Your Amateur Levels Are So Lame I Want to Die
Lee Sojeong blinked down at her hand, murmuring, "No, uh... what?"
She'd just caught a pitch from an amateur at the broadcasters' request, and now she stared in disbelief. A former catcher for the Suwon Wisdom, she'd quietly retired at just thirty after her pro contract ended with no teams calling her up. She hadn't left a huge mark on Korean baseball like the big names, but she'd hustled between first and second teams for nine solid years as a seasoned pro. Plenty young to still play. Reluctant to let go of the game, she'd signed on for this baseball variety show pitting amateurs against pros—and found a monster lurking here.
Isn't he a celebrity? Her gaze drifted downward to the pristine baseball nestled in her glove. Her palm throbbed like it'd been smashed with a hammer—a sensation she'd rarely felt even in her pro days.
That's gotta be... at least 140? Strong enough to rank among Korea's pro fastballers. Her eyes snapped to Han Jimin on the mound. He'd thrown it left-handed just moments ago. A fireballer so elite you'd drag him back from hell itself—an amateur lefty ace.
But seriously, is a guy throwing 140 really an amateur? Maybe he'd played for a pro-affiliated high school team? Records would tell.
"S-speed gun!"
"Someone clock that speed!!!"
The production crew, as stunned as confused Sojeong, erupted in chaos over what they'd just witnessed. Ignoring them, she watched the man at the mound's center exhale sharply. Not bulky, but his solid build made her swallow hard without thinking. A beast prowled the mound.
* * *
Nice grip on that mitt.
I'd dumped every IP into baseball skills: C-rank pitching and D-rank hitting. I'd meant to go all-in on one but hedged a bit on both just in case.
Thought one skill would cover it all. No free rides. To look human, maybe bump to B? But IP was tight, so C it was. Lucky the drama's overnight success and Perfect Man's smash hit unlocked massive IP—or it'd be stuck at D.
Should skip junk skills and hoard IP. Tough resisting the urge to show off under all those eyes. Anyway, buying skills jammed baseball knowledge into my brain instantly, letting me master form and technique fast. Paired with this body's killer strength and athleticism, even C-rank hit top pro speeds in Korea.
Speed alone, though... Add control, and it'd drop at least 10 km/h. I'd figured that out tossing in the bullpen before filming.
C-rank's still C-rank. Still, the crowd's buzz meant I'd made an impact. Even the pro woman looked shocked catching my pitch. Striking eyes lined dark—pro baseballer, but not the bulky type I'd imagined. Curvy and hot instead, especially those sexy hips. Made me want to smack her ass doggy-style. Come to think of it, most pros weren't huge except the sluggers. Male players per team were the exception—total pigs.
"H-Han Jimin! One more pitch, yeah?!"
"Sure."
I nodded at Na PD's bellow and caught Sojeong's return toss.
"...That was like 140, right?"
"Trained guys are different, huh."
"That's not just training. If it was, our team's slugs would've hit 140 too."
"Han Jimin? Why no pro career? With that face and skill, any team would've built a franchise around him."
Women's stares burned into me. Lily's—retired ace pitcher fan—blazed hottest, along with the legend pitchers. And...
"......"
"......"
The male celebs' shit-eating faces. All top recruits for their athletic reps or physiques.
Amateurs, though. Like me, but without skills. Kim Seongchan from Solaris was there too—Lily signed on knowing her fave variety king Na PD was directing.
But Lily wouldn't glance his way now. Stealing her heart right in front of him? Perfect. Real-time mental collapse. NTR vibes? Yeah.
That's why I wanted to crush these four losers here. IP Shop time.
Sip... pricey. Variety show—need B-rank? But their smug glares, like I'd stolen their spotlight? Finger hit buy.
Baseball Skill (Pitching): B Rank
Price: 10,000 IP
Skills surged in real-time. Sorting the brain-dump, I adjusted my stance—way smoother now. Called to Sojeong in her crouch.
Warning first—she might freak.
"Five fastballs incoming!"
"Got it! Catch 'em all—go wild!"
Widened my stance. Maxed muscle coil like a drawn bowstring. Twisted shoulders and hips, unleashing full-body power. Elbow screamed, but
"Hraaah!!!"
I powered through with a kiai, firing. Thwack! Four-seam slammed her mitt. Screams exploded everywhere.
"Huh? What was that?!"
"Yo! Speed! What'd it hit?! Gotta be over 145!"
Even the grizzled legends gawked. Speed gun read: 148 km/h. Insane for a celeb amateur.
I fired four more. Average 147 km/h—with decent control. B-rank made the difference.
"Whoa! Han Jimin!!!"
"H-Hey, back off! I'm sweaty!"
"You're our pro savior, Jimin! Savior!!!"
Na PD's frenzy cracked me up. I'd carry this show too.
* * *
"Why's that kid an amateur?"
"With him, we'd have won Premier 12. He hit any?"
"......"
Lily's heart pounded hearing the Busan Minions' retired legend slugger. Any baseball fan's dream: 148 km/h from an amateur pitcher—a guy? Manga'd get flamed for plot holes. But this was real.
You play baseball?! I'd clocked his interest as casual fan—never pro-level.
"Kyaa— that's it."
Some vet's words yanked her gaze to the mound.
"......"
Han Jimin stood alone, heart racing wild. That 148 km/h etched deep.
If a guy like that joined Minions... Fall ball? Championship? Lifelong dream.
His shock hyped expectations for other guys—maybe 130 km/h? Or hitting feats. But
"Hraap!"
"Haap!!!"
"Ow, damn!"
No second coming. Sweaty struggles: only two topped 100 km/h. Hitting? Whiff city against five-year-retired pros.
Na PD beamed anyway—one Jimin was world-shaking. Three days of tests done: Best Baseball cast set. Kim Seongchan (96 km/h average) made it.
* * *
Perfect Man rocked Korean dramas. From 22% premiere to 31% by episode 3—one week. First 30% smash in nine years. Other actors paled; his cold charm thawed only for heroine Han Yujin, stealing women's hearts. Her light bird-kiss scene? Instant 37% buzz.
Hunt for Han Jimin exploded. Broadcasters, advertisers swarmed—BOZ wept joy. Not just idols; plenty actors, but only B-movie sidekick Kim Jiu known.
"Now we've got a ratings magnet."
"...But we never managed Han Jimin, right?"
"He's our guy anyway."
BOZ actor team lead Choi scratched sheepishly. Boom drew actors flocking. Wanted to plant a fat kiss on Jimin. But the composer genius who'd fixed Foxy's mini-album headache vanished post-variety tease.
Jimin on Best Baseball synced hard with his "wife."
"Eek...! Nngh!"
Beast-like groan from Sojeong.
"Hah, haht... Ah! Aaaang!"
Baseball pitchers call catchers "wives"—core partners beyond support, swinging games. Sojeong okayed it for practice rapport. Subtext: bond with hot younger stud. Joking she'd catch anything but the ball...
Now she was.
"Hrnght!"
Face flushed as he yanked her hair rough. Eyes glazed from hubby demands, drool spilling. Fit from training, but
"Hngh! Nn! Aa! Th-that hard—! Aaaaang! Ah! Aa!"
140 km/h monster wasn't just pitches—sex skills pro-tier too.