On The Rise As A Catcher [EN]: Chapter 39

But the pitcher threw a slider.

It was clear, without anyone saying a word, that the pitcher had ignored the catcher’s call.

“He’ll learn to listen to the catcher after getting hit hard a few times.”

The pitcher hung his head low.

The price for his stubbornness was a home run.

Pang! Pang!

Song Seok-hyun silently tapped his mitt with his fist.

As the next batter stepped up, the mitt pointed outward again.

The mitt didn’t budge, as if fixed in place with nails.

‘Outside, fastball.’

This time, the pitcher didn’t argue.

Pang!

Pang!

Pang!

-Strike! Out!

The mitt was fixed, but the ball came inside, outside, filling the strike zone.

The batter, who was trying to wait out the erratic pitcher, was struck out.

“Yes!”

The pitcher quickly regained his smile with that one strikeout.

Song Seok-hyun placed his mitt in the same spot as the next batter appeared.

‘Outside, fastball.’

The sign was the same, almost unbelievably so, but no two pitches were ever the same.

The home run was the last run they conceded in the 8th inning.

“Hey.”

As the pitcher headed to the bench, the pitching coach frowned at Joo Pan-seok.

The pitcher’s shoulders slumped.

“Learn to distinguish when to be stubborn and when not to be.”

The battery coach added his piece.

The pitcher glanced nervously and sat on the bench.

The pitcher stole a glance at Song Seok-hyun.

Song Seok-hyun didn’t look at Joo Pan-seok.

He was only watching Jang Dae-hee on the mound.

Pang!

Pang!

Pang!

-Strike! Out!

“Good stuff.”

“Fastball’s quick, too?”

“A first-rounder is different, different.”

“Wow, he’s already hitting 148km/h [approximately 92 mph].”

The Wolves players added their comments.

Jang Dae-hee was proving why the Wolves had picked him in the first round of the draft.

A fastball approaching 150km/h [approximately 93 mph].

A top-notch slider, and a third-pitch curveball.

The curveball was mostly for show, but the slider had been praised as being at a professional level since high school.

Even without his father, Jang Hyeok-jin, Jang Dae-hee was clearly a first-round talent.

“…….”

Song Seok-hyun watched Jang Dae-hee overwhelm the Goat batters and wondered.

Why would Jang Dae-hee, who was so overwhelmingly talented, do that?

“What are you doing? Get ready to go out.”

Kim Jeong-ryul snapped Song Seok-hyun out of his thoughts.

“Ah, yes.”

“Spacing out. Hurry up and get ready.”

“Yes.”

Jang Dae-hee struck out three batters, allowing only one weakly hit single.

They were professional second-string players, but a fastball approaching 150km/h [approximately 93 mph] and a slider approaching 140km/h [approximately 87 mph] were not easy to handle.

“Fighting!”

“Wolves, fighting!”

“Let’s win decisively!”

The Wolves bench even sent applause to encourage the victory.

The score was now 10-7.

Just a run or two more would seal the deal.

It was a minor league game, but victory was sweeter than defeat.

Song Seok-hyun silently held out his mitt to the outside again.

“Tch.”

The pitcher was annoyed by the predictable pitching calls, but there was nothing he could do.

It was better to give up runs following the catcher’s signs than to give up runs doing whatever he wanted.

Having someone to blame made things easier.

Tak!

-Out!

Tak!

Tak!

Tak!

-Out!

The pitcher’s predictable pitching allowed three hits.

But they didn’t give up any more runs.

The erratic control disrupted the batter’s timing and balance.

“Good work.”

Song Seok-hyun greeted the pitcher before he went to the bench and bowed his head.

“Yeah.”

The pitcher went to the bench without saying much.

He had pitched according to the catcher’s lead, and the results were good, but he didn’t feel good.

The pitcher’s dream was a 멋진 [meotjin – cool/stylish] strikeout.

Even if you looked at the previous pitching favorably, it was just barely adequate.

Because he was the promising fireballer Joo Pan-seok, the damage to his pride was even greater.

“Good job.”

Kim Jeong-ryul comforted Song Seok-hyun, who was taking off his catcher’s gear.

“I didn’t do anything particularly difficult.”

“Dealing with a stubborn guy is hard work; what other hard work is there?”

Song Seok-hyun grinned.

“You’re quick to adapt.”

“If I’m going to be a catcher anyway, I’ll be living like this my whole life, so it’s my loss if I get stressed already.”

“You’re something else. A saint, a saint.”

“Ah, is the next one after the next my at-bat?”

“No. The one after that is your at-bat.”

“Ah…….”

Song Seok-hyun looked dejected.

“I probably won’t get to go up today, will I?”

Jang Dae-hee on the mound was breathing fire.

“Probably.”

“It would have been perfect if I had even gotten an at-bat.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Song Seok-hyun stared intently at Jang Dae-hee.

-Walk.

Jang Dae-hee gave up his first walk.

No outs, runner on first.

Kim Jeong-ryul pushed Song Seok-hyun’s back.

“You might get to go out. Get ready.”

Song Seok-hyun stretched while watching Jang Dae-hee.

Was it just a feeling?

It felt like Jang Dae-hee was glancing at the Goat bench.

Puck!

“Ah!”

A curveball that slipped out of Jang Dae-hee’s hand hit the batter in the back.

Jang Dae-hee took off his hat and bowed.

The batter frowned but went to first base.

The curveball missed, and the pitcher apologized.

There was nothing more the batter could do here.

“…….”

One of Song Seok-hyun’s eyebrows twitched.

Jang Dae-hee was timid and usually a well-behaved student.

Song Seok-hyun thought so at first, but now he saw a sinister side to him.

Was it really a mistake?

-Strike! Out!

Jang Dae-hee struck out the next batter.

One out, runners on first and second.

Jang Dae-hee threw a fastball deep inside to the next batter.

The batter swung awkwardly, and the ball rolled towards the shortstop.

The weakly hit ball caught the shortstop off guard, so even though he caught the ball, there was no out.

One out, bases loaded.

Song Seok-hyun stepped up to the plate.

“Hoo.”

“Haa.”

As Song Seok-hyun stood with his bat, Jang Dae-hee let out a dry breath.

Song Seok-hyun stood a little away from home plate in an open stance.

Jang Dae-hee and Song Seok-hyun exchanged glances.

First pitch.

Pang!

A slider that broke far outside.

Jang Dae-hee sent a sign to the catcher that he was sorry.

Song Seok-hyun’s gaze at Jang Dae-hee sharpened.

Pak!

The next pitch was a curveball that landed in front of the catcher.

As the ball bounced, the catcher blocked it.

Jang Dae-hee slightly lowered his head to the catcher again.

“…….”

Song Seok-hyun gripped the bat more lightly and swung it around.

Third pitch.

-Strike!

Outside fastball.

Jang Dae-hee tilted his head and received the ball from the catcher.

The fourth pitch was a slider that filled the outside corner.

2-2 count.

Song Seok-hyun glared at Jang Dae-hee.

Jang Dae-hee didn’t look at Song Seok-hyun.

Fifth pitch.

As Jang Dae-hee threw the ball, he briefly made eye contact with Song Seok-hyun.

Tightly.

Jang Dae-hee closed his eyes as he threw the ball.

“Oh!”

Screams and groans erupted from both benches.

Jang Dae-hee’s fastball headed for Song Seok-hyun’s head.

Pang!

“Wow.”

“……Hoo.”

“I aged ten years.”

Both benches breathed a sigh of relief.

Jang Dae-hee’s fastball missed the strike zone by a mile.

The catcher’s mitt stopped right next to Song Seok-hyun’s face.

Inside the mitt was a baseball.

Song Seok-hyun stared at Jang Dae-hee without moving.

Jang Dae-hee didn’t look at Song Seok-hyun’s face.

“Sorry, sorry. It looks like the ball slipped. Why is his control so bad today?”

The catcher apologized instead of Jang Dae-hee.

Song Seok-hyun didn’t respond to the catcher.

The catcher was relieved that Song Seok-hyun didn’t run out to the mound.

“……Hoo ooooooo.”

Song Seok-hyun took a long breath.

3-2 full count.

Jang Dae-hee felt Song Seok-hyun’s piercing gaze fixed on him.

The gaze penetrated his whole body, but he didn’t look at Song Seok-hyun.

No, he couldn’t.