"Hmm... It seems like it will be possible starting from the Blue Dragon Championship."
The Jeonsan High School baseball coach spoke as if disappointed.
"It can't be helped. Since there are regulations. I wanted to put him in from the first half of the Weekend League, but it's a shame."
The Jeonsan High School baseball Manager nodded and said.
"Then his deployment is from May?"
"Isn't that actually better? This way, we have about a month to prepare properly."
"Right. Let's prepare well. Still, I want to see his skills a bit... How about an intra-squad game? Give Kim Jeong-ui about one inning too."
"Sounds good."
. . .
"Excuse me?"
I was startled. Because they suddenly told me to play in a game.
Of course, even if it was a practice game played internally, I didn't know I would be called up immediately like this.
Since there was no uniform made for me yet, they said I just needed to wear a vest and go in, so I nodded saying okay and headed to the field.
All the Seoul Jeonsan High baseball players were getting ready to play on the field.
Phew...
My body was somewhat prepared, but my mind felt strange.
Just the single fact that I was playing in a game after a long time made me feel that way.
The Manager and Coach each led a team, and the Captain and Vice-Captain were split as well.
I watched the intra-squad game like that and read the flow.
Both starting pitchers were third years, and since there was a weekend game coming up, they didn't overexert themselves and only threw 3 innings each.
After that, the second years split the innings, and the remaining innings were given evenly to the first years as opportunities.
I thought this kind of check-up was good.
The process seemed more important than the records coming out here, and it was a time where everyone's condition was revealed exactly as it was.
It was when the 8th inning arrived.
"Kim Jeong-ui."
"Yes, Coach."
"Get ready."
The coach called me and told me to prepare to go in.
Instantly, my heart beat one tempo faster.
Will it work... will my ball work?
My velocity is still in the 120s and the only breaking ball I can throw is the slider...
I did try throwing the sinker a few times.
But I couldn't learn it as fast as the slider, so right now I'm a two-pitch pitcher with a four-seam fastball and a slider.
Anxiety and anticipation washed over me simultaneously.
But it was already decided, so I caught my breath and headed to the mound.
Standing on the mound, the feeling was definitely strange.
It definitely feels like playing baseball again.
Seeing the face wearing the catcher's mask made me feel a little relieved.
It was the Vice-Captain, the third-year senior.
He was the person who had received my ball the most, and a senior who knew what kind of ball I threw.
The senior nodded before giving the sign, sending a signal that it was okay.
I rubbed the ball with my hand and pressed the dirt once with my spikes.
I drew the pitching motion once in my head.
Ah... I don't know.
Let's just go naturally.
A batter entered the box.
Hmm...
I don't know who it is.
It's hard to distinguish them yet.
Let's just throw for now.
( ❋ ❋ ❋ )
The third-year catcher Hwang Jae-uk looked at the pitcher, Kim Jeong-ui.
'To think they'd put him up this quickly in a practice game...'
Then he checked the batter coming in.
'Hmm... Huh? It's the upper lineup, so all the batters coming in this time are third years? Will it be okay?'
Hwang Jae-uk looked at Kim Jeong-ui as if slightly worried.
'Well... there must be a reason.'
Then, as if promised, he set up on the outside of the batter.
At least these two batters are manageable.
Because they are right-handed batters.
The third-year catcher Hwang Jae-uk brought his mitt to the low outside corner of the strike zone.
Kim Jeong-ui nodded and threw the ball.
Shhh-wiii-k
Pop
The ball flew accurately to where the mitt was without wavering.
A sound rang from the catcher's mitt.
"That's a strike!"
The coach, who was umpiring from the second base side, made the call.
As the first ball went in accurately, Hwang Jae-uk nodded.
Hwang Jae-uk immediately gave the next sign.
It was a slider breaking away.
Kim Jeong-ui nodded and continued the pitch with the same tempo.
Shhh-wiii-k
Vwoom!
Pop
The ball broke slightly out of the strike zone, and the batter's bat cut through the empty air.
It was a swing and a miss.
'Good, it became quite advantageous. Like this, we can waste one.'
Hwang Jae-uk gave the slider sign again.
The batter swung and missed again, having completely lost his timing. It was a three-pitch strikeout.
'Phew...!'
Hwang Jae-uk was surprised inwardly.
The batter who just came in was a player who hit quite well even among the third years, a guy who hit in the 2-hole as a starter.
He thought the battle wouldn't be easy, but he didn't know Jeong-ui would strike him out this cleanly.
Kim Jeong-ui's expression on the mound didn't change much, but certainty was felt in every single ball.
'Does he have nerves of steel? He isn't shaken at all...'
The next batter wasn't easy either. He was a player who hit consistently well among the third years, originally the batter handling the 5th spot in the lineup.
Hwang Jae-uk gave the sign a bit more carefully.
The first ball was a slider.
Shhh-wiii-k
Vwoom!
Pop
"Whoa... a slider right away?"
The third year who came out as the batter spoke as if he had been fooled.
"Not bad, right?"
"It's tricky..."
'One more time?'
The second ball was also a slider.
Shhh-wiii-k
Vwoom!
Pop
The bat came out this time too.
Hwang Jae-uk gave the sign for a slider for the last one as well.
Kim Jeong-ui nodded without hesitation.
After that, the ball slid s-w-o-o-sh out of the strike zone.
Vwoom
"Ah! Three breaking balls, really?"
It was another three-pitch strikeout.
Hwang Jae-uk exhaled inside his mask.
It wasn't just a good start; it was beyond expectations.
'Since his control is razor-sharp, it's comfortable... If his velocity goes up later, he'll be incredible, won't he?'
( ❋ ❋ ❋ )
The problem was next.
The player stepping into the batter's box was Captain Lee Seok-hyeon.
The team's Ace pitcher and the core batter of the central lineup, and on top of that, a left-handed batter (Throws Right, Bats Left).
Seeing the Captain from the mound, tension naturally rose up again.
As good as the flow had been so far, this at-bat felt more important.
But I don't have a good weapon against lefties...
I knew very well myself that I lacked a definitive weapon against left-handed batters.
Eventually, the choice was an inside battle.
Catcher Hwang Jae-uk set the mitt inside, on a quite tight course.
Shhh-wiii-k
The ball flew inside as intended.
But in an instant, Lee Seok-hyeon's swing was fast.
Thwack!
The bat came out not too late and pulled the ball accurately.
The batted ball exited sharply, passing the infield and rolling into the outfield. It was a hit (Single).
Damn...
It can't be helped.
Clearly, the location wasn't bad, but the opponent was one step ahead.
Slow velocity. Since I have the weakness of being an underhand pitcher, there is no other way.
Like that, we moved on to facing the next batter.
Thwack!
I threw a strike from the first pitch, and the batter put out his bat aggressively.
Fortunately, it was an ordinary ground ball heading toward the shortstop.
The shortstop caught the ball stably and threw to first base, and the out was called.
At that moment, the inning ended, and I let out a big breath on the mound.
It couldn't be called perfect, but it was a finish that wasn't bad either.
( ❋ ❋ ❋ )
After the practice game ended, Captain Lee Seok-hyeon started talking seriously with Hwang Jae-uk in one corner of the dugout.
Naturally, the conversation flowed to the evaluation of the players today.
Before Hwang Jae-uk could bring it up first, he asked Lee Seok-hyeon.
"How was the chemistry with the second-year catcher Na-seong?"
Lee Seok-hyeon thought for a moment.
"Hmm... I think he can't see deeply yet. The basics are fine, but judging within the flow of the game needs to be watched more."
"Well, since baseball now has fewer things for the catcher to judge, it'll be fine if he just learns the basics well until his third year. Just having a catcher is something."
"That's true too. Since the first years don't have a catcher, we forced one of them to do it..."
After a brief pause, this time Lee Seok-hyeon asked.
"How was Jeong-ui?"
At that question, Hwang Jae-uk grinned.
"His control is good. He didn't shake at all even in the practice game and..."
"It seemed like that. It came inside razor-sharp, right? Honestly... if I hadn't been thinking about that, it would have been dangerous."
"Yeah. Honestly, the first years are no match for him, and even compared to the second-year pitchers already, he seems to be at a similar level. I heard he rested, but it makes me wonder if he really rested."
"Then if he prepares properly and muscles attach to his body again...?"
"It will be art. Was his velocity in the mid-120s right now? If even the 130s come out, he'd be usable..."
Then, seeing Kim Jeong-ui about to go home, the two called him.
"Jeong-ui. Come here for a second."
"Yes?"
I headed toward the two in a somewhat flustered state.
"How was the game today?"
"The game today?"
I pondered the Captain's question for a moment.
"Um... it wasn't much?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
It wasn't much.
That might look arrogant, but that was genuinely what I felt.
"Since it was a practice game, everyone didn't try their best, right?"
'What is this guy saying?'
Hwang Jae-uk was flustered at Kim Jeong-ui's words.
Even if it's a practice game, no one does it half-heartedly.
"Unless that's the case, there's no way they couldn't hit my ball when the stuff isn't good yet and the breaking angle isn't great either. Anyway, because of that, I didn't particularly feel a sense of crisis..."
"Aren't you misunderstanding something? Your stuff might not be good, but your fastball and slider are quite annoying. That's why the third years got completely dusted."
"Excuse me? They got dusted?"
Then Lee Seok-hyeon shook his head side to side.
"Then that means they got dusted. You grabbed three-pitch strikeouts against two batters in the upper lineup. Of course, as the Ace, I didn't get done in, though."
"Ah... that one thing does bother me. I need to prepare one breaking ball for lefties quickly... but it's hard because I can't get the feel for the sinker at all."
But Hwang Jae-uk thought that statement made no sense.
'No, Jeong-ui. Of course, your sinker doesn't have the angle like your slider yet, but it's gradually taking shape. I haven't seen a guy who learns breaking balls as fast as you yet...'
(End of Chapter)
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