Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: How Golden Sun Fills the Holes
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Geum Seong-muk had moved into Munhyeok High School's dormitory.
His family home was in Asan, making commuting impossible.
For reference, Hassan, Ri Dong-hyeok, and Seok Un-gang were already settled in the dorms.
His transfer had filled their four-person room to the brim.
Rumor had it they'd thrown a little welcome party among themselves.
"Do-jin, aren't you coming to the dorms?"
"I'm trying to commute from home as much as possible. I've got a lot to learn from my sister, too."
Do Do-jin, the transfer from Jinseong High, lived just an hour from school, so he could've joined but turned it down. No complaints from him about being uncomfortable, so there wasn't much to say.
"Ajaat! Looking forward to working with you...!!"
Ji Su-yong was joining training for the first time.
Before taking fly balls in the outfield, he psyched himself up.
An unexpected lineup was waiting in the outfield defense group right now.
"Okay, next up: Geum Seong-muk, Ri Dong-hyeok, Hassan. You three, front and center!"
"Yes, sir!"
All three pitchers from the pitching group had joined outfield training.
There was a very sad reason hidden behind it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'There's really no talent. No talent at all.'
Manager Myeong and I had grabbed our necks over defense multiple times during the Cheonghyeon High scrimmage, making defense reinforcement our top priority. But no promising kids in sight.
Munhyeok High's baseball team had hastily gathered players, resulting in paper-thin depth. That was our biggest issue.
The manager and I had discussed player rotations several times.
"For now, let's lock Ji Su-yong in center field."
"Yeah, that kid struggled with left and right during the scrimmage."
A lot of people think, "Center has the widest range, so isn't it the hardest?" But outfielders who prefer center definitely exist because balls there fly pretty straight despite the range, thanks to less spin compared to left or right field.
Ji Su-yong already relied heavily on his eyes over his ears.
Just giving him center—unavailable at Cheonghyeon High due to a solid starter—would obviously boost his defense big time.
"We can finally boot Seo Kyung-su out of center."
"Yeah, watching Kyung-su in center was painful."
On the flip side, Seo Kyung-su had floundered in center multiple times.
Success: two outfield spots filled.
Remaining vacancies: right field, third base, first base.
These spots still lacked solid owners.
"No matter how I think about it, no answers... Let's bring in an external transfer for third."
"Sigh. Like you said, Seong-muk, we'll have to poach a third baseman from another school like we did with Su-yong."
No matter how hard we racked our brains, nothing. GG.
Good third basemen need reflexes for hard liners and a cannon arm.
Not a single guy met even one criterion at Munhyeok High right now.
"For right field and first, I can cover both, so use me wherever it's easiest."
"Oh...!"
Manager Myeong Sin-u's face lit up at my words.
The one issue: my current defense stat was D.
'Eh, that'll level up quick anyway.'
Right field wasn't a high-defense-burden spot to begin with.
Of course, me filling it wasn't a perfect fix.
"But who covers when I'm pitching?"
"Ahem..."
Me as the ace starter was the problem.
I'd start the most games and innings, so who covers then?
Knock knock!
A knock echoed on the manager's office door.
"Manager, may I come in?"
"Yeah, come on in."
In walked Ri Dong-hyeok and Hassan, fresh from stamina training. Sweaty as hell—they'd clearly been dragging tires again today.
"Here to pay our respects. Great work on training today."
"Oh, Brother Seong-muk's here too! Manager, great work, sir!"
"Good job, Dong-hyeok, Hassan. Both of you. Come on in."
The pitching group's members stopping by to greet Manager Myeong.
Wondering if their stats had changed, I casually pulled them up without much thought.
That's when one line caught my eye.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Convert to Batter Stats? Yes / No] "Huh?"
A feature I'd forgotten about.
Not just two-way players like me—any player had pitcher and batter stats. They were just usually deactivated for non-primary roles.
"...Yes."
Ding!
Their batter stats popped up.
I couldn't hide my shock.
"Whoa...!?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After checking Ri Dong-hyeok and Hassan's stats, I immediately pitched the perfect solution to Manager Myeong.
Pitchers doubling as outfielders!
Talented hurlers doing double duty to plug the gaps.
The manager was skeptical at first but agreed to test their outfield skills first.
"Alright, next: Ri Dong-hyeok!"
Crack!
Quick read on the ball, stable catch. Manager Myeong's face beamed happier by the second.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: Ri Dong-hyeok Nationality: Democratic People's Republic of Korea Age: 19 Height: 178cm ⚡ Skill: Nuclear Submarine (S) Increases ground ball rate on contact. ✨ Potential Keywords: Baekdu Bloodline (A+), Laser Throw (S) 💪 Batter Stats (*Potential) / R/R Power: C+ Contact: B Speed: B+ (*A) Eye: B Defense: B+ (*A+) Arm: S (*S) Recommended Position: Outfielder 'Figures—the prince got elite training.'
Stats that crushed Seo Kyung-su.
This guy could lock down right field until closing time in late innings.
He'd smacked quality hits during free batting just now, too.
Of course, Ri Dong-hyeok didn't jump at right field right away.
After I showed him his own stats and persuaded him, he said:
"Comrade, why must I cover outfield too? We have plenty of others."
A reluctant look from Ri Dong-hyeok.
Not "why me?"—more like, with so many outfielders, it felt wrong to take one's spot. Persuading him in these moments was easy.
"No one does it as well as you. You know our situation."
"True, but..."
"The outfielders agreed. Even if it cuts their playing time, they're happy if you play and win games."
"Really...?"
"Of course."
Total BS, obviously.
Why would I bother asking?
"The team's future rides on your shoulder. Please."
"...Ahem. If you put it that way."
Easy persuasion success.
Emotional appeals worked wonders on Ri Dong-hyeok.
Next up: Hassan.
He'd jumped at the idea with "Sounds fun!" so no issues there.
"Alright, Hassan!"
Crack!
The ball sailed far from Hassan. But...
Thud thud thud!
He sprinted at insane speed and dove.
Missed the catch—it bounced off his glove—but it showcased his raw speed.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ Name: Hassan Iqbal Nationality: Pakistan Age: 17 Height: 186cm ⚡ Skill: Allah's Magic Wand (A) Velocity rises one rank in crises. ✨ Potential Keywords: Gale (S), Laser Throw (S+) 💪 Batter Stats (*Potential) / R/R Power: D Contact: D Speed: A+ (*S) Eye: C Defense: C+ Arm: S+ (*S+) Recommended Position: Outfielder 'No wonder his pitches had such zip.'
Hitting talent was dismal—no starting outfield for him. But as a late-game pinch runner or first-base fill-in when I pitched? Plenty useful.
'Speed potential S, arm S+. Solid strengths.'
Runners wouldn't dare tag up with him out there. Teach him basic bunting for hitting, and he'd pull his weight.
Hassan: one-tool fireballer turned defensive prospect.
Grinning, a sudden thought hit me.
"Hassan, why are you so damn fast? Faster than most hitters."
"Haha, Brother Seong-muk. In Pakistan, fast legs are a must to survive."
"...!?"
What the hell is Pakistan like?
Why do all our foreign pitcher recruits hail from such places?
Still, rediscovering these two eased our outfield woes.
"Great work!"
Outfield training wrapped, and we moved to our main gig: pitching coaching.
Order was flipped today due to the coach's schedule.
Pang-!!
"Okay, nice ball!"
Ri Dong-hyeok's sinker burrowed into the mitt with wicked movement. His mechanics were solid—no major tweaks needed. Just keep his mental game steady, and he'd grow on his own.
The problem child was this one.
Bwoong--!!
A menacing crack echoed in the bullpen.
Hassan's fastball, flirting with late 90s, slammed home.
'Guys like Hassan need a clear growth path.'
Random control, no standout breaking stuff: pure fireballer.
No type more boom-or-bust.
Nail control and add breakers? League ace. Slip up? Minor leagues to retirement to youth coach.
That's why the pitching coach prioritized him.
Testing offspeed pitches, but no big breakthroughs yet.
'For Hassan, the perfect breaker is obvious.'
Splitter.
A must-have for hard-throwers.
Hassan wasn't grip-strong for a forkball main, but splitter-viable. In-game, his splitter synced brutally with the heat.
'I know enough splitter to teach, but...'
Real-world catch: game system wouldn't let me teach unlearned pitches.
Forcing it skipped coach bonuses. Better to let pros handle it—helped the team more.
'Looks like the coach'll teach without me asking anyway.'
New pitching coach Lee Tae-jeong seemed competent; he'd handle it. I'd ask for some pointers soon too.
Crack--!
"Ooh, nice swing...!!"
A clean rip echoed across the field.
Ji Su-yong had gone yard off Choi Adam, volunteering as batting practice pitcher. He strutted out of the cage, hot streak on display.
"Haha, Brother Adam! See that uppercut?"
"Whoa, you punk. You're no slouch...!!"
Ji Su-yong and Choi Adam were already thick as thieves, bantering away. His bubbly energy showed no signs of fading.
"A team letting a sweetheart like him slip away."
What kind of place was Cheonghyeon High...?
I genuinely wondered.
As practice heated up, I eyed the next step.
'Time for another practice game soon.'
Spring tournament right around the corner.
Couldn't waste this roster-boosting chance.
Alright, time to scout.
A player to chase nationals with...!