Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 3

Unforgettable Debut (3)

The baseball rolled along the grass, stopping right in front of me.

I stood frozen, unable to move, lost in thought for what felt like an eternity.

The sight of the baseball dredged up vivid memories of that day.

Why was this happening to me?

The ball hurtling toward me moments ago felt like more than just a simple baseball.

It felt like a monster, threatening to swallow me whole.

Beyond mere fear, the sight of it filled me with dread.

“Mister, is something wrong?”

The kid, who had approached unnoticed, picked up the ball from the ground, looking puzzled.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just caught off guard by the sunlight for a moment.”

“Oh, I thought something terrible had happened.”

“Sorry. Did I scare you?”

I tried to compose myself, forcing a weak smile.

“It’s okay, hehe. The ball just slipped out of my hand earlier. I guess I was a little nervous being in front of a real baseball player.”

The kid grinned back, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Then, mister, I’ll throw from over there this time. The sun won’t be in your eyes there, right?”

“Uh… sure.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the kid darted off in the other direction, full of energy.

Perhaps mindful of his earlier short throw, he stopped much closer than before.

“Mister, I’m going to throw!”

The kid held up the ball, signaling his readiness.

“Okay.”

I waved back, trying to act as if everything was normal.

The kid wound up again and released the ball.

I focused intently on the ball as it left his glove.

My heart pounded with anxiety, worried that the ball would trigger that same terrifying feeling again.

*Whoosh!*

The ball thrown by the kid zipped toward me.

“Ugh!”

Once again, the memory of that day flashed before my eyes.

Unlike that day when I was holding a bat, I was wearing a glove today, but it was still terrifying.

*Thump!*

I instinctively closed my eyes.

Thankfully, the ball landed squarely in the glove.

If it had been anyone other than this kid who clearly admired me, I might have flinched away in fear.

That was a close call.

I was secretly relieved that I hadn’t embarrassed myself in front of him.

Regardless, the kid’s control was surprisingly good.

He might have lacked power, but the ball seemed to be magnetically drawn into the glove.

Maybe that’s why I managed to catch it?

I took the ball out of the glove to toss it back.

But suddenly, the strength seemed to drain from my fingers, and the ball tumbled to the ground with a soft thud.

Why was this happening now?

As I stared blankly at my right hand, the kid rushed over.

“Mister, are you okay? Is your shoulder hurting?”

The kid’s eyes widened with concern.

“Yeah. I guess so… I thought it was getting better, but it seems like catch is still a bit too much. I’m sorry, but can we call it quits for today?”

“That’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do. A baseball player’s shoulder is important.”

“Thanks.”

I felt a strange sense of gratitude and ruffled the kid’s hair.

But seeing the disappointment etched on his face, I felt a pang of guilt for raising his hopes and then letting him down.

“Mister, just a moment.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t leave yet. I’ll be right back.”

The kid entrusted me with his glove and suddenly sprinted off, as if struck by a sudden idea.

He returned moments later, slightly out of breath.

“Mister, please sign my glove.”

He held out a black magic marker.

“Sign?”

Until now, no one had ever asked for my autograph.

Of course, I had never signed anything before, nor had I even developed a signature.

To suddenly receive such a request…

When I was a kid, I got an autograph from a professional player at the stadium, and I slept with that bat in my arms for days.

I knew better than anyone how much joy that could bring, and I wanted to give him the same feeling.

Of course, when I was a kid, I got a signature from the best superstar at the time.

However, a great signature wouldn’t come to mind in such a short moment.

So, I decided to at least write my name with care.

“Okay. But I haven’t even asked your name yet. What’s your name?”

“Me? Choi Woo-jin.”

“Oh! That’s a great name.”

Choi Woo-jin.

I wrote his name at the very top, a symbol that this signature was exclusively for him.

Then, I carefully scribbled my name in what I hoped was a cool and stylish way.

Finally, I pondered a word that might give him encouragement.

‘Let’s meet again on the field!’

Thus, my first-ever signature was complete.

The kid, receiving the glove from me, looked as happy as if he had just unwrapped a Christmas present, even though my signature was virtually worthless.

“Mister, if I become a baseball player later, I’ll be sure to find you.”

“Yeah. Be sure to come.”

“Yes. I’ll bring this glove with me then.”

“Great. I’ll look forward to it.”

It could have been dismissed as something kids often say, but Choi Woo-jin’s eyes held a remarkable seriousness.

It felt like we really would meet again somewhere down the line.

A moment later, Choi Woo-jin bowed politely, clutching the glove to his chest, and walked away.

I watched his retreating figure before turning around myself.

I should have at least given him one of my gloves…

I was so caught up in the excitement of giving someone a signature for the first time that it completely slipped my mind.

I belatedly turned my head to look for Choi Woo-jin.

But he was already gone, quite a distance away.

Looking around, I saw him getting into a car with his parents, who had emerged from the hospital.

Before long, the car carrying Choi Woo-jin pulled away from the hospital.

I would have felt less guilty if I had given him some baseball equipment…

Although he was too far away to see clearly, I had the fleeting impression that something was hovering above his head as well.

* * *

I sat alone on the bench, staring blankly into space.

I had never envisioned myself as anything other than a baseball player.

And I firmly believed that I would one day achieve stardom.

But to not even be able to catch a ball thrown by a kid…

Can a baseball player who is afraid of the ball continue his career…?

The thought alone was agonizing.

If I can no longer be a baseball player, what am I supposed to do?

I haven’t done anything other than baseball; will I even be capable of doing anything else?

I sighed in frustration, when I heard a voice from behind.

“So, you were here?”

“Who are you…?”

I turned my head without thinking and was shocked to see the man standing before me.

“Coach!”

The voice belonged to Coach Yoo Seong-hwan, who had coached me in college.

Coach Yoo Seong-hwan was considered one of the top five in the country when it came to player analysis.

In fact, many players who had been under his tutelage went on to play professionally with a completely transformed skillset.

As a result, he consistently received coaching offers from professional teams seeking to develop their players.

However, the coach always declined, stating that he preferred nurturing amateur players to coaching a professional team.

The sudden appearance of such a renowned coach was surprising enough, but I was even more astonished when the same screen I had seen above Choi Jeong-hwan appeared above the coach’s head as soon as we shook hands.

-After watching the catch, I am convinced that Kang Hyun-woo will have aftereffects.

“I heard you woke up and went to your hospital room, but you weren’t there.”

“Well… I came out to get some fresh air because I was feeling cooped up.”

“Really? How’s your body feeling?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you really okay?”

“…”

I lowered my gaze slightly.

-After watching the catch, I am convinced that Kang Hyun-woo will have aftereffects.

“Coach. You saw everything, didn’t you?”

Yoo Seong-hwan nodded slowly.

There was no point in hiding my inner turmoil any longer.

Yes, that’s a relief…

Maybe the coach will be able to find a solution to my problem.

Even back in college, he had accurately identified my strengths and weaknesses after watching just a few games.

“Actually, I’m terrified. I don’t know if it’s because I touched the ball after so long, or if the memory of that day has become a trauma…”

I confided my fears and anxieties about the future to the coach.

He listened silently, pondered for a moment, and then made an unexpected suggestion.

“If you’re up for it, let’s go somewhere together. Can you get away for a bit?”

“Where to?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

I was led out of the hospital by Yoo Seong-hwan.

* * *

The place I arrived at with the coach after driving for about 30 minutes was an indoor baseball practice facility.

“Coach, why are we here…?”

“Go and stand there.”

The coach, pointing toward the inside of the batting cage, was busying himself with something.

“Let’s start with 100km/h [approximately 62 mph]. It won’t be too fast.”

I took the bat from the coach and entered the batting cage without really thinking about it.

“I’ll start when you’re ready, so take your time to prepare.”

Standing at the plate with the bat in my hands felt like a different kind of pressure than when I was playing catch.

Can that machine really throw the ball accurately?

What if it flies toward my head again?

Well – I don’t know. I’ll find out once I try…

“Coach. I’m ready!”

I felt more nervous at this moment than on the day of my debut, but I raised my hand as if nothing was wrong.

“Okay. Here we go!”

“Yes!”

I gripped the bat and adopted a batting stance.

I didn’t really intend to swing.

Or maybe I did?

Maybe it would be better to actually swing and try to hit it.

*Wee-ing.*

I heard the sound of the pitching machine whirring to life.

In a moment, the ball would pop out of that hole.

*Thud-*

“Gasp!”

Instead of swinging the bat, my only thought was that I had to avoid the ball the moment I saw it.

*Thump!*

The ball sailed into the strike zone without any deviation.

I can trust that machine.

I regained my stance.

I really won’t flinch this time.

It didn’t take long for the next ball to be released.

*Thud-*

However,

“Ugh!”

This time as well, the fear from that day washed over me.

I simply collapsed.

“Hyun-woo!”

Yoo Seong-hwan, witnessing my reaction, rushed into the cage.

“Coach…”

“Hyun-woo, are you okay?”

I struggled to lift my head and looked at Yoo Seong-hwan.

Tears were already streaming down my cheeks.