Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 5

The Start of My Second Life (2)

“My ball!”

“Nice! Nice catch!”

The baseball field at my alma mater, which I visited after a long time, hadn’t changed much.

I sat alone in the empty stands, watching my juniors play.

Compared to the players in the professional league, their shortcomings were quite noticeable.

But they all seemed happy, focused on training while covered in dirt.

Indeed, even when I was a college student, I felt a lot of pressure to get drafted into the pros, but I was still happy just to be playing baseball.

The sense of accomplishment from growing every day with colleagues who shared the same goal under a great mentor was a happiness that couldn’t be exchanged for anything.

Moreover, having been drafted into the pros before graduating from college, I had nothing more to fear or worry about.

Even though I wasn’t the focus of fans’ attention because of my low draft pick, I felt like I had gained everything in the world.

But only a few years had passed, and that happiness had turned into fear.

That was why a bitter smile kept appearing on my face as I watched my juniors enjoying this moment.

“Can you be here at this hour?”

“Coach Yoo!”

Coach Yoo Seong-hwan approached me.

“Having played in the pros, you can immediately see what they lack when you watch the kids train, right?”

“I think they’re much better than I am now.”

Yoo Seong-hwan patted my shoulder a few times at my words and gave a faint smile.

“How have you been lately? Is your body okay?”

“Well, so-so.”

“Life doesn’t always go as planned, does it?”

“Yes. Actually… I received a retirement offer from the team. They said they’d create a position for me as a scouting analyst.”

Yoo Seong-hwan paused at my calm reply.

“Hmm. I see… What do you think?”

“It would be a lie if I said I had no regrets about my playing career. I’m confident I can work harder than anyone else… But I’m not sure I can win in the competition. I’m still scared to step up to the plate.”

“Is that so? Do you remember when you were a freshman in college? When you first entered.”

I tilted my head at the coach’s sudden question.

“Was it about three days after training started? I became convinced that you were a player with tremendous strengths. Your outfield defense alone had the talent to be top-class in the country. You looked like you could be taken to the professional stage right away without any shortcomings.”

I nodded, recalling that time.

“Instead, it didn’t seem easy to become the best in hitting. There were more than one or two things to fix, and your ability to pick out balls wasn’t particularly outstanding either. As a mentor who saw that, there was only one thing I could say.”

“If you want to get drafted into the pros, focus more on defensive training.”

The strategy was that if you became the best in the country, even if only in defense, you could become a professional player.

The advice the coach gave me at that time was a shocking reversal of thinking.

Thanks to that, it remained in my memory even after several years.

“That’s right. I think it’s the same now. If it’s difficult to gain competitiveness even if you work hard to make up for your shortcomings, wouldn’t it be better to focus on what you can do well right now?”

I nodded because I thought the same way, but the darkness in my expression didn’t disappear.

“But is there anything I can say I’m better at than others?”

“Enough. You have the ability to analyze baseball accurately better than anyone else.”

Indeed, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opposing pitchers and what kind of game they would play was too easy and fun for me.

However, the problem was that I couldn’t directly show what I had analyzed in my head in actual games.

Because the position where I could best demonstrate my baseball analysis ability was as a catcher, I had tried playing as a catcher in a few games.

But I received failing grades in catching, controlling runners, and framing, so I couldn’t even do that.

“Among the players training over there, there are many friends who have talent even though they haven’t been drafted into the pros. However, they haven’t been able to blossom yet because they don’t even know what part they have talent in. Just like you used to be.”

Like I used to be…?

If I hadn’t met a benefactor like Coach Yoo Seong-hwan, who accurately pointed out what part I had talent in and how I should train, what would have happened?

What is certain is that I wouldn’t have become even this much.

And the players who didn’t meet such a mentor simply because they were unlucky would have disappeared sadly without even being able to show their talents on the stage of their dreams…

Can I really help those players?

* * *

“Thank you, Senior.”

Kim Jae-hyung bowed deeply to me.

He was a junior whose performance had improved rapidly after listening to the advice I had given him a while ago.

And after being called up to the first team, he was quickly eyeing a starting position.

Today, the first team didn’t have a game, so he came all the way to the distant second team stadium, saying he wanted to meet me in person and say hello.

In my hand was a box of red ginseng that I had received from him.

“What did I do? It’s all because you worked hard and did well.”

“No. Honestly, one piece of advice from you was much better than the coach’s. And I heard the advice to stand half a step back when hitting for the first time from you.”

Kim Jae-hyung carefully whispered in my ear, worried that people around him might hear.

“Really? Just by changing that one thing? Didn’t anything else get better?”

“I’m serious. Just by slightly moving my hitting position, the timing of hitting the ball got much better.”

Looking at Kim Jae-hyung’s serious expression, it didn’t seem like he was just saying it.

“When I only heard vague advice like ‘Watch the ball for a long time’ or ‘Don’t rush the game,’ I didn’t get any sense of it at all, but when I followed the advice you gave me, it was immediately resolved.”

“I’m glad I was helpful.”

All I did was recite what I saw above his head.

Anyway, I felt good that I was helpful to my junior.

But at the same time, I sighed, wondering why I couldn’t see these things above my own head.

“But, Senior. To be sure, the first team pitchers are like that, but the defense is no joke. There are many times when it seems like it will be a hit, but it gets caught by the defense… So, what should I do in my current situation?”

He wants to do even better than now?

Is it difficult to be satisfied with the situation of threatening the first team starter?

Indeed, human greed is definitely endless.

Anyway, how would I know?

My experience on the first team stage is just one at-bat in one game.

I was just about to pat him on the shoulder and send him away, but looking at Kim Jae-hyung’s expression, it seemed like he was desperately expecting a word from me.

Ha… What should I say now?

It was then.

-Increasing the launch angle of the batted ball can increase the probability of a long hit.

The content that was visible above Kim Jae-hyung’s head changed.

I guess it gets updated too…

Anyway, it was a valid point.

Looking at Kim Jae-hyung’s games these days, his timing wasn’t bad, but on days when he met teams with strong infield defense, he was often blocked by the opponent and got out.

Since a batted ball that could be a hit in the second team becomes an out in the first team, it was only natural that his batting average would drop.

So, the advice to increase the launch angle of the batted ball to break through the infield might be necessary for him.

“Increase the launch angle a little.”

“Launch angle?”

“Yeah. To break through the infield defense, it will help to increase the swing angle a little more than now.”

“Ah! Thank you, Senior.”

Kim Jae-hyung greeted me several times and left.

I almost laughed, wondering who is worrying about whom right now.

But seeing my junior’s light steps after his worries were resolved, I also felt proud.

I changed into my spikes and headed to the ground to warm up.

I had hoped against hope, but as expected, my name was not on the starting lineup today either.

I was becoming a player who was only listed on the team roster but couldn’t be seen playing on the field.

The time to make a decision was approaching.

* * *

Glug, glug-

The coffee was already running low.

I pressed the screen of my smartphone to check the time, and there were less than 30 minutes left before I had to leave.

I leaned back in my chair to clear my head for a moment and looked out the window.

Outside the window, I could see office workers busily going to work.

In their eyes, I might look like a leisurely person enjoying a cup of coffee at a cafe early in the morning, but that was not the case at all.

Right now, I was facing an important choice that could completely change my life.

I decided to retire, judging that it was difficult to continue my career as a player any longer.

And I also decided to reject the scouting analyst position recommended by the Jaguars.

It was a pretty cool thing to become a scouting analyst and help the team win the championship with accurate analysis of the opposing team’s strengths.

But seeing my juniors unleash their potential after listening to my advice, I wanted to take on a new challenge.

Like I used to be, I wanted to become someone who helps players who are struggling because they don’t know what their strengths are, so that they can unleash their potential.

Today was the day to take the first step.

The place I was going to interview today was YJ Sports Agency, which is considered the best in the country.

It was the best agency in Korea, with many star players in baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and e-sports.

At first, I thought about starting my own agency and trying to make it on my own, but I decided that it was still too early.

However, there were many fields I didn’t know because I had only lived while exercising all my life, and I didn’t have a good sense of where to start or how to start an agency.

So, I thought that learning about the field and gaining experience was a priority.

YJ Sports Agency seemed like the best company for me to have my abilities recognized and grow into the best agent, as I still lacked connections and experience.

Of course, Coach Yoo Seong-hwan was the one who recommended this company to me, so I was even more convinced.

Ring ring-

The smartphone on the table told me that it was time to move.

I drank the remaining coffee in one gulp and got up from my seat.

Whoa-

It was the moment my second life began.