Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: David and Goliath - 2
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Takahina Noah was feeling all sorts of fluttery emotions. She was already the type who got steady attention on SNS thanks to her savvy with it, but this time around, the buzz was on a whole other level.
📱 SNS Message [Noah, that dance video is already all over the internet. Views are gonna rack up!] The short clip featuring 'that dance' Seong-muk had tipped her off about had already blown past 300,000 views. At this rate, she could look forward to some seriously high numbers.
Word was even going around that a ton of Munhyeok High boys were planning to show up for the game. It wasn't entirely thanks to her, but her influence was undeniable.
Noah grinned from ear to ear.
But then she smacked her own cheek.
"Don't get carried away, Noah!!"
Chwap!
Grabbing her stinging cheek, she hopped onto the Munhyeok High SNS to craft a post that would draw in the crowds.
💬 Posts — Anonymous1 [Anyone know this guy from the baseball team...?] — Anonymous2 [Didn't know the baseball team was a hidden visual feast at Munhyeok High lol] — Anonymous3 [Whoa, so many hotties on the baseball team? ㅠㅠ] Her so-called multi-account shadow clone jutsu! Noah whipped up several fake profiles and posted as if they were different people. The Munhyeok High girls, already parched for handsome guys, clicked like they were mesmerized.
And it wasn't even clickbait—the Munhyeok High baseball players were generally pretty good-looking. So the comments flooding in were all praise.
— FanGirl1 Whoa, that 2B is my type lol—total cool beauty archetype...! — FanGirl2 Isn't that Jisuyong, the new student council guy? So puppy-like, I love it lol — FanGirl3 Ri Dong-hyuk... never talked to him, but he's so hot I wanna be friends ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Do Do-jin, Ji Su-yong, Choi Adam, Ri Dong-hyuk—they all fit the handsome mold, and Ryuuji was especially striking. She'd dumped a barrage of player photos on the board without mercy.
"Hehe, no exceptions even for oppa...!!"
When it came to packing the stands, brothers didn't matter! Her strategy hooked a solid number of girls. But she had no plans to stop there.
"Time to snag the niche tastes too...!"
There were definitely girls who went for 'muscles over faces.' Accounting for that, she'd prepped a bunch of shots of Geum Seong-muk and Seok Un-gang—guys whose beefy builds were killer, even if their faces divided opinions.
Seok Un-gang's was a back shot showing off his flared lats.
Geum Seong-muk had several options.
'Number 1: Gym weight pic...'
The one squatting a loaded barbell oozed raw masculinity. She bookmarked it for now and moved on.
'Number 2: Throwing the ball...'
A dynamic shot of Seong-muk firing one off. It radiated power. Bookmarked that too, on to the next.
"………!!"
Noah's breath caught.
It was Seong-muk, drenched in sweat, casually lifting his t-shirt to wipe it off. His sweat-slicked abs cast sharp shadows in the sunlight, boasting chiseled, perfect lines.
-Gulp!
Noah swallowed before she realized it.
After agonizing deliberation...
She made her call.
"This one's for my eyes only..."
"Hey, sis, what're you up to?"
"……………!!!"
Noah jolted upright in shock.
Her brother Ryuuji stood right behind her.
"O-oppa. Since when?"
"Just got here. Why're you sweating bullets?"
"It's nothing, ahaha...!"
Ryuuji smirked at his sister's cold sweat, his eyes narrowing slyly. A wave of dread hit Noah—she knew exactly what that look meant from her one and only brother.
"Hmm, Seong-muk's abs are nice and all, but... candid shots are kinda... "
"Kyaaaaang...!!"
Noah bounced around in panic.
And from that moment, the Takahina household erupted into chaos. His sister grabbed a bat and chased him down with demands to forget it all, while the brother fled for his life.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Do Do-yeon couldn't sleep a wink. It went without saying—baseball was the culprit.
"Gotta find a way to boost our win odds..."
Munhyeok High had trusted her intel and run with the gamble of hiding their full strength. To repay that faith, it was time for data to pull its weight.
"Geumgang High's ace, Jang Tae-san. Need to pinpoint that pitcher's weakness."
Jang Tae-san was a pitcher loaded with strengths. At 207 cm tall, his release point had insane reach. The vicious 12-6 curve blasting from there was high-school elite caliber.
Few pitchers had that height, so facing him felt extra alien at first. That made a sharp eye absolutely crucial.
"...Problem is, Munhyeok High's hitters don't have the best eye for picking balls."
A few exceptions aside, the team's batters weren't great at laying off pitches. Downright abysmal in spots.
Do-yeon bit her lip in frustration.
She had to dig up something usable.
With that in mind, she'd gathered every scrap of Jang Tae-san's pitching footage her staff could scrounge. Multi-angle clips played across the office monitors.
"My eyes are gonna fall out..."
Do-yeon pored over them till her eyes were bloodshot, looping endlessly. She'd promised bonuses to anyone who found a weakness, but no luck so far.
Still, she was convinced.
It's not that it didn't exist—it just hadn't been spotted yet.
'Giants like him take years to polish. Still just a high schooler—his mechanics have to have gaps.'
Do-yeon was sure there was some exploitable pitching habit, a kuse. How long had she been staring at Jang Tae-san?
"Found it...!"
Her dogged persistence finally paid off.
She'd nailed it.
A kuse no one else had uncovered.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Game day for the second round.
You know those days?
Days when your condition is just filthy good.
"Man, nice weather."
Today was definitely one of those days.
No other way to explain this.
🍱 BUFF ITEM ⚔ # Truffle Hanwoo Steak Bento
👩🍳 Chef: Olivia Ramsey ⭐ Grade: 2 Stars ★★ Effects:
• [Stamina rises one rank for the day.]
• [Skill duration +20% for the day.]
• [Temporary injury risk -30%.]
Favor: Male Friend (55%) | Cooking Skill: S
'Effects are insane. For real.'
Stuff like this—2-star grub that other cooking heroines barely hit by endgame—she just plops it down casual. Last time's 1-star was temporary, might wear off mid-game. But 2-star lasts the whole day. Straight-up nuts.
She wasn't the only one helping pre-game.
'Noah put in major work rallying fans.'
Asked how she pulled so many, she dodged laughing. Anyway, clear she hustled hard. Result? Nearly double the Munhyeok students from game one showed up.
Directing the crowd into cheers? Noah's gig too. Dance major, killer moves, infectious positivity—zero worries on hyping the vibe.
Her promo video? Handling it smooth. Smart to trust her.
'Do-yeon goes without saying.'
Her trust was maxed already.
This time, assembled a team for higher quality—and delivered Jang Tae-san's kuse unasked. Huge against that newbie-shredding monster difficulty.
Texted all three my thanks. Owe 'em big—gotta repay proper later.
"...Wasn't slacking myself."
⚔ PITCHER STATS ⚔ (*Potential) / Lefty Three-Quarter 💪 Stamina: A+ (*S) 🎯 Control: B+ ⚡ Fastball: B+ (*S+) 💥 Power: A (*S+) 🔄 Breaking: B+ (*S) Nailed it in the end.
Power hit A!
Grip work during weights paid dividends.
Velocity could've hit A too, but feels a thin wall left. Solid outing today might punch through.
'Stack Solar Vein on these stats?'
Haven't even eaten Olivia's bento yet, already stuffed. Pumped like that, I head to the bathroom—and run into an unexpected face.
Over 2 meters tall, ripped build, fierce white-of-eye glare.
"Jang Tae-san?"
"...?"
None other than Geumgang High's ace, my matchup today. Calls my name out the blue, he tilts his head. Then realization hits—he snaps his fingers.
"Ah, you're Geum Seong-muk."
"You know me?"
"Yeah. Our analysis team warned about you. Geum Seong-muk from Bujeon High—might be better than you look."
'...Busted.'
Jang Tae-san knew me.
And not in a flattering way. 'Crappy school' this, fully scouted apparently.
"Aw, shucks. Got a plan for that?"
"Nah. Even if you're surprisingly good, nothing changes."
Whoosh!
Cranks the faucet, water gushes.
Washes hands, murmurs low.
"...You won't touch my stuff. Our lineup crushes you. That's it."
Felt it from the 'crappy school' jab—pure confidence in his skill and team. Earned, with the track record.
But no way I'm folding in the mind games.
"Learned something. Mind if I share?"
"...What'd you learn?"
"Got cocky and dropped last year, doing it again? Not bored?"
"………!"
Hit a nerve—eyes flash. Didn't expect a rookie like me to call it.
"Never cocky. Didn't I say? Even the chance you're surprisingly good..."
"Ever consider this one?"
"………?"
Whoosh!
I step beside, crank my faucet. Turn to him, waiting.
"The chance I'm a better pitcher than you."
"……!"
Jang Tae-san's eyes widen in shock.
Can't believe his ears.
His 'surprise skill' meant worm-squirming level, not rivaling him.
Closes eyes thinking, then slyly opens.
"...No."
"Figured."
Shake dry casual.
Grin.
"Watch close. I'll prove it."
"………."
No reply.
Soaks hands in the flow awhile, shuts faucet. Steps close, eyes gleaming feral.
"I'll see if your game's as good as your mouth, Geum Seong-muk."
Then dips.
Like he said, talk time's over. Now we tear into each other till one stands. Survival of the strongest. That's the game.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Ah, we'll meet you at Sungkyunkwan National Stadium. I'm caster An Jun-kyung!] [Commentator Lee Hae-song here. Nice to see you.] A live broadcast from some big sports channel, the duo greeting viewers.
Spring tourney round two drew eyes thanks to Geumgang High's heft. Solid viewer count.
[Commentator, your take on today's game?] [Well, Geumgang High's got absolute edge, I'd say.] [Mind sharing why?] [Sejong tourney advancers carry huge weight in high school ball. School that crushed regionals and went national ain't weak.] [Ah, got it. Looks like Munhyeok High's first tourney ever.] [New teams popping up rare in Seoul lately. Props just for entering. Hope they treat it as future-building experience.] Commentator assumes Munhyeok zero shot. Most viewers agreed.
💬 Live Chat — Viewer1 Geumgang High h1t~ — Viewer2 Here for Jang Tae-san's pitching. Dude's stuff is crisp af — Viewer3 Munhyeok High who tf lol — Viewer4 Newbie team ㄷㄷ sweet matchup vs Geumgang Stream chat vibe mostly like that. Munhyeok side gritting teeth, but complaints mean squat—prove it on the field.
[Alright! Munhyeok High lineup!] 1. Choi Adam SS 2. Do Do-jin 2B 3. Geum Seong-muk P 4. Seok Un-gang C 5. Takahina Ryuuji 3B 6. Ji Su-yong CF 7. Ri Dong-hyuk RF 8. Seo Kyung-su LF 9. Lee Tae-kyung 1B [Oh ho, didn't know this, but Hong Kong national team catcher Seok Un-gang's on Munhyeok High.] [Yeah, anchors cleanup in a lineup light on name value. Geumgang's gotta handle him careful.] Camera pans from booth to field. Geum Seong-muk on the mound, toeing the rubber.
[Game's about to start. Munhyeok starter Geum Seong-muk takes the hill.] [Surprising, but records say he's from top Busan school Bujeon High. Why transfer to a newbie squad over a powerhouse...?] [Dunno the why, but fresh stats just in. 1st year: 0-3, 4.87 ERA. No 2nd year logs.] [What matters is now. Ump signals—play ball!] "Play ball...!!"
"Hoo..."
Seong-muk exhaled deep. Historic first start as ace in his first tourney since possession.
'Pull it out right from the jump.'
Hidden card prepped for today.
From the first inning.
Today's game, Seong-muk planned to utterly crush Geumgang High.