Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 41

41. What’s Best for the Player (8)

I drove for five hours to the location where Na Junho might be.

While I was traveling, Im Yejji and Kim Minhwan were also making inquiries with the club and surrounding players.

However, they couldn’t find anyone who knew for sure where Na Junho was.

Even after arriving near the Dragons’ stadium, I was at a loss as to where to go.

Where could Senior Na Junho be right now?

He probably wanted to clear his complicated head, so he was likely alone.

Wouldn’t he have gone to a place he often visits when he’s alone?

If that’s the case…

There was one place that came to mind.

I remembered seeing in an interview with a baseball magazine that he goes to see the sea whenever he wants to clear his head.

It wouldn’t hurt to try, so let’s go there first.

* * *

Boo-ooo-oong-

The sound of a ship’s horn echoed.

This was a port not far from the Dragons’ home stadium.

I hurriedly got out of the car and searched for Na Junho.

Fortunately, the area where someone could sit in this port wasn’t very large.

Before long, I found someone sitting.

Just by looking at his back, I could tell it was Na Junho.

I quietly approached where Na Junho was sitting.

I thought he might be having a beer, but all he had was a bottle of water.

Seeing him taking care of his body even in this situation, it was clear he wasn’t an ordinary person.

I massaged Na Junho’s shoulder and greeted him.

“Senior, you were here?”

“Oh? How did you know to come here?”

Na Junho looked at me, his eyes widening.

“I thought you might be here, Senior, and I was right.”

I naturally sat down next to Na Junho.

“I often come here whenever I want to clear my head. There aren’t many people passing by, so it’s quiet, and you can see the sea.”

-My heart aches to see my son sad about the possibility of leaving the Dragons.

-I’m about to make a decision soon.

It was clear that he was having a hard time deciding on various things.

“I was worried if something happened since I couldn’t reach you yesterday.”

“Ah… I just wanted to think alone for a while.”

As Na Junho said, it seemed like an appropriate place to clear his head.

Sitting and looking at the sea, I also felt refreshed.

“I thought I’d be happy when I became a free agent, but it’s not necessarily the case.”

“Are you feeling conflicted?”

“Yes, and honestly, it’s not a pleasant experience to receive a cold report card on what level of player I am.”

He must have been disappointed since the offer from the Major League wasn’t satisfactory.

“What do your family say?”

“My wife tells me to decide as I please, and my daughter is still young, so she’s okay, but my son is the problem. When I told him that if I transfer to the Buffaloes, we might have to leave here, he cried all day, and he hasn’t even tried to talk to me since then.”

“He must really like it here.”

“I guess he really loves this place since he was born here. I didn’t know he liked it that much until now.”

Changing the team you support is like changing your nationality.

“Have you sorted out your thoughts a bit?”

“Well… I think it’s right to just accept it now. Life doesn’t always go as planned.”

After hearing his words, I carefully opened my mouth.

“Then how about the Jaguars?”

“The Jaguars? Did they also make an offer?”

Na Junho turned to me and asked.

“There hasn’t been a concrete offer yet, but it seems like a possibility.”

“Hmm… the Jaguars?”

Na Junho pondered for a moment.

“If the conditions aren’t significantly different from the Buffaloes, then the Jaguars might be a better option. It’s where my parents live.”

The fact that he was thinking about the Jaguars a bit more positively was a big gain.

“But the free agent [transfer] market isn’t over yet. I’ll try to find a way as much as possible.”

“It seems almost decided at this point. Is there a high chance that things will change here?”

“I still have to make it the way you want it to be, Senior. That’s my job.”

“I appreciate you even saying that.”

Na Junho raised his hand and patted my shoulder.

“A professional player transferring teams can happen at any time, so I have to accept it. It might even bring better results.”

Na Junho spoke as if he had reached enlightenment.

“It’s getting late, are you going to have dinner with me? I’ll treat you since you came all the way here.”

“Is your schedule okay?”

“The season is over, what could I be busy with?”

“I’d be grateful.”

“Let’s go quickly. I’ll take you to an amazing place.”

I left the port with Na Junho and moved to a restaurant.

And a little later, I was treated to a lavish meal that made my jaw drop, and we shared various stories.

For the first time, I was able to meet Na Junho, the father with a son and daughter, not the baseball player Na Junho.

* * *

I returned to the office and conveyed the details to Im Yejji.

I made up an excuse that my smartphone was broken and it was difficult to contact me, and that there were no particular problems.

I didn’t think it was necessary to tell her the stories I had shared with Na Junho.

Im Yejji just listened quietly and nodded, without delving deeply.

Wee-ing-

Im Yejji picked up her smartphone and smiled just by looking at the screen.

“Yes, Director.”

I couldn’t hear the content of the call, but I could guess who it was from the smile on Im Yejji’s face.

“Then let’s meet today. There’s no need for you to come all the way here, Director. We’ll visit you this time.”

Im Yejji finished the call with a bright smile until the end.

Then she jumped up from her seat.

“Hyunwoo, let’s leave right now.”

“Is it the Jaguars?”

Im Yejji raised the corners of her mouth and nodded.

It’s finally here.

“I’ll prepare the company car.”

“No. We’re going by train.”

Why suddenly the train?

It was definitely good news that I didn’t have to do long-distance driving.

It was also true that going by car was more convenient in many ways.

I wanted to ask the reason, but looking at Im Yejji busily packing her things, it didn’t seem like a situation where I could leisurely ask such a question.

I quickly packed the necessary things.

It was a non-stop business trip.

* * *

During the Stove League [off-season] period, the agent’s every move became important information among fans.

It was also thrown as bait to infer which team they were negotiating with.

Moreover, since both Im Yejji and I were known faces, the impact was even stronger.

└I just saw Kang Hyunwoo and Im Yejji going to take the train. It seems like they’re going to negotiate with the Jaguars or Hawks.

└Looking at the way the Hawks’ director is working these days, there’s no way that idea came out of that XX’s head.

└Suddenly out of the blue, the Jaguars? They’re already saturated with outfield resources.

└Are they signing Na Junho because he’s from his hometown team? The picture isn’t bad.

└They’d have to spend at least 10 billion won [approximately $7.5 million USD], would they spend that money just because it’s his hometown team? If they have that money, they should use it to reinforce other positions.

└If you can sign a player of Na Junho’s caliber, you should bring him in no matter what and send other players out.

└But is there any way the Dragons would let him go? YJ seems to be spreading rumors to raise his price.

└Well, if the Dragons lose a franchise player like Na Junho, they won’t be able to handle the aftermath.

Thanks to the people who spotted us taking the train, there were already stories circulating in the community connecting Na Junho and the Jaguars.

If the news that Lee Sanghoon was transferring from the Jaguars was also announced here, it was clear that a huge whirlwind would occur.

It only took 2 hours for the train that took us to arrive.

While checking the fans’ reactions and thinking about what kind of stories to exchange with the Jaguars’ director, I arrived before I knew it.

I got off the train and moved to take a taxi.

In the meantime, some people seemed to recognize us around us.

“Representative, it seems like people are already recognizing us?”

“Just act natural as usual.”

Now I could even hear the sound of taking pictures.

The fact that Im Yejji and I appeared together in a specific city at this time was practically revealing that we came to negotiate.

I walked out as naturally as possible, as if nothing was happening.

“Excuse me, are you Kang Hyunwoo?”

Eventually, a fan who recognized me approached.

“Ah, well… that’s right.”

“I’m a real fan. Can I take a picture with you?”

I’m grateful, but I don’t think I should take a picture in this situation.

“I’m sorry. Today…”

“Go take it. There’s plenty of time.”

Oh, are you really telling me to take it?

I thought you’d stop me from taking it, but it was completely the opposite.

With no reason to refuse, I smiled and took a picture with the approaching fan.

Seeing me taking pictures, another fan next to me approached.

I spent a few minutes taking pictures with the fans who recognized me.

After finishing the small-scale fan meeting, Im Yejji and I got into a taxi.

Of course, the destination was the Jaguars’ stadium.

“Is it okay to just openly announce that we’ve come to negotiate like this?”

“It’s better to proceed quickly if possible.”

I wonder if that means they’re going to create competition between the clubs.

The taxi we were in arrived at the Jaguars’ home stadium before long.

This was a place I knew better than anyone else.

I had no difficulty finding the director’s office without being guided by anyone.

Knock. Knock.

The door opened as soon as I knocked.

“Welcome. Representative Im. Hyunwoo came too?”

Director Jo Gwanghoon of the Jaguars greeted us with a beaming smile.

But along with the smile on his face, I felt a sense of anxiety as if he was being chased by something.

As someone who already knew the reason, his smile even looked pathetic to me.