Genius Pitcher Hides 170Km [EN]: Chapter 70

#69. Unwritten Rule

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└Oh! Yerin noona, what’s with the sudden live stream?

└Didn’t you go to the baseball stadium today?

└Unnie, where did you get the hat you wore at the baseball stadium yesterday?

└Noona, aren’t you releasing an album? Did you give up being a singer?

└Why do I have to turn on baseball broadcasts to see you instead of music shows?

└Hey, friends, is there anyone here who speaks English? What is the Queen doing right now?

“Quiet, everyone, quiet. I have a cold, so I’m watching the game at home today instead of going to the baseball stadium. I’ll start talking after this at-bat, so shush for a bit.”

└If you have a cold, take some medicine and sleep. More baseball?

└By the way, what is this, a broadcast of watching Min Yerin watch baseball in real-time?

└Noona, why do you always climb the safety net when you go to the baseball stadium?

Min Yerin’s personal broadcast room instantly filled up. The platform manager, flustered, immediately increased the maximum number of participants, but even that filled up instantly.

However, Min Yerin’s focus was not on that.

The Warriors were leading the Magicians 2-0, and the Magicians were in the bottom of the 7th inning.

The veteran Lee Man-shik, who had not allowed a single hit against the Magicians yet, was facing the cleanup hitter.

Clang!

“No!”

└Noona, why! What’s wrong? Did a war break out?

└Why? What is it? What is it?

└The baseball broadcast is delayed because of the streaming. I can’t help it. I’ll turn on the baseball broadcast too.

└I’m not really interested in baseball, but I have to if I want to talk to noona. I just turned it on.

└Damn it, did someone attack the Queen or something? What is it? Someone, please explain.

As the well-hit ball flew like a bullet between third and shortstop, Min Yerin screamed without realizing it.

The vast majority of viewers, who had come to see Min Yerin’s live broadcast after a long time and had no interest in baseball, were startled and started chatting.

However, Min Yerin didn’t even notice such chats.

The sound of the hit, Min Yerin stretching out her legs and trembling—at that moment.

Thud!

Han Su-hyeok, who appeared like a ghost, snatched the escaping ball and threw it to first base, getting the out.

The Magicians hitter, who naturally thought it was a hit, stared blankly at the sky once before returning to the dugout.

Bottom of the 7th, current score 2-0, 1 walk allowed, 0 hits allowed.

Lee Man-shik’s record continued.

“Hoo…….”

Only then did Min Yerin find peace of mind and start sucking on a straw in an ion drink bottle with her face on it.

It was a brand of drink that had recently started being supplied to the Warriors team.

└Is it okay to show that brand so openly? Is it an official PPL [Product Placement] ?

└Why the sudden ion drink? Unnie, didn’t you only drink coffee?

└I came out to exercise, and seeing that makes me want it. Do they sell it at convenience stores?

“It’s strangely delicious these days. It sticks to my mouth.”

Min Yerin, who couldn’t even lift her head in front of Han Su-hyeok but exuded charisma when communicating with her fans, answered with a relaxed smile.

She was only twenty years old, but all the fans knew that this tone and behavior were part of her broadcast persona, so they forgot her age and had a comfortable conversation with her.

However, the manager, who was waiting next to her to manage the broadcast, was sighing deeply.

The reason Min Yerin was exposing that drink on the broadcast was because the beverage company and the Warriors had recently signed an advertising contract with good terms. In other words, the Warriors were benefiting, and Min Yerin was doing the work.

Every time she went to the baseball stadium, she donated a large amount of fireworks (mainly with a request to set them off when Han Su-hyeok hit a home run), and whenever she had a chance, she went up to the cheering platform and led the cheering with the cheerleaders, and composed cheering songs for each player and gave them away for free.

She was helping the Warriors’ marketing without receiving any compensation.

No, let’s say all that is fine.

Why does she keep climbing the safety net every time she goes to the stadium?

Why does she ignore the warning from the stadium management team that if she does that again, she will be banned from entering the stadium altogether?

The last time Min Yerin incited the crowd and the stadium safety net collapsed, it felt like the sky was falling.

How nice would it be if she thought about his position, who was cleaning up all the mess.

“Oppa.”

“Huh? Why, Yerin-ah.”

“Why does the way you look at me seem so disrespectful?”

“…What did I do.”

“Hmm.”

At Min Yerin’s remark, the manager flinched and avoided her gaze.

Min Yerin scanned the manager up and down once before continuing the broadcast.

“Everyone, I’ve blocked all donations, so don’t do anything unnecessary. I have a lot of money. I don’t need your pocket change. You remember when I flipped out at my last agency for telling me to do some kind of paid communication app, right? Anyway, stop the donations!”

└Cool… I’m paying 10,000 won every month because of the communication app

└I’m paying 30,000 won because I use six of themㅋㅋㅋ

└Seeing that, Yerin unnie is really generous. She doesn’t take donations and even gives back to the viewers sometimes

└Anyway, why did you turn on the broadcast? I was surprised to see the notification after 6 months

At the viewers’ questions, Min Yerin smiled as if she had been waiting for it.

“Everyone.”

└Yes, noona

└Give us your orders anytime

└I’m ready to listen to anything

└Damn it, let me laugh along too, friends. Is there no one who speaks English?

“You all know that I like baseball, no, the Warriors team, right?”

└Of course. You’d be a spy if you didn’t know that in Korea

└I don’t know any of the baseball rules, but I know all the Warriors cheering songs because of noona

└I’ve even memorized the names of the Warriors players roughly. Like Han Su-hyeok…

└That’s right, that oppa’s face and proportions are no joke

“Okay, then I’ll explain it simply. The team I like is about to achieve a great record, okay?”

Lee Man-shik still had two innings left to achieve a no-hitter, but Min Yerin’s happy circuit was already running at full speed.

└A great record? What is it?

└Is it something like entering the Hall of Fame?

└That’s Major League Baseball [MLB]

└What’s Major League Baseball?

└American baseball

└Hmm

“Okay, okay, it’s a bit difficult to explain what that great record is… Just to put it simply, the Warriors, who I support, are about to completely destroy the opposing team… If you understand it to this extent.”

└Oh… and then?

└Are you saying we should watch that historic moment together?

└Are there any Warriors players who do personal broadcasts? Should we go and donate to them?

“No.”

A faint smile appeared on Min Yerin’s face.

“Those who live near Jamsil Baseball Stadium should go there now and prepare to applaud our players who are leaving work. It would be even better if you make simple signs. Ah, the player’s name to put on the sign is Lee Man-shik.”

└Ah, it’s nothing much. If Yerin noona wants it, I’ll do that much

└Should I buy some fireworks? Is it okay to set them off in front of the stadium?

└That noona always does fireworks when she goes to the baseball stadium, so wouldn’t it be okay?

└Heeing… I live in the countryside

Min Yerin, who was pleased with the fans’ reactions, continued to speak.

“Those who live far away should search ‘Lee Man-shik no-hitter’ on the internet search bar from now on and make it the number one trending search. At least make sure it doesn’t come down from there for today.”

└Oho… I can do that right now

└I’ll do as you say, so please make a comeback? I want to hear your new song

└That’s right, I’m tired of turning on baseball broadcasts to see noona’s face

“Okay. If a great record is achieved today, I’ll release a new song right away, so don’t worry.”

The new song she was talking about here meant a tribute song dedicated to the Warriors who had achieved a new record, or, to be precise, were about to achieve it. Of course, the fans took it in a slightly different sense.

At her words, the chat room started to burn again.

└Ooh! New song! Finally, Min Yerin’s new song!

└Is it real? You absolutely can’t change your mind?

└Haa, I’m thirsty. Hearing about a new song makes me want to listen to Min Yerin’s songs

While the fans were chattering, the Warriors’ attack in the top of the 8th inning ended without success, and Lee Man-shik took the mound again.

Min Yerin pursed her lips again and began to concentrate on the game.

* * *

Sometimes, in dramas and movies about baseball, there are depictions of pitchers who are about to achieve a great record being completely unaware of the fact.

It’s not just in fiction. There are often cases where pitchers who have achieved actual great records say in post-game interviews that they threw without knowing.

From the perspective of someone who has achieved a perfect game once and two no-hitters in the big leagues.

The possibility of it being a lie is very high.

It’s impossible not to know.

Aside from the completely different attitude of teammates and coaching staff, you can’t help but notice because of the reactions of the crowd and the voices coming from there.

How sensitive are pitchers?

The moment you wind up, your five senses open wide, and the surrounding noises suddenly fly into your ears and sound as clear as if they were being hammered in.

That’s how it was when I achieved my three great records.

The voice of a spectator flying in from somewhere, hoping to see a perfect game today.

There are tens of thousands of people around you who are itching to talk about it, and you never hear it once?

Anyway.

Well, that’s not the important thing…….

With the attacks of both teams ending in three up, three down in the bottom of the 7th and top of the 8th, the bottom of the 8th defense began.

Senior Lee Man-shik, who was going up to the mound, suddenly turned around and said to me.

“Su-hyeok, I’m thinking of only pitching this inning and asking to switch with Ki-cheol in the 9th. What do you think?”

“Yes? Why? You haven’t even thrown 90 pitches yet, and a shutout is right in front of you?”

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words ‘no-hitter’. So I just said ‘shutout’.

But Senior Lee Man-shik answered with a completely nonchalant expression.

“Hey, what’s the point of getting a shutout when you’re old? It’s more important to win today’s game for sure. How long has it been since we swept the Magicians, hehe.”

“…….”

I don’t know.

I really don’t know if he didn’t notice, or if he was trying to ease my tension with a joke so that I wouldn’t feel burdened by the defense.

I was so frustrated that I quietly asked Ahn Chi-wook, who was standing next to me.

“Hey, Ahn Chi-wook. You said you were a fan of Man-shik hyung, right?”

“Huh? Why are you asking about Man-shik hyung?”

“Shh, just answer quietly. Has that hyung ever pitched a no-hitter before?”

“Hey, what are you going to do if hyung hears you…….”

“You keep your voice down, anyway, yes or no?”

“As far as I know, no… Why?”

Hmm.

No matter how I look at it, he really doesn’t seem to realize that he’s right before achieving a great record…….

Well, it doesn’t matter. I just have to do my best in what I can do.

What a pitcher needs most when facing a great record is not something else.

Flawless defense, help from the infielders who don’t get more nervous than the pitcher and fumble.

Okay. From now on, the 3-SS area [area between 3rd base and shortstop] is closed. Nothing can pass.

“Ahn Chi-wook, move your defensive position back a little.”

“Huh? Uh, uh.”

The most important thing to achieve a no-hitter is, of course, not allowing a hit.

One of Ahn Chi-wook’s strengths is that he has a fairly strong shoulder. This means that even if he catches the ball a little further back, he can throw it to first base sufficiently.

I adjusted his defensive position and looked towards second base, and Senior Lee Chang-mo also seemed to have the same idea, as his defensive position was deeper than usual.

He’s definitely a good infielder.

“Focus.”

Senior Lee Man-shik, who didn’t seem to know that he was challenging a record, powerfully threw the first pitch to the Magicians’ fifth batter.

Clang!

A well-hit ground ball flew towards the place where the third base was tightly attached. Ahn Chi-wook, who was very nervous, took a step forward and handled the ball before throwing it to first base.

“Out!”

Thank goodness.

The Magicians’ fifth batter was slow, and Ahn Chi-wook’s throw was better than I thought.

Ahn Chi-wook, who would normally have been excited and blabbering, didn’t look at me and bent down again and concentrated on the game. That guy is probably trembling even if he pretends to be okay.

“Strike!”

“Strike!”

“Strike! Out!”

The Magicians’ sixth batter couldn’t handle Senior Lee Man-shik’s fastball, sinker, and changeup and was struck out with three pitches.

The burden of having to avoid a no-hitter was all over his face.

After the 69th batter was dismissed, the Magicians’ fast 7th batter stepped up to the plate.

At that moment, I felt something.

I suddenly remembered how my third no-hitter was broken.

I whispered quietly so that only Ahn Chi-wook could hear, so that Senior Lee Man-shik couldn’t hear.

“Ahn Chi-wook, if a surprise bunt comes towards third base, I’ll handle it, so don’t rush in.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t question it, just do it.”

Yes, it was a similar situation back then. The only difference was that it was the bottom of the 9th, not the bottom of the 8th.

The Oakland’s first batter, who didn’t get along with me very well and had been unilaterally trampled on as a rival.

That bastard, who had a terrible temper but was really fast, bunted in a surprise situation with only one out count left until the no-hitter.

Our third baseman, who had not anticipated such a situation at all, rushed to catch the ball, but he had already arrived at first base.

That’s how my third no-hitter was broken so futilely.

Hmm.

Thinking about it makes me angry again. That bastard was probably the same age as me?

I wonder if I can meet him at this WBC [World Baseball Classic]? If I meet him, I’ll have to grind him into powder.

Anyway, having been through that once, I quietly prepared without telling the other players about it.

I want to let the first base side know too, but it’s impossible to call a time-out right now and go to Senior Jo Sung-oh.

I have no choice but to trust the experience of a senior who has been rolling around in the baseball world for over ten years.

And if I were a batter, I would bunt towards third base, which is guarded by rookie Ahn Chi-wook, rather than the side guarded by veteran first baseman and second baseman. Since Yang Seon-woo is a left-handed hitter, the probability is even higher.

“Ball.”

“Ball.”

“Strike!”

As the count became two balls and one strike, Yang Seon-woo’s eyes seemed to change slightly.

My hunch seems to be coming true.

Whoosh

Thud

– Ah! A surprise bunt came out here!

– This is something you shouldn’t do to a pitcher who is about to achieve a great record… Ah!

– Ahn Chi-wook, no, Han Su-hyeok, Han Su-hyeok catches the ball rolling miraculously towards third base and throws it to first base, to first base, out! It’s out! The Magicians dugout has requested a video review!

– It’s really amazing. It’s as if Han Su-hyeok had anticipated this situation, he ran towards the third base line and miraculously picked up the ball. Ah, seeing that Ahn Chi-wook didn’t move from his spot, it seems that there was an agreement between the two players in advance.

– Out! There was no reversal of the decision! It’s out! A huge boo is pouring out from the stands!

– They tried to interfere with the great record with a surprise bunt, so they have to endure that much. In the United States, there was even a case where a batter who interfered with a no-hitter with a surprise bunt received death threats.

– Ah, is it that serious?

– Yes, because this is truly a moment of glory that a pitcher may only have once in their lifetime. Anyway, with Han Su-hyeok handling the ball well, the bottom of the 8th ends. Now, if Lee Man-shik blocks just one more inning, he will achieve his first great record in his life!