Relaxed Finals: Chan-jun's Knuckler Takes Center Stage
Munhyeok High had poured every ounce of strength into their brutal battle against Hancheong High...
The long-awaited spring tournament finals.
Jongmyo Stadium, hosting the matchup between Munhyeok High and Gahyeon High.
This game had one stark difference from the previous ones. The fans streaming into the stadium looked far more relaxed.
"Phew! With Sejong Cup qualification locked in, I can finally breathe easy."
"Exactly! Just treat the finals like a bonus game!"
The spring tournament finals pitted teams that had already secured Sejong Cup berths against each other. It was the matchup that decided whether they'd land in a sweet bracket or a hellish one for the national tournament two months later.
A must-win for title contenders.
In stark contrast to Gahyeon High fans who had come screaming that they had to win, Munhyeok High supporters weren't obsessed with victory.
"It's okay if we lose, right? Making the Sejong Cup is miracle enough."
"As long as they don't half-ass it, I'll cheer till the end!"
The students had switched to pure enjoyment mode.
They'd love a win, sure—but they weren't clinging to it.
The high school baseball gallery, where watching pro games over dinner was daily routine, didn't rate Munhyeok High's chances highly either.
"Tsk, Seong-muk. What're our odds, you think?"
Myeong Sinu, the coach stroking his chin, asked.
Seong-muk, scratching his head beside him, pondered briefly before answering.
"Depends on how well Chan-jun hyung pitches. If he holds 'em to 5 runs or less over 7 innings, we're in good shape."
"Innings matter more than runs right now, and Gahyeon High's lineup ain't a joke either... Game's over if Dong-hyeok has to eat extra frames."
"Yeah. Heard they brought in a knuckler for special training. Wonder how long they can hang with Chan-jun hyung's lightning knuckle..."
"These ruthless bastards—do they really need to go that hard against us...?"
"Hoo, tell me about it."
Munhyeok High's coach and captain grumbled.
They griped that Gahyeon was taking it too seriously against them, but the school that had crushed prince Hancheong High wasn't about to get cocky. Gahyeon wasn't that dumb.
They'd even prepped thoroughly against patch-job starter Park Chan-jun, just in case. Munhyeok High was in for a grueling game.
"Hoo..."
Park Chan-jun, saddled with the heavy duty of finals starter. Debuting in the rotation for a game this big was nerve-wracking.
His teammates knew and tried to ease his burden.
"Hyung, just rear back and fire away, no pressure! Fire away...!!"
"Yeah, it's okay to lose this one! No one's blaming you!"
Park Chan-jun chuckled at their words.
He gazed at the stands with a serious expression.
"Nah, gotta give it everything. Someone precious is here today—I don't wanna lose."
"...Huh?"
"Someone precious?"
They thought family at first, but the answer was unexpected.
"Yeah, my girlfriend came."
"......!?!"
Munhyeok High's ultimate old man.
The tall pitcher with a receding hairline already sporting an M-shape had a girlfriend?
Everyone was floored.
They bolted from the dugout, frantically scanning the stands.
"Where, where is she!?"
"Chan-jun Ham's girlfriend? I gotta see or I'll die...!!"
As everyone buzzed, Park Chan-jun cautiously pointed.
There, a girl waved hello. Around 140cm tall, looking quite young.
"Her? For real...?"
"Chan-jun hyung, even for you, middle schooler's a bit...!"
Munhyeok High trembled at the nightmare of their starter getting arrested mid-game. Park Chan-jun sweated bullets, waving his hands.
"K-Kids! She looks young, but she's older than me...!!"
".........!?"
Stunned teammates.
Older than 20-year-old Park Chan-jun (who'd repeated a year) meant legal adult. No issues there.
'Chan-jun hyung's tastes are legal after all...!'
Enlightened on big bro's preferences, they nodded solemnly. Motivated by his refusal to lose, Munhyeok High resolved to go all out.
The stands were packed as always.
The spring finals kicked off in the jam-packed Jongmyo Stadium.
[Greetings from Jongmyo Stadium! Today it's Munhyeok High vs. Gahyeon High! We'll enjoy the Seoul Seed Group A Spring Tournament Finals together...!!]
[Top of the 1st starts with Munhyeok High batting! Let's check their lineup...!]
1. Choi Adam SS
2. Do Dojin 2B
3. Takahina Ryuji 3B
4. Geum Seong-muk RF
5. Seok Un-gang C
6. Ji Suyong CF
7. Lee Dong-hyeok DH
8. Seo Kyungsu LF
9. Lee Tae-kyung 1B
Starting Pitcher: Park Chan-jun
[Geum Seong-muk returns to the cleanup spot! Starting in right field today! Lee Dong-hyeok, usually RF, is DH!?]
[Yes, per coach Myeong Sinu pre-game, Dong-hyeok's beat up stamina-wise, so resting him on D today.]
Munhyeok High's leadoff hitter stepped in, and the game officially began.
"Play ball...!!"
"Hoo..."
Gahyeon High's #2 starter, Nam Sang-min, on the mound.
They'd burned their ace in the Sejong decider too.
Still, as a team praised for pitching depth, he was a solid #2 befitting a powerhouse high school.
'Munhyeok High got suffocated by Ryu Han-ul till the 8th last time.'
Maybe I can do the same.
Overconfidence bubbled up.
But he overlooked one thing: he wasn't Ryu Han-ul.
Crack!
[Oh, Choi Adam makes contact! Drops in front of left for a hit...!]
[Do Dojin's grounder splits 1B-2B! Runner Choi Adam rounds 2B to 3B...! No outs, runners on 1st and 3rd!]
The table-setters swung hot from the jump. Munhyeok High's offense didn't stop there.
Crack!
[Aah, Takahina Ryuji! Makes contact...!! It's going, going!!]
[Gone! Takahina Ryuji's three-run blast takes command!! Nam Sang-min's jaw drops!]
[Right on cue? Clean homer puts Munhyeok up 3-0!]
"Nice homer...!!"
"Kya, as expected of Ryuji hyung...!!"
Ryuji returned to the dugout amid cheers. Cleanup hitter Seong-muk added a single to keep momentum, but no more runs scored.
Park Chan-jun took the mound with solid early run support.
The broadcast camera zoomed on him. Once an unremarkable scrub, he now had the quirky appeal to draw eyes.
[Today's key is patch starter Park Chan-jun!]
[One of high school league's rare knuckleballers! Learned directly from Kirin High's Sergei Rasputin!]
[Yes, Sergei never taught anyone—but poured his heart into teaching Park Chan-jun!]
[Can starter Park Chan-jun bring victory to Munhyeok High today? We'll see...!!]
Gahyeon High batters entered the box poisoned with intent.
'No way we can't tee off on this no-name knuckler...!'
Pre-knuckleball, Park Chan-jun was trash-tier unworthy of mention. Post? He bled runs every outing.
Gahyeon planned to erase the deficit in one go and flip the game.
"Hoo."
Park Chan-jun dusted rosin, pushed up his glasses.
Seong-muk, curious, checked his stat screen from his position.
Park Chan-jun's Knuckleball: A-Grade
"...Oh?"
Seong-muk looked intrigued.
In the stands, Sergei grinned at Park Chan-jun on the mound.
"You are already a great knuckler, Chan-jun."
Park Chan-jun had soaked up Sergei's knuckle essence like a sponge. Ma Deok-su's personal coaching plus Rasputin secrets? Explosive growth.
His knuckleball stat? A solid A-grade.
"Hup...!"
First pitch from Park Chan-jun.
The ball wobbled wildly off his fingertips.
Erratic, unpredictable.
It danced into Seok Un-gang's mitt.
Thwack!
"Strike...!!"
"......!!"
Gahyeon High's leadoff, Jang Jin-hyeok, startled.
He shook his head hard, resetting.
'Lucky strike. I can hit this...!'
Whoosh!!
"Strike...!"
"Kuh!"
Whiff city.
Same on the next.
Whoosh!
"Strike three...!!"
Jang Jin-hyeok trudged back after three-and-out. Bewildered. Then it hit him.
'Dirtier than the practice knuckler we hired...!!'
Alarming his teammates. But results stayed the same.
Crack!
"Out...!"
Whoosh!
"Strike out...!!"
1st inning bottom: three up, three down.
Park Chan-jun descended the mound a bit dazed.
'Feeling sharp today...!'
Elated, he kept mowing down innings.
Crack!
"Out...!!"
Thwack!
"Ouut...!!"
[Bottom 4th scoreless too! Park Chan-jun dealing quality...!]
[Park Chan-jun's dancing knuckle has Gahyeon lost!!]
Park Chan-jun cruising cleanly. Meanwhile, Gahyeon starter Nam Sang-min bled hits every frame, gutting it out. No more runs, but shaky.
"Dangerous. Need to flip momentum."
Gahyeon wasn't sitting idle.
Coach Kim Ji-hwan gathered the team pre-bottom 5th.
"Knucklers are weak in the 3rd time through. Get on base any way—shake him...!"
"Yes sir!!"
Gahyeon unleashing 'Anti-Park Chan-jun' tactics.
It worked.
Thump!
[Jang Jin-hyeok surprise bunt...!! Rolls between pitcher and 3B! Park Chan-jun grabs late and throws...!!]
"Safe, safe...!!"
"Shoulda fielded it, sorry Chan-jun hyung."
"Nah, my throw was slow...!"
Ryuji and Park Chan-jun apologizing.
Anyway, speedy runner on 1st, one out to end inning—but that out proved tough.
[Jang Jin-hyeok to 2nd... safe! Slides in easy!]
Seok Un-gang's laser throw, but with the slow knuckle, even he couldn't nab the steal.
Runners distracting, battling hitters—disaster struck.
Crack!
".........!!"
[Ah! Yoo Jun-hee! Rips it! Deep fly! Over the wall...!!]
[Hanging slider? Park Chan-jun's shown nasty movement all day, but that was flat.]
"Wooooaaahhhh.........!!"
Gahyeon dugout erupted.
After early frustration, this breakthrough blast hit extra hard.
"Nice homer...!!"
"That's our Jun-hee!!"
Gahyeon dugout revived.
Score: 3-2.
Nipping at heels.
Baseball's a momentum game for a reason—Gahyeon pressed.
[Aah, #3 Kim Jong-pil! Drops in front of RF for hit!]
[#4 Ji Kyung-pil slices left-center...!! Two outs, 2nd & 3rd! Gahyeon relentless!]
Plunk!
"Take your base...!!"
Walk loads bases.
Gahyeon fans grew louder.
"Pitcher's trash...! Stand pat and it's a sweep!"
"Pull that scrub no-name!!"
"Th-Those...!!"
"Adam hyung! Hold it—rushing 'em looks bad...!"
"Kuh..."
Choi Adam bristled at the abuse.
Do Dojin barely held him back.
"Hoo..."
Immense pressure on the pitcher.
Gahyeon fans unleashing torrent of trash talk.
Mental shake-up throws off mechanics—resulting in a flat knuckle.
Crack!
"............!!"
Deep shot to right.
Stadium expected homer.
[It's deep, deep!! Right field wall! Right fielder...!!]
"Ah..."
Park Chan-jun hung his head.
But one refused to quit.
Thud-thud-thud...!
Seong-muk sprinting full tilt to the wall.
Judged the ball.
'Doable...!?'
Gone for sure.
But Jongmyo's low wall? Worth a shot.
"Hup...!!"
Wall-kicked leap at the fence.
Body floated up.
Smack-!!
"............!!"
Ball sucked into his glove.
Stands agape.
[Unbelievable grab...!! Geum Seong-muk robs the homer!!]
[#6 Kwon Il-yeong tosses helmet in agony! Grand slam turns to out...!!]
[Score holds 3-2! Munhyeok clings to lead, inning over!]
"Kraaah!! Seong-muk hyung, that's robbery for the ages...!!"
"Kid, overkill."
Ji Suyong hyped returning to dugout.
Stands chanted Seong-muk's name.
"Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk...!!"
Seong-muk basked in cheers, high-fiving teammates.
"Seong-muk, nice play...!"
"Hyung, just doing my job."
Clack!
Fist-bumped Park Chan-jun too.
As he headed to bullpen, Seong-muk gathered the hitters.
"Guys."
"...?"
Seong-muk seizing the moment.
He only rallied like this for good reason. Same here.
"Big bro got lit up—we can't just sit."
'Lit up' meant Gahyeon bats and their fans roasting Chan-jun.
Every fielder felt it.
Choi Adam led; teammates' eyes blazed.
"Hell no, these Gahyeon pricks. Today's your funeral."
"...Amitabha, that got me heated too."
"Chan-jun hyung's tastes might be risky, but what a guy...!!"
Kindling tossed—teammates' rage gauge maxed.
Mission accomplished, Seong-muk grinned.
"Alright, let's go smash Gahyeon...!!"
"Ooo...!!"
Top 6th, spring finals.
Munhyeok High batters' eyes burned hotter than ever.