Ace (3)
It was a game where only two players were visible. Less a matchup between the Guardians and the Titans, and more a duel between Shim Chando and Jin Yuha. All the other players were mere footnotes to their showdown.
Top of the 6th. Two outs.
"Ha..."
Kang Gihoo let out a sigh laced with frustration. He'd gone down on groundouts in both of his at-bats today.
Of course, he knew all too well just how phenomenal a pitcher Shim Chando was. And as a rookie debuting in the majors this year, struggling against him was, in a way, inevitable. But still.
...This pisses me off.
Kang Gihoo wasn't without pride. He was the league's top hitter this season, the home run king. There was no way he lacked self-respect.
'He doesn't even see me as a threat, huh?'
The current situation grated on him deeply. Maybe this was the most unpleasant he'd ever felt since picking up a bat.
Thud. Thud.
He trudged slowly toward the plate. Shim Chando on the mound was watching him with his eyes, but his mind was undoubtedly elsewhere.
On Jin Yuha, who was stretching leisurely in front of the dugout.
'Even though I'm the one facing him head-on.'
Not that Kang Gihoo was in any position to complain. He was the league's undisputed top hitter this season, yet he'd been unusually weak against Shim Chando.
Lacking experience, he just couldn't outlast Shim Chando in their battle of wills.
'Nah, that's just an excuse.'
Excuses like that might fly in amateurs. Pros getting paid had to deliver results, rookie or veteran.
No need to look far—Jin Yuha had demolished the league this season, and he was a rookie too. A high school grad rookie, at that.
'Like Yuha showed on the mound, I need to show it at the plate.'
Sure, talk of first base defense had been buzzing lately, but what the team wanted from their first baseman Kang Gihoo was hitting, not fielding.
'And I wanna crack that poker face of his.'
Of course, he wanted to land one solid blow on Shim Chando too.
'First pitch... what'll it be? No, that's not the way.'
He'd agonized over every pitch from Shim Chando in every at-bat so far, with zero results. Time for a new approach.
'What was it Jihun hyung said about facing him?'
Like how Baek Jihun had managed multiple times on base against him today.
- "Huh? No real plan. Ball comes, I hit the ball."
For a guy barely scraping a .240 average this season, it sounded downright genius. Some might scoff at Baek Jihun's words, but Kang Gihoo took them seriously.
'Yeah. No matter how much I overthink, I can't beat Shim Chando.'
So.
"Ball comes, I hit it."
And Kang Gihoo was the kind of hitter who could pull that off.
Shim Chando eyed Kang Gihoo at the plate and felt an inexplicable twinge of wariness. Given their history, he could brush it off as imagination, but he didn't ignore it.
Tap. Tap.
He decided to call for the pitch himself this time. Kim Beomjun tilted his head at the sign but soon extended his mitt.
Sorry to his retired senior catcher, but from a pitcher's view, a catcher like Kim Beomjun suited him much better.
Whoosh!!
CRACK!!
"Ball."
A four-seam just off the outer edge of the zone.
Not a mistake. Shim Chando lagged behind Jin Yuha in many areas, but control was where he had the edge. He'd thrown it expecting impatience from Kang Gihoo, who hadn't gotten a hit off him yet.
'He held back.'
But Kang Gihoo didn't bite. Unfavorable count or not, it didn't matter.
'I can use that too.'
Whoosh!!
Same spot as the first. Just a hair closer to the zone.
Bzzz!!
Kang Gihoo's bat swung boldly, but.
CRACK!!
"Strike!"
The ball evaded the bat. Shim Chando's changeup, infamous for being indistinguishable from his four-seam until it reached the plate.
'1-1.'
Back to even. But.
'This favors me.'
Considering their matchups so far.
Thwack!!
"Foul!"
And it continued.
CRACK!!
"Ball."
Thwack!!
"Foul!"
'Why?'
Kang Gihoo had sharp plate discipline to match his power. These were just buildup pitches.
Yet.
'Why swing?'
Great bat control turned them into fouls, but he shouldn't have swung. This wasn't the Kang Gihoo he knew. More like.
'...Baek Jihun?'
It evoked the Titans hitter—no, the league's best at tormenting him.
"..."
His wariness spiked.
'Should I just pitch around him...'
The thought even crossed his mind.
'Can't do that.'
Today's opposing starter was Jin Yuha. No wasting pitches.
Whoosh!!
He went with a curve he hadn't thrown once today. Kang Gihoo probably hadn't even considered it.
'...A curve?'
And he was right.
Normal Kang Gihoo might've panicked at the sudden curve, flailing awkwardly at the fringe bottom-of-zone pitch, unsure whether to swing or take.
But.
Bzzz!!
This Kang Gihoo had adopted Baek Jihun's mindset. Hittable pitch comes? Swing.
CRAAAAACK!!
His bat, knee bent low, connected with a thunderous crack.
"Uh..."
The difference between Kang Gihoo and Baek Jihun?
- Wooooaaahhh!!
Baek Jihun could only hit singles.
Whoosh.
Kang Gihoo was a future major league home run contender.
"Tsk..."
I clicked my tongue watching the ball sail over the fence.
"Why the long face?"
Jeong Hanseong, who'd been catching my stuff, shot back. My expression must've looked off.
"Nah, just reminded me of the old days."
"Old days? The only homer you've given up this season was to the Pistols. That it?"
Nope. It was a memory from before my regression.
'Still pulling that crap, huh.'
Major leaguer Kang Gihoo wasn't from Earth, but we'd faced off plenty in the same league. I dominated our history, but he tagged me occasionally.
He had a defined zone—extremely accurate—yet sometimes his stance would shift abruptly. Then he'd swing ridiculously at ridiculous pitches for ridiculous results.
'Damn, scared me for a sec.'
Major league legend showed his freakishness even as a rookie.
"Think that'll rattle Shim Chando hyung?"
But.
"Nah."
I shook my head firmly at Jeong Hanseong's question.
"No way. He's not on my level, but what kind of ace crumbles from one shot?"
If a sudden blow broke him, he wouldn't be an ace.
"He'll sharpen up instead. Watch yourself."
Unless he fully awakens.
"Agh... He's already unhittable. Tougher? Horrifying just thinking about it."
The lost run was gone anyway, so it wouldn't matter.
As I'd figured, after the surprise blast from Kang Gihoo, Shim Chando struck out the next batter, Frank Rodriguez, on three pitches.
Bottom of the 6th.
As many expected, the game was over. I had no intention of allowing the Guardians a single run today.
'From their side, anyway.'
The 7-8-9 hitters. Easy matchups, but no complacency. The experienced Guardians could shake things even from the bottom.
Whoosh!!
Thwack!!
The 7-hole hitter laid off a zone four-seam I'd thrown for a count.
"...Fuck!"
I ignored the sudden curse from home plate.
"I got it!"
Scooped the grounder and fired to first.
Pat pat.
A close play, fitting his speed, but.
Pop!!
"...Out!"
One pitch, one out.
Why'd that guy curse outta nowhere? He's a senior, c'mon.
Jeong Hanseong's uncharacteristic outburst stuck with me.
Korean Series nerves?
I only learned why catcher Jeong Hanseong cursed at the surprise bunt—and why first baseman Kang Gihoo grimaced at the batter—after retiring the side and returning to the dugout.
"Come to think of it..."
I was in the middle of that today.
"Shh!"
Seeing Jeong Hanseong freak out made me wonder why I'd only noticed now.
'He wouldn't normally miss this...'
Guess I'd been more hung up on the so-called "ace debate" than I thought.
"Agh, get your hand off. I wasn't gonna say it."
I shook off his hand desperately covering my mouth.
'Broke the jinx once recently and it backfired. No way I'm doing it again.'
I'm not an idiot. But.
'...They're the ones sweating more.'
I glanced at Baek Jihun hyung, who'd gone multi-on-base today and was up for his third at-bat. But.
Nod.
Thinking of Yoon Gangyeol hyung's grim nod from the dugout, no need to worry about him either.
CRACK!!
"Strike three!"
Two outs, runner on first. Baek Jihun hyung struck out, ending the top of the 7th.
"Why's it harder with a runner on?"
Leaving Baek Jihun hyung tilting his head, I headed to the mound.
'Shim Chando as today's starter ended up helping unintentionally.'
His quick tempo kept my condition sharp.
"...Today's the end of all that pointless debate."
With results no one could deny.