Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: vs Seongnam Technical High School (1)
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"The opponent is the prestigious Seongnam Technical High School. We're at a disadvantage in terms of overall strength, but this year is different."
Before the game, the coach gathered the players and launched into a pep talk. Our team had been treated like a pushover for less than ten years of history, but with my performance and Kim Won-ho's this year, we were battling for first place in the weekend league first half—so it made sense why he was so fired up.
"Let's beat Seongnam Technical High School and take first place! We can do it, right?"
"Yes!"
"We can do it!"
The players' responses were pretty solid. Then again, it was Lee Ki-cheol—a superstar from pro baseball—speaking, so of course they listened.
He was someone I personally disliked for benching me, but as a baseball player, Lee Ki-cheol was an undisputed superstar. Everyone figured he'd walk the flower path from coach to manager, but thanks to his connection with the chairman, he started his managerial career at this fledgling high school team.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that one reason I chose Hanchego over scouts from other schools was Lee Ki-cheol. He was a catcher known for the highest baseball IQ, with 274 career home runs, three home run titles, and eight Gold Gloves.
Still, no one could've guessed a guy like that would sabotage a promising junior like me. Well, whatever—he doesn't matter anymore since I fucked his wife.
Looking back now, it almost felt like fate. Because Lee Ki-cheol used me as the batting practice pitcher, I got to go to the WBSC 18U Baseball World Cup with the national team and meet Hornsby.
'Heh heh. Finally acknowledging this body's greatness, huh?'
'Yeah, pretty much. Thanks to you, my baseball's on fire and I'm banging chicks left and right.'
'Right. Not that I should say this, but you might end up even trashier than me. Being that ruthless to your first love.'
'I just liked her 'cause she was pretty. Looking back, I wonder what I was thinking. Eh, she did give great head, though.'
'Heh heh heh. Now you're a proper piece of trash. You know what they say? The trashier you are, the better you play baseball.'
'Is that so? Come to think of it, Lee Ki-cheol was a pro at baseball and trash.'
Lee Ki-cheol was trash incarnate when it came to baseball. Jealous of his pupil's talent, he couldn't recognize it and stuck me as batting practice pitcher. Maybe he even dragged me to the national team just to keep me from going overseas where his wife might track me down?
'Anyway, when are you gonna fuck Choi Hyun-ah? Young ones really are the best.'
'Everything has its time.'
'Acting like an expert.'
'Times have changed, so I gotta use new methods. It's not like back in your day when you could just pound away like a dog and get anywhere.'
I'd arranged to meet Hyun-ah after the game today. Thinking about her made me want to wrap this up quick. Ideally, it'd end in a mercy rule, but with Seongnam Technical High School as opponents, that wouldn't be easy.
'Heh heh. No one'd believe that guy's the same kid who used to jerk off crying.'
'All thanks to you, Hornsby.'
'Yeah, keep that attitude from now on.'
"Alright, one last cheer before we go."
While I was chatting with Hornsby, the coach's boring speech must've wrapped up. I slipped inside, stacked my hands, and joined the chant.
"The heart of Korean athletics! Hanchego! Fight!"
"Fight!"
"Let's win!"
Today's lineup had me as second baseman and cleanup hitter. With three homers already under my belt, the coach slotted me in as the fourth batter for this game.
"Maeng-ho, you heard, but I'll explain again. You know their ace from Seongnam Technical High School, right?"
The head coach approached. It annoyed me before the game, but with my first start as cleanup on deck, he was probably checking if my head was in the game.
"Han Young-jun, yeah?"
Han Young-jun, the lefty pitcher scouts were eyeing for this draft. I'd seen him at last year's WBSC 18U Baseball World Cup too. Not super fast at late 130s km/h fastballs, but pinpoint control and a slider with nasty break.
"You know your stuff. Scouts are probably here to see him."
Today was Han Young-jun versus Kim Won-ho. Both draft prospects, so scouts had to be buzzing. Which meant...
"The better I do..."
"Exactly. The way you've been playing, you'll get drafted for sure. No prior two years of stats hurts, but you're killing it this year. Don't be a side character—be the star. You got this, Maeng-ho?"
"Of course."
The star. I'd always been a side character before. A total extra. But not anymore.
"Out!"
The leadoff hitter got called out at first. I grabbed my bat and stood up slow.
*
"Coach, Maeng-ho's been looking good lately."
"Tch."
Lee Ki-cheol, coach of Korean Physical Education High School, smacked his lips at the head coach's words. Should've used him from his freshman year...
"Maeng-ho's physique is always impressive, right?"
"His body's always been good."
His physique had always been top-notch. At 188 cm and upper 80s kg, he was big for a middle infielder—rare even in the big leagues.
He'd focused on weights during three years benched, so he had power and bounce—agile on defense. For a high schooler, he was a finished product. Hell, his bat suggested he could hack it in the pros right now.
Defense was a bit flashy, but all kids these days were like that.
But Lee Ki-cheol didn't like Ji Maeng-ho's hot streak one bit.
'That punk can't do well...'
He'd benched Ji Maeng-ho initially out of plain jealousy. Sure, a freshman didn't have the skill to displace seniors, but he wasn't total garbage unfit for the bench either.
But Ji Maeng-ho wasn't one of Lee Ki-cheol's picks, and crucially, he was handsome. Always slapping on sunscreen, his skin made Lee Ki-cheol's pockmarked mug look even worse by comparison. Pure self-loathing.
Not very coach-like, but jealousy of good-looking guys festered at Lee Ki-cheol's core.
Three home run titles, eight Gold Gloves. Undisputed pro baseball superstar. But Lee Ki-cheol's life was constant comparisons.
As a rookie, he lost MVP votes to some pretty-boy player and took second. Despite superior skills, popularity polls always trailed that handsome catcher junior; he barely made All-Stars via manager recommendation.
Marrying tennis beauty Park Hye-jin only worsened it. She'd casually ask about handsome teammates. Even that one pretty junior complaining his sister-in-law kept texting fueled the fire.
He believed no affairs, but paranoia lingered. That's why he came to high school coaching. Throwing away the express lane to pro managing.
But his wife always eyed his handsome pupils.
That good-looking kid who graduated two years ago. Kinda chubby, but she took interest, so Lee Ki-cheol glued him to the bench and blocked college scouts. Same with Ji Maeng-ho. She didn't ask lately, but a few years back, she'd grill him every homecoming about the kid.
'If she'd shown me half that interest, I wouldn't have benched him.'
Anyone overhearing might think, what kind of trash coach is this? But who knew? No one did, and no one talented enough noticed anything off about the benchings.
'Still, Maeng-ho's improved a ton. Defense used to be unusable—footwork sucked—but he's adapting to second base.'
Then he revamped his swing, sharpening it up. Tested him in scrimmages, and results stunned even Lee Ki-cheol. Three homers in five games? Rare for high school.
Crack!
Lost in thought, a sharp crack split the air.
"Nice!"
"Home! All the way!"
"What's up with Maeng-ho hyung? Suddenly crushing it!"
"Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maeng-ho!"
Ji Maeng-ho's pulled shot split the left-center gap; the runner from second dashed home.
"Safe!"
The runner slid in safe easy, giving our team first blood.
'Good call making him build for two years. He didn't have that swing before.'
Lee Ki-cheol chalked Ji Maeng-ho's growth to dedicated weight training. Forgetting he'd ordered defensive errors, skipped his training, made him batting practice pitcher.
"Good."
Clap clap clap. Applause rang from Lee Ki-cheol's hands.
"See? Keeping him out built his foundation. My methods were right."
Lee Ki-cheol now fully convinced his coaching birthed Ji Maeng-ho's growth, erasing the past. He started drunk on his own genius.
'Ace Kim Won-ho and slugger Ji Maeng-ho? We might win it all this year.'
Ji Maeng-ho would've cursed him out hearing that, but oh well. No one could read Lee Ki-cheol's mind, and even if they knew, the status gap between pro superstar coach and high school player was vast.
"Out!"
The five-hole hitter popped to center, ending Hanchego's top first. Inning flipped; Ji Maeng-ho headed to the dugout for his glove. Lee Ki-cheol approached the hero of the run.
Maeng-ho looked sour, but Lee Ki-cheol didn't care.
"Great job. Keep it up, and pro ball's no dream. Know some scouts—I'll put in a word."
"...Huh? Oh, thanks."
"Yeah. If you get drafted, come say thanks."
"Obviously. I'm always grateful to you, Coach... in every way."
Maeng-ho's expression turned sly, but self-absorbed Lee Ki-cheol missed it. Even if he caught it, he'd never guess till death.
That it meant thanks for letting him fuck his wife.
'That idiot doesn't even know where his wife's been rolling around. Fucking monkey—no sense at all.'
'If he knew that much, his sister-in-law wouldn't be whoring around. Used to wanna kill her, but now I just pity the coach.'
'So he went to that house again yesterday?'
'That's why he's pitiful. Heh heh heh.'
Maeng-ho's laugh now echoed Hornsby's as he bantered with him heading back to the field, same as always.