Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Golden Sun Hits Homers Too Damn Well
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wham!!
"Strike three!!"
"Wooooh...!!"
A roar echoed through Seonggyungwan Stadium.
Geum Seong-muk had struck out the final batter of the day. Even though his condition wasn't great, he'd pitched brilliantly without allowing any earned runs, and now he let out his joy unrestrained.
"Great work, Seong-muk...!!"
"Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk...!!"
7 innings, 107 pitches, 10 strikeouts, 1 run allowed, 0 earned.
Anyone could see it was an outstanding performance. Seong-muk wrapped up his outing to a standing ovation from the Munhyeok High fans as he headed back to the dugout.
Top of the 8th, Munhyeok High back at bat.
No. 7 hitter Seo Kyung-su struck out. Ri Dong-hyeok, who would soon take the mound after Seong-muk, stepped up to the plate while warming up in the bullpen.
Ri Dong-hyeok said a quick word to Novik, who was crouched behind home plate.
"Where in Russia are you from?"
"...You mean me? Vladivostok."
"Hm, I see. That place always struck me as pretty damn cold."
"Oh ho, so you've been to Vladivostok. It's so cold even Seoul feels mild. Bet it chilled you to the bone, huh."
"Not really. I've been to somewhere similar."
"Hm...?"
Ri Dong-hyeok recalled the day he crossed the Gaema Plateau with his mother to defect. Novik, of course, had no idea and just tilted his head.
'This guy's insecure about his hitting, so he's trying to distract me.'
He knew Ri Dong-hyeok was a submarine pitcher who sprayed a lot of balls, but his records didn't show strong hitting. To put him away quick, Novik called for a knuckler right down the middle.
Crack!!
"What?!"
📰 Breaking News [Oh, Ri Dong-hyeok makes contact! A single dropping in front of right field!] An unexpected hit from Ri Dong-hyeok.
No. 9 hitter Lee Tae-kyung hit a grounder with a big bounce and was out. Two outs, runner on second.
The chance now went to No. 1 hitter Choi Adam.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Choi Adam spun his bat irritably right up until he stepped in. His eyes burned with more fire than ever.
"Fuck, you think I'm just gonna sit here watching you all shine...!"
He felt like he'd underperformed this tournament. It pissed him off that the cleanup trio was swinging the game with one big hit, and even more that he'd gotten on base with an infield single right at the start only to get picked off stealing.
The board lit up as Choi Adam, the second-most mentioned after Seong-muk on the High School Baseball Gallery, stepped up. But thanks to his strikeout storm in the previous game, it wasn't in a good way.
💬 Comments — Anon1 Choi Adam smithing again??? 😂😂😂 — Anon2 Here we go with the 'invisible ball' theory proof again — Anon3 lol a leadoff who can't score? 😂😂😂 — Anon4 I'm at the stadium rn, dude's height is insane;; standing next to galju he looks like dad and son ↳ Reply Profile says 160cm lololol what kinda baseball with that physique ↳ Reply High schoolers can just have fun with it ㅇㅇ won't go pro tho. "Hoo, focus, Choi Adam."
He poured all his focus into the pitcher's ball.
Maybe thanks to last time's plate discipline training, he didn't chase a ball barely missing the zone.
"Ball...!!"
"Whew...!"
The count worked to 2-2.
A knuckler came straight down the heart. Choi Adam didn't hesitate and unleashed a full swing.
"Urachacha...!!"
Crack!
📰 Breaking News [Oh! Choi Adam's liner down the first base line...!! Foul or fair?!] [It's fair, fair...!! Choi Adam's running!] Choi Adam's rope-like shot pierced the first baseman's glove.
It rode the foul line perfectly and trickled deep into the right field corner.
"Run, run...!!"
At first base, they waved him home wildly. With his S-grade speed, Choi Adam tore around the bases like lightning.
📰 Breaking News [Ri Dong-hyeok scores! How far does Choi Adam go?! He's past second...!!] [Second baseman fields to third! Close play!! Oh, safe at third! Choi Adam's RBI triple! Score's 3-1!] "Uryaaaaah!!"
Choi Adam roared toward the dugout, pounding his chest. A crushing triple that vented all his pent-up frustration.
💬 Comments ⭐ Top Comment — Anon5 !?!?!?!?!??????? — Anon6 Damn those legs are fast;; thought I heard a sonic boom — Anon7 Reason he's leadoff SS with that build~~~ — Anon8 Choi Adam smithers come eat shit ↳ Reply Close again.... Called galju trash too, eating shit ↳ Reply Aw lololol drifter it's you again? — Anon9 Choi Adam Smasher ㄷㄷㄷ ↳ Reply Lmaoooo said he was fast then see it's Sandevistan? ↳ Reply ??: Basic implant "What the hell, Adam's on fire?!"
"R-Really. Didn't think he had clutch in him."
Ryu Ji and Do-jin were stunned from the on-deck circle. Choi Adam flying around like his blood was pumping was pretty unfamiliar even to them.
But Seong-muk had kinda seen it coming.
'Yeah, I figured Choi Adam would take off once his plate discipline got shored up a bit.'
He was even more convinced it'd get better after this game. With Choi Adam's triple, Munhyeok High's momentum surged.
Girin High felt the crisis hard.
"Tch, this is bad."
"Geum Seong-muk's dangerous. Gotta shut it down here, Novik."
"Yeah, agreed."
Seong-muk was in 'full mast' mode right now.
Considering the last three schools charged him anyway and got bombed with homers and knocked out cold, Girin High's battery concluded facing him was way too risky.
After hashing it out, they returned to positions and battled No. 2 hitter Do-jin with laser focus. Like they absolutely wouldn't let him reach first.
Crack!
"Kuh..."
They finally got him on a fly to the outfield, stopping the chance from reaching Seong-muk. Seong-muk, who wanted to bat with runners on, smacked his lips.
"Tch, close one."
Now bottom of the 8th, Ri Dong-hyeok took the mound from Seong-muk. Before heading to right field, Seong-muk called out to him.
"Ri Dong-hyeok, how you feeling?"
"That pig leader..., no. The leader always told me China and Russia are big brothers to the North, so treat 'em like it."
Ri Dong-hyeok, mindful of the Chinese and Russian players on Girin High. Seong-muk stroked his chin.
"Hm, so you changed your mind now?"
"Nah, still treating 'em like big brothers. Just..."
"...?"
"The meaning of 'big brother' to me changed a while back. To something I gotta rip apart."
"Damn, brutal."
Seong-muk remembered Ri Dong-hyeok's two older brothers had used him then tried to purge him. Hearing 'big brother' was enough to make it make sense.
"Comrade Geum Seong-muk, good work. Trust me and rest easy."
"Ri Dong-hyeok, you..."
Seong-muk was deeply impressed by Ri Dong-hyeok patting his shoulder like that.
Now fully integrated into Munhyeok High, he was sure he'd never see that glass-mental runaway ninja again.
"Alright, I trust you."
Seong-muk clapped Ri Dong-hyeok's shoulder and jogged to right. He had zero doubts left about him.
But Girin High thought otherwise. Geum Seong-muk was a natural disaster, fair enough, but a no-name like Ri Dong-hyeok was fair game.
'Thinks he's hot shit cuz he threw against weaklings like Musang High?'
'Score's 3-1 now. Two runs off a scrub pitcher? Easy.'
Girin High's hitters had a plan.
Until Ri Dong-hyeok hit them with it.
Splash!!
"Strike-thr-eee!!"
A batter whiffed hard on Ri Dong-hyeok's fastball. He cooked them steadily without wasting a single pitch.
Coming off a 190cm+ lefty fireballer in the high 90s, now facing a righty nuclear submarine's straight and sinker crawling up from the dirt was hell.
💬 Comments — Anon10 That sinker angle is insane — Anon11 Lefty fireballer then righty nuke sub? My lineup pick ain't easy frfr ↳ Reply Extreme left-right-left-right ㄷㄷㄷ — Anon12 Wtf is Munhyeok High? First year and popping off studs like this? ↳ Reply And smashing Seoul seeds with em; ↳ Reply Heard they sprinkled some scholarships? ↳ Reply Other foundation-rich schools do that too. Nah, school just got eye for talent. Ri Dong-hyeok's dominance melted away the bottom of the 8th. Now Girin High prepped for their final top of the 9th defense.
Sergei Rasputin still stood on the mound. 111 pitches, 3 runs. Knucklers used way less stamina than other pitchers, and with everything on the line, he'd finish it.
"...Come on, Geum Seong-muk."
Sergei waited on the mound with a resolute face. Seong-muk entered the box amid fan cheers, twirling his bat overhead.
"Hoo..."
Seong-muk adjusted his batting gloves and got set. He recalled his chat with Ji Su-yong moments ago.
'What'd it feel like hitting the knuckler?'
'Yeah.'
Seong-muk got a hit too, but Ji Su-yong was the only Munhyeok hitter to homer.
Even grinning wide at the plate. At this point, he had to have some edge on Sergei.
'Ah, nothing special. Dunno about other knuckleballers, but Sergei's is really like a butterfly. Fluttering in.'
'Butterfly?'
'How do you think butterflies fly, bro?'
'Just parabolic, zigzagging?'
'No, no! Absolutely not...!'
Ji Su-yong shook his head firmly.
Seong-muk was shocked—this easygoing guy denying so hard?
'Look close, it's a bit different. Mostly parabolic like you said, but sometimes.'
Hands spread wide, spinning then shooting straight!
'It goes straight sometimes. Regular interval. That's why it's like a butterfly. Find that spot in the movement, bro...!'
'...Uh, got it.'
Seong-muk nodded awkwardly.
He thought:
'What kinda bullshit is that?'
Tough to use, but for the win, Seong-muk drew his blade.
"Switch."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Sun God Vein stat changes reset! Contact stat strengthened: B → B+! Contact stat strengthened: B+ → A! Power stat strengthened: B+ → A! National rule for late-game at-bats was Power 2 : Contact 1, but today he flipped it.
'Power's plenty.'
Against knuckleballers, precise contact over raw power made bigger hits more likely.
"When I say Geum Seong-muk, you say fighting! Ready? Geum Seong-muk...!!"
"Fighting...!!!"
Chicken skin every time his name was called. Cheers like this always gave him power.
'Creepy but damn good...!'
"...Geum Seong-muk, this time I won't lose to you!"
No dodging the ace battle for him. Even with runs risky, Novik indulged his pride.
Thwack!
"Strii-ke!"
The slow knuckler fluttered in and thunked the mitt. Seong-muk blinked in place. Girin High saw it positive.
'Keep throwing like that, we got him.'
His earlier big hit was off a high-speed knuckler. Confident, Novik called another slow one.
Thud!
"Ball...!"
Missed outside. Seong-muk blinked again.
And thought:
'Ah, that's it?'
Just like Ji Su-yong said—the ball wobbled wildly, but switched to straight motion briefly.
A hitter with Seong-muk's experience grasping that? Game over.
The knuckler rolled in.
Seong-muk's bat breathed fire.
Crack!!
"...!!"
Sergei whipped around in shock. But the ball was already soaring high, higher.
📰 Breaking News [Oh, Geum Seong-muk! Makes contact! Lining out deep! Gone? Gone?!?!!] Thud!!
A monster homer nailed the top of the center scoreboard.
Seong-muk pulled the escape homer at this key moment.
📰 Breaking News [Over the wall! Munhyeok High pulls away 4-1... Now a 3-run lead!] [Top 9th with this gap! Too big!] "Kyaaaah!!"
Noah hugged her cheer squad friend and jumped wildly. Munhyeok fans and the increasingly Geum Seong-muk fanclub High School Baseball Gallery went nuts.
💬 Comments — Anon13 Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! — Anon14 Igooogooo~~~~ — Anon15 Galju bailed quick cuz homer lol — Anon16 Info) Geum Seong-muk now 4-game homer streak in tourney. ↳ Reply Homer Emperor as expected ㄷㄷ 6 already ↳ Reply Seoul seed HR king?~~ ↳ Reply Daegwallyeong High next then king for real ㅇㄱㄹㅇ Seong-muk savored the homer feel circling slowly. Stepping on home, he felt strength drain from his lower body.
Snap-
"...Good work, Johnson."
The Sun God Vein had maxed him at the right times despite bad shape. Seong-muk thanked it and glanced at the stands.
"Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk...!!"
Cheers poured for Seong-muk, who'd basically carried the game solo. Teammates rushed to celebrate too.
'This ain't half bad.'
With the homer, he'd nailed Girin High's coffin shut. Seong-muk grinned and pumped his fist to the crowd.
As if answering their cheers.