Demon of the Scoring Position, Geum Seong-muk
Bottom of the 5th.
Seong-muk took the mound once more.
Bujeon High's batters stepped up to the plate, determined to crack him.
They'd managed to scrape one run off him in the previous inning, so they vowed to score again no matter what.
'The lineup's gone around twice now, and his pitches are starting to look familiar.'
Bujeon High was known for its top of the order, but they were a team with solid depth throughout. Strong hitters who could erupt into a big inning at any moment were gradually getting used to Seong-muk's stuff.
Leading off was the 7th hitter, Jang Dong-pil.
He twirled his bat as he entered the box.
'Fastball, go for the fastball.'
He'd hammered pitching machine fastballs mimicking Geum Seong-muk's arsenal. As a member of the Cheon Ji-uk line, he'd even faced pitches thrown by Cheon Ji-uk himself in the batter's box.
Jang Dong-pil brimmed with hope.
Seong-muk grinned at him.
"Switch."
Stat changes reset!
Stuff stat enhanced: A+ → S
Stuff stat enhanced: S → S+
Seong-muk dumped all his stat change points into stuff.
As he went into a big windup and fired the first-pitch fastball, Jang Dong-pil cheered inwardly.
'Yes, this is it…!!'
Perfect timing.
If it kept carrying like that, he could've at least legged out a double—maybe even a homer.
Thwack!!
"Strike!"
"……?!"
His bat sliced through nothing but air.
Jang Dong-pil blinked in confusion.
'Wh-what?'
The rattled batter glanced up at the scoreboard.
-157km
'Huh, velocity's down?'
Seong-muk's fastballs had been sitting mid-160s, but now it had dropped big-time.
Figuring he was tiring out, Jang Dong-pil adjusted and swung again—only for his bat to whiff once more.
Thwack!!
"Strike!"
"No way?!"
The count ran to 0-2 in a flash.
He was thoroughly baffled.
'What's going on? My timing felt perfect.'
Jang Dong-pil couldn't figure out the whiff. On the third pitch, it finally clicked.
Thwack-!!
"Strike three!"
"Whoa!!"
Another empty swing from Jang Dong-pil.
He let out a hollow laugh.
'The ball's rising like crazy…!!'
It wasn't fatigue slowing his velocity.
He'd dialed back the speed just enough to crank his stuff to another level.
An extreme rising fastball exploding over the batter's bat—that was the true nature of Seong-muk's heater right now.
Thwack-!!
"Strike three!!"
"Whoa!"
Thwack-!!
"Strike th-ree!!"
"Whoaaa…!!"
Three straight strikeouts.
The batters who'd seemed on the verge of adjusting melted against his fastball. The top of the order fared no better.
Whoosh!
"Strike!!"
"Guh!"
The leadoff man, Park Gyu-tae, whiffed.
He'd helped isolate Seong-muk back in their school days, and now he cursed under his breath.
'Fuck! He used to be total garbage!'
Recalling Seong-muk's wild freshman year, Park Gyu-tae stabbed the dirt with his bat.
With decent contact skills, he fouled some off and battled—but it was futile.
Whoosh!
"Strike three!!"
"Whoa!!"
"Shit!!"
A 12-6 curve stole his timing completely.
Hyper-focused on the riser, Park Gyu-tae was done. He stormed back to the dugout, irritated by Seong-muk's voice echoing in his ears.
Next, the 2-hole hitter Han Byung-jin.
A well-rounded five-tool player with real talent. But even he couldn't solve Seong-muk.
Thwack-!
"Strike three!!"
Strikeout city.
Up next: the 3rd hitter, Fujii Arata.
He'd poked a grounder through the infield for an RBI double earlier—no slouch.
Seong-muk opened with heat.
Whoosh!
"Strike!!"
"…Oof!"
A high-spin fastball darted over his bat.
Arata offered at the next one too.
Crack!
"Foul…!"
"Ngh!"
Vibrations shot up his arms, furrowing his brow.
He reset and waited.
'One more! Just one more!'
Eyes wide for pitch three, Arata unleashed.
Whoosh!!
"Strike three!!"
"Whoooaaa……!!!"
Seven straight K's.
Seong-muk slapped his glove and roared.
Strikeout! Another K! Seven in a row! Geum Seong-muk shuts down two full innings on Ks alone!
He's saying no more runs, period! What a pitcher's duel—edge-of-your-seat stuff!!
Now, how will Bujeon High ace Cheon Ji-uk respond? Top 7th, Munhyeok High coming to bat—let's go!
Leadoff: Munhyeok High's 3-hole, Takahina Ryuji!
"Hoo."
Ryuji steadied his breath entering the box.
Hitless today, he was fired up.
'Sitting back isn't my style.'
Bat raised, eyes fierce, dragon blood surged through him.
"……!"
Cheon Ji-uk flinched instinctively.
He started calm.
Thump!
"Ball!"
Ryuji laid off the slider.
Cheon Ji-uk scowled.
'He doesn't see it?'
His read, so clear before, had vanished. Facing a beast like Ryuji, that was pressure.
Thwack!
"Strike!"
Thump!
"Ball!"
Thud!
"Strike!!"
Count 2-2.
Ryuji stood statue-still, no swings.
Cheon Ji-uk had probed with fastball, curve, slider.
Time for his ace.
'Dropping circle change.'
S-grade with filthy drop. Bury it low, and even Ryuji's eagle eye would bite. The battery was sure.
Sign exchange done, out came the circle change.
Ryuji swung like he'd been waiting.
The pitch dove hard—but sweet spot city.
Crack!
"……!!"
Cheon Ji-uk's heart sank.
Lucky this was Bukhang Dome, with sky-high fences.
Thud!
Drive to right field!! Smashes off the wall!
Batter-runner rounds first, slides into second easy! Takahina Ryuji's double! Munhyeok High grabs the reversal chance…!!
"Heh, why's it so damn high?"
Ryuji grumbled at the towering wall.
He'd figured homer for sure—such a bummer.
"Woooaaah!!"
Munhyeok High fans jumped for joy at the double.
No homer stung, but momentum was shifting their way.
No score worries.
The man stepping up was a freak.
At the plate: The Demon of the Scoring Position! Cleanup, Geum Seong-muk!
Former Bujeon High teammates clash! Cheon Ji-uk vs. Geum Seong-muk! Who claims victory's favor?!
"………."
"………."
Tension blanketed the stadium.
Bukhang Dome fans sensed it.
This matchup would decide the game.
Seong-muk tugged his batting gloves tight, tapped his spikes, and settled in.
Every run counts now—Geum Seong-muk's under pressure! First base open; walking him's smart.
The analyst suggested dodging disaster.
Seong-muk smirked at Cheon Ji-uk's death glare.
'He'd sooner off himself than walk me.'
From memories, Cheon Ji-uk saw Geum Seong-muk as inferior scum.
Intentionally walking him? Impossible.
"Switch."
Stat changes reset!
Power stat enhanced: A+ → S
Power stat enhanced: S → S+
Sacrificing contact and eye for pure power.
Cheon Ji-uk leg-kicked high for the first pitch.
Thwack!
"Strike!"
163km heater paints the inner half! Geum Seong-muk watches!
Cheon Ji-uk quick to second!
Thump!
"Ball!"
Thwack!
"Ball!"
Slider tails away, heater up and out.
1-2 count.
Seong-muk hadn't swung.
Fourth pitch: His bat finally exploded.
Whoosh!
"Strike!!"
Cheon Ji-uk's bread-and-butter.
S-grade circle change whiffed Seong-muk clean.
Cheon Ji-uk smirked.
'Heh, of course. Can't hang with Ma Deok-su-level change.'
Seong-muk looked timing-lost.
Cheon Ji-uk had the next pitch locked.
'Finish with circle change.'
Head and heart screamed it.
Prove his was superior to Geum Seong-muk's.
'Ryuji got me once, but that was bad luck…'
p>Rationalized, he believed this pitch ended it.
'Geum Seong-muk, you're done!!'
The circle change left his fingers, spinning true.
Then chills hit Cheon Ji-uk like a truck.
'Wh-why the goosebumps!'
Seong-muk grinned.
He'd called it.
'Tch, that fragile pride.'
Whoosh!!
Uppercut arc unleashed.
The bat ripped the air, slamming the ball with vicious impact.
Craaack!
"..........!!"
Cheon Ji-uk's pupils shook in disbelief.
He froze, not daring to look back.
"Kya, that's what I'm talkin' about."
Seong-muk strolled to first, tossing his bat skyward.
Geum Seong-muk tosses the bat!! You knew from contact—it's gone!!
Top 7th: Geum Seong-muk's two-run bomb! Priceless homer swings it to Munhyeok High!
Bukhang Dome's fences were huge, but 130m was no match.
Goya Gallery lost it to madness again.
"Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk!!"
Seong-muk nearly walked the bases amid the chants.
"Fuck, fuck!!"
Cheon Ji-uk stomped the mound in fury.
He'd ignored him forever, hated facing him most—and his best pitch got demolished for a homer. For pride-monster Cheon Ji-uk, nothing worse.
That was a proper dropping circle change low in the zone? Geum Seong-muk lifts it perfectly over the right-field wall!
Had to be hunting it from pitch one. Demon of the Scoring Position lives up to the name!
Seong-muk touched home, stomped the plate, and high-fived waiting Ryuji.
"Yo, nice bomb."
"You too, man!"
Smack!!
The half ended with outs behind him, but the two-run shot stretched Munhyeok High's lead to 3-1 over Bujeon High.
Late innings, still game-on score, but momentum tilted toward Munhyeok High.