Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 2

Unforgettable Debut (2)

Choi Jeong-hwan’s unexpected behavior brought a moment of silence to the hospital room.

My mother was the first to speak.

“Oh, that’s enough. Please get up now.”

However, Choi Jeong-hwan, with his head bowed, didn’t budge.

“Sunbae-nim [senior colleague or mentor]. I know that apologizing won’t solve anything, but this is all I can do right now. I’m sorry.”

My father and mother quickly tried to lift Choi Jeong-hwan up.

But he was a large man, close to 100kg [approximately 220 pounds].

He wasn’t someone they could lift, no matter how hard they tried.

My head was spinning because the situation wasn’t sorted out, but I knew instinctively that I was the only one who could get Choi Jeong-hwan up.

“Just get up.”

“Yes?”

I got out of bed and grabbed Choi Jeong-hwan’s arm to help him up.

Choi Jeong-hwan slowly rose from his spot.

My mother brought a chair from the side for Choi Jeong-hwan.

“Sit here comfortably.”

Choi Jeong-hwan bowed his head in thanks and sat down.

At that moment,

A strange screen appeared above Choi Jeong-hwan’s head.

-Having difficulty throwing inside pitches.

What is that?

Do I have a problem with my eyes?

Or is it just a simple aftereffect of the surgery?

I rubbed my eyes a few times, but the screen didn’t disappear.

Ah……!

Is that why the doctor and nurse kept asking if I could see things clearly?

The appearance of aftereffects didn’t seem like a good sign.

But Choi Jeong-hwan is having trouble with inside pitches?

That’s ridiculous.

The Choi Jeong-hwan I know isn’t afraid of inside pitches, he just lacks control.

Oh, wait?

That’s not it…….

If someone fell because of the ball he threw.

If that player was unconscious for almost a week, he might be traumatized by throwing inside pitches.

My head became complicated, and as I was lost in thought, Choi Jeong-hwan carefully opened his mouth, watching me.

“Sunbae-nim. Are you alright?”

No. I thought I was okay, but something seems strange because of the screen floating above your head.

But I couldn’t say that, so I simply replied.

“I think I’m fine.”

“Ha……. That’s a relief.”

Choi Jeong-hwan let out a deep sigh of relief at my answer.

Then my father brought out some drinks.

“Let’s have a cold drink and talk.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Choi Jeong-hwan politely accepted the drink with both hands.

I stared at Choi Jeong-hwan and suddenly asked about something I had been wondering.

“But how did you know I woke up? No one else knows yet.”

“Ah……. Well, that’s…….”

Choi Jeong-hwan hesitated, and my father, who was sitting behind him, answered instead.

“He’s been coming almost every day since you got hurt.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I couldn’t not come.”

Along with his answer, he bowed his head deeply, showing a sense of guilt beyond just feeling sorry.

Then the strange letters I saw earlier might be real?

I asked, just in case.

“You…… Is it hard to throw like before?”

“Yes?”

Choi Jeong-hwan looked surprised at my sudden question.

He looked as if he had been caught hiding a secret.

“A little…… it is.”

I was right!

How did this happen?

I turned my head and looked at my mother and father.

There was nothing visible above their heads.

I wanted to find out more about this phenomenon that couldn’t be explained logically, but first, I had to take care of Choi Jeong-hwan in front of me.

I’m the one lying in the hospital, but my junior [someone less experienced] is suffering just as much mentally…….

Seeing him, various emotions flooded in.

What should I say in this situation?

I paused for a moment, choosing my words, and then tapped him on the shoulder.

“I didn’t die.”

“Yes?”

“I’m fine without any problems.”

“Sunbae-nim…….”

“Stop saying you’re sorry. Go and train.”

I wanted to ease his burden after hearing that he was suffering because of me and that he had been visiting me while I was unconscious.

“I’ll make sure to watch your games from today, so show me how well you can throw. That’s what’s best for me.”

Just saying these things wouldn’t make his trauma disappear in an instant, but wouldn’t it help a little?

As I repeatedly patted him on the shoulder, Choi Jeong-hwan’s eyes gradually turned red.

But he couldn’t open his mouth easily.

Contrary to expectations, a rather long silence flowed, and I felt embarrassed and spoke again.

“Isn’t it almost training time?”

“……Yes.”

“Then what are you doing here? You should go and get ready.”

“Heu-heu-heuk-” [Sound of sobbing]

Suddenly, Choi Jeong-hwan’s shoulders trembled, and soon a sob escaped.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and fell to the floor.

Surprised by his unexpected tears, I was stunned for a moment, then pulled out a tissue from the side and handed it to him.

His crying didn’t stop easily.

The huge figure of 190cm [approximately 6’3″] tall and weighing over 100kg [approximately 220 pounds] sobbed, and my mother and father’s eyes also turned red.

“How much he must have suffered.”

The whole family gathered to comfort him.

After crying for a long time, Choi Jeong-hwan seemed to have calmed down.

“Sunbae-nim. Then I’ll go for today and come again tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to come, you idiot.”

“No. It’s a home game tomorrow, so I have plenty of time.”

“Okay. Do as you please.”

I had a feeling he would come again even if I told him not to.

After Choi Jeong-hwan left, I told my parents that I wanted to take a walk.

Of course, I didn’t really want to take a walk.

I wanted to find out what that thing I saw above Choi Jeong-hwan’s head was.

* * *

After stopping my mother, who insisted on coming with me, I went out of the hospital room and strolled around.

As it was a large hospital, there were quite a few people passing by even on the 7th floor ward.

Patients, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.

But no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find anyone with a screen like the one I saw on Choi Jeong-hwan.

I wondered if it was because I was looking from too far away, so I tried to get closer to people.

But nothing changed.

Rather, the number of people looking at me strangely increased.

I had no choice but to return to the hospital room.

What should I do now?

Should I just ask the doctor?

No.

Even I think it’s logically impossible.

If I ask and they say I’m talking nonsense because I have aftereffects from hitting my head, it would be worse than not asking.

Then should I ask my parents?

That didn’t seem like the answer either.

My parents wouldn’t treat me like a strange person, but it wouldn’t be much different from asking the doctor.

In the end, I’ll have to find out on my own for the time being.

* * *

Several days have passed since I regained consciousness.

During that time, Choi Jeong-hwan visited three or four times, and I had several tests to see if there were any problems with my memory.

The test results were always normal, but the question about the screen floating above Choi Jeong-hwan’s head remained unresolved.

At first, I thought I was hallucinating because I had just woken up after being unconscious for a week, but the screen appeared every time Choi Jeong-hwan came, so that didn’t seem to be the case.

So, one day, as I was gradually recovering my basic physical strength and preparing to be discharged, I went down to the first-floor lobby because I felt stuffy.

Unlike the 7th floor, which only had inpatients, the 1st floor had many outpatients.

Unlike a few days ago, I tried to pass by as naturally as possible, looking at people.

But the situation was the same as before.

Just as I was about to return to the hospital room,

“Oh, mister!”

I heard someone’s voice.

Are they calling me?

I turned my head and saw a child who looked like a middle school student standing and looking at me.

“Mister, are you a baseball player?”

The child was holding a glove and a ball, so he seemed to be a baseball fan.

“Mister, you’re a Jaguars player, right? The player who got hurt a few days ago?”

“Oh… Oh. That’s right.”

He must be a huge baseball fan to know me, even though I only played one game in the first team.

“Wow. I heard you were hospitalized here, so it was true?”

He even knows about the hospital?

“How did you know I was hospitalized here?”

“How could I not know? It’s on the sports news, and the Jaguars players do a ceremony for you every time they get a hit.”

“Really?”

There were articles about my news, and the team did a ceremony for me every day?

No way…….

I couldn’t imagine it at all.

“Yes. They do this with their fingers.”

The child put the glove and ball on the floor and made a K with the fingers of his left and right hands crossed.

It seemed to mean the initial of my last name.

“Mister, but are you all better? I thought you still couldn’t get up.”

“I’m fine now.”

I raised both hands and made a gesture that I was okay.

“That’s a relief. I was so worried.”

“Really? You must go to a lot of Jaguars games?”

“No. I’m a Buffaloes fan. But my dad is a Jaguars fan. So I know a lot.”

Why did I assume he was a Jaguars fan?

Feeling embarrassed, I subtly changed the subject.

“That’s a nice-looking glove. Can you play catch?”

“Of course. I’m going to be a baseball player later.”

A child dreaming of becoming a baseball player.

Was I like this when I was a kid?

I wanted to give this child some great advice, but unfortunately, I wasn’t a successful baseball player.

My professional first-team career was only one game.

This child would probably want to learn from a better player than me.

“Do you want to play catch with me?”

“Oh. Really? Can you play with me?”

“Sure. Let’s do it.”

“Wow, awesome! I get to play catch with a professional player!”

This was all I could do.

Still, I was glad the child was happy.

The lawn attached to the hospital grounds.

I put on the glove I received from the child and prepared to play catch.

It was smaller than the glove I usually wore, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to play catch.

The child with the ball went quite far away.

“Mister, can I throw it?”

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

I raised my glove and signaled him to throw.

The child, who had been smiling until just now, became serious when it was time to throw the ball.

He took a moment to catch his breath and then took a windup stance like a professional player.

His attempt to imitate the player felt quite cute.

But,

Swoosh-

The moment that ball left the glove and flew.

The smile on my face disappeared in an instant, and my body stiffened.

I had an instinctive feeling that I had to avoid it, but it wasn’t easy to move even a step.

I couldn’t even look at the ball flying anymore.

Ouch!

The moment when I was hit in the head by the flying ball came to my mind.