Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 151

151. Hidden Gem (3)

I had no choice but to jump up from my seat.

“Ju-hyeok, I’m just going to go check out the bullpen for a second.”

Then, I hurried to where the Sucheon High bullpen was most visible.

The view was much clearer than from the stands.

It was Choi Woo-jin!

And his jersey number was 28.

It was the same name as the kid I played catch with when I was injured in the hospital.

Could it be a coincidence?

I felt like I’d know for sure if I saw his face.

I couldn’t quite confirm it yet.

Not long after, he turned around, and I could finally see his face properly.

That’s right!

It was the same kid I remembered from back then.

I was worried that I wouldn’t recognize him after a few years, but Woo-jin looked almost the same.

He said he was going to become a baseball player, and he really did.

A strange feeling washed over me.

Choi Woo-jin seemed to have finished stretching, and now he was putting on his glove and picking up a ball.

He’s a left-handed pitcher.

He was left-handed when we played catch back then, too.

Choi Woo-jin slowly started throwing the ball back and forth with the bullpen catcher.

Pop.

Pop.

It’s hard to judge his capabilities as a pitcher since it’s just the warm-up stage.

But just watching him play catch, his pitching form looked clean.

It seemed like the same pitching form from a few years ago.

The pitching motion was stable without any unnecessary movements.

I remember him having pretty good control, but is it still good now?

I wanted to see him throw properly, but it was a shame that he was just warming up lightly.

It would be great if I could see him in a real game today…

Turning my head towards the field, Ahn Beom-seok’s pitch count was just over 50.

The maximum number of pitches a pitcher could throw in a single game in this tournament was 105.

An ace pitcher like Ahn Beom-seok was likely to be replaced after throwing all 105 pitches unless something went wrong.

Unless he suddenly faltered or sustained an injury.

That also meant that it would be a while before another pitcher appeared.

It seemed like I would be able to see him pitch after the middle of the game, but it was difficult to predict because I didn’t know what role Choi Woo-jin played on the team.

If Sucheon High didn’t have a reliable left-handed pitcher, there was a possibility that he would pitch even as a one-point reliever [a relief pitcher brought in for a specific, crucial situation].

Come to think of it, what grade is he in now?

It’s been about 2 and a half years since I first met him.

It seems like he just became a high school student.

If he was an ace-level player, I would have heard his name, but I had never seen Choi Woo-jin’s name in the news until now.

If his name had been mentioned here and there, I would have known sooner.

I should meet him in person and talk to him after the game.

* * *

I barely swallowed my disappointment and returned to Lee Ju-hyeok’s side.

“Mr. CEO, is something wrong?”

“I ran into a friend I was happy to see.”

“A friend?”

Lee Ju-hyeok asked, as if puzzled.

“I’ll introduce you later.”

I was itching to tell him, but it would be more dramatic if I talked while looking directly at Woo-jin’s face.

First, I focused on the game again.

-Ahn Beom-seok in the early innings is literally untouchable.

-Even if Buffaloes’ Oh Seok-hoon, who is the batting king of professional baseball this season, came up to bat, it wouldn’t be easy to get a hit.

-Just looking at the pitching up to the 3rd inning, I can see why Major League scouts are paying attention to this player.

The 3rd inning was over before I knew it.

The score was still 0-0.

However, unlike Sucheon High, which had three hits, Jinhan High had not yet gotten a single hit.

As the batting order rotated once, and now that all the hitters had faced Ahn Beom-seok, Jinhan High’s coaching staff was also moving busily.

Jinhan’s hitting coach seemed to be discussing how to attack Ahn Beom-seok while talking busily with pitching coach Jung In-gyu.

Then, as if they had come to a conclusion, the hitting coach gathered all the hitters before the 4th inning attack and said something.

Because of Ahn Beom-seok’s dominant pitching, Jinhan High’s first hitter was able to stand at the plate again in the 4th inning.

-Now Jinhan High’s first hitter is back at the plate. It’s his second at-bat in today’s game, so it will be different from the first at-bat.

-He struck out in the first at-bat. What strategy will he bring to the second at-bat?

Jinhan High’s first hitter was holding the bat with a nervous expression.

On the other hand, Ahn Beom-seok was now completely warmed up, and confidence radiated from his face.

As soon as he received a sign from the catcher, he started pitching.

Pop!

The 153km/h [approximately 95 mph] fastball went into the low part of the strike zone, so the hitter couldn’t even flinch.

Tick!

The second ball barely hit the bat, but it was not enough to overcome Ahn Beom-seok’s power.

Whoosh-

In the end, the bat swung in vain at the sharp slider he threw as a final pitch.

-Is it difficult to attack Ahn Beom-seok even after the batting order has rotated once?

-Ahn Beom-seok’s pitch count is also being well controlled. If he doesn’t lose his pace, there seems to be no problem in pitching until the 7th inning.

-He’s really an amazing pitcher no matter how many times I see him. Will Jinhan High be able to successfully attack Ahn Beom-seok?

Jinhan High had managed to survive against Ahn Beom-seok until now, but difficulties began in the 4th inning.

The beginning was an error.

The ball thrown by Jinhan High’s shortstop to 1st base went slightly off target, allowing the runner to reach base.

“Oh? Ah……”

I let out an exclamation full of regret.

Fortunately, the catcher, who had backed up behind the first baseman, caught it right away, barely preventing the hitter from advancing to second base.

It was even more disappointing because it was a play that could have easily resulted in an out.

-As CEO Kang Hyun-woo said in an interview with us earlier, in a high-pressure game like today, even a small mistake can change the flow. A costly error has occurred in a tight 0-0 situation.

-It is crucial for Jinhan High players to concentrate and prevent the other team from scoring in this inning.

Making an error and allowing the opposing hitter to reach first base was essentially the same as giving up a single in terms of the game’s situation.

However, there is a saying that baseball is a game of momentum.

Depending on the momentum, things that cannot be explained by statistics often happen.

The Jinhan High pitcher, as well as the other fielders, tried to encourage the shortstop who made the error.

However, the gloom that had fallen on the shortstop’s face did not easily disappear.

Maybe his parents, who are sharing this moment in the stands, feel the same way.

“Play ball!”

The game started again.

-Will they go with a sacrifice bunt here?

-Ahn Beom-seok is still on the mound for Sucheon High. It seems effective to try and score one run first.

As expected, the Sucheon High hitter held the bat short and lightly tapped the flying ball.

“1st base, 1st base, 1st base!”

The Jinhan High infielders shouted loudly towards the catcher.

As soon as the catcher caught the bounced ball, he glanced at second base, but it was still too risky to throw there.

In the end, they had to settle for throwing to first base and securing one out.

“Out!”

Now 1 out and the runner is on 2nd base.

It wasn’t the first time that Sucheon High’s runner had reached 2nd base in today’s game, but the Jinhan High players felt nervous in this inning.

The pitcher exchanged signs with the catcher for a long time, then threw the ball with all his might.

But, as expected, the ominous feeling proved correct.

Thwack!

“Wow!”

“Run! Run!”

Cheers erupted from the Sucheon High dugout.

-The ball gets past the 1st and 2nd basemen quickly!

-It’s enough to get the runner on 2nd base to home!

The runner on 2nd base passed 3rd base and slid in front of home base.

He was able to slide in safely before the ball arrived.

Finally, the scoreless tie was broken, and Sucheon High’s 1 point was recorded on the scoreboard.

“Sucheon High! Sucheon High! Sucheon High!”

The Sucheon High school song was played in the stadium, further intensifying the atmosphere.

-Finally, Sucheon High’s timely hit breaks the 0-0 deadlock.

-As expected, one mistake leads to this result.

-The Jinhan High players must concentrate and prevent additional runs, accepting that they can’t undo the run they’ve already allowed.

The Sucheon High hitters, riding on the momentum, were relentless.

Thwack!

Not only a hit,

Thwack!

In the end, they even hit a home run, solidifying their lead.

Jinhan High’s score rose to 3 points.

-Jinhan High is making a change. They are taking the starting pitcher out of the game.

-He pitched really well in the beginning. He couldn’t stop the momentum shift that started with one mistake.

The Jinhan High starting pitcher went into the dugout with his head bowed.

However, the Jinhan High cheering squad and dugout applauded him warmly for doing his best.

Fortunately, they were able to finish the inning without giving up any more runs.

After a fierce back-and-forth, the game entered the 7th inning.

The score is 3-0.

Ahn Beom-seok was still on the mound for Sucheon High.

Even when facing the first hitter in the 7th inning, his performance had not declined significantly.

Pop!

Tick!

Pop!

“Strike out!”

He even added another out.

-Now Ahn Beom-seok’s pitch count is exactly 100.

-According to the regulations of this tournament, even if he reaches 105 pitches while still facing a hitter, he must be taken out of the game.

-What will the Sucheon High coaching staff decide? They could let Ahn Beom-seok throw the remaining 5 pitches since he is in good condition.

-Ah, the pitching coach is finally going to the mound.

The Sucheon High pitching coach, who approached the mound, patted Ahn Beom-seok on the shoulder and said something.

Ahn Beom-seok, who listened to the coach’s words while nodding, eventually left the mound.

The Sucheon High parents in the stands clapped and cheered.

Ahn Beom-seok entered the dugout, high-fiving the coach, coaching staff, and fellow players.

-Ahn Beom-seok played a really great role in today’s final game, pitching 6.1 innings without giving up a run and striking out 12!

-Even for an ace high school baseball player, it’s not easy to pitch with such composure on the stage of the final game. Ahn Beom-seok is not just a player who throws the ball well, but also shows that he has the mental fortitude to perform under pressure.

-Major League scouts must have watched today’s game. I’m curious about which team’s uniform Ahn Beom-seok will be wearing next year.

All eyes in the stadium were on Ahn Beom-seok.

But my eyes were on something else.

Which pitcher will come up to the mound?

Finally, the bullpen door opened,

A player wearing number 28 ran out.