The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 120
Mark and Casey’s figures receded into the distance, soon disappearing entirely from my view.
I stood alone on the bustling street.
As the warmth of laughter and chatter faded, a biting winter wind brushed against my cheeks.
From this moment forward, I would have to carry everything entirely on my own shoulders.
I had decided to spend this winter apart from my friends.
So I wandered aimlessly, my mind beginning to meticulously organize my plans for the months ahead.
‘First, the assignment is to bulk up.’
The ground-level task Alex had given me.
I needed to gain mass while ensuring my speed and flexibility never diminished.
It sounded simple in theory, but this was one of the most challenging domains in sports science.
Honestly, it was the aspect that worried me most.
Because I had never deliberately attempted to bulk up before in my entire life.
Not during my amateur days, nor in the period immediately after arriving in the United States.
‘I’ve always focused on maintaining my current physique in a balanced way.’
My unique advantages—flexibility and speed.
To fully leverage my baseball instincts, maintaining the lightest, most familiar body composition had been absolutely crucial.
But.
‘To reach higher levels, I can’t stay as I am.’
The American stage.
The Major League, where the world’s greatest baseball players gathered, operated in an entirely different ecosystem.
Pitchers threw fastballs approaching 100 miles per hour as naturally as breathing.
It wasn’t merely that the ball was fast—compressed within it was the pitcher’s massive body weight and terrifying raw power.
With my current lean, toned frame.
Even if I made perfect contact with impeccable timing, the bat would be overpowered by the pitcher’s velocity.
‘The ball would die before reaching the fence, caught in the outfield, or become a weak grounder that doesn’t escape the infield.’
To overcome that overwhelming physical force and drive the ball beyond the fence.
I myself had to develop a body worthy of that challenge.
‘And that’s not even everything.’
Beyond that, I needed the physical foundation to endure a grueling 162-game regular season without injury.
So how could I gain mass while preserving speed and flexibility?
‘This isn’t something heavy barbells alone can solve, like a bodybuilder’s approach.’
Muscles built that way would be like inflated balloons—they’d actually erode swing speed and restrict joint mobility.
I continued walking, wrestling with these thoughts intensely.
And soon, I arrived at the most fundamental and crucial answer.
‘The most important thing is what I eat.’
Training is merely the process of tearing muscle fibers.
Real muscle growth and body development occur during recovery, when nutrients fill the gaps between torn muscle fibers.
‘In other words, what and how I eat will completely transform the outcome of my bulk-up—180 degrees different.’
If I simply consumed whatever was supposedly healthy and gained weight indiscriminately, that would be the worst possible approach.
Moreover, unnecessary fat was nothing but a heavy sandbag that killed my speed.
‘What I truly need are fast-twitch muscle fibers to maintain explosive swing velocity, and supple muscles to withstand the whip-like rotational forces.’
To achieve that, I needed not a single gram of impurity.
I had to pour the cleanest, purest proteins and nutrients into my digestive system.
‘Simultaneously, I need to identify which ingredients my internal organs and muscles respond to most rapidly and efficiently.’
So my urgent priority was to thoroughly diagnose my body and discover the optimal diet tailored to it.
‘The problem is, I don’t know how to go about it….’
But soon, my tightly compressed lips curved upward in a smile.
I had now confidently secured my name on the Dodgers’ 40-Man Roster, regardless of what anyone said.
Moreover, the contract clauses I’d just signed clearly stipulated that the organization would actively support any training resources a player required.
‘I could simply contact the organization and ask for their assistance, couldn’t I?’
All these benefits were rights I had rightfully earned by bleeding and proving myself on the ground.
There was no reason to struggle alone.
I immediately pulled out my phone from my pocket.
‘Wait… but who should I call?’
When it came time to dial, I couldn’t think of a specific number.
Even though I’d made the 40-Man Roster, I couldn’t possibly contact the General Manager directly—he was at the highest echelon of the organization.
And I couldn’t reach out to Paul from the Scout division, whose expertise lay in a completely different field.
Nor could I bother Alex, the biomechanics authority I’d scheduled to meet in January, with trivial nutritional questions.
‘Ah, forget it.’
I simply flipped through the contract copy from my bag.
Then I found the Team Player Support Division’s number listed on the final page and immediately pressed the call button.
Before the dial tone even rang twice, a bright voice came through the receiver.
[Yes, this is James from the Dodgers Player Support Team. How can I help you?]
“Hello. This is Oh Soo-ho.”
[Oh! Soo-ho! Of course, of course! We hear from our Front Office staff every day about your incredible performance in the Arizona Fall League. You were truly remarkable! But what brings you to call suddenly? Is there an issue with your contract?]
“No, nothing like that. I just need something during the off-season.”
[Something you need? Since it’s the off-season, are you thinking of vacationing somewhere warm? Should I book you a luxury suite at a five-star hotel right away? Or perhaps your training equipment needs replacing? I can contact our sponsors and have the latest bats and gloves sent to your lodging. Oh! Or if you need a personal vehicle, I could arrange a sports car through our organization’s rental car partnership!]
Beyond that came mentions of first-class airplane tickets and reservations at premium restaurants.
I listened for over five minutes as he rattled off every glamorous VIP benefit the organization could provide to a 40-Man Roster player.
As I quietly absorbed his enthusiastic and elaborate pitch, my lips had already curved upward without restraint.
‘This feels wonderful.’
That exhilarating sense of victory—having my worth recognized in the rigorous Professional Baseball World.
I could feel the reality of my success tingling through every cell in my body.
Even when I was first drafted by the KBO in Korea, I’d never received such meticulous treatment from team staff.
And after my draft failure, when I landed in the United States and wandered through the depths of Minor League Baseball, such kindness would have been an impossible fantasy.
How dramatically the power behind my name had shifted.
I could feel it viscerally through this single brief call.
Yet I didn’t allow myself to become intoxicated by this sweet taste.
My eyes, which had been soft and relaxed, suddenly turned cool and sharp.
‘I can’t be satisfied with this.’
The taste of premium treatment for the first time had only poured fuel onto the venom coiling in my chest.
The current treatment was intoxicating, yes.
But once I completely dominated Major League Baseball, I could receive treatment far more extraordinary than this.
To achieve that, I needed to spend this offseason perfectly and emerge as a monster.
I cooled my excitement and stated my true purpose.
“That’s not quite it. Actually, I need a dedicated nutritionist specializing in sports nutrition. I think I’ll need to manage my diet very meticulously.”
I heard the staff member on the other end of the line gasp in surprise.
[Wow…! You’re already preparing for next season without any rest? No wonder you dominated the Fall League!]
“Ha ha. Not really. I just have so many shortcomings that I think I need to start early.”
[No need to be modest! I really admire you. Could you wait just a moment? Since nutritionist assignments aren’t handled through regular support, I’ll report this directly to the Team Manager right away and arrange for them to contact you directly at this number!]
“Yes, thank you for doing that.”
The call ended warmly.
I pocketed my phone with a satisfied smile.
* * *
I checked my watch while standing on the roadside.
Less than ten minutes after calling the Team Player Support Division, I received a call.
They had assigned the Senior Nutritionist most trusted by the organization, and they would pick me up directly in about an hour.
Standing in the cold breeze, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.
‘They really are efficient.’
It was no accident that this was the pinnacle of capitalism, the most prestigious organization in Major League Baseball.
The moment a player mentioned needing something for training, they had a perfect system that would scour across the entire United States to deliver it immediately.
‘Though this wasn’t the first time I’d experienced such rapid support.’
Even in Low-A, an exceptional authority figure named Alex had arrived immediately.
And the result was an undeniable, overwhelming step up.
Right after meeting Alex, my batting had completely awakened.
Riding that momentum, I had surged all the way to where I stood now.
‘So this time will definitely be effective too.’
Vague anticipation was swelling in my chest.
The Dodgers’ finest sports nutrition specialist who would perfectly solve the demanding bulk-up challenge Alex had prescribed.
I was imagining what kind of refined meal plan and cutting-edge data analysis tools he would bring when—
Screeeech!
With a bone-chilling screech of friction that felt like it was tearing my eardrums, a massive hunk of scrap metal came to a sudden stop right in front of me.
It was a dilapidated pickup truck that looked like it had been manufactured in the 1980s, with peeling paint and rust covering its surface.
Creak.
The rusty driver’s side window descended with an irritating sound.
And the man who appeared inside left me even more bewildered.
Thick, unkempt beard, a faded checkered shirt, and mysterious reddish stains on his muscular forearms.
By any measure, he looked like the type who would be herding cattle with a shotgun in the middle of Texas.
Most of all.
“Are you Soo-ho?”
Hearing his own name spoken aloud by this stranger.
So the person standing before me was the nutritionist?
“Yes, that’s right. Are you Hank?”
“That’s correct. Enough talk—get in.”
With confirmation that this man had been sent by the Team, I suppressed my unease and opened the passenger door, climbing in.
The moment my body settled into the rattling seat, Hank wrenched the steering wheel sharply and pressed the accelerator.
“You’re very lucky, kid, you know that?”
He pushed his sunglasses up higher, a bizarre and confident smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Now that you’ve met me, your body’s only job from here on out is to keep flying higher and higher.”
I’d heard this line somewhere before.
I blinked slowly.
It wasn’t much different from what Alex had said at our first meeting, months ago.
‘Does the Dodgers only recruit specialists of this particular type?’
To be honest, it would be a lie to say this wasn’t peculiar.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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