Perfect Agent [EN]: Chapter 78

Despite the Pelicans’ slide to the bottom of the standings, many fans still filled the stadium.

“Invincible Pelicans!”

“We love you forever, strongest Pelicans!”

Their passionate cheers echoed loudly even before the game began.

-The Pelicans, desperate for a turnaround, face a formidable opponent.

-A glance at the standings reveals the disparity between the two teams. The key for the Pelicans is to showcase a strong performance against the Buffaloes, a team known for its solid offense and defense.

-Above all, defensive stability is crucial. The Pelicans haven’t completed a game without errors this season. If their defense falters, especially considering the starting pitcher’s struggles and batting record, today’s game will be an uphill battle.

The lineup placed So Young-joon as the 8th batter at shortstop, Oh Seok-hoon as the 3rd batter in right field, and Park Sung-joo as the 4th batter at third base.

“Play ball!”

The top of the 1st inning commenced with the Buffaloes on the attack.

Ball.

Ball.

The Pelicans’ starting pitcher struggled with his control right from the start.

Clang!

He surrendered a hit to the lead-off batter.

And then, he walked the second batter.

-No outs, runners on 1st and 2nd. This isn’t an ideal start.

-Now, they face Oh Seok-hoon. Following him is Park Sung-joo, so they can’t afford to pitch around him. They have to challenge him.

-From Oh Seok-hoon’s perspective, he needs to be aggressive from the first pitch. Given the pressure situation and the previous walk, the pitcher will likely try to throw a strike.

“Oh Seok-hoon, hit it out of the park!”

The Buffaloes’ fans eagerly anticipated a big hit from Oh Seok-hoon.

As Oh Seok-hoon settled into the batter’s box, the Pelicans’ pitcher and catcher exchanged signs.

The exchange seemed unusually prolonged, as if they were having trouble agreeing.

Even after the extended discussion, the pitcher shook his head, seemingly disagreeing with the sign, and briefly stepped off the rubber [the pitcher’s plate].

“Boo!”

“Hurry up and play, don’t waste time!”

The Buffaloes’ fans waved their cheering sticks and booed.

-The pitcher and catcher seem to be having communication issues with their signs.

-In these situations, the pitcher needs to trust the catcher’s judgment.

The pitcher, taking a moment to compose himself, stepped back onto the rubber and exchanged signs with the catcher again.

Finally, he nodded, glanced at the runner on 2nd base, and prepared to deliver the pitch.

He fired the ball toward the strike zone.

Oh Seok-hoon, anticipating a strike, swung aggressively.

Tap.

However, the pitch lacked control and drifted outside the strike zone.

The weakly hit ball bounced toward So Young-joon at shortstop.

Sensing a potential double play, Oh Seok-hoon sprinted toward 1st base.

-Oh Seok-hoon’s hit is heading straight for a double play. He was aggressive on the first pitch, but he didn’t make solid contact.

But.

-Huh? So Young-joon bobbled the ball!

The play was delayed as he dropped the ball and had to recover it.

The runner from 1st, heading to 2nd, was already almost there.

So Young-joon quickly adjusted his body, glanced at 1st base, and threw with all his might, but…

It wasn’t nearly enough to get out Oh Seok-hoon, who possessed impressive speed.

“Safe!”

The 1st base umpire emphatically signaled safe, spreading his arms wide.

“Wow!”

“Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon! Oh Seok-hoon!”

The Buffaloes’ fans erupted in cheers, even louder than before.

The Pelicans’ error count on the scoreboard went from 0 to 1.

The Pelicans’ starting pitcher’s expression darkened considerably.

-Oh Seok-hoon reaches base due to an error by shortstop So Young-joon.

-They commit an error in the 1st inning, a critical mistake in a crucial situation.

-They missed an opportunity for a double play, which would have resulted in two outs, and now they face a bases-loaded situation with no outs.

-The real problem starts now. The next batter is the cleanup hitter, Park Sung-joo.

“Grand slam! Grand slam!”

As Park Sung-joo stepped to the plate, the Buffaloes’ fans chanted for a grand slam.

Conversely, the Pelicans’ fans sat down dejectedly, watching the game with disappointment.

-Facing the opposing team’s cleanup hitter with the bases loaded and no outs is a pitcher’s worst nightmare.

-I think the pitching coach needs to come out and try to calm things down.

As expected, the Pelicans’ pitching coach, accompanied by the catcher, walked to the mound.

The pitching coach spoke briefly with the pitcher, offering encouragement, before returning to the dugout.

Simultaneously, Park Sung-joo strode confidently to the plate, a smile on his face.

The pitcher briefly checked the runner on 3rd base and hurled the ball toward the catcher with everything he had.

“Strike!”

The ball zipped through the strike zone on a low plane.

Park Sung-joo nodded, as if anticipating the pitch, and reset his batting stance.

0 balls, 1 strike.

The pitcher carefully exchanged signs with the catcher again.

Then, the pitcher lifted his left leg and delivered the ball toward the strike zone.

Park Sung-joo, recognizing the high trajectory of the pitch, unleashed a powerful swing.

Crack!

The ball rocketed through the air at incredible speed.

The three runners, seeing the ball’s trajectory, took off running with all their might.

-Oh! He connected well.

-Is it going to go over?

The ball, traveling at high speed, soared far beyond the center field fence.

“Home run!”

The 2nd base umpire signaled a home run, twirling his index finger in the air.

-Wow! He finally delivers a home run.

-That’s exactly what you expect from a cleanup hitter.

-With Park Sung-joo’s grand slam, the Buffaloes quickly take a 4-0 lead.

“Wow!”

“Park Sung-joo! Park Sung-joo! Park Sung-joo!”

The three runners, rounding the bases, and Park Sung-joo began their triumphant circuit of the infield diamond.

Park Sung-joo held up four fingers, celebrating the grand slam.

The three runners, touching home plate one by one, waited for Park Sung-joo to arrive.

Park Sung-joo, reaching home plate, savored the exhilarating moment, high-fiving the three runners.

Among them, Oh Seok-hoon playfully tapped Park Sung-joo’s helmet, displaying the most excitement.

On the other hand, the Pelicans’ starting pitcher stared blankly at the outfield, his expression filled with disappointment.

So Young-joon, responsible for the significant loss of points, kicked at the dirt in frustration.

-An error is often followed by runs. If they had completed the double play, they could have escaped the 1st inning without any major damage.

-As I mentioned before the game, the Pelicans desperately need to improve their defense. They can’t continue like this.

The game, which started with the momentum heavily favoring the Buffaloes from the 1st inning, continued in the same vein.

The Buffaloes’ starting pitcher also struggled with his control, offering the Pelicans a glimmer of hope, but the Buffaloes’ solid defense consistently shut them down.

In every critical situation, remarkable plays that drew gasps of admiration eased the pitcher’s burden.

In contrast, the Pelicans’ defense continued to crumble.

Even in routine plays, the pitcher’s workload increased as he received little support from his fielders.

By the end of the top of the 3rd inning, the score had ballooned to 7-1.

And in the bottom of the 3rd inning, So Young-joon, batting 8th, led off the inning.

-So Young-joon, batting 8th, steps up to the plate.

-He committed an error in the 1st inning that led to a significant number of runs. It remains to be seen if he can redeem himself on offense.

So Young-joon gripped the bat handle and entered the batter’s box.

His batting average for the season stood at .238.

Even considering his defensive responsibilities as a shortstop, it was a disappointing average.

Moreover, he had committed a critical error in today’s game.

So Young-joon felt an immense weight on his shoulders.

However, it was a battle worth fighting, especially since the Buffaloes’ starting pitcher wasn’t an ace.

‘Since he struggles with control, be patient and wait for a hittable pitch.’

He focused intently on the pitcher’s delivery.

Whack!

“Strike.”

A high fastball whizzed through the strike zone.

0 balls, 1 strike.

Unexpectedly, he started with a strike.

Regardless, he had planned to take the first pitch.

‘He’ll probably throw a breaking ball this time. I’ll wait.’

So Young-joon assumed his batting stance, but he had no intention of swinging.

However, the pitch appeared to be heading straight for the strike zone.

‘Oh, what? Maybe I should swing.’

Whoosh-

“Swinging strike!”

His reaction was too late, and his timing was completely off.

‘He throws two consecutive strikes?’

0 balls, 2 strikes.

It was a highly unfavorable situation for the batter.

‘This time, if it looks like a strike, I’ll swing.’

So Young-joon took a deep breath and waited for the pitch.

The moment the pitcher released the ball,

‘That’s definitely a strike!’

So Young-joon swung with all his might.

However, the ball dropped sharply and bounced in the dirt.

Whoosh-

He didn’t even make contact with the ball.

As he realized the situation and attempted to run to 1st base, the catcher swiftly approached and tagged So Young-joon with his glove.

“Strike out!”

He struck out on just three pitches.

So Young-joon returned to the dugout with his head down.

The atmosphere of the game remained largely unchanged.

The score difference continued to widen, and after the 7th inning, all the starting players were substituted.

It was a resounding defeat for the Pelicans.

* * *

I sent a message to So Young-joon requesting a meeting and waited.

We attended the same high school, so we knew each other, but we never really hung out because we had different interests and personalities.

Even after turning professional, we only crossed paths when So Young-joon was in the minor leagues.

How should I start the conversation when we meet?

It was even more awkward because he wasn’t a junior or a senior.

I waited, pondering various approaches, but there was no sign of So Young-joon.

Why isn’t he coming?

Looking at the clock, an hour had already passed.

I got up and walked toward the locker room.

Fortunately, I saw a junior player exiting the locker room.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh? Senior.”

The junior, noticing me, bowed and approached.

“Is Young-joon inside? I’ve been waiting for a while, but he hasn’t come out.”

“Young-joon senior? He already left.”

“He already left? I didn’t see him at all.”

I had been waiting here for a long time.

“I think he probably went to the club [nightclub]?”

“What?”

“He seems to go to the club on days when he leaves early.”

“Do you know which club it is?”

As soon as I learned the club’s name from the junior, I hurried out of the stadium.

It’s not even an off-day tomorrow, and he’s at a club.

My head was pounding.