Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 216

216. A Nail-Biting Match (4)

After rounding third base, Oh Seok-hoon’s running form changed noticeably.

He clutched his right leg and ran as if he were dragging it.

– Huh? What’s wrong? Oh Seok-hoon doesn’t look good.

– Ah… Could it be an injury? Just watching him run, it doesn’t look good.

– He has to keep running to the end, it seems.

Oh Seok-hoon’s speed decreased as he approached home plate.

“Home! Home! Home!”

Na Jun-ho’s throw was fast and accurate, heading straight for the catcher’s mitt.

Oh Seok-hoon’s hand and Na Jun-ho’s throw arrived at home plate almost simultaneously.

“Safe!”

The umpire spread his arms wide, making the call.

As soon as Oh Seok-hoon touched home plate, he clutched his right leg and collapsed.

Sensing the injury, the umpire gestured towards the Buffaloes’ dugout, signaling for the team to come out quickly.

The Buffaloes’ trainer rushed onto the field.

Park Seong-joo, who was nearby, along with the Buffaloes’ manager and hitting coach, hurried over.

Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t hide the pain in his expression.

Despite scoring an important run, the Buffaloes’ coaching staff looked pale with concern.

– Ah… I hope Oh Seok-hoon’s injury isn’t serious.

– Looking at his run earlier, it seems likely to be a hamstring injury. It looks like it happened because he suddenly exerted too much force as he passed third base.

– If that’s the case, will he be out for a while?

– It depends on the severity of the injury, but it doesn’t seem like just a muscle strain. It doesn’t look good.

– All we can do is hope the injury isn’t severe.

After examining Oh Seok-hoon’s condition, the trainer made a large X with both hands towards the dugout.

“Ah…”

A sigh rippled through the Buffaloes’ stands.

An ambulance was immediately brought onto the field.

– Judging by the trainer’s signal, it seems Oh Seok-hoon won’t be able to continue playing.

– This would be a huge blow for the Buffaloes.

– If it’s really bad, there’s a chance he won’t be able to play in the postseason. There’s only about a month left in the season…

– I hope Oh Seok-hoon’s injury isn’t too serious.

Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t get up on his own and was carried on a stretcher into the ambulance.

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

Buffaloes fans, and even some Dragons fans, chanted their support for Oh Seok-hoon.

The score on the scoreboard changed to 0:1, but the atmosphere in the Buffaloes’ dugout was somber.

As the ambulance carrying Oh Seok-hoon left the field, the game resumed.

Watching the game live, I jumped up, grabbed my car keys, and left the dorm.

* * *

While I was driving to the hospital, Oh Seok-hoon was being examined after arriving.

I waited for him in the hospital lobby.

After a short wait, I was able to see Oh Seok-hoon.

“Seok-hoon, how are you feeling?”

As soon as Oh Seok-hoon saw me, he asked, his voice thick with emotion, as if he was about to cry.

“Hyung [older brother or close male friend], can’t I play in the game?”

I approached Oh Seok-hoon, took his hand, and replied.

“Let’s wait and see what the results say.”

I was almost 99% sure it was a hamstring injury, but you never know.

Shortly after, Oh Seok-hoon and I were staring intently at Professor Park Jung-joon, our agency’s doctor, with tense expressions.

Professor Park Jung-joon was reviewing the medical images.

Please, please…

I desperately hoped for that 1% chance.

But Professor Park Jung-joon’s expression wasn’t encouraging.

“Because you suddenly put in too much force, your muscles were strained. It’s a common injury among baseball players.”

“Then what should I do…?”

I swallowed hard.

“There’s good news and bad news.”

“The good news is…?”

“The worst-case scenario isn’t happening. It doesn’t look like you’ll need surgery.”

“Hoo-”

Oh Seok-hoon and I sighed in relief almost simultaneously.

“But.”

My body tensed up again at Park Jung-joon’s words.

“It’s best to focus on rehabilitation training for at least three months.”

“Huh? Then the postseason…?”

Oh Seok-hoon looked at Park Jung-joon with a desperate expression.

“That’s the bad news.”

“Ha…”

Oh Seok-hoon lowered his head and sighed.

I patted Oh Seok-hoon on the shoulder.

Oh Seok-hoon raised his head and asked Park Jung-joon with a pleading look.

“Can’t I just play through it for the postseason? I really want to win the Korean Series [championship series in Korean baseball].”

“In your current condition, you won’t be able to play even if you want to because the pain will be severe, and you absolutely shouldn’t play. You must rest and focus on rehabilitation.”

Park Jung-joon said firmly, without the slightest hesitation.

“Is there really no way? Or even painkillers…?”

“Seok-hoon. I think it’s best to follow the professor’s advice.”

This time, I had to step in and stop Oh Seok-hoon.

As soon as I heard the word painkillers, I felt a fearful feeling, close to trauma.

“Hoo…”

Oh Seok-hoon covered his head with both hands and lowered his head.

“I know you’re not happy about not being able to play right away. But you have many more years to play as a player. Recover properly and go to the major leagues in two years.”

Park Jung-joon said to Oh Seok-hoon as if he were comforting a child.

“Yes, I understand…”

Oh Seok-hoon replied in a weak voice.

“Let’s all work together to recover as quickly as possible without overdoing it. You’ll be able to start next season in good condition.”

With Professor Park Jung-joon’s last words, Oh Seok-hoon and I left the clinic.

I left the hospital with Oh Seok-hoon and headed to the car.

Oh Seok-hoon took each step carefully, leaning on crutches.

I could feel that he was struggling because he wasn’t used to using crutches.

I supported him from the side in case he fell.

I was only able to start the car after carefully helping Oh Seok-hoon into the passenger seat.

And we went straight to the agency’s dorm.

Jeong In-gyu and Lee Joo-hyuk were already waiting at the gate to greet us.

Thanks to the message I sent, they knew the general situation.

“Seok-hoon, you’ve been through a lot.”

Jeong In-gyu patted Oh Seok-hoon on the shoulder.

“Yes…”

Oh Seok-hoon replied weakly.

“Seok-hoon, go in and rest for today.”

We took Oh Seok-hoon to his room.

Oh Seok-hoon changed his clothes and lay down on the bed, looking exhausted.

Then, I had a meeting with Jeong In-gyu and Lee Joo-hyuk.

I opened my mouth with a heavy heart.

“As I already told you, Oh Seok-hoon will be out for the rest of this season, and it seems unlikely he’ll be able to play in the postseason.”

“Ha… That’s too bad. The Buffaloes’ atmosphere was really good this season.”

Jeong In-gyu sighed, unable to hide his disappointment.

“Will he be able to participate in spring training in perfect condition next year?”

Lee Joo-hyuk looked at me and asked.

“He’ll probably be able to recover before spring training. I think he’ll be fine by the time we go to our agency’s training camp.”

We were planning to go to Guam for training camp next winter as well.

“Missing the postseason is bad enough, but the fact that he’s a free agent [FA] after next season is bothering me.”

Jeong In-gyu crossed his arms with a worried expression.

“But there won’t be any problem with him meeting the FA requirements.”

“When we negotiate with Major League clubs next year, could this injury hold us back?”

“That could be the case…”

Even when Na Jun-ho tried to challenge the Major League a few years ago, almost all Major League clubs expressed anxiety, mentioning his history of knee injuries.

“The only thing we can do is focus on recovering well and showing a good performance next season. Let’s just focus on what we can do for now. Everything will be fine.”

I wanted to worry about that later.

Because it wasn’t something I could do anything about right now.

* * *

The game that took place after Oh Seok-hoon’s injury ended with a 0:1 victory for the Buffaloes.

The Buffaloes players finished the game without the slightest mistake, as if the strong will to protect the lead, earned at the cost of a key player’s injury, was driving the team.

Go Ji-hoon added another win, and the Buffaloes moved up to second place, 0.5 games ahead of the Dragons.

Not long after the game, an article about Oh Seok-hoon was posted.

Buffaloes fans desperately hoped that Oh Seok-hoon had not suffered a major injury, but unfortunately, it was not the news they wanted.

└The season is almost over, and the postseason is so close, what is this ㅠㅠ

└If it’s a hamstring, it’s practically impossible to play in the postseason games.

└It’s really the worst to play in the postseason without a key hitter.

└If this happens, Park Seong-joo will be heavily marked, which is a big problem.

└Originally, marking the 4th hitter in the postseason would be huge, but without Oh Seok-hoon, it’s just a solo performance.

└Go Ji-hoon’s career-high season, I thought we could aim for the championship, but this is too fatal ㅠㅠ

└If this is the case, it seems fortunate that we aren’t in danger of being overtaken for 3rd place by the Jaguars, leaving the 2nd place fight with the Dragons.

└That’s right. I have to give up big ambitions and just be satisfied with being able to see the postseason this season.

The Buffaloes without Oh Seok-hoon were definitely different from before.

It was impossible to fill the sudden gap left by the 3rd hitter immediately.

At the same time, as everyone feared, the attention on the 4th hitter, Park Seong-joo, intensified.

Park Seong-joo’s batting was inevitably affected by the increased scrutiny from all pitchers.

As the batting performance of the central batting lineup weakened, the Buffaloes’ offensive power also greatly decreased.

For the Buffaloes, who were fiercely fighting for their ranking, Oh Seok-hoon’s sudden injury was a painful blow.