Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 153

153. Hidden Gem (5)

Choi Woo-jin, hearing my shout, turned around.

The name and number 28 on his back disappeared as he faced me.

“Oh? Mister!”

Woo-jin recognized me.

I smiled and approached him.

“How have you been?”

I shook his hand and patted his shoulder.

He seemed flustered. “I’m very happy to have won today’s game,” he stammered. “And I can’t believe I met Kang Hyun-woo.”

“What brings you here, Mister?”

“I came to see how our players are doing.”

“Do you have any students in your agency?”

So, he already knew I’d started an agency.

“Not yet, but I think some friends will be joining in the future.”

“Wow, I’m jealous.”

Choi Woo-jin seemed genuinely envious, his mouth wide open.

“I saw you pitching well today, Woo-jin.”

“Really? Did I look okay to you, Mister?”

“Of course. You got two outs without giving up any runs in a crucial situation. You did great.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

As I spoke with Choi Woo-jin, I noticed two people standing nearby.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo-jin’s father.”

“Hello, I’m Kang Hyun-woo.”

I bowed to the woman beside him, who I assumed was his mother.

“Woo-jin has really wanted to meet you,” his father said, stroking his head. “He’s finally getting his wish.”

“I was watching from the stands earlier. It was great to see you.”

I smiled and turned to Choi Woo-jin.

“Mister, I still have the glove you signed. I would have brought it if I knew I was going to meet you today.”

That’s right, Woo-jin was the first fan I ever signed something for.

“Time really flies.”

Memories of that time flooded back.

“Ah, but it’s a bit of a shame.”

“A shame? What do you mean?”

“I wanted to get better at baseball and then join your agency to meet you again. It’s a little disappointing that it happened this way.”

Choi Woo-jin’s expression turned gloomy.

“You’re doing well enough now.”

“But did you know I was pitching today, Mister?”

“No, I found out when I got here.”

“Wow, amazing! What an incredible coincidence!”

“I know. We have a connection.”

While Choi Woo-jin and I were talking, his father cautiously called out to me.

“Mr. Kang, would you mind talking to me for a moment?”

“Of course. Absolutely.”

Choi Woo-jin’s father led me out of the stadium.

We sat on a bench.

I waited for him to speak, but he seemed hesitant.

After a moment, he began. “A few years ago, after Woo-jin met you, he decided he wanted to play baseball seriously. I’ve been letting him do it for now.”

“Oh, really?”

He started playing seriously after meeting me.

“I’m sorry to ask this, but could you give us an honest assessment of Woo-jin’s talent for baseball?”

“Talent?”

“Woo-jin started later than other kids, and he’s not particularly well-built. If he doesn’t have natural talent, it’ll be hard for him to succeed, don’t you think?”

“…….”

“I thought you could give us an unbiased opinion. If he doesn’t have potential, it would be easier to persuade him to consider other options.”

“Hmm…….”

He was asking a difficult favor.

It’s easy to say he has talent and should work hard, but it’s very difficult to say he doesn’t and should quit. It would have a huge impact on his life.

“Do you think it’s okay for Woo-jin to play baseball?”

The father asked cautiously.

I pondered for a long time before answering. “In my opinion, Woo-jin definitely has strengths. While he has areas where he needs to improve, if he trains hard and fills those gaps, he can become a competitive pitcher.”

High school players with potential often improve significantly over time, and Choi Woo-jin had that potential.

But his father didn’t seem pleased with my answer.

“Do you really think so?”

“Don’t you think so, sir?”

“I’ve watched all of Woo-jin’s games. Frankly, even though he’s my son, I can’t say he’s better than the other pitchers on the team, except for Ahn Beom-seok. That kid is recognized nationwide.”

“…….”

To be blunt, he wasn’t wrong.

Choi Woo-jin’s father sighed. “It’s almost embarrassing to compare him to Ahn Beom-seok, who might even go to the Major League.”

“And it’s not easy to say this, but our family isn’t well-off. It’s tough to provide the support he needs for sports. Unless he can succeed as a professional player, I’d rather he choose a different path.”

“Ah…….”

It takes a lot of money to develop a professional player.

The gap between players who receive better training and those who don’t widens over time.

Moreover, if he doesn’t make his professional debut, the money spent on training would be wasted.

Of course, you could call it tuition for life experience.

But if you’re in a difficult economic situation, there’s no room for that.

“What would you do if Woo-jin really wants to play baseball?”

“If he really wants to play baseball……?”

The father’s expression darkened. After a long pause, he sighed and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll support him as much as I can. But I don’t know how long I can keep it up…….”

What must a parent feel if they can’t help their child pursue their dreams?

“Then leave it to me.”

“Yes?”

He looked confused.

“I will provide all the support Woo-jin needs. From training to meals, everything.”

“You will?”

His eyes widened.

“I think Woo-jin has potential. If he wants to play baseball, I want to help him.”

Choi Woo-jin had solid control, which gave me faith in his potential as a pitcher, and I didn’t want to miss this connection.

* * *

Lee Joo-hyuk and I headed to the agency’s dorm with Choi Woo-jin.

I planned to introduce him to the dorm and talk about baseball.

Choi Woo-jin seemed excited to visit the agency he had only seen in videos.

“Can I see Oh Seok-hoon at the agency?”

“Of course. He’ll be there.”

“Wow, awesome.”

Choi Woo-jin couldn’t hide his excitement.

“If you knew about me, why didn’t you come to see me earlier?”

“I was going to come after I succeeded.”

“Success? What does that mean?”

I chuckled.

“Getting drafted and becoming a professional player is success, right? After that, I was going to see you confidently.”

For a high school player, there’s probably nothing more important than getting drafted.

“Woo-jin, what grade are you in?”

“I’ll be a sophomore next year.”

“So you can get drafted after next year?”

“I don’t know…….”

A shadow fell over his face.

“Why did the atmosphere suddenly change?”

Seeing his expression, I almost laughed.

“I’m going to train hard, but I don’t know yet.”

“If you keep working hard, you’ll do it.”

I patted his shoulder.

“And that number, I copied it from you, Mister.”

“Really?”

Choi Woo-jin’s number was 28.

It was the same as my number when I was a player.

“Why did you choose that one?”

“I just wanted to.”

His answer made me thoughtful.

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the agency’s dorm.

As soon as I opened the door, Choi Woo-jin’s mouth dropped open.

“Wow! This is totally awesome!”

“You know we just moved here, right?”

“Of course. I saw the video. But it’s much better in person.”

Choi Woo-jin was busy looking around the yard.

“There’s a training facility outside too, but we mostly train in the underground facility these days.”

“This is really awesome.”

Every time I pointed something out, Choi Woo-jin looked quickly.

Then, he looked at me expectantly. “Mister, can I meet the players now?”

“Of course. Some have finished training and gone home, but the ones who live here will be in the dorm.”

“I’m really nervous.”

Choi Woo-jin couldn’t hide his anticipation.

As soon as we opened the door and went inside,

“Oh… Oh Seok-hoon.”

Choi Woo-jin froze when he saw Oh Seok-hoon.

“Who’s this?”

Oh Seok-hoon looked back and forth between Choi Woo-jin and me.

“This is Choi Woo-jin. He’s a friend of mine and a big fan of the Buffaloes [Kang Hyun-woo’s former team].”

“Oh, really?”

Oh Seok-hoon looked at Choi Woo-jin with interest.

“He’s really handsome.”

Choi Woo-jin just stared blankly at Oh Seok-hoon, then took out his smartphone.

“Can you take a picture with me?”

“I’m not really ready right now…….”

Choi Woo-jin answered urgently, “I’ll only look at it.”

“I can’t refuse a Buffaloes fan who’s asking for a picture.”

At Choi Woo-jin’s request, Oh Seok-hoon looked in the mirror, fixed his hair, and then took a picture.

Then, Park Seong-joo came down from the second floor.

“Wow, Park Seong-joo is here too.”

Choi Woo-jin’s mouth dropped open again, as if he couldn’t believe Park Seong-joo was in front of him.

Choi Woo-jin also took a picture with Park Seong-joo.

As the short fan meeting ended, I took Choi Woo-jin down to the training facility.

“Wow! Professional players train in a place like this.”

Choi Woo-jin was busy looking around.

“How are you doing your weight training now?”

“I do it during training at school. I also go to the gym nearby.”

Getting help from a trainer at the gym would be helpful, but it would be difficult to get specific guidance on what he needs to become a professional baseball player.

“Woo-jin, do you really want to become a baseball player?”

I looked into his eyes.

“Of course. I’m going to work hard and join the Buffaloes.”

Choi Woo-jin said without hesitation.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

His eyes and answer were full of conviction.

“Then let’s do it.”

“Woo-jin, from now on, come here to train after school.”

“Me…… here?”

Choi Woo-jin tilted his head.

“You can even use a room here if you need to. Of course, after getting permission from your parents.”

“Then can I train with Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-joo?”

“Of course.”

“Wow, this is crazy!”

When I nodded, Choi Woo-jin opened his mouth so wide I was worried his jaw would fall off.