The Genius Hitter Who Conquered America - Chapter 71

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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 71
Early the next morning.
Soo-ho’s eyes opened before the alarm even sounded, as they did every day.
A light stretch followed by his morning jog around the Dormitory.
And shadow swing practice to cap it off.
When I finished my ingrained routine and opened the Dormitory entrance, the clock read 7 AM.
Click.
As I stepped inside after unlocking the door, I froze.
The Living Room looked unfamiliar.
Mark and Casey, who should have been sprawled out snoring at this hour, were instead sitting side by side on the sofa with grave expressions, staring intently at their phones.
‘Has the sun risen in the west?’
These guys awake at this hour—it was unheard of.
For a moment, I tensed, wondering if some players from the opposing team had shown up seeking revenge after yesterday’s loss.
Mark lifted his head, spotted me standing in the doorway, and his eyes went wide.
“Oh! My! God! The main character has arrived?”
“…?”
“Soo-ho! You’re insane! Absolutely insane!”
Mark sprang from the sofa like a coiled spring, his excitement palpable.
I blinked, a sweat-dampened towel draped around my neck.
“What’s wrong with you this early? What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean what’s wrong? Things are absolutely crazy right now!”
“Crazy how exactly….”
“Never mind! Just go shower! Now!”
Mark shoved me toward the bathroom.
I had no idea what was happening, but I felt grimy enough to warrant a wash anyway.
I showered quickly and returned to the Living Room, running my fingers through my damp hair.
“All clean? Come sit. Look at this.”
The moment I sat down beside him, Mark thrust his phone right in front of my face.
A video was playing on the screen.
YouTube Shorts.
The title grabbed my attention first.
[The Arrogant Prophet]
And in the vertically-oriented frame, I saw a familiar face.
Mine.
That moment from yesterday’s game, standing on First Base.
The video began in black and white.
In the silence, with no background music, only one sound was audible.
Screeeech!
The sharp, piercing friction of gloves being torn off.
Then a close-up of my eyes, burning with intensity.
Before the pitcher even threw the ball, I broke for second base with an audacious start, and after sliding safe, I flashed a grin that said everything.
It was just a fifty-second clip, but the editing quality was exceptional.
The tension that gripped the viewer’s heart, the perfect catharsis at the end—it was flawless.
‘Wow. The quality is incredible.’
I marveled inwardly at the work.
The editing had captured the gravitas and provocation I’d intended at one hundred and twenty percent.
The video’s presentation passed with flying colors.
‘Good. At least I’ve managed to grab someone’s attention.’
But what came next was what truly mattered.
Good video quality alone didn’t guarantee virality.
Real success meant people had to respond.
I asked casually, feigning indifference.
“The video turned out well. How’s the response?”
“How’s the response, you ask?”
Mark grinned wickedly and tapped the screen.
My eyes shifted to the view count at the bottom of the video.
[Views: 482,500]
“…What?”
My eyes widened.
Wondering if I’d misread it, I rubbed my eyes and looked again.
The number still showed 480,000.
And it wasn’t a static figure.
With each refresh, the count climbed by thousands.
“When was this uploaded?”
“Six hours ago, according to the timestamp.”
Six hours ago meant one in the morning.
This YouTuber had pulled an all-nighter to edit and upload it.
And despite posting at an hour when everyone was asleep, it had nearly reached half a million views in less than half a day.
A smile crept across my face.
This was undoubtedly a promising result.
Proof that my strategy had worked.
But I quickly regained my composure.
‘Wait. Don’t get ahead of myself.’
This wasn’t a long-form video—it was a Short.
I’d heard that in the world of YouTube Shorts, even cat videos could hit a million views if they caught the algorithm’s wave just right.
I couldn’t be certain whether this was genuinely impressive or simply lucky timing with the algorithm’s favor.
“But isn’t this just ordinarily good for a Short? How does it compare to other players’ content?”
“Ordinary? Hey! Does this look ordinary to you?”
Mark bounced excitedly.
Casey, who had been quietly watching the tablet beside us, spoke softly.
As always, his tone was analytical and coldly measured.
“Let me put this in perspective. Remember that massive 140-meter home run Mark hit last week?”
“Yeah. That was impressive.”
“You know how many views that Shorts video has now? It’s been a week and it’s at 80,000.”
“…80,000?”
“Right. Even first-round draft picks—power hitters with real prospects—struggle to break 100,000 views on their home run videos. Why? Because home run videos are everywhere.”
Mark pouted slightly.
“Why does he always use me as the example?”
Casey ignored Mark’s complaint entirely and fixed his gaze directly on Soo-ho.
“But you hit 500,000 views in six hours. And that’s coming from an unknown Low-A player—an Asian athlete nobody’s ever heard of.”
“….”
“These numbers don’t make sense. It’s not just the algorithm. People are watching your video, sending the link to friends, and sharing it across communities.”
Casey turned the tablet screen toward Soo-ho.
First came the YouTube comments.
└Wait? Korean? That’s so fresh!
└Dodgers again? Why is it always the Dodgers?
└Bring him over! Get him on our team! We need a player with this kind of energy!
└This guy’s got a vibe you don’t see anymore, you know? I love it! Really love it!
Soo-ho nodded.
Praise for skill and performance was the reaction I’d anticipated.
“The response seems good.”
“That’s not all.”
“…?”
“Scroll down a bit more.”
Casey swiped the screen upward with his finger.
The recommendation counts were slightly lower, but the content was completely different in tone from the comments above.
└OMG. Who is he? Is he an actor, not a baseball player?
└He’s cute! Like a K-pop idol!
└I don’t know anything about baseball rules, but I hit subscribe anyway. Just to see #37.
└Did you see that smile at the end? I swear my heart stopped… Guilty as charged.
└I want to draft him as my husband right now. First round, first pick.
“…What is this?”
Soo-ho’s expression went blank.
There wasn’t a single comment about baseball—just endless remarks about appearance and presence.
Casey’s expression turned serious.
He was entering explanation mode.
“This is the real reason this video exploded.”
“The real reason?”
“In America, baseball’s consumer base is clearly defined. Over 70% are men. Especially for Shorts videos like this—it’s mostly middle-aged baseball fanatics watching.”
Casey was right.
American women tend to be captivated by the glamour and sex appeal of football or basketball stars.
Baseball carries a perception of being a somewhat gentlemanly sport by comparison, so it doesn’t attract much attention.
That’s why baseball shorts had clear limitations in view counts.
There was no room for expansion.
“Drawing female fans to the baseball stadium is one of the most difficult challenges even the Team Marketing Department struggles with. It’s an arena only a handful of superstars can access.”
Casey tapped his chest with an air of deliberate arrogance.
“Like me.”
“….”
I suppressed a sigh and looked at Casey with an exasperated gaze.
Casey continued speaking as if nothing was amiss.
He was utterly shameless about it.
But I couldn’t argue—he had a point.
Casey was handsome and played baseball well.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s a fact.”
Casey shrugged and pointed at the tablet again.
“But your video broke through that wall. Not just women interested in baseball—women without any interest are watching and sharing this video. That’s why it hit 500,000 views in six hours.”
This wasn’t simply a baseball video.
It had become a fan cam, a conversion video.
I still looked unconvinced.
My intention had been thorough calculation and psychological warfare, yet the response was erupting from an entirely unexpected direction.
“H-how is this even possible? I just tightened my gloves and ran.”
“Are you pretending not to see the comments, or do you genuinely not know?”
Casey clicked his tongue.
“They’re saying you’re handsome. Cool, sexy, and cute.”
“….”
“Don’t deny it. In American Baseball, or professional sports in general, appearance is a product in itself. It’s the most powerful weapon for becoming a star.”
Skill is the foundation.
But when that skill is backed by the appearance and star quality that package it, the impact multiplies exponentially.
Why did Shohei Ohtani become a global icon?
Because he plays baseball well? Of course.
But if he didn’t look like a manga protagonist, this kind of syndrome would have been impossible.
Casey tapped my shoulder.
“Accept it. As of today, you’ve gone from a promising skilled prospect to a sellable product.”
A product.
In the Professional Baseball World, it was the highest compliment.
Casey’s explanation was crystal clear.
Professional sports are ultimately entertainment.
If fans don’t open their wallets, the league doesn’t turn.
“Think about it. There are plenty of players who just play baseball well. And they’re treated as replaceable parts. But a product that drives fans crazy, sells tickets, and sells out uniforms? That’s different.”
Casey’s eyes gleamed.
“The Baseball Club classifies players like that as irreplaceable assets. They’re eager to recruit them, even if it means paying higher salaries. In other words, you’re becoming a commodity….”
Now the Baseball Club was viewing Soo-ho not as a mere statistics sheet.
But as a money-generating tree.
“Skill gets you on the Ground, but marketability makes you the master of it. So enjoy it. You’ve just been registered as the hottest new product in the massive Minor League Baseball market.”
That was when it happened.
Mark, who had been listening quietly beside me, exhaled a deep sigh.
“Sigh….”
Mark gazed dejectedly at his own reflection in the dark phone screen.
To anyone’s eyes, he looked like a powerfully built baseball player.
He muttered in a trembling voice.
“Mom said men have strength… but it was all a lie….”
I patted Mark’s shoulder.
“Mark. You hit home runs well.”
I hadn’t meant to tease him.
I was genuinely trying to comfort Mark.
But his reaction was completely off-base.
“Shut up! Even when I hit home runs, you get 500,000 and I get 80,000! Is this a country?!”
Mark buried his face in the sofa and wailed.
‘Oh… it’s come to this.’
This field was new to me.
I had no intention of deceiving you. Mark. I’m truly sorry.
After that, Casey and I looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Either way, we’d made our existence known not just to male fans, but to female fans as well.
The start was a massive success.
‘Of course, this is only the beginning.’
When opportunity comes knocking, you have to row with all your might, don’t you?
I couldn’t be satisfied with this. Nor should I be.

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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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