Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 54

Spring Training (1)

The team’s spring training kicks off after a two-month off-season in December and January.

It was the moment the clock of professional baseball, paused for a short while, started ticking again.

And just like that, my daily life became busy once more.

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju, who had been training diligently during the winter, looked even more robust as the weather warmed up.

They couldn’t hide their excitement as the day to join the first-team spring training camp approached.

I made sure to repeatedly warn them not to overdo it out of sheer enthusiasm.

Then, as soon as February 1st arrived, they both joined the Buffaloes’ first-team spring training camp in the United States.

The plan was to train in Arizona for about 40 days and return in time for the exhibition games.

I felt a great sense of emptiness as the two members of my little family left at the same time.

Thankfully, Ruby, who wagged her tail excitedly whenever our eyes met in the yard, brought a smile to my face.

During spring training, the club handles everything from accommodation to training, so there wasn’t much for the agency to actively assist with.

My plan was to check on their current physical condition and provide support for any special needs they might have during training.

Kim Min-hwan and I planned to travel to the site for the practice games and stay for about a week to assess the condition of the players affiliated with our agency.

As the full-scale practice games began at the end of February, I also finished preparing to leave for the United States.

Once the departure date was set, each day felt like a year, even though I wasn’t going on vacation.

Especially the day before departure; I couldn’t sleep and stayed up almost all night.

Whirr-

My steps, as I walked with my carrier, felt lighter than ever.

The airport has a way of making people excited just by being there.

Business trips weren’t much different, I guess.

“Wow.”

Seeing the open airport after such a long time made me feel like all the stress was melting away.

“Hyun-woo, is this your first time at the airport?”

Kim Min-hwan smiled slightly as he saw me turning my head around in a daze.

“It’s not my first time, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve been here.”

“You’re going to be amazed when you get on the plane later.”

“Team Leader, I’m not that much of a country bumpkin. I used to fly when I went to spring training, though it was a short flight.”

“Hmm, are you sure about that?”

I felt a sense of pride looking at Kim Min-hwan’s expression as he subtly smirked at me.

But it wasn’t long before I understood why he was smirking.

We were flying business class.

I realized then that the departure process could be completed so quickly and effortlessly.

Holding only light luggage, I headed to the airline lounge.

Numerous delectable options were spread out before my eyes.

The menu was much more diverse and appealing than most buffets I’d seen.

“Wow, wow…….”

My mouth was wide open and wouldn’t close.

I was worried my jaw might actually fall off.

I filled my plate with the food I wanted to try and sat down facing Kim Min-hwan.

“Heok.”

What surprised me once again was Kim Min-hwan’s plate.

“How can you arrange it like that?”

The skill of fitting so much food onto a small plate was on a completely different level than mine.

How could he stack food so high and still maintain its stability?

It seemed to have reached the level of an art form.

“Eat only a little. You have to save room for the in-flight meals while you’re on your way.”

“Don’t you want to grab a drink?”

“Ah, I almost forgot something important.”

Kim Min-hwan, who was about to dig in, jumped up and returned with a glass of champagne.

“Let’s eat.”

That’s how we ended up having a hearty lunch.

Only after eating our fill did we start talking about work.

“You mentioned you’re heading to your destination first this time, Team Leader, right?”

“Yeah. I’m going to move to the Vikings camp in the middle. Hyun-woo, you can stay and manage the Buffaloes and Doubles camps. It’s not that far, about an hour by car.”

“It won’t be easy to travel all the way to the Vikings camp.”

“This is easy. There were times when I had to travel from the United States to Australia. Fortunately, most of our players’ clubs come to the United States these days.”

“Isn’t it fun to travel to different countries by plane? Sounds pretty good to me.”

“How fun is a long-distance trip, really? You have to travel around without any time to adjust to the time difference.”

Kim Min-hwan said to me as if I were a naive child.

I still think I can handle being tired from flying.

I wonder if I’ll feel differently once I actually experience it.

As we were talking, it was time to board the plane.

The business class seat, which I was seeing and experiencing for the first time, was truly on another level.

The most comfortable and satisfying part was the incredibly wide seat.

“Wow. There’s still room even if I stretch my legs all the way out like this.”

I stretched my legs out and folded them back to fully enjoy the spaciousness.

“Hey, Hyun-woo. Why don’t you quiet down a bit? I think everyone around you can hear you.”

Kim Min-hwan, who was looking around, tapped me on the shoulder as if he was embarrassed.

“Really? But it’s really great.”

I stretched my legs a few more times.

Kim Min-hwan shook his head as he looked at me.

“Get some sleep while you’re on your way. It’ll be daytime when you arrive.”

Kim Min-hwan said that last bit and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

But I couldn’t fall asleep right away.

I soaked in the comfort of business class and browsed the articles that were popping up from the local area.

I wondered what it would be like at the first-team camp that I was going to for the first time.

I was half excited and half scared, and I couldn’t fall asleep easily.

* * *

As soon as I got off the plane and completed the immigration process, I was able to meet the local coordinator.

A man in his mid-20s waved at us and approached.

“How have you been?”

“Thank you for your hard work on your long trip.”

He was talking comfortably with Kim Min-hwan, as if they already knew each other well.

“Say hello. This is Lee Joo-hyuk, who will be our local guide while we’re here. You know who this is, right? Kang Hyun-woo, who works with us at our company.”

Kim Min-hwan introduced me and Lee Joo-hyuk alternately.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Kang Hyun-woo.”

“It’s an honor to meet you like this. My name is Lee Joo-hyuk, and I’ll be helping you for the next week. Please take care of me.”

I shook hands with Lee Joo-hyuk, who was smiling brightly.

I was able to see some interesting information in his information window [ability to see people’s inner thoughts/desires].

-I’m excited about the thought of meeting professional players.

-I want to be evaluated to see if I can become a pitcher.

Looking at his solid build and the calluses on his hands, it seemed like he was exercising regularly.

“How should I address Kang Hyun-woo?”

Lee Joo-hyuk looked at me and Kim Min-hwan alternately and asked, and Kim Min-hwan answered.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to just call him Hyun-woo?”

“Still, that’s a bit…….”

Lee Joo-hyuk looked at me with a troubled expression.

“Then please call me Hyun-woo for the time being.”

“That would be good. Let’s head near the accommodation and grab a meal first.”

Lee Joo-hyuk guided me and Kim Min-hwan to the car that had been prepared in advance, and we set off.

We checked into the accommodation and then went to a nearby taco shop.

Hearing foreign languages that I didn’t understand here and there and seeing a menu full of English, I could really feel that I had arrived in the United States.

Thanks to Lee Joo-hyuk, who kindly explained the menu and even gave recommendations, I was able to order without any difficulty.

“How have you been?”

Kim Min-hwan, who had his mouth full of tacos, looked at Lee Joo-hyuk and asked.

“I’m graduating next semester. I’m spending my time preparing for that.”

“You’re already graduating? Time really flies.”

Kim Min-hwan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

“I know. Before I knew it, it was already here.”

“Ah. Come to think of it, I didn’t explain it to Hyun-woo. Joo-hyuk here is an international student. He’s also friends with CEO Lim, and he also plays baseball, so he’s working part-time at our company.”

Kim Min-hwan added an explanation as he looked at me.

“Oh? Are you a baseball player?”

“No, I’m not a player. I just like baseball, so I’m just doing it as a hobby while going to school.”

Lee Joo-hyuk met my eyes and answered as if he was embarrassed.

“Just a hobby? Aren’t you playing in games here too?”

Kim Min-hwan wiped his mouth with a tissue and asked Lee Joo-hyuk.

“It’s hard to call it a formal game, it’s closer to the concept of club activities.”

“Hey, you’re being too humble. I saw you the other day, and I think your speed is getting close to the high 80s mph [late 130km/h range].”

“Really?”

I was surprised by Kim Min-hwan’s words and looked at Lee Joo-hyuk.

If you can consistently throw at that speed, there isn’t much difference from the average speed of domestic professional baseball pitchers.

I don’t think it’s just a hobby.

“It’s getting better because I’m training with the players who play on the university baseball team, but it’s still a long way off compared to those players.”

“Are you comparing yourself to friends who are trying to go to the major leagues? If you’re at that level now, you could come to Korea and play as a player.”

“Hey. What am I going to play as a player? I’m just enjoying it.”

Lee Joo-hyuk seemed to answer indifferently, but his eyes were telling a different story.

“But the Buffaloes are playing practice games starting tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. Today is an internal practice game. From tomorrow, they said they will play practice games with the university team.”

“Let’s just go and see what the body condition is like today and head in.”

After finishing the meal, we cleaned up the trash, picked it up, and got up from our seats.

I also got up from my seat and turned around to head outside.

“Ouch!”

I collided with something as solid as a rock.

“I’m sorry. Are you Ok?”

It was a foreigner.

“You’re welcome [response to apology].”

The novelty of having my first conversation with a foreigner was only temporary.

-I want to play as a starting pitcher, not a bullpen pitcher.

-I’m worried that my speed isn’t getting any faster.

For the first time, I saw an information window from a foreigner.

A foreigner named Michael Scott was looking at me with a worried expression.

“Hyun-woo, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

I gestured that I was okay several times.

By the way, what kind of body is so solid?

* * *

The training center where the Buffaloes set up camp wasn’t far from the accommodation.

“Wow!”

As soon as I saw the training center in front of me, I couldn’t help but exclaim.

There were four baseball fields in the vast stadium, oriented east, west, south, and north.

There were many batting cages where hitters could practice their swing and spaces where pitchers could practice pitching, allowing many players to train simultaneously.

The weather, which was neither cold nor hot, was perfect for training.

In a place like this, I felt like I could work hard without resting, even if I trained all night.

“What are you doing? Let’s go in quickly.”

“Yes.”

I barely contained my excitement and followed Kim Min-hwan into the spring training camp.