Chapter 20: I’ll give you one ball

ES CON Field, where the Nippon-Ham Fighters vs.

SoftBank Hawks’ second game was taking place.

The top of the 2nd inning ended with no runs for the Hawks.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Su-hyeon took the mound again.

The first batter Su-hyeon had to face was cleanup hitter Brent Rooker.

A powerful hitter with 150 career home runs in the Major Leagues, spending his twilight years in Japan.

Last year, his first year in Japan, he hit 45 home runs, dominating the Pacific League and leading the Nippon-Ham Fighters to victory in the Japan Series.

Su-hyeon had never faced a batter of this caliber in her previous life.

She was a little nervous.

But the adrenaline rush made Su-hyeon smile with a look of ecstasy without realizing it.

“She’s smiling?

Is she not nervous facing that monster?”

Hawks’ manager, Iguchi Tadahito, who was watching Su-hyeon from the dugout, spoke to pitching coach Saito.

“Should we say she’s lively because she’s a girl?

She does have some unusual qualities.”

Saito shared his impressions after coaching Su-hyeon for about a month.

Lively, to put it nicely.

Sly, to put it negatively.

It was an explanation of the gap felt when someone encountered the 39-year-old man inside the shell of a 21-year-old woman.

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Right-handed batter Brent Rooker’s weaknesses were the low and away corner and the high and inside corner.

Instead of the Boing change-up, the Boing-Rider needed to do its job.

The catcher’s sign was also a low and away four-seam fastball, targeting the weak spot.

Su-hyeon nodded and wound up.

Thwack!

“Ball!”

Rooker didn’t swing at the 132 km/h four-seamer that missed the outside corner by half a ball.

To be precise, Rooker had no intention of swinging from the beginning.

He was more interested in patiently observing the much-talked-about female pitcher’s pitches.

‘It’s not a pitch to be taken lightly just by looking at the speed gun.

It has good movement.’

Su-hyeon’s second pitch came to the same location as the first.

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Rooker whistled in admiration at Su-hyeon’s 130 km/h Boing-Linker that started outside the strike zone and curved in.

‘A rookie with this kind of pitch?

It’ll be tough unless I specifically look for it.’

I’ve seen all the fastballs, now the only remaining pitches are the slider and the change-up.

Now it was time to teach this young lady who had boldly entered the men’s world a lesson.

Brent Rooker timed his swing for a breaking ball and waited for the third pitch.

Su-hyeon shook her head once at the catcher’s sign.

The third pitch.

Thwack!

Whoosh-

“Swing, strike!”

Su-hyeon’s favorite high and inside fastball.

Rooker swung and missed badly at the rising fastball that came in suddenly after a series of pitches that kept moving away.

‘Three consecutive fastballs?!

Does she have the guts to challenge me to a power battle?’

Almost no pitchers dared to challenge Brent Rooker, the 2029 Pacific League MVP, head-on.

In the beginning, some ace pitchers from each team would challenge him out of pride.

But most of them ended up giving up home runs to Rooker, who was strong against fastballs even in the Major Leagues.

Now, everyone knew that the correct approach against Rooker was to throw breaking balls.

It has to be a breaking ball now.

Unless she’s an idiot.

Su-hyeon’s fourth pitch dug into the low and away corner again.

It was a pitch that should have dropped and moved outside the zone.

‘What the…’

Rooker realized it was a fastball too late and swung.

But when you think it’s too late, it’s already too late.

Whoosh-

“Swing, batter out!”

“F*cking b*tch!”

Brent Rooker, who struck out, spat out a curse word and headed to the dugout.

Ah, it’s so exhilarating.

Curse me more.

In the past, when batters cursed and walked away, I used to get angry and dislike it.

But for some reason, Su-hyeon didn’t feel bad.

Maybe it’s because the home crowd’s enthusiasm has died down due to the continuous strikeout show.

I think I can hear the cheers of the Hawks’ supporters from far away in the stands.

Next, the Fighters’ 5-hole hitter was Kiyomiya Kotaro.

He was a highly touted prospect but struggled to live up to expectations, going through ups and downs.

But last year, he redoubled his efforts and hit 32 home runs, successfully rebounding.

However, Su-hyeon wasn’t worried about Kiyomiya at all.

First of all, she was confident that she wouldn’t lose to a left-handed batter with her current form.

[Boing Boing (EX) trait is activated]

Thwack!

“Strike!”

Redoubling his efforts meant that he had been slacking off before.

Boing~

Thwack!

“Strike!”

The fact that his Instagram, which he used to update every week, had been quiet for the past two years meant that he was sexually frustrated.

Thwack!

“Swing, batter out!”

I’ll be counting on you in the future, cutie!

In a corner of the vast internet world of South Korea, supported by a population of 49 million.

There was a place where a small number of hipsters gathered.

The NPB Gallery.

A small gathering of Japanophiles, stigmatized as pitcher-loving, dead-ball-worshipping perverts.

Yet united by their inexplicable love for Japanese baseball.

The NPB Gallery, which had been quiet for 13 years, had recently become more active.

The reason, of course, was the big-breasted pitcher who crossed the Korea Strait this year, Jeong Su-hyeon.

And the moment Su-hyeon struck out Kiyomiya with three pitches.

The NPB Gallery, which was live-streaming Su-hyeon’s game, exploded.

Title: It’s embarrassing, but…

I did it…

I’m sure you all did too, hehe

└Yes, me too…

└I…

came, hehe

└I hit two consecutive back-screen shots…

hehe

└Striking out Rooker with a head-on challenge…

this is precious

LJPG: A really good pitcher is a pitcher with big boobs

└This makes SoftBank look promising this year

└She’s only pitched 2 innings, don’t get ahead of yourself

LOh, I only watch the Central League, should I subscribe to Pacific League TV?

└Why are you even in this gallery if you’re not going to watch this?

Su-hyeon struck out the 6-hole hitter, completing the 2nd inning with three consecutive strikeouts.

In the bottom of the 3rd inning, she added two more consecutive strikeouts, recording five consecutive strikeouts.

The NPB Gallery reached its climax.

In the top of the 4th inning, the Hawks’ offense scored two runs, responding to Su-hyeon’s strong performance.

Fighters 0-2 Hawks.

In the bottom of the 4th inning, Su-hyeon retired two batters, and then Mannami hit a single to right field.

With two outs and a runner on first base.

Brent Rooker, who had struck out in his previous at-bat and was grinding his teeth, entered the batter’s box for his second at-bat.

‘Challenge me head-on!

I won’t be fooled this time.’

Yeah, no.

I’m not going to challenge you.

Go to first base.

Su-hyeon’s sign was relayed to the bench through the catcher, and manager Iguchi requested an intentional walk from the umpire.

It had already been discussed before she took the mound.

“F*cking b*tch!”

Ah, I feel good.

But even if it’s in English, is it okay to curse like that?

Rooker, do you want to taste the victim’s tears?

Two outs, runners on first and second.

For the first time in today’s game, Su-hyeon was in a crisis with the tying run on base.

But.

The batter at the plate was 5-hole hitter Kiyomiya Kotaro.

Because of the intentional walk, Su-hyeon’s dormant chest began to bounce again.

Boing~

Whoosh-

Thwack!

“Swing, batter out!

Change sides!”

There’s nothing more satisfying than when a game goes according to plan.

Clenching her fist in a victory pose, Su-hyeon greeted the fielders returning to the dugout.

“Su-hyeon, nice pitching!”

“Your swing is amazing today, Ishiyama-senpai!”

“Rooker was glaring at you like he wanted to kill you, be careful Su-hyeon.”

“Does he have a thing for me?

Is he not married yet?”

In the top of the 4th inning, the Hawks’ first baseman, Ishiyama Keiichi, hit a two-run RBI single to score the first runs.

Today was his day.

Ishiyama also hit a two-run home run in the top of the 6th inning, knocking out the Fighters’ starter.

With the Hawks leading 0-4 in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Su-hyeon struck out Mannami Chusei, completing 6 scoreless innings.

And in the 7th inning, after throwing 86 pitches, Su-hyeon was replaced by reliever Otsu Ryosuke.

“Good job, Su-hyeon.

Look at Rooker’s expression.

He’s dying to get revenge on you.”

Pitching coach Saito encouraged Su-hyeon, who was sitting down and icing her arm.

As Saito said, Brent Rooker, at the plate, seemed to have lost his composure after being completely shut down by Su-hyeon.

He struck out, unable to hit Otsu’s pitches.

“He must be really pissed off, right?

I wonder how I should mess with him next time.”

If the Fighters’ bench insisted on keeping the current batting order, Su-hyeon was even considering intentionally walking Rooker throughout the season.

I don’t think I was this persistent before.

But it’s so much fun, I want to keep doing it.

“Still, you have to be careful.

It could easily lead to a fight.”

If a bench-clearing brawl were to occur, Su-hyeon, being a woman, could get seriously injured.

Saito was genuinely concerned about Su-hyeon.

But seeing Su-hyeon’s carefree attitude, he put his worries aside and returned to his seat.

“Swing, batter out!”

The Hawks’ closer, David Bednar, a former Major Leaguer, struck out the last batter and added another save.

Nippon-Ham Fighters 1-4 SoftBank Hawks.

Winning pitcher: Jeong Su-hyeon (1 win, 0 losses, 6 innings, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 runs, 10 strikeouts)

Home run: Ishiyama Keiichi (6th inning, 2 runs, SoftBank)

Su-hyeon, who pitched a perfect game in her debut and became the winning pitcher.

Su-hyeon’s next start was scheduled to be an away game against the Orix Buffaloes at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka.