Chapter 11
—
[Family Group Chat]
[Photo]
Mom: [Oh my, is this our son’s uniform?]
Dad: [Wow, our son finally did it. The guys at the club will love this.]
Me: [Yes, and since I got in as a special recruit, I probably won’t have to pay tuition.]
Mom: [Our son is amazing!]
Dad: [Does that mean you won’t be coming home?]
Me: [No, apparently special recruits who live close to school can choose freely.]
Dad: [Alright, I’ll come pick you up later.]
‘Special recruit… I never imagined this.’
Being a sports special recruit is a privilege that was originally meant for Kim Si-hoo.
Haneul High School, the school that sends the most students to Haneul University—Korea’s top university—and boasts the best records across various sports teams.
From basketball, soccer, track and field, swimming, ice skating, and fencing to even archery, they’ve got it all, which is honestly pretty surprising.
The saying that you couldn’t buy Haneul High even if you sold every other school in the country doesn’t sound like a joke.
‘And it’s even located in Gangnam.’
It takes me an hour by bus to get here from home, but… it’s still worth it.
Of course, I don’t plan to live in the dormitory.
‘The dorm life I experienced in my previous life was truly the worst.’
Endless bugs, noise between floors—I still get headaches thinking about it.
…Commuting is definitely the best option.
As a freshman, living with upperclassmen in a dorm still feels a bit awkward.
While the school originally had an all-dormitory system that sounded strict, it doesn’t seem like they force students to live there.
I’ll probably only use it when I need to stay overnight at school.
Typically, students in sports teams are required to live in dorms to foster teamwork and camaraderie.
But come on, it’s not like we’re in the military—I don’t want to spend all three years of high school living at school.
You can build teamwork without living in the dorms, and more importantly…
‘I still need to go to the club with Dad sometimes.’
I can already imagine how shocked the guys at the club will be when they hear I got into Haneul High.
The older guys patting me on the shoulder, congratulating me, and the neighbourhood bros celebrating my success—it’s all so clear in my mind.
“If you’ve all received your uniforms, come this way. The upperclassmen, who will be your seniors and competitors for positions, are waiting.”
After receiving my uniform with my jersey number printed on it, I finally noticed the upperclassmen welcoming us with smiles.
Though there were also looks of fear, jealousy, and resentment from those worried about losing their starting spots…
Most of the gazes were filled with goodwill.
They must have survived their own first year at Haneul High to be so confident about not losing their spots.
“Oh, Oh Ji-hoon! I’m Yu-ta, the second baseman. If you and I team up, we’ll be the strongest keystone combo in high school baseball…”
“Alright, all outfielders, come to me. I’ll teach you the basics of defense.”
‘………..’
-Tap
“What’s up?”
“Hey, we’re getting along pretty well, right? Besides, the coach said you’re confirmed as a pitcher. That means you’ll need to sync up with me, the catcher. Oh, and the dorm room next to mine is empty…”
“I’ll be commuting to school.”
I quickly dodged Yang Eui-ji and walked away.
In the distance, I saw Kim Si-hoo and his group.
Clearly furious, Kim Si-hoo ignored his friends’ attempts to calm him and stormed out of the baseball field.
Apparently, special recruits in each grade also act as captains.
Maybe it’s because Kim Si-hoo had never lost a position like this before, even back in Haneul Middle School.
Honestly, I’d prefer to just be a regular team member instead of a special recruit.
‘As long as I’m a starter, I can still get a pretty decent scholarship.’
Being able to attend GL Devils’ games and training sessions sounds great, so it’s a win for me in the end.
Still, I don’t want to spend the next three years clashing with Kim Si-hoo in a team sport like this.
‘That guy… I’m sure he’ll gather his group and make my life miserable.’
With his backing, I can even imagine men in black suits showing up one day with a bag of money, telling me to leave the school.
“Congratulations on becoming a special recruit, Seo-jun.”
Before I could finish that thought, Epinel appeared with a bright smile and handed me something.
“…What’s this?”
“Oh, right. You didn’t come from Haneul Middle School. This is a ‘wing,’ symbolizing the first-year captain.
It’s attached to the uniforms of special recruits every year… Can you wait a moment?”
She took my uniform from my bag and motioned for me to follow her.
Following Epinel to the baseball team’s office, I saw spacious, state-of-the-art facilities.
When she opened the door labeled [Manager’s Room], I saw piles of files containing players’ data and documents scattered in chaos.
“Ah, I forgot to organize this… Can you wait outside for a moment?”
‘As expected of the master of data-driven baseball—the amount of information is insane.’
While waiting outside, I watched old professional baseball games on YouTube.
Soon, Epinel came out and smiled.
“Alright, if I attach the wing here…”
-Click!
“Ta-da!”
It looked as if there were magnets inside, as the black “wing” stuck perfectly onto the uniform without any visible device.
“If you flip it over, it turns into the away version. Oh, and don’t put it in the washing machine since there are magnets inside, alright?”
I flipped the magnet-attached wing over, revealing a white wing that contrasted with the black one on the away uniform.
“You know the entrance ceremony is on March 2nd, right? Get some rest until then… See you then!”
“Yeah, see you then. Take care.”
Epinel hugged me once as a farewell before running off toward the dormitory.
‘Russians sure are expressive with their emotions.’
As she hugged me, all kinds of complicated thoughts ran through my mind.
But with her leaving like that, I couldn’t ask if she did this with the other players too.
‘…I guess I’ll have to wait until school starts.’
Lost in thought, I left the baseball club building, where the golden-hued sunset greeted me.
[5:46]
“…It’ll get dark soon.”
Since it was still winter and the semester hadn’t started yet, I decided to throw some balls at the baseball field until my dad got off work.
…
…
…
-Bang!
“…….”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one with the same idea.
‘Why is Kim Si-hoo here?’
Didn’t he head home earlier?
“Status Window.”
<Profile>
<Name: Kim Si-hoo>
<Skills>
<Ace (E)>, <Fireball (L)>, <Fighting Spirit (E)>
<Ace>
<For six innings after taking the mound, the hit probability decreases significantly.>
<Fireball>
<Fastball velocity increases, and swing-and-miss probability rises.>
<Fighting Spirit (E)>
<The lower the stamina, the lower the chance of a mistake pitch.>
<Pitcher Stats>
<Control: 69>
<Velocity: 155 km/h>
<Stamina: 64>
<Pitch Quality: 79>
<Mentality: 67>
‘What the heck, why is his mentality so low?’
Did he go through something mentally draining?
‘He also gained Fighting Spirit (E)… Other than mentality, most of his stats have improved since the Cheongbaekjeon.’
As expected of the protagonist’s rival. The more the protagonist grows, the harder he pushes himself to level up.
‘But hasn’t Kim Si-hoo still not met Lee Tae-hyun yet?’
In the original story, Kim Si-hoo’s Haneul High and Lee Tae-hyun’s Daeji High first clashed on the day of the inaugural Cheonji Match.
Lee Tae-hyun, who entered Daeji High—whose baseball team had been disbanded due to violence and poor performance—persuaded some of the former members to revive the team alongside his childhood friend, Kang A-yul.
In the process, a student said, “I won’t join the team unless we beat Haneul High.”
Somehow, Lee Tae-hyun managed to contact Kim Si-hoo and requested a friendly match.
Underestimating Lee Tae-hyun, Kim Si-hoo took the reserves from Haneul High and faced Daeji High.
In that game, Lee Tae-hyun’s team got utterly crushed—to the point where calling it a “cold game” would be generous.
Kang A-yul convinced the hesitant student to step in as a pinch hitter.
Against Kim Si-hoo, the student barely managed to get hit by a pitch, earning their first base.
Seeing the over 50-run gap, a cocky Kim Si-hoo sneered, “If you score even one point, I’ll count it as your victory.”
Immediately after, Lee Tae-hyun smashed a two-run double off the wall, claiming victory.
Following that loss, Kim Si-hoo returned to Haneul High, where he was harshly scolded by the coach for desertion.
His rivalry with Lee Tae-hyun began to burn stronger from then on.
As I was deep in thought, it seemed my position in the stands—where I could be clearly seen—became a problem.
The person throwing pitches down there seemed irritated.
“…If you’ve got something to say, say it. Don’t just sit there staring like a rat.”
“Oh, you knew I was here?”
Maybe I’d been watching too openly, because Kim Si-hoo pointed straight at me.
“…This works out perfectly. Get in the batter’s box. It’s a rematch.”
<Quest Triggered>
<This is your chance to put the arrogant Kim Si-hoo in his place early! Achieve a result of at least one RBI (four-base hit) in three at-bats against Kim Si-hoo.>
<Reward: All Stats +1>
<Current Progress (0/4-base hit)>
<Quest in Progress>
“…No regrets later, alright?”
I took off my jacket, grabbed my bat from the bag, and stepped into the box.
The showdown between me and Kim Si-hoo had begun.
—
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