Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 197

A Whirlwind of Commotion (6)

As the Pelicans fans raised their arms, the words ‘So Young-joon, the Pelicans’ Eternal Ace’ materialized in a coordinated display.

The message appeared and disappeared as the fans in their seats rhythmically raised and lowered their arms, creating a wave of support.

Not only the spectators but also the players in the dugout were captivated by this impressive card section.

The scene was prominently displayed on the stadium’s electronic scoreboard.

The Pelicans fans erupted in a unified shout, their voices seeming to shake the very foundations of the stadium.

“So Young-joon! Don’t go! So Young-joon! Don’t go!”

-Well, what’s this? A card section is unfolding in the stands. It seems the Pelicans fans are pleading with So Young-joon not to leave.

-While nothing is official yet, the news of potential trade talks has clearly reached all baseball fans. The Pelicans faithful are making it known they don’t want to lose So Young-joon.

-I’ve been following baseball for decades, and I’ve never witnessed anything quite like this. So Young-joon must be feeling incredibly conflicted right now.

-To be able to play baseball while receiving this level of passionate support from the fans is truly a great privilege.

Michael Scott, poised to deliver the pitch, stepped off the pitcher’s mound and deliberately rubbed rosin on his hands, subtly stalling for time.

This pause allowed So Young-joon, as well as all the players, a moment to absorb the powerful scene unfolding in the stands.

“So Young-joon! Don’t go! So Young-joon! Don’t go!”

As So Young-joon turned his head to acknowledge the stands, the cheers from the Pelicans fans intensified, growing even louder.

The broadcast camera frantically panned across the Pelicans’ seating area, capturing the emotional display.

-The cheers from the Pelicans fans show no signs of letting up.

-Let’s take a moment to appreciate the passionate feelings the fans are expressing.

After a considerable pause, So Young-joon, having seemingly regained his composure, began to prepare for his at-bat with visible effort. Only then did the cheering gradually begin to subside.

Scott, confirming So Young-joon’s readiness, stepped back onto the pitcher’s mound and resumed his pitching preparations.

He unleashed the first pitch with everything he had.

Perhaps fueled by the fervent cheers of the Pelicans fans, So Young-joon’s bat connected with the very first pitch with unwavering confidence.

Thwack!

The batted ball soared over Seo Sung-min’s head and sailed into the outfield.

“Waaaaah!”

“Run! Run! Run!”

The Pelicans fans roared as if they had just witnessed a walk-off hit [a hit that wins the game in the bottom of the ninth inning] in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Meanwhile, the runner on first base sprinted home, and So Young-joon successfully reached second base.

-Could it be that the passionate support of the Pelicans fans has paid dividends? The Pelicans manage to score the first run after a long drought!

-Moreover, they scored the first run against Michael Scott, who is currently considered the league’s best pitcher! This game just got a whole lot more interesting!

The score on the electronic display board changed to 0:1.

In the subsequent play, the Pelicans players seemed to have been revitalized by the fans’ enthusiastic support.

The Pelicans’ starting pitcher, who had struggled in the first inning, began to exhibit a newfound confidence and control.

With the solid defense of So Young-joon and the other fielders, they effectively contained the Jaguar’s hitters, who had been on a hot streak.

As the inning turned over and So Young-joon’s turn at bat came around again,

the Pelicans fans once again rose to their feet and initiated another card section.

With the Pelicans holding a narrow 0:1 lead, the situation was tense: two outs and runners on first and second base.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of the trailing score and the critical situation with runners in scoring position, Scott’s eyes burned with an intensity unlike anything seen previously.

He delivered the first pitch with all his might.

Whump!

“Strike!”

Pushing himself to the absolute limit with each pitch, his fastball clocked in at an impressive 157 km/h [approximately 97.5 mph].

Whump!

“Ball.”

He attempted to bait a swing by throwing the ball slightly above the strike zone, but So Young-joon remained disciplined and didn’t bite.

Whump!

The very next pitch sliced through the strike zone.

1 ball, 2 strikes.

As the fierce duel continued, the voices of the Pelicans fans swelled once more.

“So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!”

Drowning out the Pelicans fans’ fervent cheering, Scott unleashed his most trusted splitter [a type of fastball that breaks sharply downward as it reaches the plate].

It appeared to be heading for a strike before suddenly dropping sharply in front of the batter, but this time, the angle of the drop wasn’t as pronounced as usual.

So Young-joon confidently swung his bat, perfectly timing his strike.

As if he had anticipated the pitch’s trajectory and timing, the swing connected at the precise moment.

Crack!

Scott could only watch the soaring ball with a look of utter disbelief.

The batted ball rocketed towards the outfield.

Even Donald Watson simply watched, convinced that it would undoubtedly clear the fence.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

The Pelicans fans, ecstatic simply to have witnessed a powerful hit, jumped up and down, expressing their unbridled joy, regardless of where the ball landed.

“Home run!”

As expected, the batted ball sailed over the fence.

-Hooooome run! So Young-joon blasts a three-run home run here! It was such a decisive home run that the outfielders didn’t even bother to move.

-He manages to hit such a massive home run against Michael Scott, who is in peak form!

-Moreover, it’s the first home run this season that has resulted in Michael Scott giving up 4 runs in a single game.

So Young-joon, rounding the infield diamond, raised his right hand in acknowledgment of the Pelicans fans.

The Pelicans fans responded with cheers as loud as they could possibly muster.

“So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!”

So Young-joon, after touching home base, exchanged high-fives with the other two runners and returned to the dugout.

After that, every time So Young-joon stepped up to bat, the Pelicans fans unfurled their card section with earnest and desperate voices.

Perhaps their sincerity resonated, as even some Jaguars fans joined the Pelicans fans in the later innings, chanting ‘So Young-joon, don’t go’ in unison.

Thanks to this unified support, the Pelicans defied all expectations and emerged victorious in today’s game.

The MVP [Most Valuable Player] of today’s game was undoubtedly So Young-joon, who recorded 3 hits, including a home run, against Michael Scott.

* * *

As soon as the game concluded, the MVP interview commenced.

The Pelicans fans were already gathering near the designated interview area.

Shortly after, as So Young-joon, having completed his preparations, approached to conduct the interview, the fans who spotted him began to shout.

“So Young-joon, don’t go!”

“Please stay! I’m a true fan!”

The Pelicans fans desperately pleaded with So Young-joon.

So Young-joon attempted to maintain his composure, avoiding direct eye contact with the fans.

After a brief pause, the interview began with a question from the interviewer.

“So Young-joon, you managed to get a hit and even a home run against Michael Scott, who has been showcasing the best pitching in the league so far. How do you feel?”

“I think I was incredibly fortunate today. I swung the bat pretty much the same as always, but it just happened to go over the fence, so I’m still a little stunned.”

“The hottest topic in the baseball world these days is the news that you might be traded to the Jaguars. Are you mentally preparing yourself for that possibility?”

As soon as the interviewer’s question was posed,

“Don’t go!”

“Please stay!”

“I’m supporting the Pelicans because of So Young-joon!”

The fans, clinging to the fence in the stands and watching the interview, began to shout with near desperation.

So Young-joon, as well as the interviewer and cameraman, were visibly taken aback.

“…….”

So Young-joon, unable to respond for a moment, looked up at the sky with a complex expression.

He remained silent for a long time.

“So Young-joon, are you alright?”

the interviewer asked with concern.

“Yes… I’m fine.”

So Young-joon tried to appear composed, but tears were already welling up in his eyes.

He quickly turned his body and discreetly wiped away the tears.

Then, as if he had reached a firm decision, he carefully began to speak.

“I will stay with the Pelicans.”

“Yes? Are you saying you have no intention of being traded?”

The interviewer was surprised by his unexpected statement, and his eyes widened.

“Yes. I don’t want to leave.”

“But I understand that negotiations are already well underway? Even if an agreement is reached, the trade will proceed regardless of the player’s wishes.”

“Is CEO [Chief Executive Officer] Kang Hyun-woo watching right now? I don’t want to go. If the trade hasn’t been finalized yet, please stop it. I’m serious!”

So Young-joon spoke as if he were making direct eye contact with Kang Hyun-woo, who was presumably watching from beyond the camera’s view.

“Wow!”

“Thank you!”

“So Young-joon, fighting!” [a Korean expression of encouragement]

The Pelicans fans, hearing So Young-joon’s words, erupted in cheers as if they had received the Christmas present they had been eagerly anticipating.

“Is there a specific reason why you suddenly changed your mind?”

“I think everyone who watched today’s game would understand…”

So Young-joon turned his head to look at the fans who were cheering for him and continued to speak.

“What am I that you guys are cheering for me so passionately? It would be incredibly irresponsible of me to just leave like this.”

“In a previous interview, you mentioned that every player dreams of winning a championship ring. Are you willing to potentially sacrifice that goal?”

“No, of course, that’s also important to me. I’m serious about wanting to win a championship ring. That’s why I have to help the Pelicans win.”

So Young-joon answered with a clenched fist.

“Then, would you like to say a final word to the fans who have been cheering for you so enthusiastically?”

“Thank you for always supporting me without wavering. I will never forget the support you’ve given me, not even when I die. And I will do my absolute best until the day the Pelicans win the championship. I love the Pelicans!”

With So Young-joon’s concluding remarks, the interview came to an end.

So Young-joon made a heart gesture towards the cheering fans and headed into the dugout.

As soon as I saw his interview, I immediately contacted Jo Gwang-hoon, the Jaguars’ general manager.

My call came just as the negotiations were on the verge of being finalized.

I explained the situation to General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon and earnestly pleaded with him.

General Manager Jo Gwang-hoon couldn’t conceal his disappointment at the prospect of abandoning the blockbuster trade that was within his grasp, but ultimately, he withdrew from the trade negotiations as I had requested.

The trade negotiations, which had progressed to the point of completion, abruptly ended.

└Wow! It actually worked because you intervened! By the way, I was one of the people holding up the cards.

└There was going to be another huge trade this season, but it’s a shame.

└I’ve been watching baseball for almost 20 years, and it’s the first time I’ve seen fans cheering for a player like that at the stadium.

└Honestly, it’s hard not to be moved when fans show you that much support.

└I got goosebumps watching it on TV, so imagine how the player himself must have felt?

└If this trade had gone through, the Jaguars would have been guaranteed a championship, but it’s a pity.

└Jaguars, you guys are going too far. We’ll have to shut down the stadium if we don’t get So Young-joon right away ㅠ

└But if So Young-joon wants to continue playing for the Pelicans, doesn’t CEO Kim Seok-won have to leave?

└Why is he acting like he’s sworn enemies with So Young-joon?

└CEO Kim Seok-won! If you don’t re-sign So Young-joon when he becomes a free agent, be prepared for the club to collapse.