Chapter 563 – Episode 555. Friend. (5)

“Ball.”

‘Wow, what the fuck? Is this a slider?’

The third ball against Wonho today. Even though I watched Wonho’s ball after hearing that it was a slider, I couldn’t help but be surprised. Because his slider was too fast to be called a slider.

‘147… ?’

And the speed confirmed through the electronic display board was 147 km/h. It was a slider that was about 4-5 km/h faster than the slider that Wonho had shown so far.

‘What? Didn’t you lose strength?’

And what surprised me more than the velocity was that he threw this ball in the 7th inning, when it wasn’t surprising if he went down. It seemed like he kept throwing the ball with all his might, but he was still throwing the ball at this speed… He said he didn’t play with me before the season and just kept working out, so I was proud that it seemed to be working.

‘Sseuup, haven’t you lost that much stamina? If this is the case, it won’t be easy to get over it even if you push it, right? Well, okay. It should be at this level so that it tastes good. Mr. Rossby?’

‘It’s a splitter.’

‘Okay.’

A splitter thrown in a one-ball situation. Since there was plenty of room in the ball count, I wanted to take a risk by hitting a ball that might not be in the zone. The second ball of the guy who decided not to bat and waited.

“Strike!”

“Umm…”

I thought it was a little low, but it seemed like it was in the zone. When I first looked at the ball’s trajectory, I thought it would go under, but perhaps because the velocity was fast, I missed the ball’s destination.

‘Well, even if I hit it all the way through, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a good hit. Anyway, it’s one strike. There are a lot of opportunities anyway.’

It was unfortunate that I had one strike, but it wasn’t a very important factor in winning the game. I had to put two more in the zone anyway.

‘It’s a splitter again.’

And there was an advantage to missing the ball. After I just looked at the breaking ball twice in a row, the battery must have thought I was aiming for a fastball, so this time it tried the breaking ball again. A breaking ball is a ball that has a high probability of going out of the zone in the first place. In this case, there was a high possibility that the count fight would be in my favor.

‘I won’t miss it this time!’

“Ball.”

… Like now. This time, I waited with the intention of hitting if he came into the zone, but Wonho’s ball came lower than before, so there was no need to swing the bat.

‘Slider.’

‘Hmm… Do you plan to compete with breaking balls until the end?’

Perhaps he was convinced that I was aiming for a fastball, but this ball was also a breaking ball. It seemed like he was planning to throw the ball near the zone and draw out my bat like he did just now.

“Ball.”

But I wasn’t the type of batter who could fall for such a poor move, and this time too, the slider went out, and the count soon became three balls and one strike.

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Of course, here, it’s a fastball that goes into the zone.’

… Think about it for a moment. I had a gut feeling that I wouldn’t hit the ball in the zone this time. A fastball that continues to show breaking balls and then finally throws. Against a batter who hasn’t responded to every breaking ball he’s thrown so far, you’re told to throw one and three, but should you throw the ball in the zone?

‘… The probability is low, right?’

‘Why are you asking me that?’

Seeing as there were no swear words, it seemed like Mr. Rossby was probably thinking the same thing as me. Then, this ball is a ball that goes out of the zone. Considering that the breaking balls I’ve thrown so far are sliders and splitters, it seemed like I was planning to throw a high fastball to induce a missed swing.

And from now on it is my choice.

When I saw Wonho taking a deep breath, it looked like he was about to throw the ball, so I had to make a choice quickly. Here, do you skip the high fastball or try to swing and miss and try to get the ball into the zone?

The ball Wonho will throw this time is a high fastball with an 80% probability. Even if you hit a ball like this, you won’t get a good hit, so it would have been natural to skip it under normal circumstances. But now the score is 0:0. And the pitchers who are throwing are the aces of each team. It was a situation where points were needed.

It’s also a score that changes the atmosphere.

If you walk, you can steal to third base and score one run by taking advantage of a sacrifice hit, so there is a high probability of scoring the same score as if you hit a home run. However, the atmosphere of this pitching match does not change. What we need now is an impactful shot that can break the opposing team’s will.

Of course, the probability of scoring a point was higher if you got on base with a walk.

‘Filter? Or drag it away?’

In this situation, my choice is of course… !

“Jitterbug! Strike!”

I took a cool swing at the ball that came about one ball above John and deliberately dragged the fight to a full count. If I didn’t hit a home run, I wouldn’t score any points, but I was confident I could hit a home run.

Now the choice we have to make is Silla’s battery. I had to choose between throwing inside the zone or throwing outside the zone.

‘What choice will you make now? Kim Won-ho.’

I ask Wonho a question in my mind and wait for the battery to exchange signs.

‘It’s a fastball.’

‘Fastball?’

The pitch chosen by Battery was once again a fastball. What remains is Wonho’s choice. No matter how far the catcher moved his mitt to the outside, it was the pitcher who threw the ball, so it was important for him to choose where to throw Wonho’s ball.

And if it was Wonho that I thought of…

‘Are you going to throw it in the zone? Right?’

Wonho seemed to answer yes to my question. It was clear that Wonho recognized me just as I recognized Wonho, and I didn’t think he would be able to make me miss two swings in a row.

Plus, I was aiming for a home run, but he throws the ball out, praying that I’ll swing it in a situation where he shouldn’t even be able to score a point? My friend wasn’t that stupid.

‘Come.’

The sixth ball of the guy who was fully prepared and waiting. Wonho’s hand was pulled back and swung like a whip at the same time as his left foot kicked the ground.

‘… Towards the body!’

Wonho chose the body side. And low zone!

The decision and the strike were made almost simultaneously.

Ta – Aak!

… Perfect timing!

-Waaaaa!!!!!

*

[This batted ball! This batted ball!]

‘Fuck.’

A hitting sound that lets you feel that you are going over the moment it hits. Wonho didn’t have the confidence to look back. But, I had to see it. Because he was responsible for seeing the results of his choices with his own eyes.

‘Under… Are you saying I’m still not good enough for you?’

On the day he faced Meng Hao, Meng Hao said that if he ran away for the rest of his life, he would stay at that level for the rest of his life. Why did those words come to mind the moment I threw the last ball? Would the outcome have been different if I had run away? In the brief moment when the batted ball flew to the fence, Wonho’s mind became complicated with many thoughts.

For a moment, Meng Hao’s batted ball, which seemed like it would fly forever the moment it was hit, was gradually sinking. Definitely outside the fence.

[This batted ball! Fence! Let’s go!!! Ji Maeng-ho’s 68th home run of the season! Ji Maeng-ho’s home runs never stop! One shot to destroy Kim Won-ho, who was pitching 6 scoreless innings! Jimaengho, Korea’s best hitter!]

‘… ‘Huh?’

However, the thought that the distance was shorter than usual passed through Wonho’s mind.

‘Originally, Lord Meng Hao only went that far…? ?’

A ball near the body and a bat turned to aim for the ball. It was a battle of strength vs. Strength, but it wasn’t just the feeling that the batted ball landed closer than when Meng Hao usually hit a home run. Because the crowd who loved Maeng Hao’s home run near the fence confirmed that sense of distance.

It was a pathetic thought for a pitcher who hit a home run, but it certainly didn’t seem to fly as far as last time. What if it was Jamsil? A batted ball that makes you think,

‘… Have you grown? By the shortened distance?’

I feel like I have confirmed my own growth without running away. When he turned his head and looked back at the batter’s box, he saw that Meng Hao was holding a throwing ceremony after aiming the bat at him as usual, but rather than being annoyed, he smiled for no reason.

Because I felt that the distance with Meng Hao had become that much closer.

‘If I ran away like that time this time…’

If he had run away with an outside ball like he did back then, he would never have been able to see his growth.

In a game where he took the mound with the responsibility of an ace on his back, he hit a home run and gave up a run, but he couldn’t hide his smile.

‘What? Why is that kid laughing after hitting a home run? Was the ceremony too bad?’

Seeing Wonho smiling at his own ceremony, Mengho thought, ‘Has that bastard finally gone out of his mind?’ But in Wonho’s eyes, even that sight was joyful.

Because he was able to confirm that the distance between him and his friend had become that much closer.

‘Don’t come.’

It feels like my stamina, which I was slowly losing, is coming back… Wonho waved away the pitching coach who was trying to visit the mound. Unlike before, when he was tired, he felt like his body was about to fly.

And with that feeling in mind, the first pitch thrown toward No. 5 hitter Choi Jin-cheol.

Perfect!

Choi Jin-cheol may have thought he would be shaken after hitting a home run, but he turned the bat strongly from the first pitch, and the batted ball bounced once, twice, and three times before landing in the shortstop’s glove.

“Out!”

It was an easy match, as if it were a lie that I had sweated against Meng Hao earlier.

‘Okay, let’s do it! The seniors will give me 2 points.’

Wonho started to burn,

[One out! Kim Won-ho catches Choi Jin-cheol with a ground ball! … Out! This batted ball cannot pass the infield! … Strike! Out! Kim Won-ho conceded 1 run, but caught the remaining three batters!]

“Let’s go! 2 points! “You only need to pay 2 points!”

Silla’s batters were reacting to Wonho’s momentum, which seemed to have changed. It is not only the center hitter’s home run that can change the mood of the team, but also the ace’s terrible pitching.

[… Out! We will protect the score Crongs earned!]

However, Crongs was also showing signs of good health. The 7th and 8th innings went on without any additional points. The pitcher who came to Silla’s mound to block the AT Thunders’ attack in the top of the 9th inning was still Kim Won-ho.

[First of the 9th inning! Shilla Triggers’ ace Kim Won-ho still stands on the mound.]

[Kim Won-ho is throwing a good ball, but this inning is especially important. The gap between a 1-point difference and a 2-point difference is large.]

[… Out! … Strike out! And Ji Maeng-ho comes to bat again. Ah, Ji Maeng-ho gets an automatic intentional throw! … Out! Ji Maeng-ho reaches the scoring zone, but Choi Jin-cheol cannot solve the problem. The game now goes to the bottom of the 9th inning!]

Wonho wanted to compete with Maeng-ho once again, but postponed the game to a later date to ensure the team’s victory. He prayed in the dugout and looked at the ground. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the pitcher on the mound for the AT Thunders was closer Kim Yun-ho.

‘Cronx also went down. Please. Seniors. Just once… !’

Is it because I prayed so earnestly in the dugout?

Perfect!

Perfect!

[… 2 outs, 1st and 3rd bases! The batter who enters here must bat 3! This is Park Cheol-young. … I hit the ball! Right field! Catch! I can’t catch it! Runner on third base goes home! Runner on first base! Runner on first base! Coming in! Finish! Finish! Finish! Shinra Triggers takes this fierce game to the end!]

The batters listened to the earnest prayers of the team’s ace.

“Aaaaah!!!!”

[Haha! Kim Won-ho runs out and roars. Kim Won-ho, pitched well-deserved today.]

[Silla Triggers revived the battle for third place with a miraculous finish! And at the center of it all was Kim Won-ho!]

“Cheolyoung! Thank you!!”

“Thank you, you did everything today. Thank you for your hard work. It’s Wonho. Mr. Ai, look at the boy crying so disgustingly.”

The ace of the winning team showed tears of joy,

“[Fuck! Fuck! You fucking bastards! Can’t stop one inning? There’s no one else but Ji!]”

The losing team’s ace kept swearing after the game, but it wasn’t that important.