Chapter 6
“Alright, your pitches?”
“Four-seam, two-seam, changeup, and slider.”
‘If I mentioned sweeper here, they’d probably look at me like I’m some kind of weirdo.’
It’s a pitch that will only become famous later when Ohtani starts using it… Eh, it’s a hassle, so I’ll just call it a slider.
“What’s your velocity?”
“If I throw within the range of my control… around the high 140s.”
“For a freshman, that’s… good, seems like you’ve got some talent.”
Yang Eui-ji’s eyes sparkled. With the gaze of someone eyeing a truly enticing fruit, he quickly moved to the batter’s box, signaling me to throw a pitch as he got his mitt ready.
“Let’s see two of each pitch!”
“Ah, just a moment before that.”
I drew a strike zone diagram on a piece of paper and showed it to Yang Eui-ji.
[1][2][3]
[4][5][6]
[7][8][9]
“This is the strike zone from my perspective, so please refer to it. I know the signs roughly, so before I throw, just indicate the zone number first…”
When I showed him the paper, Yang Eui-ji glanced at it lightly and started laughing.
“Haha, you. Are you sure it’s okay to reveal your pitching mechanism to a catcher you don’t even know is on your side? If you fail the entrance test, I could just gobble up this information for myself.”
Yang Eui-ji asked with a meaningful expression.
“Well… let’s talk about that after you catch my pitch.”
“Alright!”
With a grin, Yang Eui-ji got into position. His expression seemed to say, ‘Let’s see how good you really are,’ as if he had already dismissed my pitching as amateurish.
Well, after catching pitches from Haneul High pitchers, a freshman’s pitches probably feel like child’s play to him.
‘Zone 7, slider on the edge of the line.’
Seriously, the first pitch, and he’s already making dirty requests.
‘All the better.’
I’ll use this first pitch to make a strong impression…!
“Hup!”
-BANG!
The pitch I threw was sucked into Yang Eui-ji’s mitt, as if drawn by a magnet.
‘…The movement should’ve been significant… Wait, he didn’t even move his mitt?’
Originally, the ball should have curved sharply from Zone 5 to land on the edge of Zone 7. It seemed he trusted me completely, leaving his mitt at Zone 7 to catch it cleanly.
‘…Zone 2, high fastball above the strike zone.’
The second sign. Judging my breaking ball to be decent, he now requested a fastball.
Turning my head, I noticed Kim Tae-kyung, looking at me indifferently as if he hadn’t just witnessed the breaking ball. Meanwhile, Epinel had his mouth wide open, clearly shocked by its movement.
“Hup!”
Winding up with full force, I twisted my arm slightly while pitching, making the ball’s tail dirty and unpredictable. I wondered if he could catch this one…
-CRACK!
‘Oh, he caught it.’
[149 km/h]
Well, these days, anything under 150 km/h is considered ordinary, huh.
‘Zone 5, fastball straight down the middle?’
Oh, I wonder what he’s thinking after catching that pitch.
‘If I throw a fastball now, I’ll also get a buff from <Pitching Machine (E)>, boosting its power.’
Alright, let’s see you handle this one…!
“Huu… hup!”
-BAMMMMM!
The sound of air splitting echoed as the ball landed in Yang Eui-ji’s mitt.
“Ha, what a crazy kid. Throwing rising fastballs like it’s nothing… And you’re not even from Haneul Middle School?”
Yang Eui-ji muttered under his breath.
“What the… That velocity…!”
[152 km/h]
In the stands, Kim Tae-kyung began to panic, trembling in fear.
“He was definitely just a hitter in middle school… Throwing rising fastballs…? I wonder if he’s hiding more… I’m curious!”
And then there was Epinel, completely stunned by the fact that I could pitch at all.
‘Well, so much for playing the hidden powerhouse.’
At this rate, I might claim the two-way player title before Ohtani does.
…
…
…
“Listen up. For now, you and I aren’t completely in sync… But I can see that your control is insane, so would you let me take the lead for now? If we give up a hit, I’ll take responsibility!”
“If you say so, senior.”
“Good. Your pitches are ferocious, but your personality is so calm—it’s kind of ironic. Alright then, for the sake of my apprentice over there, who’s also your teammate, let’s completely dominate the batter in front of us!”
“Understood.”
“Kid, I like you.”
With a sly grin, Yang Eui-ji patted me hard on the shoulder and returned to his catcher’s position with a bright expression.
‘He really goes all out for people with talent.’
Receiving the same treatment Yang Eui-ji usually reserved for Lee Tae-hyun, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction as if I were being recognized on par with him.
<Quest Triggered!>
<The deeply insecure Kim Tae-kyung will become a major obstacle to your high school baseball career! Take care of him now to ensure a smooth high school journey!>
<Three consecutive outs against Kim Tae-kyung (0/3)>
<Reward: Epic-grade Skill Random Ticket>
<Current quest in progress>
“The condition is three consecutive outs.”
Outs? Forget it, I’ll just finish him off with a KKK.
Kim Tae-kyung, standing in the batter’s box, began glaring at me with a fierce look.
“Zone 5, fastball straight down the middle.”
“Wow, are you insane?”
A first-pitch four-seam straight down the middle?
“That’s perfect!”
-Whoosh!
“Ugh?!”
Kim Tae-kyung’s swing exploded, but it felt as satisfying as standing in front of the finest fan. A smooth breeze.
Kim Tae-kyung, looking flustered, exchanged words with Yang Eui-ji. Probably discussing how filthy my fastball’s movement was.
<Pitcher Stats>
<Control: 90>
<Velocity: 149 km/h>
<Stamina: 72>
<Pitch quality: 90>
<Mental: 95>
<Master (L)>
<Pitch quality and control stats greatly increase. Additionally, the batter’s miss rate increases.>
My pitching is already at a professional level. On top of that, with the assistance of <Master (L)>, my pitches must feel like an insurmountable wall to face.
My fastball spin rate has already exceeded 2,500 RPM. It might not be on the level of the prime “Stone Buddha” who dominated the Major Leagues, but…
‘It’s not something a high school kid can hit.’
This pitch would work even in the pros. Whether the results would reflect that is another matter, though.
Next, the second pitch.
“Zone 9, a two-seam dropping just outside.”
Since Kim Tae-kyung is a left-handed batter, he likely has little resistance to a two-seam.
-Whoosh!
“Argh!!”
Especially when it comes in with the same speed and identical form as a fastball, but dives sharply.
Unable to suppress his frustration, Kim Tae-kyung began smashing his bat on the ground.
“Damn it! I have to quit the baseball team because I lost to some rookie?! Hell no!”
Yelling at Yang Eui-ji, Kim Tae-kyung received only a disapproving glare.
“Tae-kyung. There’s only one catcher, but plenty of shortstops and second basemen. And pitchers are the rarest. If anyone’s leaving, it’s obviously you.”
Yang Eui-ji told him to shut up and just strike out, then called for another two-seam in the same location to the now-trembling Kim Tae-kyung.
“This time, let’s place it inside the zone.”
“Geez, your requests are so picky.”
It’s surprisingly fun to pitch with a catcher who’s perfectly in sync. My confidence surged.
<Home Guardian (E): The higher the trust with the pitcher, the greater the lead accuracy and strikeout rate.>
‘So this even applies to me, huh.’
The third pitch went straight into Zone 9, landing a looking strikeout.
Kim Tae-kyung, standing there dazed with wide-open eyes, began ranting that he still had two chances left…
‘I don’t think this baseball team needs you.’
If he had any useful skills, I’d take them. But who wants a lame skill called Jealousy?
‘What even is Jealousy, anyway?’
-SMACK!
[151 km/h]
“Wow, three strikeouts in nine pitches… If that’s not a record, I don’t know what is.”
“Arghhhhhhhhh!!!”
-CRACK!
In a fit of rage, Kim Tae-kyung smashed his bat over his knee, only to collapse in pain moments later.
“Ahhhhhh…! My knee, ahhh!!!”
As Kim Tae-kyung crouched on the ground, groaning pitifully, I slowly approached him.
Maybe he was hoping I’d call the bet off? With the bright glint in his eyes, he was clearly desperate to weasel his way out. First-year high school students might not be completely heartless, so he thought he could beg his way through.
“Did you pay someone to get your starting position? A middle schooler would do better than you.”
“…What?”
“…Pfft! Ahaha! You’re hilarious!”
“If someone like you is a starter, honestly, applying to this school is kind of…”
“Right? If Seo-jun’s going to stay here, you’d better pack up and leave, Tae-kyung~.”
With Yang Eui-ji’s mocking laughter from behind, Kim Tae-kyung could only clench his fists in frustration.
-Creak.
“What’s going on, Yang Eui-ji?”
“Oh, you’re here, Kang Min?”
As the starting players and coach of Haneul High School’s baseball team arrived, the commotion came to an end.
…
…
…
“And that’s what happened.”
“You crazy bastard!”
-SMACK!
“Arghhhhhhh!!”
After explaining everything, Yang Eui-ji was flicked on the forehead by the coach.
Well, calling it a flick isn’t quite right. The coach practically flew over and punched Yang Eui-ji on the head.
“Ah, what’s your name again?”
“Lee Seo-jun.”
Upon hearing my name, Huh Kang-min patted me on the shoulder, acknowledging my effort.
“Good job. That guy’s screws tend to come loose, so he acts out a lot. But if he’s taken a liking to you… you must be pretty skilled.”
The vice-captain of Haneul High School’s baseball team, Huh Kang-min, glanced at my glove and suddenly asked which position I was aiming for.
“Ah, all positions except catcher and manager…”
“So you’re the one! The coach has been waiting for this…”
“You’re the idiot who applied for every position except catcher?”
Seeing the coach rushing toward me, I had no choice but to dodge to avoid the incoming punch.
—
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