Chapter 8
“Wow, the young master’s personality is still the same, huh.”
“Are you two close?”
Yang Eui-ji suddenly came up beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. I asked him if he was on good terms with Kim Si-hoo.
‘In the original work, this was only briefly mentioned.’
“Well… he throws good pitches but has a terrible attitude. Something like that. That’s why I like you better. Your fastball is heavier than his, and it’s rare to find a pitcher who listens to a catcher as well as you do.”
‘Ah, so he’s one of those types with talent but no recognition.’
That, I could understand.
Kim Si-hoo, who was expected to become Haneul High’s ace, would naturally try to get along with Yang Eui-ji, the team’s core hitter and only catcher.
Or, as he just did, he’d try to assert control through his privileged behaviour.
But Yang Eui-ji isn’t the type of catcher to be swayed by mere words.
He’s the only catcher at Haneul High with more than a year of experience, excluding the incoming freshmen.
If anything, it’s Kim Si-hoo who should be the one lowering his head to Yang Eui-ji.
‘So even though Yang Eui-ji criticized him, he couldn’t really argue back because of his talent. And then, as Kim Si-hoo advanced in school years, he coped with his stress in a way similar to but different from Yang Eui-ji.’
I had always thought Kim Si-hoo’s poor attitude was passed down from Yang Eui-ji, but it seemed my fixation on the original storyline was the problem.
Unlike other pitchers, I didn’t start as a natural pitcher. I grew up playing baseball in an environment where pitchers were scarce and was grateful to get another chance after an injury. That’s why I made it a habit to throw as the catcher led.
“But are all pitchers this full of ego?”
“Well… in middle school, teams are often carried by a single ace. I guess they just think of themselves as the king of the field.”
Without a catcher, a pitcher’s ball is just a wild pitch. Yang Eui-ji muttered this with a complicated expression.
Although it wasn’t mentioned in the novel, given the author’s penchant for adding backstories, something must have happened during Yang Eui-ji’s middle school days.
“So stick close. I think you and I will make a great battery.”
“Yes.”
“Next, Lee Seo-jun, step forward!”
“It’s already your turn? Hurry and go.”
“Yes, sir.”
As I slowly walked to the mound, the pitcher applicants all turned their attention to me.
‘Hmm… I can understand their reaction.’
Roughly 40% of the students taking Haneul High’s baseball try-outs were pitcher applicants.
The issue was, there were only five spots available. And now here I was, someone who had already reached a passing level as a batter, trying to take one of those spots. No wonder they were pissed.
‘Especially with Kim Si-hoo in the mix.’
In reality, there were only four spots left. From their perspective, I must look like a massive obstacle.
“What pitches do you have?”
“Four-seam, two-seam, changeup, and slider.”
“Hmm… have you ever learned a curve or forkball?”
“I switched to pitching last year, so I plan to learn them later when I have the time.”
The coach seemed to be deep in thought about my throws after hearing that I’d only been pitching for a year.
“Alright, start with the fastball.”
As I stepped onto the rubber, I expected Yang Eui-ji to be behind the plate with his mask on, but a different catcher was sitting there.
‘So they’re testing catchers too during this.’
But can they even catch it?
-Splash!
“Wow, good ball. The movement on it is filthy—too much for the catcher to handle.”
“Coach, please… just one more chance…”
“Enough. Next catcher, get in there quickly.”
The catcher who missed my ball begged for another chance, but the coach was already looking for the next one.
“Coach, I’ve caught Seo-jun’s pitches before. I think I’m the only one here who can handle them.”
“…Then you go behind the plate.”
“Yes, sir!”
Perhaps worried about the next catcher, Yang Eui-ji volunteered himself to step in.
“Next, changeup.”
‘Zone 9, inside edge.’
“Huh?”
Wasn’t I supposed to just throw it down the middle? Suddenly, Yang Eui-ji started signaling.
His smug expression seemed to say, “Throw it down the middle, and I won’t catch it.”
Annoyed, I threw the changeup exactly where he wanted it—skimming the edge of Zone 9. The coach’s eyes twitched slightly.
“Next, two-seam.”
‘This time, Zone 4, slightly low.’
“Hup!”
The ball looked like it would miss the strike zone but suddenly curved sharply in front of the zone and landed squarely in Yang Eui-ji’s mitt.
“Wow… every time I see it, that two-seam is breathtaking.”
Epinel watched from behind the net, marveling.
“Last one, slider.”
‘Make it Zone 8.’
The slider curved smoothly, its trajectory ambiguous—somewhere between a curve and a slider—before landing perfectly in Yang Eui-ji’s mitt.
“…You pass, Lee Seo-jun. Just like Yang Eui-ji said, you’re no cheap scrap metal.”
“Thank you.”
With another test coming up, it was best to conserve as much energy as possible.
“Now that we’ve finished position assignments… all that’s left is the intra-squad game.”
Coach Kim Tae-hwan then displayed a screen on the monitor, loaded with data provided by Epinel, who had been typing furiously on the keyboard.
[Blue Team] vs. [White Team]
- [Jung Ji-man] (SS) vs. [Oh Ji-hoon] (SS)
- [Shin Jung-ran] (C) vs. [Kim Chang-sun] (1B)
- [Il Bi-jin] (1B) vs. [Yang Eui-ji] (C)
- [Lee Su-rin] (DH) vs. [Lee Seo-jun] (DH)
- [Roo Seung-jin] (3B) vs. [Moon Il-nan] (CF)
- [Min Hyung-jin] (LF) vs. [Hang Ryoo-shin] (LF)
- [Kim Sang-min] (CF) vs. [Baek Shin-hoo] (2B)
- [Min Byung-hoon] (RF) vs. [Jin Si-hoo] (3B)
- [Park Dong-in] (2B) vs. [Moon Jae-hwan] (RF)
- [Kim Si-hoon] (P) vs. [Lee Seo-jun] (P)
Reserve Pitchers: Choi Ji-hwan, Ahn Seok-in, Lee Sang-hyun
The lineup was announced as is. Due to a lack of players, it seemed some second-year students were included in the test.
It was clear from the reactions that the lineup drew some criticism.
‘Considering that not making this lineup means instant elimination, I must’ve taken up two spots, which isn’t helping.’
“Lee Seo-jun is an exceptional case, so he’s included as both a pitcher and a batter to test his dual abilities. Any objections?”
“””No, sir!”””
With that, the eliminated players could be seen heading home.
“Sob, sniff…!”
“Mom… I didn’t make it. It’s okay. There are other schools nearby recruiting, so I’ll try again there.”
There were students crying in despair and others calmly focusing on seizing their next opportunity.
‘If they’re destined to fail here, the draft later on will be even harsher.’
If they couldn’t endure this vaccination, it was better to give up on their pro dreams.
“Hey, looks like we’re on the same team!”
“Oh, Oh Ji-hoon.”
I greeted Oh Ji-hoon, who was wearing a blue uniform. His number, 7, symbolized shortstop.
My uniform, ironically, was the number 31 jersey I often wore as part of the national youth team. Back then, it was modeled after Greg Maddux’s famous number.
‘…I need to change it. For a new resolution and a different outcome than back then.’
I was considering 11 or 0, but…
‘I’ll leave 31 behind for now.’
“Alright, everyone, line up!”
At the coach’s command, the remaining students lined up in formation.
My position was pitcher and designated hitter. Standing ahead of me was Lee Su-rin, Haneul High’s cleanup hitter and designated hitter.
‘…I’ll have to do well too.’
It was the start of the intra-squad game and…
<Quest>
<Entrance Test: Show your full potential!>
<100 hits, 1000 home runs, 150 strikeouts, 300 1-2-3 innings, 2000 shutouts, 10,000 perfect games>
<Reward: Skill Random Draw (E~H) (rewards scale with performance)>
A goldmine event where rewards depended on performance.
“Wow, I noticed during defense earlier that you’re no ordinary player… A two-way player, huh?”
Yang Eui-ji, donning his catcher’s mask, spoke as he took his position.
“Shall we start strong with the first batter?”
“Let’s do that.”
Yang Eui-ji returned to his position after the brief exchange.
“Play ball!”
‘Straight down the middle, fastball. Trust me and go full power.’
“Wow, what a crazy guy.”
While an average pitcher might not have been tired after just the test, I had covered all positions (except catcher) and was at my physical limit, unlike the other pitcher applicants.
Still, I calmly held the other team to no runs in the first inning.
“Strike! Batter out!”
‘Phew…’
Although I managed to hold them off well in the first inning, my team’s batting lineup was a disaster.
The second-year students managed to hit Kim Si-hoo’s pitches, but the first-year students behind them were helplessly struck out. Any runners who made it to base couldn’t score.
It wasn’t surprising, considering Kim Si-hoo was a left-handed pitcher.
With his high-140s to mid-150s fastballs and his sidearm delivery, his sliders were a nightmare for right-handed batters.
***
<Profile>
<Name: Kim Si-hoo>
<Skills>
<Ace (E)>,
<Fireball (L)>
<Ace>
<Reduces hit probability significantly for six innings after taking the mound.>
<Fireball>
<Increases fastball velocity and swinging strike rate.>
<Pitcher Stats>
<Control: 68>
<Velocity: 154 km/h>
<Stamina: 63>
<Pitch Quality: 78>
<Mental: 72>
***
Even now, those stats were ridiculous for a first-year.
And so, my pitching duel with Kim Si-hoo continued, resulting in scoreless innings through the second, third, and fourth.
As exhaustion from endless fungo drills during the test began to take over, fatigue settled into my body.
‘There’s… no signal for a substitution.’
The coach was likely testing how I would overcome this.
He’d probably pull me if I genuinely reached my limit.
The persistent issue of dual-position players: failing to manage stamina and increasing the risk of injury from early exits.
If I couldn’t overcome this, it might be better to give up on one position.
<Warning: External forced access detected… Isolating data… fa…ilure>
‘?!’
As I contemplated my future career, the system window in front of me suddenly blurred. Then, golden letters appeared on a black background.
<If a pitcher has the ball, they must throw it to the end. That’s what it means to be an ace and carry the team: “Give it a shot, then.”>
<Stamina drops to 5 due to ??? effect!>
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
<Limited activation!>
<Activation Period: Until the end of the current game>
—
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