Chapter 73

Hidden Fastball -2-

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Standing at the classroom door, Xiaoming took a deep breath and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Yeonho, the left-handed outfielder for the Angels, had been hitting well in the last 10 games, getting 6 hits in 14 at-bats. He was trying to push the regular left-handed batters out of the lineup and was confident in his contact ability.

‘What was it...?’

He intended to cut the ball and run tenaciously. The pitch was faster than expected, the control was good, and the changeup was sharp, but this was his first professional start. He thought there must be a weakness.

“Wow! This guy is crazy!”

“Hey! Kang Geon-woo! Kang Geon-woo!”

“Baseball genius!”

“Crazy Kang Geon-woo!”

It didn’t go as planned. His bat couldn’t keep up with the last pitch.

But do they usually all run to congratulate a pitcher for a save?

No, more importantly, what was that last pitch?

“Kang-Geon-woo! Kang! Geon! Woo! Kang Geon-woo! Oceans Kang Geon-woo!”

“Gang! Geon! Woo!”

Also, this is Jamsil, not Sajik.

Turning his head, he saw the Angels fans looking dejected and bewildered.

“Fucking crazy!”

And the Oceans' foreign manager was shaking the head of the team's foreign pitching coach.

‘He’s going to pull his hair out.’

He was still dazed. Yun Se-hwan, who had struck out before him, and Cha Jong-yun, who had grounded out on the first pitch, also had troubled expressions.

The Oceans fans, who had ended a six-game losing streak, were shouting, and the Angels fans, who had witnessed a rookie shortstop giving up a save with two strikeouts, were leaving the stadium.

‘No, even if that’s the case, this isn’t the seventh game of the Korean Series. Why are they reacting like this...’

A six-game losing streak? Even strong teams can go through this if they slip up a bit. Is it really worth celebrating this much just for ending it?

Staring blankly at the scene, Song Byung-jae, the Angels' star player, approached and nudged him to snap out of it.

“Yeonho.”

“Ah... Yes.”

“Look at that.”

What Song Byung-jae pointed to was the scoreboard, more specifically, the pitch speed display.

“Hmm...”

There, the speed was marked at 162 km/h.

#

[Oceans Escape 6-Game Losing Streak! 2-1 Win Over Angels!]

[Kang Geon-woo’s Controversial Return. The Star is Gang. Geon. Woo.]

[First At-Bat Home Run in the First Inning. Then a 162 km/h Pitch in the 10th Inning for a 2K Save. A Comic Book Scene at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.]

[153m Home Run Distance in the April 30th Game Against Angels. 162 km/h Pitch Speed in the May 31st Game Against Angels. Kang Geon-woo’s Records.]

└Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie? Is Kang Geon-woo a rookie?

└Angels ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Really cheap, damn it ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162! Wow! 162!

└Kang Geon-woo, damn it, are the Angels fools??????

└Angels special) Give one at the end of each month

└What the hell is this? Really, I’m speechless;;;

└When Kang Geon-woo took the mound, the gallery exploded with anger, it was hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└When the save was successful, they all rushed to pat him on the head ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Did he practice pitching during the 6-game break? He’s amazing

└This guy acts like he’s the only one in the world;;

└He was supposed to pitch and hit in the majors, but since he only hit in the KBO, I thought it was too much, but damn, he really does ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└This is so unfair, really, why did he come back and throw 162 against us? Damn it, you bastard

[Kang Geon-woo is a ‘God’.]

└Journalist knows well ㅇㅈ

└Mr. Journalist, do you visit the gallery???

└(Breaking News) Kang Geon-woo couldn’t eat dinner... He couldn’t because of his ‘stomach’

└ㄱㅇㄱㅇ

└ㄱㅇㄱㅇ

└Why not just let Geon-woo pitch and play shortstop, and add another fielder?

└Is he crazy?

└That sounds pretty good, why are you cursing? Do you want to die?

[Oceans General Manager Park Jun-gi, ‘The Story of Bringing Kang Geon-woo.’]

└Is the GM just stirring up controversy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└This bastard ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Did you kneel and beg until your knee cartilage wore out? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Genius GM Park Jun-gi Genius GM Park Jun-gi Genius GM Park Jun-gi Genius GM Park Jun-gi Genius GM Park Jun-gi Genius GM Park Jun-gi

└Mr. God Jun-gi, I apologize for cursing you, I will reflect. You are the GM of the best team, I am a nobody, thank you, Mr. GM

└Anyone who curses King Jun-gi, hit them in the head

[Two-Way Player Kang Geon-woo! Oceans’ Secret Weapon Emerges!]

[.400 batting average genius, top home run hitter, major league-level shortstop defense, and 162 km/h closer. All in one player. A cheat character appears in the KBO.]

└And the strongest bench player

└Really, ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Four top players in Oceans are all in one body ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└If Kang Geon-woo were split into four, Oceans would definitely be first ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└At this point, shouldn’t the Angels give a grand slam to Go Eun-tae?

└Damn, why did he come back against us?

[Today’s Star, Kang Geon-woo!]

[When asked why Kang Geon-woo decided to pitch and hit, ‘Yuri said the Oceans needed a bullpen pitcher.’]

└ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠYuri ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└Yuri is a god Yuri is a god Yuri is a god Yuri is a god Yuri is a god Yuri is a god Yuri is a god

└Yuri;;;;;;;;;

└Kang Geon-woo would do anything if Yuri asked;;;

└Yuri wanted the Oceans to win, so he came to make it happen

└What the hell is so special about Yuri that everyone keeps talking about her?

└?

└Do you want to die?

└What the hell are you saying?

└Yuri? What the hell? ㅎ ㅏ

└24-hour Suicide Prevention Hotline 1393 / Youth Hotline 1388 / Mental Health Hotline 1577-0199 / Korean Life Hotline 1588-9191

└Don’t let me see you on the street

└Don’t insult the gallery, I really want to die

└You can’t even ask?;;

└Use ‘-nuna’ for her, you insignificant human

└What, how old do you think she is that you call her ‘-nuna’?

└Show some respect before you die

└Gallery’s trigger button ‘Yuri’

└Use ‘-nuna’!!!!!!!!!!!!!

└Do you really want to lose?????

[Coach Hugh Breadman, ‘I asked Geon (Geon-woo) to pitch and hit from the beginning of the season.’]

└Did you ignore the coach until the goddess said she needed a bullpen pitcher???

└This is a love story of the century ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Isn’t 162 km/h something a girlfriend would ask you to throw, and then you suddenly do it??

└Breadman...ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└Kang Geon-woo doesn’t listen to anyone ㅋㅋㅋ

└If he does this much, you should worship him as a coach

└Season prediction for Geon-woo: .400 batting average, 80 home runs, 0.00 ERA, 50 saves

└ERA x Average ERA o

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People swarmed around me. The coach and the manager were excited, my teammates were too, and the reporters desperately wanted me to say more.

Even on the way to the bus, there were fans crying.

A six-game losing streak. It’s not a big deal, but I could tell how much the Oceans fans had been thirsting for a win.

The fans seemed to have barely returned home. They gathered in such large numbers that the Angels security had a tough time.

-Geon-woo!

But more than the praise and cheers from the crowd, this voice gave me the most comfort and peace.

“Did you wait long?”

It’s not that I don’t like people praising me, but hearing Yuri’s voice gives me strength.

-Not long at all! You were amazing today! Honestly, I was a bit worried, but when that 162 km/h pitch came, I got goosebumps all over...

Yuri chattered on for a while. From the home run to the great defense, and every pitch he threw as a pitcher.

I just added appropriate interjections and listened to Yuri. She was excited and looked happy while talking.

If listening can make her this happy, I can do this much.

-When my parents and Hyun-soo saw you on the mound, they asked what was going on?

“Yeah. Did I pretend not to know?”

-I pretended to be surprised too. But after the interview, they called me a traitor.

“Really?”

I laughed, and Yuri answered with high energy.

-Yeah! Completely! Mom tried to come to Seoul immediately, and I had a hard time stopping her.

“Why did you stop her?”

-Why? To watch the weekend game together.

“Are you coming to the Thunderbirds game?”

-Of course. I really regret not being able to watch it live.

“I kept the save ball for you.”

-Really?

“Yeah. And I’ll make sure to pitch in the Thunderbirds game.”

-Just win by a one-run margin. That way, you’ll come in as the closer.

Hmm.

That’s a tough mission.

“Two-run margin is fine too?”

-Of course!

Excited Yuri is so cute.

#

[Damn, I have to go to work, but I was watching Geon-woo’s pitches on repeat until 5 AM;;;]

└I still have goosebumps. Mom said she’d make chicken soup for breakfast, but it feels weird, like eating a relative.

└I shed four buckets of tears, and now my eyes are swollen shut.

└I live in Jeonju, and it takes about 19 hours to get to Jamsil by bike, so I’m pedaling hard to get there before the game starts.

└I have a job interview today, but I canceled it to watch the baseball game.

└I had a dream where Geon-woo threw 162 km/h and wet the bed, and my wife was furious.

└What are you guys doing? Why are you giving testimonies like this? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Don’t you look like that?

└It’s true. If you’re a fan, you should have a deep desire for a shortstop and a closer, and he’s fulfilling both. How can you not look like that?

└Really, a shortstop and a closer... Wow. I never thought I’d see a day like this.

└I plan to donate baseball equipment to Geon-woo’s high school baseball team to thank them for raising him.

└I’m going to clean the flower beds in Geon-woo’s apartment complex today.

└Yuri is planning to volunteer at her university.

└I’m going to carry the groceries for Geon-woo’s mother when she goes shopping.

└You guys are crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└You’re really going all out.

└It’s not going all out, it’s just doing something ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└Watching the fans’ reactions is hilarious;;;;

└Don’t you look like that???

└Actually, I’m on my 200th replay of Geon-woo throwing 162 km/h ᄒ

└It’s a brain-melting party ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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On the first day of June, at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

The Angels were busy analyzing Kang Geon-woo’s pitching from yesterday, while the Oceans were noisy watching his pitching practice.

“Good thing I came to the Oceans. The Angels offered a lot, but if I had gone there, I would have struck out to the baseball genius Kang Geon-woo.”

“Wow. I thought I was doing well lately. Kang Geon-woo, wow. I’m completely overshadowed.”

“Bad guy...”

One of Kang Geon-woo’s strengths is his mental toughness. He doesn’t care what anyone around him says. Having lived with so much attention, it’s something he can handle, but to others, he seems like an alien.

“Should I try pitching and hitting too?”

Yang Dae-geun was a well-known pitcher in high school. Of course, he wasn’t serious, and it was natural for Lee Si-wook’s tackle to come.

“Brother, you as a pitcher?”

“Hey, I’m the pitcher who got three strikeouts in three pitches against Seo Woo-ju in the Phoenix Cup final.”

“That was then.”

“Your pitches were good back then. They were really scary? You looked like a mafia boss, even though you were big and clumsy. You couldn’t even protest when I threw at your head.”

“Me? A mafia boss? I have a baby face?”

“Brother. I couldn’t even look you in the eye for half a year.”

“But why are you teasing me now?”

The tense atmosphere was relieved.

Yang Dae-geun hadn’t been able to perform well during the losing streak. Seeing Lee Si-wook eat chicken was enough to spark a game.

The foreign pitcher was throwing a tantrum, the team captain was deflated by fan criticism, and No Gyeong-woo was stressed about the Go Eun-tae incident. Without Kang Geon-woo, he couldn’t even hold his defensive position.

The pitcher group leader, Kim Jeong-yong, was out with a back injury, making the pitcher group’s atmosphere even more serious.

“Geon-woo.”

“Yes, senior.”

“I don’t mind if you take the closer role.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no. I really...