Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 221

#220. What is Life?

‘Oh my… this is driving me crazy, really.’

The Angels’ first inning ended with a leadoff home run, scoring a cheerful first point.

Although the team scored the first point, Ryu Han-gyeol, the starting pitcher responsible for the Angels’ mound today, felt suffocated.

His gaze turned to the Seattle Mariners’ lineup displayed on the scoreboard.

1. Center Fielder Derek Fleming
2. Third Baseman Han Su-hyeok
3. First Baseman Ty Johnson
4. Right Fielder Chuck Clark
5. Left Fielder Jim Brown
6. Designated Hitter Antonio Garcia
7. Catcher Bruce Matthews
8. Shortstop Josh Oliver
9. Second Baseman Jonathan Owens
Starting Pitcher Joe Burrow

‘I’m going nuts.’

Last season, Ryu Han-gyeol started three games against the Mariners, recording 2 wins and an ERA [Earned Run Average, a measure of pitching performance] of 2.01. In other words, he had their number.

The Angels, who had fallen to the bottom of the league in the 2027 season, climbed to 4th place in the 2028 season thanks to Ryu Han-gyeol’s performance, surpassing the Mariners. The following year, they recruited Lee Chan-ho, their second Korean player, and their ranking rose once again. Of course, thanks to Seattle.

Although not quite to the level of Oakland, the Mariners were like candy in the Angels’ pocket, easily taken and enjoyed.

Especially for Ryu Han-gyeol, who was famous for his mental game since his KBO [Korean Baseball Organization] days, Seattle’s energetic hitters were very easy opponents.

But,

With just two additions, Ty Johnson and Han Su-hyeok.

The Seattle lineup, which felt like soft marshmallows until last season, now feels like solid granite.

It’s suffocating. Just seeing Han Su-hyeok’s name makes my chest feel like it’s about to burst.

Unlike Lim Jun-yeong, who always went head-to-head with Han Su-hyeok in the KBO, Ryu Han-gyeol chose a strategy of focusing on other hitters instead of facing him directly.

For a young man who felt like everything would end if he faltered, it was an unavoidable choice.

And that choice often yielded good results.

The problem is that those good times are over.

Walk Han Su-hyeok?

The next hitter is Ty Johnson, who recorded a .300 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, .600 slugging percentage, 47 home runs, and 140 RBIs [Runs Batted In, a statistic measuring a batter’s ability to drive in runs] last season, making him the best hitter in America.

Then, walk Ty Johnson too?

You have to face Seattle’s young, energetic power hitters with two runners on base.

‘Oh my…….’

It won’t work.

This is the big leagues, where a slight mistake can send the ball over the fence.

The situation is completely different from the KBO, where he could walk Han Su-hyeok and hope for a double play from the next hitter.

Only then did he fully understand why Han Su-hyeok had chosen Seattle.

That guy wanted a stage where he could play to his heart’s content.

‘What to do… what to do…….’

While Ryu Han-gyeol was agonizing over what to do,

“Play!”

The speed-ignorant umpire’s resentful game-start signal echoed through the stadium.

* * *

“You said that slimy guy is the same nationality as us?”

“That’s right.”

“Damn it, I still can’t figure out that guy’s changeup timing even after seeing it for two years. Is there any tip you can give me?”

“Well, it’s been a while since I faced him too.”

“Hmm, okay. I wasn’t really expecting an answer anyway. More importantly… is your finger okay?”

“Finger? Why the finger?”

“I was wondering if there were any aftereffects from throwing that punch.”

“Not at all, it’s not like my finger would get damaged from hitting such a glass jaw.”

“That’s a relief. Good, then I’ll make sure you see as many of that guy’s pitches as possible. Keep a close eye on him.”

Derek Fleming, our team’s leadoff hitter, who has been acting strangely friendly towards me since the opening game bench-clearing brawl, stepped into the batter’s box with a determined look.

Ryu Han-gyeol’s weakness…….

Well, after checking the videos of him playing in the big leagues for the past two years, the habits he had in the KBO were completely corrected.

The reason why our team’s hitters have been struggling against Ryu Han-gyeol for two consecutive years must be due to a lack of experience.

Ryu Han-gyeol is a seasoned pitcher who has been in the big leagues for only three years, but before that, he single-handedly carried the hopeless Daejeon Falcons for seven years.

Whoosh

Bang

“Strike!”

“Fuck!”

The changeup, which I knew was coming, entered the zone.

Ryu Han-gyeol, who mainly used the changeup as a game-deciding pitch in the KBO, seems to have increased its proportion even more after coming to the big leagues.

Well, even I think the changeup is the most complete of the pitches Ryu Han-gyeol throws.

Despite the fastball speed being slightly lower than his prime, the reason why he is the Angels’ second starter is thanks to that changeup.

Whoosh

Thwack

“Out!”

Hmm,

This is…….

“You said you were going to watch the ball for a long time?”

“Damn it. Sorry, buddy.”

Derek was retired with a fly ball to the infield after just two pitches, and my long-awaited showdown with Ryu Han-gyeol began.

In the KBO, the rivalry between us was not simply a battle between a hitter and a pitcher.

I had to somehow develop the hitters behind me, like Max, Senior Jo Seong-oh, and Ahn Chi-wook, so that Ryu Han-gyeol couldn’t walk me at will. Conversely, Ryu Han-gyeol couldn’t throw the ball to me as he pleased because of his 불안한 [unstable] defense.

Well… thinking about it, we were both going through a really tough time.

But now,

Behind Ryu Han-gyeol is a defense that may not be the best in the big leagues, but it’s incomparable to the Falcons,

“Just try to get on base. I’ll bring you home.”

“I’m just going to hit a home run and go in to rest quickly.”

“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea either.”

I, who always had to worry about walks, can now swing my bat to my heart’s content thanks to the reliable support of Ty Johnson.

That’s why maybe this at-bat is the true first showdown between Ryu Han-gyeol and me.

“Play!”

As my second life repeated, some things changed, and some things remained in place.

Even when I went to America immediately after graduating and finally made it to the big leagues after going through the minor leagues, Ryu Han-gyeol and Lee Chan-ho were the only Korean players in the entire league.

That hasn’t changed.

What has changed is that unlike Ryu Han-gyeol, who was an Angels player back then, Lee Chan-ho, who had chosen San Francisco, suddenly ended up wearing an Angels uniform.

It’s hard to say that this player’s fate has changed entirely because of me.

But if I were to claim that there was no influence, that would be too shameless.

Like this, whenever I see people living different lives before and after my regression, I can’t help but feel guilt or a sense of debt.

I know it’s not true, I know it’s not my responsibility,

But,

That’s just how it is.

It’s like my own personal worry that I can’t confide in anyone in this world.

Whoosh

Bang!

“Ball.”

It’s already been two years since I asked Min Ye-rin to find her whereabouts.

It’s not easy to find someone with only a few circumstances without knowing the most important name. Especially in this vast land of America.

So sometimes I get impatient.

On the other hand, there are times when my heart drops at the thought that I might get a call saying they’ve found her.

What if she’s not the person I knew before,

What if she’s not an artist who debuted at a young age and has been loved by fans for a long time, but something less, maybe living an unhappy life?

Swoosh

Bang!

“Strike!”

What should I do then?

Should I tell her that her fate is not like that, that she should start making music now?

Or should I turn a blind eye, thinking that it’s also her fate?

Whoosh

Bang!

“Ball.”

Damn it, I feel strange again.

This is not the time for this, I need to focus on the game.

I forcibly grabbed my mind, which kept drifting in strange directions, and focused on the game.

Two balls and one strike.

Two changeups and one fastball.

Ryu Han-gyeol’s expression became complicated as I let all three pitches go by without even flinching.

It was as if I was aiming for a different pitch than the fastball or changeup.

Well,

Actually, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.

Anyway, this will only narrow down Ryu Han-gyeol’s options even more.

He’ll think I’m aiming for a curveball or a cutter, so he’ll have no choice but to throw changeups and fastballs even more.

One of the two, it’s a really difficult problem to choose, but my intuition pointed to one side.

Fastball, the next pitch will be a fastball.

I returned the slide step, which I had adjusted to hit a ball over 100 miles, to its original position,

Recalling the feeling of hitting Ryu Han-gyeol’s ball back then,

One, two, three,

Whoosh

Thwaaaaaack!

* * *

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], don’t make that face like your life is over. The game hasn’t ended yet.”

“…Chan-ho.”

“Yeah.”

“What is living?”

Ryu Han-gyeol, who allowed back-to-back home runs to Han Su-hyeok and Ty Johnson in the first inning, returned to the dugout with a blank expression.

Even Lee Chan-ho’s attempt to comfort him was useless.

I fully understand why he’s acting like that.

Leaving aside the back-to-back home run to Ty Johnson in a mentally deranged state, honestly, the ball that Han Su-hyeok hit wasn’t a ball that should have been a home run.

A perfectly controlled fastball that accurately landed on the outside zone, which made Ryu Han-gyeol a big league player.

Considering Han Su-hyeok’s batting form, which had become slightly open stance after advancing to the United States, it was a ball that was quite difficult to put power into.

The moment the ball hit the bat, he thought that he, as the right fielder, would be able to catch it.

But that ball kept flying and easily went over the fence.

The monster, who hit home runs in two consecutive at-bats after his big league debut, smiled brightly and quietly put down his bat and circled the diamond.

It seemed like he was being considerate as a senior of the same nationality by refraining from bat flipping, but honestly, it didn’t seem to mean anything.

“Chan-ho.”

“Yeah.”

“How was my ball just now?”

“It was good.”

“Right?”

“Yeah. That guy who hit it is not normal.”

“Damn it…….”

“Why, hyung, again?”

“If I had known that guy was coming to Seattle, I would have just gone to another team.”

“Me too, ha… why did he come to a team like Seattle? I heard that the Yankees and Dodgers were chasing him with bundles of money.”

“I heard they said something weird about team rules and stuff, and after that, they couldn’t even meet him.”

“Crazy, those stupid guys. They brought up the rules in front of a guy like that?”

“Americans are more stubborn anyway.”

“Ugh… we’re suffering because of those morons…….”

“Chan-ho.”

“Why, it’s okay. It’s not like anyone here understands Korean anyway.”

“That’s not it, aren’t you going to hit? You need to go to the on-deck circle.”

“Oh, right, I’ll be back, hyung. Anyway, don’t be too discouraged!”

Lee Chan-ho, who was playing as the 6th right fielder in today’s game, grabbed his bat and ran to the on-deck circle.

Ryu Han-gyeol, who was staring blankly at the sight, muttered to himself without realizing it.

“Now it’s your turn to taste hell.”

* * *

– Ah! What a great game. In the first inning, both teams exchanged three home runs, and the Seattle Mariners are leading by one point with a score of 2 to 1. Commissioner Go Dong-sik, it’s really the big leagues. It’s definitely different. The players’ bats are coming out without hesitation?

– Yes, of course, just because it’s the major league doesn’t mean it’s mindless, hmm, I’m sorry. It’s definitely not swinging the bat without thinking, but it’s probably a bit of an unfamiliar sight for domestic fans to see hitters swinging with full swings from the first inning. Anyway, it’s a really fun game today.

– The Seattle Mariners, where Han Su-hyeok is playing, and the LA Angels, where Ryu Han-gyeol and Lee Chan-ho are playing, are in their first game of the season. Well, the first showdown between Korean players in the top of the first inning ended with Han Su-hyeok’s victory.

– That’s right. It was a really great home run. As I explained earlier, it wasn’t a well-hit ball to the point where you’d say, ‘That went over?’ Even if it was Han Su-hyeok, it would have ended as a right fielder’s fly ball last year.

– So, it must have been effective to increase his size to play in the big leagues, right?

– That’s right. In addition, Ryu Han-gyeol couldn’t give up walks recklessly because Ty Johnson was right behind him.

– Hmm, is that why? Looking at Han Su-hyeok’s expression just now, that’s what I think.

– What do you mean?

– In Korea, it might sound a bit strange… but I would say that the shadows that always seemed to be chasing Han Su-hyeok’s face are not felt at all?

– Hmm.

– Of course, Commissioner Go Dong-sik is much more of an expert on baseball than I am, but I guess I’m better at reading people’s faces because I’m an office worker… hmm, I’m sorry. Anyway, seeing Han Su-hyeok’s brightened face makes me feel lighter too. Well, now that we’ve seen the showdown between Ryu Han-gyeol and Han Su-hyeok, it’s time to see Lee Chan-ho’s batting, right?

– Yes, he will appear as the second hitter in the top of the second inning. And another thing to watch is Han Su-hyeok’s third base defense.

– Come to think of it… Han Su-hyeok has never handled a ball since his big league debut, right?

– Yes, he only played for one inning in the first game, and the ball never went to the third base in the top of the first inning today either. Well, viewers, enjoy Han Su-hyeok’s defense to your heart’s content. This is the Seattle Mariners’ home stadium, T-Mobile Park.