The Secret Weapon's Frustration

"Wow, we won.... Even though it's the second string... we beat Haneul High!"

From the stands, a very excited Kang Ayul ran toward Lee Taehyun. She jumped straight into his arms.

To think he'd throw away a girl like that. Lee Taehyun, you son of a bitch....

Seeing a scene like this made the original novel's ending feel even more repulsive.

She had worked tirelessly, running around to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠secure every single game, managed Lee Taehyun's condition, and possessed analytical skills on par with Epinel, yet she stayed at Daeji High until the end to support him. But..... I knew exactly how their story ended.

.....Since Kim Sihu has changed from the original story, I'll try giving them a chance.

If he received the opportunity but still threw it away....... I'd just have to punish him.

"Ah, they're not gone yet! Taehyun, over here!"

As I was returning with Epinel, grinning at the thought of teasing Kim Sihu's crew, Kang Ayul appeared leading the Daeji High team members.

"Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have had a catcher until Senior Younghoon arrived."

"It's no big deal. Why make such a fuss over this?"

Along with Kang Ayul's greeting, the Daeji High members offered their thanks.

Most of it was words of gratitude, but there were a few players whose mindsets made it clear why they had quit baseball.

The number who will survive from among them........

Unfortunately, most of the students who played in this game wouldn't become starters for Daeji High.

Upon hearing the news that Daeji had beaten Haneul High's second team, the students who couldn't seize opportunities and were discarded all flocked to Daeji.... The kids who had quit baseball and started again had no chance of overcoming the desperate tenacity of students hungry for a shot.

And there were quite a lot of those so-called group project villains joining Daeji as well.....

But how on earth did Haneul High lose to a team like that?

The ones who survive..... are those three.

Only catcher Choi Younghoon, first baseman Lee Jungho, and second baseman Park Minhu.

The rest would all be pushed out in the starting lineup competition and shoved onto the bench.

In their first year without incoming freshmen, they might get some chances, but.......

The moment Coach Ryu Eunseong arrives, they're all discarded.

It would be truly cruel for the kids who had banded together with the hope of reclaiming their dream as baseball players..... but Lee Taehyun intensely desired to advance to the national tournament through weekend league victories.

The moment when, facing criticism from the discarded members, Lee Taehyun announced their withdrawal...... would be harrowing.

The kids abandoned by the baseball club joining forces to crush the nation's elite teams and win the championship. People often called this romantic, but...... unfortunately, such things didn't exist in reality.

In the professional world, the outstanding naturally rose to the top, while the inadequate were weeded out and fell.

......I absolutely won't be left behind.

I resolved firmly that this moment would be my first defeat in the Cheonji Tournament—and my last.

"Then I'll be on my way. The kids are all leaving too."

Kim Sihu's group gestured as if to say hurry up and follow.

Even though they lost, they had scored a massive number of runs, and it was partly due to pride that the game had even happened, but.... the batting cage was large enough that there wouldn't be much issue with Daeji's baseball team and Haneul High's second team sharing it.

"Wait, can I ask your name?"

The moment I turned around holding Epinel's hand, Lee Taehyun suddenly asked for my name.

.....Should I answer him?

It was quite the disadvantage to let an opponent know my name, but......

"Lee Seojun. Haneul High's starter and...... the first-year captain for Haneul High's starters. That should be enough, right?"

In the cold reality, something like friendship burning like a small matchstick. Wasn't it rather romantic?

"Let's go, Epinel."

"By the way, when did you get so good at catching too? With this, we won't have to worry about the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠catcher position being vacant after Senior Uijin graduates!"

Like that, after seeing Epinel and the bench players off on the bus... I was able to head home.

....No, I was about to head home.

"W-wait a second.... According to the information, he was only registered as a center fielder and pitcher..... but even though it's his first time putting on a catcher's mask, he has that kind of skill?!"

It's not my first time....

Don't yell so loud. I can hear you.

-Screeeech

"Hey, hold on—if I miss that bus I'll have to wait twenty minutes—!"

I'd better run fast. If I missed it, I'd fall victim to the devil of getting off work: a packed bus....!!

Meanwhile, Daeji High's group was in considerable shock from Kang Ayul's earlier statement.

"Is it normally possible for someone to be a catcher.... after just learning it briefly?"

"No, from what I saw from the stands..... that guy already had a perfectly completed stance. The nickname 'Haneul High's monster' must be true."

When Choi Younghoon answered Lee Taehyun's question that way, all of Daeji High was astonished.

"Then....."

"Yeah. He could probably play as an infielder too. He's essentially a crazy monster who can play any position."

"........"

"The fact that he willingly took the catcher spot might have been intentional. He could have used you as a tool to dampen the second team's momentum."

"If that's the case......."

"He toyed with Haneul High's second team—which possesses a level comparable to most high school first teams—like they were children. Moreover.... he perfectly analyzed that guy's tricky pitches, which are hard for even a decent catcher to handle, after seeing them only once, and led the game to the optimal outcome."

"To win the national tournament... we have to beat Haneul High's first team, where monsters like that are everywhere?"

Kang Ayul worried about how difficult the road ahead would be.

"Don't worry, Ayul. It might be a little tough, but.... if we combine our strength, we can win them all!"

"I'll do my best, but..... we can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only pray for good luck on that day."

Lee Taehyun tried hard to lift the atmosphere, but....... the Daeji baseball club, shocked by Choi Younghoon's words.

It was Daeji's first victory, but..... it wasn't exactly a refreshing day.

... ... ...

I didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bother explaining about the trolling Kim Sihu had done.

"You held an unauthorized match and lost on top of that?"

"W-well, he said we just needed one point......"

"Sigh, you guys need to start mental training from scratch again.....!"

This fact had already spread through Daeji officials and reached the ears of the second team coach.

-Smack!

"What are you doing? If you slither around like slugs, you'll rot in the second team for life!"

"Huaaaak!"

-Smack!

"Kwaaaaak!"

And the second team was annihilated by hellish fungo training using the soccer field of the Haneul High soccer team, which happened to be away.

Ah, what was I doing in the meantime?

"Hmm....... So, how does it feel to have stolen my form?"

"Hyung's form is sick."

-Boom!

"Kwaaaak, that hurts!"

"This is copyright infringement—!"

On Yang Uijin's face as he followed me, a flower of laughter was blooming.

He must have felt a sense of loss since Jeong Taehun, whom he planned to raise as his successor at catcher, had moved to closer. But with the appearance of a catcher named me, he was showing the rotten smile of a veteran who had encountered a newbie.

If that bench player hadn't mentioned that I led Lee Taehyun from behind the plate, I never would have had to wear the catcher's mask.

After that..... fungo, outfield defense, pitching practice, and catcher training.

If it weren't for the overall body durability enhancement effect of Iron Arm (H),..... I would have died from overwork a long time ago.

It was truly a hellish forced march.

"Oh, you endured even this. I guess I can make the next schedule even tougher....."

Coach Kim was gradually crossing the line.

If this continues, I'll die.....!

For the sake of survival, I had to make a bold move here.

"I already got the Seoul High coach's phone number as well (of course that's a lie)....."

Of course, from Coach Kim's perspective, it was a move that could cause an astronomical crisis.

"I'll make sure to keep the level at this from now on. So please don't say such scary things?"

Wow, Coach. Your change in attitude is truly professional level.

Today's training ended there. When I entered the club room and started icing with the ice pack that Epinel had prepared, the coaches began listing the schools in Seoul's A region and started preparing for the weekend league.

There's still some time left. That's unexpected.

A total of 10 teams in the Seoul A region.

As expected, unlike my previous life, with so many schools, the weekend league has a lot of participating schools.

The coach told us to prepare appropriately, mentioning that some weeks had games on both Saturday and Sunday while others had only one, and informed us of our first weekend league opponent.

"Your first opponent is Dongcheon High. Their characteristic is that there's no information on them, but if you interpret it the other way, it means they're so weak that there's not even any information."

The first weekend league game was this coming Saturday. A match against Hyeseong High was scheduled for the very next day.

"The next opponent is Hyeseong High. Since it's a school that fallen Haneul High baseball students go to as their second choice, approach the game with a bit of caution. Dongcheon High's starter is Hyunsoo. He'll only go for 3 innings before the bullpen shuts them down. For Hyeseong High, the starter is Kim Sihu, and Jeong Taehun will come in as closer."

"""Yes!!"""

As the coach finished speaking, all the Haneul High players shouted in unison.

"For the batting lineup.... we'll go with the second team against Dongcheon High. No need to waste energy before the Hyeseong game."

Nice, I get a break.

Even if I didn't play, the wins would still accumulate. This was totally lucky.

Hmm.... Yeah, well, since the second team played, I should get to play in the Hyeseong game....

Fuck.

During those two games, I didn't get a single appearance.

"The secret weapon is meant to be saved until the very last moment."

"No, if the secret weapon doesn't get used moderately, it'll get rusty, you know?"

"....Now that you mention it, that's true."

"Then for the third weekend league game, as the starter....."

"I'll draw up a somewhat tighter training schedule for the time being."

God damn it, let me throw the ball too.

I seriously started wanting to transfer to Daeji High.