Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 257

257. Dream Agency Tryouts (1)

I left the accommodation early in the morning by car with Jung In-gyu, Lee Ju-hyuk, and So Young-jun.

Our destination was the stadium where Dream Agency’s first tryout would be held.

Finding a place with spacious and pleasant facilities meant it was a bit far from the city center.

“How much further do we have to go?”

So Young-jun yawned, seemingly bored from the long journey.

“We only have about 30 more minutes. We’re almost there.”

“It’s quite a drive. It won’t be easy for the players to come either.”

“We wanted to secure enough training grounds, so it couldn’t be helped. It’s the same with the minor league stadium.”

That’s why the fans who came all the way to the minor league stadium to watch were even more precious.

“To be honest, when I was sent down to the minors, aside from everything else, it was inconvenient to travel from home to the stadium, and there was nothing to do, so I wanted to get back to the majors quickly.”

“You went to the majors because you wanted to play?”

“Of course. I played hard in the majors like that, then my performance dropped and I went back to the minors, and then I wanted to play again so I went back to the majors. It was a constant cycle.”

“Did it work out the way you wanted?”

“Try playing baseball in an environment where there’s nothing else to do but baseball. Of course, that’s the only way it can be.”

“Oh, so the genius shortstop is different.”

I, of course, and Jung In-gyu and Lee Ju-hyuk, who were listening together, seemed to have similar thoughts.

“If I had met our CEO a little earlier, I would have already become a free agent [a player who is not under contract and can sign with any team].”

“Wouldn’t it have been pulled forward by at least a year?”

“I should have done this sooner.”

So Young-jun looked out the window and fell into thought.

After a while, we arrived at our destination and got out of the car.

It was a place surrounded by mountains.

“Wow, the air is amazing.”

So Young-jun, who got out of the car, stretched out his arms and took a deep breath.

“Isn’t it perfect for training?”

“It’s perfect for training. It really looks like there’s nothing but training to do.”

“Then should we just come here for our spring training from next year?”

So Young-jun’s expression darkened rapidly at my words.

“Hey, this is a bit much. Why would we leave good Guam and come here?”

“Why? It’s perfect for training. It seems like the best environment.”

“You know why. Living like that is too intense.”

So Young-jun bumped his shoulder against mine slightly.

“Still, I think it would be good to come once in a while…”

“Oh no, we’re going to be late. Let’s go in quickly.”

So Young-jun hurriedly put his hand on my shoulder and dragged me to the stadium.

This stadium had four grounds arranged in a circle around the center.

It was a similar structure to the places that clubs usually use as spring training camps.

Since there were no tall buildings around, all you could see were green mountains wherever you turned your gaze.

It felt like my chest was opening up thanks to the open view.

“Wow. The stadium is really nice.”

Not only was it spacious, but the management of the dirt and grass was also excellent.

My colleagues who came with me seemed to think the same way.

“It’s no different from a professional stadium?”

So Young-jun stepped on the dirt and exclaimed.

“We really carefully considered everything for months before making a decision. We worked really hard.”

“Our agency is amazing. I really don’t see any shortcomings.”

So Young-jun gave a thumbs up to me, Jung In-gyu, and Lee Ju-hyuk.

Even though the baseball infrastructure for amateur players has improved compared to the past, the process of finding a stadium that met our standards was not easy.

“Seeing the stadium makes me want to prepare myself.”

Lee Ju-hyuk, standing on the mound, looked at home base and said.

“Ju-hyuk, do you want to play a game after a long time? You’ve been working out regularly, so I think you’ll be fine for about 1 inning.”

“1 inning…?”

When I nodded, Lee Ju-hyuk thought for a moment and continued.

“No, it’s okay. These are players who have come here desperately prepared, so it wouldn’t be right for me to interfere.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay for just 1 inning? I think it would be a good opportunity for the hitters.”

“That’s true, but… if I prepare, I think I’ll want to try again.”

“…”

“I’m happy enough just working with the CEO right now. I think I’ll be happier supporting the players and spending time with them like I am now than trying to become a baseball player again.”

“I’m glad to hear that you’re happy, Ju-hyuk.”

Looking at Lee Ju-hyuk’s expression, it seemed like he was being sincere.

Soon after, we walked around the stadium, checking the condition of the facilities.

There were dugouts, locker rooms, and even showers, so there were no major shortcomings.

While we were checking the stadium, the filming crew who came with us were busy preparing for the shoot.

“Young-jun, you can do well later, right?”

We were planning to film a video here to upload to our agency’s SNS [Social Networking Service] channel for tryout promotion.

“CEO, don’t worry. It’s not live, so you can edit it.”

“Okay, let’s make it fun.”

So Young-jun and I talked with the PD [Production Director] who approached us and prepared for the filming.

* * *

After a while, So Young-jun and I walked out onto the field.

And stood so that the stadium was visible at a glance.

“Okay, let’s start filming.”

Recording began with the shout of a staff member.

At the same time, So Young-jun suddenly stretched out his arms and announced the start.

“Wow! It’s a baseball stadium!”

“So Young-jun seems to be happy even though he goes to the baseball stadium almost every day of the year.”

“It’s always new. Baseball stadiums are different every day. The weather is different, and the atmosphere of the stadium is different.”

“Then how’s the atmosphere here?”

“It’s really fantastic. There’s really nothing around. I think it would be a good experience to play baseball while looking at the green mountains.”

“Then we should train here?”

“Ugh, it’s boring to keep playing baseball in the same place. That’s the same anywhere, not just here. That’s why we go to away games.”

“Hmm. That’s not the answer I wanted, but I’ll move on from here.”

I struggled to hold back the laughter that was coming out.

So Young-jun, who turned his head and made eye contact with me, naturally moved on to the main point.

“But CEO, why are we here today?”

“It’s to inform many people about an important event that our Dream Agency is preparing.”

“Important event?”

So Young-jun asked, pretending not to know anything.

“Drum roll, please – it’s the tryout hosted by Dream Agency!”

“Wow. Our agency is holding a tryout? That’s a really big event.”

We hadn’t even rehearsed, but our teamwork was perfect.

“There are many players who are working hard, dreaming of playing on the professional stage even at this moment. I think it could be a good opportunity for those players.”

“Then what are the conditions for participating in this tryout?”

“Anyone who has been preparing to become a professional baseball player is welcome.”

“Oh, the qualifications are quite unconventional.”

“There are people with even more welcome conditions.”

“What is it?”

So Young-jun tilted his head and asked me.

“We plan to welcome those who have been released from the professional stage or have failed the tryout more than three times. Of course, on the premise that they pass the basic tests.”

“Is there a special reason for giving preference to the conditions you just mentioned?”

“I think that those who have come here in such situations have a higher fighting spirit for baseball than anyone else. Then, of course, we should welcome them.”

So Young-jun nodded and moved on to the next question.

“Then how will this test be conducted?”

“First of all, there will be a physical test. And in the first round, we will evaluate with basic skill tests, and in the second round, we will evaluate with actual games. Finally, we will make a final decision after talking directly with the players.”

The tryout process was not much different from the existing one.

One additional part was the last step.

“It’s quite new to talk directly with the players?”

“The reason why we are holding this tryout is because we want the players who come here to be happy. Therefore, we want to help them to judge themselves coldly [assess their abilities objectively].”

We couldn’t send all the players who were desperately trying to the professional stage, and there was no guarantee that the player’s efforts to reach the professional stage were really the right path.

“What is the most important thing you look for while conducting this test?”

“I would like to ask you to prepare for the physical test as thoroughly as possible. We will judge that part coldly without giving even a little bit of leeway. It is also basic to become a professional player.”

“That’s right. It’s basic to create the best condition no matter what when you have an important game ahead of you.”

So Young-jun nodded vigorously and responded.

“Many players already know it well, but I emphasized it again just in case.”

“And now for the last question. If you are selected in the tryout, the benefits are enormous?”

“Yes, you’ll probably be surprised.”

“Please explain one by one.”

“All the costs of training here are borne by our Dream Agency. We plan to provide the equipment that is basically needed for training.”

“Wow! That’s it. Is there a better benefit than this?”

So Young-jun clapped his hands and shook his head.

“But this is not the end.”

“No way! There’s more here!”

So Young-jun opened his mouth wide and hit his forehead with his right hand.

“It is basic to regularly hold games with professional club officials. In addition, we plan to film and promote the process from training to participating in the game. Wouldn’t that be much more helpful for professional clubs to judge players?”

“At this point, I should participate when I play the game later? It looks fun.”

“So Young-jun, we’ll give you a special test exemption.”

“Nice! Everyone, I’m really going to play the game with you. See you at the baseball stadium!”

So Young-jun stretched out his arms and expressed his joy.

“The application form will be linked, so don’t hesitate and send us an email right away!”

“Let’s play baseball with me soon! Everyone fighting!”

The promotional video shoot ended with my and So Young-jun’s last comments.

* * *

As soon as the editing process was over, the video was uploaded to the SNS channel.

I was able to confirm a hotter response than expected.

└Kang Hyun-woo and So Young-jun have good teamworkㅋㅋㅋ

└So Young-jun doesn’t have to worry about making a living even if he quits baseball.

└If So Young-jun really comes out to play the game, I hope he tries other positions besides shortstopㅋㅋㅋ He’ll do well even if it’s not his main position, right?

└He’s a player who will be selected as a national team shortstop this time, so is there any need to talk? He’ll do well even if you tell him to be a pitcher right away?

└Wow, but the benefits are enormous. Does that mean you can train for free? The price of baseball equipment is more expensive than I thought.

└Even if it’s not that, it’s over just by being able to receive management from Kang Hyun-woo. I want to prepare for baseball even now.

└Instead, the training will be intense. If you just slack off, they’ll tell you to leave right away, right?

└Of course. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. And if they support you that much, you have to train until you’re about to die.

└They’re going to upload everything from training to playing the game, right? I was curious about how baseball players train, so it’ll be fun.

└Will Dream Agency players appear often? Then the number of views will explode.

After that day, applications poured into our agency’s email endlessly.

Even though all the agency employees rushed in, it was hard to come to our senses just by organizing the data, thanks to the large number of people who applied.

After a few days, the day of the tryout dawned.

It was finally time to meet new players.