Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Her Who Wants Golden Sun's Reward
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Seong-muk hammered a wedge-driving home run and returned to the dugout, where he was greeted by everyone's cheers. His helmet took a barrage of playful smacks.
"Damn, another homer? Just eat the whole game yourself...!"
"Brother Seong-muk, you're basically chilling now, so hit me harder!!"
Thud thud thud!!
"Hey, hey, go easy, you guys!! Ack!"
Everyone was from the sports club, so their hands packed a real sting. Seong-muk finally steadied his wobbling head and sat down next to Manager Myeong Sin-u.
"Manager, can you sit me out for the bottom of the ninth on defense?"
"You punk, what a ridiculous thing to ask! You carried the whole game today—skipping one inning of defense is no big deal."
"Hm, loyal."
And so Seong-muk spent the bottom of the ninth in the dugout. Cleanup hitter Seok Un-gang went down on a fly to the outfield, but fifth batter Ryu Ji finally notched his first hit of the day.
"Oh ho, now I get it."
Ryu Ji, having tasted his first hit, flashed a grin.
The next at-bat was Ji Su-yong.
He licked his lips as he stepped up to the plate, determined to relive that feeling of slicing the butterfly in half once more. But his wish didn't come true.
"Time, pitcher change...!"
The Kirin High manager pulled his changeup card.
It was only two batters anyway.
He judged that if Sergei faced Ji Su-yong again, the score gap could spiral out of control.
"Gah, my butterfly...!!"
He'd just started enjoying his role as the tough guy in charge, but the manager yanked the pitcher right out from under him.
Ji Su-yong ended up hitting a grounder to third, turning into a double play.
And with that, Munhyeok High's regular innings ended.
A mere three-run lead. Score: 4-1.
It was close enough to come back if they pushed, but the Kirin High fans looked thoroughly deflated.
In stark contrast, the Munhyeok High side was in the midst of a roaring cheer frenzy.
Noah, leading the cheers without pause.
Even in the final stages of the game, with victory in sight, she poured every ounce of energy into boosting the players. Sweat poured down like rain, and she had no time to fix her makeup, but Noah was happy.
'We might actually make it... to nationals...!!'
The game entered the bottom of the ninth.
Ri Dong-hyeok's pitches, backed by his teammates and the Munhyeok High students' cheers, proved incredibly effective.
Crack!
[Ah, number nine hitter Kim Sun-woong's ball weakly rolls toward third! Ryu Ji easily fields it and tosses to first. Out!]
Next up, leadoff hitter Kim Cheong-ho.
He could feel it.
The momentum had completely shifted.
'...Is this how Kirin High's year ends?'
He had zero confidence that the guys behind him could hit against that monster pitcher. And he lacked it himself.
Whoosh!
Thwack-!
[Kim Cheong-ho's ball goes right to the second baseman! Easy toss to first for the out...!]
[That leaves just one out remaining until the end of the game!!]
Stepping up in this situation was number two hitter Tian Zifeng. He entered the batter's box with a somewhat tense expression.
"Tian Zifeng, go...!!"
"Munhyeok High, fighting...!!!"
The ferocious cheering firepower from the Chinese fans was starting to get drowned out by Munhyeok High's. Unable to believe this reality, he gritted his teeth.
"Damn it, Lord Tian Zifeng will definitely lay the foundation for a comeback...!"
Boom-!!
"St-rike!!"
"Hup...!!"
A straight fastball plunged into the bottom of the strike zone with monstrous velocity—different from Geum Seong-muk's, but no less overwhelming. Tian Zifeng froze, unable to even swing.
He locked eyes with Ri Dong-hyeok, who was as coldly mechanical as a war machine, and flinched for a moment.
'W-wait. Have I seen that guy somewhere before...?'
Boom!!
"Strike!!"
Another fastball, making it two strikes. The stadium echoed with cries of "Three pitches, three outs!"
The Chinese fans had given up, no longer chanting "go!" Tian Zifeng was still racking his brain over Ri Dong-hyeok's face.
'N-no way, from Pyongyang...?!'
Whoosh!
Boom!!
"Strike three, you're out! Game set!"
[Ah, Tian Zifeng looks at three! Munhyeok High wins 4-1 and advances to game five of the spring tournament! They're on an absolute tear...!]
[They've already crushed two teams that made it to last year's Sejong Tournament! Just how far will this fearsome team go?!]
Munhyeok High had beaten another powerhouse.
Who could dismiss them now?
The Munhyeok High baseball team, which had formed just days ago, was rapidly building its presence with astonishing speed.
#########
"Kya, great job, guys!!"
"Nice plays! You killed it today too...!"
My teammates celebrated the victory back in the stadium locker room. After finishing the press conference, I left a quick word for the jubilant players.
"Alright, I get you're all excited and pumped. But don't stay out too late—head back early and manage your condition. You all did great today."
"Yes, sir...!!"
The underclassmen replied with spirited voices.
But I heard grumbling from the seniors in the back.
"Ugh, that old fogey Geum Seong-muk. He enjoys all the fun in Busan and then cracks down on us juniors."
"Hm, I think he can say that. Though Seong-muk is totally an old fogey!"
I spotted Choi Adam and Ryu Ji whispering. I was about to deliver some iron-fist discipline when they bolted.
I couldn't catch Choi Adam since he was too fast anyway, and wrestling Ryu Ji would just be a stalemate, so I sighed and gave up.
This was all advice that would turn into blood and flesh for them, but calling me an old fogey? You only realize how precious these golden nuggets of wisdom are once you age a bit.
"I'm heading out first. Got a dinner thing."
"Ah, Brother Seong-muk!! Great work!"
Ji Su-yong bowed deeply in greeting.
I exchanged casual goodbyes with the team and left the locker room.
As I walked, I spotted a striking pink twin-tailed head in the distance. No mistaking it: Takahina Noah.
"Ahh, Brother Seong-muk!!"
The moment she saw me, she bounced up and came sprinting over. Her eyes sparkled as she unleashed a torrent of pent-up words.
"Kyaaang...! Great job today too!! I heard through the grapevine that you weren't feeling well, but how do you pitch so amazingly? Especially when you induced that double play against No-vik in the crisis, and when you hit the homer—goosebumps all over...!!"
"...Noah, I appreciate it, but slow down a bit."
"Hah, was I too excited...? Got carried away."
Noah pouted sulkily.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You did great today too. Gave us a lot of strength."
"Right? I worked super hard today!! Hehe...."
"Yeah yeah, thanks, Noah."
"Hehe, you really mean it?"
"Yeah, I'm grateful?"
Noah suddenly flashed a little devilish smile. Something felt off.
"Then give me a reward!"
"A reward...?"
"Yes, a reward!"
A reward out of nowhere.
Maybe buy her dinner or something.
But I'm broke...
"What kind of reward?"
"Hehe...."
She grinned like a little imp and bumped her forehead against my chest.
"Pet my head!"
"......!"
I was shocked.
Never imagined she'd ask for something like that.
'Well, not a big deal.'
Considering everything Noah did for our team, I could do this a hundred times over.
"This'll do it?"
"Yes, of course! But you have to do it sincerely...!"
"Yeah yeah, got it."
"Kyaha~♬"
I raised my left hand, ready to give her head a good ruffling. That's when a voice interrupted.
"Jam Seong-muku."
".........!?"
Noah's eyes flashed at the sudden intruder. For a split second, it felt like killing intent flashed by... Nah, must be my imagination.
"I want to talk. Jam Seong-muku."
Only one person called me that.
"Sergei, huh."
"...Yeah."
Sergei Rasputin, Kirin High's starting pitcher today and the losing pitcher, had come to see me personally for some reason.
"Great game today. Jam Seong-muku, you're truly a real man."
"Yeah, great game. Sergei."
Squeeze!
We gripped each other's hands firmly in a handshake.
'Did he come all this way just for this...?'
I was a bit puzzled, but Sergei got straight to the point.
"Jam Seong-muku, do you have a woman you're marrying?"
"Out of nowhere...?"
The abrupt question tilted my head. Noah jumped beside me. I shook my head anyway.
"No, none."
"Then how about meeting my family back home? She's already famous in Russia as a beauty."
"Oh...?"
Even I, a guy, got a little intrigued.
They say Russia's full of beauties; honestly, I was curious.
But wait, something's fishy.
'Already?'
If she's that famous, fine, but "already" from when? Danger vibes all around.
"Hey, wait, how old is she?"
"Thirteen."
"This guy's insane...!!"
I nearly ended up with an Interpol red notice. Though even if the ages matched, I wouldn't have time for international dating anyway.
"Hm, no interest, I see. Alright, then I'll be off...."
Sergei just left.
I turned back to Noah—
"Noah?"
"Hmph...!"
She was pouting for some reason.
What...??
#########
"Hm, I thought it was a good offer, but maybe it was too much."
"Um, Sergei...!"
Sergei stroked his beard as he trudged along. Someone stopped him, and he looked at them quizzically.
"Who are you?"
"Hi, I'm Park Chan-jun, pitcher from Munhyeok High...."
"Never heard of you. What's up?"
"This might be sudden, but could you teach me the knuckleball?"
"......Another one. These gnats keep buzzing around periodically."
Sergei shook his head with a weary expression. He was firm.
"Absolutely not. The knuckleball I learned is a Rasputin family secret passed down through generations. I can't teach it to anyone. No matter how much money you bring...."
As Sergei kept talking, Park Chan-jun quietly removed his cap.
"Actually, Seong-muk told me to come see you. Said you're super curious about hair loss treatments...."
Sergei's pupils began trembling wildly.
"Bozhe moy (My God)...."
A kindred spirit at last.
How many times had he been asked if he was really a high schooler because of his thinning hair?
Meeting another high schooler with the same issue? Sergei felt like he might cry.
"Moy brat (My brother)."
"Uh, uh? What...?"
"Brother, you want to learn the knuckleball, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"I'll gladly teach you. Everything I know."
"............!!"
A fateful encounter for Park Chan-jun, a mere spot pitcher. Whether he could fully make the knuckleball his own weapon remains to be seen.
######
"........."
The silence had been dragging on.
Noah was still sulking, giving me a dissatisfied look.
Glance—
"Noah."
Stare—
"What? If you have something to say, spit it out."
She finally burst with her complaints, face all pouty.
"Seriously, Brother Seong-muk...! You're too much!!"
"Huh, what?"
"You said you'd pet my head, then that Russian beauty intro comes up and you're all gawking like 'whoaaa~'!!"
She demonstrated, mouth agape in an exaggerated expression.
Did I do that...?
"Nah, when did I?"
"You did! Hmph, unbelievable...!"
Noah puffed up and turned away.
Hmm, tricky.
'Feels like my bad here.'
How to fix this?
I didn't ponder long.
'A real man faces it head-on.'
I approached the sulking Noah and gently placed my hand on her head.
"Sorry, Noah."
I apologized while stroking her hair. She shivered.
"......!!"
She jolted in surprise and slipped away. It was as nimble as a squirrel.
"Hua, hu... This is bad, doing it so suddenly...!!"
"Should I stop?"
"No, I'm still mad...!!"
"...?"
I gave her a confused look, and she averted her gaze, face flushing hot.
She grabbed my arm, her face red as a persimmon, and said,
"...Pet me more. Might calm me down then."
"Alright."
I chuckled.
No other reason—just found her antics cute.
"Sure, as much as you want."
Stroke stroke—
I petted her hair. Not too fast, not too slow, with care.
"Tell me when you're over it. Still got time."
"Yes... Got it...."
Noah pressed her forehead to my chest and closed her eyes.
"Hmphmph...♬"
Seemed like her anger had melted away, but I kept stroking her soft hair. For quite a while.