Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Is This Training...?
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Today's Korean High School Baseball Gallery was peaceful as always.
This was the largest community dedicated to high school baseball, boasting considerable influence.
Among them was a user with significant fame. His nickname was 'Galju Detector'.
He always posted GIFs of high school baseball players' plays, titling each one 'Galju, really?'.
His posts always racked up massive views, as it had become a longstanding tradition of the gallery. It was a ritual to discern the gallery's revered icon, the 'Galju'.
True to form for users discussing high school baseball, they treated pros who'd graduated to adulthood as 'washed up'. Their standards for spotting a Galju among the fresh-faced high schoolers were endlessly strict.
💬 Comments — Title: Galju, really...? Disqualified, get lost — Anon Entertaining, but not quite Galju material — Anon Come back after improving your skills — Anon Lmao, by the time skills improve, he'll be washed up Did great skill make the bar lower? Not at all. Even Ryu Han-wool, Hancheong High's ace who fought for a Sejong Tournament berth and ranked top 3 among high school starters, wasn't deemed Galju.
💬 Comments — Title: Galju, really...? — Wow, he throws insanely well? Still disqualified — Anon — Hancheong High's Ryu Han-wool is too good, no human touch — Anon — Boring skill freak only simps would like, get lost The rule was clear: both insane skill and entertainment value were required for Galju status! But high school baseball rarely produced players with both.
Entertaining ones lacked skill, skilled ones were boring.
Even in this so-called golden generation with prospects bursting out left and right, the gallery users wandered in a poverty of riches, forever seeking their Galju.
Then one day.
💬 Comments — Title: Galju, really...!?!? Users blinked at the post title. He usually used just one question or exclamation mark.
Curious, they clicked—and plunged into ecstatic rapture.
A no-hitter no-run domination of Kangho High.
Plus the insane aggro of playing baseball while bulky AF. Geum Seong-muk had every perfect Galju quality they craved.
— Anon This madman lololololol — Anon Holy shit!!!!! Galju has appeared! — Anon Hou!! Where'd this psycho come from!! — Anon We've been waiting for a talent like you~ — Anon Galju Hosoin, you trash, pack your bags lolololol Under overwhelming support, Geum Seong-muk ascended to Galju. A minority grumbled it was too soon based on one game, but veteran users quashed them swiftly.
Meteoric new Galju Geum Seong-muk.
As he appeared reeking of wild vibes, users united in one action.
Naming him!
Seong-muk's outsized personality as a player provided endless fodder. Users competed with ideas.
💬 Comments — Anon Galju's hefty, how about 'Heavy Throne'? — Anon Hmm, solid — Anon Not bad, approved The safe one passed first. Next, English puns.
— Anon Galju, know what 'Geum' and 'Seong' mean in English from your name? Gold and Sex. Put 'em together... — Anon GoldSexMuk DDDD — Anon No, too vulgar lolololol Too lewd, they said—tone it down. They compromised on 'YasMuk'.
Next, based on Seong-muk's strikeout yell 'Uhyo'.
💬 Comments — Anon UhyoKing? From the madman yelling Uhyo, yeah? — Anon Suddenly Chinese lololol — Anon Kinda decent tho? But after Seong-muk's tearless backstory surfaced, the poster got bombed.
— Anon You... — Anon Messing with family tragedy? — Anon This crosses the line;; — Anon I didn't know holy shit!!! One near-miss buried, then a bombshell.
— Anon Galju popped a salute at a guy? — Huh, yeah... — Hoxy...? — Anon Seong-muk Gay how's that? — Anon Seong-muk lololol Gaykekekeke — Anon Fits perfectly, gold — Anon Even declared it himself DDD perfect fit Not true, but Seong-muk got the gay title. Geum Seong-muk's personal pick for 'Worst Nickname #1' was born.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ahead of training, I stepped into the baseball club office.
And doubted my ears.
"Oh, hey Seong-muk Gay."
"...!?"
Manager Shin Hye-ji had uttered the unforgivable. Me, the ultimate man's man, gay? What nonsense. I replied calmly.
"Hey, take it back. That word...!!"
"Ah, your reaction says you didn't know."
She smoothly handed me her phone.
A community site filled the screen.
"Look, you're a total star here."
A flood of nicknames assaulted me. Overnight creations short-circuited my brain. Amid the chaos, ones clearly targeting me stuck out.
"Heavy Throne, YasMuk, UhyoKing, MukGod... these are all my nicknames...?"
"Yeah, but the crowning glory is 'Seong-muk Gay'."
Clatter!
Several baseballs rolled across the floor. Noah, carrying a box of them, gawked with her hand over her mouth, eyes screaming disbelief.
"S-Seong-muk oppa, no way, right?!"
"...???"
"Oppa gay? Then my plan...!"
"Why are you spouting nonsense too? Wanna get spanked?"
I pinched her cheek, that tempting fluff.
"Puuuheeng...!!"
Oh, lives up to the hype.
Soft and squishy, perfect.
"Don't misunderstand, I like girls."
"Phew, thank goodness...!"
Noah sighed in relief. But she said something weird earlier?
"So what? Your plan."
"Hah...!!"
Noah jolted.
"Oppa, sudden emergency...!!"
She swept the balls into the box and fled.
"Doesn't wanna say, huh."
"Tch..."
Just then, teammates poured in. Choi Adam, curious about our chat, wedged in.
"What's the talk? Include me."
"Oh, Jammin's here. We were saying..."
Shin Hye-ji chattered away.
Teammates snickered.
"Jealous, hyungnim...! Nicknames already!"
"This reflects the public's interest in benefactor Geum Seong-muk. A positive sign. Amitabha."
Seo Kyung-su and Seok Un-gang reacted positively, but I wasn't thrilled.
"Sigh, when the nicknames suck, you'll get how I feel."
"Even crap nicknames are a blessing. No-names like me are starving, jealous."
Choi Adam, rooster-crest hair slicked back with a comb, longed for one. Shin Hye-ji, scrolling her phone, lit up.
"Yo, Choi Adam. You got a nickname too."
"Wha-what, me...!?"
Adam huffed excitedly, glued to her side reading the post. He beamed.
"Whoa, Choi Adam Smith...!? Super cool!"
"Hm...?"
Familiar name.
Do Do-jin piped up, realizing.
"Adam Smith? That British economist who made the 'invisible hand' theory, right?"
"A famous guy named after me? Awesome...!"
He sprinted laps around the office in joy. But truth was cruel.
— Anon Choi Adam? Dude can't see the ball at all? 9 pitches, 3 K's wtf. — Anon Choi 'Adam Smith''s 'invisible ball' DDD — Anon Lmaoooooooooooo His tiny frame stood out ironically, and whiffing on pitches at the plate for 3 K's hit hard. Learning the truth, Adam flushed red and blue.
"You bastards...!! What do you know!!"
The guy who'd take any nickname rolled on the floor in rage. Pure entertainment for us.
"Our team's got a British merc now. Nice."
"UK inseparable from Hong Kong, right? Solid backup, Amitabha."
Ryu Ji and Seok Un-gang chimed in.
Un-gang had integrated well, tossing jokes like this.
All baseball club members assembled in the office.
Legendary Manager Myeong Sin-u had forewarned 'hell training' via my mouth. Teammates buzzed tensely.
Post-Ganggang High win, they'd heeded my no-complacency order. Their discipline satisfied me as captain.
"Oh, all gathered."
Manager Myeong Sin-u entered. I signaled, and we bowed.
"Hello...!!"
"Good work, everyone."
He nodded, hands behind back, pacing. He'd seized the team; trust gleamed in their eyes.
'Makes sense. Unknown team beating Ganggang High? Gotta earn that.'
Sadly, their solid trust would shake today unavoidably. I recalled my pre-arrival chat with him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Oh, Seong-muk. You made the Game 3 training program yourself?"
Manager Myeong beamed welcomingly.
Nothing I'd proposed had failed yet, so trust was natural. But his face soured hearing details.
"...Seong-muk."
"Yes?"
"Ahem, this training's a bit much. Hell, is it even training...?"
Pleading expression. Understandable.
'Yeah, normal reaction.'
Even he, who should roll left or right at my word, reacted 'this is too far'. Reasons abounded for pushing insane training.
'...Hidden Piece training in this game.'
I'd done some before.
Tire pulls on the parade ground or scuffed-ball breaking pitch practice for extra effect.
But those were 'common sense'. Hidden Pieces in 'nonsense' territory packed way more punch.
'...Stuff no sane person would do sober.'
Baseball meme Easter eggs, training methods defying normal thought—pure madness.
Impossible to convince teammates 'try this?'. Tight schedule, who'd indulge protagonist antics?
Designed as 'solo hidden gains if you make it hard'.
But impose on the whole team?
'Team power skyrockets.'
Other teams? No way. But Munhyeok High? I controlled chairman to manager. Doable.
"Manager?"
I grinned.
He looked anxious, expecting a power play.
I just dropped one line.
"Heard the chairman's thrilled with results. Budget plush thanks to anonymous sponsor."
"Ah, yeah, vaguely..."
"I'll whisper he should bonus you."
"...!!!"
Eyes spun at 'bonus'. He bowed deeply.
"Seong-muk, this training!! I'll make it happen no matter what!!"
Ready to sell Daedong River for zeal. If he thought blackmail, wrong. I'm not that bad.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Manager Myeong's eyes blazed. Teammates tensed, infected.
He broached today's training.
"You've all wondered what it is."
"........."
"You might think, 'Can I really do this?'"
Gulp!
Swallows echoed.
"But I believe without doubt. This will elevate you! Sharper plate vision ahead!"
"Woooh...!!"
Hitters fired up.
Ganggang game exposed vision flaws. 'British' Choi Adam cheered loudest.
"First, off-field. Extramural training."
"Wooo!!"
"Where...!"
They dreamed romantic movie spots. Reality? Gutter.
"Your training ground today is...!"
"...?"
"The zoo."
"...???"
Question marks popped over eyes.
I feigned ignorance, raised hand.
"Manager, what training at the zoo...?"
"Great question."
He deep-breathed. Maybe too advanced for this world.
'But historical accuracy.'
1983, some Gwangju-based pro team on winter training. Reporters asked.
[Winning secret? Special method?]
Manager and players grinned, nodded, led reporter to zoo—showed it.
The method was...
"You'll have a staring contest with tigers."
"...???"
Eyes filled with fresh ?'s. All doubted ears.
"Staring... contest?"
"The one I know?"
Murmurs of confusion. Yesterday's 'brace yourselves' also meant 'self-loathing incoming'.
Manager shot me pitiful glances: 'This ok?'
'Manager, fighting...!'
I grinned, thumbs up. Carefree pleasure? Not bad.
Tiger staring contest.
Game's 'Top 3 Dumbest Trainings',
and 'Top 3 Cheat Effect Trainings' staple.
Users agreed: soul-crushing during, but gap post-training unmatched.
'Time to borrow tiger spirit.'
Munhyeok's vision weakness?
No more.
Team swallowing this insanity grows massively. Trap: more ahead.