Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Translator Wjin
Chapter 10
I pulled the ball on the first pitch and hit it over the fence. Considering it was my first at-bat, it was a satisfying result, but I was a little disappointed. Everything else was fine, but the ball speed and distance didn't quite meet my standards.
If there had been even a slight breeze, it would have been a close call. I need to build up my body quickly...
When I finished rounding the bases and returned to the dugout, senior Kim Chang-hyun was waiting for me.
“I believed in you, Cha Tae-hyun!”
“Yes?”
“It was an excellent hit. Yes… that’s how it should be.”
“...?”
I didn't know what it was, but senior Kim Chang-hyun seemed very excited. Well, it didn't feel bad to get a compliment like this… Isn’t this guy starting today?
“Aren’t you going to warm up?”
“I told the coach I’d warm up after watching your at-bat.”
...Why would he do that? The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them because senior Kim Chang-hyun was looking at me with a serious expression.
“Cha Tae-hyun.”
“Yes.”
“Do well on defense too… An ace has to have a perfect balance of offense and defense. Of course, I’ll try to make it so you don’t have to do much on defense… but if a ball comes to you—”
“Yes. Yes. Senior, just go and warm up already.”
Seo Ji-ah, who had suddenly appeared, dragged senior Kim Chang-hyun away as if she were used to it and then threw him somewhere.
“Senior Chang-hyun is a little strange.”
“Yeah. He definitely seems a little off.”
“What should I say? Pride? Should I say he has a lot of pride? But he’s incredibly passionate about baseball. He works hard to protect that pride.”
If he was passionate about baseball, he couldn't be a bad person. I nodded and returned to the dugout. As expected, there were no cheers or applause. What applause? Everyone was busy avoiding my gaze. Was this the major leagues?
It was the same when I hit my first home run there.
“They're just surprised by your hitting.”
I flinched as a whisper tickled my ear. I turned my head and frowned. Seo Ji-ah was smiling playfully and handing me a water bottle.
“This is the coldest one. I saved it for you.”
“...Thanks.”
I took the water bottle and sat down. Should I check out Hyeoksan High’s skills? The second batter was senior Ji Chang-seop, who had been the catcher during my tryout. Since I had hit a home run right at the start of the game, the opposing pitcher would be shaken.
In other words, this at-bat was an opportunity.
“Oh?”
An exclamation of admiration escaped my lips. Senior Ji Chang-seop also swung at the first pitch. His batting form was clean, and his contact, bringing the bat to the ball in an instant, showed that he was a very skilled batter.
The ball flew far, and senior Ji Chang-seop easily reached second base.
“There’s a reason why a catcher is batting second.”
The third batter was Jin Myung-hwan, one of the few second-year starters. As he picked up the bat and left the dugout, he seemed to be glaring at me strangely. Was he feeling a sense of rivalry…?
Thwack.
Hmm… this seems to be over. Even Jin Myung-hwan hit the first pitch, and it became no-out, runners on first and third. It seemed the pitcher's mentality had been shattered long ago. But the next batter was the cleanup hitter, Lee Tae-hyung.
Just by looking at his burly body, you could tell he was a power hitter. Was the pitcher intimidated by him?
“Nice!”
“No-out, bases loaded is great!”
In the end, the pitcher lost his control and issued a straight walk. A big hit would clear the bases, and even a single would bring in at least one run.
If they capitalized on this opportunity, they could even force the pitcher’s early exit. The fifth batter up in this situation was Lee Ji-ho.
“This is over.”
Perhaps because of his protagonist trait, Lee Ji-ho was a monster in scoring situations. I predicted at least an extra-base hit or a home run.
No, it wasn't a prediction; it was a certainty. I had never seen him fail in a scoring situation until the last episode.
Ah, wait, was there a time? I think it was when his slump with Lee Seung-tae had begun. He had hit into a double play on the first pitch, I think. A chuckle escaped my lips.
Even for a novel, a first-pitch double play with the bases loaded was truly the worst.
Thwack!
The moment Lee Ji-ho made contact, I doubted my eyes.
“What…?”
Lee Ji-ho’s mishit ball bounced straight to the shortstop, who caught it and threw it home for an out. The catcher quickly threw to first for another out. In the end, they hadn't scored a run and had just added two outs.
“...What’s going on?”
He wasn’t the type to hit into a double play here… I had never seen him hit into a double play except during his slump.
No, could it be…? His slump wasn’t starting now, was it? I tried to dismiss it as a coincidence, but I felt uneasy, so I got up and approached him.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Lee Ji-ho, who had briefly looked at me, scowled even more. “It happens. You can hit into a double play sometimes, can’t you? Huh? I’ve probably hit into a double play with the bases loaded before… and the inning isn’t over yet.”
“Go away…”
I had done my best to comfort him, but it had no effect. This prickly bastard… I had no choice but to return to my seat. Soon, the next batter struck out, and the inning was over. The opposing pitcher pumped his fist, having escaped the crisis. And us…
“What are we going to do about this atmosphere…”
It was like a funeral. The coach was nowhere to be seen. What was he doing?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kim Eun-chan and Ji Soo-yeon, who had been watching the friendly match between Hyeoksan High and Dongshin High without a word, could finally speak after the first inning.
“The hidden gem was here. Wasn’t it? Junior Soo-yeon? What? You want to go to Myungshin High?”
Ji Soo-yeon clenched her teeth and trembled, but finally sighed and admitted defeat.
“You’re right… Where did he come from, really…”
Cha Tae-hyun had certainly shown an impact that was impossible to deny, even with her senior’s annoying taunts. Swinging at the first pitch wasn't that unusual.
In fact, it was a pretty effective strategy, so even in the pros, there were people who swung at the first pitch depending on the situation. The problem was…
“What was the speed of the ball Cha Tae-hyun hit?”
“151 km/h. From what I saw, the location was also good, just on the borderline. It was probably one of Dongshin High’s pitcher Seo Chang-hoon’s better pitches.”
It was a perfect first pitch.
“And he hit it cleanly and over the fence… This is absurd.”
“That’s not all. I think his defense is also unbelievable.”
“Of course, his defense was good… A high school student playing defense as skillfully as a pro. Anyway, you get the picture, right? Put him on the watch list, and look up some data on him right now.”
Ji Soo-yeon sighed and said, "I already looked up the data while you were blankly watching the game.”
“Really? Then show me.”
Kim Eun-chan held out his hand for the tablet, but Ji Soo-yeon just laughed hollowly.
“What are you doing? Give it to me.”
“...There’s nothing to give.”
“What?”
In the end, Ji Soo-yeon handed over the tablet, and Kim Eun-chan hurriedly checked it. The screen showed a white background and a short phrase.
[No records]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It was the 5th inning, and Kim Chang-hyun was still on the mound. He fiddled with the ball and then glanced at the scoreboard. Next to his school, Hyeoksan High, was the number '1'.
It meant he had received almost no support from the batters. But he wasn't disappointed or resentful.
‘An ace has to be able to handle things on his own.’
The number next to Dongshin High was also '0'. He hadn't given up a single run yet. A no-hitter, no-run.
'The ball seems to be breaking well today.'
Kim Chang-hyun, who had great pride in his pitching, initially thought so, but he soon corrected himself.
'I have to admit what I have to admit.'
Wasn't that the virtue of an ace? He looked at Cha Tae-hyun.
'That guy is definitely different...'
The regular shortstop, Lee Chang-soo, was also a skilled player, having earned a starting position at the prestigious Hyeoksan High. But with Cha Tae-hyun, something was definitely different.
If Lee Chang-soo was a regular bed… Cha Tae-hyun was a Simmons bed.
'He was extraordinary from the moment he easily hit my ball…'
“Pitcher, what are you doing! Throw the ball!”
The umpire’s raised voice brought Kim Chang-hyun back to his senses, and he wound up.
‘Ah…?’
He had thrown too quickly, and the feel of the ball at his fingertips was off. Kim Chang-hyun, sensing a mistake, clicked his tongue, and just as he had predicted, the Dongshin High batter hit the ball hard.
The ball shot towards third base. A hit that would easily go over the third baseman and shortstop’s heads. Both Kim Chang-hyun, Dongshin High, and Hyeoksan High thought it was a hit, but Cha Tae-hyun tenaciously chased after the ball, jumped slightly, and extended his glove.
“Out!”
At Cha Tae-hyun’s catch, Kim Chang-hyun grinned from ear to ear and shouted, “Cha Tae-hyun!!!!”
“Yes…?”
“That’s it!!”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I hit the ball and ran. I caught the ball when it came. A game of ball that might seem simple. But I still seemed to like this game more than anything else. I wasn't resentful of the author who had thrown me into this world anymore.
In fact, I was starting to feel grateful. That’s how happy I was, playing ‘baseball’ right now. It was now the 7th inning. Since it was a friendly match, they had decided to end it in the 7th inning instead of the 9th.
The score was tied 1:1. Since they had started with the bases loaded, they had expected an easy victory, but the Dongshin High pitcher, who had overcome the crisis with Lee Ji-ho’s double play, seemed to have awakened.
He had struck out most of the batters except for me. And whether the coach had instructed him or not, he kept throwing balls whenever it was my turn at bat. Thanks to that, I had only walked, except for the home run in my first at-bat.
“Strike out!”
A sigh was heard at the umpire’s strikeout call. Since the opponent was their rival, Dongshin High, it seemed they couldn't even accept a tie. Now there were two outs left. It was my turn to bat soon, so I put on my helmet and prepared to go to the plate.
As I picked up the bat and left the dugout, senior Kim Chang-hyun followed me.
“Cha Tae-hyun.”
His face was very serious.
“I’m confident I can block the next inning no matter what.”
“...Yes.”
“So you have to score a run. I hate ties the most.”
I had thought that senior Kim Chang-hyun was a little strange all day, but he had a point.
“You don’t have to worry. I hate ties too.”
“Out!”
The 9th batter grounded out to the infield. As expected, it was up to me to solve the situation. Even if I walked, it was unlikely that the next batters could hit. It had to be a home run. Otherwise, it would just be a tie or a loss.
Ah, since senior Kim Chang-hyun was here, it wouldn’t be a loss. I stepped into the batter’s box, hoping the Dongshin High pitcher would challenge me this time. Soon, the pitcher threw the ball.
“Ball!”
As expected, it was a ball. It seemed two balls were out, so it meant he was going to walk me again. If it had been anyone else, they would have just walked. But I was different. I had been rolling around in the major leagues for years.
Provoking a high school pitcher… wasn't difficult. The moment the pitcher raised his glove to throw, I relaxed my stance and rested the bat on my shoulder, as if I had no intention of hitting.
I could see the pitcher’s shoulder flinch for a moment, but he didn’t stop and threw the ball.
“Ball!”
It was still about two balls out. I had wondered if his control was off earlier, but now it was obvious. It was definitely the coach’s instruction.
Would a hot-blooded high school student endure being provoked like this? Then I had to provoke him more. Should I test his patience a bit? This time, I even tilted my head back and made a bored expression.
An immediate reaction came.
“What are you doing?”
A very sharp voice. I couldn’t turn around, but I could imagine his annoyed face.
“Well, it looks like you’re going to walk me anyway.”
Tsk.
I could clearly hear him clicking his tongue. At this point… wouldn’t the catcher put his mitt in the middle? As if to say, 'Since it's out anyway, let's screw this bastard over.'
Thinking that, the moment the pitcher wound up, I stealthily raised the bat and got back into my stance. This psychological warfare was a situation where I had the absolute advantage. If my prediction was wrong, well… it was just a guess.
But if it was right? I was confident I could hit it. And…
“It was right, wasn’t it?”
A smile spread across my lips. It was a pitch right down the middle. This was… a home run pitch, right?
I had rushed to get into my stance, so my balance was a little off, but it didn't matter. My body, my muscles, my accumulated baseball experience, even in this situation, a high school pitcher’s pitch down the middle was…
Thwaaaack!
…enough to send it over the fence. I watched the ball fly, then threw the bat and slowly started jogging towards the bases.
“You should have just walked me.”
I left that one remark and jogged towards the bases.