Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: No Wonder They're a Powerhouse
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No wonder they're called a powerhouse?
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Im Tae-yul, who had completely shut down Munhyeok High's offense. The moment he stepped into the dugout, he was met with an enraged Joo Ha-neul.
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"You bastard, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
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"Huh? What?"
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"Throwing those crap balls...! You lobbed them right over the plate!"
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Joo Ha-neul, who had been pulled from the mound with a runner on second. He was furious at Im Tae-yul's display of tossing Arirang balls as if he didn't care if that runner scored.
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Yet Im Tae-yul just smirked, feigning ignorance.
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"Hey, hey, Ha-neul, why so scary~? I was pitching my heart out."
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His grin, as if he'd given his all, only made things worse. Now Joo Ha-neul was grabbing him by the collar.
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"You know how badly I want this, and you still...!"
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"Hah, you're crossing the line."
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Im Tae-yul's face hardened in an instant.
He slapped Joo Ha-neul's hand away.
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"You moron, you think it's my fault you can't handle some newbie high school team?"
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"...!?"
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"I cleaned up your mess, and instead of thanking me, you're grabbing my collar? You wanna keep playing baseball in Asan or not?"
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Joo Ha-neul had forgotten. No matter that Im Tae-yul was the same age, the power dynamic in the team between them was like heaven and earth. He had no choice but to lower his head.
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"S-sorry. I got heated."
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"Tch, don't get too into a practice game, Ha-neul."
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At that moment, a booming voice echoed from the other side of the dugout.
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"Come on, Cheonghyeon High, fighting...!!"
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It was Ji Su-yong cheering on the team, oblivious to their spat. Im Tae-yul let out a scoff of disbelief.
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"Ha-neul, our Su-yong's cheering us on. Let's get fired up. Fighting!"
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Im Tae-yul patted his shoulder and walked off.
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One pair of eyes had watched the whole exchange from afar.
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"Same as ever, even as kids, Im Tae-yul."
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In the game's original storyline, Im Tae-yul—drafted in the final round of the first pick—would become infamous for stirring up controversies.
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[Im Tae-yul, slacking scandal. What's behind the attitude issues even in his second year?]
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[Breaking] Pro baseball star Im Tae-yul caught in love triangle and pressuring girlfriend for abortion.
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Instead of good nicknames, he carried ones like Im Slack-off, Im Loser, Preggers Rate. Due to lack of training, that immense talent faded away quickly.
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Leaving behind only a famous coach's quip: "All Im Tae-yul knows how to do is finger tricks."
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But that was the future.
Right now, Munhyeok High was facing Im Tae-yul, the nationwide high school ace pitcher. He was still a matchup too heavy for a newbie team.
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"All I can do is what I can."
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Geum Seong-muk climbed back onto the mound.
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And watching from afar were two mysterious spectators.
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"...His pitching sense is on another level."
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Do Do-yeon, who had driven her own compact car all the way to Asan to follow him. She was impressed by Geum Seong-muk's pitching. But she saw this as the real test starting now.
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"Judging by Cheonghyeon High's vibe, they're about to bring in most of their starters... This is the true trial."
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Having wished Munhyeok High luck, she glanced slyly at the girl beside her.
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"...Hmm."
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A beauty with long beige hair tied back tightly.
She wore sunglasses, perhaps to hide her identity, but her stunning looks couldn't be concealed.
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Olivia Ramsey was at the stadium to watch Seong-muk's game. It all started with the lunchbox she'd made for him.
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"I've got a big game today. I'd love a lunchbox that gives me some energy. Evaluation later."
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"Where's the game?"
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"Chungnam Asan. Wanna come watch?"
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"You think I've got that much free time...!"
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But she'd taken a taxi and followed the school bus all the way to Asan.
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She told herself it was "just to get feedback on my lunchbox," but her curiosity about Seong-muk was the biggest draw.
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She'd only heard rumors about him being "the pitcher who impressed even Seok Un-gang," never seen him play. The first game since her childhood in London back home packed real intensity.
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"...A few levels above Dong Nai University's European players."
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Cheonghyeon High, dubbed a powerhouse, was impressive. Even to Olivia, no baseball expert, their bench players showed solid fundamentals.
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Of course, those solid-fundamental bench players failing to touch Geum Seong-muk had left manager Kim Dae-yeop in a foul mood.
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"Send in all the starting hitters."
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No more chances for the bench.
Determined to crush their arrogance, manager Kim Dae-yeop moved just as Do-yeon predicted, right at the start of the inning.
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"...Here they come."
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The starters' big rush had finally begun.
If he could survive this first wave unscathed, he could halt Cheonghyeon High's momentum shift.
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With that in mind, Seong-muk threw the ball.
And with tremendous force.
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Thwack!
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"Strike three!!"
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A straight fastball jammed low in the zone, the batter's swing whiffing for strike three.
He was one of Cheonghyeon High's top starting table-setters, but Seong-muk still came out on top.
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Crack!
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"Foul ball...!"
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The next batter connected on a curve, sending it toward second. Do Do-jin fielded it easily for the second out.
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"Nice, just one more out...!"
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"Munhyeok High, fighting-!!"
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Just as the momentum was building.
A very familiar batter stepped up for Geum Seong-muk.
"Here we gooo!"
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Ji Su-yong entered the box with spirited shout.
Geum Seong-muk reread the guy's stats.
⚔ BATTER STATUS ⚔ 👊 Power: B+ (*A) 🎯 Contact: B (*A) 🏃 Speed: A (*A+) 👁️ Eye: B (*A) 🛡️ Defense: D 💪 Shoulder: B+ (*A+) Left Throw / Left Bat "As expected, a genius is a genius."
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Limited by his abysmal defense, he hadn't fully showcased his talent yet. But give him a chance, and Ji Su-yong could become an all-around five-tool monster.
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Even now, without full bloom, he had no glaring weaknesses. Textbook pitch sequencing was the only way.
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Crack!
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Ji Su-yong fouled off the first-pitch curve.
The hard-hit ball dropped just outside the first-base foul line.
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He fouled off several more pitches, sending chills with dangerous fouls.
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Count went to 2-2. Seong-muk tried his circle changeup specialty, but it lost bite against the lefty.
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"Hoo..."
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How long had it been since he last felt this?
Geum Seong-muk was truly dueling a batter on the bridge of tension, and one worth respecting.
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Tingle!
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His whole body burned hot. He nearly lost focus but slapped his cheeks and locked back in.
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"Okay, slider tailing away."
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Geum Seong-muk nodded at Seok Un-gang's sign. The ball left his hand.
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"Even if he hits it, it's groundout...!"
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The slider rode the edge away.
From a lefty's view, it looked unhittable.
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"...Hup."
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Ji Su-yong leaned back, bending his left knee deep. Left arm relaxed, right arm whipping forward with a flick.
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Thwack!
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A blooper sailing over the shortstop's head. Not a hard-hit ball, as Seong-muk predicted. He figured Ji Su-yong was out.
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"Shortstop can snag that height...!"
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But he'd overlooked one thing.
Choi Adam was only 160cm tall.
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"Urk...!?"
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He leaped sky-high, but the ball grazed past his glove by inches. A far cry from the 190cm shortstops he knew in the majors.
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"Center field...!!"
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Catchable was catchable, but now it was about backup. Center fielder Seo Kyung-su dashed past Choi Adam toward the rolling ball. But then,
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Boing-!
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"Huh...?!"
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The ball bounced off his glove.
As Seo Kyung-su fumbled, Ji Su-yong advanced from first to second.
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"Yes...!!"
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Ji Su-yong pumped his fist.
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Two sloppy plays in a row.
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"Choi Adam, fine, but... damn."
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You couldn't blame short height, but the center fielder—key to the outfield—couldn't botch basics like that.
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Ironic that Seo Kyung-su's error made Ji Su-yong's value crystal clear.
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"Okay, no sweat...! Get the next guy and we're out!"
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Geum Seong-muk patted his glove, rallying the team.
Scoldings could wait till after the game.
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One more batter.
Just one more out to end the inning.
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Seong-muk fired another spirited pitch, but the defense failed him again.
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Crack!
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A liner screaming straight at third base.
Munhyeok High's fielders trusted the third baseman to handle it.
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"...Gasp!"
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But it threaded right between his legs like a tunnel.
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The runner from second, Ji Su-yong, scored easily.
Score now 3-1, two-run game.
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"Urgh..."
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The freshman third baseman's face went pale. Thrown in due to infield shortages despite shaky defense.
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"Seong-muk sunbae, s-sorry...!!"
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If this were his major league teammates, he'd rip into them like a mad dog for such a killer error. But the freshman looked too fragile.
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"Hoo, it's fine. Get the next one."
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Seong-muk sighed lightly, encouraging the underclassman. He needed to focus on this batter. A hot sensation was creeping through his body, disrupting his pitching.
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"Getting tired now, and the next guy's no joke."
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Failing here meant facing Cheonghyeon High's power bat Choi Seok-ho with the tying run aboard. That had to be avoided.
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But baseball doesn't always bend to wishes.
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Crack!
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A high bouncer rolling toward third at chest height. Seong-muk had induced the grounder perfectly.
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"Third...!!"
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The third baseman charged confidently and fielded it.
As he pulled it from his glove—
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"Whoa...!?"
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Over-eagerness? The ball slipped from his hand.
He scrambled for it, but the runner was safe at first.
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The freshman's face crumpled worse than before.
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"........."
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"........."
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Geum Seong-muk and the fielders speechless.
Three errors in one inning.
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No one could blithely say "It's okay, just get the next one!" as Seong-muk's pitch count ballooned uselessly.
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"Seong-muk sunbaenim, I...!"
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"It's fine. Focus."
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Reminded of that ace who trained under brutal bias in a Korean pro team before hitting the majors.
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Always backed by great defenses, he could empathize a hundred times with these unfamiliar players.
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"Damn, feels like I'm on a deserted island."
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Next up? The last guy you want with runners on.
"Seok-ho, smash one."
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"Got it."
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Cheonghyeon High's cleanup, the immovable number four, "Asan Black Tiger" Choi Seok-ho.
The future pro slugger who battled for home run titles like meals stepped up, belly jiggling—was this really a high schooler?
⚙ STATUS VIEW REQUEST ⚙ You can view Choi Seok-ho's status. View? [Yes / No] "Yes."
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With Seong-muk's word, the stat window opened.
⚔ BATTER STATUS ⚔ 📛 Name: Choi Seok-ho 🎂 Age: 19 | 📏 Height: 189cm 👊 Power: S (*S+) 🎯 Contact: B 🏃 Speed: D 👁️ Eye: B+ 🛡️ Defense: B 💪 Shoulder: A (*A) Skills: Asan Black Tiger (A) - Batted ball speed rises on solid contact. Potential Keywords: Peerless Hero (S+), Clothesline Throw (A) Right Throw / Right Bat "That power's no joke."
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He called for time and summoned Seok Un-gang to the mound.
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"...Un-gang, skip him?"
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Seong-muk wasn't confident in handling Choi Seok-ho properly. His skills weren't peaked yet, and his condition felt off.
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Purely on runs allowed, maybe face the next guy. But skipping Choi Seok-ho now complicated things.
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"In normal circumstances, this monk would agree..."
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"Yeah, I know what you mean."
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Three defensive miscues this inning alone.
Intentionally loading bases here would snap the tension wire, letting things spiral.
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After huddling with Un-gang, Seong-muk decided.
Take the risk and face Choi Seok-ho head-on.
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"Hang in there and pitch. Gotta end it here."
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Geum Seong-muk, Munhyeok High's ace.
Nailing the opponent's cleanup straight-up could seal the momentum.
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"...I've got a good shot."
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They didn't know him; he knew Choi Seok-ho well.
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Weakness: low away sliders.
Despite that, his homers? His hot zone was razor-close to it.
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"Overcrowd it a hair, and he swings through."
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Pitch like you're not giving him anything good.
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First pitch: count-taking curve.
Umpire's hand shot up.
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"Strike!"
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Next: high fastball to tempt the zone.
No dice—Choi Seok-ho held back.
"Hmm, nice ball."
He shook out his legs, candidly praising Seong-muk's pitch.
Reset his stance.
"Not unhittable, though."
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"Hoo, hoo..."
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Tingle!
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"What is this?"
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Body still heating up.
Seong-muk wiped streaming sweat and set.
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Thwack-!
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Ignoring the anomaly, he fired.
Count evened at 2-2.
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"Good, bait him with circle changeup."
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Tailing away where Choi Seok-ho would struggle. Nail the location, and it's strike three.
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"Hup!"
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The ball released from his hand.
But Seong-muk sensed trouble.
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"Urk...!!"
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The spreading inner heat.
At release, it exploded into sharp pain.
The trajectory veered farther inside than planned.
"...Damn!"
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Better if it'd tanked completely.
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But cruelly, just half a ball.
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Exactly half a ball inside—Choi Seok-ho's favorite spot.
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"Shit, we're done."
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Crack-!!