VS Busan High [1]
"Alright, I'll announce today's roster now."
1. Heo Kangmin (3B)
2. Lee Hyunbin (RF)
3. Yang Uijin (C)
4. Lee Surin (CF)
5. Lee Seojun (DH)
6. Lee Yuta (2B)
7. Jeong Jiman (LF)
8. Oh Hanil (1B)
9. Oh Jihun (SS)
Oh, my spot in the lineup moved up one place?
The original batting order had me in the sixth spot. Now I was a full-fledged member of the cleanup trio sandwiched between Yang Uijin and Lee Surin. The thought made my chest swell with pride.
"Also, through my personal connections I learned that the opposing starting pitcher, Jo Seonghu, is a left-handed overhand pitcher. He's got nothing but his fastball. If it looks like a fast one coming, just swing away. That's the intel."
Hmm… he's putting that information to good use.
Two coaches I hadn't seen last time now stood beside Coach Kim.
"Ah, these are the new coaches. Both of them are top-tier coaches who played in the same era as me."
"Take good care of us, kids."
Two coaches still feels a little short.
The two new additions were the first and third base coaches who would help with our baserunning. The previous pitching coach had been promoted to manager of the second team. These two would assist with defense, hitting, and pitching staff training. For Haneul High's second team—which had been running chaotically without a proper manager—this was fantastic news.
"Whew, that's a relief. Taehun will have to do well over there."
"Ah, you mean the kid who got picked on by that Kim Taekyung guy?"
"Yeah. He said he wanted to take a starting spot, so I was giving him some basic pointers… but it seems Kim Taekyung didn't like the look of it. Thanks to you, he's gained some confidence now. His ultimate goal is to form a battery with you."
When I turned my head, I saw a player waving back at Yang Uijin, who was greeting him with a big smile.
Submarine (L)
When throwing underhand, pitch power and strikeout rate increase.
Decisive Pitch (E)
In 2-strike counts, using the selected pitch type increases rate of inducing weak contact or strikeouts.
(Currently set pitch type: Sinker)
Field Command (R)
When on the mound, slightly increases defensive ability of fielders.
Wait a second. What the hell is this?
Why was it saying catcher? The system window clearly listed him as a closer. Yet it said catcher?
"Uijin, sorry to bother you… but could you ask Coach if we can get Jeong Taehun on the mound?"
"Huh? He's still terrible as a catcher… Wait. Before that. Are you saying Taehun is a better catcher than me…"
"No, as a pitcher."
"......? No, Taehun can't throw overhand properly. That's why his position kept getting pushed back until he ended up as catcher…"
"I bet Kim Sihu's glove on it. That kid will throw better than most of Haneul High's pitchers. Just trust me."
Before Yang Uijin could say anything else, I walked slowly toward the second-team seating area…
"Uh… hello?"
"Jeong Taehun. Mound. Now. Urgent."
I grabbed him and dragged him straight up to the mound.
...
...
Meanwhile, on the mound.
-THWACK!
".....Very nice."
Instead of his usual motion, Jeong Taehun copied the short but distinctive Randy Johnson-style delivery that Lee Seojun had shown him. Kim Sihu instinctively felt that this form suited him perfectly.
"I thought he'd throw left-handed. I figured he'd say something crazy like 'just throw right-handed and watch the video in reverse,' but… still impressive."
The kid was clearly a three-quarter guy, yet even throwing from the side his velocity reached the 150 km/h range.
"If it's Lee Seojun… we could go to the Devils together and win the championship…"
The moment he started to truly feel like he could fulfill his grandfather's dream…
"Hey, Kim Sihu, move."
"What the— I still have five more practice pitches…"
"Just get out of the way. I need to show Coach this kid's pitching right now."
It was an openly rude tone, but for some reason it didn't trigger the same instinctive disgust he felt when kids from Haneul Middle used to pick fights with him.
"......I'm only moving because you taught me a new delivery."
"Yeah, thanks. I'll teach you another pitch type later."
Even though he'd been unilaterally chased off the mound… Kim Sihu had already acknowledged Lee Seojun as both his rival and a comrade who would go with him from Haneul High all the way to the Devils.
"Uhh… Seojun, is it really okay for me to throw like this?"
"Yeah. If you throw exactly how I tell you, you can become the best sinkerball pitcher in the country. You memorized the grip, right?"
"B-but I can't throw overhand properly, so…"
"Exactly. So throw it low like I showed you earlier. Even lower than Kim Byung-hyun. Low enough that you could say it's kissing the ground. Can you do it?"
Lee Seojun himself was too focused on the second-year kid in front of him to notice, but…
...
...
Yang Uijin, crouched behind the plate, had definitely noticed.
-THWACK!
[141km/h]
The pitch Jeong Taehun just showed them was far more effective than anyone could have imagined.
"W-whoa… it really flew straight into the mitt."
"What the— underhand?! When the hell did he learn that…"
"I told you the kid had talent."
"5252 Lee Seojun! What kind of eye for talent is that!"
When Yang Uijin grabbed my shoulders and shook me, it was exactly as dizzying as I'd expected. Coach Kim's expression clearly read 'Why didn't I discover a talent like this sooner?' After Yang Uijin and I gave him a quick pitch, Coach Kim seemed to acknowledge the potential Jeong Taehun had shown.
"Good. We've added one more to our winning bullpen."
"R-really? I'm a starting player for Haneul High?"
"That's right, Taehun. It's a manager's job to draw out a player's true talent. I'm sorry I couldn't see yours. And… Lee Seojun, thank you. Because of you, one player's career has completely changed."
"......It was only possible because Taehun never gave up and kept working hard."
"Yes, you're a fine player. You can be proud of yourself, Taehun."
"Th-thank you…! I'll work my hardest!!"
Jeong Taehun gripped Coach Kim's hand, tears of joy streaming down his face. After rotting away in the second team his entire life, he must have stood at a crossroads—wondering whether he should quit or keep suffering.
You're official now.
Before Haneul High's bullpen could set the game on fire, you become the firefighter. Even if Kim Sihu collapses, fill that spot perfectly.
And so, along with the newly discovered potential of Jeong Taehun, Coach Kim's leadership began to change.
"Lee Seojun will start. He'll go until the fifth, then Jeong Taehun will take the sixth."
A shocking roster decision.
It's just a practice game anyway… Now that he's found the possibility, he wants to show it off.
The starting pitchers were bound to protest strongly. Their positions were already precarious because of me and Kim Sihu. Now some fresh-faced second-year kid had suddenly taken a starting spot.
But I believe in him.
That kid has talent. An incredible amount of it. He possesses a Legendary-grade skill, an Epic, and a Rare. He might even be on the same level as—or possibly above—Yang Uijin, who hasn't yet awakened his Historic-grade skill, Captain (H).
Haneul High's original weakness was the pitching staff. The current pitchers knew all too well the nickname "Haneul High's hole." Would they get pushed out by the new rookie, or would they show the power of experience and stubbornly defend their spots in the rotation?
The result was up to them.
...
...
Right after the players finished shaking hands and the game was about to begin…
"Huh? You're…"
"Yeah, we've met before, right?"
I ran into An Seongho.
"I knew you hit like a monster… but I didn't realize you were from Haneul High. And that captain's armband—you're way more impressive than I thought."
An Seongho had spotted the white wings on my black away uniform and roughly figured out my position.
"Let's have a good game. I hope it doesn't end up being boring."
Since we were the away team, we batted first. The starter was obviously Jo Seonghu. As he took the mound, I could see Busan citizens filling the stands.
…More than I expected?
It was the off-season on a Sunday morning. Even though it was just a high school game, it seemed plenty enough to get the people of Busan moving. Thanks to the Busan citizens who showed up in addition to the players' parents, they hadn't filled the outfield completely, but it looked like about two-fifths of a sellout crowd.
I had nothing to do back in the dugout, so I was blankly staring at the sky when I heard a woman's voice. When I turned toward it…
"Everyone, hello hello~?"
"Play ball!"
"Oh, the game's starting. The batter is Heo Kangmin? Anyway, Haneul High's big slugger… wait a second?! First pitch?! It's going all the way to the wall?!"
Top of the first. Haneul High : Busan High 1 : 0
It was already starting to show. A cold game.