Whoa, we're hereee…!!"
The rented field appeared.
Not Cheolwon Stadium scale, but good for practice.
Crack!
Thwack!
Balls rocketed off bats. Seong-muk marveled at the insane carry.
"Balls fly forever here."
One issue: body felt heavy.
High altitude, thin air.
"Hoo, haa."
Everyone sucking oxygen masks periodically. Hitters fumbled in the unfamiliarity.
"Urk…!!"
"Gahhh!!"
Speed-reliants like Choi Adam and Ji Suyong suffered most—flailing like fish out of water. Good call coming early.
"Whew, this ain't easy."
Ryu Ji's solid hits drifted off-line. Even he struggled at first.
But some crushed.
Thwack!
Crack!
Thwack!
Seok Un-gang, ten straight over the fence.
He milked the altitude.
"Shaolin was high up too—I'm used to it."
One reliable guy. Seong-muk exhaled—then new worry.
"Hmm…"
Park Chan-jun winced every knuckleball.
Looked rattled.
'Part of why he hated coming here.'
Knuckler dances on air resistance.
But at 1,500m? Barely any.
Movement one-tool drops? Risks batting practice territory.
'If awakened Hassan nails it, no worries…'
Sinkers/two-seamers shine here—groundball inducers. If Hassan (trained by Deok-su grandpa) delivered, they'd crush Cheolwon First—but.
"You idiot, idiot…!"
Hassan self-scolding mid-live BP.
Control flying everywhere.
"He wasn't this bad before."
"Yeah, velocity's up but can't hit inside at all."
Seong-muk's tips? Useless so far.
Inner demon pressure?
Do Dojin at plate swept outside junk, inside heat.
Not much left.
Crack!
"……!!"
Ball screamed out—over the fence.
Hassan's eyes shook.
Altitude helps, but team's weakest power hitter? Home run.
Bad sign: Hassan couldn't hang with Cheolwon First now.
"Dojin, ball good?"
"Nah, not really…"
Dojin shook his head. Coach Myeong Sinu smacked his forehead.
"Ugh, but waking 'that personality' again…"
"I'll fix him."
"……Yes!?"
Ma Deok-su's voice jolted the coach.
"Deaf? I'll fix Hassan."
Deok-su declared confidently. His terms:
"Train down the mountain. Tame his wild stuff and acclimate? Bullshit—impossible."
Grandpa Deok-su adamant. One more:
"Tuning'll take time. Might be late game day—or worst, no-show. Brace."
"………!"
"Don't like it? I'll just revert him to old self. Your call?"
Coach's choice: Trust Deok-su to conquer the monster—or half-ass it.
Instinct said this was Hassan's crossroads.
"Full fix, please."
"Got it. C'mon, Hassan!"
"Y-yeah!!"
Deok-su hauled Hassan downhill.
Two days to game.
Seong-muk sensed victory rode on Hassan's fix.
"How'd it go?"
Kim Eol asked his scouting underclassman.
Parkour whiz Deung Un-hyeon—"Flying Squirrel"—had spied on Munhyeok High.
Their field was locked tight, but Deung, descendant of General Deung Ae (scaled Shu's peaks to conquer), ghosted up anything barehanded.
He'd snuck intel unseen.
"Back, hyung! Hitters struggling 'cept Geum Seong-muk and Seok Un-gang."
"Pitchers?"
"Hassan? Control tanked, headed downhill. Starter's Park Chan-jun."
"Hm, got it."
Cheolwon First feared awakened Hassan most.
Now crumbling pre-game? Sweet news.
"Good. Call the squad—practice time."
Kim Eol smirked slyly.
But Deung sweated bullets.
"Hyung, one issue…"
"What now?"
"Puncha went rock climbing…"
"Sigh, mountain freak."
Nepali climber Puncha Lama, here for Cheolwon—always vanishing to peaks, headache central.
"Baek Ya-geon gone too?"
"Yeah, ginseng hunting."
"Not Bong Ha-ram too?"
"Custom slingshot deer hunt…"
"…………."
Kim Eol dumbfounded.
His squint twitched rage. Cheolwon First: mountain-obsessed teens, egos raging, feral as beasts.
"Gonna lose my mind…"
Whoooosh!!
Gale swept the peak.
Both captains sensed it.
This game wouldn't be easy.