Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 139

139. A Challenging Free Agency Negotiation (1)

It was the first time Park Seong-ju was using the SUV he’d won at the All-Star game.

It was also only two days after Park Seong-ju had gotten his driver’s license.

Oh Seok-hoon, So Young-joon, Michael Scott, Jang Su-young, Lee Joo-hyuk, and I were all gripping the car’s handles tightly, looking at Park Seong-ju with unease.

“Seong-ju, you’re sure you can handle this, right?”

“Don’t worry. I told you, I got my license yesterday.”

Park Seong-ju was the only one brimming with confidence.

“Okay, I’m trusting you on this one.”

I swallowed hard, sitting quietly in the passenger seat.

“Everyone, just relax. We’re going to have some fun.”

“Okay, but keep your eyes on the road.”

I gripped the handle above the seat again.

“Should I post on social media that we’re going to the amusement park?”

Oh Seok-hoon said, filming us in the car with his smartphone.

“Won’t it cause a commotion at the amusement park if we announce it in advance?”

Park Seong-ju said, sounding a bit flustered.

“We’ll be there in an hour anyway, what could happen?”

“Well, we’re all pretty recognizable. I’m worried that too many fans might gather and cause trouble for the amusement park.”

Park Seong-ju said, unable to hide his excitement.

“Let’s post it anyway. If fans recognize us, we can just have fun with them.”

“Okay, I’ll upload it right now.”

While Oh Seok-hoon was uploading, the car started to accelerate.

“Oh, ohh.”

I tried to stay quiet, but I couldn’t help the sounds that escaped me due to my anxiety.

Even though it was a day nearing early winter, I felt sweat trickling down my back.

Even though it wasn’t a long drive, only about an hour away, I felt as tired as if I were on a long journey.

Fortunately, we arrived safely without any accidents.

‘……I should just drive on the way back.’

I wiped my forehead and sighed in relief.

We parked the car and entered the amusement park.

The moment we passed through the entrance, the mouths of all the players, including mine, dropped open.

“Wow, it’s Oh Seok-hoon!”

“Amazing! He really came!”

There were fans waiting for us right from the entrance.

“Please sign this!”

“Can I take a picture with you?”

Some fans wanted to take pictures, while others had brought baseballs and bats, asking for autographs, having somehow found out we were coming.

“Manager, is it okay for us to sign autographs?”

“Of course. Let’s spend some time with the fans first, then have fun.”

The players naturally signed autographs and took pictures with the fans.

As expected, Oh Seok-hoon had a huge following of female fans.

The younger fans seemed to be gathering around Michael Scott.

So Young-joon, Park Seong-ju, and Jang Su-young also had a good number of fans around them.

Surprisingly, quite a few fans came up to me and asked to take pictures as well.

While this impromptu fan signing event was taking place at the entrance, surprised amusement park staff came out to manage the crowd.

The sudden fan signing event ended after about two hours.

Inevitably, we were exhausted from standing for so long and interacting with the fans.

Due to the unexpected expenditure of energy, we decided to have lunch first.

We went to a nearby Italian restaurant.

It wasn’t so much that we wanted a fancy atmosphere, but rather that it was the only restaurant where we could get a table right away.

Even after the meal, our every move was the subject of the fans’ attention.

Fans were constantly taking pictures and uploading them to social media.

└The Dream Agency came as a group. Should I go there now?

└The people who went there today are so lucky.

└It’s not easy for guys to go to an amusement park together.

“Scott, do you enjoy riding amusement park rides?”

“I haven’t ridden anything scary. I don’t understand why people ride things that make you dizzy just by looking at them.”

At Scott’s words, So Young-joon’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, really? Then we should ride the most famous one here. It’s a really refreshing experience.”

“Isn’t that scary?”

“Scott, it’s really scary…….”

I started to warn Scott, but So Young-joon quickly cut me off.

“No, it’s something even kids ride. Just think of it as a nice breeze.”

So Young-joon poked me in the side and answered nonchalantly.

“Anyway, it’s not scary, right?”

“Of course not.”

So Young-joon had a sly smile on his face.

A little later, Scott was sitting next to So Young-joon, strapped into the roller coaster.

“So, this feels a little strange?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Why are we wearing belts? Isn’t this just a relaxing ride?”

“Everyone wears belts on amusement park rides. It’s for safety. You never know what might happen.”

So Young-joon reassured Scott with a casual expression.

“Really? It’s not scary, right?”

Scott tilted his head several times, wondering if the thick belt was bothering him.

“Passengers, we will be departing! Have a good time.”

Starting with the staff’s announcement, the roller coaster began to move.

Screech.

Tuk tuk tuk tuk.

The roller coaster made a dull noise and left the indoor boarding area.

After going outside, the roller coaster gradually began to climb high into the sky.

“W, what is this? How high does it go?”

Scott’s eyes widened as he checked the height of the rails and the dramatic movements.

“Uh, uh? What is this? Did I get on the wrong ride?”

So Young-joon’s acting was unconvincing.

As we got closer to the top, Scott’s face turned white.

The roller coaster, which paused for a moment at the peak, plunged towards the ground faster than Scott could process.

“Aaaaaaaaaa!”

Scott was so surprised that he couldn’t even close his eyes and just froze.

A few minutes later.

Scott, getting off the roller coaster, looked like his soul had left his body.

He didn’t even seem to have the strength to express his resentment to So Young-joon.

Meanwhile, we were eating ice cream and snacks from vendors all over the amusement park, one by one, and looking for the next attraction.

“Let’s try this and win some prizes.”

Jang Su-young pointed to a game where you throw a ball to knock down dolls.

“Welcome!”

The employee greeted us brightly, as if meeting a VIP.

“Can we try this?”

“Just a moment!”

The employee hurriedly stopped Jang Su-young, who had already picked up a ball.

“Can’t we play now?”

“You can play now, but Jang Su-young is a pitcher. It’s not fair if you throw normally, and since he’s a left-handed pitcher, please throw with your right hand.”

“I’ve never thrown with my right hand before.”

Jang Su-young warmed up for a moment and confidently threw the ball with his right hand.

Unlike his left hand, his control was terrible.

Tuk. Tuk.

The ball flew in a completely different direction than the doll he was trying to hit.

“Su-young can’t throw with his right hand either.”

Jang Su-young was disappointed the whole time he was throwing, while the employee breathed a sigh of relief.

Michael Scott also had to throw with his non-dominant hand, his left hand.

“Oh my god! It’s too difficult!”

As expected, it wasn’t easy even for a professional player who is considered the best in the league.

Now Oh Seok-hoon picked up the ball.

“Oh Seok-hoon is a hitter, so you can throw however you want.”

‘Really?’

Did they think it would be okay because he’s not a pitcher?

‘You’re going to regret this.’

As expected, contrary to the employee’s expectations,

Tung.

“Nice!”

Tung.

“Good ball!”

Oh Seok-hoon, holding the ball in his right hand, perfectly hit all the targets.

“Oh, ohh. You’re hitting them all…… well?”

As the perfect pitching continued, the employee’s expression turned pale.

Tung.

“Yeah, hit them all! Let’s sweep all the prizes!”

Tung.

Park Seong-ju was also perfect, of course.

The process leading to So Young-joon and me was the same.

In the end, the employee had to pay the price for underestimating the throwing ability of the fielders.

The employee handed over several large dolls, which were offered as prizes for the highest score, with a bewildered expression.

“Please sign one before you leave.”

“Of course.”

Everyone signed and took pictures without hesitation at the employee’s request.

We played games, greeted the fans we met, and spent time at the amusement park until the sun went down.

According to the initial plan, we were going to go to the Han River at night and enjoy the night view of Seoul on a cruise ship, but we were exhausted just from the amusement park.

As soon as we arrived at the accommodation, everyone, including me, passed out.

* * *

Before we knew it, it was the day Scott was leaving.

I took Scott to the airport with Lee Joo-hyuk and So Young-joon.

Scott’s eyes were full of regret as he pushed his luggage cart and walked into the departure hall.

I wanted to tell him to just stay and have more fun, but I couldn’t just stop him.

If he didn’t go now, he wouldn’t have time to see his family and friends in America.

“Kang, So, Lee. I’m going to miss you.”

“Scott, take care and see you at spring training.”

Scott hugged me and turned to So Young-joon.

“I’ll be able to see So during the exhibition game, right?”

“I think so.”

The Pelicans’ and Jaguars’ spring training locations were far apart, so the chances of meeting were slim.

“Lee, thank you too.”

After hugging Lee Joo-hyuk, Scott went to catch his flight to America.

Scott turned his head several times and looked at us wistfully as he disappeared into the gate.

I waved my hand until the end to see Scott off.

Only after Scott entered the departure hall did we move to the parking lot.

“Representative Kang, are you going to rest a little now?”

So Young-joon came up to me and asked.

“No. I still have a mountain of things to do.”

“Doesn’t it ever end? I don’t think I could ever do it.”

So Young-joon shook his head as if he was fed up.

“It’s the same with agencies as it is with teams, there’s more to do after the season ends.”

“By the way, why hasn’t the Pelicans announced their salaries yet?”

“It seems like there are several players besides you whose negotiations haven’t ended yet.”

I made up a reason and brushed off So Young-joon, who was curious about his salary.

No matter how I phrased it, it wasn’t news that would make him happy.

“Sigh……. Are the Pelicans having trouble with salary negotiations now? You said my negotiation is still pending, right?”

I just nodded without saying anything.

“Should I just transfer?”

“Is there a team you want to go to?”

“Well, I want to win a championship at least once before I retire as a player. Honestly, it doesn’t seem very likely with the Pelicans.”

“Honestly, that’s true.”

It would be difficult for a team with a reputation for being at the bottom to win a championship unless there was a major overhaul.

I patted So Young-joon on the shoulder and returned to the office.

Apart from So Young-joon’s salary negotiation, another important matter was approaching.

It was Go Ji-hoon’s free agency negotiation.

A few days after the Korean Series ended, Go Ji-hoon’s free agency announcement was completed without any problems.

Go Ji-hoon was now a free agent who could freely sign with any team.

It was time to create another best free agency contract.