Chapter 3: Mental and Time Baseball Academy

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

An exclamation burst from the man’s mouth, no longer able to contain himself.

“That’s it, Su-hyeon!.”

“Ah, it’s so good.”

“Don’t stop, keep going!”

Thud!

Thud!

The woman, drenched in sweat, was breathing heavily but didn’t stop and kept turning her waist, answering.

“Huff, huff, coach.”

“Huff, am I doing well?.”

“Huff, huff.”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t the sound of the ball hitting the target sound different?”

Thud!

“I don’t hear any difference?”

“Right, ordinary people might not be able to hear it.”

Dae-joon’s close coaching to change Su-hyeon’s pitching form.

Su-hyeon was practicing throwing the ball by turning only her waist while keeping both feet on the ground.

“No, no.”

“Here, the hip should turn like this, that’s right.”

“The pelvis should hold steady and then pop out.”

Dae-joon was explaining the explosion of rotational force while supporting Su-hyeon’s waist with one hand and her

hip with the other.

If someone who didn’t know saw them, they might misunderstand that a middle-aged man was harassing a young woman.

But the hearts of the two people, united through the medium of baseball, were pure without a single trace of

delusion.

“Good.”

“Now, shall we try throwing with a connected motion?”

“Yes, coach!”

Su-hyeon’s newly equipped dynamic pitching form.

The explosive power generated from the flexible and strongly trained lower body is fully transmitted to the right arm

and swung.

Su-hyeon’s four-seam fastball spewed fire.

Boom!

133km/h, RPM 2640, iVB 19.7, HB 7.8.

“We did it, we did it!.”

“Su-hyeon did it!”

“Coaaach!”

In the pitching zone of the DJ Baseball Academy, a man and a woman were hugging each other, jumping up and

down, and sharing their joy.

At the sound of the ball, which resounded heavily as if it would tear the target.

At the hot breasts wriggling in his arms.

At the silent tears flowing beyond the unreachable horizon.

The man was a teacher, and the woman was a student.

It was summer.

Another two months passed, and it was the beginning of the new year 2030.

Thanks to steady repetitive training, Su-hyeon was now adapting to her new pitching form.

[Four-seam fastball: Velocity (C) Control (B) Movement (S)

Bouncy Sinker: Velocity (A) Control (B) Movement (A)

Bouncy Slider: Velocity (B) Control (C) Movement (S)

Booby Circle Changeup: Velocity (C) Control (A) Movement (SS)]

Unfortunately, her control was sacrificed for the increase in velocity.

But it was an inevitable choice to go pro.

The average velocity of the four-seam fastball was 131km/h.

The maximum speed was 135km/h.

Looking only at the velocity, it was still a number that was difficult to pass.

But it was also a number that couldn’t be definitively said to be impossible to succeed in the pros.

“Coach.”

“Yes, Su-hyeon.”

“So what do I do now?”

Dae-joon was startled and jumped up.

‘Su-hyeon, you’ve been doing all this without knowing what to do?’

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“Yes.”

“Should I find an independent league team?.”

“Or should I apply to appear on a baseball show?.”

“Or should I just apply for the draft right away?”

‘She really doesn’t know.’

‘To think she completed all of my hellish training schedules without even being properly motivated.’

Dae-joon felt like praising the commendable Su-hyeon instead.

‘Yeah, she might not know because she’s busy making a living.’

“Su-hyeon, haven’t you heard of the Greatest Baseball Tournament in the World?”

“What?.”

“There’s such a tournament in the world?”

“I guess women don’t watch it much, so you don’t know?.”

“Anyway, you’re going to participate in this tournament, so look it up quickly.”

The 4th Greatest Baseball Tournament in the World.

A baseball tournament that selects the best amateur baseball players from around the world every year.

Total prize money of $1 million, with a winning prize of $500,000.

The winner can join the professional baseball team of their choice.

“Oh, it’s only been around for a short time, so I didn’t know.”

“The winner… can choose their team?!”

“That’s right.”

“I thought you were aiming for this tournament from the beginning.”

Schedule: 2030.

1.

21.~1.25.

Location: Bali, Indonesia

“But can I win?”

“Of course!.”

“Even the best hitters fail 6 out of 10 times, and even the best pitchers get hit 2 out of 10 times in baseball.”

‘He’s actually pretty smart when we talk about baseball.’

‘I’m nervous because I haven’t had any real game experience with this body, but if Dae-joon says so, it must be true?’

“Be confident, Su-hyeon!.”

“Hold your chest high and be proud!”

“Yes, coach!”

Rumble “Thump thump! Rattle rattle! Whoosh~!!”

“Kyaaaaaaa!!”

Dongtan Airlines flight JUL858 from Incheon to Bali, Indonesia.

The young woman screaming in terror at the moment of the plane’s takeoff was none other than Su-hyeon.

“Kyaak! Kyaaaaat Kyaakyaaaaaak!”

Dae-joon, embarrassed by his companion’s over-the-top antics, tried to calm Su-hyeon down while apologizing to the

people around them.

“Su-hyeon, are you okay?.”

“Here, hold my hand!”

“I don’t want to! Kyaaaaa Kyaa Kyaa… huh?.”

“It’s nothing?”

Jeong Su-hyeon, the No.

1 starter in Joseon who dominated Korean professional baseball in the early 2020s.

He was praised for declaring that he would remain the eternal ace of the Chickens even in an atmosphere where even

mediocre players were trying out for the major leagues.

But almost no one knew that the real reason for giving up on going overseas was his fear of flying.

“Are you feeling better?.”

“You’re more scared than you look, Su-hyeon.”

The peace came as the memory of the panic attack she had experienced due to her fear of flying in the past

disappeared.

It’s nothing like this.

What was I so scared of?

“I think I’m okay now.”

“Is it because it’s my first time on a plane?.”

“Hehe.”

Su-hyeon couldn’t take her eyes off the sparkling night view outside the window.

This kind of scenery was right next to me.

Why did I miss out on everything while worrying about things that wouldn’t happen?

“Ugh, but the seat is so narrow.”

“Aren’t you cramped, coach?”

“Of course I am?.”

“My back already hurts.”

Seven hours in LCC was the worst.

Su-hyeon overcame her fear of flying but acquired a new fear of flying.

“Kyaaaaa.”

“Ah, it’s so hard.”

“I’ll definitely win.”

“Let’s fly business class on the way back.”

“Okay.”

“I raised my student well, so I should fly on a proper plane at least once.”

The schedule of the Greatest Baseball Tournament in the World consisted of four days of preliminary rounds and a

16-team tournament on the last day.

Su-hyeon and Dae-joon, who arrived at Bali Denpasar International Airport at 7 a.m.

local time, headed straight to the tournament venue.

“How can someone only book their own flight ticket?.”

“That’s so mean.”

“How am I supposed to know who you’re going with and book your ticket too?.”

“You should have told me in advance.”

Su-hyeon, who didn’t book a flight ticket in advance.

Dae-joon, who assumed that Su-hyeon would have a man.

After a collaboration of disasters, the two had to endure a forced march on the day of the preliminaries.

No one thought that Su-hyeon, who was pulling her carrier, was a participant in the tournament.

“Haaam.”

“It’s really low-level, right?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Especially on the first day, there are local kids, so you can win even if you throw with your left arm.”

The rules of the match were simple.

1:1 match.

The person who hits the opponent’s pitch farther wins.

However, if a pitcher allows a walk, he immediately loses.

The number of people assigned to one group was 10.

The top two out of 10 people advanced to the next round.

Su-hyeon was assigned to group 47.

\- Participants in group 47, please gather at stadium 7.

“Aww, I’m so sleepy.”

“I’ll be back, coach!.”

“Here, take my carrier.”

“Finish quickly and come back.”

“Let’s go eat right away.”

The scenery of the Greatest Baseball Tournament in the World, which I watched while waiting, felt more like a

festival than a tournament.

A place of harmony regardless of nationality, race, gender, or age.

Behind it was the Major League Baseball office’s efforts to expand the base of baseball.

‘Yeah, I should take it easy too.’

Su-hyeon made up her mind.

Su-hyeon’s first opponent was Fajar Rahman, a student in the first class of the second year of Bali Middle School.

“Korean noona, why are you playing baseball instead of bowling?.”

“You’re carrying four bowling balls on your chest and butt.”

The boy’s trash talk, who was going through a period of storm and turbulence, ignited Su-hyeon’s fighting spirit.

Then I’ll have to show you.

Why this noona is playing baseball.

[Breast Movement (EX) trait is activated]

“Hey, Mr.

Fajar.”

“I have been defeated, Korean Baseball Goddess Noona.”

“Yes, never look down on Korea again.”

“I was wrong, I apologize, I am sorry.”

Su-hyeon, who was both an autumn loser and a national team loser, was immersed in the first feeling she had ever felt.

‘Yeah, give me another shot of national pride!’

‘Why is she so happy about beating a middle schooler from Bali?’

Dae-joon ignored Su-hyeon, who was jumping up and down with joy, and turned his attention to another stadium.

He needed to check in advance the opponents who might block Su-hyeon’s way in the upper rounds.