Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 55

Spring Camp (2)

“Hyung!”

“Sunbae!”

Oh Seok-hoon and Park Seong-ju, upon seeing me, sprinted towards me with all their might.

It had only been a few weeks, but it felt like meeting them after months.

“How’s training going these days? Is your body okay?”

“Training in a warm place seems to be making me even better.”

Park Seong-ju jumped up and down on the spot as if showing off his condition.

-Showing the best condition.

Even without the information window above his head, I could tell just from Park Seong-ju’s expression.

“The season hasn’t started yet, so don’t overdo it too much. Be careful not to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry. The coaches are telling us that until it’s ingrained in our ears.”

I smiled and patted Park Seong-ju on the shoulder.

Then, I turned my head and looked at Oh Seok-hoon.

“How about you, Seok-hoon?”

“I’m also… working hard.”

Unlike Park Seong-ju, his expression was full of worry.

-Feeling pressured because his batting average isn’t improving.

Since they don’t play actual games when the season ends, it was natural for their batting average to decline.

It’s not even the season yet, and he’s already worrying about his batting average.

That was a very Oh Seok-hoon-like concern.

“Everything will be alright. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah… I’ll have to work hard.”

Oh Seok-hoon’s expression was still not bright.

This tendency served as a driving force for constant effort, but it also had the problem of making himself too hard on himself.

I need to pay attention to his mental state from the side so that he doesn’t waver.

Shortly after, the Buffaloes’ intrasquad practice game began.

The hitters were divided into the first team and the 1.5 team to proceed.

As the focus was on adjusting their condition and improving their performance rather than winning, it was slightly different from the official game rules.

If the predetermined number of pitches for each pitcher was exceeded, the inning ended even if there were not 3 outs, and conversely, if there were pitches left, it proceeded to 4 outs.

It was a device to protect the pitcher’s shoulder.

Tick!

Tap!

There was also the reason that the pitchers’ speed had not yet increased, and because they were focusing on adjusting their condition with fastballs rather than breaking balls, the hitters swung their bats freely.

However, that didn’t mean that all of them became hits.

The Buffaloes’ defense, which was evaluated as solid, was still formidable.

And Oh Seok-hoon, who was batting third for the first team, stepped up to the plate.

Whack!

“Strike.”

He swung confidently on the first pitch, but his bat didn’t connect with the trajectory of the ball.

His batting average was definitely not good.

Whack!

“Strike.”

Even though it was a breaking ball that was almost falling to the ground, he couldn’t hold back and swung.

And he managed to lay off one fastball that was high, but eventually…

Tick!

With a timid swing, he mis-hit the ball, and it headed straight for the second baseman.

Oh Seok-hoon sprinted to first base, but it was an easy out for the second baseman.

Oh Seok-hoon, who had passed first base and was slowly slowing down, tilted his head and turned around.

“Seok-hoon still doesn’t have a good feel for it.”

Kim Min-hwan also sighed the moment the bat made weak contact, looking saddened.

“It’s still spring camp.”

“He’ll gradually find his feel, right?”

“Of course.”

“Yeah. I think he’s going to make something happen this year. I have a good feeling.”

Kim Min-hwan said, pointing to his head.

I don’t know what he was basing it on, but I just nodded and went along with it.

The game continued.

Next was Park Seong-ju, the Buffaloes’ cleanup hitter [fourth batter].

Confidence radiated from the way he swung his bat.

When I saw him off the field, he just seemed like a playful kid, but he looked different on the field.

Now I really felt the aura of a cleanup hitter.

The pitcher exchanged signs with the catcher several times.

The sign exchange took a while, but the result of the pitch was quickly apparent.

The breaking ball, which floated in without much speed because the pitchers weren’t yet at full strength, was an easy target for the hitter.

Thwack!

Park Seong-ju’s bat swung confidently at the first pitch, and the ball rocketed off the bat with incredible speed.

It was a moment that highlighted Park Seong-ju’s greatest strength: his fast bat speed.

“Oh! Oh oh!”

I, who had already widened my eyes as soon as I heard the crack of the bat, along with Kim Min-hwan and Lee Joo-hyeok next to me, exclaimed in amazement.

The batted ball soared through the air.

“Home run!”

When the ball cleared the fence, I raised both hands to the sky and shouted.

Then, I high-fived Kim Min-hwan and Lee Joo-hyeok.

Even if it wasn’t a real game, a home run was always thrilling.

Perhaps because it was just a team practice game, Park Seong-ju didn’t do any special celebration.

I always thought that excessive home run celebrations were a bit much,

But when it passed quietly, it felt a little anticlimactic.

Instead, I savored the thrilling afterglow, clenching my fist.

At that moment, someone spoke to me from behind.

“I’ve been seeing you often these days.”

“Oh? General Manager.”

Surprised by the voice, I turned around and saw Choi Min-seong, the general manager of the Buffaloes.

From salary and FA [Free Agent] negotiations to Park Seong-ju’s disciplinary hearing, he was the general manager I had met the most this winter.

“Did you come to see Seok-hoon and Seong-ju?”

“Yes. I’m glad they seem to be training without any injuries.”

The general manager, meeting my eyes, turned his head to watch the practice game.

“They’re doing well, but it would have been perfect if Na Joon-ho was here too…”

Is he saying that on purpose for me to hear?

I chimed in.

“The Buffaloes have Seok-hoon, don’t they? You already have a player who will be the best right fielder in the league, so what are you worried about?”

“I can’t help but keep thinking about it, perhaps because we’re ready to spend money properly in this FA market.”

Choi Min-seong’s eyes, fixed on the field, were full of regret.

I quickly changed the subject.

“It seems like the Buffaloes are really determined to change the team atmosphere this time.”

Choi Min-seong had a faint smile on his lips, as if he immediately understood what I was saying.

“It’s like a silver lining after a disaster. It’s not easy to remove a firmly embedded stone, but this time we had an opportunity.”

“There will be good results in the future.”

Perhaps Park Seong-ju’s incident was a blessing in disguise for them.

“Seok-hoon and Seong-ju will be able to do well this year, right?”

“You don’t have to worry about the core batting lineup. Both players will do their part sufficiently.”

“The club will also manage them thoroughly, but please take good care of them at the agency as well.”

“Of course. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I naturally shrugged my shoulders.

“I’m looking forward to it. That way, you’ll be able to negotiate your salary comfortably at the end of the season.”

“You’ll have to be prepared to be generous.”

Choi Min-seong smiled faintly at my words.

“But Na Joon-ho’s 6-year contract, I heard Hyun-woo suggested it?”

“Yes.”

Choi Min-seong smiled at me for a moment and then held out his hand.

“Let’s get close. I think we have a lot to give and take from each other.”

“I’d be honored if I could be close to the general manager.”

“Then I’ll see you again when I return to Korea.”

After shaking hands, Choi Min-seong walked away.

Then Kim Min-hwan quickly approached me.

“Ugh. That guy is a real fox. What did he say?”

“Just… he asked if Seok-hoon and Seong-ju would do well or something.”

“Of course our kids will do well. Are they going to mess things up? He’s asking ridiculous things.”

Kim Min-hwan frowned, perhaps recalling the salary negotiations a while ago.

He didn’t seem to like even the smallest things about Choi Min-seong.

Seeing that expression, I burst into laughter.

In the continued game, Oh Seok-hoon was still not finding his rhythm and was swinging at air, while Park Seong-ju produced several solid hits.

That’s how I finished the first day’s schedule.

* * *

The next day was the day to go to the Doubles’ training camp.

It was about an hour’s drive away.

As soon as I woke up, I ate a simple breakfast and left the accommodation.

Unlike me, who traveled light, Kim Min-hwan took all the luggage he had brought.

He was planning to check in on Go Ji-hoon, another player belonging to YJ Agency, and then move on to the Vikings’ training camp.

We loaded Kim Min-hwan’s heavy suitcase and set off.

“You know Go Ji-hoon, right?”

Kim Min-hwan suddenly asked, without any preamble.

“Yes. I know him well.”

Go Ji-hoon was an underhand right-handed pitcher.

He was considered the second or third starting pitcher for the Doubles, and he was good enough to play that role on any team.

He had also been selected as a national representative and played in international competitions, so there was no question about his skills.

However, his weakness was that he often suffered minor injuries due to his pitching style, which involved bending his back and throwing the ball from a low angle, and that he couldn’t pitch many innings due to high stamina consumption.

“This year, we especially need to pay a lot of attention to that friend.”

“He’s a free agent after this season, right?”

“That’s right. Maybe that’s why, he’s always been sensitive, but when I saw him a while ago, he was even more on edge.”

Kim Min-hwan shook his head with a look of concern.

It was natural for players to become sensitive in the season leading up to free agency.

When negotiating, teams don’t evaluate a player’s worth solely on their performance in the season right before the contract, but they can’t ignore the impact of that performance either.

“It would be great if he could pitch more than 150 innings this year… but it won’t be easy, right?”

“Ugh. It would be nice if he did, but I’d just be thankful if he could get through it without any injuries.”

Kim Min-hwan’s lukewarm expression didn’t convey much optimism.

After about an hour, we arrived at the training ground where the Doubles players were training.

Kim Min-hwan, looking around, spotted someone, waved, and approached.

I followed Kim Min-hwan with Lee Joo-hyeok.

“Ji-hoon.”

Go Ji-hoon, hearing Kim Min-hwan’s voice, walked towards us with his glove in his hand.

“How’s your body condition now? Are there any problems with training?”

“It’s good. I don’t have any pain.”

“Wow. You’ve taken good care of your body.”

Kim Min-hwan exclaimed, touching Go Ji-hoon’s shoulders and arms.

“Sunbae-nim [senior], hello. I’m Kang Hyun-woo.”

This time, I greeted him.

“Oh… okay.”

He looked like he didn’t really want to say hello.

Is he shy, or is he just sensitive before taking the mound?

-He is in an extremely sensitive state as he is facing free agency after the season.

-He is pushing himself too hard from the beginning.

He was in a sensitive state, as expected.

More than anything, the fact that he was pushing himself too hard from the beginning was not a good sign.