Chapter 421 – Episode 413. The Cheater Hides the Cheat. (3)

“Nice! Park Jun-hyung was great!”

When the second inning ended, and we entered the dugout, the seniors greeted the fielders with bright voices. In particular, the atmosphere in the dugout was brighter this inning, perhaps because Park Jun-hyung prevented a crisis with first and second bases out with no outs.

“Meng Hao, give me one point.”

When I took off my gloves and sat down on the bench, Park Jun-hyung sat next to me, wiping his sweat with a towel, and started talking to me. Damn, the smell of sweat.

“Only when it’s my turn.”

“At least one person will get on base.”

“I hope so.”

Park Jun-hyung muttered that it would be nice to get at least one person on base, but my thoughts were, well… It was. In the top of the third inning, our batting lineup started with 7th batter Yoon Seong-tae. In other words, both the first and second episodes ended in a three-way defeat.

As expected, the left-handed batter’s line was unable to attack Chae Jae-hyeon’s pitch at all. Kim Soo-ho, Ki Sang-ju, and Williams’ 2nd, 3rd, and 4th batters, and even 6th batter Woo Kwan-hyung. Among them, there was no player who could not hit .300, so perhaps it is a difficult ball for a left-handed hitter to hit? Choi Jin-cheol, the 5th batter, sent the ball to the outfield, but even that was blocked by the rain.

This inning, our batting lineup is left-handed hitter Seong-tae Yoon, right-handed hitter Jeong Yun-cheol, and left-handed hitter Jeong Hwi-cheol again. There was no player to particularly look forward to in this inning.

‘Seongtae is inherently unreliable, and Jeong Yun-cheol has better hitting than Hyun-seong, but even so, he is in the mid-2000 range. Should we at least hope that Hwicheol gets on base?’

“Fighting Seongtae Yoon!”

Yoon Seong-tae’s cheering song can be heard from the stands, and in the dugout, seniors call out Yoon Seong-tae’s name and cheer. However, the seniors did not seem to have such expectations either. And just as I and my seniors expected, the count quickly increased.

“Strike~!”

After only two balls, the count is two strikes and no balls. On the first pitch, I swung at a fastball, and on the second pitch, I swung at a slider. These were swings that had no idea what kind of ball they were aiming for.

“Seongtae! What do you want to play? What are you aiming for!”

When I raised my voice to give strength to Seongtae Yoon, I felt like I made eye contact with Seongtae Yoon for a moment.

‘Eek.’

He moves behind the tall Choi Jin-cheol and avoids Yoon Seong-tae’s eyes. Because I can’t concentrate on batting like that, I miss swings.

“What are you doing?”

“… Just.”

“Hey, if that’s the case, why did you cheer like that? Just like a man! There should be.”

“Then, can I cheer for the senior in the same way when he is at bat?”

“Are you crazy?”

“… “No.”

When I was chatting with Choi Jin-cheol like that,

“Ahh!”

A scream was heard from the ground. When I looked at the ground, I saw Seongtae Yoon kneeling down. And the balls rolling around. It looked like he had been hit by a ball.

“Seongtae! Are you okay?!”

When asked if he was okay, Seongtae Yoon spread his palms toward the dugout and signaled that he was okay.

‘Nice! Well, if he has that kind of form and good control, he’s a saint.’

It was fortunate. There were no injuries, and the leadoff hitter even got on base. The situation could not have been better than this. Because this was clearly Yoon Seong-tae’s maximum. With this, even I, the number one hitter, can get back at bat.

“Fighting Jeong Yun-cheol!”

Raise your voice and support Jeong Yun-cheol. The bench’s choice here is bunt. In a way, it was natural. Although there was a throw, Chae Jae-hyeon looked to be in good condition today, and there was no chance of Jeong Yun-cheol, who has slow legs, hitting a double play. Plus, my at bat is coming back this inning. Sending a runner into scoring position is an obvious choice.

Widely! A dull sound is heard, and the ball bunted by Jeong Yun-cheol rolls in front of the pitcher.

“First!”

Chae Jae-hyun, who was contemplating whether to throw to second base, heard Lee Yong-gi’s call and threw the ball to first base.

“Out!”

“Good!”

“Brother Yun Cheol! Nice!”

“Meng Hao, get ready! Get ready!”

“Yes, yes.”

“I believe. Just give me 1 point. “Because I’m in good condition today.”

Listening to Park Jun-hyung’s urging, I take my bat and leave the dugout.

“Senior, it was good.”

“Meng Hao, can you do it?”

“Of course. “That bastard is a piece of shit.”

After lightly touching his fist with Jeong Yun-cheol, he enters the waiting box. Hwicheol’s face, seen from the waiting box, had a slightly stiff expression. Does it feel like you’re frozen against an ace pitcher?

“Hwicheol! Take it easy! “I’m behind you!”

Jeong Hwi-cheol must have heard me, nodding his head. However, Chae Jae-hyun’s ball was not one that could be played with ease.

Perfect!

Jeong Hwi-cheol’s batted ball flies high. A batted ball that gets stuck in the infield.

“Out!”

Now there is only one count left.

‘Good. It’s revenge from before.’

After making a firm determination, I walked to the plate.

“It’s an automatic intentional decision.”

“Yes? Why? Why?! “We won before!”

“Hey, first base is empty, why am I competing with you?”

Fuck! Perhaps because he competed in his first at-bat, I thought he would naturally compete with me. Why did I think that? However, Kim Su-ho walked toward the plate with a characteristic expressionless face, as if he had been expecting it.

“What are you doing? “Aren’t you going?”

“Can’t I go? I’m not good at playing anymore…”

“Go quickly.”

Fuck… I cursed under my breath and headed toward first base. All I can do now is pray. Kim Soo-ho’s record in his first at-bat was a looking strikeout.

‘Senior Suho! ‘Just do one!’

The only left-handed batters who could target Chae Jae-hyun were either Kim Su-ho or Woo Kwan-hyung. Ki Ki-joo was weak even when left-handed pitchers other than Chae Jae-hyun appeared, and Williams was unable to match the timing of Chae Jae-hyun’s unusual pitching form.

‘I shouldn’t go all the way to Sangju…’

I hope that Kim Soo-ho will aim for hits rather than walks in this at-bat, and his lead is slowly expanding. And the first pitch was thrown…

Ta – Aak!

There is a great hitting sound, and the ball flies toward left center. Kim Su-ho hit the first pitch, which he didn’t usually do.

‘Are you caught? Did you get caught? Mr. Rossby!’

‘It’s vague?’

He rushed to second base and called for Rossby. Although he was two out anyway, he couldn’t help but be curious about the result. If you missed it, it was at least 2 points!

-Waaaaa!!!!!

-Kim Su-ho! Kim Soo-ho! Kim Soo-ho!

‘I fell. Be careful, I caught it right away.’

I run toward third base while listening to Rossby.

“Stop! Stop at third base!”

As I stepped on third base, the third base coach was in front of me trying to stop me.

‘Run!’

However, Rossby’s decision was to run all the way home. I trusted Rossby’s judgment, so he didn’t slow down. He was seen kneeling on the line leading to third base and home, preparing to receive the ball. It seemed like the throw was biased toward third base.

‘There’s not much left until home… !’

Now I can see the ball in my eyes too. Lee Yong-gi can be seen catching the ball with a mitt while taking off his mask. If this goes on, you’re out!

‘Fuck, I don’t know!’

While running, apply strength to your stepping foot. Lee Yong-gi, who caught the ball, can be seen trying to bend his body.

‘Fuck!’

I kicked off the ground with as much force as I used on my stepping foot and jumped high.

“Hey!”

Lee Yong-gi’s scream! The eyes looking at me from below pass by like in slow motion. And the visible ground and home plate. I crouched down and extended my arms so that my lower arms touched the ground first.

“Ahh!”

Fuck, it fucking hurts. A strong shock hits my arm. Just before it fell, I saw something white… I don’t even know if I touched the mitt or not because of the pain I felt in my arm. All you can see is the sky, which is turning red and black, perhaps because it is the end of summer.

At that time, a shadow appears in my field of vision. It was the referee.

“Three leaves? Out?”

I was the first to ask a question to the referee who was dawdling. And the referee’s mouth opened.

*

[Safe! It’s three leaves! Ji Maeng-ho’s incredible base running play! It didn’t touch Lee Yong-gi’s mitt! The away team, AT Thunder, takes the lead by 2 points thanks to Kim Soo-ho’s 2 RBI and timely hit!]

[And… ! There was a play that only appears in the major leagues these days, right? Ji Maeng-ho soared for a moment… That’s incredible athleticism! The slow screen appears again. The second baseman’s throw was slanted towards third base, and Lee Yong-gi caught the ball near the right-handed batter’s box. Of course, it was time to go out… !]

[And… Ji Maeng-ho, he really took off!]

[I jumped to avoid Lee Yong-gi and hit home with a fall! Lee Yong-gi, who is considered the best catcher in Korea, was so embarrassed that he didn’t even think about tagging him. And… There is a base running play like this? The fall technique was also perfect.]

-What is that guy?

┗I don’t know either.

┗┗What is it really?

-LOL Is that a person?

┗I don’t think so?

┗┗ Wow, you were just at the level of a real animal?

-Is that really what Asians do? No Confucian baseball?

┗Quickly get out of the way with a major

-Fact) A fierce warrior can defy gravity.

┗Lee Waejin?

Of course, everyone from the broadcasters to the fans who were watching the game were speechless at Ji Maeng-ho’s amazing play in the home game, which was right at the wrong time. The cheers of the crowd erupted after they realized what Ji Maeng-ho had just played.

-Wow!!!!

-Ji Maeng-ho! Ji Maengho! Ji Maengho!

The loudness of Ji Maeng-ho’s name call that echoed throughout the Daejeon stadium showed the extent of the play that had just occurred.

[But will it be okay? It’s a cool play, but I’m worried.]

[Haha, you might be worried. However, the player who played like that is Ji Maeng-ho. I think it will happen soon.]

[Oh, Ji Maeng-ho stands up. He’s brushing the dirt off his arms and returning to the dugout?]

[This is Ji Maeng-ho’s biggest advantage. That strong physique. Is Ji Maeng-ho injured? I can’t imagine it at all. In fact, Ji Maeng-ho suffered a slight strain on his thigh during the Olympics, but he came back in good shape in the next game.]

[So this is the so-called ‘Geumgang Buddha’ that fans are talking about?]

[You’re right. Ji Maeng-ho was probably injured by traffic…, Ah, um… Anyway, it’s hard to imagine. Moreover, even if Ji Maeng-ho cannot hit at all, his base running play alone is enough to earn him a spot on the roster. Who can see a play like that?]

[Yes. I have been broadcasting the KBA League for over 10 years, and this is the first time I have seen a scene like this. Let’s watch again.]

[Wow, having that kind of body type and that kind of athletic ability is a blessing for Korean baseball.]

[Yes. Kim Soo-ho’s timely hit and Ji Maeng-ho’s fantastic home touch lead the team to 2:0, and now Ki Ki-joo is at the plate. … Walk. Chae Jae-hyun is shaken. Williams, the number 4 hitter! First pitch hit! Out! AT Thunders’ attack ends in the top of the long third inning.]

*

‘That bastard isn’t sabotaging business again, is he? ‘Do you hit the first pitch of the pitcher who walked?’

As I was considering whether I should train Williams again, a training coach approached me.

“Meng Hao, you’re really okay, right?”

“I told you. It’s okay. “It doesn’t hurt.”

When I first hit the ground, it hurt a little, but after spraying it on, I didn’t feel any pain at all.

“If anything seems strange during defense, tell me right away.”

“Yes.”

He spoke to me the moment he came in after scoring, and he seemed to be worried.

‘Junhyung, don’t worry about your brother.’

Although he gave up 2 runs in the top of the 3rd inning, will Park Jun-hyung end the inning with no runs against Hwasan? It was something I didn’t expect. And my thoughts soon became reality.

Ta – Aak!

“It flies well.”

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Lee Yong-gi hit a solo home run, making the score 2:1. Fortunately, Park Jun-hyung blocked the remaining batters, but he was still uneasy. And in the top of the 5th inning, the same luck as before did not occur.

Perfect!

“Out!”

Whoo!

“Swing strike! Out!”

My third at-bat came in a situation where the 8th and 9th batters were both out and there were no runners on base and two outs.

“You won’t skip it this time, right? You saw it earlier. That thing that runs.”

“Yeah, dude.”

My stance was the same. The balls you should aim for are fastballs and sliders. The ball I need to watch out for is his body slider that falls toward my ankle? Then, there is only one conclusion.

‘Let’s throw away the balls and go in.’

“Do you seem to have a lot of worries these days? “It doesn’t feel the same as before?”

“Do you feel that too? “I have to become a shaman.”

The fact that Yonggi Lee is talking to you means that the cause of death has been determined. The guy’s first pitch is thrown. I tried to swing the bat at the ball that seemed to be coming toward the center, but the speed was slower than I expected, and I stopped the bat before it went around completely.

“Swing?”

“… Ball.”

“Kabi. Ji Maeng-ho died a lot. “I cringe at a ball like this.”

“…”

… It makes me burn.