Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 108

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Starting the Real Work (3)

I immediately went to see the Pelicans’ home game.

It was a match against the Dragons, who had a decent run of form recently.

Objectively, the Dragons were the stronger team, but the Pelicans’ recent good atmosphere made it a game worth looking forward to.

Today, So Young-jun was the Pelicans’ cleanup hitter [the batter who bats fourth in the lineup, typically a team’s best power hitter].

So Young-jun’s batting sense had become so refined that it was considered his peak, and he eventually earned the cleanup hitter position.

As the team leader in home runs, So Young-jun also had the most RBIs [runs batted in].

The showdown with the Dragons’ cleanup hitter, Na Jun-ho, was another interesting point to watch.

“Play ball!”

Contrary to expectations that the Dragons would take an early lead, the game surprisingly started fiercely from the first inning.

“So Young-jun, home run! So Young-jun, send it flying!”

Crack!

As if responding to the fans’ passionate cheers, So Young-jun hit a clean one-RBI double in the first inning.

He celebrated by mimicking shooting an arrow at the home fans from the base, drawing even greater cheers.

“Wow! So Young-jun! So Young-jun!”

However, the defending champion Dragons’ counterattack was equally formidable.

Clang!

“Whoa!”

Everyone in the stadium shouted.

Na Jun-ho seemed to know it was a home run the instant the ball left the bat, and he watched its trajectory as he ran to first base.

The Pelicans’ center fielder initially moved to try and catch the ball, but eventually gave up and simply watched.

Thud.

The ball struck the electronic display board at the highest point in center field before falling to the ground.

“Home run!”

It was a tremendous home run, almost an out-of-the-park shot. [A home run where the ball leaves the stadium entirely.]

Even though it was hit by an opposing player, the Pelicans fans applauded generously.

With Na Jun-ho’s solo home run, the game was tied up again.

After that, the game proceeded fiercely, remaining at a score of 1-1 until the top of the 5th inning.

Then, in the top of the 5th inning,

With one out, there were runners on 1st and 2nd base.

And the Dragons’ batter stepping up to the plate was Na Jun-ho.

“Na Jun-ho, home run! Na Jun-ho, home run!”

The Dragons fans were filled with anticipation, chanting for Na Jun-ho to hit a home run.

With fast runners on base, a single hit could easily score two runs.

Moreover, with Na Jun-ho, who had already hit a home run earlier, at the plate, the Pelicans pitcher looked tense.

Given the important situation, the Pelicans’ pitcher and catcher carefully exchanged signs.

Whizz!

Whizz!

The pitcher cleverly targeted Na Jun-ho’s weaknesses, making it difficult for him to get a good hit.

Two balls and two strikes.

The count was now even, a situation where neither the pitcher nor the batter could afford to back down.

Even though the pitcher could throw another ball to reach a full count, putting fast runners on base in that situation was a risk.

The pitcher carefully received a sign from the catcher and nodded.

“Strikeout! Strikeout!”

“Home run! Home run!”

As the pitcher went into his windup, the tension in the stadium reached its peak.

And the pitcher threw the ball with all his might.

Na Jun-ho, thinking it was a strike, swung his bat without hesitation.

However, the ball, which initially looked like a strike, dipped downwards.

Tick!

He barely made contact, resulting in a weak ground ball, but it bounced awkwardly between shortstop So Young-jun and the third baseman.

The hit had some power, making it difficult to field cleanly, and the ball was bouncing in a way that made it hard for the fielders to catch.

Na Jun-ho gritted his teeth and ran towards first base, trying to avoid a double play.

The other runners did the same.

Shortstop So Young-jun sprinted towards the bouncing ball.

Timing his movement with the bounce, So Young-jun dove, extending his glove in the ball’s path.

“Got it!”

The ball landed in So Young-jun’s glove as if drawn in by a magnet.

But the moment his sliding body hit the ground with a thud.

“Huh?”

The glove, unable to withstand the force of the impact, popped open, and the ball slipped out.

“I’m screwed.”

So Young-jun scrambled to his feet and tried to throw the ball, which had rolled to the side, towards second base.

But the runner from first had already reached second.

He turned his attention back to first base and tried to throw, but it was impossible to beat Na Jun-ho’s speed, which was considerable.

“Safe!”

The first base umpire emphatically signaled safe with both hands.

So Young-jun looked at the sky with a disappointed expression and sighed.

My gaze shifted to the electronic display board.

Was it ruled a hit or an error?

The scorekeeper seemed to be having difficulty deciding and didn’t update it immediately.

Eventually, it was recorded as an error.

It seemed they judged it was a catchable ball.

Ultimately, the Dragons scored a run due to a subsequent hit, taking the lead at 2-1.

The consolation for the Pelicans was that they managed to prevent a bases-loaded situation, conceding only one run.

The Dragons continued to press, trying to widen the score gap.

Clang!

Thanks to their overall strong batting lineup, the Dragons’ attack continued relentlessly.

But,

“Wow!”

Their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by So Young-jun’s incredible defense, who seemed to have been spurred on by his earlier error.

So Young-jun’s uniform was already covered in dirt.

Perhaps inspired by this, the other players showed a renewed fighting spirit on defense.

The score remained unchanged at 2-1 until the top of the 9th inning.

Now, the bottom of the 9th inning.

It was the Pelicans’ last chance to score.

The Dragons’ closer [a relief pitcher who specializes in pitching the final inning of a close game] came to the mound.

He was in excellent form, having not allowed a single run in his last 5 appearances.

The Pelicans’ leadoff hitter stepped up to the plate.

Whizz!

Whizz!

The Dragons’ closer threw a powerful fastball, demonstrating why he was in such good shape.

Whoosh-

“Strikeout!”

The batter tried to battle to the end, but it was difficult to overcome the pitcher’s excellent form.

The second batter fared no better.

“Ugh!”

The breaking ball slipped from the pitcher’s hand and hit the batter’s elbow.

With one out, there was a runner on first base.

The third batter came to the plate.

Whizz!

The pitcher started throwing fastballs with full power again.

Whoosh-

The batter swung in vain at an exquisite breaking ball that disrupted his timing.

Whizz!

Eventually, he struck out on a powerful fastball.

The Pelicans’ dugout, which had hoped for at least a sacrifice bunt [a play where the batter intentionally bunts the ball to advance a runner] to move the runner to second base, was filled with disappointment.

Now, the bottom of the 9th inning with 2 outs.

The game would end in defeat with one more out.

Considering how well they had played against the Dragons today, losing by only one point was a bitter pill to swallow.

Now, cleanup hitter So Young-jun, potentially the last batter of the game, stepped up to the plate.

“So Young-jun, fighting!”

The Pelicans fans and his teammates placed their last hope on So Young-jun.

‘Don’t get overexcited.’

So Young-jun repeated to himself as he walked to the plate.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t want to hit a home run right here.

But swinging for a home run would likely result in a swing and a miss.

The pitcher, with only one out to go, looked relaxed.

After exchanging signs with the catcher, he confidently threw the ball.

‘Definitely a bad pitch!’

So Young-jun tracked the ball and swung his bat with a confident smile.

Clang!

The stadium fell silent for a moment as the sound of the bat hitting the ball echoed.

The ball soared high into the night sky.

“Home run!”

The second base umpire signaled a home run.

“Wow!”

“So Young-jun! So Young-jun! So Young-jun!”

The stadium erupted in cheers that seemed to shake the very foundations.

“See, I told you I’d hit it!”

So Young-jun raised both hands to the sky, basking in the unbelievable joy of the moment.

All the players in the Pelicans’ dugout rushed onto the field with water bottles.

As So Young-jun rounded the bases and stepped on home plate, a waterfall of water cascaded down on him.

The game ended with So Young-jun’s come-from-behind two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning.

The Pelicans fans reveled in the lingering excitement of the thrilling walk-off [a game-winning hit in the bottom of the final inning], singing cheering songs long after the game was over.

* * *

I stood in the passage where the players would emerge after finishing the game.

I was simply waiting for So Young-jun, saying nothing.

Players came out one by one, but So Young-jun was nowhere to be seen.

I thought I would meet him soon, but he didn’t appear even after waiting a long time.

My expectations were completely off.

Only after waiting a considerable time did I finally see So Young-jun walking out with his sports bag.

“Hey! So Young-jun!”

“Oh? What’s this now?”

So Young-jun waved his hand, looking both delighted and surprised to see me approaching.

“What do you mean ‘this’? Is that how you greet your agency representative?”

“Oh, Representative, you’re here.”

As I got closer, So Young-jun bowed.

“Why are you coming out so late?”

“When have you ever not told me to do 마무리 [finishing] training after the game?”

“Did you really come out after training?”

It was truly an unexpected development.

“Of course. Would I be coming out at this time otherwise?”

“Then where are you going now?”

“Where am I going… Why are you suddenly asking?”

So Young-jun trailed off, looking like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

-I’m going to regret the error I made in today’s game for a long time.

-I’m planning to go to the club and have a blast for the first time in a while.

“You were going to the club, weren’t you?”

“No! Why would you say that out of nowhere?”

“Are you really not going?”

“……”

So Young-jun was speechless, simply frozen in place.

“Well, you did make an error today. You should probably skip it tonight, right?”

“…But shouldn’t we call it even?”

So Young-jun protested, looking aggrieved.

“An error is an error, what do you mean ‘call it even’? It wasn’t even a particularly unfair situation. It was a ball you could have caught.”

“But I hit a walk-off home run. And a thrilling one at that.”

“Hey, hitting and defense are different.”

“Hey. You’re being too harsh. How many good plays did I make besides that today? Look how much dirt is all over my body!”

So Young-jun looked at me with an aggrieved expression.

“Okay, you worked hard. Do whatever you want today.”

“Nice!”

A smile immediately spread across So Young-jun’s face.

I walked out with So Young-jun.

“Oh! It’s So Young-jun!”

Exclamations and surprised voices came from all directions.

“Are you So Young-jun? Can I get your autograph?”

Several young fans who had been waiting outside approached So Young-jun.

“I can give you as many autographs as you want…”

So Young-jun’s expression suddenly darkened.

“…?”

The fan who saw his expression looked confused.

“So Young-jun, he says.”

A moment of silence followed So Young-jun’s quiet words.

“Yes?”

“Am I your friend? You should call me So Young-jun hyung [an honorific term used by younger males to address older males in Korean culture].”

As So Young-jun said with a playful smile, the fans in front of him couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Young-jun hyung, please give me an autograph.”

“Bring it here. What’s your name?”

So Young-jun signed the ball and glove he received from the fan and chatted with them.

He also spent time taking pictures with some fans.

Thanks to the constant stream of fans, we were only able to leave after an hour.