The Legend's One-Point Lesson
Paang!
Pang!!
The sharp cracks of balls slamming into the nets echoed through Deoks u Pitching Field. Me, Ri Donghyeok, Hassan, and Park Chan-jun—the four of us—stood at our respective lanes, firing pitches with all our might.
“Hup…!!”
Perung!
“Hah!!”
Paang-!!
“……”
Off in the distance, Grandpa Ma Deok-su sat in a rocking chair, flipping through his newspaper like he couldn't care less.
But I knew better.
He was pretending not to care, but he kept stealing glances our way.
'Yeah, it's about that time for the old man's itch to kick in.'
A bunch of raw rookies who hadn't fully ripened yet were chucking balls everywhere. No way that stubborn old codger could hold out for long.
Even when I trained alone, he'd broken his own principles to pass down the circle changeup.
Chyararak!!
“Geum Seong-muk, you little bastard…. I was finally back home trying to rest easy.”
He folded his newspaper with a sharp snap and stood up. Then he strode off—straight toward Hassan's back.
“Hassan, you punk…!!”
“Y-Yes…!?”
“What kind of man throws with no fire in his gut? If you're gonna pitch like that, cut your balls off, kid…!”
“Hut…!!”
Hassan jumped in surprise.
The old man's tone was harsh, but since it hit on a problem Hassan was already aware of, he took it seriously.
Hassan had no idea who this grandpa was. But Seong-muk's cryptic words had stuck with him, and in his current frustrated state, he was desperate for any advice. So he asked politely.
“Grandpa, what should I do…?”
“First, fix that rotten mindset of yours. But that's not something you change overnight. Let me see….”
He seemed to ponder for a moment, then grabbed Hassan's fingers around the baseball. He kneaded them this way and that, testing various grips.
“Hmm, fingers aren't long enough—scrap that. This one takes too long—rejected, rejected, rejected…!!”
“Gr-Grandpa…!?”
“Perfect, this is it!!”
Grandpa Ma Deok-su released his hand with a satisfied grin. What he'd shaped on Hassan's palm was the two-seam grip.
“Grandpa, this is…?”
“Throw it just like that.”
With those words, he clasped his hands behind his back and stepped away a few paces. Hassan looked dazed but went into his windup and let it fly.
Shyurik!!
The ball whipped out like a ferocious wave crashing forward. Hassan stared in shock at the pitch that had come from his own fingers.
“Th-This…!!”
“What're you doing? Gonna forget it already after I just taught you? Keep throwing till it's muscle memory…!!”
“Yes, sir!!”
Hassan gripped it exactly as instructed and fired away. A smile crept onto his face for the first time since that disastrous game against Daegwallyeong High, where he'd given up four homers and eight runs.
'Heh, kid's pumped.'
What Hassan was throwing now wasn't a standard two-seamer. It looked like Grandpa had tweaked it to make it beginner-friendly.
And yet it still packed that much punch. The legend's guidance was on another level. With all that experience plus the system's buffs, the way players absorbed it was just different.
'Two-seamer—one of Grandpa Ma Deok-su's signature weapons. If Hassan masters this….'
It'd be a huge boost for a guy whose arsenal was limited to a straight fastball and splitter. I'd thought he needed a solid third pitch.
And here Grandpa was, delivering it right on cue. Couldn't ask for better.
Once he learned this two-seamer was a legend pitcher's go-to, he'd probably flip out.
“Alright, next up—you there. Chan-jun!”
“…Ah, yes, sir!!”
Park Chan-jun, who hadn't even realized he was being called and had been spacing out, raised his hand. Grandpa Ma Deok-su looked pretty pissed as he spoke.
“You eat your age out your ass or what…!!? A guy pushing thirty with a delivery like that!!?”
“…Grandpa.”
“What, punk!”
“You might not think so, but I'm twenty….”
“……What!?”
Grandpa Ma Deok-su jumped in shock.
With that round build, bushy mustache, and receding M-shaped hairline in full swing, yeah, it was an easy mistake.
'Come on, Grandpa. Why would I drag a thirty-year-old dude here in the first place….'
That was zero prejudice.
“Ahem…!”
Grandpa suddenly looked sheepish.
His voice softened in a flash as he switched gears.
“Saw you've weathered a lot of storms for a young buck…? Anyway, you're not a total trash pitcher. Finding your zero point with some street-dog mutt form like that? Worth a nod.”
“Cough…!”
Park Chan-jun spat blood at the backhanded compliment—or was it a fact bomb? Grandpa's real coaching was just getting started.
“Your form doesn't need much tweaking. Synergizes great with the knuckleball. Balance is already decent.”
“Oh…!?”
“Listen to the end, kid! One thing you gotta fix—no matter what—is your upper and lower body playing separately. You're not transferring power to the ball at all. Think knucklers don't need velocity? That's the kinda crap idiots who don't know jack about baseball spew.”
“Ah…!”
Park Chan-jun nodded right away, like he'd been aware of the issue.
Grandpa snorted and latched onto him, ready to fine-tune his pitching for real.
“Upper body's lunging first—no wonder the power ain't there. Your engine's here, in that plump ass of yours.”
Smack!
“…!”
Ew, Grandpa.
Warn a guy before the visual assault…!
“Ass rotates, hips follow, upper body whips around like a lash. Push that butt toward the plate hard—like you're driving it in. Try it.”
“L-Like this…?”
Paang!
“Hm, way better. Now upper body. From here on, imagine this: I'm not throwing a ball—I'm pushing a wall.”
“Pushing a wall…?”
“Think your whole body's shoving an invisible wall toward home plate. Kick off the ground with your back leg, send your body forward with that power, and let your arm follow like an afterthought. Easy.”
“…I'll give it a shot!”
Paang!
“You thick-headed bastard, what'd you take my words for…!!”
“Hep…!!”
Grandpa roasted Park Chan-jun hard. After about fifty pitches, Chan-jun ham seemed to get the feel.
“Tch, finally usable. Don't forget what I taught you today. I hate repeating myself more than anything.”
“Yes, sir! Thank you for the lesson…!!”
Park Chan-jun bowed at right angles repeatedly. Grandpa pretended not to care, but his lips twitched up in satisfaction.
“Impressive. As expected of Ma Deok-su.”
“…Gah, you scared me!”
A familiar voice from behind. It was our team's starting catcher, Seok Un-gang. He'd heard about us and come to help with training.
“Ma… Ma Deok-su…?”
Ri Donghyeok, who'd been watching Park Chan-jun's lesson beside me, blurted in shock.
“That old man's the legendary Busan Cups pitcher, Ma Deok-su?”
“Yes. I didn't recognize him at first, but it's definitely him. Isn't it, Geum Seong-muk si ju?”
“…Do Buddhists learn X-ray vision or something?”
Did he have eyes from some deity?
When I asked his secret, Un-gang explained casually.
“Shaolin gets crappy internet. We build knowledge by rewatching old game footage daily. Ma Deok-su's clips were so educational, I must've seen them hundreds of times. He's aged, but not much changed. So I knew.”
“……….”
What the hell was Shaolin like?
No internet, looping the same vids hundreds of times? That was Marine-level hell training.
“Now I know Geum Seong-muk si ju's secret too. That circle changeup that beat me and dragged me into the world—it came from Ma Deok-su.”
“Yeah, without it, I'd have lost.”
“I owe Ma Deok-su my thanks. Thanks to him, I met great teammates like these.”
“…Heh.”
The guy sure knew how to talk pretty.
Seok Un-gang glanced slyly at Ri Donghyeok, his face turning serious.
“Ri Donghyeok si ju, why not ask for some guidance? Your sinker improved tons after Daegwallyeong—maybe more growth potential?”
“…No, my 'People's Sinker' is the Ri family secret technique. I won't take advice from anyone—can't.”
“Hey, what're you on about….”
Ri Donghyeok suddenly got stubborn.
I was about to chew him out for being cocky, but it was a flexible kind of stubbornness.
“But for other pitches? I'm ready to bow and beg for lessons anytime.”
With that, he shot forward.
He bowed deeply.
“Elder, could you teach me too?”
“You sure? Mess with you wrong, and it could all go to hell. Better stay content.”
Grandpa snorted.
But Ri Donghyeok's eyes burned with ambition.
“I have foes I must beat. Teach me—I swear I'll make it mine.”
“Hmmm.”
“Even if it fails and throws me off, I won't blame you.”
The “foes he must beat” were probably his brothers, Kim Jung-hong and Kim Jung-cheol.
If he ended up on a Korean pro team someday, he'd face them plenty. No wonder the desperation.
Did that fire appeal to him?
Grandpa clapped Ri Donghyeok's shoulder with a pleased look.
“Tsk tsk, a real man needs that hunger…!”
Like with Hassan, he fiddled with Ri Donghyeok's fingers, testing grips.
Ri Donghyeok stared at the result, looking stunned.
“…Just throw it like this?”
“Doubting me? Fine, forget it. I ain't lacking.”
“…No, sorry.”
Ri Donghyeok took a deep breath and set up. Seok Un-gang stepped forward to catch.
“Hup…!!”
The ball flew.
Everyone here widened their eyes in shock.
Whook!!
“………!!”
Seok Un-gang nearly dropped it from the sudden break. That wasn't like him.
“Wh-What was that…!?”
“It popped up?!”
A completely new pitch from Ri Donghyeok—one we'd never seen.
The upshoot, a pitch a certain Korean submariner dominated MLB with, had just debuted.
“……….”
Even the thrower looked shocked.
He kept firing, slowly making it his own.
Whook!!
Straight like a fastball—then it surged up like a viper bursting from the earth.
“How does such a simple tip produce a pitch like that….”
“Tsk tsk, looks good now 'cause I'm guiding you. Real games? Long way off. Work hard.”
“Thank you, Elder. Truly impressed.”
“Yeah.”
Ri Donghyeok bowed deeply.
Now it was my turn to pitch my case.
“…Grandpa Ma Deok-su.”
“What, punk.”
“Have a drink.”
My bribe, snuck from the bathroom run earlier: Sol's Eye, the soda old folks lose their minds over.
“Hm, not bad sense.”
Gulp, gulp…!
He downed it with a satisfied face.
Last time I trained solo here, I'd seen empty Sol's Eye cans in his trash.
Time to lay the bait.
“Grandpa, teach me a new pitch too. Something killer….”
Kang!!
“Kek…!”
Whacked with a switch for nothing.
Ow, so unfair.
I even brought a bribe…!!
“You cheeky shit, can't even handle the circle changeup I gave you, and you want new? Trying to burst this old man's veins!”
“Ngh….”
No comeback.
The circle changeup was still A-grade, same as when he'd taught me.
“Grandpa, any sharp ideas?”
“Nope.”
“Pardon…?”?
“You've mastered it enough—time to leave my hands. To go further, find your own feel.”
“……!!”
My eyes flashed open.
Maybe he tossed it casually, but my view suddenly widened.
'…Maybe I've been leaning too hard on the game system.'
The game exaggerated reality in places, and there were ways to squeeze honey from those gaps.
Plus, with the cheat skill Solar Divine Vein, I'd gotten stuck there.
'The essence of pitching…?'
Like a sculptor chiseling himself—for more speed, sharper breaks, pinpoint control.
“Hoo….”
I cleared the system from my mind.
Back to imaging the old me.
The me who ruled MLB varied even changeups wildly.
'Loosen up a bit more.'
Perung!!
'Lock the wrist at release.'
Perung…!!
'Deeper grip this time…!'
Perung!!
Suddenly, nothing around me registered. Only the catcher's mitt in front. I just kept throwing.
Perung!
Pung!!
Perung-!
How much time passed?
A system chime in my head snapped me back.
Circle Changeup stat strengthened from A to A+!
“…Good shot.”
The thrill of growth hit different.
No system reliance—this pure rush was new.
#####
Dark night.
I left Deoks u Pitching Field, walking alone.
The others headed to the dorms—except Park Chan-jun, who'd split off earlier.
“…Whew, today's training was packed.”
All the pitchers gained big.
Even my stalled circle changeup broke through. Sure, S-grade and up didn't boost via Solar Divine Vein, but I could pump other stats.
'Gotta ask tomorrow if he can coach Hancheong High for a day.'
His presence alone would help the pitchers tons. They'd follow him anywhere now, even crawl like dogs without question.
'Busy tomorrow. Soon as the Hancheong report hits, grind it….'
Thud!
“…Ugh!”
“Kyaa…!!”
Lost in thought, I bumped into someone. A woman's startled squeak followed. Familiar voice?
“Olivia…!?”
“S-Seong-muk?”
Olivia jumped, face flushed.
Groceries she'd carried spilled everywhere. The huge load must've blocked her view.
“These for my lunchbox?”
“Y-Yeah….”
She nodded, eyes darting away. Desperately avoiding mine?
'Now that I think, we haven't properly talked lately.'
Feels like ages since we shared a real meal or chat as friends. I scooped up the ingredients quick and asked.
“Olivia, got time?”
“Y-Yes…!?”
She startled, then nodded hesitantly.
“Wanna talk a bit?”
“Where?”
“……Hm.”
Didn't think that far.
I scanned nearby and pointed.
“That playground?”
Second-guessed it, but she nodded shyly.
“Sure.”
She trotted over, plopped on a swing. Looked thrilled, like a kid again.
“Olivia, you can make that face too.”
“…Teasing me?”
“Nah, just surprised.”
“Sit next to me, Seong-muk.”
“Yeah, let's relive some childhood memories.”
I set the groceries on the bench and took the swing beside her.
“Moon's pretty.”
“Sure is.”
A nice breeze blew.
We gazed at the round moon and talked plenty.
All in all, a damn good day.