Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 53

Small Butterfly Effect (5)

Regardless of resolving the misunderstanding with Coach Kim Yong-min,

a heated debate about the Buffaloes club was still raging online.

This incident became a hot topic for baseball fans who were bored due to the lack of baseball news.

Soon after, Choi Min-sung, the Buffaloes general manager, punctuated the issue with a decisive and bold decision.

└Nice! He finally got fired!

└I heard Lee Jin-won is a real old-school guy.

└The fact that there isn’t a single player hanging around the manager already tells you everything.

└Isn’t it better to have an old-school guy who gets good results?

└Isn’t it weirder that the results aren’t good when the Buffaloes are the only team in the Futures League [Korea’s minor league] playing like it’s the Korean Series [championship series]?

└I sincerely pray for the end of the youth development dark age.

└I wonder who the next manager will be.

└Let’s go back to the days when we watched baseball for the fun of seeing new players, please.

Not only was Lee Jin-won, who was called the head of the Lee Jin-won faction, dismissed, but all the coaches had to pack their bags as well.

There were rumors that some Buffaloes players were as happy as if they had won the lottery.

And soon after, the Buffaloes disciplinary committee was held, and Park Sung-joo and I attended in person.

Perhaps our explanation was understood, as it ended with a stern warning.

Park Sung-joo, Im Ye-ji, Kim Min-hwan, and I gathered in the conference room again.

Compared to when the incident first broke out and he looked like he was about to cry, Park Sung-joo’s expression now seemed much more relaxed.

Im Ye-ji clapped her hands once and began to speak.

“First of all, I’m glad that this incident was resolved well at this level.”

I gently patted Park Sung-joo’s shoulder.

The moment a faint smile was about to appear on Park Sung-joo’s face.

“That doesn’t mean that the work we have to do is over yet, right?”

The smile on Park Sung-joo’s face disappeared at Im Ye-ji’s words.

“Yes… that’s right.”

Im Ye-ji turned her head and made eye contact with Park Sung-joo.

“Park Sung-joo, from now on, make sure to get confirmation before posting anything on social media.”

“Yes… I understand.”

“Usually, get direct management from Hyun-woo, and if Hyun-woo is busy, get confirmation from our company’s PR team’s social media manager before posting. And…”

Im Ye-ji wiggled her fingers for a moment.

“Live broadcasts are prohibited for the time being.”

“Ah…”

Disappointment was written all over Park Sung-joo’s face.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t do any social media activities at all. Communicating with fans is a necessary activity. However, for the time being, even the smallest words can be given meaning, so I think it’s necessary to be careful and take some time.”

“Yes…”

Park Sung-joo answered in a voice so small it seemed like it would disappear.

“And finally, there’s something we need to do right here, right now.”

Im Ye-ji got up and walked to her table.

“Let’s post an apology to the fans on social media. It’s not a situation where we need to ask for forgiveness, but whatever the reason, it was a situation at the center of the controversy.”

“Yes, I understand. Then shall I write the content and show it to you right away?”

“Just a moment. Let’s write it by hand.”

As Park Sung-joo took out his phone from his pocket, Im Ye-ji handed him paper and a pen.

“What, handwritten?”

Park Sung-joo stuttered as if he was flustered.

It felt like writing a letter of apology from childhood, but it was definitely the most sincere way to show his feelings.

Park Sung-joo uploaded the handwritten apology to social media.

The commotion that had occurred in a few days came to an end.

* * *

And a few days later, I sat face to face with Kim Sang-wook of Sky Corporation again.

This time, we met at the same hotel cafe with the same coffee in front of us as last time.

“Mr. Hyun-woo, did you have enough time to think about it?”

“Yes, except for a few remaining concerns.”

“Can I hear what those concerns are?”

Kim Sang-wook asked, twitching his eyebrows.

“I have players I’m working with. I keep feeling bad about leaving those players behind.”

“The players you’re working with, are you perhaps referring to?”

“Buffaloes’ Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-joo.”

The biggest reason I wanted to take them with me was that neither player was in a finished state as a player.

They had only just begun to unleash their potential, and they had never experienced playing full-time in the first team.

Until they reached a level where they could understand their own condition and quickly overcome slumps, I wanted to stay by their side and help them with interest.

“Hmm… will the existence of those two players play an important role in Mr. Hyun-woo’s choice?”

Kim Sang-wook’s expression became serious.

“It’s true that it’s not easy to decide. I don’t feel comfortable leaving those two players behind.”

“Then how about this method?”

“…?”

“What if we could bring both Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-joo to Sky Corporation?”

“Is that really possible?”

There was no way YJ Agency would easily give them up.

It was clear that they had signed contracts with the FA [Free Agent] contracts of Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-joo in mind.

But if that really happened…

“Of course, it’s not an easy task, so it’s impossible for me to give you a definite answer right here. But since it’s a part that Mr. Hyun-woo is so worried about, I’ll have to find a way as much as possible. If we can bring in those two players, it would be beneficial to our agency as well, so I think we can consider paying a transfer fee to YJ Agency and bringing them in.”

“If that happens, it would be of great help to me in making a decision.”

“Okay. Then I’ll try to negotiate with YJ Agency as much as possible.”

Kim Sang-wook replied with a bright smile.

“Thank you.”

“And is there anything else you’d like to say?”

“There’s one more important part.”

The most important part of today’s conversation was from now on.

“What is it?”

“You said you could give me the authority to recruit players, right?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Kim Sang-wook took a sip of water and nodded.

“I want to recruit and work with not only star players but also players with a wide range of spectrums, is that okay?”

“What exactly do you mean by a wide range of spectrums?”

Kim Sang-wook’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I want to recruit and support not only players who are aiming to advance to the major leagues, but also players who are desperate for baseball and have dreams.”

“Does that mean… you want to discover players with potential? But not to the extent that they can go to the major leagues?”

Players with potential?

Each of them has at least one strength.

To be honest, there was no guarantee that all of those players would succeed in the professional arena.

The remaining 99%, who do not fall within the top 1%, were much more likely.

“It may be very unlikely that they will.”

Kim Sang-wook, after hearing my answer, tilted his head with a confused expression and organized his thoughts.

“Then, is there any reason for the agency to recruit those players and manage them?”

“It’s to help players who want to fulfill their dreams as baseball players and help them achieve that goal even once.”

“…”

Kim Sang-wook’s expression was the most serious I had ever seen.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to show that a global company is also fulfilling its social responsibilities in the Korean market?”

“If it’s social responsibility, I think it would be enough to conduct talent donations or provide goods during the off-season.”

One-time events were also necessary, but they were not enough to provide them with sufficient help.

“Would it be difficult to proceed while achieving the results of discovering and nurturing players who can advance to the major leagues?”

Kim Sang-wook was lost in thought for a while without saying anything.

The depth of his concern seemed completely different from when he asked me to recruit Oh Seok-hoon and Park Sung-joo earlier.

“The reason we said we would give Mr. Hyun-woo full authority over recruitment was to support him in actively and aggressively discovering and managing players without fear of failure. It’s a little different from saying that you can operate in a way that doesn’t fit the direction the company wants to go.”

I could sense that the words that would follow would not be the answer I had expected.

“It’s true that fulfilling social responsibilities is one of the important things that a company should do, but if it interferes with the essence that the company is pursuing… wouldn’t that be a problem?”

There was only one thing I could say now.

“Then… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to join this time.”

Kim Sang-wook paused for a moment, then quickly regained his composure.

“If you join us, you’ll be able to do more than you can at YJ Agency.”

That was definitely true.

But…

“I didn’t choose this path just because I wanted to become an agent who works with famous players.”

“…?”

“The reason I decided to become an agent was to help players who love baseball but don’t know how to do it, like I used to. I want to help desperate and eager players achieve their goals, even if it’s just a little bit. Even if they can’t be number one, they can be loved by fans and become a hope for someone.”

Kim Sang-wook’s lips slowly turned up as he pondered the meaning of my answer.

“The path you’re about to take seems like it’s going to be really difficult, are you prepared for that?”

“Of course. I won’t waver.”

I answered firmly.

“Regardless of this recruitment, I don’t think I’m wrong about seeing people.”

Kim Sang-wook, who got up from his seat, added a word while extending his hand.

“I’ll be rooting for you too. Good luck.”

I shook hands with Kim Sang-wook with a smile.

* * *

Weeing-

As soon as I checked who was calling, a smile naturally appeared on my face.

It was Jung In-gyu.

-Hey! Why did you suddenly send so much equipment?

He was speaking so loudly that my ears hurt.

“I couldn’t do anything for the graduating juniors, and I couldn’t get it off my mind.”

-This is several boxes of balls.

“Replace everything you’re using now. The balls are all so black that I can’t even see them flying.”

-Are you saying you couldn’t hit because of the balls?

“When I think about it, I guess that’s true.”

-You’re funny. Anyway, thanks. Then you’ll be busy again?

“Yeah. Spring camp is coming up soon. It’s starting all over again.”

-You know you have to take off your shoes when you get on the plane, right?

“Hey. I’ve been on a plane before.”

-Make sure to buy a lunch box at the airport and go in. They don’t give you a grain of rice on the plane these days, so don’t go there and starve.”

“Hey! I know all that. What do you think of me?”

-Have a safe trip. Show your face when you come to away games.”

“Okay. I got it.”

I finished the call and leaned back comfortably in my chair.

I felt like I had relieved some of the weight that was pressing down on my chest.