Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 225

The Place We Returned To (1)

The plane landed in Guam on schedule.

As always, the Guam sky was a vibrant blue.

After the cold wind of just a few hours ago, the warmth here was especially welcome.

Just like last time, we took a rented bus to our accommodation.

The warm sunlight streaming into the bus made me drowsy.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment of relaxation.

Eventually, the bus pulled up in front of the accommodation.

I immediately hopped off and started unloading the players’ luggage from the cargo hold.

The first one off the bus was So Young-joon.

He paused, stretched his arms wide, and took a deep breath.

“I can’t believe I’m here again. Unbelievable. Hooo- Hooo- Even the air smells amazing.”

“Young-joon, save the air for later and grab your luggage.”

I handed him two Pelican suitcases and an equipment bag.

“I really think I’m a Guam style [someone who thrives in Guam]. I feel like I could fly here.”

After taking his luggage, So Young-joon took a few steps, then stretched his arms out again, a blissful smile on his face.

Shortly after, Oh Seok-hoon carefully descended from the bus with Park Sung-joo’s help.

I rushed over as soon as I saw them.

“Seok-hoon, are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine. Sung-joo is overreacting. I can walk on my own.”

Oh Seok-hoon waved his hand dismissively.

“Still, be careful. You’re the team’s treasure. We can’t have you getting hurt.”

Park Sung-joo kept supporting Oh Seok-hoon’s shoulder, ignoring his protests.

“If you feel unwell during training, tell me right away. No need to push yourself at this point.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

I patted Oh Seok-hoon’s shoulder as he answered energetically.

Next, Go Ji-hoon and Choi Woo-jin got off the bus, followed by Na Joon-ho and Seo Sung-min, then Choi Jung-hwan and Jang Soo-young.

Finally, Michael Scott, Donald Watson, and Watson’s family emerged.

I went over to Olivia.

“Olivia, thank you for coming all this way.”

I had given Olivia the most comfortable seat on the plane, but it still must have been a long trip, especially so early in the morning.

“You’re welcome, it’s wonderful to be here. It’s refreshing to see English signs after so long. I’m getting used to Korean, but English is still more comfortable for me.”

Olivia smiled brightly, showing no signs of fatigue.

“Ah, I see. This must feel more like home for you.”

“Of course. Here, I don’t have to worry about my family. Everyone speaks English well.”

“Hahaha, I understand. I’m glad to hear that.”

With that, all of our agency members were off the bus.

After making sure all the luggage was unloaded, I went inside the accommodation.

Jung In-kyu was standing in front of the players gathered in the yard.

He held up a piece of paper and began to speak.

“As announced, room assignments are two people per room. Please check your room number and head inside.”

“Yes!”

“Okay, everyone, go unpack and meet back here in an hour.”

“Yes!”

The players responded enthusiastically and went to their rooms with their luggage.

Jung In-kyu caught So Young-joon’s eye as he was about to go inside and approached him.

“So Young-joon, are you feeling good today? We’re just doing some light warm-up exercises.”

Jung In-kyu patted So Young-joon’s shoulder.

So Young-joon put his hand on Jung In-kyu’s shoulder, a determined look on his face.

“Coach, I’m going to train hard today.”

“Huh? You?”

Jung In-kyu tilted his head, surprised. It was a complete turnaround from his attitude in the same spot last year.

“I’m going to make the most of Guam this time. I’m going to train hard so I can come back and enjoy it next year too. CEO, you’ll agree to more free time next year, right?”

So Young-joon turned to me.

“Can you perform better than last year?”

“Of course. I’m aiming for a .300 batting average next year. Home runs are exciting, but it would be great to see that .300 up on the scoreboard when I step up to the plate.”

“If you hit .300 with 20 home runs, next year will be amazing, right?”

I tapped So Young-joon’s shoulder.

“I have to do it. No, I will make it happen no matter what. Guam is the perfect place to hang out.”

“So, you’re trying to have a career year just so you can hang out here?”

“That’s a very important reason. When else would I get to hang out in Guam? It’s no exaggeration to say that this place, from the weather to the sea, was made for me. Hooo- Look at this clear air.”

So Young-joon stretched out his arms, took a deep breath, and replied.

“I wonder if you’ll even win a Golden Glove award at this rate.”

“I might as well try for that too. I have to try everything I can during my career.”

“That’s a great attitude. If you keep this up, you’ll definitely get it.”

A smile spread across my face.

“By the way, let’s go out and hang out together on our days off, CEO and Coach. It’s been a while since we, the Jinhan Gokki [a trio of close friends], got together.”

So Young-joon put his arms around my and Jung In-kyu’s shoulders, looking back and forth between us.

“No way, man. We have to prepare for training. How can the players train well if we’re not in good condition?”

“Is there any fun in life if you only think about baseball? You have to let loose and have some fun once in a while to make baseball more enjoyable.”

“Baseball is fun enough for me.”

So Young-joon shook his head.

“Yeah, you guys were no fun even back in school. You don’t know how to have fun. If you hang out with me once, your thinking will change completely.”

“Let’s go sometime. I’m curious.”

“Want to go tomorrow?”

So Young-joon asked, looking hopeful.

“Not this time, but when we come for a real vacation.”

“Forget it. I don’t know what I was expecting.”

So Young-joon shook his head in resignation.

“Let’s go in for now. We need to unpack.”

I divided the luggage with Jung In-kyu and So Young-joon, and we went inside.

* * *

Shortly after, when all the players had gathered, we headed to the training field nearby.

We had reserved the entire field, so we could focus on our training without any interruptions.

“Let’s warm up thoroughly. The weather is warm, but we still need to be careful.”

Following Jung In-kyu’s lead, the players stretched to warm up their bodies.

Everyone was serious, but Oh Seok-hoon stood out the most.

It was clear he was focusing much more on stretching since his injury.

After warming up, it was time to run around the field.

Everyone lined up.

“Okay, let’s start!”

At Jung In-kyu’s command, the players began to run.

I ran with the players at the front, alongside Jung In-kyu.

I was about to gradually increase the speed when,

“Let’s run hard!”

So Young-joon, full of energy, suddenly sprinted to the front.

“Everyone, feel this warm sunlight! You can’t get this anywhere else.”

So Young-joon, arms outstretched, led the pack.

“In-kyu, Young-joon seems to be in a very good mood.”

“Yeah. He’s different from last year.”

Jung In-kyu and I exchanged smiles, shaking our heads as we watched So Young-joon.

After running two laps at the front, So Young-joon suddenly dropped back to the end of the line.

He approached Choi Woo-jin, who was struggling at the very back.

“Woo-jin, you need to run faster. You’re falling behind.”

“Huff. Huff. I’m trying. But why is everyone running so fast?”

Choi Woo-jin answered, panting.

“Pitchers need to run a lot. Don’t get tired, you can do it!”

So Young-joon, even more energized, pushed Choi Woo-jin’s back and started running alongside him.

Thanks to that, everyone completed the 3km run without losing pace.

Some players who felt it wasn’t enough ran a few more laps, stopping only after running almost 5km.

After a water break, Jung In-kyu stood in front of the group again.

“We’ll keep it light today. Full-scale training starts tomorrow. Thanks for your hard work. Rest well today.”

The players clapped, signaling the end of the official training.

Everyone was about to head back to the accommodation when,

Park Sung-joo raised his hand.

“We’re in Guam, let’s play a game of foot volleyball before we go in.”

“Sung-joo, are you sure you’re up for it? I think you’ll just be kicking air again this time, too.”

I smirked at Park Sung-joo.

“I’ve been practicing. You’re in for a surprise if you think it’ll be the same as last year.”

Park Sung-joo shrugged.

“Sung-joo, it’s okay if you’re just good at baseball. No one needs to be good at everything.”

Oh Seok-hoon’s reaction was lukewarm.

“I’m telling you, it’s different this time. I’ve been practicing in secret.”

Park Sung-joo couldn’t hide his frustration.

“Then shall we see how much Sung-joo’s skills have improved?”

“Okay, you’re on.”

Park Sung-joo started with me and went around trying to persuade the other players.

He caught So Young-joon as he walked by.

“Young-joon hyung [older brother/friend], let’s play!”

Park Sung-joo grabbed So Young-joon’s arm.

“Let’s do it later. I need to go do some weight training.”

So Young-joon shook his head firmly.

“What? Training is over for today. It starts tomorrow.”

“I have double the free time this time. I have to start training today to make the most of it.”

“Come on, just for a little while.”

“Sorry, maybe later.”

So Young-joon stood firm and headed towards the weight room.

Park Sung-joo stared at So Young-joon’s back, bewildered, then turned to the rest of us.

“Does anyone know why he’s suddenly acting like that?”

“We should probably exclude Young-joon and Scott. They’re probably busy.”

I patted Park Sung-joo’s shoulder and pulled him over.

Excluding So Young-joon and Scott, we divided into teams and started playing foot volleyball.

I was curious to see if Park Sung-joo’s bold claims were true.

He had improved slightly compared to last year, but he was still the weak link.

Meanwhile, So Young-joon and Michael Scott were training like crazy in the weight room.

“Ugh!”

Their workout clothes were soaked, and they were pushing themselves to the limit, screaming with each rep.

I could feel their determination to make the most of their increased free time this year.

And so, Dream Agency’s second spring training began.