Chapter 681 – Episode 668. Friend. (6)

“Am I right? “I told you that if you do a little research in the interview, this guy will come out with a hundred percent.”

“Hey, there isn’t much of a time difference between your interview and the selection order, but it was decided in advance.”

“No. “I came out because I provoked you.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Do you think that if the starter just says he wants to go, he will go? You have to prepare a few days in advance for it to come out. Hey! Junhoo! “Please speak up.”

“Well, usually you have to know at least two days in advance at the latest.”

“What I said is right.”

“Oh, no. “It just came out scratched?”

The players who gathered in front of the dugout for a meeting before the game started were talking and relaxing. And coach Lee Soo-hyun liked the atmosphere of the team.

However, it seemed like Meng Hao’s mouth would move non-stop if he continued like this, so he applauded briefly and gathered the players’ attention.

“Now. Don’t talk nonsense and focus. Just say something short and bold. “Did you know that Kim Won-ho is pitching today after 3 days of rest?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s win cleanly, rest for three days, and then go to Daegu. Invincible!”

“AT!”

AT Thunders’ iconic slogan is shouted, and the players return to the dugout. A slogan that seemed like a laughingstock during bad times has now become a slogan that goes well with the team.

As the saying ‘invincible’ suggests, I didn’t feel like I was going to lose.

Today’s game was like that too. Even if the opponent is Kim Won-ho. Even the usual Kim Won-ho could have been guaranteed a 50/50 win rate, but Kim Won-ho pitching after a short 3-day break?

The word ‘defeat’ had already been erased from Lee Soo-hyun’s mind.

‘Guys. Show clearly who you are.’

*

Perfect!

Senior Suho’s batted ball flies into the outfield. Silla’s center fielder Lee Eun-chong ran and caught the ball, and senior Su-ho returned to the dugout with a disappointed expression.

“So, how was it?”

I went to meet senior Suho at the dugout entrance and asked him how Wonho was doing today.

“I don’t think you’re in full condition after all? Even for Kim Won-ho, it seems difficult to rest for three days.”

And the words that came out of Suho’s mouth were what I expected.

“What did you hit the ball with? It seemed a little slow?”

“It was a slider. “I think I missed it because it was less bent than usual.”

“Okay.”

Senior Suho said that Wonho is not the same as usual… Well, even if I didn’t hear it, I was somewhat aware of that fact.

If it was his usual Wonho, it would have been difficult for other batters to even touch the ball in the first inning.

And, crucially, the speed of the fastball that Wonho threw today was 146 km/h. Although the speed was faster than average, it was in the low to mid 150s.

Considering Wonho’s usual performance of hitting in the mid-150s when in good condition, it was a shame for Silla to see that kind of speed.

‘It’s good from our perspective.’

I’m already excited to hit Wonho’s ball.

Perfect!

Baek Jeong-jin’s batted ball did not leave the infield and was out, but this was okay. Even though it was two outs, the batter in front of me was senior Sangju. I picked up the bat and headed to the waiting box with a feeling of anticipation.

“Ball.”

Wonho’s first pitch, thrown against Sangju senior, was a high ball. Looking at the stand-by batting box, I could see at a glance that he was not in normal condition.

‘129 km/h… Was it just a slide? I don’t think I got to this level in high school, but it sure must have been very difficult. So, who told you to overexert yourself in the first game?’

Wonho’s record in Game 1 was 8 innings, allowing 1 run. From what I remember, the game was already slanted in the 5th or 6th inning, so they could have just pitched until the 7th inning, but after 8 innings, it ended up looking like this. Of course, he didn’t pitch 8 innings knowing that Wonho would pitch after 3 days of rest.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed too. It will be the last game against Wonho in Korea, and I will not be able to see Wonho in full condition.

But this is the professional world. I had no intention of looking at it.

Perfect!

-Wow!!!

And senior Sangju also seemed to have no such thoughts.

‘Then let’s go. Mr. Rossby.’

*

‘Ha, I should have finished it at the weather station.’

A familiar face comes to bat. That face I’ve looked at with disgust since I was in my first year of high school. Moreover, since we went through rehabilitation together, it is safe to say that we were together almost all day during our first year of high school.

But even with such a friendly face, I really didn’t want to see it at bat.

His record against Maengho in the first game was 2 hits in 3 at-bats, 1 home run, and 1 walk. Even though his team won, he could safely say he lost.

It was the same result in the first game when conditions were good… Can he really fight Meng Hao now?

As Wonho was thinking that, familiar music sounded in his ears. This is the music that terrified many pitchers in the KBA league.

-Ddu du du du~. Some legends are told, Some turn to dust or to gold, But you will remember me (Ji Maeng-ho!) Remember me, for centuries (Ji Maeng-ho!) And just one mistake, Is all it will take, We’ll go down in history(Jimaengho!) Remember me for centuries(Jimaengho!)

‘… Should I skip it?’

As soon as I hear Meng Hao’s song, there is only one thought that comes to mind. All he wanted to do was filter out Ji Menghao. The fighting spirit I had burned while watching Meng Hao’s interview yesterday seemed to fade away with just one song.

2 outs, 1st base. Even if he excluded Maeng-ho, he only needed to count out, and since there was one runner in front of him, he didn’t have to worry about getting on his nerves while stealing.

Moreover, even if he did it on purpose, no one would say anything. Because the opponent was Ji Maeng-ho.

However, if that were to happen, there was only one person who would say anything.

He is the one who throws the ball.

If I skip Meng Hao here, it will be easier for now, but I also think I will regret it. It was my last game with a friend in Korea, and I didn’t want to be remembered as running away.

Moreover, if he went to the majors, he would meet countless hitters like Meng Hao, and there was no way he could avoid them every time.

‘Yes, if you were planning on running away in the first place, you shouldn’t be standing here right now.’

Wonho suppressed the rising fear and rolled the ball in his hand. The hard feel of the baseball he had touched countless times seemed to calm his mind.

And then, he makes eye contact with the catcher. The player wearing the catcher’s mask was not a veteran, so if he had been an ordinary pitcher, he would have given the autograph on the bench, but Wonho is the team’s ace and a major league pitcher. In addition, he was a pitcher who studied constantly.

Since it was rude to not entrust such a pitcher with his own ball mix, Silla’s coaching staff was completely entrusting the ball mix to Battery, and Won-ho exchanged autographs with the catcher and pondered the first pitch to throw against Maeng-ho.

There are three pitches to choose from here. It was a fastball, two-seam, and slider. The splitter, which was the deciding pitch, had to be saved to avoid a situation like the previous game, and the curveball, which would be suicidal to throw against a fierce tiger, was also not considered.

‘… I’ll just go with the slider.’

And the ball Wonho chose was a slider. The four-seamer had zero velocity, and the two-seamer had a poor trajectory.

So what’s left is a slider.

Before I became a pro and was equipped with a two-seamer or splitter, the main pitch I threw was a slider.

It was this slider that made him a first-round pick. Therefore, I was confident enough to get at least one count.

The place to throw the ball is on the low side, slightly outside the zone.

Wonho took a deep breath, looked at the catcher’s mitt, decided to throw, and swung his arms while straightening his feet as usual.

‘Uh… ?’

But, is it because of the fatigue left in his arms? The sensation he felt at his fingertips was not the same as usual.

‘Fucked!’

The moment I throw it, there is only one feeling: I’m screwed.

Regardless of Wonho’s feelings, the thrown slider was heading towards the catcher’s mitt. With a flatter trajectory than usual. And as if he would not miss such a dull slider, Meng Hao’s bat swung.

Perfect!

‘Huh?’

“Oh! Fuck!”

However, contrary to expectations, all that Wonho heard in his ears was an ordinary hitting sound and Mengho’s harsh swearing. Meng Hao’s batted ball floats high in the sky.

“My! My!”

And the catcher follows the ball with his mitt in hand.

“Out!”

Lucky catcher fly! Meng Hao missed this ball.

‘… After all, it was right to deal with him. Well, that bastard is also human, but he had humanity, Maengho!’

The luck that came because I overcame my fear and chose to face the fierce tiger!

Wonho smiled at the sudden good fortune and gave a thumbs up to Mengho, who was looking at him.

*

‘Oh my god, I missed this ball.’

A dull slider. If the pitcher who threw that ball wasn’t Wonho, it could have gone over the fence right away, but the problem was that Wonho’s slider was too familiar. It was also a ball I had seen since high school.

But, it’s still the end of the first inning. There were many opportunities left.

That’s why I felt sorry for Wonho, who threw this ball from the first inning. As I glance at the mound, Wonho gives a thumbs up.

… Without knowing that this was his last good fortune.

I was lucky this time, but will I be able to smile like that next time?

That wasn’t my idea either.

‘Okay, smile for now, asshole. It looks good.’

So I gave the same thumbs up to Wonho, who was smiling without even knowing what the future would bring,

He slit his throat with his thumb.