Seoul's New Throne
“Alright, let's go! Time to smash Gahyeon High…!!”
“Ooooh…!!”
The Munhyeok High batters strode to the plate with heads held high. And just like that, they started spewing fire from their bats.
Crack!!
Score: 7-2.
Led by back-to-back homers from Ryuji and Seok Un-gang with their Dragon Blood and Demon Victory activated, Munhyeok High's lineup unleashed a storm. They swiftly knocked Gahyeon High's second starter, Nam Sang-min, out of the game.
With the score suddenly ballooned to a five-run lead, Gahyeon High had taken a hit, but their vibe was still "we can do this."
If they could claw back those five runs before closer Ri Donghyeok took the mound, they could still win—that was the sentiment.
"Damn it, let's score some more. Gahyeon High…!!"
"We can put up five runs too! That guy's just a one-tool knuckler with no foundation!"
But Gahyeon High's hopes were betrayed.
Buoyed by his fired-up teammates, Park Chan-jun had regained his stuff.
Thwack!
“Out…!!”
Thump!
“Out…!!”
Crack!
“Out…!!”
Their balls just skittered along the ground endlessly, lighting up only the bright red lights on the scoreboard.
While Gahyeon High failed to score off Park Chan-jun, Munhyeok High's bats exploded again.
Crack!
Crack!!
Plop-!
This was supposed to be the finals, but the scales had tipped decisively into a blowout. The Munhyeok High hitters found the situation downright bizarre.
'These guys are going to Sejong Tournament too, right…?'
'…This is way too easy.'
The players couldn't hide their bewilderment.
Seong-muk grinned at his teammates.
'We just beat a national Top 5 school. Of course it's gonna be easy.'
The so-called sandbag effect.
Gahyeon High wasn't weak, but after toppling Seoul's strongest, Hancheong High, nothing could stop them now.
Ryuji stepped up with a golden opportunity.
Seong-muk grabbed him on his way to the plate.
“Hey, Ryuji.”
“What?”
“Lemme get a piece too. I'm starving.”
“……….”
Ryuji clamped his mouth shut.
Every at-bat with runners on, Ryuji had homered, leaving Seong-muk without RBIs. Ryuji smirked back.
“Nah, no thanks~”
Crack!
“Tastes good hogging 'em all?”
“Yeah, damn good.”
Clap…!!
Seong-muk high-fived Ryuji as he crossed home.
The best bros naturally started ribbing each other.
“Seong-muk, third spot's a honey hole. Just flick the bat and RBIs pile up. Shoulda taken it myself sooner.”
“You flailed every chance 'til Sejong qualifiers, now the bat's on fire? How 'bout we rename you Takahina Stchiro?”
“……….”
“……….”
The two glared wordlessly for a moment.
“…Pffft!”
“Puhaha…!!”
Then laughter erupted.
Their banter, tense enough to raise hairs just watching, always ended like this.
Anyway, the score was now 11-2.
Park Chan-jun took the mound again and dug deep.
Plop-!
“Strike three…!”
Park Chan-jun safely navigated through seven innings on 98 pitches. His performance had already shattered all expectations.
No one would complain if he rested now.
"Donghyeok, warm up."
"Yes, got it."
Ri Donghyeok headed to the bullpen on the coach's order. But Park Chan-jun grabbed his arm.
“Comrade Park Chan-jun?”
"Donghyeok, let me finish this one."
“………!?”
"You've worked hard. Take a breather this game."
“…Comrade Chan-jun.”
Everyone thought of Geum Seong-muk first for two-way play, but Ri Donghyeok was pulling double duty too.
Starting right field every game and closing wasn't easy. He'd just done it quietly for the team.
Donghyeok and Chan-jun glanced at coach Myeong Sinu. The coach nodded.
"Approved. I trust comrade Park Chan-jun."
Donghyeok sat back down, convinced. This game was now all on Park Chan-jun.
After the top of the eighth, Park Chan-jun climbed the mound again. The broadcasters were stunned.
Contrary to the analysts' concerns, Park Chan-jun was composed.
Crack!
“Out…!!”
Center fly for the side-retiring third out.
He shut down the bottom of the eighth cleanly.
Munhyeok High got one last regular-inning chance in the top of the ninth. Seong-muk gritted his teeth. Ryuji had runners on second and third again—a total honey spot.
“Driving me nuts, man. Just eat 'em all yourself.”
“Heh, gotta have days like this. Be real—you stole all Un-gang's RBIs back in the day too.”
“Ahem…”
Un-gang, listening behind, nodded quietly in agreement.
Ryuji trotted to the plate beaming.
He didn't forget to troll Seong-muk.
“Gonna grab my 10th RBI, watch me…!”
But did karma exist?
Ryuji got no more chances for RBIs.
“Bases on balls…!!”
“…Huh?”
Straight intentional walk.
Gahyeon High chose to pitch to Seong-muk instead.
Even in a lost cause, another homer would dent team pride—that was their call.
4-for-3 today, all singles.
Seong-muk hadn't expected them to walk the guy ahead of him.
He looked pissed on the outside, but inside, he was cheering.
'Yeah, now that's the runner pile-up for clearing the fence.'
Hajun from the orphanage was probably watching. He'd promised the kid a big one.
Gahyeon High's fifth pitcher: Kim Shin-yong.
Even with Solar Divine Vein active, this guy barely stirred anything below the belt.
“Hup…!”
The pitcher fired the first pitch.
Seong-muk's bat whipped without hesitation.
Crack!
“Whew, that's the taste.”
Seong-muk, brimming with certainty.
He tossed his bat sky-high and started his slow trot.
“Woooaaah…!!”
“Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk! Geum Seong-muk…!!”
Another homer for Seong-muk today.
When you thought he was quiet, boom—another bomb.
True to Munhyeok High's star, the reaction was electric. The lineup he ignited didn't stop easily.
Ji Suyong homered too, and the bottom hit safely to push it to 17-2.
Gahyeon High's stands had turned into a library; half had already left.
Munhyeok High's side? Pure frenzy. They'd expected fatigue from the patchwork starter, but dominating felt like a festival.
In this blowout, Park Chan-jun prepared to take the mound again.
His right arm was already swollen.
Teammates fretted, but he just smiled steadily.
“Urgh, Chan-jun ham. Your arm…!”
Like Luffy seeing Shanks lose an arm to Sea King—giving teammates rest, his back to the ninth mound radiated something holy.
'This spot's also goodbye to my old self.'
Street trash who learned nothing proper.
A reject pitcher no team wanted.
Time to bury that past clean and reborn as Munhyeok High's knuckler, Park Chan-jun. To do that, he wanted to finish this game solo.
“Hoo, haa…”
Park Chan-jun huffed ragged breaths.
Gahyeon High was pissed.
“Damn, they're looking down on us…!”
“Can't win, but we'll drag that guy down!!”
Losing 2-17 after underestimating, then gifting a complete game? A scratch on prestigious Gahyeon High's pride. They stepped up fuming.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
“Hoo, hoo…”
One out, runners on first and third.
Pitch count: 123.
Munhyeok High's bullpen? Still empty.
No intention of pulling him.
"Let's see how long you sit still."
Cleanup hitter Ji Kyung-pil stepped up, eyes blazing. Park Chan-jun's count neared the limit.
'Even they can't go 130. Gotta pull him.'
If he scored here and ran up the count, Ri Donghyeok would enter—that was Ji's thinking.
He battled to a full count.
The moment of truth: final pitch.
The last ball flew from Park Chan-jun's hand.
Toward it, Sergei in the stands murmured low.
“…Perfect.”
Crack!
“Waaaah……!!”
Munhyeok High wins.
Park Chan-jun spread his arms wide in victory.
The championship-clinching moment—teammates rushed the mound.
“Waaaah!! Uwaaaah!!”
“Nice, Chan-jun ham…!!”
“Champions! Champions…!!”
The players were over the moon, more than ever.
Just weeks ago, most were street scraps. Conquering a region felt unreal.
'Whoa, didn't know hyung had this in him.'
Seong-muk's stellar defense helped, but without Park Chan-jun's quality stuff after, momentum might've flipped early.
'Though we'd have won anyway.'
Today showcased Munhyeok High's lineup potential. Do that at Sejong, and no one's scary.
A bright vision filled Seong-muk's mind. Two months to Sejong. He smirked with conviction.
'…Time to conquer, the nation.'
Whoosh-!
Wind tousled Seong-muk's bangs as he gazed skyward, resolve firm. Teammates called.
“Hyung Seong-muk, photo time…!”
“OK, coming!”
Seong-muk dashed over.
The placard screamed ‘Munhyeok High Spring Champions!!’ in huge letters.
He tried sidling to the edge—got glares.
“Heh, what kinda captain stands there?”
“Yeah dude, no showboating—center.”
“…Tch.”
Seong-muk took dead center.
Munhyeok High grinned and posed.
“OK, say cheese. One, two…!!”
Flash!
No Bukhan ending here.
Sejong qualifiers conquered, now spring finals too.
Munhyeok High had no plans to stop.
Not until they showed the nation their might!