Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 299

Another Dream (5)

The pitcher coming out of the bullpen this time was Jung In-gyu.

“The pitcher we’re meeting this time is Jung In-gyu. He’s also an unfamiliar player. Could you introduce him?”

“Jung In-gyu is currently a coach who guides players at our agency.”

“Oh, so the Dream Agency players are performing well thanks to him.”

“He’s especially strict with managing the pitchers. Maybe that’s why the pitchers are showing a lot of interest ahead of Coach Jung In-gyu’s appearance today.”

“I wonder if the Dream Agency players are watching to see if our coach can pitch well himself?”

“I think so. It’s his first time on a stage like this, so he’s already nervous, and that’s probably adding to the pressure.”

You could easily tell that Jung In-gyu was nervous just by looking at his face.

“Jung In-gyu looks really nervous.”

“It’s his first time throwing a ball in front of so many spectators. He’s been very nervous since this morning.”

“Let’s watch together to see what kind of pitching Dream Agency’s coach will show us.”

The batter, who was Jung In-gyu’s student, took off his helmet and bowed to Jung In-gyu.

But it wasn’t a situation where Jung In-gyu could leisurely accept the greeting.

Jung In-gyu, who was struggling to catch his breath, was finally about to throw a ball when,

Before the ball left Jung In-gyu’s hand, the umpire stopped the game and approached him.

Jung In-gyu’s face showed even more embarrassment at the unexpected situation.

“Jung In-gyu is very nervous right now. He threw the ball without stepping on the pitching plate. I’ve been broadcasting baseball for over 10 years, and I think this is the first time I’ve seen this happen.”

“I expected him to be nervous, but I didn’t know he’d be this nervous.”

I found it hard to hold back my laughter.

The players on the field, as well as the players watching from the dugout, couldn’t help but laugh.

Meanwhile, Jung In-gyu’s face began to turn red as if it would explode at any moment.

“Can Jung In-gyu throw the ball in this state?”

“He really wanted to stand on the mound wearing a uniform with his name on it. He needs to relax a bit so he can throw without regrets.”

Feeling sorry for the nervous Jung In-gyu, So Young-joon, Park Sung-joo, and Seo Sung-min, who were playing defense, approached the mound.

So Young-joon patted Jung In-gyu on the shoulder and tried to ease his tension by talking to him.

Thanks to the jokes the three players told, Jung In-gyu’s expression seemed to have relaxed a bit.

And then Jung In-gyu’s pitching started again.

-Thud!

-Ball!

-Thud!

-Ball!

But every ball he threw was missing the strike zone.

“Isn’t it difficult for a non-professional player to throw a strike from the first pitch?”

“It’s not easy. But right now, it’s not important for Jung In-gyu to throw well. He just needs to throw with the thought of throwing a strike.”

Whether he heard my words or not, this time the ball headed towards the center of the strike zone.

-Thud!

-Strike!

“Finally, the first strike is in.”

“Well done. Just keep doing that.”

Having thrown a strike, he seemed a little more relaxed, and he started his windup a little more calmly than before.

As the fourth ball headed towards the strike zone, the batter’s bat began to swing.

-Tick!

The mis-hit ball flew towards second baseman Seo Sung-min.

Seo Sung-min easily caught the ball and connected it to an out count.

“Jung In-gyu finishes the inning by getting an out count with a ground ball.”

“It was the first day he threw a ball wearing a uniform with his name on it. I hope it remains an unforgettable memory for Jung In-gyu.”

The corners of Jung In-gyu’s mouth finally turned up as he headed back to the dugout.

Now, the last inning of today’s game was ahead.

“Representative Kang Hyun-woo is away for a moment. Instead, we have someone who will be with us. Please greet the viewers.”

“Hello, this is Choi Woo-jin, who will soon be wearing the Jaguars uniform.”

“Welcome. From now on, we will be with the player who will become the best pitcher in Korea.”

“I will do my best.”

Choi Woo-jin gave an embarrassed smile.

“You’ll be a real professional player in a few days. Have you prepared a lot?”

“I asked the agency seniors a lot of questions every time I met them. Maybe that’s why I feel like I’m already on a professional team.”

“Do the Jaguars seniors help you a lot?”

“Of course. Seo Sung-min and Han Kyo-jin are really good to me. It’s a shame that Watson and Scott aren’t there, but I’ll have to go and do my best.”

“I’m already looking forward to it. I hope Choi Woo-jin will show a great performance in the Jaguars in the future.”

In the meantime, preparations for the game to continue were completed again at the stadium.

“Well, while we were talking, the last inning is about to begin. Now, Korea’s closer, Choi Jung-hwan, has come to the mound.”

“He’s a senior I’m really envious of these days.”

Choi Woo-jin said with his hands together.

“What is it about Choi Jung-hwan that Choi Woo-jin is most envious of?”

“His fastball is so powerful. Jung-hwan seems to throw it comfortably, but it easily exceeds 150km/h [kilometers per hour]. I’m not a fast pitcher, so I’m going to ask him how to throw that kind of ball when I go to the agency’s training camp this time.”

“If Choi Woo-jin could throw a ball over 150km/h, he would be an even more amazing player than he is now, wouldn’t he?”

“I wish I could.”

Choi Woo-jin nodded with an expectant look.

“And above all, meeting Choi Jung-hwan means that today’s game is coming to an end.”

“It’s really fun, but I’m really sad.”

“But there’s one last event left. Thank you for being with us until the end.”

In the meantime, Choi Jung-hwan, who had finished his preparations, began pitching.

-Thud!

-Wow!

-Thud!

-Wow!

The spectators exclaimed at Choi Jung-hwan’s refreshing fastball.

“I always feel this way, but Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball is really good to see.”

“Seeing it in person like this makes me want to throw that kind of ball quickly.”

In the subsequent match with the batter, Choi Jung-hwan showed the power of his overwhelming fastball without holding back.

Two out counts were recorded.

“Now, we’re facing the last out count of today’s game.”

“Is that person really coming out?”

“Yes, that’s right. Who will be the person who will appear soon? Let’s watch together.”

After a while, the stadium announcer’s voice flowed out.

-Player substitution. Center fielder Kang Hyun-woo!

-Waaaaaaaaah!

-Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo!

The stadium became the hottest it had been all day with the stadium announcer’s one word.

I gripped the bat and slowly moved towards the batter’s box.

It didn’t feel real, as if I was dreaming, that I was taking one step at a time.

-It’s finally time to meet this player. It’s Dream Agency’s CEO, Kang Hyun-woo.

-It’s my first time seeing the CEO wearing a uniform and standing in the batter’s box like this. It’s really cool.

-It really feels like we’ve gone back to that day.

While I was walking to the batter’s box, the fans in the stands sent enthusiastic cheers.

-Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo!

As soon as I stood in the batter’s box, I took off my helmet and bowed to the fans.

The fans’ cheers continued without stopping.

-Everyone here probably knows about the relationship between CEO Kang Hyun-woo and player Choi Jung-hwan. Choi Jung-hwan was the first and last player Kang Hyun-woo faced in the first team.

-I was watching the game back then. It was really scary.

-Come to think of it, there was a story that Choi Woo-jin met Kang Hyun-woo at the hospital and got his autograph.

-Yes, that’s right. We even played catch together. After meeting a real baseball player and playing catch, I really wanted to become a baseball player. So I begged my parents to let me.”

-Then can we say that CEO Kang Hyun-woo played an important role in making Choi Woo-jin who he is today?

-Of course. If I hadn’t met the CEO, I wouldn’t have made the decision to become a real baseball player.

-At the time, neither of them could have imagined that they would be connected by such a relationship, right?

“Hoo-”

I took a deep breath and stood in the batter’s box, gripping the bat.

The dirt of the batter’s box, the texture of the bat, and even the atmosphere of the stadium.

These were things I thought I would never feel again after that day.

So I didn’t want to forget anything I was feeling right now.

I waited for the ball to fly in a moment and took a batting stance.

But Choi Jung-hwan suddenly sent a sign to the umpire and put down his glove.

Then he loosened his shoelaces and slowly started tying them again.

-Waaaaaaaaah-

-Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo!

As the game was temporarily stopped, even louder cheers erupted from the stands.

-I’ve seen this scene somewhere!

-Wow, it’s romantic.

Thanks to this, I was able to take the time to take off my helmet and greet the fans once again.

The cheers from the fans felt so hot that my heart was pounding.

It took Choi Jung-hwan quite a while to tie his shoelaces.

During that time, the players in the stadium and dugout applauded me without stopping.

I bowed to them as well.

After I finished greeting everyone, Choi Jung-hwan, who had re-tied his shoelaces, began preparing to throw the ball.

Now it was really time to hit.

“Hoo-”

I took a deep breath and stood gripping the bat.

Choi Jung-hwan checked the sign with the catcher and nodded.

Then he suddenly took the ball out of his glove.

Choi Jung-hwan held up the ball and showed it to me with a smile on his face.

-It looks like Choi Jung-hwan is showing Kang Hyun-woo the grip he has on the ball right now?

-I think it means he’s going to throw a fastball.

-Will CEO Kang Hyun-woo be able to hit Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball cleanly?

I also smiled faintly at Choi Jung-hwan.

Now Choi Jung-hwan was really starting to prepare to throw the ball.

Me wearing a uniform, the cheers erupting from the packed stands, and Choi Jung-hwan standing on the mound.

This moment was not much different from that day, my first and last at-bat in the first team.

“Hoo- Hoo-”

I could hear the sound of my heart beating in my ears.

There was one difference from my debut game.

Unlike then, when he was a pitcher with poor control, Choi Jung-hwan was now the best pitcher in Korea.

That meant there was virtually a 0% chance that the ball he threw would fly towards my head.

Now Choi Jung-hwan’s windup began.

I lifted my left leg slightly to gather strength.

The ball that left Choi Jung-hwan’s hand was flying towards the center of the strike zone at a rapid speed.

This was definitely a strike.

I swung the bat without the slightest hesitation.

Thwaaaaaack!

‘This is it!’

The feeling I felt in my hand at the moment of impact was pure exhilaration.

It was a pleasure I had never felt since I started playing baseball.

-The ball is flying far! It’s stretching out towards the farthest course of the stadium!

-Waaaaah! I think it’s going to go over!

Everyone in the stadium, including me, was watching the flying ball.

The ball flew towards the fence at a rapid speed.

And eventually, the ball easily went over the center fence.

-Hooooome run! Kang Hyun-woo hits a home run against Choi Jung-hwan’s fastball!

-Wow! That’s amazing!

-Kang Hyun-woo hits a huge home run against Choi Jung-hwan! I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

I couldn’t move my feet even as the second base umpire gestured with his fingers.

It was hard to believe that I had really hit a home run.

Then Han Kyo-jin pointed to the base and approached me.

“Senior, everyone’s waiting for you over there.”

Only then did I come to my senses and nod to Han Kyo-jin, and I slowly started walking towards first base.

-Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo!

Even though the fans were cheering so loudly that it was deafening, I couldn’t hear them well.

When I arrived at first base, I was able to meet Seo Sung-min.

“Congratulations, CEO.”

“Thank you, senior.”

I high-fived Seo Sung-min and moved towards second base.

At second base, I was able to meet not only So Young-joon, but also Watson, Na Joon-ho, and Oh Seok-hoon, who had run from the outfield.

“Our CEO is really amazing. He just hits it over.”

“Wow, fantastic home run!”

“CEO, it looks like you can play as a player again?”

“Senior, I’ll bring the ball later.”

I stepped on second base while receiving congratulations from the four players.

And now I headed to third base.

The player waiting at third base was Park Sung-joo.

“Senior, you were this strong? It flew the farthest.”

“I was lucky. It was a fluke.”

Now I passed third base and headed to home base.

Choi Jung-hwan, who had come down from the mound with Han Kyo-jin, was waiting at home base.

I high-fived Han Kyo-jin and raised my hand to do a ceremony with Choi Jung-hwan,

Choi Jung-hwan opened his arms and hugged me tightly.

“Senior, I’m sorry and thank you.”

With his one word, the events that had passed until now flashed through my head like a panorama.

It was hard to suppress the emotions that were welling up at that moment.

I patted Choi Jung-hwan on the back and stayed with him for a while.

And after a long time, I finally opened my mouth with difficulty.

“Jung-hwan, thank you so much.”

-Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo! Kang Hyun-woo!

-Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan! Choi Jung-hwan!

Now I could hear the cheers of the crowd properly.

It must have been a short time, but it felt longer to me than ever before.

The Dream Agency charity event was successfully completed in that way.