Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 296

Another Dream (2)

While the players were getting ready, the broadcast began.

“We will now begin the charity game hosted by Dream Agency.”

The announcer paused and then, looking my way, asked,

“CEO Kang, I hear today’s game is a bit different from typical exhibition games?”

“That’s right. It’s an exhibition game purely for enjoyment, so the rules are very flexible. Substitutions can be made at any time, as many times as you want, and the batting order can be freely changed. Even batters can pitch, and pitchers can bat.”

Basically, everything was allowed except for the most fundamental rules of baseball.

“Since we won’t see these situations in the regular season, I think a lot of fun things will happen, right?”

“You’ll probably see a lot of things you wouldn’t see in the regular season.”

“The two starting pitchers are familiar faces, aren’t they?”

“Since we won’t be able to see Michael Scott and Go Ji-hoon face off anymore, I prepared this as a last hurrah.”

The players were now running onto the field.

-Scott! Scott! Scott!

As Michael Scott headed to the mound, a roar erupted from the stands.

Scott waved to the crowd, who were shouting their support, and walked to the mound.

At the same time, Han Gyo-jin, wearing his catcher’s gear, was heading towards home base.

“Michael Scott and Han Gyo-jin showed perfect teamwork throughout the past season. What did you think, CEO Kang?”

“I expected both players to do well because they are both hardworking, but honestly, I didn’t expect them to perform this well. They really did an amazing job.”

“They performed so well that it wouldn’t be a problem to call it perfect. Now, we look forward to seeing them perform well in the Major League.”

As Scott finished his practice pitches, a player wearing a large Pelicans mascot costume walked out.

“We can’t see his face because he’s wearing a mask, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to guess who it is, right?”

“He specifically asked to be the first batter. He said he wanted to face Scott one last time.”

“What will happen in the first at-bat of today’s game?”

The player in the Pelicans costume stood at the plate, flipping his bat and holding it with the handle up.

“Haha, it looks like he’s holding the bat upside down?”

“It seems like he’s implying that he can get a hit even if he swings the bat upside down against Scott.”

“Can he really get a hit holding the bat upside down?”

Seeing this, Scott raised both hands and smiled.

The batter nonchalantly took his stance at the plate, holding the bat normally.

Scott couldn’t hide his smile as he prepared to pitch.

And he lightly threw the first ball.

-Tick!

“He managed to make contact even holding the bat upside down. That’s really amazing.”

“Even though it’s not the same speed as during the season, it’s still almost 140 km/h [kilometers per hour].”

In the second pitch, the batter’s bat swung with all its might.

-Thwack!

The ball passed between the pitcher and the second baseman.

“Oh! The ball gets past the pitcher!”

“That’s really amazing. He can get a hit like that.”

Arriving at first base, the batter took off the Pelicans mask and raised both hands in the air.

-Waaaaah-

-So Young-joon! So Young-joon! So Young-joon!

“As expected, the first batter was So Young-joon.”

“We can see once again that he earned the nickname ‘Scott Killer’ for a reason.”

So Young-joon pointed at Scott and gave him a thumbs up.

Scott shook his head but couldn’t hide his smile.

Meanwhile, the next batter was approaching the plate.

“Now it’s time to meet another Major Leaguer. The next batter is Oh Seok-hoon.”

Seeing this, the fans stood up and cheered.

-Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!

“We won’t be able to see this player on the Korean stage for a while. I can’t help but feel happy and sad at the same time.”

“But you’ll be able to keep seeing the two players on the field face off. Since their teams are in the same division, they’ll be meeting quite often in the Major League.”

“Perhaps today is another beginning for these two players.”

Scott started his windup with a serious expression, unlike before.

-Whump!

-Strike!

Oh Seok-hoon, watching the ball go by, looked at Scott with a bewildered expression.

“Wow, Scott isn’t showing any mercy to Oh Seok-hoon. Is it because he’s a player he’ll have to compete against in the Major League now?”

The next ball was also thrown with full force.

Even though Oh Seok-hoon hurriedly swung his bat, it was impossible to hit.

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

Scott’s strategy didn’t change until the end.

Eventually,

-Whoosh-

-Strike out!

The moment he confirmed that Oh Seok-hoon’s bat had swung and missed, Scott clenched his fist and raised it in the air.

“Scott cleanly strikes out Oh Seok-hoon with three pitches. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he threw that just like a regular season game.”

“I’m really looking forward to the two players facing off in the Major League.”

Oh Seok-hoon couldn’t hide his disappointment at the plate and suddenly approached the mound.

“Oh? Oh Seok-hoon is suddenly walking to the mound?”

“What’s going on?”

Scott tilted his head, came down from the mound, and met Oh Seok-hoon.

Oh Seok-hoon talked to Scott, then handed him his bat and put a helmet on his head.

Finally, he took the glove from Scott’s hand and put it on his own.

Then Oh Seok-hoon walked to the mound.

Scott, smiling and showing his white teeth, swung his bat and headed to the plate.

“So they’re going to switch roles as pitcher and batter here. Oh Seok-hoon will pitch, and Scott will bat!”

“I never expected them to switch pitching and batting like this. The players’ resourcefulness is really amazing.”

“CEO Kang, is this allowed in today’s game?”

“Today, anything goes as long as it’s fun. Besides, where else would you see a scene like this?”

The audience’s reaction wasn’t much different.

They cheered for Scott at the plate and Oh Seok-hoon on the mound with enthusiastic shouts.

-Scott! Scott! Scott!

-Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!

And now Oh Seok-hoon on the mound and Han Gyo-jin began exchanging signs.

“Oh Seok-hoon doesn’t look awkward giving signs on the mound?”

“You might be surprised. It’s not just his posture that doesn’t look awkward.”

Having seen Oh Seok-hoon’s pitching skills during Park Sung-joo’s home run derby practice, I couldn’t help but smile.

As Oh Seok-hoon finished exchanging signs and took a deep breath to throw the ball, Scott at the plate was looking at Han Gyo-jin and saying something.

Even though Han Gyo-jin was shaking his head, Scott kept talking.

“Hahaha. It looks like Scott is asking Han Gyo-jin to tell him what kind of pitch he’s going to throw?”

“Since the two players are close, he might tell him.”

Seeing this, Oh Seok-hoon came down from the mound and protested to Scott with both hands raised.

Only then did Scott nod and prepare to bat.

After a while, Oh Seok-hoon, having taken a deep breath, began to pitch.

-Whump!

-Strike!

-Woooow!

The moment Oh Seok-hoon’s ball hit the catcher’s mitt, cheers erupted from the stands.

“Wow, what’s going on right now? Is that really Oh Seok-hoon’s pitch?”

“I told you you’d be surprised, didn’t I?”

The corners of my mouth turned up involuntarily.

“Besides, the speed is at 140 km/h. Shouldn’t we consider him a pitcher at this point?”

The next ball also boldly went into the strike zone.

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

Even though Scott swung boldly, it was difficult to hit.

And now the third ball.

Oh Seok-hoon confidently began his windup.

Scott’s bat swung again this time.

-Whoosh-

-Strike out!

But the ball was in Han Gyo-jin’s mitt.

The moment the umpire’s call rang out, the stadium heated up once again.

-Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!

Oh Seok-hoon raised his right hand high, further encouraging the enthusiastic cheers.

“Oh Seok-hoon cleanly strikes out Scott with three pitches, paying him back!”

“It was an inning with a lot to see from the start.”

As the inning ended, the players switched positions.

And this time, the pitcher going to the mound was Go Ji-hoon.

“Now it’s time to meet another ace pitcher.”

“He showed really impressive performance this season along with Scott.”

“CEO Kang, Go Ji-hoon was already a good player, but what’s the reason he was able to perform so overwhelmingly this season?”

“He was already the best player, so there wasn’t anything I could do for him. Instead, I reduced his training volume a bit. He was using too much energy because of training.”

“It’s surprising that you reduced it. Usually, people think you have to train a lot.”

“He was basically a player who trained a lot, so that was the advice I could give him.”

While the announcer and I were talking, Go Ji-hoon walked onto the field.

Then, not only the Buffaloes fans but also the fans of other teams shouted his name in unison.

-Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon! Go Ji-hoon!

The first player to approach with a bat had the name Kim Min-hwan on his back.

“Now Go Ji-hoon’s pitching will begin. Kim Min-hwan is not a familiar player, so please introduce him.”

“Kim Min-hwan is currently working at YJ Agency. He dreamed of being a baseball player when he was young. He was recognized as a powerful cleanup hitter [a batter known for hitting with runners on base].”

“Then why didn’t he become a baseball player?”

“At that time, he had financial difficulties, so it was difficult for him to continue playing baseball.”

“So that’s the story. Then today must be the moment he fulfills his dream?”

“Besides, his son is here at the stadium watching him, so I think we can look forward to a great match.”

Go Ji-hoon and Kim Min-hwan, standing on the mound and at the plate, faced each other and greeted each other with a smile.

And as if nothing had happened, their expressions changed to serious ones, no different from an actual game.

After a while, Go Ji-hoon started his windup as usual.

As the ball left Go Ji-hoon’s hand, Kim Min-hwan swung his bat aggressively from the first pitch.

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

But it was impossible to hit the ball that was moving so unpredictably.

“Oh, Go Ji-hoon is being too harsh, isn’t he? Kim Min-hwan isn’t even a professional player, but he pitched like it was a real game.”

“Kim Min-hwan asked me before the game to pitch to him as if it were a professional game.”

“Really? It’s difficult for even professional players to get a hit against Go Ji-hoon, so can an ordinary person compete?”

“Perhaps today is Kim Min-hwan’s last at-bat, so he wants to compete without regrets.”

The next ball was also a fastball.

Kim Min-hwan swung his bat without hesitation this time as well.

-Whoosh-

-Strike!

Kim Min-hwan swung his bat with so much force that he lost his balance and almost fell.

“Even though he’s throwing fastballs, it doesn’t seem easy. Professional players are professional players after all.”

“I hope Kim Min-hwan can finish his at-bat without regrets, even if he doesn’t get a hit.”

Before I knew it, I couldn’t help but cheer for Kim Min-hwan.

The match continued immediately.

0 balls, 2 strikes.

The ball that left Go Ji-hoon’s hand was heading towards the center of the strike zone, unlike usual, but the unpredictable movement remained the same.

This time as well, Kim Min-hwan confidently swung his bat.

-Tick!

-Oooooh!

Cheers erupted from the stands as he made contact with the ball.

“Ooooh! Kim Min-hwan succeeded in making contact with the ball this time! It wasn’t a hit, but it’s really amazing that he cut a professional player’s ball.”

“Besides, it’s even more surprising that he made that kind of contact against Go Ji-hoon with two strikes.”

“What does it feel like to hit a professional player’s ball directly?”

“Perhaps it will be an unforgettable moment for Kim Min-hwan for the rest of his life.”

I could feel both regret and exhilaration in Kim Min-hwan’s expression.

Go Ji-hoon’s face also had a faint smile as he received the ball back.

And then the fourth pitch followed.

This time as well, Kim Min-hwan swung his bat without the slightest hesitation.

But the bat swung through the air.

-Whoosh-

-Strike out!

Kim Min-hwan’s expression after the swing showed both regret and relief at the same time.

“Kim Min-hwan showed a really confident and wonderful swing against Go Ji-hoon.”

“Whether he got a hit or not wasn’t important in this match. Kim Min-hwan will probably be satisfied enough just by the fact that he competed without regrets.”

Go Ji-hoon, having received the ball back from the catcher, hurriedly came down from the mound and approached Kim Min-hwan.

And he handed Kim Min-hwan the ball he was holding.

Kim Min-hwan responded by giving Go Ji-hoon a thumbs up.

-Kim Min-hwan! Kim Min-hwan! Kim Min-hwan!

Cheers erupted from the stands towards Kim Min-hwan, who was returning to the dugout.

Surprised by the unexpected cheers, Kim Min-hwan took off his helmet and bowed to the audience.

And he waved the ball he was holding towards the seats where his son was watching.

Before I knew it, Kim Min-hwan’s eyes were moist.

Soon after, Seo Sung-min stepped up to the plate, and the game continued.