The Extra in a Baseball Novel

The Golden Lion Tournament.

The dream stage that determines the pinnacle of high school baseball in Korea.

Lee Jiho dominated the tournament with a performance so incredible that he went 5 for 5 with 3 home runs.

Moreover, his last at-bat resulted in a walk-off grand slam.

Holding that meaningful home run ball, Lee Jiho grabbed a marker and signed it.

Normally, one would give the ball to their parents or keep it for themselves, but he turned to look at the stands.

The game was over, but there was still a woman sitting in the stands, waiting for someone.

It was Lee Jiho’s homeroom teacher, Lee Miyeon.

She had been the one who had supported him all this time, enabling him to succeed without faltering.

Just as he was about to approach her with the home run ball in hand.

“Where are you going?”

A man stepped in front of him.

The man looked at Jiho’s home run ball and snatched it away.

“You were going to give it to the teacher…? No way, you brat.”

Jiho frowned and reached out his hand, but the man dodged and held the ball high.

“Why would you give this to your teacher when you’re going to marry your childhood friend anyway? Do you not know how bad it is to string people along?”

“What nonsense… When did I ever do that?”

“Yeah, stringing them along. I read the final chapter. So give this to your childhood friend.”

The man threw the ball at Jiho.

Jiho caught it reflexively and glared at him.

“I told you. Don’t lead people on. Take care of your childhood friend.”

The man then picked up a bat leaning against the wall, scribbled a signature on it with a marker, and headed to the stands.

Life is unpredictable; no one knows what will happen.

That’s the only truth I can confidently assert from my 25 years of life.

Otherwise, there’s no explaining my life.

An orphan left at an orphanage right after birth.

Who would have predicted that this orphan would become the best player in Major League Baseball?

Rookie of the Year, League MVP, Cy Young Award, Home Run King, Batting Champion, Stolen Base King, and nearly every award there is in the Major Leagues.

Both as a hitter

And as a pitcher.

I was at the pinnacle, and I thought I wouldn’t be dethroned for at least five years…

Who could have imagined I’d become a cripple from a car accident?

A drunk driver crashed into my car from behind. Surviving was already a miracle…

So, I live gratefully.

Even though my baseball career ended in just five years, my life isn’t over.

My leg is inconvenient, but I can still walk on my own, and I’ve saved up enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

Though it’s incredibly painful that I’ll never play baseball again…

Well, at least I have…

[UP! Strike to Your Heart!]

“The latest chapter is out.”

Text-based baseball.

I find solace in reading web novels themed around baseball.

Strike to Your Heart

Shortened as StrikeHeart.

As you can guess from the title, it’s a romantic comedy disguised as a baseball story, and it’s a novel I really enjoy.

Actually, not just “really enjoy.” For the past two years, I’ve been obsessed with this novel.

How obsessed, you ask?

[Sponsorship Ranking]

– TrueHeartMiyeon: 6,500,000 won.

– GODHayoon: 577,000 won.

– HayoonHayoon: 489,000 won.

– ·

– ·

– ·

I was at the top of the sponsorship rankings for this novel…?

Every time my favorite character, Lee Miyeon, appeared, I would donate 100,000 won… If her scenes were longer and more interesting, I’d throw 200,000 or 300,000 won, and that’s how it added up to this.

Anyway,

That’s how much I’m invested in this story… No, in this character, Teacher Miyeon.

But if you ask whether Miyeon is such a well-crafted character that she deserves 6.5 million won in sponsorship… I can’t confidently say yes!

In fact, she’s not even a very popular character.

She just fits my taste.

A sunflower-type heroine who only has eyes for the protagonist, and she’s a 25-year-old newly appointed “teacher” — these are both traits that drive me crazy…

Plus, she’s a huge baseball fan, so how could I not fall for her?

But Miyeon is obviously not the main heroine; she’s a side heroine.

So I can’t really expect a Miyeon ending.

That’s why I’ve been feeling uneasy every time I read StrikeHeart lately.

The story is nearing its conclusion, and it seems to be building up towards an ending with the main heroine, Shin Hayoon…

“Well, they’ll release side stories, so…”

It’s one of the advantages of this author.

They release side stories for the side heroines too. The author’s three previous works all had side stories.

That’s why I’ve stuck with StrikeHeart so far.

Even if Miyeon doesn’t get an ending, a side story will come out, and we won’t see her be utterly defeated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I navigated to the StrikeHeart page on my phone.

Just as I was about to tap the latest chapter, something seemed off.

[#238 Strike to Your Heart! – An Unattainable Love.]

The subtitle was “An Unattainable Love.”

In the previous chapter, the main heroine Shin Hayoon confessed to the protagonist, so does this title mean…?

“Hayoon loses, and Miyeon gets the ending?”

I urgently tapped the latest chapter.

[“Hayoon closed her eyes tightly and shouted loudly. I like you! Jiho! I like you!”]

[Jiho stared at her blankly for a moment… then smiled and hugged her.]

“?”

They’re getting together?

Contrary to the subtitle, they’re hugging each other and creating an emotional scene with tears and all.

Wait, then does “An Unattainable Love” refer to…?

No way.

This author has always given side heroines their own side stories, so would they really make them lose in the main story?

Besides, there are many heroines. They wouldn’t show every one of them losing, right?

For now, I kept reading StrikeHeart.

But the more I read, the more uneasy I became.

The story suddenly rushed forward, and now the main couple is even talking about holding a wedding…?

“No way… Was the ‘unattainable love’ Seo Jia?”

Seo Jia is the most popular character among the side heroines.

But now, Hayoon sent her a wedding invitation as if to rub it in her face…?

At least it wasn’t Miyeon, so I felt relieved.

[“Uh… Wedding? Jiho’s getting married? All of a sudden…?”]

[“It just happened. You’ll come, right, Teacher?”]

[“Uh… yeah… I’ll come.”]

The next turn was Miyeon’s.

“Ugh… damn…”

A sigh escaped, and I felt suffocated. So this is what it means to take an internal hit…?

After taking a break to clear my head…

I decided to read it again.

I already knew she was going to lose…

I just didn’t think they’d include the scene where it happened…

“Let’s just read it… and wait for the side stories.”

Having followed this far, I should at least see it to the end.

But the more I read, the more this feels wrong.

The pacing is ridiculously fast; they send wedding invitations to all the side heroines and jump straight to the wedding.

Looks like it’s going to end here.

“No… is the author out of their mind?”

I let out a curse.

I usually refrain from badmouthing authors, but I couldn’t hold back after reading that Miyeon was the only one of the side heroines to attend the wedding.

I could barely understand that, but then the wedding is described from Miyeon’s point of view.

Isn’t this just a slap in the face for those who love Miyeon?

[“They look good together… both of them… I should congratulate them…”]

[Miyeon forced a smile, clapping and cheering.]

·

·

·

[Miyeon, staring blankly at the bride and groom, quietly left the hall and went to the restroom…]

[And that’s when she started sobbing… in one of the restroom stalls.]

“…No, ha… no.”

I was at a loss for words.

All kinds of thoughts crossed my mind, but I couldn’t put them into words.

What are they even doing?

They not only sent her a wedding invitation but made her attend the wedding, ending with her crying in the bathroom?

I read the rest in disbelief, but there was no twist.

The main couple had a happy wedding, and Miyeon cried in the bathroom. The end.

As if that wasn’t enough to make my head spin,

The author’s note delivered the final blow.

Author’s Note:

[Thank you for loving StrikeHeart! I’ll post a detailed review later!]

[For those asking about side stories, I’m sorry! There are no side stories this time!]

“…Wow, I’m speechless…”

Yeah.

In

hindsight, expecting a side story was just my naive assumption because the previous three works had them.

So I can understand that.

But did they have to make Miyeon suffer this much?

If they included other side heroines, maybe.

But only Miyeon was singled out.

And then to describe the wedding from Miyeon’s point of view… I just… I can’t understand.

I thought the comment section would share my reaction, so I opened it.

[GODHayoon: Cut! LOL Where do you think you’re going? LOL Good job, author.]

(Recommended: 1237) (Not recommended: 38)

[TrueHeartHayoon: How can an ending be this perfect…?]

(Recommended: 1167) (Not recommended: 38)

[JiaJia: Wow;; I’m mad since I’m in the Jia faction, but what’s with Miyeon…]

(Recommended: 1068) (Not recommended: 123)

“Are the Hayoon fans only satisfied when their favorite heroine gets what they want?”

They like this rushed ending?

What’s even more infuriating is that there’s hardly any mention of Miyeon in the top comments.

Except for that brief mention from the Jia faction.

“Seriously, I wasn’t going to do this…”

I clicked the message button.

I mean, this is just too much.

I have to say something.

[Isn’t this too much, author? This is such a rushed ending. How can you just throw away the conclusion like this?]

My message kept growing longer…

[Character count: 5700]

Until it became 5700 characters.

I felt like one of those notorious readers in the community.

No, why would I be the villain here?

The author struck first.

I donated 6.5 million won, and the reply I get is a slap in the face^^? Surely, I can say a word or two?

I hit the send button.

As I searched for another novel to soothe the inner wound left by StrikeHeart,

[You’ve got a reply!]

I received an unexpected reply from the author.

Were they actually mindful because I donated so much?

My anger subsided just a bit.

I opened the message.

[Then would you like to try writing it yourself?]

“What…”

Not only did I not expect a reply, but I also never thought it would be a “do it yourself if you’re so mad.”

I was about to delete it from my favorites, but I got upset and wrote back.

[Okay, I’ll write it, so hand over the rights.]

After sending it, I was about to turn off my phone when—

Bzzzt.

A notification came up.

It was another reply.

[Okay! I’ll transfer the rights to you, so give it your best shot.]

“What is this…”

I asked for the rights out of spite, and they actually agreed?

Did the author mean that as a joke too? I thought and turned off my phone.

Thud.

Suddenly, I felt an intense dizziness in my head and dropped my phone.

“Ugh…!”

A splitting headache and dizziness that made the world spin.

I clenched my teeth, desperately trying to stay conscious.

Soon, my vision went black.

TL Note: Alright, I think this is my first time ever leaving a TL Note outside of a Patreon release. The other translator has elected to divide the first chapter into two parts, and pretend that they’re two different chapters. Definitely one of the greedier moves I’ve seen on this site. Here’s the full translation. Please enjoy.