Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 17

17. Agent Kang Hyun-woo (1)

The pitcher and catcher exchanged signs carefully several times.

The pitcher nodded and prepared to throw the ball.

Oh Seok-hoon took the same batting stance as before.

And with all his might, the pitcher took a step forward and threw the ball with all his strength.

But,

Crack!

-Oh? He hit it well!

-It’s going straight to the right! Is it going over?

Oh Seok-hoon watched the ball fly and slowly started running around the infield diamond.

All eyes in the stadium were on the ball flying through the night sky.

-Wow, a home run!

-The ball flew a long way and went over the right fence!

“Waaaaah!”

The first base umpire signaled a home run, and the stadium erupted with deafening cheers.

-Oh Seok-hoon hits his first career home run in his 5th year as a pro!

-In such an important game, Oh Seok-hoon, who was called up today, hits a decisive home run!

-This moment will be unforgettable for Oh Seok-hoon and the Buffaloes fans!

“Waaaaah!”

“Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!”

Oh Seok-hoon raised his hand with his index finger extended to the sky, stepping on first, second, and third base one by one.

The Buffaloes teammates in the dugout cheered and high-fived, enjoying the thrill of the moment together.

By the time Oh Seok-hoon stepped on second base, his teammates had quietly returned to their original positions as if nothing had happened.

They were all preparing a silent celebration to commemorate Oh Seok-hoon’s first professional home run.

Oh Seok-hoon, having touched home base, returned to the dugout to the cheers of the fans.

Contrary to his expectations, Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t hide his embarrassment when he saw his teammates quietly watching the game.

The manager and head coach, who were standing at the entrance of the dugout, as well as the hitting coach, who had been talking to him just before he went to bat, were all looking at the field.

Only now did Oh Seok-hoon seem to notice the silent celebration, and he smiled.

The silent celebration continued until he took off all his equipment.

Park Seong-ju, who had been out, also noticed immediately and naturally joined in the ceremony.

Eventually, some players couldn’t hold back their laughter and burst out giggling.

Park Seong-ju, who took a seat next to Oh Seok-hoon, was one of them.

Seeing Park Seong-ju unable to stop laughing, Oh Seok-hoon grabbed him and kept talking to him.

However, Park Seong-ju’s gaze remained fixed on the field until the end, his lips only twitching.

As the persistent ignoring continued, Oh Seok-hoon quietly returned to his seat.

While he was spending time alone, his teammates cheered and approached Oh Seok-hoon.

Only then did Oh Seok-hoon smile brightly and high-five each of his approaching teammates.

The manager and other coaches, including the head coach, came up to him and patted him on the shoulder.

The laughter in the Buffaloes dugout did not stop.

After that, the game continued fiercely.

The Unicorns players showed a tenacious performance until the last 9th inning, but they couldn’t score.

In the end, the game ended with a 2-0 victory for the Buffaloes.

It was the moment when the Buffaloes finally broke their 7-game losing streak.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju both recorded runs batted in and showed impressive performances.

Without a doubt, the MVP of today’s game was Oh Seok-hoon.

On one side of the field, clearly visible from the stands, the broadcasting staff were busily preparing for the MVP interview.

I walked out with the spectators next to me to meet Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju.

-Today, the Buffaloes finally broke their long 7-game losing streak and continued their challenge for a spot in the fall baseball playoffs. At the center of it all was Oh Seok-hoon, who was called up to the first team today. We will meet with Oh Seok-hoon, who became the MVP as soon as he was called up today. Can you hear Oh Seok-hoon?

“Yes, I can hear you well.”

-First of all, congratulations on your first debut home run.

“Thank you.”

-You hit your first debut home run in a crucial situation as soon as you were called up to the first team today. How do you feel right now?

“Until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t even imagine this moment. I feel like I’m dreaming. I can’t believe it.”

-Your batting average has improved dramatically in the minor leagues recently. What’s the secret?

“Actually, I didn’t do anything special. It’s all thanks to meeting a great agent who helped me get back on my feet when I was about to give up and gave me accurate advice on what I needed.”

-An agent?

“Yes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kang Hyun-woo, who changed my life. Thank you, Hyun-woo!”

-Is Kang Hyun-woo, who you just mentioned, the same Kang Hyun-woo who used to play for the Jaguars until recently?

“Yes, that’s right.”

-I’m curious how you were able to make such a change in such a short period of time?

“Actually, until now, I’ve only been thinking about how to bat well. Hyun-woo *hyung* [older brother or respected male figure] really helped me by telling me what my real problem was and helping me solve it.”

-I see. Oh Seok-hoon, you worked hard today. I look forward to your continued success.

“Yes. I will continue to show you my best.”

-This has been Oh Seok-hoon of the Buffaloes.

* * *

The smile on my face didn’t stop as I walked towards the locker room.

More than anything, I was overjoyed at the thought of Lee Jin-won’s expression, who must be fuming at this moment.

I was walking with a beaming smile when I heard someone calling me from somewhere.

“Oh? Kang, Kang Hyun-woo!”

I turned my head and saw a woman running towards me at a fast pace from afar.

Who is it?

Do I know her?

I tried to recall if I knew her, but I didn’t recognize her at all.

“Are you Kang Hyun-woo?”

“Yes, I am. What’s the matter?”

“Huff. Huff. It’s an honor to meet you.”

The woman, who was out of breath, took a deep breath and held out her hand to me.

Her hair was a little disheveled from running for a while, but she had a charming style.

I reached out and shook her hand.

-Recently assigned to the sports department.

An information window appeared above her head, indicating that she was also a baseball official.

“Nice to meet you, Soo-min.”

“Oh? How do you know my name?”

I was thinking about something else and accidentally called her name without her telling me.

“Ah… well, you were recently assigned to the sports department, right? That’s how I know. Hahaha.”

I was barely able to come up with a plausible reason by combining the information from the information window.

“You know that even though I’m still a rookie?”

“Well… I tend to hear news about outstanding people in each company quickly.”

“Outstanding? Not at all. Thank you.”

The woman, who was slightly embarrassed and bowed her head slightly, naturally took out a business card from her inside pocket and handed it to me.

“I should at least introduce myself properly, right? I’m Lee Soo-min, a reporter from the Sports Department of the Jeil Newspaper.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you.”

The business card she handed me had the newspaper logo, her name, contact number, and email address on it.

While I was reading the contents of the business card, Lee Soo-min continued the conversation.

“Would you mind giving me an interview?”

“An interview? Sure. Oh Seok-hoon may have just been called up to the first team, but he’s going to have a tremendous record in the future.”

“No. Not Oh Seok-hoon, but Kang Hyun-woo.”

“M-me?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly, she wants to interview me?

Looking at her expression, it didn’t seem like a joke.

“Is there really a need to interview me? I wasn’t a player with good results, and now I’ve retired and I’m not playing in any games.”

“You’re more attractive than the players. You’re the one who helped a minor league player who was about to give up on baseball and made it possible for him to achieve the best results.”

“Me? I haven’t done anything special yet. Hahaha.”

I forced a laugh, embarrassed by the sudden praise.

“So, is it okay to do an interview…?”

“I have no reason to refuse, but… just in case, I’ll check with my company to see if it’s okay to do an interview and get back to you.”

“Really? You really promised!”

“Yes.”

I was a little puzzled by her excited reaction, but I nodded.

“Then when is a good time for you? If it’s not too much trouble, would tomorrow be possible?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Ah… tomorrow might be too much, right? I’m sorry. I was just too eager… Please let me know when you’re available, and I’ll adjust my schedule accordingly.”

“No, it’s okay. Let’s meet tomorrow.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But, I have to go to the stadium in the evening, so is lunchtime okay with you?”

“Of course, that’s great for me. Thank you.”

Lee Soo-min repeatedly bowed her head and thanked me.

“But, by any chance… are you going to do interviews with other media outlets too?”

“Other media outlets? Would they suddenly ask me for an interview?”

I burst out laughing.

“What are you talking about? Not to mention our seniors, other companies must be in an uproar right now.”

“Why are they in an uproar?”

“They’re trying to contact Hyun-woo. The company has probably been contacted too, right?”

I tilted my head, not understanding what she was saying.

“Really. After Oh Seok-hoon’s interview went out, the baseball communities are going crazy right now.”

“Seok-hoon’s interview?”

“Yes. Take a look at your phone right now. Would I lie to you?”

As she said, I took out my phone and went into the community.

I could find my name right from the first page.

└If Kang Hyun-woo revives Oh Seok-hoon, shouldn’t we kneel down and bow to him?

└But Kang Hyun-woo himself hasn’t had a proper career, so can he really raise Oh Seok-hoon well?

└Don’t you know that coaches who were star players often ruin things? Guys like Kang Hyun-woo might do better.

└ㅇㄱㄹㅇ [abbreviation for “agreed” in Korean slang] But if Kang Hyun-woo succeeds with this, it’ll be a life reversal, right? I thought he retired to learn a skill and do something else.

My name was being mentioned on every bulletin board.

I was feeling a strange emotion when I suddenly felt my phone vibrate.

It was a call from Kim Min-hwan.

I excused myself to Lee Soo-min and answered the phone right away.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

-Hey! Where are you right now!

“I’m at the stadium, why?”

-Come in right now. The company phone is going crazy because of you!

“What do you mean crazy?”

-Everyone is going crazy trying to get an interview with you!

“…!”

What on earth is going on?